REFLECTION AND SHADOWS – THE REAL PICTURE GOES MISSING -Part 1

So, there comes a picture where it seems just perfect, and the reflection of this also tends to become the most ideal. No one knows what the picture is. The reflection of the picture becomes ‘quite important’ than the picture itself. And that\’s the reason why people are so dazzled by the ‘materialistic possessions’ because it\’s the reflection it creates around you—it\’s so huge! And the kind of the family set-up that we have, the society that we live in, the social fabric that we have to abide by, has rules and regulations which utmost, at all times, require a lot that is to do with our own reflection of the inner self.

Where does reflection come from?

So the people who have made it really huge in their lives are not the ones who have worked on their reflection. The reflection comes from something else. And the obsessive mind towards achieving the materialistic pursuits of wealth is at times mostly to do with the materialistic gain only, is only attached with the reflection. The reflection of what there is could be an ‘absolute mirage’ and away from the truth, away from what lies within which makes the real image, the real picture. That\’s why all the shadows are created by these reflections.

Doubts and Chaos

So, the reflection could be great as well. There could not be any dichotomy between the person who I am and the way I manifest things into my life in ways which people find really attractive. It is absolutely fine. But what goes inside of ‘human mind’ is something that cannot be gazed through by anyone. Nothing can be calculated in terms of understanding our own struggle, our own upheavals and confusion and doubts and chaos through which we have to perform ourselves to the best of our ability.

So in spite of all these, we have to become despite all these; hence we could do what we must do. That\’s the problem. So, the more often you are so obsessed with the reflection of it, the very shadow will be blurred by the people\’s vision because the reflection itself wants to create shadow: shadow of greatness. Shadow of I have it, I have merit. Shadow of I am that, I am this!

Reflection turns into a shadow

So, if you want to create a reflection and that creates that reflection which people do not want to reflect back into their own lives because they do not see anything great about it, what happens is that reflection turns into a shadow. And then you want to run away from this shadow. But how can you run away, and how far you will run away from your own shadow, you can\’t.

So, the real picture always goes missing in the midst of all the reflection that we want to create. And we are at loss with our own self because we have ‘given up’ to the desires. We have ‘given in’ for all those things which are not designed for our own self-growth.

Finding his own purpose

So, here comes a person who is wise in nature and always finds himself ‘into the turmoil’, in ‘midst of’ finding his own purpose. But he\’s wise. But again he finds himself ‘into turmoil’ at all times because of the reflection of other people with which he gets influenced by meeting ‘number of people’, reading about them in the newspaper or social media, or hearing about them through the people. But the very essence of his doesn\’t know what the truth is. The very essence of his doesn\’t yet—hasn\’t yet, realized the truth.

So, the very essence goes missing. That\’s when we resort to mediocrity in life. But none of us are mediocre. None of us are designed for mediocrity. Absolutely not! We are designed for greatness. We are designed for having everything in life. And most importantly, to explore our own potential—this is what we are designed for. But the path is so tricky at times that it, the real essence of life, itself goes missing because the reflection which has ‘got created’ by the people around you, that ‘always’ hits you at the corner where you yourself feel so jittery. And these parts of susceptibility—are nothing but your own desires for wealth, for possessions, for lust, whatever you can call it.

Upgrade ourself

So, the shadow—once the reflection turns into shadow—because shadow is an attempted murder of the reflection because you want to kill the essence of who you are by trying to create a person out of you, whom you are not. So this conflict goes on till the end of the life, and people envisioned you as great, but you were pathetic inside. You, you knew who you were as a pathetic, miserable human being! But you portrayed to the world that you were great. And all effort went into creating the persona of greatness around you. There are so many lives that get wasted like this. That\’s why it\’s important that no matter who you are, never create a, never ever create a, ‘anything’ out of you, whom you are not, could never be. I mean, I\’m talking about ‘very ostentatious level’. Don\’t do that. Of course we have to ‘upgrade ourself’. Life is all about ‘changing ourself’, exactly! ‘Evolving ourself’ ‘each moment’ of life, exactly! It is absolutely advisable, and I do endorse the idea of ‘evolving ourself’ as ‘human being’ every single day, with each breath. For each passing breath, we shall ‘upgrade ourself’. Absolutely, yes! But creating a persona of ‘whom you are not’ and could never be on the outside—in the real world of your inner consciousness—is something that sabotages you at each moment of your life. It kills your potential. It kills the very essence of life which has been given to you because ‘the materialistic possessions and the desires’ becomes the most important thing.

Author – Sant Shri Naamdeo Ji Maharaj
(Chief Coordinator to UN Activities, International Meditation Trainer of Vihangam Yoga)
(Collected from his Divyavani)