Flowing without identity

Many of us cling to the idea that we’re somebody. We seek the comfort of name and fame. This identity seems to keep us alive.

As long as we feel we’re a separate entity, a unique individual, we’ll want to hold on to that distinction. We’ll want to find a distinct place. We believe that we are something special and superior to others. But let us be very clear here. We are all of the same energy. Our differences are in form and matter not in energy and substance.

With this idea of separation from others we run into resistance with our inner self. We resist our own self.
This happens everywhere. There is no exception to this rule. It’ll happen wherever we begin to cling to the idea that we’re somebody. It can happen at home or office or workplace or office or industry. It’s sure to happen.

If we disappear into the collective consciousness, we’ll be protected again and again. We’ll be taken care of. We’ll attain complete success in all spheres. We’ll attain success beyond the social and economic spheres. We’ll experience it as fulfilment. This feeling is inexplicable. When we feel separated we resist. When we resist we are in trouble.

A small story: A man was told that his wife had fallen into the river. He had to jump into the water and save her. He immediately jumps into the water. To the astonishment of onlookers, he starts swimming against the current. One person asked him, “Hey, why are you swimming against the current?” The man replied, “You guys don’t know my wife. Even if she falls in the river, she’ll float against the current. She resists everything so much. I’m sure that she’ll try to resist the current.”

So long as we resist, as long as we don’t disappear into the collective consciousness, we’ll be endlessly creating hell, not only for ourselves, but also for those around us. This is the truth. This truth operates whether it is our workplace or our house or our company or any other place.

This same teaching is contained in Taoism, the ancient Chinese philosophy. Tao is all about flow; it’s about flowing with nature. Water’s the greatest illustration of such natural flow. It just flows about the landline, around obstacles, in a smooth and energetic fashion.

Tao talks about the reeds in water that bend with strong water flow and straighten up when the flow is weaker. That can only happen when we don’t imagine ourselves to be different from our environment. Be one with the nature. Merge with it completely.

Source Indian Economic Times