Reflections...

…contd

And all the people in that village blamed her friend for her condition. She was the one who had taken her to city. She did not take care of her enough there. They all pitied Rani and developed immense hatred for her friend.

And her friend had to face all the shame, anger, frustrations, ill repute just for the sin of showing her reflection to her. She just took her to a place with few mirrors where she happened to see herself….But……….” my guru stopped looking at the setting sun. she became silent. I did not require her to talk anymore. I understood.

My guru had told me once in some other context “Even being Right has it’s share of pain coming its way”. I didn’t understand it then. Now, I do. I didn’t know whether to admire my Guru or feel sorry for her for receiving brick bats from the people she was working so hard for….but then, I realized she never gave it a thought herself…she continued with her work just the same…

Smile crossed my lips and admiration lit up my eyes and I thanked myself for letting me be in her company….

Me, My Guru

Reflections

….contd………

Then to prove her friend, she took another crystal lying there and hit all the mirrors one after the other. They broke. Now, no. of reflections increased! And so, when she laughed, she could see more images laughing at her. She became wild with anger. She hit the mirrors again and again. Few mirror pieces stuck her and she started bleeding. She cried out of pain.

She hated her friend for bringing her here. She hated the city. She hated the moment she decided to come to city where she was bleeding so much as was hurt so much. She returned to her village – Bejan, bleeding, wounded and totally broke. Her wounds healed over the period of time. But people found her behaviour erratic and unpredictable.

She would be angry one moment hurting all near her and the other moment she would be crying uncontrollably loud. She became hysterical once. She became dead silent at other times. Her laugh had become cynical and her arrogance gave way to vengeance.

.contd….

Me, My Guru.

Reflections

..contd...

She stepped into the room with high expectations and lo, to her amazement, she found lots of women in that room who were so ugly she didn’t feel like looking at them. She didn’t like those women. She looked more or less similar. When she made a face, those women made it too! She felt intimidated. She felt humiliated by their stares and fear took over her. She didn’t like their presence. She turned round to leave that room when she found her friend entering it. She told her friend “Don’t go in. There is a group of ugly, mean, women in that room who make funny faces.”

Her friend was surprised. She came to see who these women were. When her friend showed the women surrounding her, she laughed and said “OMG Rani! Can’t you see they are nothing but your reflections? This room is called ‘Addala gadi meaning ‘Room of Mirrors’. Mirrors surround you and hence you are seeing your multiple reflections. Haven’t you seen your reflection till date?”

Rani was stunned. Now, her village Bejan didn’t have a single mirror. She didn’t know what a mirror was. She didn’t understand what a reflections was! But she felt cheated and insulted by her friend who showed such a ugly face and said ‘it is you’. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She was shivering with anger. And all along her friend was laughing loudly. Her laugh sounded like a mockery to her. She took a huge stone, which was actually a beautiful piece of crystal kept there and hit her friend. It hit her head and she started to bleed. Rani felt good. She thought ‘Good! Now try to insult me. You deserve this pain and more for saying these are my reflections.” She felt she could kill her friend for saying so.

Then….

…contd……

Me, My Guru

Reflections

I found it odd that few of my Guru’s students sometimes were angry with her and also talked ill of her. These were the same students who have benefited a lot from her and had praised her so many times for having brought about a positive change in their lives. Their experiences made them glorify her. Their benefits made them talk high of her. But, down the years these same people also left her after calling her names. Today was one such day. But, to my Guru it was like any other day. She took the day’s proceedings as she does any other small daily routine – with a smile that stayed in her eyes. She didn’t explain her stand. She didn’t justify the happenings too. Infact, she did ‘nothing’. They left. She continued with her works. I unable to contain myself asked her “What is the basis of the anger and hatred that these people have for you? How come those who praised you for so many years suddenly turned against you and yet you are calm and composed?”

“In the city of Bejan,” started my Guru and I knew here was the story to follow which also had an answer for my question. And as ever I looked forward to listening to the story “lived a woman named Rani. She considered herself queen befitting her name. She felt all others were good enough only to serve her. She thought she was very beautiful and this thought made her feel very happy. But, her belief didn’t stop there. She also felt all others were ugly and no where near her. She being beautiful could never be wrong and others were to follow her instructions without questions. She would be very angry if anyone questioned her, contradicted her or doubted her statements. Her wish was her command. And it was to be executed.

One not so fine day, she received a friend of hers who came from the city of Sajjanpur. Now, her friend talked so high of the city and the life there, that our poor Rani couldn’t resist the wish to accompany her friend to city.

Everything in the city was larger than life. Everything was beautiful, colourful and bright. She was drawn to a very big temple. She entered it excitedly. Now, this temple was famous for having a special room, which had multiple mirrors in it. It was called ‘addala gadi’ ‘room of mirrors’. Poor Rani had never seen a mirror in her life. The curiosity engulfed her and she ran towards that room. She was hightly excited when she opened the door of that room. She stepped into the room with high expectations. And lo!………

…contd….

...contd.......

How does it make a difference to me? How is this verse applicable to my day-to-day life and its shortcomings? How does this knowledge make an impact on my pains and sufferings?

Universe is Brahman and both are full. I being part of This am also Full.

But, I don’t experience this Fullness. Instead I experience Sorrow. Sorrow is a state of existence that is experienced out of ignorance which makes us believe we are incomplete and hence the search takes us to all towards the search for the objects that supposedly can fulfill us – materials, people, relationships, feelings, achievements et al. But, the search only makes us feel more tired, agitated, incomplete.

And we pray ‘asatho maa sath gamaya

Thamaso maa jothirga maya

Mruthyor maa amruthanga maaya’

Meaning -

Lead us from darkness to light

Lead us from ignorance to knowledge

Lead us from death to immortality.

Then finally, this search takes us ‘within’ and that’s when we realize “Aham Brahmasmi” ‘I am Brahman’ meaning “I am complete”.

This realization helps us to see that We are Full, complete and therefore blissful. There is no space for sorrow in us. At every moment, even at a moment when we perceive the greatest of our problems, the problem-free source alone exists and we experience bliss in spite of situations of life.

Only when it is experienced its meaning is understood, otherwise we would be eternally going in search of the words, meanings and explanations.

Zen puts it beautifully “You can do nothing to be who you are except by Being you!”

This moment is complete. That moment is complete. Everything at any point of time is complete or perfect by itself. Every stage in growth or transition is complete by itself.

And a Sufi practitioner would put it as

“Din mein bahut baar gaye uske daar pe liken

phir bhi lage hai ke bahut kam hum gaye”

“Many a times, I have gone to his house in a day and yet

felt I’ve gone very less number of times”

“Poornamadah poornamidam poornaat poornamudachyate poornasya poornamaadaaya poornamevaavshisyate om shanthi shanthi shanthihi”

This is a Sanskrit shloka from “Shukla Yajur veda”. It means

“That is whole/full/complete

This is whole/full/complete

From This whole came That which is whole

Still That remains whole.

From the fullness of Brahman –GOD has come the fullness called the Universe leaving fullness alone as a remainder.

That Brahman is complete. It means IT is full and nothing more can be added to make it full. Like a pot which is completely filled doesn't require even a drop to make it full, likewise Brahman which is full and infinite and nothing more can be added to it to make it full at any point of time as everything that exists is included in IT already. Anything and everything in the universe which can be comprehended at any Time (Past, Present and Future) is included in That which is full.

This –Universe which is created from Brahman is also complete. Just as the reflection of a tree in the mirror is as complete as the real tree.

If it were so, how come we don’t see Brahman when we see the Universe? Simple. When we see the rope, we don’t see it as a snake. But, when we see the snake we don’t see the rope. This is called as ‘Rajju sarpa nyayam” or ‘snake rope logic’.

Even when all the people present see the snake and not the rope, yet the rope doesn't lose its ISNESS. IT exists though not perceived by any. And the snake doesn't exist though perceived by all present. Likewise Brahman doesn't lose anything when IT is not perceived by any. The Universe appears on the Brahman, yet Brahman doesn't lose itself.

How it is useful in my life?

............contd.....

If we actually know who WE ARE it shouldn't matter what others think of us! We also wouldn't think of proving how bad others are and how good we are! We would automatically stop marketing ourselves!

When it's common?

THE SITUATION

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later

The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we have been missing as we rush through life?

And all because we are RUNNING for something or somewhere every minute of our life?

Is our running taking us where we wish to be or are we running because everyone else is?

Why do we consider that happiness, peace and satisfaction is obtained in some time in the future? Why can't we accept it happening in the everyday events of life?

Why is miracle supposed to be rare and unobtainable? If we get anything unasked are we afraid of validating it's value?

Think......

Rahul Pia

Pia was explaining to her friends. But, they weren’t buying her explanation. Rahul came and just sat down. He was looking at everyone. And Pia, she blurted out saying “Oh, my God! How can I make you see reason? Just because something’s arrived at logically, it needn’t be right!” all others just laughed and brushed that statement of hers aside and said “If something is arrived at logically, it’s got to be right. That’s all!”

Rahul said “Let me tell you a joke. A man was hospitalized in the hospital and the Doctor said “you have had a heart attack” and left. The man looked at his wife standing at his bed side and said “Honey, haven’t you been with me when I broke my leg at 25?” she said “Yes darling, I was.” “Weren’t you there when I lost my job?” she replied “Yes darling I was”. And then he asked again “You were there even when I made a huge loss in my business. Right?” “Right darling” she said crying. And you are here at the time of my heart attack” he said looking at the ceiling. She was crying profusely and with love filled eyes she said, ‘yes darling, I am here too!’.

The man kept staring at the ceiling for few minutes and then said “My God! It took so many years for me to understand this simple Truth that you are unlucky for me!”

Everyone started laughing. Rahul asked “What’s so funny?” They said “He should thank that woman for being on his side during all his crisis and here he was thinking she’s unlucky. Heights of stupidity!”.

“Exactly” said Rahul “Just because he arrived at this decision logically it isn’t right? Correct friends?”

They got the point and nodded looking at Pia.

And Pia smiled looking at Rahul.

Rahul Pia

Pia : I am angry at Rhea. Can you believe what she told me? She said, “Pia, you are so ‘lucky’. You needn’t wait for anyone. You can just a bus and be on time to college. Just look at me. I have to ‘depend’ on my driver to be on time.” How can she say ‘I am lucky’ when I end up undergoing all the hardships?’

Rahul just smiled and calmly replied :It’s because she’s decided to ‘see’ that way. She’s decided to put the blame on someone so she picked on her driver. She’s wanted to feel jealous so, she created or ‘saw’ an imaginary reason in you to feel so.

Pia asked “but, how can someone be like that?”

Rahul said “Once a couple met with an accident. He just had bruises but wife was admitted in the hospital and she was operated upon. Surgeon came to him after the operation and said, “I am sorry. She’ll survive for 3-4 hours.” Husband nodded his head and replied, “That’s ok Doctor. No need to feel sorry for me I’ve suffered her for the past 30-35 years. Few more hours wouldn’t make much difference to me. Don’t worry!”

Pia started laughing “oh, My God! You mean he really though Doctor was sorry that she’s going to survive for 3-4 hours more! I can’t believe it!

Rahul – exactly! That’s how people see. They don’t see WHAT IS, they see WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE. They don’t listen to ‘WHAT IS’, instead they listen what they WANT TO LISTEN.

Pia was still laughing when Rahul had completed his explanation. He kept looking at her. He liked the way her laugh reverberated in their college corridor…………..

Jatin looked out of the window and said “ Isn’t it surprising that ‘SWORD’ and ‘WORDS’ have same alphabets and even more strange that they have the same overall effect?”

Jatin was sipping tea with his friend Akshay in a Irani hotel. They always ordered for only one tea which they shared among themselves. Today, Jatin seemed lost. He hadn’t said a word in half an hour and Akshay didn’t prod either. He was used to sharing jatin’s silence for hours on end. Maybe, that’s why he was his best friend!

A death procession went along the street. Many were crying walking along with the corpse and Jatin said aloud –

“Kitni buri lagthi hai zindagi jab hum tanha mehsus karte hai,

marthe hi chaar kandhe mil jathe hai

aur jeethe jee hum ek ke liye tarasthe hai?

How painful seems life

when loneliness mocks at us,

At death we are shouldered by four

While living we long for one should to lean upon!

All their friends were being nostalgic about their school days. They talked at length about ‘good old days’. When they left, Pia asked with the sarcastic smile “how come when people compare past to present always find past good?”

Rahul : because they THINK ‘Past’s Perfect’ and ‘present tense’. Hence!

Pia nodded her head and smiled……..

A eight year looked at Anna Hazare fasting and said “Mummy, please stop him otherwise we’ll have one more chapter added in our history syllabus”.

No matter how good your intentions are, someone will always find a reason to complain and suffer. So, just do well because you want to. Don’t expect all to appreciate you for doing well. Because, someone surely will see some bad in every good!

“If everything is already written in destiny, then why should we wish?” I asked.

“Maybe” replied my Guru, “because, it’s written ‘AS YOU WISH!”

There was no way I could question it further. I understood it this time!

NOTE : Madhumita, please share the notes that you have taken down and I'll elaborate on the same...what you haven't understood in that sentence of 'Poornamadam..........' is unclear - hence...

The lesson intended by a writer is hardly ever the lesson the world chooses to learn from his writing.

What I do today is VERY IMPORTANT because I am exchanging a day of my life for it!

Me, My Guru

Pia : How could you not retaliate when that boy abused you in front of everyone? Are you not a man?
Rahul smiled and replied :

Once a Husband asked his wife "When I get mad at you, you never fight back. How do you control your anger?" and the Wife replied "I clean the toilet." Husband unable to hide his curiosity asked "How does that help?" to which Wife replied calmly "I use your toothbrush ."

Anger can be used both constructively and imaginatively to get even with the person. Get it?

A hard working person is one who fights his anger. He despises it and wants to suppress that emotion. But the smart person is one who uses anger constructively and productively.

For e.g.:
1. We can exercise whenever we are angry (if we get angry regularly) and thereby get a healthy and a more beautiful body.
2. We can clean the house or the premises whenever we are angry, thereby benefiting by living in a clean environment.
3. We can pickup a hobby like music, gardening etc and practice it whenever we are angry

Think of so many ways of using a great and powerful emotion like anger positively and for your benefit and growth……….while I check out of my weaknesses and see how I can use them to my benefit……

13.10.2011
“Is it true that suffering is a ‘must’ in marriage?’’ I asked my Guru who was sitting looking at the setting sun in a pensive mood.
“Mmm...yes, if you are looking for happiness in marriage” replied my Guru smiling. I was taken aback. “You mean, I shouldn’t expect happiness from marriage?’ I asked surprised. “Yes, you can. But that would make suffering inevitable”. “Then why at all should I marry?” I mumbled “if not for happiness?” “Because, you want to experience life with ‘that’ person. Because, you know ‘together we can face anything’. You shouldn’t marry because it would make the ride easier. Of life I mean – but because it makes it worthwhile”.
I didn’t understand and that may be was obvious from the expression on my face and hence she continued “Fine. Let me put it this way. If I expect emotional, financial support from the spouse, I end up suffering when it is not met. If I want house kept in a certain fashion and not met, I suffer. All this type of suffering comes from my expectations. But, if I have clarity of thought, I would understand that the person himself is empty of strength and hence can’t be a support to me, then suffering is optional – in fact, avoidable”.
“Oh, so, if I have clarity of thought, then I’ll be happy in marriage” I said thoughtfully.
“No, I didn’t say that. I said if you have clarity of thought then ‘suffering is optional’ but not a compulsion. Suffering is avoidable with clarity of thought. Happiness doesn’t come into the picture at all! Happiness is a state of mind. You are happy because you want to be. Married or not doesn’t make a difference there. Expectations can never be met and hence expectations and marriage don’t go together. Whereas happiness is a state of mind and that is independent of your marital status. In short, if you are trying to say “I am happy because I am married you are heading towards suffering, but if you have clarity of thought, you would say “I am happy in spite of being married” concluded my Guru.
I still was as confused as when I asked the question but didn’t wish to get confused further, so left wanting to chew on that answer of hers…
Till I come back with understanding, you try to understand the answer…

Rahul Pia

Pia – You told me your father hates cats. But, I see this cat so often at your place. Doesn’t your father say anything?

Rahul: “He comes, he goes. What my father goes in between?

“Woh aaya, woh gaya mere baap ka beech mein kya jata hai?”

So simple! How many issues wouldn’t crop up in the first place, if each is just being concerned about self rather than dictating as to how other should be? For eg:

If someone likes certain colour, movie, person anything , why do we jump to prove him right/wrong? Can’t we just let him be?

If someone does something in his life, why do we sit to judge him and his actions, can’t we just let him live his life?

Simply put, “how someone is, acts, is none of my business”. If each one can follow it, so much of negativity can be done away with. Always remember ‘

“He comes, he goes. What my father goes in between?

Just share with us how many places you applied it and felt relieved?

Seenu Bholu

Seenu : You look tired. What’s the matter?

Bholu : I was allotted upper berth in the train. It wasn’t comfortable for me, so couldn’t sleep the whole night.

Seenu: what a pity? Why didn’t you exchange that berth with this lower one?

Bholu: How could I? There was no one, just imagine the whole night in the lower berth to ask for exchange. That’s the whole problem…….

Looks idiotic right? But, think about it…are we suffering because no one’s asking us not to? Or is it because we think it is great to suffer? Look into the reason of suffering – may be there is no need to…

“This statement that the situation shapes you into who you are applies to a person who undergoes suffering in his life situations. I never suffered my life-situations. So, there’s no way they could shape you up like me” she replied watering the plants. The way she held the sprinkler was so delicate yet so firm.

And I brought my awareness to our conversations and continued, “If the situations were not favourable, how come you never suffered? Then, what was the purpose of those situations in your life?”

“For many, situations create pain, problems, challenges that shape them into what they wish to be. Then, the path is good and can be lived again, because it’s the path that’s shaping who they are. For example, if you want to be the greatest warrior Arjuna, then you should be ready to wage wars as many as he did. He had to fight various demons, own family and even his Gurus. Because, he fought battles with equally strong warriors he went to be greatest of them all. In this case, these situations proved more than once that he is great archer; so that wise these ‘bad’ and ‘difficult’ situations are a necessity to prove his abilities.

But, for some, situations are an excuse to exhibit that they truly are! What they truly stand for! They don’t break down or suffer the situations, pains and problems of life. They just bring out the best in the person. But, the situations can be totally breaking others. Like vanavasam (going to the forest and living there for 14 years) in Rama’s case exhibited his real nature – his calm and composed self, his respect towards his father, his detachment towards the worldly possessions and power, his love to live every moment (expressed in his joyous existence in the forest). But, the same situation – imagine having to live that! Wanting to be great as Rama is everybody’s wish but to live like him – that calls for different attitude and perspective of life altogether!

So, if you admire someone then check which character of his or hers you like and desire to have that attitude! But never, I repeat, wish to be like someone! You are asking for trouble. Get it? You never may want to make the journey that the other person had made.” She replied tending the plants lovingly.

She was lost to the world when she was with the plants – more so her plant. I heard her talking to them often! Bizarre, I thought. But many things like this were never ‘normal’ as I observed. Maybe, that’s what makes her who she is! No point standing there to clear the next point that was troubling my senses. That has to wait for now, I knew that. I bid her goodbye and left for my home. And all through the way, I was munching at her words. There seemed to be more meaning than what I understood while she was explaining – felt. But, my bed at my place beckoned me to rest my senses and enjoy the sweet sleep! So, here I go to sleep while you wait for my next post….

Me, My Guru

“God! When will I become like you” I blurted out aloud. “And pray, what does that mean” asked my Guru. “I wish I was as calm and as poised as you are. I want to be emotionally strong and balanced like you. I want to be fearless like you” I replied. I had felt so almost from the time I met her. I had always wanted to be ‘her’. Those who admired her also admired her for the same – I felt. Though many times, they didn’t realize the reason to be so. And today when I saw her facing someone with unexplainable amounts of hatred with a smile and calm in every inch of her persona. I couldn’t but say so.

“In that case” she said picking up a stone on the path and placing it along the side of the walk “ask as ‘I want to be balanced at all times”.

“But, that’s exactly what I said” I replied confused.

“No, you didn’t. You asked, “I want to be balanced like her. And I am saying let the prayer/ wish be “I want to be balanced.”

“So, where’s the difference?” I asked still not getting what she meant. “When you say “I want to be balanced” you become balanced. But, if you ask, “I want to be balanced like her” you’ll attract the situations of my life too and that I don’t want you to face. I don’t wish you walk my path” she replied calmly.

“You always say ‘every situation in life is instrumental in making or shaping you. That way, those situations in your life are responsible for who you are. That means, if I go through the same journey, I would end up being you” I implored.

I thought I finally cornered her with a question using her own words. I waited or her reaction......

...contd....

(contd…)
“Where did you get it from?” asked Buddha surprised.
“You gave it to me and its mine now!” replied the student confused.
“Exactly” said Buddha, “when I gave you mine, till you hadn’t accepted it, it was still mine. The moment you accepted, it became yours. So, ‘You’ by accepting made it ‘Yours’. What was mine became yours because of your acceptance. Similarly, that lady there gave her anger, frustration, foul language as alms to me. It was all that she had to give”.
A person who deals in grains gives grains in alms. A cloth merchant would give cloth in alms and a goldsmith would give gold. Anyone can give only what she / he has. No one can give what they don’t have. A person who has only anger and hatred, how can you expect love from them? How can you expect understanding from a bundle of hatred? No one can give you something that he hasn’t got for himself”.
“The person will give anything he wants to give and what he has to give. But it is totally to our discretion whether to accept it or not. Everything given need not be taken. So, she gave – true! But, I didn’t accept it. So it is not mine”, said Buddha.
Saying this, my Guru walked towards the exit door.
I followed her. She answered me without answering me. I have come to accept this method of her teaching. Did I understand why she didn’t react to that man’s taunt? I think I did. But, does that mean I can apply it to myself? I doubt. If I understand, then how come I fail to apply?
This question bothered me many times...! Should I ask her? May be I’ll get to hear one more story! Not a problem. I can at least publish all these stories one day and…! But for now, I’ll relax…!

Hum - Tum

Pia : Apni chirkut kaha rahi thi ki paisa sab kuch hota hai?

Rahul : then ask her to show me ek aisa amir insaan jo apna past khareed sake aur ek aisa gareeb insaan jo apna future na badal sake….

Hum - Tum

Pia – Why are you making all those faces in public?Log kya sochenge? (what would people think?)

Rahul – Log mere bare mein kya sonchthe hai agar yeh bhi mein sonchtha hoon tho phir log kya sonchenge?

(If I start thinking as to what people are thinking about me, what will they have to think?

Hum - Tum

Rahul and Pia – Two common names of two equally common people. You may never single them out in the crowd. Yet they shared a bond so uncommon that it was never known – to exist.

Their conversations were short yet complete. When one questioned, the other’s answer sealed it – completed it.

It was friendship day and the whole lot in that group were excited about it. Everyone was talking on the topic of friendship.

Pia turned to Rahul and asked “Do you really think today’s a special day?”

Rahul said “1 universe, 8 planets, 204 countries, 809 islands, 7 seas and 6 billion people. Yet WE MET! Kuch tho baat hogi! (there really must be something special in it!) yes, today’s certainly special for ME!”

Me, My Guru

On Destiny

…………contd…….
 

She was calm as ever. It was as if she already knew where I was trying to get her and she was feeling amused because she was ready with an answer.
 

“You asking me a question is Destined! How I deal with this question is my free-will. Otherwise called my “Karma” that is going to decide my next stop of Destiny. I can deal with this question by “ shouting at you for asking all irrelevant questions and being dumb not to understand what I say –ever I can just ignore your question and move on be patient enough to answer your question. Yes and I can see you already have few more ways of dealing with your question – right?” I nodded in affirmative. The way I answer is ‘free-will’ or my ‘present karma’. Free-will is like a path. The moment you chose your path, the next stop in that path is ‘pre-destined’. Still confused? Fine…... Let me give you an example. To travel to Madras from Hyderabad, there are three possibilities. If you take a train to Madras via Guntur route, you would be at Nalgonda station after traveling approximately for 2 hrs in that route. That’s Destined. It is destined so because of the path chosen. 

If the train taken is the one going via Kurnool, we would get Mahaboobnagar station after traveling for 2 hrs. That’s destined again.
 

If the choice made is the train traveling in Vijayawada route then we’ll have tea in Warangal after 2 hours.
 

Choosing a certain path is in our hands. Here, it’s train for eg. But once selected, the station that we would get after 2 hours of travel is Destined.

Reaching the final destination for all of those traveling by various trains is also ‘Destined’.
 

Since the train is chosen by us, we are making our destiny. Once chosen the stations are fixed – that’s Destined. Clear?”

As I was about to open my mouth, my Guru started laughing and then replied” forget it…..i just gave an example from day to day life to explain……and here you are getting confused thinking of various other possibilities like “what if I boarded a wrong train? “what if I wanted to travel via Kurnool but because of non-availability of tickets had to travel by Vijayawada bound train?” etc. her laugh hadn’t stopped yet. With that mischievous smile, she added “forget it. Me explaining is ‘free-will or is the choice I am making’ and you not understanding is Destined”…she walked away laughing and I stood there confused…yes I had still few more questions to ask but that had to wait……….

concluded.......

Me, My Guru

"Everything’s destined!” stated my Guru. There was that air of finality that I never could cut through ever. Was it in the voice or in the conviction that My Guru carried in such related statements? Well, I never got to know that – till now!

As ever my Guru’s other statement which was paradox of “Everything’s Destined” crossed my mind. I was confused. Just when I would be ready to ingest one statement of her’s she came up with something that broke the previous statement. And it was not the first time it happened. I was confused – as ever! And out of this confusion burst out anger that I felt can be rightly poured over her. Why doesn’t she talk straight? Why are sentences full of paradoxes and oxymoron?

I waited for all to leave. My Guru was still smiling when the last student left. “So, you are confused and want to know the answer – Right? Then shoot” she said without even looking at me.

How she got to know how I felt, what I wanted to know has been driving me crazy since our first meeting. But, that can wait for now. The pressing one for now is to ask this question that’s bothering me since then. “Today you said “Everything’s Destined” and just few days back I don’t know when exactly but, you said “we create our own Destiny!” how can you be contradictory” I asked. I don’t know the feeling that I felt then – but it wasn’t good – nay it was very bad and suffocating too!

 

........contd.........

.........Then, one day, suddenly Satan came to visit him. It said “I’ve heart of this impossible task that the God has set you on. He’s a sadist. He wants to see you suffer – be a failure. He enjoys it. Anybody can see that this huge boulder can’t be moved by any man. Yet he set you on this task. Trust me. Drop it and move on with life.”

Man didn’t listen to the Satan and kept doing his work. After every few weeks Satan would come to tell him and convince him on the futility of the job undertaken and pleading him to let go of it.

Years passed by. Doubt started entering man’s thought. It slowly built up. It developed into anger, then into anger on God and finally at the end of 20 years he quit with frustration saying “God, you had nothing to give me. You fooled me. There’s no door behind that boulder.

God appeared then – after full 20 years. He smiled and said, “Son, move. Let me move the boulder for you.” And He said “MOVE” and the boulder moved. And behold! Behind it was a beautiful golden door. But, man was not looking at it. He was angry and it came out in words ”you wanted m\to make me feel little – so, you gave me a task that I could never do – however hard I tried! You moved it with a word and yet chose to make me suffer hard work for a whole of 20 years. You are a Sadist. You love to see me suffer my failure. I hate you!”

God didn’t say a word. He just held the hand of that man, took him to face a mirror and said “Look, inside the mirror. What do you see?”

Man said “Myself and You”.

God smiled and said “look again closely at yourself. Look at your big broad shoulders. Look at your physique. Look at the strong muscles. Where is the puny man who set to work on my task? Where did this handsome, strong, well-built man come from? This man came from the struggle that you went through while trying to move the boulder. Your hard work shows on your body. It has made you a strong man. How could you get it without having such a task as this?”

Man cried out of job and thanked God profusely.

“Likewise, every struggle, challenge in life is thrown at you to create a situation that can bring out our potential and let us experience our greater self. They are ‘problems’ as long as you are afraid of failure. Creative thinking and the right approach can see them as ‘opportunities’ wrapped up differently. As rightly said “What’s life if full of care?” said my Guru.

That set me thinking and I need a little more time to ponder on it. I am sure even you need it , so let’s take a break and meet in next post………

Me. My Guru

I saw a smile on my Guru’s face. This smile was different. It had joy, sense of achievement and …well, I couldn’t understand it further. Many a times, I had found it – I couldn’t decipher my Guru’s smile. It was beautiful and to understand it better I looked in the direction of her gaze. There was a small child about one year old crying. I found it odd. My Guru was smiling looking at a child crying. Well, I’ve found her smile at much queer sights. So I wasn’t much surprised. And I ventured to ask “how can a crying child bring smile on someone’s lip?”

My Guru held a finger on lips and motioned me to sit down and watch the child. Few minutes later, the child got up and fell down again. It happened few more times. And then at the umpteenth attempt the child got up and walked.

Then, my Guru turned to go smiling. I followed. She said “Did you notice that? What a creation of God! Such a small child but even that child is fitted with the desire not to give up till it succeeds. Praise the Lord – Namaha Sivaya!”

“If he could fit in that desire in that child, why then did He not make it possible for the child to succeed at the very first attempt? Why all the struggle? Why all the pain of getting hurt, facing failure at all?” I asked with the contempt in my voice which was too obvious. I couldn’t hide it. No. I didn’t try to hide it. Infact, I wanted to show it and drive home my point. Yes, the contempt was deliberate.

But, it didn’t show it’s impact on my Guru. She was her usual calm Self. With that smile, that hadn’t left her eyes since morn she started talking:

Once God called a man – very puny, malnourished and weak and said “I’ve a favour to ask of you. Please move that huge boulder that’s against that door. There’s treasure behind that door which I wish to give you. Could you just help me to do this?”

How could a weak man lose a chance of being of service to the Lord. He readily agreed. God left him to his task. Man set to work. He pushed and pushed. But, the boulder didn’t move

an inch. He tried again and again. It didn’t move an inch. He tried till he was left with no more strength. Then he went to sleep. Next day morning with new hope, he set to work from dawn to dusk. He pushed the boulder – he knew no other work. He took short breaks when his body could no longer take it. At night, he slept just like the previous night – with no progress whatsoever. Days passed by. His effort was doubled. But the result was same. Months passed. Nothing happened.

Then...........