In my formerly published blog under the title ‘ Quest for recognition,” I tried to describe about human’s desires, one longed to attain. In this blog. I am trying to describe next stage to that Quest. It’s not contradictory to the previous blog but somewhat it throws the light at a next refined level. As far as “quest for recognition” is concerned, it ever keeps on embracing every man in this worldly life. In simple words, it’s a “chase for social status,” which every one fosters to attain.
In a way, in “beyond recognition”, a man provides or delivers his same kind of services to society, as he had been used to deliver in the “quest for recognition.” But here, his craving for recognition comes to a nil. In other words, after attaining a level of recognition, a man gets riddance from that psychological craving. Now, what ever he gives to the society that is imbued with the element of “public welfare” or for the “happiness and well being for all.” without any materialistic gain. Firstly, all this he does under the psyche of detachment or selflessness. Secondly, the element of “inner contentment” plays a vital role in this doing. Or the mixture of both the above elements may have played a significant role.
Here, on reaching to the stage of “beyond recognition,’ some symptoms are indicated beyond doubts. Firstly, a multiplied enhancement in the acumen of such fellow is noticed. In a simple way, he reaches to the “ascetic level.” He bothers not about his present status of living, whether it is similar to the same cozy and comfortable zone, as it had been previously. He abandons all his comforts without any pain. Never the comfort and cozy living of previous life haunts him. In contrast to the previous comfort zone, he begins to enjoy a “satisfaction” in his simple living. Just mind it, here the term “satisfaction” has been applied. The term ” contentment”, he begins to relish now in his “field of activities.”
There, so many paradigms scattered to authenticate this. A good deal number of doctors, professors, engineers, judges etc, just left their “established carrier” and begun to deliver their services for social causes at some remote, far backward locations. The locations which were so afar from any limelight. In this way, they all became “detached” from all previous connections and relations of a high aggrandized life style. A highly renowned doctor, who happened to charge consultation fees in thousands begins to serve poor and helpless free of cost. An eminent professor who was professing at an annual package of millions of rupees begins to teach poor children free of cost.
In their former life, they were delivering their services in magnificent, well equipped and highly furnished buildings. But now they are curing helpless people or teaching poor children in makeshift thatched huts. Even, these places lack the basic amenities like electricity. Prior to this, they happened to move in costly, air conditioned cars, now they are paddling an ordinary bicycle to move from this place to that. Now staying in thatched hut, taking the same plain food as that of other common people. They don’t expect to be compensated for the services delivered as such. Nor they desirous of any name and fame. But why and how this transformation is occurring to them?
So many answers may be propounded to this query. Every one is at liberty to expatiate it from his own point of view. But the “propitiating”answer derived from these people, may have contained various aspects. Firstly, in their previous “abandoned” life, they always had been infested with a passion to “chase the aim.” The aim was to occupy the next rung of ladder in carrier, in hierarchy. When succeeded to attain that rung of ladder of hierarchy, they were attracted by the next rung of the same ladder. On a day, they realized, it was nothing but an endless race that was never to be ceased. Even on the day of retirement, they were doomed to feel a “vacuum” of not attaining the upper most rung of ladder of hierarchy.
Hence, before falling prey to that “incompleteness or vacuum,” they peeped into the heart. When they peeped into the heart, it emerged to them, the “object” of life, they took as “serving to the society” was not indeed that one. It was simply a “paid service.” They were simply the “servant.” If there were students, they were studying after paying a high fee. If there were patients to a doctor, they were paying consultation fee depending upon the name and high repute of doctor. It was simply an “exchange of money’ in a mechanical way. It impelled them to get riddance from this “shackles of wealth” and apply their skill to seek some satisfaction of its own kind.
Here, it may be argued, they already had secured their future monetarily. But look! When they are living a life of a poor, lay man, how this concept may be applied to them? Of course, up to certain extent, they might have been freed from their liabilities towards the family. But again, in ninety-nine percent of cases, how many of us, till the day of death get detached from this illusion of worldly attachment for our kith and kin. We often die kicking our heels on bed without being taken care by our children but still glued to the illusion of worldly attachment.
This illusion of attachment towards the materialistic world ever keeps on gripping us whole through our entire life. How many of us chose to opt for to abandon the comfortable life, fame and name and to live a life serving poor and helpless people as “unsung hero.” Here comes that “subtle line of difference.” When a man abandons a life saturated with wealth, comfort and fame, here firstly he abandons his “ego or I-ness.” It’s a very arduous task. A man has to annihilate his own identity with his own hands. Besides, he has to become part and parcel of the crowd of poor and helpless people. To attain this resolution, one needs a firm determination akin to a mountainous unbounded will power.
To attain this condition is similar to having a “divine vision.” On realizing this, man contemplates, ” Oh Gosh! life was so simple and joyful!” Now, he is at the stage of “beyond recognition.” This stage of “beyond recognition” has got two aspects. First, his past which he left behind. After a lapse of time, he is but to be put into oblivion in his old circle. But the another aspect is, he sensing and realizing, this present life in his whole existence. He is saturated with a “satisfaction” on becoming a part to evolve the lives of others.
Here, he is not confronted with the past life’s chasing for the next goal. Here time period is pacing slow as well is stable. Every person ever seeks for a stability of some kind in life. But the parameters of every person varies to seek this stability. Some one fixes a goal to accumulate the big money, some had carrier design in mind. But the actual stability is enjoyed by people who opt for a life “beyond recognition.” So many sagacious people already happen to dedicate their life happily from their prime youth to attain this kind of “theological stability.” There goes a saying, ” this entire world is basically propped upon the virtuous deeds of some chosen selfless and innocent people.” Such kind of people, though are not noticeable, but they constitute a rich number staying behind the dim curtain of “beyond recognition.” Penned by — Vinay Pharasi —–
