Facebook Vaccine

It was a couple of years ago that one of my friends from my graduate school was trying to locate me after some 25 years and through some laborious route, he was able to find me and sent me an email. At that time, he suggested that I open a Social Networking account on a popular site and I did. I felt that perhaps it would make it easier for someone who might be looking to contact me for some reason.  And soon I saw what social networking was. It seemed hugely popular, and I tried to understand the appeal it had. 

I know that the human being is a complex individual. Even in mathematics, every number can be depicted as a complex number.  That is, as a combination of two parts or natures; of a ‘real part’ and an ‘imaginary part’, as ‘b+im’; where ‘b’ is the real part and ‘i’ is the imaginary part. ‘m’ is also real like ‘b’ but when associated with ‘i’, it also becomes imaginary. 

It is very similar within the human body mind complex as well. The body [similar to ‘b’] is the real part. The mind like ‘m’ is also real. But when it is associated with an imaginary part called the ‘i’, it takes on the same imaginary character of 'i'. The ‘i’ in the human world is the false sense of identity that we carry. It is something that is imagined by us and has no roots in reality. This false identity is called the ‘ego’ and when the mind is associated with the ego, it becomes the egoic mind. This can be quite dangerous as it can lead us into a land that is very unreal and unnatural, the eventual consequence of which is separation and loneliness; and at extremes can lead to pain and suffering. All that we do that is inhuman comes from this imagined self, from this egoic mind. No human being who leads a natural life can do anything inhuman, can do anything to hurt himself or another. It is only the unnatural and imagined self, the egoic mind, that can do something unnatural and justify it and propagate it. 

When we write something or say something in public, others may express an opinion on it. This opinion of others gives us a false sense of being, it brings the ego into existence and sustenance. As we fail to understand what the adventure of life is all about, either because of a lack of education, or because of a lack of culture and introspective living, we are prone to get lost and lose sight of what is good for our own self, for our own body and mind. And with this lack of awareness, we start identifying with the false sense of self, the ego. Gradually our natural and intuitive view fades into the background, and the same space is occupied by this impostor called the egoic mind, who now begins to drive our lives. And this imaginary self needs to be sustained by an artificial force, an artificial effort. It needs appreciation, an ego-feed to survive. It needs friction and battles to feel an element of life force. It needs to be seen and recognised and vetted by others constantly; or else it withers. Gradually the focus of life has shifted from natural expression and from the joy of just being yourself to a constant neediness to sustain this egoic self, to a constant seeking of attention. ‘I am’ is replaced by ‘I need’. 

There is a great reversal that happens with such a change.  Our beautiful eyes which are meant to see and appreciate the wonderful world outside, now are blind to beauty and are turned inward, transforming every object that is seen into an instrument used for seeking attention.  Our minds that are supposed to be quietly turned inward into the calm ocean of our deepest self, are turned outward into the noisy world of tumultuous mental-emotional activity.  Gratitude for this glorious gift of life is replaced by servitude to the false egoic mind. No amount of appeasing can satiate the egoic mind. Because its very birth is imaginary, its sustenance also leads us to imaginary effort. The only solution is in stepping back into reality and getting rid of the ego once and for all.  

The trouble is that the mind is a very sensitive instrument and is conditioned easily. As we make choices that lead us down the path of the egoic mind, it becomes easier to repeat the same thing. And this repetition leads to addiction. Millions of human beings in the grip of this egoic self, sustain their false identity and cater to a false need and become addicted to a variety of things. And these addictions gradually deplete the life force from their being. Every addiction is a leakage of vital energy. Every catering of the egoic mind leads to a lack of ease. And this lack of ease leads to disease in the body and to a build up of insufficiency, of anxiety and fear in the mind field. A life that was meant to be lived effortlessly is now lived with a strange force and an artificial effort.      

                                                                                              

I see that the social networking instrument more often than not leads to the growth of an egoic mind state and could lead to an addiction to its use and as such it leads to the same sense of neediness and anxiety as any other addiction. Only the coming of it is very subtle because it arrives in the open arena of a public gaze. Yet the same public gaze that can be purifying at times, can easily become a poison that will drain energy from our selves. 

I have noticed that in their effort to make this indulgence as harmless as possible, some people learn not to make personal comments and just post niceties and harmless moralities on these sites; while behind this façade the need for appreciation and comment remains. These are good people drawn into the labyrinth of social networking by a promise of easily acquired ‘self worth’ who hide behind something civil, something moral. There is nothing wrong with these thoughts, but there is a subtle evil in the very frequency of such expression. It carries within its bosom, the danger of becoming addictive.                                             

For youth whose primary objective must be to be studious, hardworking and wanting to learn, these social networking sites are a significant distraction. Over the course of a decade or so, it seems to me that they have the potential to seriously harm a nation’s workforce leading an entire nation to the brink of poverty and confusion. And for a young child or teenager, it is poison laced with the attraction of the latest gadgetry, robbing the wonderful intensity and joyous energy of childhood.                              

To create something that will make the mind overactive and hence create an imbalance in your body mind complex is certainly not a wise thing. And if there are such inventors, it is because their intelligence has been misguided and they do not realise that their work harms the good of their own race. It is upon us to disregard such inventions and see what indeed is good for our own well being. I find such unwise efforts and endeavours are not worthy of human regard. And yet sometimes we are not aware enough to be able to chastise or disregard it easily; because it has entered through the back door and at a time when we were not looking.                              

And nothing is lost here that cannot be regained fully.  It is not at all late for us to wake up from this imaginary world of social networking, with its imaginary benefits and vague value.  Discard all that is imaginary and embrace the real world. The joys of the human adventure are yours for the asking. Do not disrespect your intuition, that feeling in the corner of your mind that warns you against being addicted to any sort of neediness. Every human being is born into abundance and into self worth.  What if not a single soul comments on your words? What if not a single soul appreciates you? So be it. Generate the strength to derive happiness from the deep well within. Reveal the fountain of contentment from the depths of your life to abolish every neediness. Revel in who you naturally are. Abhor the artificial, reject the addictive. Grow in strength, courage and confidence. Remember that old fashioned values of honesty, hard work, sincerity, friendliness and caring are time tested and will stand by you in your hour of need. Whilst you have this wealth, why should you pretend to be wanting anything at all? As long as we continue to want, what use is anything that is put into our bowl. No amount of gratification of the egoic self can satiate and quell it. It has to be abandoned once and for all.

We must realise our folly if we have fallen victim to these social networking sites. And we must gently and bravely guide ourselves back into good health, happiness, positive cheer and selfless work. Perhaps the time has come for a permanent cure to this social networking disease – and it must be given to every child, adolescent and adult – this curative understanding that you may call - the facebook vaccine!