Auction of People

Lets play a game. This game has two rounds.

Round1:-

Suppose all the people whom you know are being sold in an auction. They are being sold like commodities in a kirana store. You have as many 100 Rs notes as the number of people being sold in auction. Minimum cost of each person is 100 Rs. There are many more people also to participate in auction. They also know all those who are being sold. If you pay more than 100 Rs for a person you can not buy them all.

Now the auction starts. One by one each person is brought on the stage and all those who are participating in auction, bid for that person. Now think on following questions:-

1. How much are you ready to pay for each person?

2. Who are all those whom you want to buy on any cost?

3. Suppose you are not able to buy a person whom you wanted to buy badly then how do you feel?

4. When you see that some other person participating in the auction is ready to pay more than you for a person whom you want to buy then how do you feel?

5. What are the basis for you to pay more for a person than other?

Round2:-

Now reverse the situation.

All those who were participating in the auction are now being sold into it and all those who were being sold are now participating into it. It means, now those whom you were buying in the beginning, now they will be buying you.

Auction starts. You are brought on the stage. All those whom you know are in front of you to buy you. They start bidding on you. Now think on following questions:-

1. How do you feel when a person for whom you were ready to pay more doesn’t pay that much for you?

2. How do you feel when a person whom you wanted to buy at any cost is ready to pay more for some other person than you?

3. How do you feel when you come to know that a person with whom you expected to be paid high, did not pay that much for you?

4. What is your expectation from people who are participating in auction, when you are being sold?

What happens in Round1?:-

We see that we are paying different amounts to different people. For some we are ready to pay more on the cost of loosing some others even. For some we want to pay any cost.

When we are not able to buy a person whom we want to buy at any cost then we feel very unhappy.

When we see that some other person is ready to pay more for a person whom we want to buy badly then we start feeling a kind of opposition for that person. We want to pay more than that person for the person we want to buy. We want other person to get off from our way to buy the person in auction. We may even become ready to adopt violent methods to eliminate other person so that we can buy that person in auction. If somehow we are not able to buy the person whom we wanted to buy then we start feeling jealous from the person who bought that person. The intensity of jealousy will depend on how badly we wanted to buy that person.

Now the most important question, what is the basis for us to pay more for a person than other?

If we see this then we come to know that there are many things which come into picture while assigning price to a particular person. So what are those things? They are,

Color of skin, Gender, Shape of body, Height, Build, Dressing Style, Many other bodily aspects.

Caste, Creed, Country, Position of that person in society, How powerful that person is, How much that person earns, What contacts that person has, Many other social aspects.

What relation I share with that person, How much time I have spent with that person, How comfortable I feel with that person, How much that person understands me, How much that person trusts me, How much that person respects me, How much that person gives me importance, How much understanding that person is, Many other feeling related aspects.

What happens in Round2?:-

Now the role is reversed. We are being sold and all those for whom I have already assigned a price will be bidding on me.

When I come to know that a person for whom I was ready to pay high and that person doesn’t pay that much for me then my feeling for that person decreases. If that is the person to whom I am close and I have spent a long time with that person then this thing really hurts me.

When I see that a person whom I wanted to buy at any cost is ready to pay for some other person more than me then I start feeling jealous with the person who is being bought.

If people are ready to pay more for me then it boosts my level of confidence. If I find that I do not value much to people who are there to buy me, then it makes me unhappy. I want to be valued more. I feel inferior if people are not ready to pay good amount for me. It makes me feel superior when I see that there are people who are ready to pay more for me.

My expectation with people who are there to buy me is, I should be priced more by them.

Conclusion:-

In the first round we saw that we give different priorities to different people on the basis of several factors like color, cast, relation with them etc. Our feeling for them is dependent on all these factors. In the second round when we ourselves are being sold we want others to undermine all these factors and pay for us more and value us more!

In fact when we make selection of our relatives we consider all those factors but when they are making a selection and if they consider those factors then we find this bad.

We see that all this is happening but why is this happening?

A human being by birth has this expectation of Unconditional Acceptance from others but lacks the competence to give it to others. We accept others on the basis of several conditions but want to be Accepted, Unconditionally!

Unconditional Acceptance means Unconditional Trust and Unconditional Respect.

To gain this acceptance from others, our most of the works are happening. We want to be valuable to others around us. When we feel that we have value then we feel good and when we feel that we lack value then we feel bad. We decide our value on the basis of our association with things which are valuable to others. In fact we recognize our value on the basis of how others around us look at us.

When we expect Unconditional Acceptance from others around us and do not get it because other person also lacks the competence to give to us then it creates a deadlock kind of situation. It is something like two beggars are trying to snatch coins from each others bowls.

We see that problem is there, so what is the solution.

Solution is, Knowledge.

With Knowledge one begins to understand what the meaning of Unconditional Acceptance is, what Trust is, what Respect is and how can I achieve them. Due to lack of understanding of these, there are problems in Human Relationships and in Entire Nature.

Knowledge includes understanding related to:-
Self
Family
Society
Nature

Information and Knowledge

Generally we confuse between Information and Knowledge. We feel that Information itself is Knowledge or we are not aware if there is a difference between them.

Lets take a few examples.

1. Suppose I come to know that a thing when dropped from a height falls down on the ground. I myself observed it happening and I am totally assured within myself that this is how it is. Now suppose you do not know it. I come and give you this Information that an object when released from a height falls on to the ground. This Information remains an Information to you till the time you yourself observe this phenomena happening. When you observe this thing happening and you also totally get assured within yourself that, “this is how it is”, then it becomes Knowledge to you.

2. Suppose I tasted sugar. I come to know that it is sweet. Now suppose you do not know it. I come and tell you that sugar’s taste is sweet. I give you some examples of some other things which taste similar to sugar. You make a prediction for the taste of Sugar. You make an intuition that, “it should be something like this”. When you taste sugar yourself then you get totally assured about the taste of Sugar. Then you “Know” the taste of Sugar which I was talking about.

3. Suppose you have not seen white color, but I have seen it. I ask you, which color have  you seen? you say, red. Now I want to “draw your attention” towards white color. I tell you, keep fading the red color from the  image of red color you have in your mind. After fading it so much that red color is almost gone the color which you will be left with will be very similar to white. You do that. Now before seeing white color yourself you have an intuition about white color in your mind. When you see white color directly then you get assured that “Yes, this is how it is” or it is more closer to your imagination of white color. It becomes part of your Knowledge.

4. Suppose I know that Trust is mutually acceptable to a human being in a relationship and mistrust is not. I try to draw your attention towards this aspect with the help of some examples and observations in relationships. You pay attention towards those examples, you start relating to that. You find those examples right. You start feeling that “this seems right”. When you totally get assured within yourself that “This is how it is” then it becomes part of your Knowledge. Till the time you did not get totally assured within yourself the thing which you have is the information. When you are totally assured within yourself then it becomes part of your Knowledge.

5. Suppose I have understood that “Happiness is the basic need of a human being and all the works of a human being are happening for the sake of ensuring happiness only”. I tell you this thing. You get this information. I give you several examples in support of this fact. You find them right. When you also totally get assured within yourself that “This is  how it is” then it becomes part of your knowledge.

Once we “Know” or “Understand” then we need not to remember it. Till the time we do not “Know”,  what we have is “Information”. We need to remember “Information”.

Information is a way towards Knowledge and not the Knowledge itself.

There is a reality. When I know it and want to explain it to you, I tell you about it. I try to draw your attention towards it. You get information about the reality. This information becomes source of direction and motivation to know the reality in you. When you observe/realize that reality by yourself then you “Know” it.

This faculty of “Imagination” which is there in a human being facilitates him to Know the reality with the help of Information available to him. Whatever we get to know from a book, person or any other source is the Information and NOT the Knowledge. It becomes Knowledge when we observe the reality by ourselves, which the book, other person etc. are trying to convey to us.

The major mistake which we do is we assume our Information as Knowledge and we ourselves are not aware of it.

There is one more major thing which needs consideration. In the above 5 examples first 3 examples involve observation through senses. Last 2 examples require observation beyond senses. Like I can not see through eyes that I want to live with this feeling Trust. I can not smell it, I can touch it, I can not hear it, I can not taste it. I can just observe it within myself and get assured that “this is how it is”. It also implies that reality is not perceivable with the help of senses only. Senses observe very very limited section of reality.

A human being by birth has this expectation of living with Happiness. He wants Certainty, Consistency and Continuity of Happiness. To live with Happiness he needs Knowledge. Our faculty of Imagination helps us directing our attention towards the Reality with the help of Information which is available to us about the Reality. In the absense of Information about the Reality we can come to know where Happiness is NOT but we can not come to Know where it is! Information gives direction. Information can be made available only by a person who has Known the Reality.

Currently due to lack of understanding of our own purpose of life this faculty of imagination is not getting rightly utilized. With the right proposal and direction we can utilize it rightly.

Purpose of Information is to give direction to our Imagination towards the Reality. Once our Imagination touches the Reality we Know the Reality. Till the time it does not touch the Reality what we have is the Imagination of the reality. Over the course of time the imagination of Reality we have keeps becoming more and more finer and ultimately touches it.

Information when verified on the basis of one’s own right becomes, Knowledge.

Education and Happiness

Currently the thing which is being given on the name of Education is the training or skills to earn more and more money and become successful. I do not argue on its rightness or wrongness, but I want to understand if that is sufficient? Is this kind of Education complete?

So what is missing from this Education System?

If we try to identify what is the right kind of Education then above question will get automatically answered.

If we see our lives then we find that it includes concerns related to schooling, college/higher education, job, marriage, children, social/financial security, old age, death! Is this sufficient for a human being to live. I say No. Even in this kind of living we can see that we are not happy in any phase of it. I remember I was not happy in the schooling. I never knew why I am studying all this which I am studying. I just used to feel that to become successful person and to earn a living one needs to study. Since the purpose was to earn a living and to become successful person which will happen after completion of my higher studies at least so the journey in education used to be very tough. I do not used to enjoy it. I had to mug, I had to suffer, I had to face the fear of exams, assignments, home works and also the scoldings of parents and teachers if I do not do them. I had to go against my willingness. A thing when done without seeing the right purpose behind it doesn’t preserve our interest for long. Same was the case in college and even after having come into the job. In schooling I had to study to get a good grade, in college I had to study good percentage and in job I have to do it to earn money. Even in school and college ultimately the purpose was to get a good job, earn more and more money and become successful.

If we see that most of us have the same story. In this urge to earn more and more money and to become succesful what we have achieved? A rat race. In this race everybody is running to be ahead of other without knowing where one really wants to go. What it is leading to? It is leading to, exploitation. Feeling of deprivation is the basis of exploitation. Exploitation leads to corruption, opposition, struggle, wars and world wars. It is chain and we all are into it.

With current kind of system where do we stand,

1. Criminal mentality in Humans.

2. Poor relationships in family and Insecurity in Family.

2. Disorganized and Insecure Society.

3. Imbalance in Nature. Global Warming etc.

We see that this is not sufficient for us. At least I can say it for myself. Others can also verify it for them. The major thing which comes into mind now is, if not this then what? This is where we need to think. We do not know alternative. We do not know alternative because we do not know purpose of our living! If purpose of living to a human being is clear then other things will automatically align accordingly.

What is the purpose of living?

There are two basic questions which a human being has:-
1. What do I want?
2. How can I achieve it?

What do I want? It is, Happiness, Prosperity and Continuity of these two.

These two basic questions related to a human being are not addressed in our current education system. In fact if we see closely then we find that a “human being” is never a part of discussion in our entire education system. Without understanding what a human being really wants we can not ever ask the question, how I can achieve which I really want?

We see several problems at the level of Nature, Society, Family and Individual. Problems at the level of Nature are due to lack of organization and harmony at the level of Society. Problems at the level of Society is the manifestation of problems at the level of Family and problems at the level of Family are due to lack of understanding at the level of Individual.

Right Understanding at the level of Individual ensures, Trust/Confidence within that individual, Harmony within that individual, right behavior by him with others around him, others around him start getting assured with him, right utilization, conservation and protection of resources by him.

With Right Understanding within every member of family comes the harmony in family. Harmony in family is the manifestation of harmony within the individual with Right Understanding being the base of it. It ensures prosperity and continuity of prosperity in family due to the feeling of being related, which ensures security financially, emotionally and in every other aspect.

Expression of harmony in Family and in Individual, is the harmony at the level of Society. Ultimately it is the people to make the society. If perception and attitutude of people are changed then everything can change. Only Right Understanding can change it.

A human being by birth has this expectation of Certainty, Consistency and Continuity of Happiness. He expects Unconditional Acceptance from others around. He is willing to do Right and behave Rightly, but due to lack of Right Understanding of willingness and the means to fulfill it one lacks the competence to make himself Happy and make others Happy. Ultimately it gives rise to a system where everyone expects others to make him happy but lacks the competence to make others happy. Here this becomes important to notice that Right Understanding is the basis of Happiness in an individual. It is a basic need of individual. Right Understanding includes, understanding of Self, Family, Society and Nature.

Currently if we notice then in education we learn skills to earn more and more money and become succesful and do not get Right Understanding. Purpose of education has become limited to learning skills so that one can earn more and more money and become succesfull. Study of Human, Humanness, Human Society, Human Culture, Human Tradition etc. are not part of education. Unless this becomes part of education the kind of system we have developed is bound to be like this, in which everybody wants security and everybody feels insecure.

So the answer to the question, How can I achieve what I really want? is,

With Right Understanding within every Individual about Self, Family, Society and Nature, which ensures,

Right Relationships and Harmony in Family, which ensures,

Harmony in Society, which ensures,

Harmony in Nature.