As a human
being we all have needs. These needs have their source in our thoughts and
beliefs about ourselves.
• Universal human needs are :
– Physical needs for security and survival
like food, shelter, and medical care,
protection from life-threatening events, rest, exercise
– Emotional needs for/to care,
appreciation, support, acceptance, emotional safety, contribution to enriching
life consideration, respect, love, trust, fun, laughter, honesty, integrity,
– Intellectual needs to understand,
know, choosing values, dreams and goals,
choosing plans for fulfilling
– Spiritual needs to understand the
truth of life and oneself, harmony, peace, order, creativity, self-worth
When our needs are fulfilled we
feel some of the following - happy, joyful, elated, comfortable, confident, eager, enthusiastic,
energetic, fulfilled, glad, hopeful, inspired, proud, optimistic, relieved,
stimulated, thankful, trustful, touched… etc.
When our needs are not fulfilled we could feel
some of the following - angry, annoyed, irritated, depressed, discouraged, sad,
confused, disappointed, embarrassed, frustrated, hopeless, helpless, impatient,
irritated, nervous, lonely, puzzled, uncomfortable, overwhelmed .... etc.
In fact our feelings are often a
window to gauge whether our needs are being met or not.
Our emotional needs stem from a
basic universal conclusion about the self – which is that ‘I am limited’
or ‘I am wanting/insecure’. Where the
childhood has been difficult this in turn could manifest in any number of
conscious or more often than naught unconscious conclusions such as ‘I am
helpless’, ‘I am inadequate’, ‘I am not lovable’, ‘I am useless’ etc.
Once these conclusions have taken
place, it is but natural that there will be a NEED, a DESIRE, almost a craving
for whatever it is that I think I lack. And once this kind of desire is there,
it leads to actions to get what I think I will remove the sense of lack which
is centered around myself. Also we find that these conclusions are behind our
interpretations of events and situations – we would tend to interpret
situations in terms of our original conclusions, so as to strengthen further
strengthen them! Negative conclusions would get strengthened mostly because of
our interpretations.
So now, here is this human being
who is a bundle of needs, whose whole life is centred around fulfilling those
needs, because he/she thinks that he / she is dependent upon their fulfilment for
his/her sense of happiness and security.
Life being what it is, a number
of factors over which we have limited or no control can come into play and we
find that many a time we are not able to fulfil our needs. That leaves us
dissatisfied and with an emptiness inside, begging to be filled as though. So
it is to be noted that the sense of dissatisfaction is centred on ‘I’. This is
the original sense of dissatisfaction and discontentment which has its source
in the conclusion that ‘I’ am wanting.
Again even if we have been
successful in fulfilling any number of desires, still we end up finding that
the basic conclusion that ‘I am wanting’ which is behind all the desires, stays
intact – it does not go. In fact, no
amount of learning new ways to fulfil ones needs will remove the basic
conclusion that I am wanting’.
So satisfaction of needs/desires
does not remove the conclusion centred on ‘I’ that I am wanting. Nor does
non-fulfilment of the desires remove that conclusion. This makes one into an
eternal seeker ... eternally seeking to be fulfilled through this activity or
that.... trying to become something other than what one is. This is a life of
becoming and it is what is called as samsara.
The first step in rising above
the psychology of need, is to recognize
the impossibility of the process of fulfilment of our needs/desires to be the
solution to remove the basic universal conclusion of the ‘I’ being a lacking
‘I’.
Having understood that no action
will remove the basic sense of lack centred on ‘I’, the question remains what
will? Is it that the ‘I’ the self is basically lacking?
No. Vedanta, which is a body of
knowledge, placed at the end of the Vedas, reveals that the ‘I’ is purnam – whole – totally free of lack of
any kind.
Why should I believe the Veda?
Because otherwise I would be compelled to live with the basic conclusion that
‘I’ is lacking and will always remain so.
It is this conclusion that is at the root of all sorrow in life. And
then there would be no freedom from sorrow. So even if I do not know whether to
believe in Veda, I must give it a try, and see what this ancient and great body
of knowledge has to say.
Vedanta reveals the nature of the
self to whole, and it does so in the form of a methodology of teaching that is
very precise. Like any other body of knowledge, it too requires certain
eligibility. It requires what is called as antahkarna
shuddhi - purity of the inner
instrument, the mind. This antahkarna
shuddhi or maturity is to be gained living one’s life
meaningfully, with attitudes based on an understanding of the realities of life
– which are the absolute reality which is the unchanging consciousness that is
one’s self, and the empirical reality, which is world of change that we
confront, which is never away from the
unchanging truth of oneself.
We plan to have a 5-day retreat
on ‘Exploring Realities and Self-Growth’ May –June 2014 at Rishikesh. The
retreat will have 2 satsangs based on the Bhagvad-Gita taken by Swami
Brahmavidyananda Saraswati in the
morning, workshop sessions on ‘Growing
As An Individual’ , a meditation session, and a yoga
session daily. If you are interested you may contact me at retreat4knowing@gmail.com.
Om Tat Sat
