In one of Devdutt’s books, he shares how Brahma is accused of having an incestuous affection for his daughter. This must not be taken literally (as it often is). It is a metaphor for how every human being clings to his creation, his subjective reality, convinced it is his objective reality.

In this journey, we tend to get deeply attached to our children, spouse, home, business, and job. We have played an integral role in creating and nurturing this with much love. We get so deeply rooted to our creation that we can’t let go.

We begin to identify so deeply that we soon believe:

• I am because of my business
• I am because of my children
• I am because of my wealth
• I am because of my home

The moment you identify with this, you are deeply attached and you now need to protect this. We tend to make strong boundaries to protect our creation. The fear of losing this creates, anxiety, stress, depression and hypertension.

Nature has a lot to teach us if we are willing to learn. For trees and plants to blossom, they need space, sunlight, and nourishment. When you put a boundary around it and decide how it should grow the flora and fauna will perish.

Unknowingly, in our strong need to preserve we kill the ambitions of our children, don’t allow the business to manifest to its full potential, and make wealth such a priority that we trade it for peace only because we can’t let go. We firmly believe I exist because of these possessions.

Shiva, attacks and beheads Brahma, hoping he will abandon this imagined identity that makes him dependent and needy, but Brahma resists.

The day we realize that:

I am because I am

It will be a great awakening. All our creations like our children, home, wealth, and business will flourish and grow to their full potential. They need a gardener providing what’s not required to decide how the branch should grow.

The most important for me in all of this is, you will have peace because you are no longer needy. You don’t need something else to complete you.

I am because I am.