Ownership of wellbeing

Difficulties can crop up in life in various forms. Often when they come up they leave a strong trace on our minds. When we are unable to understand, accept or cope with them we lose hope and fall down. We then give what has happened a name- some disease or disorder- understanding of which is only the prerogative of doctors. 'It is the doctor's job to keep us well' thinking is so commonplace that taking ownership of our own well being seems like a forgotten practice. We believe so strongly in the magnanimity and permanence of these dis eases that the only way left is to look the other way. However struggle is so real and inherent to human existence that looking the other way is like not acknowledging humanity.

Accepting the identity of a disorder or disease

The label of a disease or a disorder (new ones are being churned out every second just like technologies) works severely and in the opposite direction of well being. People battling with a disease are doing well with all the symptoms until their disorder gets a name or diagnosis. Now having to deal with the enormity of this horrific name a new battle begins. The identity of an illness makes the job of coming out of it so much more difficult. Once an identity it becomes the other- separate from us- spurring a new battle between the I and the it. This separation only fuels fear and the feeling of losing control. The disorder that never existed or was only a weakness or a mental pattern now gets the opportunity to really develop. Labels and identities never help. They only keep redefining who we are and we are constantly changing.

There is only one fear- the fear of unknown

Fear is a strong tendency rooted in disorders. There is only one fear- the fear of unknown. Knowing removes the unknown just like light drives away darkness. It helps to remember that this weak mental pattern is only one of the million mental patterns in us, just one path in a network of many paths. All we need to do is to familiarize ourselves with it and stop using it. Make a new path. It is a lot of hard work and begins with a willingness to see inside ourselves honestly and objectively. Moving from gross to subtle realities like this is also the essence of the practice of Vipassana meditation- the path of complete acceptance which helps us establish Right View.