" You have to live in this world " - UG

Many of us deem 'enlightenment' as the silver bullet, the cure-all, the ultimate panacea for all our mundane problems or the problems of human relationships.

UG, in his uncanny way, points out that search for any solution (enlightenment) is the real problem as it siphons off all our energy and resources away from getting to know the real problem.

The constant worry, the anxiety, the fear and restlessness are all consequences of our neurotic preoccupation with uncertain, unknown (projected) problems of the future. 

We love to hate uncertainty and we erroneously believe that we ought to be prepared for any eventuality in the future.  Our waking hours are relentlessly spent in thinking about anticipatory problems and their imaginary solutions.

Because we are able to solve many a technical or transactional problem, we tend to mistakenly believe that we could easily solve all human or living problems.

Firstly, UG goes about shooting down our obsession with imaginary problems,

" What are the problems?

You don't have any problems there."

Consider the case of anger. When something is being denied to us, or something is being snatched away from us, we get angry with some explosive reaction. 

"Anger is a tremendous outburst of life energy" - UG 

We later begin to regret our action and look for some means to control anger in the future. Sadly, we are not at all concerned about the underlying cause of anger. 

We never see that it is our ambition, our pursuits, possessions or investments that are the root cause of the 'anger' problem. 

We keep chasing after all kinds of wrong solutions instead of getting a handle on the real problem. We focus on anger that is a mere symptom of the underlying disease which is much more deep rooted - our craving or attachment or possessiveness. 

'How to control anger?' is our biggest problem, and not ' Why do we get angry?'

We are always looking for some technique or strategy to overcome anger. But that is like the application of the wrong medicine which is worse than cure. 

Anger is a 'living problem' for us. It is a living reality like fear or jealousy. 

We are part of a culture or society that values, encourages and celebrates success, wealth, power, status, possessions, fame etc. When we fail to achieve or attain any of these goals, we end up as victims of anger, fear, jealousy etc. 

UG nails it:

" That is why I am telling you, this is the only reality.

You have to live in this world, and you have to move between the pleasure and pain, happiness and unhappiness."

Happiness and unhappiness are both artifacts of the same value system. 

To be part of the society is to struggle to fit into its framework or value system. It is a constant battle and the cause of our sorrow. We are presented with fait accompli and doomed to live a societal life with no other option.

As UG points out, we have to function in society sanely and intelligently but not  succumb to its dictates by ' leading a life of uncomplaining, uncompromising self-reliance.'

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Whatever you want, you can get it.

There is no guarantee that you will get it.

You see, you have to work hard (for) anything you want.

But what you want is you want ten different things, hundred things you want, enlightenment you want, you see.

No, not a chance.

You will not get enlightenment, because that is not what you want.

What you want, you see, is the ultimate pleasure, you see.

If I had that, if I am enlightened, that would help me to solve all the problems.

What are the problems?

You don't have any problems there.

That is why I say it is very dangerous, you see.

You want to be free from pain and not pleasure.

You see, if this kind of a thing hits you, it knocks off both.

You cannot be free from pain without losing pleasure, not only in one area, in every area.

So, it is too dangerous to play with that kind of a thing.

It will burn everything.

That is why I am warning you.

That is why I am telling you, this is the only reality.

You have to live in this world, and you have to move between the pleasure and pain, happiness and unhappiness.

All the things are there, and you are doomed.

“ You can’t keep such people under the bushel” - UG

" If there is one (a true individual), you see, (s)he won't be hiding somewhere, you see, you know. (S)he'll be there shining like the star.

You can't keep such people under the bushel. To be an individual is not an easy thing, you see. That means you are very ordinary. " - UG

Ordinariness is the hard way but the only way out of the societal mess, the way out of the burden of pretence or the artificiality of living for the sake of others or society. 

In some of his discussions with philosophers, UG used to highlight the fact that 'becoming' and 'being' are one and the same thing. They both are a psychological burden that guzzle away tons of vitality and energy. Contrast this psychological battle or struggle with children who are totally free of 'being' or 'becoming', no wonder they come across fresh as flowers and full of beans.

To be ordinary is to own our flaws, limitations or weaknesses, it is to be wholly and solely responsible and accountable (total ownership) for all our actions. 

To be ordinary is to reject all external moulds or models, to discard all psychological dependencies. 

To be ordinary is to embrace utter simplicity and honesty. 

To be ordinary is to stop and abandon all attempts at escaping the 'brutal' reality of the world. It is to stop chasing a non-existent heaven or some other utopia. It is to refuse to succumb to all kinds of social, cultural or religious pressures. 

" Wanting to fit yourself into that framework is the cause of your sorrow" - UG

The most ancient and pragmatic tradition of China, the Taoism advocated sages (Taoism called sages - the Real men and women) to never abandon society but to be fully and actively engaged in day-to-day society, silently carrying on activities that are beneficial to humanity.

Ordinariness is tremendously powerful as it directly taps into the vast reserves of life energy connecting the individuals to the source. 

Ordinariness unburdens and heals, restores vitality and energy, bestows sanity and intelligence thereby giving the individual the courage to walk alone. 

The greatest of sages from across ages and lands have led the most ordinary and simplest of lives. Their secret was ordinariness. This enabled them to lead uncomplaining, uncompromising lives amidst the worst brutalities and conflicts of the mundane world while healing, unburdening and empowering their fellow beings.

" To be ordinary is extraordinarily difficult " - UG

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I have been everywhere else in the world.

Seeing people, and so I can say human nature is exactly the same, not one.

If there is one (a true individual), you see, (s)he won't be hiding somewhere, you see, you know.

(S)he'll be there shining like the star.

You can't keep such people under the bushel.

To be an individual is not an easy thing, you see.

That means you are very ordinary.

It is very difficult to be ordinary, you know.

You want to be something other than what you are.

To be yourself is very easy.

You don't have to do anything.

No effort is necessary.

You don't have to exercise will.

You don't have to do anything to be yourself.

But to be something other than what you are, you have to do a lot of things.

All the restlessness you have is only because you think that you must be doing something more interesting, more valuable, more meaningful than what you are doing.

This is a terrible bore to you.

That's all there is, you know.

There is nothing else there.

You see the dog, all the time (it keeps) running from one end to the other.

Why it's doing?

I don't know.

It knows.

It doesn't even want to know.

You acquire so much garbage.

We think we know everything.

The more you know, the more difficult it is for you to be a very ordinary person.

You talk of humility.

You talk of this sensitivity.

You talk of so many things, you know.

How can you be...

How can there be humility as long as you know something?

No.

They can talk of humility.

If you know anything, you see, you can't be a person of humility.

Just to be the ordinary person.

It's not so easy. Because we have psychological norms, religious norms, everything is set there, behavior patterns.

So, you're wanting to fit yourself into that framework is the cause of your sorrow.