Part 10 - Becoming: The Stage Where Self Takes Shape
(Bhava — The Mind Creates a Role to Play)
Becoming (bhava)
is the moment the mind commits to a role:
“I am this kind of person
in this kind of world.”
It is no longer just emotions or preferences.
It becomes a defined identity
with rules, goals, and vulnerabilities.
This is the psychological birth
of the one who will suffer.
Becoming has two components
1️⃣ A character
— “the one who must succeed”
— “the one who must not fail”
— “the one who must be loved”
— “the one who must be respected”
2️⃣ A stage
— a world built around that identity
“I must be liked” → the world becomes a constant evaluation
“I must win” → the world becomes a competition
“I must not be wrong” → the world becomes a threat
A self-image
creates a matching universe.
Why becoming guarantees anxiety
Every identity needs:
- confirmation
- protection
- maintenance
The more serious the identity,
the heavier the burden.
Suddenly:
- silence feels like rejection
- disagreement feels like danger
- mistakes feel like death
Because the role is fragile
and must be defended
day and night.
Becoming is exhausting
We spend enormous energy:
- performing
- proving
- managing impressions
- maintaining an image
- avoiding being exposed
And yet…
the performance never feels finished.
Why?
Because the actor does not exist
so it can never find rest.
The tragedy and the hope
The tragedy:
bhava keeps us trapped in endless drama.
The hope:
bhava is only a mental construction
fed by ignorance and clinging.
When the fuel ends,
the show ends.
No struggle.
No fight.
Just curtain down.
One sentence summary of Part 10
Becoming is the creation of a role
and the stage on which that role must suffer.