nirvana

I was discussing Buddhism with a friend today and debating whether Nirvana state is a worthwhile target – why get free from all the desires and suffering since many of these is what makes us human. Why transcend being human while we are living this life? It could be a naïve thought. But I was thinking if I would let go of below emotions if I had a choice..

Feeling that I am not giving my daughter enough love and wanting to give her a hug

Missing someone so much that it puts a weight on the chest

Seeing someone so genuine and feel happy about having met them

Feeling tensed for no reason or too many reasons piling up

Stepping out to the sun at noon, a cold breeze and feeling healthy and happy

Laughing till the eyes tear up and back aches

Feeling of accomplishment after doing something well

Screaming silently at myself for doing or saying something stupid

Acute embarrassment in facing people and saying things I don’t believe in

Physical pain like a small electric shock upon seeing someone in a wretched state

Feeling rage when someone behaves utterly unfair

Feeling helpless when all the logic fails

Happiness from companionship

Happiness from creation

Sinking feeling seeing the corrupt people rise

Feeling guilty having accused someone of something incorrectly or prematurely

Feeling inadequate in inability to rise to occasion when it was needed

Feeling like an idiot for not saying something clearly at the right time, worried about offending someone who did not deserve it and letting something wrong continue

There are lot of emotions and thoughts I could get rid of – competitiveness on things that don’t matter, greed, jealousy, possessiveness, pride in wrong things. But others that help us improve, those that act as checks and balances, should remain along with all the positive ones. Can settle for such compromised nirvana maybe.