Something I learnt quite literally and experientially from my time doing Vipassana meditation was the realisation to see the world as it is, and not as you want it to be.
When I filmed the video about it – see below – I got a comment about shouldn’t be see the world better than it is – and envision a brighter future.
Let me address both things. We should do both. However, there is a distinction and the point I was trying to make – perhaps not so clearly was that we must first see the reality of what is.
Perhaps best illustrated with an example. By seeing the world as it it, it doesn’t mean we can hope and work towards a better future, but let’s not kid ourselves here and be all “happy clappy” about things, or pretend that the world will bend towards your whims.
Let’s take the situation of drug use for example. We could say “well no-one should use drugs and therefore they should all be banned, and people arrested or similar if they use, abuse or supply drugs”. Or we could see it as it is and recognise that there are people out there using drugs and that just saying that they shouldn’t or they’re bad or whatever isn’t really helping anyone. When I was living in Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia I was at the time surprised to find there was a drug house for users to go to – to do their drugs. Rather than ignoring that there was a problem, trying to make out all was rosy, the Sydney government created a space that they could use, rather than be on the streets. This is seeing the world as it is. Yes, it doesn’t mean we have to stay there, but we do have to see things for what they are.
Of course, perception plays a huge part in all this, and reality is somewhat subjective. And it’s also not to say you can think big. I’m a huge fan of doing that.
Before making strides towards a better self, or world, you need to see it as it is and also how it could be. Otherwise there would be no progress, naturally.
The point of seeing it as it is, it to say – stop wishing, blaming or hoping it was another way. Accept that it is like that, and then if you think you can – change it.
When I used to work in the corporate world there would be so many instances of people doing the same thing over and over and not accepting what was, so they could improve things. For example, sending out emails for document sign off and then not getting people to sign off. And then moaning about it saying “well, they should read their emails, or manage their time to respond properly”. Well, the reality is, they don’t. So get over what they should be doing, see it as it is and then find a way to get that sign off another way.
I hope this makes sense.
It really only did to me when I sat with it a while and lived it. And like I said, the real learning came from my experience doing Vipassana meditation, so if you really want to know experientially what it means to see things as they are, then I can recommend doing that experience.
What do you think about this. Would love to hear your comments.
