The Two Worlds

We suffer more in imagination than in reality - I happened to read this profound statement somewhere on Facebook and it instantly triggered a thought process in my head. The above line is true because sometimes the cause of our suffering lies solely in our mind. We imagine our problems to be bigger than they actually are causing much distress to ourselves. If we were to replace ‘suffer’ with the word ‘live’ in the opening sentence, then that holds true as well because sometimes we live more freely in our imagination than in the real world. The point is that all of us live in these two worlds – the real and the imaginary and we keep moving from one to another with effortless ease.

The real world is the physical space and the actual events and circumstances that transpire in our life. The imaginary world is the magical world that we create inside our head. It is our thoughts that spin around to create this magical web. It is the creative space. So depending on the quality of our thoughts we can be happy or stressed in this imaginary space.  And that after all is what influences the real world.

I call the imaginary space the magical world because here we are free to dream the forbidden, the less thought of and be true in the expression of our feelings. The imagination is far more powerful and dangerous than we think.  It allows access to things not permitted in the real world. But also allows us to shed inhibitions and discover our true selves.  Not always does the imaginary turn into real but that is where the ‘magic’ lies – in just experiencing things in our physical being. And the best part is that no one can take away this experience from us. So turn around your imagination into your creative playfield and use it a lot more than you already do and you will discover that the ‘magic’ I talk about follows silently but surely.

Human Flowers

Sunflowers bloom into beautiful and bright flowers as the first ray of sunlight falls on their closed bud. Bright, cheerful and soothing, they instantly give pleasure to the eyes that see this wonder.  Humans are just like flowers. Sometimes we choose to live our lives closed up in the little shell of the self. We lock ourselves in a world of our own and ignore the ‘knocks knocks’ that come by on the door to our hearts every now and then. We think that shutting out the world from us means putting an end to all the problems and worries that come as part of being in it. Yet they continue to haunt, even more perhaps. Can there be any joy in this kind of lonely existence?

President Ikeda, a prolific peace activist says “There is no true joy in a life lived closed up in the little shell of the self. When you take one step to reach out to people, when you meet with others and share their thoughts and sufferings, infinite compassion and wisdom well up within your heart. Your life is transformed.”

Have you experienced this transformation in your life? My own experience allows me to substantiate president Ikeda’s viewpoint. From a closed bud I have flowered into a happier, confident and joyful person. The reason for this? - My circle of friends has grown dramatically in the last few years. I have begun to enjoy human interaction, something I shied away from for a good part of my life. This has led to my individual growth as well.

I have learnt that it is only through our interaction with others that we can bloom to our fullest potential. Like flowers, we derive nourishment for the soul, heart, mind and body from all that is around us and fellow humans are an integral part of it. Just as the spring sunshine warms the frozen earth back to life, so vibrant dialogue fills people’s lives with fresh energy and nurtures the flowering of human potential. No matter what position or where we belong. The human heart desires soulful conversation to keep it alive. Keep the door to your heart open and allow people to walk in and help you discover things about yourself. And give to others the same joy. It is only through this two way exchange that we will be able to work towards the flowering of all of humanity.