Advaith’s “Deep Thinking” – Jan 16, 2021

On our way back home from a casual drive, Advaith, sitting in the back seat started talking something deep.

“Sometimes, when I get into deep thinking, I ask questions like ‘why’.  For example, why people want to make airplanes. I do not find an answer and that calms me down. I do that sometimes sitting and revolving in that swivel chair”, he said. He was referring to what we have seen him do many times – sit in rotating chair in a room all by himself, going round and round for long periods of time. We figured he is doing some “deep thinking”.

I told him that his idea of asking deep questions that he does not know answers for to calm his mind sounded a lot like Zen Koan practice where a probably answerless question is meditated upon to calm the mind.  I also gave him the Koan of “what is the sound of a single hand clap” as an example and asked him what he thought of that.

He said, “that sound is there in the universe – but it cannot be named. It is a nameless sound. That’s what I think.” We were amazed at his response.

From the back seat he continued, “When I race in go-karts and do not win, I accept that I did not win. I just accept it.  Sometimes I get may ideas in my head and I cannot do them. I accept that also. That I cannot do them.” I know he is referring to all the project ideas he gets from re-painting scratches on our cars to making spaceships that collect debris in the earths’ orbit.

I told him, “as you grow older and become more resourceful, you will be able to do more and more of that stuff”. 

“Hundred years is not long, I feel”, he said surprising both Manju and me.  “That is a deep thought, Advaith – very deep” we both said.

“I remember the theory you told me once that the entire universe is also just one atom.  I use that theory to tell myself to be patient.” He explained his thoughts on time perception.

“How does that apply here” I asked curiously.

“Well, just like the big universe can also be a small atom, long time can also be just like one second. When that time passes, I can do what I want to do. That makes me patient; that makes me happy.”

I told him I will write down this conversation as both Manju and I found this very profound. He kept talking nonchalantly.