There was a big epiphany on the plane trip from Denpasar to Jogjakarta a week ago. An old book is read while flying across the distance from Bali to Java. Written simple words that open the eyes, "I am not my body". Jerky, time seemed to stop.
There was a silence within me that came forward. Body like cotton. It is thin and floaty (this is a fact because it is on the plane). One key to life opens and opens many other doors.
All problems are no longer a problem. What was previously worrying now feels distant. There is a distance created. There was a new, spacious and majestic space that came to the fore.
As if Trouble
As far as I understand, there are nine pressing problems in human life in the 21st century. First, so many people worry about money. They worry about the safety of themselves and their families. Various ways, even those that harm others, are often taken, to collect more money.
Two, we also often worry about family. How is the health of my wife, husband, children, and parents? How can I help them live healthy, happy, and long lives? Excessive worrying will create anxiety, even long-lasting depression, such as bodily illness and even suicide.
Three, diversion from anxiety is also often detrimental. Often, people fall into consumptive attitudes. He buys things he doesn't need. Income, and even savings, must disappear to satisfy the endless buying urge.
Four, when money and purchasing power disappears, other objects become fugitives. Many people turn to alcohol. They get drunk to cover up the anxiety they feel. This is of course a vicious circle because alcoholism will create new, more dangerous problems.
Five, drug addiction also takes a similar pattern. Momentary pleasure is sought to get out of trouble instantly. People seem unconscious, this is like digging a grave deeper. The effects of drug addiction are far more painful than the initial anxiety.
Six, this is what seems to be a trend now, Religion is an unhealthy escape from the anxiety of life. People change clothes, cover their entire bodies, and feel that they are the holiest people in the world. A small number become terrorists who threaten the comfort and integrity of living together.
Seven, greed may be a cover for anxiety. People are not satisfied with what is there. He racked his brain and energy to find what was more satisfying, without any clear direction. This is the root of all corruption and other dishonest acts, namely the fear of an uncertain life.
Eight, momentary bodily pleasures are the quickest to divert anxiety. Sex then became the main choice. No wonder, in the 21st century, pornography, prostitution, and infidelity exploded in various parts of the world. The relentless crisis, coupled with an increasingly uncertain pandemic, is forcing people to seek temporary diversion.
Nine, this tendency is perhaps the most subtle, namely the excessive obsession with health. As if the pain is a mortal enemy that must be eradicated. Pain is a part of life. It is an opportunity for the body to truly rest when activity is overwhelming.
What do the nine things above have in common? One thing: it's all about the body! Everything is born from the needs of the body, and the drive to preserve the body. And since both family and love relationships are bodily relationships, they also become objects of anxiety.
Consciously or unconsciously, the body is the main reason for all our anxiety. People accumulate wealth, often through corruption, also to satisfy bodily needs. People worry about their lives and their families, also because of the physical bond. Only humans are this troublesome.
Animals and plants also have bodily needs. However, they don't worry much, as humans do. They also want to survive in an uncertain world. However, no animal was trapped in prolonged depression and chose to commit suicide. No animal kills each other, just because of religion.
My Body
If the body is the cause of many of life's anxieties, what does it mean? The body is a constantly changing entity. It is a collection as well as remnants of the food we have eaten. Back then, our bodies were small. However, with the passage of time and the amount of food we eat, it has grown.
The body is also the result of habit. If we are used to eating a lot, then our body is big. Conversely, if we eat a little, then the body is small. The body has its own needs that demand to be met.
Unbearable needs can also be referred to as compulsions. These are strong urges that compel them to be fulfilled. The forms vary, ranging from uncontrollable eating, excessive sex, excessive grooming to the need for luxury goods. It is this fulfillment of the body's compulsive needs that is the reason for much of the anxiety in our lives.
The body cannot be separated from the mind either. What we think will feel in the body. Wounds on the body can also mess with our minds. So, the concept used should be the body-mind concept. Both are one.
Am I My Body?
This question is important to answer. If the answer is yes, then all our anxiety is justified, because it is all related to meeting the needs of the body. However, on closer inspection, the correct answer is no. Our bodies are constantly changing. Meanwhile, consciousness or life in it remains.
So, I am not my body. I can observe my body. I can be aware of my body. So my body is not me, because it can become the object of my consciousness.
If I am not my body, who am I? The answer is simple: I am the consciousness that observes my body. Various studies in philosophy and neuroscience have come to this conclusion. I am a living consciousness, while the body is only my vehicle in this world.
What are the implications of this understanding? Most of the problems are problems of the fulfillment of the body. Our anxiety about family is also because we have a physical bond with them. However, if we are aware, that we are not our bodies, then there is enlightenment there.
There is a distance between me and my body. This also means, there is a distance between me and my mind. There is a distance between me and my anxiety. This is indeed the end of suffering.
The compulsions are gone. Anxiety disappeared. We still have to work, to meet the needs of the body. We still have to take care of families in need. However, everything was done calmly and clearly.
This must be realized from time to time. In between activities, try to say to yourself, "I am not my body". This will form a new pattern of life. This will lead us to enlightenment that gives birth to peace and clarity. The right actions will flow from there.
On the other hand, as a living consciousness that has transcended the body, we also feel a bond with all beings. We become part of all living things that exist. Discrimination, racism, and identity conflicts will disappear instantly. We use the body but can transcend it, and touch the cosmic consciousness within us.
Thumbnail Image by unsplash.com
very interesting to read. I enjoy every sentence you write