CONSTRAINTS

The rope was so short that the calf could not really move around. It turned out that what appeared inhuman to us was important for the calf's survival because if they are given a long rope, they can get their legs or neck entangled in it, sometimes fracturing their limbs or strangling themselves. Let alone the calves, even adult cows and bulls can meet the same fate when the leash is too long. The point is about the utility, necessity, and power of constraints in our lives.

We hate constraints. Nobody wants them. We want to eliminate anything that stops us from doing what our heart desires just as we avoid people who disagree with us. (But if you want real flowers, you have to be okay with the pollen, you have got to accept the reality of the bees and butterflies, maybe thorns too. Real flowers bloom on plants that grow in mud, in soil, against resistance). When we imagine an ideal life, we almost always envision a place, person or a phase where there are no challenges or constraints, where there will be no conflict because everyone around will simply agree with you. There will be no friction because your preferences will reign supreme. 

Let me tell you that a life like that may or may not lead to liberation but it will certainly lead to depression. Severe depression. All growth stops in the absence of resistance. The brain turns dull when there are no constraints. Throughout our evolution, any time we made a breakthrough in any field was because we had been bugged by some constraint. I remember this one time I was traveling to Rudranath at an altitude of 12000 ft in the Himalayas.

The path was a windy, relatively unknown trek through the dense forests and glorious valleys. At times treacherous but mostly beautiful. On the way, I halted for a brief moment to behold one of the most beautiful sights ever. There they were, right some twenty meters away, a large herd of deer. There must have been at least 500 of them if not more.  “I have never seen so many deer roaming freely in the wild like this. How amazing!”, I exclaimed. The guide accompanying however said, “With all the lions already killed by the poachers, there is no one to eat the deer. They are multiplying like rabbits and becoming a nuisance with each passing day.” With the constraint of the predators gone, they were multiplying at an alarming pace and disturbing the ecology. As time progresses, these deer will become overweight, they will lose agility and sharpness of the senses, the shrinking forests and their growing population will deprive them of the meadows, herbs and shrubs they need for survival. The smaller plants, saplings and all will be eaten away further damaging the ecosystem and diversity in unimaginable ways. It is not too different for us. We want complete freedom. Of expression, action and thought.

But, does freedom have any meaning in the absence of its opposite?

Imagine eating a pizza, where resting on a bed of savoury sauce, between fresh tomatoes, jalapeños, olives, and crunchy bell peppers, you also have the occasionally tangy and juicy bits of pineapple. For a moment, let us assume you love pineapple. But what if all the other toppings were removed and you were served a pizza with just diced pineapple?

It will not be the same at all. In fact, you may even find it repulsive. The various constraints in our lives, most of the things we want to do without, are the various toppings on our pizza. They add the much needed contrast, variety and taste.

The day you stop looking upon our restrictions and restraints as the undesirable obstacles and instead embrace them as opportunities of gaining wisdom and transformation, you will evolve (spiritually and emotionally) at a much rapid pace. So the next time you meet someone who disagrees with you, or you find yourself in a conflicting situation, or there is someone who you feel is trying to clip your wings, just remember, they are there for a reason. So when we have to toil, face resistance, or go through the undesirable, and you find yourself frustrated, just pause, breathe and take a step back.

Take a moment to calibrate your consciousness and reprioritise your life to respond in a manner that helps you move past the obstacle. As you move forward, at some point, you will be held back by another constraint, some other limitation, some unforeseen obstacle. Simply repeat the steps. The presence of constraints indicates your propensity and potential to grow. Granted that sometimes eliminating your constraints may set you free in different ways. Most of the time though, overcoming them is more empowering than eliminating them. A short rope can be a very good thing, sometimes.

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Om Swami