BUDDHA'S TWO ARROWS

 

Buddha was once asked about "suffering". He said: "Suffering comes as two arrows. First arrow is the actual pain inflicted upon you by the circumstances /incidence/happenings. But what matters is SECOND ARROW. The second arrow is your "response" to your sufferings." 

 

How profound !! So true !!

 

Human life is not a bed of roses. Challenges, unfortunate happenings, losing dear ones, suffering from intractable diseases, being betrayed by others and many more experiences make every human being suffer. There is no escape window from it. Suffering is as much (for some, even more) a part of life as joy. 

 

When we feel miserable and find ourselves vulnerable – remember Buddha's "second arrow". It is said, "A man who fears to suffer is already suffering from what he fears."

 

To be struck by calamities is inevitable, but "suffering" from them is under our control (albeit difficult). It is our attitude which determines our fate.

 

The key is ACCEPTANCE of the situation. We MUST do what is in our hands and ACCEPT what we cannot control. We must get the best care for our diseased loved ones (under our control), but we always have to understand that the outcome is not at all under our control. If we feel hurt by others, we must realize that their behaviour is not under our control. We must learn to develop this mindset to make our second arrow stronger.

 

"Understanding" the situation is crucial in lessening our misery. If we understand the nature of the problem, we can face it without fear.

 

In an epoch-making, highly insightful book, "The Man's Search for Meaning", author Dr Victor Frankl writes: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

 

We, as humans, have the choice to decide whether or not to succumb to apparently painful experiences/situations. Remember, "It is not the load, but the way you carry that breaks you down". 

 

·       Haven't we seen people without legs enjoying life and excelling in daily acts with just two hands? 

 

·       Haven't we seen blind people drawing beautiful pictures or creating soulful music?  

 

·       Haven't we seen amputated persons dancing passionately or running marathons with artificial limbs? 

 

·       Haven't we seen persons with full knowledge of death looming large (due to incurable disease) smiling and fulfilling their passions without fear?

 

These individuals have not only harnessed the second arrow but exhibited great resolve to fight and rise against all odds. Their quotient of Resilience is very high. 

 

There is a unique quality in very few which is beyond Resilience. It is being Anti Fragile. Think of what Hydra does – when one head is cut, it creates more. The Antifragile people go beyond being resilient. They become stronger when hit with first arrow. Famous author Nassim Taleb in his book Antifragile writes; “ Difficulty is what wakes up the genius”. He adds further; “ Let me be more aggressive: we are largely better at doing than we are at thinking, thanks to antifragility.”

 

Though difficult (but not impossible) to implement, it would be worth contemplating the sloka in Bhagwat Gita- 

 

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये । 

बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्ति बुद्धि: सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी

 

(That understanding by which one knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating, is in the mode of goodness.)

 

The final step to blunt the second arrow is to connect to spiritualism. All Hindu scriptures, including Bhagwat Geeta, have enlightened us with the law of karma. We get what we do. We can sharpen our second arrow if we understand suffering from the perspective of KARMA. 

 

If we do not want to suffer much in our future lives (if we believe in it), we must indulge in KARMYOG as guided by Lord Krishna. The ultimate goal of our lives must be to seek enlightenment. KARMYOG – thinking and doing good to others is a journey an ordinary man like us can undertake. For enlightened persons, the suffering is only to the temporary body and not the soul.

 

The first arrow is not under our control, but the Second Arrow?