Playing with Lego blocks

We often see two kids playing on the shore of a sea. One of the kids is trying to build the castle from the sand after doing hours of hard work with a lot of patience and the other kid comes and just kicks the castle and the castle gets shattered. Every day, one of the family members cleans the home and arranges everything, and the other member comes and throws different things here and there, making the entire home chaotic. We see different people working hard to set up the systems in an organization and some others destabilizing these systems for their petty interests. We also see many giving their lives for the nation building and some selling their nation for petty interest.

These "self-obsessed elements" exist everywhere. They disturb the order for their petty interest. They are so blinded by their short-term interest that they fail to understand their long-term interest. They would foolishly kill the hen laying golden eggs. Setting up systems and harmony is in the interest of everybody and not just a few. However, few want to become more powerful at the cost of the systems. 

We know that this universe has been ever-expanding since the time of the Big Bang. At the same time, there is also creation taking place on each of the stars and planets. There is nuclear fusion taking place at the Sun each moment at a massive scale. Similarly, there are a number of activities taking place on each of the planets. On Earth (and maybe on some more planets in this universe unknown to us), life is evolving from single cellular to complex human beings. Thus, within the creation at a local planet as well, there is an element of expansion in the form of evolution and within that expansion of the universe, there is an element of local creation at individual planets and stars. 

These two movements keep happening inside all of us as well. We want to expand by gathering more knowledge, money, and power. The other movement makes us enjoy ourselves, have fun, entertain ourselves, eat good food and take rest. However, in both these movements, the center of our life is the body we are born with. We want to make it comfortable by enjoying and taking a rest. On the other hand, we want to expand the domain of these comforts and pleasures by working hard now to get more money and power. In both these movements, the center is the body. At times, in such a state, we want to set up systems for more future comforts and better life. Thus, the center of our existence remains the body, while trying to set up systems as well.

So long as the center of life remains this body, our life will be driven by fear. There will always be a fear of losing this body. No amount of comforts and pleasures is going to give us the security of permanence of this body. Similarly, no amount of accumulation of wealth or power is going to secure us about the permanence of this body. The tussle between the "system-setters" and "self-obsessed elements" will continue and both will be equally frustrated. Because the "self-obsessed elements" are obsessed with their present comforts and pleasures while the "system-setters" are obsessed with their future comforts and pleasures. So long as the center of our existence remains this body, this situation is not going to change ever.

A question arises, whether our existence is limited to this body. When we sit in meditation and look inside, we can experience the temporariness of the movements in different parts of our body. When we dive deeper in a meditative state, we do experience the existence of self beyond this body. I have a strong feeling that human life is a great opportunity to expand our consciousness centered in the body to the cosmic consciousness. 

Each time we make an effort to set up systems and the "self-obsessed elements" sabotage these efforts, we may respond in two different ways. Firstly, we may get irritated or aggressive. Secondly, we may respond with equanimity taking it as an opportunity to realize the temporariness of the entire material world like the stage of a play that keeps changing with every new scene. With the understanding of the temporariness of all the forms, we act in the world of form as if we are playing a role in the grand play of life. Freedom from fixation with a particular form of creation gives us infinite opportunities to recreate. As if we are playing with Lego blocks with infinite possibilities rather than one one-time fixed design art and craft project.