ATTACHMENT TO OUR BELIEFS

 


“In the province of mind, what one believes to be true

either is true or becomes true.”

John Lilly


Whenever there is sadness, depression, irritation, anger, anxiety and violence within me, I can trace its source to my one kind of psychological attachment or the other. Often, the most common source of my ‘mental unrest’ is the attachment to my deeply-rooted beliefs, ideologies and prejudices. Like, if I am excessively attached to my religious beliefs, or, if I am a die-hard devotee of a particular political party, its ideology or leader, then, any challenge or questioning of my belief can send my mind into a tailspin – causing a very reactive behaviour from me…

This is evident whenever I watch a religious, political, racial – or any kind of – debate. If I have decided to take side – route for one particular faith, ideology, leader etc., then, my mind can easily turn into a ‘mob-mind’… I cheer with the mob; I boo with the mob. My critical thinking, therefore, goes out in the wind!

People are a messy bundle of beliefs! I am not any doodh ka dhula… Pristine white, you see. Yes, I am aware of the mess my own rigid beliefs create… Hence, I am writing down my feelings here!

Watching two strangers fight over their ‘Gods’ – whether of the Heaven or of the Earth – we, often, get drawn into the toxic whirlpool. Before we realize, we are either ‘For’ or ‘against’ one of the ‘Gods’…

While the Gods must be really laughing!

The more I think about it, the clearer it becomes to me, that all beliefs must be examined and re-examined by each one of us. The religious, political and racial beliefs can be the most dangerous ones, unless we check on them, time to time… Yes, they all tend to become the proverbial ‘Holy Cows’… or ‘Holy Christs’… or ‘Holy Words’… No one can touch them. If any one does – we become a ball of acid… Burn!

Why are we allowing ourselves to become these balls of acid? 



Yes, sadness, depression, irritation, anger, anxiety, violence – yes, all these are products of our ‘rigidity’ – our deep-rooted attachment to some of our beliefs, ideologies and prejudices etc. It’s best to be ‘wanderers’ as far as our beliefs are concerned – Yes, a rolling stone gathers no moss!

Escapism?

Maybe from unnecessary mental unrest!

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.: Tobi

 

Video: Cliff Richard/Donna

 

 


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