Dignity of labour – Ramayana Me, My Guru

Dignity of labour – Ramayana

Me, My Guru

We had completed our class early today and we used that time to pose some personal questions.

“Guruji, my m-i-l doesn’t allow me to go out and work and I feel listless, directionless, purposeless and hence angry, frustrated and depressed all through the day. Is she not wrong? What does she lose if I go out to work?”

“My issue is bit different. My career has been more or less stagnant both by way of promotion and monetary benefit. I hate it more when people with little or lesser qualifications get either or both of them. What do I do to my boss? Sometimes I entertain crazy and evil ideas in my brain for him. I wish I even had guts to put them to practice”.

Each came out with their issue saying it was different but those of us who were listening found it too repetitive. Were these people not listening to her in ‘all’ classes or do we all listen to solutions only when we face a problem? Othertimes we are either not attentive or find it redundant for us to look, know and learn these solutions as we are not ‘there’ yet! What ever be the reason, one thing was certain, most of us were selectively deaf!

The loss was entirely ours as we lost previous limited time with her in posing same questions again and again. And the fun part is though it had been addressed since ever, we grew restless when she didn’t reply immediately.

We haven’t lost the habit of our school days when we used to learn our subjects for exams and just before exams and conveniently forgot them immediately after exams. If there was no exam, no need to learn anything! We still followed that kiddish behaviour with us! If we learnt it the first time we heard it then we wouldn’t suffer ‘the situation’ when it propped. We wouldn’t even go on some painful emotional trip! But all this was good on paper. Our practice remains what it always was.....

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Me, my Guru On assigning values ...

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Me, my Guru

On assigning values ...

Eashwari’s explanation continued “We can apply as well to our Guru and how we value her. Depending upon our level of commonsense, gratitude and spiritual growth, we assigned her value depending on who we were. ‘Only a Buddha can know the other to be a Buddha. How can a buddhu (fool) recognise a Buddha?’ Our Guru says it so often. It is so true here. It took a precious stone seller to know the pricelessness of that ‘precious stone’.

We nodded our heads in acceptance of that fact. Yes, her value was not what we assigned, it was what it was. The value we based on others reflected who we were and where we were stationed in life, it didnot reflect who the other person was!

Similarly, her teachings and explanations too did not mean just what one understood. It meant much more and we understood that later when we grew in stature – always! And may be that’s why she took pains to explain the same thing again and again because she knew (though we never knew) where we were and what our level of understanding was. The same explanation meant different things to each one of us! And she knew it! It didn’t bother her even! And she had hopes in us and belief that with a ‘repeat’

explanation we would (if we wanted to) move one more step further down the line in growth because of where we were now (when compared to where we were when we heard the explanation for the same the previous time!).  And yes, she was right! We always seemed to understand it a little better than previous time. God! It really was a hideous task and God, am I glad that I am not a Guru? It takes something more to be one! 

 “I could’ve understood it 20years back but I chose not to! Today when I am flooded with this calm that envelopes me, I know I could’ve have enjoyed it for the last 20 years too but I didn’t. The

loss is entirely mine. And what a loss I not only missed out on living this state but I endured a pain that I need not have endured. I can fall back on good old excuse of “Oh! But then I was destined to experience it just now!”, but I know as so do you all that it is just a lame excuse we use to fool ourselves from not feeling guilty of our choices. No, no, I am not going on ‘guilt trip’. I’ve attended enough of our Guru’s classes and councelling sessions to understand the redundancy of doing that. It’s just an observation I am making from my experience so that you atleast wake up to the opportunity called time and start living life ‘joyfully’.

You all know, we can’t fall back on ‘if only our Guru had told us before’ one too! If it was destined that I am to understand it now then why did I become a reiki channel 20years back. God sent so many wake up calls by way of various calls and classes and yet I chose to ignore them. Don’t use your intelligence to use her ‘Right words and excuses’ in wrong places to get away from your acts”.

Her words ended and yet they were ringing in our ears. We didn’t know if we were to celebrate for coming face to face with such facts and truths or feel the pain of having to apply it in life.

Only time would tell if we actually were smart enough to learn what we learnt today! But for today, I would say it was a good day.........

Concluded...........

related posts : http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=buddha+

Me, my Guru On assigning values ...

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Me, my Guru

On assigning values ...

“Right and in relationships if we apply we can see that the person is valued not for what he is worth, but for what and how he is used by the other in his life. The stone was valued by each one based on it’s utility in his life, where only the ‘precious stone seller’ knew its real worth and fell flat on ground and confessed “I can’t assign value to it”. Similarly, people value their relationships based on how much their utility is there in their life. And that’s why Priya your husband considers you a ‘bad wife’ for not keeping house clean not because for whom you are but because he knows to assign value to you only

on the expectations that you have met of him. Nothing more, nothing less! For all you know, you may be a saint but that doesn’t mean anything to him. ‘You are good only as long as you fulfill my expectations’ is the keyword that governs all relationships. Hence, people tend to hurt ‘good and right’ people in their life because they haven’t fulfilled their expectations and demands. The fault is not of the other. It is the ‘character’ of assignee which is faulty!”

We all fell silent and took a tea break. We went within to check on all these. It was so true! How many times we much have said “as a wife etc it’s your duty to do it etc etc”. We demanded people to fit into our baggage of expectations because that eased our lives. They were never important to us. it was ‘my comfort, my likes, expectations, wishes and my prestige’ that mattered. The other person hardly mattered. And we wondered why never experienced love in our lives! How could we? As long people were to fill our needs how could we experience their real worth? And till I saw them for what they are, how could I love them?

(read comment..... http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/2017/02/what-is-self-worth.html?showComment=1487917123594#c5335460629342778787 

very well explained)

I ‘love’ only when ‘her’ mere presence is enough in my life! As long as I look for ‘what is her benefit if she doesn’t fulfil or play this role this way?’, how can I see the ‘kohinoor’ of the person that is! Never, no doubt I suffer in marriage and come home crying everyday thinking ‘she hasn’t cleaned the house!

With simple examples the whole of facts shone clearly in front of us! we saw ourselves for what we were and how we lived our relationships and life and to think that the one who was hurting was the one complaining! What an irony?

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related posts : http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=clean+my+window

Me, my Guru On assigning values ...

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Me, my Guru

On assigning values ...

At first we were blank and then when we repeated that question, then we realized that our answer lay in that story. It was then that we all started telling our version of understanding.

“I read this story in whatsapp”Vijaya said.

“And yet you asked your question and your life is where it is?” Eshwari asked.

Vijaya bent her head. She seemed to envy our Guru at some level and so said such statements thinking of insulting her or demeaning ‘her’ explanation. But, Eshwari put her to place with that question today.

When we were done exchanging our views, Eshwari capsule all our insights into a single para thus “How this story applies to life situations - Just like in the story, each of us values the situations of our lives depending on who we are!  One sees opportunity where the other sees ‘a problem’ or ‘end of road’! The value one assigns to the situation depends upon oneself!

When applied to relationships it read something like this – the most selfish would be irresponsible pushing the work on to others – usually these are the people who talk more about ‘duties’ and ‘responsiblities’ and find fault with others when they themselves are nothing but personifications of laziness and bundle of insecurities.

The little better than them are those that bear the brunt of being the ‘scape goat’ for duties and suffer all through their lives – thanks to first type of people in their lives.

The more sensible are those that find a middle path of fulfilling a responsibility. They see to find a way where no one suffers. They don’t crucify people in the name of ‘duty’ and ‘responsiblity’.

“True, true. My husband always demands me to do all the dirty work of ‘taking care’ inspite of my health issues. He is least bothered about me. Infact many times I feel he enjoys to see me suffer and hence takes decisions in which I suffer. For him only ‘his good name’ matters. He can sacrifice me blindly for that! He doesn’t even bother to ‘ask me’ if I would do some work or not. He simply takes decisions in consultation with his ‘so called responsible siblings’ and thrusts them on me. If he had even considered me as a human leave alone as wife, he would try to solve issues and find solutions differently. But no, that’s not him! And the best part of the whole thing is he doesn’t even accept that he is hurting or hurt. He never said ‘sorry’ – not once.” said Priya almost in tears.

Ramesh wasn’t behind and continued “even my boss is like that. He loves to hurt me”. Like-wise, everyone started talking about people who were vicious enough in their lives to hurt them in every way!

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related links : http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=expectations

Me, my Guru On assigning values ...

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Me, my Guru

On assigning values ...

Further ahead, he went into a jewellery shop and asked the value of the stone.

The jeweler saw the stone under a lens and said, "I'll give you 1 million for this stone." 

When the student shook his head, the jeweler said, "Alright, alright, take 2 24karat gold necklaces, but give me the stone."

The student explained that he can't sell the stone.

Further ahead, the student saw a precious stone's shop and asked the seller the value of this stone.

When the precious stone's seller saw the big ruby, he lay down a red cloth and put the ruby on it.

Then he walked in circles around the ruby and bent down and touched his head in front of the ruby. "From where did you bring this priceless ruby from?" he asked.

"Even if I sell the whole world, and my life, I won't

be able to purchase this priceless stone."

Stunned and confused, the student returned to the Master and told him what had happened. 

"Now tell me what is the value of life, Master?"

Master said, 

"The answers you got from the Orange Seller, the Vegetable Seller, the Jeweler ; the Precious Stone's Seller explain the value of our life...

You may be a precious stone, even priceless, but, people will value you based on their financial status, their level of information, their belief in you, their motive behind entertaining you, their ambition, and their risk taking ability. 

But don't fear, you will surely find someone who will discern your true value."

*Respect yourself.*

*Don't sell yourself cheap.*

*You are rare, Unique, Original and the only one of ur kind.*

*Your are a masterpiece because u r MASTER'S PIECE.*

*No one can Replace you.*”

Did you understand?” Eshwari asked us.

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related topics on worthiness :  http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=worthiness

Me, my Guru On assigning values ...

Me, my Guru

On assigning values ...

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This was the question we posed for ourselves and we came out with these thoughts, beliefs and expectations. When in actuality ‘Guru’ was not one who was squeezed into ‘this image’. Only an honest introspection gave out these confessions! I wonder how many of us can actually dare to go within and find answers for this question this sincerely?

Today our Guru left us abruptly – where no one knew and we were left to be with ourselves. It was then that Eshwari started talking “Many years back, the ambience and the questions were just the same. That makes me wonder if ‘history just repeats’ and if it does then there is nothing more boringly dangerous than that! Even that day like today we were in a class and each came out with their pains

“I am having too challenging job, it’s very tough....”

“My life is a waste as I am not able to do anything worth a dime because of restrictions in my family.....”

“Actually the problem is, there is so much to be done in office, I like the pay packet, its’ the job requirement that is my problem....”

“I am not getting a raise....”

“My wife, I never like her and the pain of living with her is increasing day by day.....”

Eshwari laughed may be remembering those days. I was amazed to notice the complaints that were just now vomited by all of us. No change!

She continued “Our Guruji just listened to all of us and then nodded her head. She didn’t talk about them. She simply started telling a story  -

“Once  a student  to his master and asked, "What's the value of life?"

The Master  gave him one stone and said, "Find out the value of this stone, but don't sell it."

The student took the stone to an Orange Seller and asked him what its cost would be.

The Orange Seller saw the shiny stone and said, "You can take 12 oranges and give me the stone."

The student apologized and said that the grandpa has asked him not to sell it.

He went ahead and found a vegetable seller.

"What could be the value of this stone?" he asked the vegetable seller.

The seller saw the shiny stone and said, "Take one sack of potatoes and give me the stone."

The student again apologized and said he can't sell it.

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Me, my Guru On assigning values ...

Me, my Guru

On assigning values ...

Listening to others for a change I felt irritated sooner than later – today! It was the same old complain sung by each one of us – children irresponsible, marriage not happening, lost a job, wife not keeping house clean, siblings are selfish, parents stupid, boss bossy, colleagues manipulative ...oooofff, the list was so predictively boring!

Today I realized that our pains and suffering were so unpardonably repetitive and lacked creativity in terms of being so boringly mundane. It also amused me when I thought about it again. Here we were thinking ourselves to be different from all others and considered ourselves above the crowd when in actuality we were just one more in the crowd! Yes, statistics of our pain and suffering proved it. And to think that we believed or made a world of our pains! Disgusting!!!

Did this fact make the job of our Guru easy? For, she had to address the same question again and again? Or was it painfully boring for her to attend to same thing again and again? Was she responsible for not making it clear to all of us or were we blind and deaf to all her explanations over the time to be in the same loop-year after year? And to think we considered ourselves sadhaks and were proud of the fact that we were reiki channels and we were above the rest!

Today, I also felt guilty of using ‘her’ to vomit all our burdens – year after year. Not that she ever complained! But that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt her! Just because we called her ‘Guru’ we thought it our right to dump all our ‘xxx’ on her – that was not the bad part – the worst part was that we took it as our right to do it. We didn’t validate her role here. We never considered ‘her’ as a ‘human’ worth some privacy or ‘her time’. We took it upon ourselves to assume ‘her’ as our property or right that we could use as and when we wanted. If we wanted answers we barged in at her place. We didn’t wait. We didn’t look back at her earlier explanation. No, we were so blinded by our ‘need’ that ‘she didn’t matter!

“What was the definition of ‘Guru’ for us?”

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