Rise Above Mistakes

Rise Above Mistakes

Mistakes are easy. As soon as we are born, they begin. We mistake the self as the body. And without fail, they mark our inevitable rite of passage in the long, drawn-out business of growing up. What we make up in our own minds is mistaken, over and over again, for reality.

Scriptures say that we are born with 4 imperfections or propensities, which arise due to contact with material existence. They are: imperfect senses (we cannot see in the dark), due to which we go to an illusion (I am this body), make mistakes (to err is human), and cheat (I know everything). They lead to imperfect knowledge. The unfortunate and sad part is we easily see other mistakes and criticise, but we fail to see our own mistakes.

A little shade of the incorrect or improper personality exists inside each one, however light the shade is. But this shade is an acquired one due to contact with material nature. There is a saving grace / supreme grace, which meditation offers. Along with the negative shades, every person possesses many positive personality traits which are their strengths. This is because our inherent nature / sva-bhaava is perfect knowledge, bliss, peace.

One does become aware of it, in times of silence and self-reflection-contemplation and makes an effort to remove it. The fruit of our practice is not miraculously never making mistakes again. It is, rather, seeing clearly what’s actually going on, so that we can then find our fitting course of action.

Every passing moment becomes like a passing act in a play. Bhagvadgeeta beautifully explains this concept, guna-guneshu-vartante…all these are play of the sattva-rajas-tamas and one who sees that the aatman does nothing actually sees. Each of us are the actors playing our parts in this drama of life. In a play, an actor is never focused on another actors' part, continually seeing mistakes, and criticizing it. He just gets on with his own part, playing it as best he can.

Right thoughts restore rightness to the whole play. Regular meditation practice helps detach yourself from your role and witness the truth, behind the role. You will find yourself loving every instant of your role and the drama of life. Alignment with the reality / truth / higher power will make you happy, satisfied, and peaceful. There will be a realisation that our real joy is not hidden in any material object, rather it is in the consciousness of enjoying the things itself.

There is this regular complain of not finding time to align with the reality but finding time to go on endlessly without any pause. Our spiritual masters says when you don’t have time to meditate, that is the time you need to meditate the most. The quality of our meditation depends on our attitude, not on the length of time.

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