Heading Into The Unknown

What stands in the way becomes the way

By Ashutosh Kumar

You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” The quote, attributed to Christopher Columbus, reflects the adventurous journey into the unknown that could “unlock the unexplored possibilities for prosperity” —the sales pitch of Columbus to get government grant for his voyage. Columbus was attempting to find alternate trade routes via the uncharted Atlantic route, and he knew that this would be a risky undertaking. However, he was also aware that the benefits would outweigh the cost.

The hidden path of uncertainty is mostly viewed with skepticism and unwelcoming sighs because it shows mirror to our insufficiencies and inadequacies in factoring in the variables between planning and execution. And the realization of our weakness by default turns on the defensive mode to deny or ignore uncertainty itself. This is because the solution to uncertainty is not always obvious. Even though most of the flights have meagre accident probability compared to other modes, they veer off the charted track in turbulent skies most of the time. A linear trajectory, although highly desirable, is not always a reality in a dynamic world.

Uncertainty Is A Feature, Not A Bug

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura states in his Gitavali, jivana anitya janaha sar: “Life is temporary and filled with various kinds of miseries.” He cites ignorance as the reason for uncertainty — ignorance about the perceived reality of the world as certain; and the actual reality, which keeps changing, heightens uncertainty to an exponential factor, eventually disorienting us from within.

For instance, King Dhritarashtra was greatly distressed upon learning about the existential (mortal) uncertainty after losing his 100 sons in the battle. He slipped into a depression, lurching in the palace, bitterly resenting over his victorious nephews, the Pandavas. His longing to crown his son as the king lay shattered. The old and blind king, unable to accept the towering uncertainty about his future that stared right at him in the form of the victorious Pandavas, haunted him for all the passive atrocities he perpetrated against them.

Seeing his plight, three people arrived in succession out of concern to mitigate the uncertainty of the (soon-to-be) retiring king:

1. Sanjaya, the blind king’s assistant, said in a fatalistic tone, “That’s the will of providence. Just accept it.”
   
   
2. Narada, the sage, quipped in a realistic tone, “It’s your karma. Bear it.”
   
   
3. Finally, Vidura, the king’s younger brother and Ex-Minister, counselled, “Duality is the nature of the world. Tolerate it and look ahead.” Simply put, uncertainty that arise in life is a feature, not a bug.
   
   

In our own lives, our most cherished desires inevitably will come crashing down, blown away by uncertainties. And it seriously drags our drive and motivation in life. These events, termed as “life quakes,” can include the loss of savings, being ghosted in a relationship, or being struck by a terminal illness, which can jolt and disrupt our very existence. Perhaps, the best way to deal with just uncertainties is to tolerate and look ahead at the horizon for higher purpose and seek for good counsel.

In the above case all the three individuals put forth plausible reasons to allay Dhritarashtra ’s distress. But the point for us to ponder is Vidura’s suggestion. Vidura didn’t try to absolve or accuse the king about the past; instead, the wise minister called upon the blind king to reflect on the reality of life and the reality of the world. Restating the Gita wisdom, “Duality the nature of world. Tolerate it.” (Gita 2.14).

Course-Correct Amid Uncertainty

Although blind, Dhritarashtra was physically blind, he could sense the silver lining of hope amid the dark clouds of mortal uncertainty of his future at the final leg of his life. He could see the opportunity to course-correct his life and take to the path of yoga to cleanse his inner state, which had been adversely impacted by the association of his evil-minded son Duryodhana and his notorious brother-in-law, Shakuni. He thus took to the life of introspection and ascetism, practicing spirituality for the remainder of his life. Eventually, with a positive consciousness he departed to the higher planets.

We all go through situations like Dhritarashtra’s, and we have the option to keep grunting, grumbling and gripping over the uncertainty. But in the process, we may lost the redemptive purpose of uncertainty—that is to help us being authentic and reflective.

After all, it is easy to throw up our hands and point fingers at our boss, spouse, parents, children, friends, government, and eventually God. If we do not deal with uncertainty with maturity, it can turn into resentment, which can lead to hopelessness and a life of drudgery. As the western inventor Ben Franklin said, “People are dead at 25, but buried at 75.” This is the reality that one witnesses when facing uncertainty-quake that can potentially raze hopes and aspirations to the ground, plunging us into the abyss of the unknown.

Uncertainty Opens Possibilities!

Uncertainty is the default nature of the world. However, great people play uncertainty to their advantage. They make their way through uncertainties. When faced with roadblocks filled with too many variables, they try to sneak under the crevice, find alternate routes besides the roadblock, or try climbing over it. It is this fearless nature that separates the successful from the rest of the pack. In other words, great people are common people with uncommon grit to walk into the unknown. Marcus Aurelius stated it well: “What stands in the way becomes the way.” How could it be otherwise?

Srila Prabhupada, the man behind the global “Hare Krishna explosion,” faced a barrage of uncertainties right from an early age. While he was just two years old, he contracted a deadly typhoid fever. He struggled in his married life due to his wife’s lack of interest in spirituality. He had five kids, and the eldest one was mentally disabled. Further, the uncertainties were compounded by World War II bombings, as Japanese bombers overshadowed Prabhupada’s house, bombing around the city. It was soon followed by the greatest British-made famine in Calcutta, taking away the lives of millions in Bengal. Added to that, Srila Prabhupada had to quit his job due to office politics, and even the business he started soon spiralled into bankruptcy.

Everything so far may seem like the story of a “failure” heading towards nowhere. But what separated Srila Prabhupada from the rest was not only his devotion towards Lord Krishna but his determination to transpire the will of his spiritual master to spread the wisdom of scriptures far and distant in the western world. Therefore, even when faced with disheartening pushback from his friends and godbrothers, he stayed undeterred amid such uncertainties.

Uncertainty-Settle In Mediocrity Than Risk Failure!

Underlying his courage to walk into uncertainty was the certainty of his determination, which was bolstered by his desire to reciprocate the desire of his spiritual master as a sign of gratitude. Hence, when we see the photo of great personalities like Srila Prabhupada who had firm faith in will of his spiritual master, we should also think about the risks they took, the lengths they went, and the sacrifices they made to bring spirituality to the world. A deeper type of gratitude is not that we merely recognize or remember something; it is when we remember something so much that we feel empowered to reciprocate with it. That is real gratitude, which can help us tide over uncertainties.

Furthermore, gratitude is backed by sense of duty. In the Bhagavad-gita, when Arjuna was clouded by uncertainty about his involvement in the war, Lord Krishna helped him clear the thick smog of uncertainty by calling upon him to make pre-emptive sacrifices of the deep-seated weaknesses that held him back. In our personal lives, amid the crumbling dreams and aspirations caused by uncertainties, the redeeming question that needs to be asked is, what sacrifices our family, friends, and mentors have gone through to help us evolve as an individual?

The sacrificing spirit is what gives gratitude the substance, which otherwise sounds superficial. Such a spirit is backed by proper introspection and guidance from parents, guardians, guru, sadhu and sastra who have made significant investments on us. We might be in a situation where our job is uncertain, our relationships has become threadbare, and the direction ahead seems hazy. In such a state, it is our ability to walk into uncertainty in trying times, fuelled by gratitude towards those who have invested in us, that will show us the way out. Alternatively, we can shun the adventure of going into the unknown and settle for mediocrity. After all, mediocrity is at least certain than the risk of failure.

Uncertainty-The Inner Battle

Renowned philosopher Les Brown said, “The wealthiest place in the world is the graveyard,” referring to the untapped potential buried within individuals. The graveyard holds the “unwritten books, the unsung songs, the hidden inventions” of those who could never live their life by stepping out into the unknown.

Similarly, Arjuna faced a great risk on the battlefield. Even without him, Lord Krishna could have won the war single-handedly. However, the Lord wanted Arjuna to show the world the possibility of transformation that lies ahead of stepping into uncertainty.

From the outset, Arjuna talks out his feeling of insecurity to Krishna. Paranoid by the consequences, the tiger among men, Arjuna, begins to stutter, as his body triggered signs of emotional seizure. Such situations reveal the path through the unknown. But it tests our determination. Do our convictions have the strength to clear the test? Or are there deep-seated if’s and but’s lurking within that unnerve our determination? When faced with uncertainty, maybe we lose clarity in thought, split between purpose and responsibilities. Or maybe we feel insecure from within: “Will others validate our action?” Or maybe we are paranoid — to choose from the panoply of numerus competitive choices. To sum it up, uncertainty is the phase where all the modes of nature are in conflict with each other. But we can resolve such inner battles by gaining a higher perspective from the wisdom texts of Bhagavad-gita.

Wisdom That Turns Uncertainty Into Possibility

Like Arjuna, we might need to talk it out our feelings and reflect upon it. But most importantly, we need to gain a higher perspective to enable us to mediate with our feelings and take the first step towards the unknown. And this higher perspective is attained through the words of wisdom texts such as the Gita. Arjuna dialogued at length with Lord Krishna, challenging his thoughts and by enquiring about the foundational principles that were in conflict in the battlefield.

It is said that average people read scriptures through their emotions, while those advanced read their emotions through the lens of scriptures. Arjuna was as a seeker in the second category. It dawned upon him that the battle was, in fact, not between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. It was between those possessed by the ideologies of vice against those guided by virtues of the divine.

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung said, “We don’t possess ideas; our ideas possess us.” Thus, illuminated by such words of wisdom, the veil of uncertainty that fogged Arjuna’s vision was dissipated by the brightness and brilliance of Gita’s wisdom (Gita 10.11).

The Adventure Of Uncertainty

Hearing the spiritual wisdom of Gita or even knowing the outcome of the war didn’t nullify the life-quaking uncertainties that Pandavas had to face. The “unknown” factor was that in the course of the war, Arjuna and his brothers lost all their sons and were on the verge of losing their only grandson — Parikshit. Yet the Pandavas never once thought of quitting the war or resenting against each other. This is because their objective was not to win the war, nor to enjoy the wealth of the kingdom. Instead, their sole objective was to play their part with uncommon grit to establish dharma by voluntarily accepting into the unknown — uncertainties the lay ahead at the onset of the war.

Bhagavad-gita is the word of God that stands to illuminate the entire world, calling out to us to journey inwards to explore greater possibilities, because what reflects in the outer world is our inner perception. Therefore, the adventure of journeying inwards by identifying our deep-seated fears, learning about our spiritual core and living a life of rekindling our eternal love with the Supreme Lord is the journey of our consciousness towards the horizon, away from the shore of this material world to the spiritual realm of devotion — walking in faith while heading into the unknown. Those who dare to ride along this adventure of self-transformation make their way courageously amid the inevitable uncertainties of life. Thus, uncertainty that stands in their way become the way forward.

Ashutosh Patnaik is a senior associate working in an MNC. He holds a master’s degree in finance. Besides work, he is an avid reader and writer in the genre of contemporary-cum-devotional subjects and a frequent contributor to BTG.a