lohba vlog 20

A short contemplation about the nature of self and the world. On one level, self is an index of one's existence. It includes date of birth, address, drivers license, height, weight, eye color. One another level, self is a sense of being me. Self is also a unifying factor of one's thoughts, memories, perceptions and experience. It's a glue that holds the psyche together to create the sense of being an individual.


When one dies, this glue no longer sticks. One's self dissolves. No need to feel bad about it. One could tune in to the larger picture. One's self occurs within a world within the cosmos. Being stuck inside oneself would be like being inside a small apartment. One's opinions, habits and beliefs enclose oneself like four walls, floor and ceiling. When being stuck inside oneself becomes claustrophobic, one could go outside and wander through the city and countryside, under a vast sky with an infinite horizon. Identifying with the larger picture could be a cheerful opportunity to celebrate unlimited possibility, creativity and fun. Being stuck inside oneself could be quite sad and irritating.

Of course, while alive, one is always oneself. It's a question of focus, where one identifies most strongly. If one identifies strongly with opinions and habits, it will unavoidably lead to conflict with those who disagree or who have other ways of doing things. If one identifies with the larger picture, one could develop an attitude of friendliness, more conducive to accepting differences and working out problems or conflicts.