In search of resilience

In an ever-changing world it is indeed a wonder that not just the human sensory organs but also the mind perceives the world as something solid and stable. So strong is this conditioning that all our actions seek or assume permanence. The mind deluded by hope and fear is not even aware of the power of resilience which is perhaps all that is needed to go beyond the desire for permanence.

Resilience is the ability to literally bounce back. It is a positive and joyful process with the ability to flow with the cosmos. The innate flexibility implied in the word resilience also implies an ease of thought and action which understands change as a part of life. As Heraclitus put it “Just as the river where I step in is not the same, and is, so I am and I am not”

The bounce is really the act of letting go. Not getting fixed, rooted, or overly attached. It is the constant awareness that what has been gained can be lost and what has been lost can also come back. This kind of mindset makes one less fearful of both gain and loss. The desire to control becomes a shackle and is limited to only what is in one’s control. The acceptance that things like good health and the time of exit from the world are not in our control perhaps cuts the real and imaginary worries by half.

Accepting transience of life and contemplation on impermanence is the ground rule of resilience. Every moment is soaked in with whatever it has to offer, for while fortune and destiny are reversible time is not.

If one can enjoy the imperfect as much as the perfect, one sees beauty in everything. The mind becomes non-judgemental. Such a mind has the power of options. The option to do what one wants, the option to enjoy without bias or causing hurt, in fact the option to live in harmony despite the turmoil of the outside world. All this is possible without giving up or denying oneself, just by telling or reminding oneself that nothing is permanent and whatever happens may have some knowledge to impart. Adversity can open new avenues, reveal new facets, and bring out latent strengths and talents. Such a mind has the freedom and courage to seek the unforeseen. Let one join Heraclitus in the adventure: “Whoever cannot seek the unforeseen sees nothing, for the known way is an impasse.”