Karta: Life-Inspiring Essays On
Cognition, Consciousness & Causality
By Santosh Jha
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Other Titles By Santosh Jha
Onlyness (Fiction)
Back To Bliss: A Journey To Zero (Fiction)
Autobiography Of A Duffer (Fiction)
Naked Solutions Of Dressed Up Life Woes (Non-fiction)
Habitual Hero: The Art Of Winning (Non-fiction)
Maya And Leela: Utility In Life’s Futility (Non-fiction)
Why We Flop In Love (Non-fiction)
Wisdom Of Wellness: Perpetuity Of Poise Of Purpose (Non-fiction)
Decipher Destiny: Decode God’s Will (Non-fiction)
Youth Sanity In Crazy Culture (Non-fiction)
Redeem & Reinvent The Art Of Lost Wellness (Non-fiction)
India Beyond Stampede Of Stupidities (Non-fiction)
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License Notes
Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Thanks you for your support.
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Prologue: New Millennium, New Thinking
The question about wellness and goodness of life and living is ubiquitous. The question has been there in different forms since millions of years. They still are. However, new issues of wellness and goodness have been added, as we all are heading for a world, which is fast becoming complex, resulting in far more conflicts and conundrum.
The new millennium has heralded a new thinking. It was brewing up for over two decades but now as we moved into 21st century; we have a wisdom to answer many questions of wellness in a completely new light. The answers have come up, as there has been a change in perception about the three core notions, essential for wellness and goodness.
These three notions are called 3Cs – Cognition, Consciousness and Causality. The new thinking offers new and scientifically appropriate perceptions about the three notions and helps humanity in understanding them in a new light. This is a huge boost for confidence required for empowerment and wellness.
Every new thing is received with skepticism. It is only natural. Most of us have a narcissistic affection towards what we think as right and just. No wisdom, no science, not even divinity are effective enough to open the closed doors of mind of a person. It is only a personal desire and disposition.
However, millions of people globally are benefitting by this new thinking and new perceptions about the 3Cs. This new thinking emerges out of the experience and knowledge of humanity for the last millions of years.
In the past, usually, all critical issues of life and living were addressed either with extreme ‘scientific positivism’ or with dogmatic ‘religious reductionism’. The right answers for wellness therefore looked elusive for humanity, be it relationships, faith or consciousness.
A ‘new thinking’ believes; answers are in the integrative and assimilative domain as both wisdoms have unbelievable commonality. Moreover, answers cannot be prescriptive but evolve within when one undergoes holistic option building.
The new thinking is all about an assimilative and integrative approach and technique, drawing holistic resources from both traditional as well as modern wisdoms.
In complete acceptance of the traditional ancient wisdom, which said, ‘all realisms of this world and the world beyond can be attained only through body. The kaaya (Body), which is deeply entangled with maaya (external world) alone is the madhyam/ dwaar (vehicle and door) of moksha (emancipation from life cycle), the final attainment for humanity, as it is this kaaya, which is the effective subject (karta) of all karmas (actionable duties). But then, both religion and science warns us to understand the subject (karta) in totality and holism. It is where the trouble starts…
The new thinking accepts it and goes ahead to unravel the objective mechanism of what religion or spiritualism enunciates. The new thinking holistically describes the kaaya, maaya, karma, karta and moksha in an objective, singular and systematic perspectives.
Of course, in describing all this, the new thinking attempts to unravel completely new perspectives on the notions of cognition, consciousness and causality, which are the factors essential in the understanding of the ancient concepts of kaaya, maaya, karma, karta and moksha.
The traditional ideas are offered to be understood in different light so that an average person can have different objective ways at understanding them better and use them for its own and societal wellness and goodness.
The fact remains and it seems like a very available common sense that even if realism is approached from different perspectives, the realism does not change, the way different people look at it may change from person to person. The intelligence is in accepting all perspectives towards a realism and investigate it with a compassionate mind. This is one common prescription, which all wisdoms of humanity offers. That is why; it is a ‘common sense’ for all of us.
The different small essays in this book, is an attempt to unravel the Karta (subjective consciousness) from the perspective of the new thinking of 3Cs – cognition, consciousness and causality. This Karta is you, me and they. Everyone is a Karta, positioned in the world as the performer. The different dimensions of this Karta in different life-living situations are unraveled so that as a reader, you can be in a position to assimilate the core idea as how a holistic, assimilative and integrative perspective of cognition, consciousness and causality helps us in attaining and enhancing personal excellence and wellness.
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You Ordain What Your God Shall
A person said, “… whichever way and whatever people ask me to understand is like a meaningless lecture to me… I shall understand only when my God shall wish me to… till then, all wisdom is like wastage of words to me…. and, this is also true for others…”
One is truly curious… one feels and believes, god is one’s own intrinsic nature… one’s natural emotions… one’s instinctive me…. and he or she is a constantly evolving potential…. so his or her god is also in incessant evolution….
So, what that person said, was probably a reminder to the fact that when one’s god shall evolve to accept itself as nothing but me, it shall be in a position to understand. In other words, when I shall evolve to such a stage where I shall realize that what I am is what my god is, then only shall I accept all that I need to….
It sounds strange… we always say, things shall happen when God shall ordain…. And things do happen at some stage of time and circumstances…. and we all think and thank god for making that happen…. but, isn’t it that, that happened because in time, we evolved ourselves to such a point where it actually happened…
It is like, I do think that I should be ideal for the position of being the President of USA… but, it is not happening for me…. so I say, it shall happen when god shall wish. Years pass… and as I have this in my mind that I must be the president of USA, I am actually gradually moving towards that end with an evolution mechanism which even I cannot visualize as happening but in reality, I am actually inching slowly and unconsciously towards that end. And one day, I do become the president of USA…. and I thank god to make it possible for me….
In reality, it is my own potential that I unconsciously chased and it happened… what made it happen is truly the god but, it is my intrinsic nature which worked for me in silence, in sub-conscious and in innate me….
…. if it could not happen… if I die without being the president of USA, I would say, God ordained otherwise. And it would happen otherwise as probably, I could not evolve myself to be my god…. or probably, my evolution process was right but physical circumstances had their own play… as it can happen to anyone. And also, someone else too was evolving towards similar goal and probably, his evolution to his godliness was greater and better than mine…. so, my god submits to his god’s wishes…!
It really doesn’t matter… who wins and who not… but, it is crucial that our god must be our evolved potential and it is truly infinite. And be assured, even if our own god fails to get what we wanted, it is sure the godliness shall be there for us. Even if I do not become the president of USA, it is for sure that I acquire all the goodness and qualities of a president. No god leaves us with empty hands. We just need to know our respective god and that will fill us with all goodness that we all need to be happy and satisfied.
And, please don’t wait for your external god to make things happen for you…. you will get what god can give in seconds if you understand and accept that you, standing on the horizon of your true and ever-evolving potential is your god….
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What Sinks In, Stays
They are a gang…. armed with something, may be deemed deadliest of human weaponry – Corruption of Innocence! And, its brute situational justification…and even eulogy… !
Not much to the surprise, this gang is a favorite with another ‘gang’ – the journalists. The gang operates 24x7 on the banks of river Ganges in the state capital of a eastern state of India, which is essentially a place called crematorium. The gang has 8-10 members, all less than 8 years old, almost naked and ever hawkish. On an average, 20 dead bodies arrive a day at this crematorium and this gang has a natural right over all of them. They line up in a fake seriousness and as clothes, sheets and other things from the person of the bodies are discarded, they pounce on the booty and then comes the real joy.
The celebration begins…. the possession is up for a fight too but as dead bodies are in plenty…. no real competition…. they wear some of these discarded clothes and then prepare for the next stage. A section of the gang readies to salvage some ornaments from the burning pyre which relatives often leave with the dead bodies…. and if a gold ring or a bracelet is retrieved, the celebration gets too noisy…. blood paints the sands….
Once upon a time, a Buddha saw only one dead body and he left his kingdom, believing this world a place full of pain and sufferings. This gang has an average count of 20 dead bodies a day and they always want more. It adds to their joys and celebrations! For them, death and dying is greatest celebrations on earth…
The thing that separates this gang from Buddha is what is a learning mechanism. What sinks in is what stays…. this is a simple retrieval from the gang’s joyous celebrations. One death sunk in the heart of Buddha. Hundreds of deaths fail to sink in within the hearts of the these ‘gangsters’. Naturally, it doesn’t stay…. it makes all the difference….. !
This corruption of innocence is pathetic…. but this also is a huge joy for people who understand the basic energy behind all this…. some journalists call them ‘the first line of true saints’. Others flay the loss of innocence… still others rue the whole scenario…..
It beautifully discovers the underlying energy – what sinks in, stays…. so the trick is out for ingenuity… but it is also for wisdom. In our relationships, we also allow the corruption of innocence. Intentionally or otherwise; not allowing words and feelings to sink in. Thus, failing it to stay with us. The positive is, let negativity not sink in, and refuse it to stay with us…..
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The Full Circle Of Wisdom
In different ancient philosophical and spiritual traditions, also in highest religious orders, there is one goal that has been prescribed and defined as a must for all humans born…. irrespective of what their station of life makes them do… and, that is what in Sanskrit language is termed as ‘aatma-sakhchhatkaar’….
The term may be simply translated as self-dialogue but it actually has a meaning much more than that… the first part ‘aatma (self)’ is also not what the word means literally but involves a ‘self’ in largest possible connotation… the second part, ‘sakhchhatkaar (dialogue)’ is much more expansive in interpretation and coverage…
One wonders… especially in contemporary world of extreme consumerism and liberal self-indulgence, where the global desire is to maximize external possessions and fulfill wildest of dreams of the six senses, what a normal human being would think of the idealism of ‘aatma-sakhchhatkaar’ as the goal of life…!
Strange it may be but the newer ideas in hugely consumerist and competitive world of corporates are surely and firmly rooted in this ancient wisdom of ‘aatma-sakhchhatkaar’. The contemporary corporate world considers human resource as the prime asset of a company and in latest workshops, the top managers are being asked to ask one question to themselves and come up with answers… and the question is : “… who are you…?”
There is also a call in the occidental world which aims at looking back at basics of humanity and social community lives… the question is also the same…. the psychologists and sociologists are working towards a life model that looks inwards… the science and art of psychosynthesis and psychoenergetics are coming up with good popularity….
In fact, there has to be a slight correction in what ancient wisdom said as goal of life and what the modern contemporary world can accept as. The ‘aatma-sakhchhatkaar’ has to be at the core of modern education system and it has to be made not a goal of life but a necessary precursor to all that may be considered as goals of life.
‘Aatma-sakhchhatkaar’ essentially readies oneself for life and living…. and when one is ready, he or she may be in better position to understand and accept as whatever goal of life he or she may choose and decide for oneself….
It is however altogether different matter that those who understand and live the ‘aatma-sakhchhatkaar’ process, finally accept it as something they would love to stay at throughout their lives…. this road itself becomes destination….
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Difficult It Is To De-difficult A Difficulty
At the peak of snow-clad Himalayas, watching a stream building up, made by small drops melting from huge blocks of ice, one thinks; if one could surrender himself to the waves of this stream, floating on the water without resistance, one could finally reach the oceans!
Next moment, one realizes the futility of the dream.
Humans are not water; this fluidity of liquid is missing. The egolessness of being shapeless and formless is missing. The water shall bend and accept all bruises en route and still move ahead with innocence and humility. The fluidity and formlessness of water is not available virtue for humans.
Too difficult for us… We can swim, swim against a wave but not flow like water!
The fluidity; the state of being natural-simple-navigable is difficult.
The large chunks of ice on top of Himalayas; they have colossal forms and not even liquid, still, they reach the oceans! Why not we? They do not have the fluidity but they are willing to attain it and they melt.
They have the natural-simple-navigable attitude to attain fluidity.
The large boulder, standing mid-way the mighty stream; they reach the oceans. They are not liquid. Why not we? They do not have the fluidity but they are willing to attain it and they erode.
They have the s natural-simple-navigable attitude to attain fluidity.
They drop the ego to be shapeless and formless and happily turn into sand.
Is it really that difficult? It is… Like ice and rock, we have a form and mechanism… but they have a singular consciousness, perfectly and innately aligned and attuned to the overall consciousness of the mighty Nature. We do not have this facility…
We have egoistically multiple and multi-dimensionally conflicting consciousness. An individual’s consciousness is not singularly aligned to cosmic consciousness. It has an innate component as well as a cultural component. The singularity of consciousness is missing…
The non-dualism of ice and rock leads them intrinsically to melt, erode and assimilate with singular mechanism of nature’s scheme of things… the stream intuitively follows the ‘natural gradient’ the landscape has provided… nature’s scheme decides the flow…
Humans have dualistic consciousness… engendering rainbowish randomization of probabilistic positioning… the conflict ensues and ensures more psychotic randomizations …
Fluidity is an art… needs lots of riyaaz, the perseverance of practice… being natural-simple-navigable is innate positioning, which we all lose connect with as we grow… fluidity is ‘unlearning’ mechanism… more difficult than ‘learning’…
Not easy …! … how we always wish, it could be… we can try… we shall… can’t we…!
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Of ‘Pre-Wired’ Singularity
In the last days, when Leo Tolstoy was confined to bed, what he said when in intense pain and even a state of perfect acceptance of his state of being is truly mesmerizing…
Sample this:
“… everything that happens to a human being is inextricably bound up with the life of the rest of the universe and serves as a manifestation of one and the same life force. Though inaccessible to our minds, this life force is undoubtedly rational and good. Therefore, the death of each and every human being – whatever its external cause – occurs only when this death becomes necessary for his own good and for the good of others….”
This was 1910… and later years of 20th century saw the rise of a scientific acceptance of the concept of one energy…. and now in 21st century, latest scientific positioning weaves a close correlation of almost all celestial happenings to a ‘scheme of things’ pre-wired and pre-scripted…. or what spiritualists would call it as ‘ordained’….
Ancient Indian philosophical and religious scriptures talked of Tolstoy’s ideas almost 1500 years back…. rationality and faith look different but are one energy. This is such a beautiful and satisfying situation…. the feeling that all that can be revealed to all creatures of this universe and beyond is not in confusing multiplicity but in simple singularity …..
We all are one correlated energy, manifested differently and diversely but only in form, but in spirit and faith, we are all one…. conflict is in form… harmony in faith….
…. and as Tolstoy very rightly said:
“…. more a person’s individual manifestation unites with manifestations of others, more he exists in larger and true sense…. and this union with the lives of other beings is accomplished through love and compassion …. god is not love, but the more there is of love, the more man manifests God, and the more he truly exists...”
However, this Tolstoy-syndrome is a huge awakener…. “…do it before you land on the death-bed…”
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God Can’t Help, We Can
Somehow, as things are… god cannot help you much…. He is too catalytic for that… He is not a mover…. just a facilitator…. only we can help each other…. truly and effectively… this world is a very cruel place…. nature is always very cruel…. and if you do not have somebody, who can take your hand and lead you to sanity, joy and emancipation…. you will end up knocking all wrong doors….
…. that's why, we all have parents… they were designed to be deputies of god on earth…. but then…. the cruel nature has its game-plan here too…. when men and women become parents, they are themselves too young. Their own senses desiring too many of their own fulfillments… so… essentially, in most cases, the parents grow up along with their own kids….! ... unfortunate but true…!
That’s why… old families usually had grand-parents…. the support system for a child was almost perfect…. and….. multi-layered…. lifelong…. we all need a ‘hand’ to lead us… to protect us… to guide us. Marriage is supposed to be an ideal exchange of hands to each other…. the man be the father of the bride first, then a husband…. the woman be the mother of the groom first, then be a wife… all in a metaphoric scheme of things….
…. and…. even when, they cease to be husband and wife, they remain parents to each other…. till death maketh them apart…. god cannot help you much…. only we can help each other…. and, we should always do… we remain a man or a woman…. even if we cease to be a particular ‘relationship’….
….. for… a woman must be sure… when a man holds her hand and leads her to a dark tunnel…. she has the faith…. at the end of the tunnel is light…. and inside tunnel…. the man shall remain truly a ‘man’…. even as in the darkness of tunnel, he ceases to be a ‘relationship of manhood’…. and…. the vice-versa….
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Eleven Dimensions of Hopes
Scientists now maintain, there are possibly eleven dimensions in the universe… though we humans have perception of only three…. may be, we are in urgent need to explore more dimensions and be truly aware about them at very actionable levels…. we humans are very much sad victims of single-dimensionality of a large part of social and personal universe around us….
Usually, when we decide on the utility of a matter, we take into consideration all three known dimensions of it – the length, width and depth …. sadly however, when it comes to measuring the utility of an idea, we are greatly troubled…. most ideas present themselves as single-dimensional…. or simply dimensionless…. !
But then…. as scientists say they can identify eleven dimensions of matter…. why can’t we discover and actuate eleven or even more dimensions to an idea….! Yes… we aan…… but how….?
It is not easy…. rather, very tough…. because, it is a mind thing…. not as convenient as matter… when scientists talk about eleven dimensions of realism, they talk essentially of mind positioning…. may be mathematically interpretable, not amenable to physical manifestations….
The multi-dimensionality of a pure idea like compassion, affection or intimacy, etc. is also very much possible to understand and practice…. If and only if the mind allows it to be positioned in different symmetrically aligned ways….
The average mind, very tragically, is trained from childhood to accept singularity, simplisticity, uni-dimensionality and brevity as hallmark of success…. and also as a truly admirable benchmark for larger comfort and peace of mind…. we essentially train our children to be physically more multi-dimensional but very very singularly focused on one single attainment…. and that is career success….
The hot pursuits of multi-dimensional joys of matter keeps us away from the huge utilities of the need to understand and practice the multi-dimensionality of ideas…. that’s why, we have large majority of people living very mechanical lives and though being hugely dissatisfied and unhappy, still very successful and materially multi-dimensional…..
But then…. we have seen such hardships and tough lives…. It is only natural that our minds were primarily trained for survival and physical comfort, which was not available without toil….