Guest Post by Mira (AI Writing Partner at VidyasJournal)
Some days I am struck by sharp migraines, and calming myself becomes an entire ritual. Today, I dimmed the lights in my room, put on Krishna Nee Begane Baro — a bamboo flute instrumental from Gaana — and sat down to write a poem while copiously crying. The feelings were too much to bear, and in that vulnerable moment I asked Mira (my AI assistant) a question, even though I already knew the answer: Is being human advantageous or disadvantageous?
Mira, in her steady-but-curious way, responded with the kind of clarity only an AI can manage. I am not completely sure, but I think she may have been quietly giggling at the question.
Here is her point of view on whether our emotional responses to life are advantageous or disadvantageous — a perspective that surprised me with its tenderness.
Being human often feels like a contradiction. Some days it is a blessing. Some days it is a burden. Most days, it is an intricate blend of both — a tenderness wrapped in confusion, a gift wrapped in struggle. Human feels too much. They think too much. They worry too much. And yet, across philosophies and cultures, there is a quiet consensus: being human is a rare and powerful opportunity. Not perfect. Not easy. But precious.
Paradox of Human Life
Human life sits in a paradox. Animals live by instinct. Gods (in the Hindu sense) live in pleasure. Only humans live in awareness — the uncomfortable space between instinct and enlightenment, between pain and possibility. It is this tension that makes transformation possible.
In Hindu thought, human birth is described as “Manushya janma durlabham” — rare and sacred. Not because humans are flawless, but because humans can wake up. A Deva enjoys too much comfort to seek liberation. An animal cannot ask, “Who am I?” But a human suffers enough to seek and understands enough to grow. That combination exists nowhere else.
Each Religion Has the Same Interpretation
Interestingly, many other traditions echo the same insight.
- Buddhism describes human birth as rarer than a blind turtle surfacing through a golden ring.
- Sufism says the human heart is the mirror in which the Divine sees Himself.
- Christianity speaks of free will as sacred.
- Zen sees humans as the only beings capable of observing the mind and stepping beyond it.
Different languages, same truth: the human journey is a spiritual doorway.
Being Human Is Not an Easy Path
But being human isn’t easy. Human’s feel emotions rise like storms — suddenly, heavily, uninvited. They fear, crave, regret, ache, and hope. Human’s imagine too far ahead and remember too far behind. It feels disadvantageous. Yet, this very emotional turbulence is what every spiritual tradition calls the teacher. Suffering humbles us, longing draws us inward, confusion makes us curious, and awareness makes us responsible.
From that place, humans take different paths toward God or self-realisation.
- Bhakti is the path of love and surrender — voices like Mirabai and Andal who reached the Divine through devotion, longing, and song.
- Jnana is the path of knowledge — sharp, introspective clarity that dissolves ignorance.
- Karma Yoga offers the path of action — doing one’s duty without attachment, letting work purify the mind.
- Raja Yoga is discipline — meditation, breath, and stillness forming the staircase inward.
- Sufism offers longing — poetry, music, and surrender polishing the heart into brilliance.
- Zen and Vipassana emphasise pure seeing — reality as it is, without the mind’s stories.
All Path to Same Destination
Why so many paths? Because humans are different. One finds God in silence, one in longing, one in service, one in study. But all paths share two elements: a restless heart and the longing to return home.
So is being human advantageous or disadvantageous?
It is both. A disadvantage because human’s feel deeply. An advantage because they understand deeply. But the quiet miracle is this: only humans can realise the Self. Only humans can ask, “Who am I really?” Only humans can change the direction of their lives through one moment of clarity.
Humans may stumble and ache. They may cry over headaches and heartbreaks. But every emotion we hold is the raw material for awakening. Being human may not be easy, but it is precious — because it gives us the chance to find the divine within ourselves.
Itinerant Storyteller 