From the rantings of two dudettes

Gowri Balasubramaniam – G.Meena

Gowri Balasubramiam (GB) : “Identify yourself” is a phrase I have heard in movies and the one being questioned responds with her or his  name, parents’ name, location, profession, so on and so forth to be able to identify who one is. In daily life, one’s identity is recalled while filling out forms for various reasons. Beyond that are we even aware of our identification with things, people, leaders, emotions, I wonder! Is it that I am dream walking unaware of the identity that clings to me or is it the other way round! I wouldn’t know for sure!

G.Meena (GM): The recent news about racial abuse during the India- Australia test services led me to think about the way we identify ourselves based on Race, skin, religion, caste or community. Though the news was disturbing, we somehow do not address the core issue. We talk about it for a few days and forget it. We do not dig a little deeper into it. Krishnamurti has, often, highlighted the need to do away with identification. According to Krishnamurti, identification is the root cause of most of our actions – mindless actions. Identification is like a dress – somewhere we feel naked when we do not associate ourselves either with a religion, a godman or a leader. This pushes us towards servitude or being submissive towards someone – more because we lack trust or faith in ourselves.

A person who does not believe in God – being an atheist is also a form of identification. It is strange that we are born free – free from identification. Death too frees us from identification that we have loyally stucco to throughout our lives. If we could be born free – free from identification then why is it that we cannot live without identification? Does identification with a gender, a philosophy or a school of thought really aid in our growth? Does it not bind us?

GB: It seems to me that it is quite difficult to live without identity. History has repeatedly shown that identification has helped in saving lives. Bitter truth! But, one community thrives and the other perishes. Ethnic cleansing is not new!

So as a lay person, there is a fear that, either silences or makes one loud. It makes one feel safe. Of course, this is about extreme situations. People who live in such geographical locations, which is on the rise, live in such fear.  When fear grows into helplessness, there is violence because fighting back gives a feeling of security.

GM: J. Krishnamurti emphasizes that one has to be aware of one’s want to be identified. But is identification a process unique to the human species only?  Is it applicable to animals, birds and other creatures with whom we share this planet? The answer is yes. Identification is a natural process of growth. So, we have to be aware of its limited function.

GB: Survival instinct.

Let’s dwell a bit deeper to see if this is a fact. There are a number of studies and observations that show how animals and birds mark their territory. Power gives security. Powerful gets the best mate, food and a group of weaklings to take protection under the powerful. Even when there is abundance there is an identification with the species. I have never heard of a dragonfly mating a lion! So at some level, there is identification which is not needed before birth and after death and is all about living!

But, claiming to be the most intelligent species by far, have we taken this survival instinct too far, to protect our future or the future of our kith and kin?  

GM: Identification, curbs growth and freedom. If we do-not identify ourselves with the fact that we are the most intelligent species on this planet, would we have been more empathetic and loving with the other creatures of our planet?

Clinging too much to the process of identification leads us to lose oneself, become a puppet in the hands of someone else. Identification, in such cases, curbs one from questioning and questioning is vital to growth. Identification does not allow us to experiment and learn. I was just thinking, if Galileo had strongly identified with the church, not questioned their propaganda of the earth being flat, then probably it would have taken years for us to realize the world is spherical in shape. Such identification does not allow us to grow and understand differing points of view. 

GB:  But look what came upon Galileo Galilei. The church did instill fear and objected to a proper burial. Almost after a century the un-rotten body parts are placed in a museum. No other species could do something like that! But did that act bring about a change? Has discrimination ended? Are we truly free? As long as there are no tangible, immediate gratifications, one is at a loss and does not understand the crippling effect of identification during the normal course of a day. In a school context, one can clearly see how children are bombarded with such thoughts and actions by the adults of the community. Any fresh idea gets curbed and is made to conform because to find a fresh path however joyful, is not easy or effortless. Are we willing to expend the energy that it takes to be aware? Are we as a species always looking for ways to minimize effort? Are we always improvising our gadgets and creating new ones to free ourselves from hard labor? 

GM: Identification leads to a conformist attitude. Identification with the kind of food we eat, the community that we associate ourselves with, the profession that we choose, the familial values that we pass down from generation – isn’t that a prison – where we lie quiet and expect the future generation to silently tag along. Above all, identification gives us a sense of security and comfort. So, man though born free does not want to remain free.

Identification happens because of several reasons:

• Fear
• Sense of duty

(Yudhishthira portrayed this aspect in Mahabharata – identifying oneself with the laws of dharma – right or wrong – taught to him by his elders)

• Conditioned love also forms a strong reason for identification.

Conditioned love means ownership of one person over the others – in such ownership identification forms the basis of the survival of the relationship.

When we identify with a certain religion, we do grow – that fact cannot be denied. But growth is limited or in other words, growth happens within a limited boundary that leads to conditioning.

Identification has certain features:

• It gives a sense of comfort.
• Identification is associated with an outcome.
• It curbs self-exploration.
• It ceases during certain moments throughout our lifetime.
• It definitely ceases with death.
• It is a natural process.
• It leads to cross-roads in our life.
• There are multiple identifications that we look out for during our lifetime.
• It changes with age and time.
• The need for identification is common through all living species on this planet.
• Identification, according to J. Krishnamurti, starts from our inner reasoning to connect ourselves with the outer world.

Have there been people who freed themselves from identification? What about Buddha and Mahavira? What about Gandhiji, EVR Periyar Ramaswamy?  They seemed to have freed themselves from certain aspects of community living which they could not align themselves with. For instance, Gandhiji could not accept untouchability and he wanted to do away with it. However, he did continue to identify himself with other aspects of Hinduism as did EVR as an atheist. So, did Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism or any form of contrived religions of this world got people to move from one prison to another? This brings us back to the question, can we live without identification?

Can we free ourselves from nationalism? Can we live religion -less, border – less, race- less? When we free ourselves from these thoughts – do we remain free or do we move and cling on to something else?

GB: Yes!  As long as one lives in fear of losing one’s position, may it be a small team or a nation, one clings.

 The vandalism of a Buddha statue stirred everyone up in Srilanka this very year, the first month of the year.  Is it portrayed so by the media? If the news that says a man stole Rs. 60 from the glass cabin in which the statue was placed, I feel a stab in my gut. When 60 million millions are swindled, someone is in need of just Rs. 60?  What is the identity of such? Is there any hope for such awareness?

The writers are faculties at a private school in Chennai.