Transcending Boundaries — How Inner Change Plays a Vital Role

This article is inspired by a dream I had a few nights ago. In the dream, a single thought or rather a phrase kept resounding in my mind ~ ‘Recreate yourself’. It’s not overly surprising that I had this dream since it’s a topic that usually emerges in deep-spirited conversations among far-sighted individuals. However, as it turns out, recreating or redefining ourselves may prove to be one of the hardest challenges we face in our lives since all of us are bound to our beliefs and dogmas, some of which are highly constrictive. We have all heard stories of how a few exceptional individuals have pushed past their confined awareness to broaden their outlook. How is this possible? Moreover, how is it that these people, despite the turmoil and sufferings they have encountered, still emerged victorious, like a phoenix rising from its ashes? Nelson Mandela, even after being imprisoned for more than 25 years still managed to lead a country to its utmost glory. It’s mentioned in his memoir that, while he was in prison, he used to learn anything and everything from the books he could find in the ratty old libraries. During all those days of grueling pain and mental agony, he was preparing for a future he envisioned for himself and his people. His immense propensity for goodness shaped his mental and moral fiber. He wished to unleash a cascade of change that would slowly impinge on people’s beliefs and infuse into the hearts of his fellow beings.

Perhaps the best analogy which surfaces in my mind when I think of this idea is the work of a sculptor. A sculptor starts his work with nothing except a block of stone and a chisel. He chips away the uneven and excess portions of the stone, and his mental image of the final outcome slowly carves the block into a masterpiece of creation. The personified image of his outcome was present in that block of stone all along. It was his willingness, effort, and perseverance which helped him to manifest that beautiful work of art. Each and every one of us is like a sculptor, working on ourselves to weave our destinies. It’s a noteworthy fact that serendipity also plays an elusive and decisive role while we are engaged in the active process of rediscovering ourselves. When the sculptor and the tool are ready, the magic flows spontaneously, unconditionally, and without any restraint. Every experience in life is a stimulus for us to respond to. The outcome largely depends on our response to it.

“Some people feel the rain, others just get wet” said Bob Marley once. This quote resonates closely with the core idea being delivered in the above analogy. It’s when we feel something deeply that we open ourselves to what that particular experience is trying to teach us. This is an innate quality that renders us inherently human. The ability to feel joy and sorrow transmutes us from the inside. During the vicious and ruthless battle of Kalinga, under the direct onus of King Ashoka, thousands of soldiers were martyred with the vision of plundering the kingdom of Kalinga. During one of his visits after the war, Ashoka witnesses the brute nature of his decisions when he sees families stricken with grief, famine, and disease. His heart sinks even further when he sees kids who have lost their fathers and women who have lost their husbands, all due to his arrogance and greed. This stimulus struck a chord in his heart and beckoned him to change his very nature. From that day forward, he became an ardent advocate of non-violence and dedicated the full spectrum of his life to the service of others. He was reborn as a symbol of hope, courage, and optimism for his people.

The Japanese have a beautiful philosophy toward life called Ikigai. Ikigai loosely translates as ‘a reason for being’. This philosophy among many others forms the bedrock of their culture and essentially their approach toward life. When we strive to understand the reason for our existence and drive ourselves to derive a fulfilling purpose, we establish a primordial link with the essence of life itself. The perpetual behavior of our actions and reactions becomes a learning curve in which our hearts enthrall.

I am reminded of a story as I pen this article. The story revolves around a village, which was under tremendous struggle to feed its inhabitants due to an ongoing drought that started months back. One day, the village folk decided to visit a divine mountain under the consulship of the village Elder and pray to the rain gods to bless them with abundant rain. Thousands of people assembled in front of the mountain and prayed, but surprisingly only a small kid brought an umbrella with him. The story, albeit short, has a grand lesson to impart. It’s not enough that we pray for good fortunes and fair times. Our primary emphasis should be on preparing ourselves — on the off chance that a life-changing event might occur — by readying our hearts and being receptive to the resplendent lessons of life. When we attune inwardly and submit ourselves as receptacles, we are inviting change to mold us into masterpieces. This will always remain as our pièce de résistance — one that could truly revolutionize the trajectory of our journeys. Just like a sailor who corrects his course with even minute changes in the direction of the wind, we should equip ourselves with the art of calibrating our inner environment to an ever-changing flux of outer influences. Then the sailing becomes rather smooth and efficient!

Wishing you a happy sailing ahead.