Although the
word “ambition” (at least to my mind) emits
the dubious odour of worldly success, there are times when I think it is not a bad thing to feel. When
ambition takes the form of a burning passion to rediscover the roots of
one’s being for example, and to live from out of the deepest part of
one’s consciousness, it is a wonderful thing. But when we invest this potentially useful
energy to prop up existing structures in the world based on fear, greed and
the violence which results from both, we find ourselves moving step by step into a state of collective
madness.
The overwhelming desire for material success in the world
today, in almost any country you look at, reflects the state we are in. While
there is absolutely nothing wrong in working towards the basic comforts in life
and in ensuring our physical security,
(without which daily life becomes a real
problem) our lopsided pursuit of external success literally cuts us off from
the wellspring of existence. We find ourselves working furiously towards the realization of dreams sold to us by the media: a second or third car, a lavish mansion to stay in, parties sparkling
with diamonds and witticisms, rather
than focusing on that which is lasting and fulfilling – a
heartfelt connection with others.
Not being in
touch with the source of life seems to make us endlessly restless and to set
a vicious cycle into motion. The restlessness fuels our constant
urge for possessions and for meaningless diversions. You find that half the industry in the world today has to
do with promoting totally escapist activity which takes us further and further
away from ourselves. Our leisure hours are spent, not in communing with nature
any more or in exploring the mystery
that is life, but in watching
increasingly idiotic shows on TV,
playing mindless games in video parlors, or watching big time events which go
in the name of sports but are more ways to prop up a multi million dollar
industry, regardless of whether it is football, cricket, tennis or anything
else.
The time you
might have spent running around playing gilli danda or marbles, spinning tops
or whatever, (which we used to do a lot of, as kids but stopped doing the moment we became adults) is now invested either in front of the idiot box with a Cola
or a beer in your hand, or on the sports ground with hundreds of other
escapists who’ve paid an unearthly entrance fee to watch a bunch of people run
back and forth on the field, throwing a ball around or waving their bats in the air or
trampling on each other in an effort to score a goal. Even war you begin to suspect, is nothing but a form of dangerous
entertainment for those controlling the machinery of destruction.
So much of
the vital energy which constitutes ambition, is poured into making life not just
more comfortable but sealing it off from reality, that we are hardly aware of
suffocating inside the padded cells in which we live. I sometimes wonder what
would happen if a slight shift were to take place in our collective attitudes. What would happen if we could let go of our pathetic need for pomp
and splendour and yet manage to hold on
to the wonderful energy which motivates us to do things? What would happen if we could channel the
energy into a slightly different
direction. Into questioning what our lives are about. Into looking at our relationships with each other. Into
developing a common field in which we could together learn what we need to learn about life, about
ourselves, about each other.
I wonder how that
would change our politics and economics. I wonder what kind of world and
society we would come up with. I really do.
Uma
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Posted by: New Jordans 2010 | Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 02:12 PM
dear Uma it would be so much more meaningful to look, less for generalisations and common answers, than, to face each day and its conundrums as they are and as we are and trust in our better instincts to do the right thing for others and ourselves .
Posted by: jyotsna | Thursday, April 05, 2007 at 04:24 PM