What is the point?

Some bloggers are farce. They share nothing except garbage picked up from browsing the web. The truth is that it is very rare to find the real or original content in blogs. Some blogger (called Sally presumably a pseudo name) was writing poems. Often funny choice of words but accurate in conveying the meaning. Poems which looked prose but had rhyme of emotions. Initially I thought it was some boy but later it was revealed that it was a ‘she’ and she was a student. Following is the last entry which I received from this blog by email. After this entry blog account has been closed. Answer lies in this entry itself:

To ask ‘What’s the point’ or not to ask. That’s the question. (by Its.Sally)

sally (Photo credit: Laser Burners)

I thought that by the time that I have my summer vacation, I would feel comfortable, relaxed, as I am free from all the stress I’ve been through from studying to grades to speed and all of this. The thing is that I am not. Maybe because I haven’t started my activities yet, maybe its because i always think too much about how I feel.. I came across this quote that kinda makes sense to me : ”The state of discontent built the world. Don’t fight. Embrace it.”

I decided to read a lot of books, then while reviewing books online I felt so confused and pissed off at first because I didn’t like any, even the most famous ones.. I didn’t know if is it me or is it the authors that seem not care about the world. I know every one has his own opinion and all these things but.. I’m not that different or special.

Then when I found some interesting books (Finally), they were philosophy-psychology. I marked them as ‘want to read’ on ‘Good reads’, feeling happy that I found ‘the one’, then while reviewing it again after a while to make sure I want it, I ask myself ; ‘what’s the point of this book !?’ I think about it and then it talks about philosophy or life and death or stuff, and then I feel pissed off. It has no point. Don’t tell me read it for fun, its okay. Because I am not that kind of a person who would read a book just to have fun. It has to has a point. And for the last 84 hrs its been like that, spinning around, not knowing what I want. I just don’t know, you know? And not knowing is pissing me off.

The question ‘ what’s the point’ I keep questioning on EVERYTHING will be the end of me.

Things are simple and I complicate them? I’m pretty sure yes.

I need to take it more easily, I need to relax. I don’t wanna be pissed off. I have so much in me that is dying to come out..

And the way I feel doesn’t apply only on the books, I apply it on pretty much everything else.

This post is unimportant but I had the urge to write and post it. I apologize.

Let us pause here. The above paragraph holds a realization of a crucial truth which we all feel once a while but miss in realization. Or may be it is just a step away. I hope that Sally would continue to maintain her logs even if she keeps it private. The truth is that we first ask question and search for answer. Once we find answer we create new question to be answered. The situation is very aptly described in following story:

There is an old story about a man who came to see the Buddha because he had heard that the Buddha was a great teacher. Like all of us, he had some problems in his life, and he thought the Buddha might be able to help him straighten them out. He told the Buddha that he was a farmer. “I like farming,” he said, “but sometimes it doesn’t rain enough, and my crops fail. Last year we nearly starved. And sometimes it rains too much, so my yields aren’t what I’d like them to be.”

The Buddha patiently listened to the man.

“I’m married, too,” said the man. “She’s a good wife…I love her, in fact. But sometimes she nags me too much. And sometimes I get tired of her.”

The Buddha listened quietly.

“I have kids,” said the man. “Good kids, too…but sometimes they don’t show me enough respect. And sometimes…”

The man went on like this, laying out all his difficulties and worries. Finally he wound down and waited for the Buddha to say the words that would put everything right for him.

Instead, the Buddha said, “I can’t help you.”

“What do you mean?” said the man, astonished.

“Everybody’s got problems,” said the Buddha. “In fact, we’ve all got eighty-three problems, each one of us. Eighty-three problems, and there’s nothing you can do about it. If you work really hard on one of them, maybe you can fix it – but if you do, another one will pop right into its place. For example, you’re going to lose your loved ones eventually. And you’re going to die some day. Now there’s a problem, and there’s nothing you, or I, or anyone else can do about it.”

The man became furious. “I thought you were a great teacher!” he shouted. “I thought you could help me! What good is your teaching, then?”

The Buddha said, “Well, maybe it will help you with the eighty-fourth problem.”

“The eighty-fourth problem?” said the man. “What’s the eighty-fourth problem?”

Said the Buddha, “You want to not have any problems.” (Source of story: http://hindizen.com/2012/05/18/84th-problem/)

So long we search for a point, like Sally did, all we have is worries. Like the farmer in above story. As regards ‘point’ or ‘meaning’ of life please read here. Most questions remain unanswered. Not because there are no answers but because there are too many answers. Problems have tendency to find its solutions if only we are patient enough. Merely reading philosophy, without living life by closely observing it, is not going to help. Life is a riddle which is ready to unfold itself provided we let it do by taking time off from chase or winning and achieving. Let life live ourselves.

(Added on 30.07.2012)
Here is another story on the same line (from the same site.):

The youngman crossed the desert and finally reached the Sceta monastery. There he asked – and was given permission – to attend one of the abbot’s talks.
That afternoon the abbot spoke about the importance of farm work.
When the talk came to an end, the young man commented to one of the monks:
“That really impressed me. I thought that I was going to hear an illuminated sermon on virtues and sins, but the abbot only spoke about tomatoes, irrigation and things like that. Where I come from, everyone believes that God is mercy: all you need to do is pray.”
The monk smiled and answered:
“Here we believe that God has already done His part; now it’s up to us to continue the process.”

The point is that if we do not live our life, merely philosophizing about certain aspects of life will not help. Live with body meet its needs. Visions of mind are mere illusions. Vivekananda also said same thing in a poem.

© Sandeep Bhalla

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