Wise Words
Mistake
Chaitanya
# Mistake *A man who has committed a mistake and does not correct it is committing another mistake. - Confucius* A mistake is an action, thought, or decision that turns out to be incorrect either because the outcome is not as intended or because it does not align with ones own or social norms and expectations. Mistakes can happen due to lack of knowledge, confusion, misunderstanding, carelessness, or faulty assumptions. Observe the appearance of the word happen. Everything happens. If it goes well, I did it. If it does not, it happened. Unless a mistake is purely academic, very few people admit to having made one because mostly one takes best possible action as per his understanding, knowledge, capabilities and circumstances. Mistakes are an inevitable part of human life, they take on a particular significance for those who consciously choose a path of seeking .Everyone is a seeker, but the seeker referred to in this article is a rare breedthe one who is seeking liberation and bliss. Many may chuckle: what is that, and what for? For society, the seeker is a mistake -an outlier. So, for society, the mistakes of a seeker are innumerable and uncountable. Generally, seekers are not bothered by such a long list. In fact, they can turn it to their advantage. As a seeker is courageous (or should be), the seeker experiments, tests, and tastes different waters, and is not afraid to commit mistakes and learn from them. ***Reflection Before the Path or the Guru*** A true seeker reflects often to evaluate his progress and do course correction, if required. Instead of discussing experiences or accomplishments, a seeker should speak of mistakes, even publicly, as this may help fellow and future seekers avoid them. Let me begin with mine. ***My Mistake*** It all began with questions and intense attempts to reason out answers efforts that led nowhere. Later, I came to know about the various paths. Through the process of elimination, I gravitated toward the path of knowledge. The choice felt natural, yet in the absence of a Guru and amid the demands of life, these questions remained mostly in the background. My mistake, in the absence of a Guru, was not writing down my understanding after contemplation, the partial decoding of questions, the insights gained, or the lessons life was offering. It is not that I did not understand the importance of it. I did write. What could have happened in a family or boarding school, happened. ** ***What a Seeker Should Write Before Meeting a Guru*** Mistakes Learnings and understanding from experience, insights, and lessons that life is trying to teach you Habits-favorable and unfavorable Disturbances and distractions: what are the cues from them, and why Moments of dishonesty with yourself Emotional residues such as jealousy, greed, fear, and desirenot to fix them, but to understand them Questions and confusions What do you actually want from a Guru? Is it realistic, or is it a fantasy? A seeker may recognize the value of this practice and continue it even after meeting a Guru. ***Mental vs. Written Contemplation*** *Talk to yourself once in a day, otherwise you may miss meeting an excellent person in this world.- Swami Vivekananda* One may wonder why writing is necessary when contemplation occurs in the mind and conclusions can be mentally noted. There is no harm in this, but most mental conclusions are washed away by the vicissitudes of life. What remains is only a fraction of what you thought. During mental contemplation, thoughts move fast, jump, repeat themselves silently, avoid uncomfortable edges, and conveniently come to half-baked conclusions. The fast movement of thoughts can give a false impression of progress. Writing slows the mind and forces or pauses it to connect and correlate. In the mind, contradictions coexist easily; vagueness feels like clarity; confusion masquerades as insight. When writing begins, contradictions collide and vagueness is exposed. In the mind, the same thought can come back again and again, emphasizing its importance more than its worth. Writing demands direction, structure, and completion. It releases circular thinking and reduces anxiety. In the mind, ten thoughts or insights feel equally true. Writing forces choice what to keep, what to discard, what to prioritize. It gives form to thought and reduces inner chaos. Carefully chosen words and simple, precise sentences shape understanding. The process of writing contemplation is like a sparrow building its nest slowly, through repeated effort, without knowing the final shape. The mind drifts into fantasy, perfection, and projection. Writing grounds one in the actual inner terrain. It converts momentary clarity into lasting understanding. It separates borrowed knowledge from lived insight. Gradually, the seeker begins to think and inquire from direct experience. Writing honestly protects the seeker from the greatest obstacle: self-deception. **Effect** If a seeker writes honestly over several years, the journal becomes a mirror that can be revisited periodically to assess his progress and the effectiveness of the path for him, by himself. One can observe identity shifts changes in beliefs, reactions, and emotional investments as circumstances and maturity evolve, and how certain disturbances and distractions lose their grip. One can trace what led to these changes and apply the same understanding to dismantle old illusions. One can trace back and observe what led to this and, if possible, employ it to deconstruct illusory imagery one had built over the years. One can observe the processes, arguments, and triggers used to reach certain insights, understandings, or conclusions; the same can help one crack similar questions or dilemmas. One may also find out which mistakes one is repeating again and again, and which lessons keep knocking repeatedly that life is trying to teach. This can reveal patterns, and if one learns from them, probably both life and the seeker can move forward. **Afterthought** Ideally, this article should have concluded here, but with the advent of technology, a modern seeker may prefer keypads or speech-to-text to capture thoughts and insights. This is suitable for recording ideas, but not for contemplation and articulation. A seeker should use pen and paper for that purpose, and this appeal is not merely for nostalgic reasons. The reasons are very subtle and run very deep. Digital easeediting, erasing, endless revisiondoes not allow deeper impressions to settle. Handwriting remains a fundamental skill. Intergenerational transfer and the initial years of effort to acquire this skill (nature and nurture) bring tacit importance to the process of writing. (1)Writing stores insight internally and strengthens recall. Handwriting recruits the whole nervous system -fingers, wrist, forearm, shoulder, and even posture matter. Handwriting reveals pressure of the pen, size of letters, and rhythm of strokes you would have noticed such scenes in movies for dramatic effect. Handwriting provides friction, which interrupts mental autopilot and creates pauses; sometimes, a moment of silence seeps in. Writing is non-performative and an intimate action. Handwriting engages the body and brain holistically. It is up to you to make it a meditative process. Peace. ...................................................................................................................................................................... For any errors, feedback and suggestions on this article or past articles and suggestions for the next article Please mail chaitanya.seeker@gmail.com .......................................................................................................................................................................... This article is dedicated to one of my favorite authors, Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993)an American journalist, economist of the Austrian School, and philosopher, best known for his work on economics and free-market principles. His most famous books, Economics in One Lesson and Thinking as a Science, are timeless and worth rereading. few years back, his books appeared to emphasize the importance of writing down thoughts and insights something I failed to fully embrace, and for that, I offer my apologies. 1. impotance of using pen and paper over digital method can be easily understood through expereince . still below studies can help. The Neuroscience Behind Writing: Handwriting vs. TypingWho Wins the Battle? https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/3/345 Why writing by hand makes kids smarter https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/717379 Handwriting may boost brain connections more than typing does https://www.sciencenews.org/article/handwriting-brain-connections-learning
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