Darkness At Noon-Part XV

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The Fast Track

Whatever one does or omits to do needs to be viewed in the context of the

purpose of human life itself. A linked issue of the power of the mind and the

understanding of its nature have also to be gone into. One"s life is short and

intelligent living demands putting it to the best use.

According to Ramana, the purpose of life is to discover one"s true nature.

For in that discovery, one has to return home to be restored to one"s source of

joy, the fountain head of happiness, which is located in one"s spiritual heart. This

indeed is the place and no where else. This spiritual heart is also the location

from where the divine current is flowing perennially. In this context, the tragedy is

that one seems to be moving farther and farther away seeking happiness which

must elude one, because the mind is misdirected.

The related need for the understanding of the mind is a must for fulfilling

this purpose of discovery. In the understanding of the mind is the key.

It follows that any life style that runs counter to the core purpose would imply that

life must necessarily have been wasted.

In this context, one notices that many individuals who constitute the cream

of the intellect invariably opt for fast track jobs. It may be due to parental or peer

presence that they take up these jobs connected with the software industry with

its highly competitive set up and job movements climbing the ladders, resulting in

problems of stress and intellectual wear out. The mind"s capacity to stay focused

would be corroded. Once on the fast track, one has to willy-nilly be on that track.

The question of any reflection on life"s purpose would be ruled out for there is no

time cushion to enable it.

The Slow Track

On the other hand some stay away from the race altogether and gradually

by the sheer non-exercise of the mind, reduce themselves to mediocrities.

There are also some, who after a long time career and service find themselves

at sea on retirement. No one seems to have use for their experience or their

untapped capacities. Therefore they gradually slide into the backwaters, seeing

T.V."s different channels for hours on end, reading magazines and newspapers,

anything for that matter to 'Pass Time", which hangs so heavily on their heads.

The aforesaid two categories have plenty of time, but do not know what to

do with it. They too are unaware of life"s purpose and the need to be related to it.

They seem to be ignorant of the fact that the mind"s power needs to be

continuously used. They would be frittering away the opportunity of using the

mind for the all important purpose of Self-discovery.

In this context, it must also be mentioned that a vast segment of working

people in different walks of life, in the fields of art, literature and so on, often belie

the theory that everything worthwhile is to be found on the fast track. For the vast

majority the lacunae is in the attitudes to work. The importance of and the need

for the paramount duty of finding out the truth for oneself is something to which

they have not been exposed to all. One can only hope that sooner or later they

will return from their straying away and their wanderings to find that their very

haven is in their home.