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Namah Yogic insights into human psychology

be noted that yoga must be distinguished faith. Were we to try and make sure about
from religion. It is possible that the origin of the future before we step out then we will
some religions may have been some partial end up at the same spot just as some persons
glimpse of the Reality by the founder. But get paralysed in decision-making since they
soon enough it degrades into a belief-system want to be doubly sure of what may be the
(much as ideologies including those that do result. The plain truth is that we do not know
not believe in God do). This belief system and cannot know with absolute certainty (as
becomes yet another comfort-zone for the things stand now).
ego since it ‘explains’ the conflicting data that
the world often provides so as to provoke This uncertainty can indeed be a starting-point
and stimulate our ego-self to enlarge and go for our search. We see how physics enlarged
deeper. But religion (as well as non-religious itself by trying to make the predictability of
ideologies) will not allow us to do so. They physical events as close to perfection as
provide for us a ready-made cocoon of possible. Of course in the process it has
explanations and an understanding that is not reached the door of uncertainty embedded
born of our own experience. By doing so it in the atomic structure itself. But what it has
often takes away the innate urge in mankind discovered is something no less wonderful. It
to know more and grow through this quest is this that the truth of the next moment is not
for knowledge. It is like the scientific trap necessarily something fixed and already pre-
wherein we read books and articles and determined but something that we at least
accept it blindly, ‘trusting’ the researchers’ partially shape. It is true in the physical as
intent and ability while religions trust in their well as the psychological sphere. Soothsayers
priests. We do not question the premises, let and astrologers fool us into believing that
alone the massive money game that stands the future is something rigidly fixed and
behind a lot of research that goes on in the unchangeable.
name of science. Thus all of us build our own
little comfort-zones as ‘homes of knowledge’ Physicians too sometimes act like soothsayers
and feel ourselves blessed that we know more when it comes to prognostications. It is
than others! however much better to be humbler and
wiser and admit that what we are dealing
But knowledge starts with the awareness of with right now is not ‘truth’ but a ‘statistical
our ignorance. And it does not need much probability’. And this can work both ways.
speculation. A straight look at ourselves and The die-hard optimist can pin his hope on
life is enough to puncture the bubble and if the rarest of the rare possibility (which still
do not yet do so, life experiences will do it is there) while the born pessimist will die
for us through a painful confrontation with of fright and anxiety before his death or
that which does not conform to our little suffer a thousand times before the chapter
window-glimpse. With all our knowledge of his life closes with an uncertain pause.
of scriptures and science we cannot predict, We still do not know what exactly happens
let alone fully control, what is going to be after death. The body’s fate, yes but what
our share of life the next moment. Yet we happens to the consciousness, the sense of
take it for granted, indeed we live as if by ‘I’, the information that is stored in the cells

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