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CRITICAL INSIGHT
After CBSC Class X results, three children in the national capital committed suicide. Think of it. It is the ugly practice of comparison that stigmatizes many who have not ‘succeeded’ like others; this pathology destroys human possibilities. Here is a beautiful reflection by a Zen Buddhist.The New Leam is happy to share this wisdom with its esteemed readers.
A child is born. Immediately we start creating hindrances in him. We create comparison in him: “Somebody else is more beautiful than you, and somebody else is healthier than you, and somebody else’s child–look! look at his marks, at his grades, at his intelligence, and what are you doing?”
We start creating comparison. Comparison brings inferiority and superiority–and both are illnesses, hindrances. Now the child will never think of himself; he will always think in comparison to somebody else. The poison of comparison has entered in him. Now he is going to remain miserable. Now the bliss of being will become more and more impossible
Millions of people are trying to become the first. Great violence, aggression, hatred, enmity, arises. Life becomes a hell. If you are defeated, you are miserable. And there are many more chances of being defeated. And even if you succeed you are not happy, because the moment you succeed you become afraid. Now somebody else is going to take it from you. The competitors are all around, violently after you.
In this world, it is very difficult to find a happy man–because nobody is fulfilling the condition of being happy. The first condition is: drop all comparison. Drop all stupid ideas of being superior and inferior. You are neither superior nor inferior. You are simply yourself! There exists no one like you with whom you can be compared. Then suddenly you are at home.
