Sequel to ‘With Gratitude to Ardhanareeshwara’

“If the feminine energy ACCEPTANCE is not able to ACCEPT falling in line with the masculine energy of creativity, then it defeats the very purpose of its existence. And if the masculine energy of CREATIVITY is not able to RISE ABOVE the feminine energy of acceptance, then it is crippling its own potential. These energies, by whatever name called, need to be in perfect proportion in order to attain perfect equanimity”.

– WITH GRATITUDE TO ARDHANAREESVARA

Every man and woman can harmonize his/her creativity and acceptance to be an Ardhanareesvara – the secret is in having the courage to work towards achieving our dreams and the willingness to accept every result it fetches.

In order to work energetically in the present without reminders of past failures, we need to be equipped with the feminine energy of acceptance. Having realized that the decision we had taken in the past had resulted in the current negative outcome, we are now wise and careful in taking decisions about our future. We plunge into the present, closing our minds to all past misdeeds, weaving dreams about the future, drunk with the masculine energy of Creativity. However, life gives us no guarantees that this time round, things would work out exactly the way we planned! God forbid, these new visions may also result in disappointments. And all our dreams may once again lie shattered. We may once again be forced to fall back on our reserves of feminine energy Acceptance.

Though it does sound like a giant wheel, always turning up and down, life goes on with stark ling uniformity – we execute a choice exercising our masculine energy of Creativity, and as we have no control on the outcome, employ our feminine energy of Acceptance whatever the result might be. And whether the result pleases us or not, we have to once again go back to step A – exercising our Creativity.
If we have no role to play in the outcome, how could we be expected to work with total commitment and confidence? Doesn’t the whole thing scream out aloud that life is unfair? Can our creativity really blossom knowing fully well that we may not achieve the desired results? How can one be expected to work with intense creativity after realizing that we hold no control over the results – with Acceptance meekly waiting round the corner to takeover?

If I work every time with total commitment to SUCCEED in my every mission, my creativity would remain at its peak. No thoughts of accepting sub-standard results can enter any where near my creative mind. My entire concentration would work towards achieving my goal and this would make me involved with my every deed. My commitment would begin and end with the process of Creativity.

If I can sleep peacefully for even a couple of hours with no lingering thoughts of my waking minutes, I will feel much more rested than after many an hour of disturbed sleep. When I sit down to write, if I let the words flow not wondering who is going to be reading it, my thoughts would surely be more organized than if I were trying to write something to please the reader. The quality with which I perform each task will surely enhance the possibility of my achieving the desired results. When no thoughts float towards any result, brooking no attachment towards a particular end – neither as a fear of non-achievement nor as pride towards that which is yet to be accomplished – I will be just concentrating on my work. I would give my best to my work – no holds barred. And that is the only way to work!

When the time comes to reap the fruits of action, my mind with maturity can acknowledge that I had given my best to the job at hand. With conviction my mind can say that I had not in any way – not even by a negative thought – willed the result to be a disappointment. Then I can accept every result with total equanimity for if there was nothing that I could have done to better my performance, given the chance to do it again, I would repeat it the same way, every time!
Sydney J.Harris said “The art of living successfully consists of being able to hold two opposite ideas in tension at the same time – first, to make long term plans as if we were going to live for ever; and second, to conduct ourselves daily as if we were going to die tomorrow” – dynamically involved with the goal of life yet detached enough to give it all up any second!

To achieve higher creativity, greater should be our interest, involvement and commitment towards that cause. When Arjuna was asked by his master “What do you see?” his reply was “Not the tree, not the bird. Just the bird’s eye!” The more focused our aim, the more intense our activity, the greater is the possibility of our achieving success.

When with such total commitment we perform our work, we realize “The joy is in the performance, not in the applause that may or may not follow!” It would become immaterial to us if the desired result was achieved or not, for experiencing the divine dance of Ardhanareesvara will be prize enough!

Thus having surrendered to Ardhanareesvara, when at the hour of reckoning He gives us a chance to re-live our lives, we can look at our creators’ eyes and say

“Dear God! I can’t live my life in any other way,
For all my cells gave their best, every night and day
My time lived on earth can never be excelled
For there I was Thee – in every breath exhaled!”

Written by Gita Krishna Raj  |  Published in infinithoughts in January 2003