While a seed of the banyan tree may be tiny, it contains the potential to become a huge tree, capable of giving shade to many; similarly, while a human being may appear puny, he or she contains the potential to become magnanimous, capable of giving support to many. In evolutionary history, the emergence of the human intellect has allowed Homo Sapiens to survive the greatest of calamities, including the Ice Age. The early humans used their intellect to not only avoid becoming prey in the wild but also to fend for themselves more effectively. Over time, they invented tools for this purpose. The invention of the wheel allowed the mechanization of agriculture and the invention of the steam engine play a major role in the Industrial Revolution. Today, we live in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), where cutting-edge technologies, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and gene editing, have erased the differences between the physical, digital, and biological worlds. We no longer live in forests with our survival at stake, for technology grants us enough comfort and security. However, when we crave to acquire more despite our basic needs being met, the lines between need and greed get blurred with the writing on the wall. According to ancient wisdom, fulfillment, or true happiness, is not possible until there is an inner unfoldment of human potential.
Human life is precious precisely because a human being can unfold the inner potential – the potential of life to realize its infinite splendor. Just as a seed’s existence is not fulfilled until it sprouts and grows into a tree, a human being’s life is not fulfilled until he sprouts from the shell of social conditioning and lets the inner potential of life unfold. Due to the fear-driven and greed-driven mindset of the majority in society, a human being more often than not grows up with conditioning that obscures that inner potential. In trying to make sense of the world around it, a baby is naturally courageous, creative, and curious. It is not bound by preconceived notions of how life should be perceived. Over time, however, due to conditioning from family, school, peers, and media, innate courage, creativity, and curiosity begin to get hampered. Freedom gives way to bondage. The result is yet another human afraid to step out of his comfort zone and busy trying to win the rat race. To unfold inner potential is to awaken courage, creativity, and curiosity, and to use them in their highest possible capacity. This means exploring not just the outer world but also the inner world of thoughts, emotions, and even beyond. It means not blindly believing anything we see and hear, whether in school, at home, or in media, but humbly questioning everything, including beliefs about oneself, to seek the truth.
Due to the information fed from all sides, a person’s thinking gets limited by beliefs. The person then begins to view life from a filter, considering that limited worldview to be the reality. This inevitably leads to stress and conflict. By cultivating concentration through the ancient practices of yoga and meditation, one can become aware of one’s beliefs and begin to even question them. When one’s beliefs are questioned, compassion begins to arise from within. The dawn of compassion in the heart creates a human being that is more mindful of the impact of his thoughts, words, and actions on others. This is indeed the need of the hour. While humans have traveled to outer space and stepped on the moon, it is time now to travel to inner space and emit the cool light of compassion.