Idam-N-Mama (इदं न मम्!)

    After a year, I find myself wondering again about this Sanskrit saying- “इदं न मम्!” This is not mine; these life events do not define me. This principle teaches detachment. Recently I was part of a social gathering where inevitably friends started debating about religion/the presence of God and science. Being surrounded by highly intellectual individuals I often decide to take a backseat. I shy away from conflicts and don’t want to participate in arguments. Once I read that “you don’t owe an explanation to anyone. People who love you, who understand you will not need an explanation, and people who have made an opinion about you cannot be convinced by any explanation!” And this quote stuck the cord with me, silence is the best answer. No explanation is ever needed! So, coming back to that debate, it was interesting to hear different perspectives. One side argued that if they have put in the work, then why should they owe their success to God/Universe/presence of the unknown? I do acknowledge the achievements of my loved ones/friends and in many cases witnessed their hard work to accomplish these goals. However, with such an argument, my mind starts labeling it as the presence of ego. Ego is a funny thing, although tainted in a negative connotation, I believe ego is essential to not settle for less. The ego pushes one to challenge the perceived limits and motivates one to pursue impossible goals. However, one should balance the slippery slope of not letting the ego take over their mind. On the same note, when one grows the awareness of “इदं न मम्!”, they can surrender their triumphs to the invisible force that made it happen. The surrendering attitude brings out the humbleness. Acknowledging that so many things could have gone wrong, so many possibilities existed of undesired outcomes, yet the Universe conspired to make things line up in a certain way- that led to that triumph, that victory, that success story! We can put in all the efforts in the world, and have the right intentions, but only a few get to taste the success. Why does that happen?

Similarly, there comes a period when everything starts going wrong. No matter how good your intentions were, everyone misunderstood you. Or, after following a healthy lifestyle throughout life, exercising regularly, and never trying any questionable substance, when one gets diagnosed with a terminal disease at a young age, loved ones would question the presence of God for sure! Try to remember all the failures, how those made you feel, and how others’ perceptions changed. Even though you were the same person, putting all the efforts with the right intentions, outcomes were not in your favor then. In such dire situations, one tries to find someone/something to blame! Often it is fate, bad luck, or God! What changed? In the case of success, most people want to acknowledge their efforts but in dire situations, they can easily blame it on bad luck or circumstances.

Does the success, your relations-profession-failures-triumphs define you? Should you be limited by such labels? You are not this or that, you and me are the same- part of the One! “इदं न मम्!” gives that humbling reminder that this is not mine, this doesn't belong to me. It allows me to surrender and feel deep gratitude for everything and everyone that comes along my way. People who wronged me, made me realize my unknown strengths, and who loved me kept encouraging me regardless of all my shortcomings.

Would you like to practice detachment by saying- “इदं न मम्!”?

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November 2, 2023  · 

Shared with Friends; Except: Vijay Peddi

इदं न मम्!

योग शिकवताना, शिकताना बऱ्याच छोट्या छोट्या श्लोकांचा, योगसूत्रांचा, गीतेच्या अध्यायांचा उल्लेख होतो. त्यातलंच हे एक वचन, कधी ऐकलं, कुठे ऐकलं, ते काही आठवत नाही. पण हल्ली हे वचन सतत डोक्यात घोळतंय. इदं न मम्~ हे माझं नाहीये. हे सत्य माझं नाहीये, हे जे घडतंय ते माझ्यामुळे नाही, कर्ता करविता कोणी दुसराच आहे. किती सोप्या शब्दात स्वतःचा अहंकार सोडून द्यावा, हे समजावलं आहे. त्याच बरोबर जेव्हा आपल्या बाबतीत कधी कधी सगळं बिघडतच जातं, कितीही चांगला उद्देश असला, तरी मेहनत कमी पडते किंवा नशिबाचे फासे उलटे पडतात. तेव्हाही इदं न मम् म्हणून आशा जागृत करायची. हे माझं नाहीये, जे काही होतंय ते माझ्यासाठी नाहीये, ते मी अर्पित करते. आणि नव्याने परिस्थितीला समोर जाण्यासाठी बळ देते, हे वचन!

समर्पण,अहंकाराचा (इगोचा) त्याग केला की जाणीव होते की ज्याला आपण यश म्हणतो, मेहनतीचं फळ म्हणतो, ते सगळं किंबहुना आपल्याहूनही जास्त करणारे बरेच जण असतात. पण शिखरावर पोहोचूनही इदं न मम् म्हणणं, ते जाणवणं किती जणांना जमतं? तथाकथित यशाच्या मागे काय रहस्य आहे? सगळ्यांनी मेहनत करूनही, संधी कोणा एकालाच का मिळते? जगात इतके उत्तम गाणारे, नाचणारे, अभिनय करणारे हौशी कलाकार असतानाही एखादाच अमिताभ बच्चन, एखादीच लता, एकाच सचिन का जगप्रसिद्ध मिळवतो? त्याचा अर्थ बाकीच्यांची मेहनत, नशीब कमी पडतं का? शिखरावर पोहोचण्या आधी त्यांनीही अपयश पचवले असेलच की. पण त्या अपयशानी खचून न जाता त्यांनीही इदं न मम् अंगीकृत केलं असावं बहुदा!

एखादयाकडे बघून सगळ्यांचाच जीव हळहळतो. का माहित नाही सगळंच लौकीकार्थानी वाईट घडत जातं. हाती आलेला पैसा टिकत नाही, जीवावरच दुखणंच येतं, नात्यांमध्ये गैरसमज होऊन जवळची माणसं दुरावतात. हे असं घडत असतानाही ह्या माणसांच्या चेहऱयावरचं हसू टिकून असतं! सुखी माणसाचा सदरा मिळाला असतो का त्यांना? कुठून येते जगाशी सामना करण्याची जिगीषा?

ह्या सगळ्याला एकच उत्तर- इदं न मम्! ज्याला हा मंत्र गवसला, आत्मसात झाला त्याला बोधिवृक्ष शोधण्याची गरजच नसावी.