Early to Sangat

As soon as I reached the train station, I came to know that the  trains were running late and the 8:20 AM train that I was supposed to board would not be at the station until 9:00 AM. Well, it was no less than a disappointment because I had purchased the tickets for 8:20 AM train especially to reach bhawan before 11 AM, just in time for the start of the Sunday Sangat. 

I already had the tickets for 8:45 AM train but I would have reached bhawan a little later had I taken that train. So I had very courageously spent another 20 or so pounds to purchase tickets for an earlier train and reach bhawan on time. But with the news of trains running late, it almost felt that the money I spent was wasted. Since nothing was in my hands, I just waited with all these unsettling thoughts going in mind.

The 8:20 AM train arrived around 9  AM, and all those waiting at the platform boarded the train. We were just 15 mins into the ride that the train halted. The driver made announcement that the train would halt for another 30 mins due to some problem on the tracks. 

To be honest that just added to the frustration because it meant more delays in getting to the bhawan. And I believe everyone else was frustrated too, because I could hear noises all around and clear voice of one elderly gentleman shouting; cursing the railways for this nuisance. We all could hear what he was speaking but only I could hear what was going inside my mind. My state of mind didn't seem to be different at all from his'. 

After 15 mins of the halt time, driver made another announcement that there are more delays likely as the track was under major repairs so they have decided to take a longer route instead. The news brought more frustration because this would have meant adding 1 hour more to the journey time. As train picked up some speed, so did voice of the gentleman who was shouting earlier. I too had thoughts running in mind at greater speeds because with these delays I would have missed almost complete Sangat.

The train kept running, I kept thinking about the delays, missed Sangat and the wasted money. And the gentleman kept shouting, "Railways is so mismanaged, trains don't run on time, tracks go faulty anytime..what else could have gone wrong?" As soon as he completed this statement, a female voice intervened "Track going faulty when our train was on it."  

I couldn't find out who this lady was, his wife or any co-passenger, but her intervention didn't seem any less than divine. It calmed the angry gentleman and my mind at the same moment. All this time I was frustrated because of the delays, but with her intervention that frustration transformed into thankfulness. Thanks that atleast our train is not on the faulty track.

I looked at my watch and it was still not 11. I had been worrying all this time that I would get late in attending Sangat but what had just happened made me feel as if my Sangat had already started. The feeling of gratitude just settled everything that had been going in my mind for all this long. 

I don't remember what time I reached bhawan that day, I am sure I was late in reaching bhawan but definitely was early to Sangat with His Grace. 

(Sometime in 2014)

God is the only Truth

As soon as her body was lifted to take it to the cremation ground, people around started chanting “Ram Naam Satya Hai! Ram Naam Satya Hai!”. There was nothing unusual about the sight, this is the most common way in how “Hindu” families carry the bodies of those departed to the crematorium.
 “Ram Naam Satya Hai! Ram Naam Satya Hai!” People kept on reciting the mantra but my thoughts went back to the context in which Upashak ji had once shared the meaning of this mantra. He explained that the mantra carries the message that ‘God is only Truth’, and this we also can study from searching on Google. However only on bit pondering we realize that this call has no use to the departed, rather this is the “gist” being shared with those alive (i.e. those in the body). One who has left this body has anyways now come face to face with the fact that body and material world is temporal, but people who are alive will continue to consider this material world as the Truth. So the purpose of chanting “Ram Naam Satya Hai” is to remind people who are walking, sitting, standing, eating, drinking, working, slumbering etc that you still have the body, there is still time left so arise and fulfill purpose of your existence.
 “Bhai Prapat Manukh Dehuria, Gobind Milan Ki Eh Teri Baria !!”
 The Holy scriptures provide guidance to man that this human form that you have received is a means to reach God and if this opportunity is lost, then nothing else will matter. So be wise, do not waste life in acts that are temporal rather value what is to be valued.
 And if you make use of this opportunity and realize ‘Truth’ in its essence then you will be free, you will be ‘Mukt’, you will be redeemed as is promised in commandment below
 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.
 The message “Ram Naam Satya Hai” is so profound and important that this is to be remembered every moment, in every situation, be it someone’s death or someone’s birthday, be it good day or be it not so good day. This is how we can make our living meaningful and death beautiful.

(July 2015)

Learnings continue...

I browsed through different channels as it was break time on the show I was watching. Surprisingly all channels I skimmed through were showing ads so I was left with no choice but to watch ad of my choice. I stopped on one channel and kind of paid no ear to what was coming but one line on this ad caught my attention. 

This ad was for some hair fall prevention cream. The ad was nearly finished so don’t remember all particulars but the final statement by the model. The model must be in his mid-forties, not really bald but with less hair on his head. His statement was – do not repeat my mistake, take caution when you notice first hair fall and apply so & so cream. The ad somehow appeared different from all other ads I have normally seen. Generally they would compare situation before and after. A model with shiny hair and covered scalp would also have made sense in hair product ad but here I was seeing this model saying don’t repeat my mistake. My first thought was – great, you don’t need to have shiny, silky hair to be a model for hair product. However second thought took me more deep into analyzing and recollecting a similar example I had heard in Satsang.

The speaker was giving an example of a drunkard who is completely drunk and shouting ‘don’t drink don’t drink’. Speaker further said our normal reaction would be to question, ‘if drinking is so bad and you are prophesizing for not drinking why don’t you leave it yourself first’. There’s nothing sinful of looking at the scene from this angle but the message to take is, ‘don’t drink’, even if it is coming from mouth of a drunkard.

It is likely that the drunkard has realized his addiction but is now helpless to control or stop his drinking habit. Just because he has not recovered from his mistake doesn’t mean you need to commit the mistake. By giving this example speaker intended to share the message that at times we do overlook the learning at times while being judgmental of whether the speaker has himself followed his words. In such situations, credibility of one who is saying can be pondered upon but not of the message. Message in itself is complete and meaningful. 

Much like this model – who himself has lost hairs but his message is apt – don’t repeat my mistake, take caution when you should.

This reminds me of another email I browsed/shared few days ago with message to speak when you have followed the message to bring real impact, but when I am in listener’s seat I can learn even from people who themselves may not have followed the message. This is how listening becomes enjoyable and productive.

(Oct 2014)

For the living ones

(Jan 2014)

We all had gathered to pay our tributes to the departed soul in form of a congregation. There were few speakers who talked about the life of the departed and inspired those present there to a virtuous living. Near the end of ceremony, there was a concluding discourse given by one saint. Among other things that he shared, he brought our attention to the fact that none of the speakers before him had prayed that the departed rests in peace. All speakers had talked about departed’s life, virtues and heavenly abode but not one had mentioned about departed’s resting in peace.

The saint explained further in his discourse that the reason why no one prayed for resting in peace today after the death is because the departed was already resting in peace while he was in the body. No one doubted that departed needed any prayers to come to rest. Often we hear this prayer for the deceased - ‘May his soul rest in peace’ – although there is nothing bad in praying this way but the messages given by saints and sages are to inspire us to ensure this “resting” state while we are in body.

As soon as I heard these words, I started to reflect on the life of the departed and found it so true that each interaction I have had or heard from others for him – all signalled that he was already established in peace. It is true that I didn’t have a worldly visibility of what happened to him after he left the body but chances of him continuing to rest in peace were far more than his state being changed all of a sudden. The reverse also has to be true (although there could be exceptions); if I haven’t lived in peace it would be a real high expectation to assume that I would rest in peace after death.

In that light of understanding, I have now started to relate this statement ‘Rest in peace’ more for the living ones than the departed ones. More like the message, ‘Raam naam satya hai’, i.e. God is the only Truth. This message heard on funerals is a reminder for the living ones; ones who still have time, the opportunity to alter their lifestyles to live in the awareness that God is the eternal Truth. The one departed has already come face to face with the eternal Truth, therefore requires no further reminders.

Day to day, we meet so many people, from so many different faith groups, so many different ideologies and at times we have different opinions over the same statement but the real experience of peace cannot be different to any of us. We may have different colours of utensils, different languages to speak, different foods to fill our stomach but what it is to be on “filled” stomach - our experience cannot be different. It is this ‘same’ state of peace that we need to strive for. And one who is there – is already resting in peace!