Significance and Self

Who did you meet today? What did you see? Usually we answer these questions by mentioning the most significant incidents of the day.

When we are out walking, we meet many people but only a few of them, if any, do we remember later on. The same applies with all the details and items on our way. Why do we not register most of the activities and items? Why do we "see" only a fraction of the whole picture?

The most fascinating point is to realize that by getting a reaction we have already stated something. If there were no "self," it would mean that all the occurrences would be indifferent. There would not be any better or worse incidents— they would all be the same. But everyone gets different reactions from the same (or different) occurrences (i.e., impulses, actions, events, and so on).They bear a meaning for the self, and only for the self. Objectively, nothing bears any meaning. Things just are, like a rock or bird. No statements at all—just pure existence.

Having reactions or feelings proves that there is a self, something that sets relative values for impulses it receives. This insight clarified, at least for me, the point of selfness. For example, when a human being looks at you and intends to approach you, he or she has defined some significance to you that is stated by his or her actions. The opposite happens when you are totally ignored or ignore others. We just do not see most of the people at all while we are out walking. They neither exist nor bear any significance for us.

How about those people who register most of the actions and details around themselves but lay no significance to the occurrences.(Don't confuse these people with those discussed previously who do not "see" most of the world around them.) This is the state of being selfless. They recognize and are aware of the things around them, but these items do not resonate (i.e., bear any significance) anything for the person. This is existence in its purest form. And in this state, we are able to recall the details and events later on. So it is not a passive state like the "blind" case in which a person does not recognize or see things around him or her. This situation can be verified by asking the person to recall the incident.

So, we are selfish as long as we have significant things in our lives. And this means that we have to bear the consequences as well. When one is selfless, there is nothing that is interfered or reacted to. And when there is no action, a reaction is not created either. Then our existence is very rich and instant—and more meaningful than ever before.