In this lecture, Amir speaks about the burden of knowing.
Stoicism is a result of seeing that we have very little to no control in life—and so we detach. We are so weak and vulnerable in the midst of life. Life cares very little for us.
If you truly want to understand the forces of life, someone wise must “break” you, but in a very controlled environment. He will break you in such a way, but you cannot run when the breaking occurs.
In PD Ouspensky’s book “The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin”, Osokin is like most of us—he has created many habits in the ways he experiences and interprets life. Such habits are addicting—it is very difficult if not impossible to break away from them. And it certainly cannot be done without help. Like Osokin, if our desire to change is sincere, we too may find the house of a magician—a wise person who understands how to reach liberation. Such magicians create a sense of awe and mystery within us—it frightens and draws us in.
Osokin realizes, in the presence of the magician, that nothing about him has ever changed—he has been doing the same things over and over. He asks the magician to send him back in time to change things—the magician says that he can, but it won’t change anything. The magician tells Osokin that nothing in Osokin’s life really matters. It is difficult to carry this burden of truth all the time—it is very heavy, very painful.
Even if we have this knowledge—that everything in our life repeats—it doesn’t mean we can do anything about it. Just because we desire change, that does not mean it will happen. This causes a good deal of depression.
The magician tells Osokin, “You’re going to waste your life anyway—why not give it to me?” This is the only way change may come about.
One’s entire organism must be made passive.
