Taking a Position

I could not appreciate it better any other time, than when I was looking at those fighters!

Judo/karate/kung-fu as a sport, a game, a contest or a real fight-unto-finish...

Table tennis players, intense about winning.... ( not those 'casual' players, or those who are more keen about shedding weight)..

They seem to avoid 'taking a position'(they keep jumping around the place).... mainly to avoid giving extra advantage to the opponent the best 'placing' of the 'attack'... The time is the essential element to relocate ourselves to be able to 'effectively' counter the attack! (more so...if.....other things being well matched!).

On political debates, especially under the media-glare, shrewd politicians take only 'floating-positions' (the skill lies in explaining their position either way later on... to suit the mood of voters!).

Here on spiritual arena, we too are trying to 'take-up-a-position' ..... often driven by our 'judgemental instincts', where as the learned are insisting that we first try to know 'who we are'!!!

What a predicament indeed! At an age where every other social parameter honours us a 'mature' persons, we are asked to re-look into ourselves and find out the 'being' that we are when our tags have already 'positioned' us as 'being'..... Mr./Dr./... so and so /IAS/boss/grandfather/in-charge/etc!

As if this is not enough, spiritual debates land us into a vastness where our 'position' anywhere, seems dwarfed by the very nature of the enormity, of 'field of study'! Not to speak of our 'size' that matters when it comes to 'spiritual-positioning' of ourselves.... They say we are infinite in our basic nature.... we are too subtle in our inner nature.... we 'are' where we experience life at a given point, and not necessarily where our body is parked presently (this we were told even as kids at a school-class-room.... but perhaps, not effectively enough, because then, the teacher who used to often tell us “Hey ... where are you.... BE HERE!!!” ... would have attained much sooner 'being-at-it' so often!...)

Comments, views, opinions seem to rivet us to certain positions, from where, freeing up ourselves seems too difficult! A simple “yes” to a simple-looking-query “do you like this bride/groom” is going to fix our position inextricably (whether for good or bad.... we know too well!)..... On a lighter note, if readers are not going to make an 'issue' out of it, may I remind ourselves that .... Spouses avoid taking up 'position' as a matter of tact, at least when it comes to an 'issue'... and of late, young couples even look at delaying 'issues' a little... for a few years...just because they would not like to be disturbed by these 'issues' for some time.... not that they are really keen about remaing 'issueless' for too long.... Oh! 'Issues' are the reason, somehow that deter the proper-positioning!

A lady was seen hesitating to fill up the column 'age' in some format.... an onlooker said, 'Madam, the more you delay, the worse it gets!'

Kids are very keen to know the 'positioning' of their parents, before they can decide how the day is going to be ahead for them.... even their queries are with a simultaneous intent to 'know' our position regarding an 'issue' .... be it about taking them to an outing, be it about buying some toy, or be it about 'dealing' with a social issue... At kid age, they are only looking at 'position' that we take, so that they can simply replicate it when faced with similar situation (that is why when they are at a play “Home” where they become 'parents' to toy-kids, they echo the tone/words/sentiments almost imitating elders...).... This becomes a trait too, in some kids, later on! The mind acquires this trait, and by-passes the need to sharpen its own analytical skills, in some cases!

There was a story I heard about Gautama Buddha.... there was an expert who lived by his skill at winning arguments.... He had been easily able to disprove the 'existence of God' throughout his professional-career.... Coming close to retirement age, this fellow was a bit 'anxious'.... 'what if there is really a God?' Serious problem.... any other wrong might be forgiven.... but concerted effort to negate this Highest power?.... so, just to check up, he decided to approach 'one who knows'.... He asked Gautama “Is there really a God?”... “yes” was the reply.... There was jubiliation in the disciple-gang... 'Ah!' they felt.... 'ultimately, our master did take up a 'position' about God!”... But, it so happened that towards the evening of the same day another Pundit, desired to 'really' clarify if he had indeed been wasting all his life 'chanting' the holy name, “talking to just nothingness?”.... he too asked Gautama, “Holy Sir, .... 'really'... is there a God at all?”... the reply was “NO!”.... Now the disciples around were once more confused at this 'relocation' of their master's positioning!

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(Such is the precarious position of a disciple when we are with a 'true' master.... he ensures that we are never 'positioned' in our 'comfort-zone'.... what ever it takes!)

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psn(4^th June, 2012)