A culture of punishment
Ananda went to the dentist. 🙂 In that office, different posters caught his attention.
“One American dies every hour from oral cancer.”
“One cavity is too many.”
“Is your diet too acidic? Find out the risks.”
That is called adding fear to an experience.
Paul is a heavy smoker. Paul has yellow teeth and a tobacco smelly breath. Paul cannot do any exercises anymore but only walking. Paul is easily out of breath.
“If you continue like that, you are going to die, Paul.”
That is the “caring” advice that Paul is hearing all the time.
Nothing new.
We all are going to die someday… 🙂
That is the “art” of inculcating fear as if death was a terrible thing.
It is natural. Moreover, there is no death… Everything continues on… and we bring the consequences with us…
Life and death is a duality where only “existence” exists.
Paul may not have a quality of life. That is the consequence of his own actions.
Shall we punish Paul with eternal fire?
Shall we punish Paul by informing him that he cannot go to heaven, because no one smokes in heaven? 🙂
Life is about experiences. Every experience has a consequence. We will assume the consequences.
That is the fine letter behind the movie of punishment… starring “good and evil” as the main actors.
Watching that movie will bring guilt and fear in life, just like coke and popcorn are a “must” while watching a movie in a theater near you…
The rating of that movie is “G” that means that a child could watch it and learn something from it…but an adult watching it, could believe in that movie “forever.” 🙂
“Your life could have been better/more successful if you would have listened to me and accomplished what I told you with great love and care.”
Cheap advice. “Monday morning quarterbacks” are out of fashion.
Life is about experiences. If we are joyful in that experience, you’ve made it! 🙂
Ray: “NOOO! He is not doing the right thing…”
Marc: He will go to hell… 🙂
Ray: “He is ‘bad.’ ”
Marc: He will be punished forever….
Are we happy with that story?
It is a childish tale.
If we learn to live life now as it is, we could realize that what is happening are just consequences. The fruit of previous experiences.
All we need to add is joy to it as cherry on top of the cake.
Smile.
That is the energy that is needed at this time.
Laugh. Enjoy.
That smile will change our day. That cherry will become the consequence for joyous days to come….
Our joy will be contagious… and that is a “good disease” to have.
Don’t take life as a job, because it is a game.
Play it, enjoy it, laugh at it… that is “be good.” 🙂
Exploring the Depth of Living 
Thanks Gokul. Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
LikeLike
Really nice. . Well written
LikeLike
I have read couple of your blogs and I must say they are fantastic! By sharing your experiences you are inspiring others to move ahead on the spiritual path.
In one of your writeups you mentioned about J Krishnamurthi..I have read quite a lot of his works..and i always felt his underline “idea” has always been to be free from all the beliefs and then one can know truly about oneself. But I fail to understand, how can one do that…isn’t getting rid from the beliefs also a belief in itself?
I agree that one should constantly question their bwliefs and “work” on them, but how can one not have a belief?
This question has been on my mind for quite sometime now…
LikeLike
Thank you for your appreciative words, ingenious23. 🙂
I will reply to your good question in a blog post…shortly. 🙂
LikeLike
Glad to know that, Raj… Things will arrive in their own time 🙂
LikeLike
“If we learn to live life now as it is, we could realize that what is happening are just consequences. The fruit of previous experiences.”.
This answers many questions.Really awesome.
LikeLike