The Unperturbed Self

“Let what comes come. Let what goes go. Find out what remains.” -Ramana Maharshi
 
I heard an interview today with the wonderful actor Michael J. Fox. He is known for his television roles, such as Alex Keaton on “Family Ties” and Mike Flaherty on “Spin City,” as well as many memorable movies, including the “Back to the Future” franchise. He is also a writer and activist since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the young age of 29, 29 years ago. In the interview he was talking about two things he loves that he had to give up due to the progression of the disease—acting and golf.
 
As a young actor Fox could memorize scripts in record time. These days, he can barely remember his lines. As a golfer he played quite aggressively and competitively. Now, when he steps on the green, he falls down. He explains that he is not upset, just realistic, about what he can do now. Because these activities are no longer available to him, he is willing to give them up. It is simply an adjustment to his life activities. He perks up when he adds that perhaps a treatment will come along one day that will make it possible for him to act and play golf again.
 
Michael J. Fox gives us an excellent example of the attitude and action suggested by Ramana Maharshi, an Indian guru (teacher) who lived during the first half of the 20th century. People traveled to the sacred site Arunachala to sit with the guru and ask him questions. He must have been a good teacher because his quotes are succinct and memorable.
 
Maharshi taught what is called “self-inquiry meditation,” a way for an individual to explore their own identification with the “I.” What the guru discovered is that if we turn the lens of observation on the “I,” rather than allow “I” to run the show, we discover the enduring Self that supports all our efforts to be our individual selves. Once we settle into that awareness of Self, the many activities and commitments that seem to create the “real” world are revealed as merely the comings and goings of life, not unlike the drama played out on a movie screen. And we are audience members taking it all in!
 
Michael J. Fox, known for his comedic skills, would love this take on life. He knows he is not defined by any of the acting roles he has played, nor by any of the activities he was able to do before his illness progressed. At the very center of Fox’s experience is the enduring personality the world fell in love with, defined by his big heart of compassion.
 
Have you ever found yourself running after things that have passed trying to bring them back? Have you been frustrated or sad because certain things came into your life when you rather they had not? To do so is human nature. But to go beyond may very well be the key to the end of suffering and the arrival of pure joy.
 
Maharshi counsels us: “Find out what remains.”
 
This line, my favorite part of the quote, requires curiosity, openness and acceptance. When we let go of our clinging to what was, we embrace the possibility of what could be. The drama of life swirls quickly around us packaged in sound bites and provocative posts. Let it be! Be still and enquire into the “I” who follows the drama and you may just meet the steady Self who is unperturbed by it all.