The Certainty of Uncertainty

I've been reflecting the past few days on how everything in our experiences, both material and spiritual are continuously changing. Sometimes though things seem like they will never change. This can either be a blessing or a curse, depending on the situation and circumstances. If we're happily in love with someone, that love and those feelings can seem like they'll never stop; like we'll always feel that kind of blissful love for the other person. In this regard, the feeling like it will never change is a blessing. Of course we know that after the initial "honeymoon" phase or when the relationship becomes more serious that things do in fact change. There will be conflicts, doubts, arguments, etc.

Conversely, we could be in a very bad situation. Perhaps our health is very poor. It may feel like we'll always be sick and that we'll never feel better. Of course we know that after some time our health returns to normal and we're able to enjoy life again.

This is the nature of material experience: it's constantly changing. Situations may seem like they're lasting forever, but they won't. Nothing here in the material world lasts forever. And yet we completely deny this fact by trying to arrange our lives in such a way that we can be in the illusion that our lives will never change. We follow routines and make habits to make things predictable and controllable.

When we wake up in the morning, we're certain that we're going to follow the same routine. We're certain the shower will turn on and hot water will come out. We're certain our coffee maker will work. We're certain our hands and legs will move. We're certain that our car will start. When something doesn't go as planned or is out of our normal routine, we panic or become angry or frustrated. Why is that? Because it reminds us that we're not in control. It reminds us that at any moment our fabricated, certain and assured existence can come crashing down into uncertainty, unpredictability and chaos.

Ultimately, when things don't go as planned or when we can't change things or control things the way we think they should be, it really reminds us of our insignificance and mortality. As rebellious souls, we don't want to be reminded of these things!

The fact is that we have no ultimate control. The fact is that even though we don't want to die, we will. The fact is that even though we don't want things to change, they will. There is great certainty to the uncertainty of our lives. The greatest illusion is to think that we are in control and that we are making things happen. The more we fight against this reality, the more miserable we'll become. The Taoists are really on to something when they talk about going with the flow of existence.

We can't fight change and we can't change that which is out of our control. Even the election of Obama proved that things are constantly changing. George W. Bush couldn't remain as the President of the United States forever. It may have seemed like a long time to some people (and not long enough for others), but the fact is things changed.

When we are surrendered to God (Krishna) we are not anxious about the uncertainty of our lives. We are not concerned about trying to control things. We are not concerned about the changes that will come. There is an inner calm, an inner peace and an inner knowingness that Krishna is there and protecting us. When we are truly calm and quiet in our minds and existing in the present moment we can feel that presence. But in order to get to that state of mind, we have to let go. And as rebellious souls, we don't want to let go.