The background drone of ‘I Want’

At a Hindustani musical concert, the tanpura comes in first and exits last. The musician/vocalist begins after the tanpura and performs using the steady drone of the tanpura as the reference point. After a duration s/he exits but the tanpura carries on.

The tanpura denotes the ananta, the one without a beginning and end. The drone of the tanpura is called a shruti, a steady repetitive note. The musician stays constantly aware of the shruti running in the background to structure his or her performance.

In our lives too there is a constant shruti running in the background: “I want, I want…” I want to acquire something that will make me complete or I want to get rid of something and become complete. The desire to acquire something is called pravritti; the desire to shed off something is called nivritti.

You say to yourself, “I have a lovely family, a wonderful home, a steady career. If only I can get a large SUV my life will be complete.” Well, that is pravritti operating. Now you go to the car showroom with your family and buy the perfect car. As you are driving home in the brand new car you suddenly cock your ears and say, “What’s that ticking sound I hear?” And nivritti has begun. Something that was expected to make you complete is already making you feel less than complete.

You think, “If only I could get rid of my intolerable wife my life will be complete.” (Nivritti). And maybe there’s someone out there who is thinking about the same lady, “If only I could marry her, my life will be complete.” (Pravritti). 

Pravritti and Nivritti are interrelated polar opposites. Every single pravritti is accompanied by a nivritti and vice versa. Zero exceptions. Much like a seesaw: when one end goes up, the other end has no choice but to go down.

Check it out. Think of anything external that you believe will make your life complete and you will be able to perceive the accompanying pravritti or nivritti. If you keep examining this pravritti / nivritti game you will come to a very interesting conclusion: You are complete by yourself. Nothing external can make you complete – no object, no place, no person.

Obviously you cannot stop the arising of either pravritti or nivritti. So what to do?! If you have watched the interplay of pravritti / nivritti chances are you will drop into the acceptance of What Is.

When a desire arises to acquire something or to get rid of something, you are already aware it will not make you ‘complete’ in any way. You are also aware of the accompanying opposite. Knowing both, you go ahead and do whatever needs to be done and graciously accept the consequences.

(Pic from the internet)