12/22/2005

This Unfair World

“Why is everything unfair and unjust in this world?…”

It’s a question a lot of people have on their minds. Frankly, it’s a very big question too. Philosophers and mystics have pondered this for as long as humans have been on this earth. Hence, it’s impossible to give a definitive answer. However, here are my personal thoughts on the matter.

We have to see this from two points of view simultaneously; two viewpoints which are ultimately paradoxical to each other. The first is our standard personality consciousness. From this point of view, many things in life do seem unfair. Not only do they seem unfair, they actually ARE unfair.

I don’t need to give examples. You know what we are talking about.

However, that is just from the personality consciousness viewpoint. In order to believe that life is unfair, you have to completely believe in the “reality” of the personality consciousness experiencing that life, and its interpretation of what is being presented to it by the senses.

Now, the other viewpoint is what we might all the “enlightenment perspective”. This is essentially the dispassionate, detached observer - pure consciousness - that can watch the unfolding of events without judgment or blame. It does not have mental investment in world events. It just sees them come and go, like the water flowing by in a river.

To it, the meanings and motives we attribute to events are essentially illusory. Not only that, it perceives the human body and the human consciousness to be equally illusory. from that higher consciousness perspective, there is no “unfairness” and “injustice”. Things just are. That’s all.

Even if you suffer physically or mentally, this higher consciousness perspective is untroubled because it realizes that the suffering and death of the physical body is not ultimate in any sense, but just a passing phase in existence.

Now, all of this is admittedly a pretty tough perspective for most of us to achieve on an ongoing basis We may be momentarily capable of this, but in the unenlightened state, it is impossible to sustain for any appreciable length of time. And the vast majority of us ARE unenlightened, no matter how much modern Western spiritual books and courses might like to tell you differently.

Now, this higher consciousness we are talking about is largely an Eastern mystical perspective. It cannot generally be found in the Western tradition, as represented by religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

All of these DO assume the reality of the individual person as a given. There is no illusion here. A person is real, and that person’s consciousness is real. Likewise, if there is a higher perspective that makes all things right, it is the personal God’s perspective alone. Moreover, this perspective is “right” because God knows his own private purposes and plans that are working themselves out in his creation. Hence, from the human point of view, according to this system, things ARE unfair. BUT… all will be made right WHEN God’s purposes are finally revealed. Until then, we must have faith and trust that all will eventually work together for good for those that trust in God.

There are many problems with this approach, not least of which is the perfectly valid question as to why God created such a perverse situation in the first place. Christianity, at least, has to give a strange and convoluted answer in order to devolve direct responsibility for the situation from God himself. This, however, is never really done with any great degree of satisfaction, and still leaves many questions unanswered.

The Eastern perspective on higher consciousness poses fewer problems, and is ultimately more satisfactory. It does not need to resort to notions of Sin, Judgment, Devil or anything else like this in order to give a satisfactory explanation of what we perceive. Instead, the cosmic Law of Cause & Effect - called Karma - ultimately dictates, in a totally dispassionate, unbiased and irrefutable manner, why beings experience what they do, either for good or ill.

However, we have to be careful not to “talk theory” all the time about this higher perspective, whilst still remaining firmly rooted in our own normal consciousness. You see this a lot in New Age online forums. It’s easy to talk enlightenment, i.e. talk of things you have never personally experienced, but it’s quite something else to live it.

Be gentle with yourself, and gradually work towards the higher consciousness perspective. It may not be something that you even achieve in this lifetime. However, you can still remind yourself of it constantly whenever you look at the world and all of its sufferings, and despair of it all.

The world may seem and unfair, and actually BE unfair to the personality consciousness. However, every time it seems so, remember that you are associating with a view of reality that is ultimately confined by your own senses and your own necessarily limited understanding.

There is a higher perspective possible. So, as much as possible, mentally associate with it. One day, it will become your reality.

Asoka Selvarajah is a writer on personal growth and spirituality, and the author of “The 7 Golden Secrets To Knowing Your Higher Self”. His work helps people achieve their full potential, deepen their understanding of mystical truth, and discover their soul’s purpose. You can subscribe to his FREE ezine, and get his FREE ebook “Inner Light Outer Wealth” at: http://www.aksworld.com/AspireToWisdom.htm?imk=Blog _____________________

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Comments on This Unfair World »

12/22/2005

James @ 8:14 pm

Hi Asoka

I liked your article on This unfair world

yes I have often wondered about this myself and agree with the answers provided through your comments and the law of karma etc

However being in every day ego consciousness is hard work at times and it is easy to forget that this life is only a fleeting moment and that there is much more to the reality of who and what I am and wherever here is. Yes it is the spiritual perspective that provides me with many answers to be better able to cope with everyday life and to make sense out of my life which at times is unfair. Yet at times when watching a sunset, in prayer, talking to my dog, I know that I am sourrounded in great wonder and beauty which is perfect in its own way - wow.

Thanks for making me think

love and light

James

aleta @ 9:51 pm

A great and a very satisfying answer to my query…
Thanks Indeed!!

Akbar @ 11:04 pm

an honest attempt…very sincere .Does not offer to give “therotical” answers and places the responsibility squarely in the reader’s lap.

Does not come as a consolation to a person who suddenly finds himself in a confusing /bitter/unfair world…but offers hope to the one who is already inclined/conditioned to believe that some “meaning” does exist and is frustrated in his search to find it.

thanks for being sincere asoka.

12/23/2005

matthew @ 3:14 am

thankyou for this months e-zine. i try and keep myself aware of a higher level of consciousness as much as possible, but find it difficult sometimes. there are many times when i’m sure i subconsciously think it and occasionally it floats to the surface and i find it to be very calming. just when i think i have managed to sustain it (maybe a day or two) , i have a bad day and lose it again. very frustrating! then sometimes i just don’t know what i believe.
i want to read a book obout taoism by Tao Te Ching, but am not sure which one to read first as there are many translations. i feel at this time that nature holds the key to my understanding more, and although i don’t adhere to one particular religion and would call myself a believer in karma more than anything, i think there are things to be learned from studying religious texts. thankyou again for the e-zine, i look forward to the next edition.

jean-claude @ 2:43 pm

What is fair and what is not fair, everything in this world is very subjective in the sense , where do you place yourself. Do you think about the world in general as it is now or do you figure the world the way you see it and then doesn’t everybody see the world in a different way and if that is the case how do I see an unjust world compared to Aleta’s world, is it eventually the same world but then how do I see the world, just a moment for thoughts, I hope.

12/25/2005

Bev @ 6:25 am

Thank-you, Asoka, for your article. Many times, especially when I was younger, I thought the only people that would be treated “fair” in this life, were people that did everything “right” and “noble”. I grew up thinking that if I acted this way, then I would have no specific problems and life would sail on effortlessly. Needless to say, I was very naive and I have experienced many problems that have ultimately helped define my true path. However I think as individuals, it’s how we get through these challenging times that will define the outcome of where our next level of growth and learning is supposed to be. When people blame their problems on others, or refuse to take responsibility for their own actions, then it would be near impossible for them to evolve, in this lifetime. If we can use our “unfair” challenges as learning tools, we can then help ourselves and others along the way. It’s only then that we can evolve as human beings, while making the world a better place to live. Amongst these challenges, is the ability to accept, and eventually embrace each other’s unique differences. If we could live with more understanding and less judgement, that alone would make a huge difference in our everyday lives. This life, however, does present many challenges and it is hard to embrace this philosophy when a difficult situation arises. I think when enlightenment does finally happen, one will be able to feel compassion for whatever or whoever is bringing on the challenge, and problems will be settled in a loving, caring way. I don’t think enlightenment happens to everyone in this lifetime, but my belief is that eventually it will.

Marlene Mejica @ 10:19 pm

Asoka, what you are saying asks us to be passive? After being treated unfairly I keep quiet and reflect. I step back, so it seems, into my inner self, but recurring thoughts disturb me and nothing seems to get solved. But the space I allow myself gives me peace. I trust that a Higher Being will ultimately work out things, and so far He has done it. It’s the recurring thoughts about the unfairness that disturbs me.

12/26/2005

Phoenix @ 12:57 pm

Matthew, There are two websites offering many different translator’s versions of the Tao Te Ching online. Some of these are available in book form, some are available only online. I’m sure you will find one that “speaks” to you, that you especially like.

Sometimes the Tao Te Ching is called by the name of its author Lao Tzu, so watch out for that…it can be a little confusing.

This site has 36 translations listed, but a few of the links don’t work:
http://terebess.hu/english/tao.html

This next site has about 10, and some are also available on the above site, but some are different, too, so it may be worth checking out.
http://www.religiousworlds.com/taoism/ttc-list.html

I enjoyed this article concerning “This Unfair World,” too. I embrace an Eastern perspective, and so don’t perceive so much personal unfairness in the world. However, things like hurricanes and last year’s tsunami do still seem “unfair” toward humans from a global perspective. Mostly I feel that the destruction of humans in large-scale, natural tragedies like that is the planet’s dispassionate (to borrow your word, Asoka) way of trying to restore balance between being used up and being the “nurturing mother earth” you like to see her as.

Unfairness of a personal nature - that is, someone or some circumstance that was detrimental to you personally - is most often a wonderful opportunity for something else. However, many times people use it as an opportunity to be angry and lay blame. You know the saying “when one door closes, another door opens.” Having a door close on you can certainly be unfair, but if you stand angrily in front of it, you will never see the other doors opening.

Namaste,
Phoenix

12/30/2005

Liz @ 9:53 am

Dear Asoka,
I must say, that in essence, and in East and West, you leave out one important piece, and that is free will. Without this, humanity is not sustained. Within these thoughts, religious beliefs, morality exists, and our choice to choose is within these moral consiousness. The Golden Rule, What goes around comes around, Karma or cause and effect, yes they are indeed an explanation. But, if we look at the higher consiousness, and see within, what information was given to us on a cellular level, we understand that humanity is humanity, and people make choices, and sometimes those choices affect one or many people. Immorality is ever present in a moral and just world, that is the truth.

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