What day is it?

One day at work, I received meeting invite from a friend for her leaving lunch. It was such a busy day that I acknowledged the invite without really going through all details such as venue or the day. After a day or two I opened the invite and figured out  the day and venue. Day was the upcoming Monday and venue some popular Asian restaurant known for its Indian cuisine. 

On the night before I informed at home that I wouldn't be carrying lunch on Monday since there was a planned lunch meeting. As the day began, I started to look forward for the lunch as I was excited to do an outing with the team and also because restaurant was well heard but still untried. Just before we all started for the restaurant I was informed that menu for the lunch was "Chinese". As soon as I heard "Chinese", my excitement faded away. It isn't that I dislike "Chinese" but perhaps I haven't been able to develop any taste for any cuisine other than "Indian" or "Italian". I was excited in the morning because I thought menu was going to be "Indian" but all excitement went away with the word "Chinese". 

I definitely didn't want to miss the opportunity of thanking this friend but was somehow getting uncomfortable of being odd man out when everybody around would be enjoying meal. I somehow convinced myself on reasoning that I will spread rumor that - my stomach is upset and I cannot afford anything heavy so will company others by taking just soup. All uneasiness started to ease when I thought of taking refuge of this lie - which even though was a lie but would have saved any hurtings unintentionally. Taking pride on my cunning reasoning I started to speak to a colleague - "I have upset stomach since morning, I don't know what will I have there, don't want to take anything heavy, may be some tomato soup...something really light on stomach.." Listening all this, colleague felt sorry for my health and we kept walking towards the restaurant. 

Inside me, I did feel sorry for talking this lie but didn't know what else to do. Perhaps for a moment, I also did ask ( in prayer ) - isn't there a way out? some miracle? something what I can't do, but you can? But without waiting for an answer started to walk along the hostess. Just before I could open my mouth to tell her the same lie, she asked me - "what day is it?"  I said - "Monday". 

"Oh!!! how can I be so stupid? Restaurant is closed on Mondays" Feeling sorry about the goof up, she started to apologize to everyone. She apologized even to me but my mind was elsewhere - as if I was taking a sigh of relief as soon as I heard word "closed". Next action that everyone took, standing on the same road, was to decide " where can we now go for lunch? " All started to pour in suggestions but I kept silent, internally thanking God for doing the miracle. Suggestions started to arrive at a consensus, this time again for some Chinese restaurant but finally I threw a suggestion for Indian restaurant. After-all, I didn't want to miss the ball that had been thrown in my court by God :) In the last all agreed on the same Indian restaurant.

Minutes after that we all were sitting in the Indian restaurant where the hostess was again and again apologizing for goofing up the scene. And I was sitting there thanking God again and again for coming to my refuge. 

Well, a short story kept long - It was yet another lovely experience to cherish and share. 

But before I conclude, I would like to mention the order I placed - poppadums with mango chutney, mint raita & pickle, followed by samosa, lemonade, paneer, chole, lachha paranthas * 2.   While I enjoyed the meal thoroughly, and grace of Almighty, I also occasionally thought for the colleague, to whom I had mentioned about my upset stomach. I hope he wasn't wondering, if this is what Sunil eats with an upset stomach, what will he eat with a healthy and empty stomach ?:)

 Anyhow, Thx God for your care.

Expectations of all sorts!

Those teenage years of school & college, I still remember how disappointing it used to get whenever someone would fall short of my expectations. It is wrong to say that I no longer have any expectations but perhaps outlook towards expectations has also changed with years. I don't remember what was the incident, and who else was involved, but I remember something profound that had helped me to overcome the disappointment. 

A passage perhaps in some book talked of an incident from life of Jesus. It said that once 10 blind people walked to Jesus and prayed for their eye sight. Jesus took mercy on them, and gave them vision. All of them rejoiced on receiving the eye sight. All of them started dancing, and comfortably started to move toward their destinations. Few minutes passed, and one of those 10 people returned back to Jesus and said "Thank you".

The author of the passage, then left a question to readers " If only 1 out of 10 came to thank Jesus, then what makes you think you are any different? "

The question left me thinking - and finally helped me to be okay with the incident. There were many similar incidents after that where the same question became an answer. 

It took a few more years to understand that nothing great I have offered to anyone around me that I should expect much in return.

It took a few more years to understand that at times people do fall short of expectations, perhaps that's how God teaches us that no one else is perfect. 

There seems to be one more side of these expectations - Expectations from Self. Perhaps one more understanding.

Not only with others, even with self, I see how disappointing it gets when others expect from you and you fall short of meeting those expectations. But as time passes by, you understand that even you are not perfect.

Another profound message that Morrie left with the world in this context goes as below:

"It's not just other people we need to forgive, Mitch," he finally
whispered. We also need to forgive
ourselves."

Ourselves?

"Yes. For all the things we didn't do. All the things we should have
done. You can't get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened.
That doesn't help you when you get to where I am.

"I always wished I had done more with my work; I wished I had written
more books. I used to beat myself up over it. Now I see that never did
any good. Make peace. You need to make peace with yourself and
everyone around you."

You need to make peace with yourself... you need to make peace with yourself!!!

...before they reach me.

After sangat had concluded on one Sunday afternoon, we were arranging something in rooms over the langar hall. Perhaps we were shifting items  from store room to bedrooms or something like this, I don't recall much but we had to do trips up and down the stair case many a times. I vaguely remember that something was bothering me that day but I continued to join others in shifting of items. I tried to change my focus but somehow I wasn't able to. On one such trip when I was few steps higher than the floor, I noticed this saint standing on floor.

Perhaps in flow of thoughts I asked her, "I have something to ask, some blessings that I need". The distance between both of us was around 2-3 arms but voices were loud enough to hear each other. May be she too was in blissful thoughts that she said, "Feel free to speak. He is here to listen - your prayers, demands will reach Him before they reach me".

I smiled as soon as I heard her. This was around 6-7 years ago in Bangalore.

ONENESS

As soon as the possibility of visiting UK again came into light, the excitement of attending NIS in person engulfed the mind. Originally I wasn't planning to attend NIS, more so for different reasons one being because I had made a return from UK. But with this news of official assignment, excitement was born to witness the first ever samagam, samagam to be held outside India on such a large scale - a step in history of the Mission.

Perhaps His plans, despite timely agreement of the assignment delays were experienced on formalities to apply for Visa. Slowly, and slowly the excitement turned into anxiety. Anxiety of not knowing whether I would be on time in UK to attend NIS. All those whom I met weeks ago would know the level of anxiety. On one such day I sat with the better half and opened up this topic.

Without wasting even a second, she said 'Why are you bothering self over this uncertainty? Have you learnt everything from all previous samagams that you have attended?'. Her questions did make me think - Have I learnt everything from what I have heard in past? It wasn't a momentarily change but it did happen - soon my mind was free again. While I waited for formalities to complete even a week before samagam, but my mind was free from the pace things were unfolding.

Today NIS has concluded and I watched it online from India. I couldn't make it in person but thankfully have no guilt of not being able to witness the proceedings in person. All thanks to Babaji, and His reminders via Mrs Sethi.

Thanks also because He acknowledged and accepted our presence even from here.

I might have been little less inspired than many others who would have keenly desired to attend the samagam, must have made efforts to join also but somehow could not join. I feel like thanking on behalf of all those as well.

On closing notes, I wish to pray that this Oneness that you have blessed us with - may we remain with this Oneness! Also seek blessings for those who have parted from this One, for them to be able to rejoin.

Aga, I & the Moments of The Truth

While at client site, I had an opportunity to meet Aga.

Aga - a young, beautiful, charming lady who sat at the restaurant till. We exchanged smiles whenever we met; soon the smiles turned into conversations. Normally people would spend a minute or less to know the bill amount and transact. But for me, transactions were not only monetary therefore would never end in a minute. I stood there to know how her work was going, how her family was doing, when was her next trip to Poland where she belonged to etc etc. Sitting at the till, she would also enquire about my work, my wife, my family back in India, if I was missing my family etc etc. People standing behind me in the queue would at times also change tills. Friends who accompanied me for breakfast would keeping waiting until I finished my conversations with this charming lady. They often teased me because it was very unusual scene there, someone from India interacting with a young lady at the till that too when there was no direct business involved. Aga and I definitely had a bond – but of course not like they had imagined. We had had many Moments of The Truth which perhaps I couldn’t explain to all my friends. Few such Moments I thought of putting down.  

I had received Rakhies from sisters in India, and was wondering how I should tie those. Somehow I felt it would be quite boring to tie those by myself. I started to scan list of ladies I knew in my neighborhood, ladies who wouldn’t mind doing that and of course who’d value the bond. One particular name that flashed was Aga. Subscribing to the thought, I approached Aga and asked if she could meet me sometime during the day as I had some important task for her. She was surprised but gave me some slot when she would be at break. I reached as per the slot, carrying Rakhi and few chocolates in my hand. I started to explain her what was Rakhi festival, what tying of the thread signified etc. She was quite pleased to know that I thought so high of her, and wanted her to fulfill responsibility of a sister. But in a minute she said, ”Sorry” to me. Before I could interpret why so, she started to explain that they were not allowed to tie anything on their wrists while at work. I smiled as I realized that I had forgotten to tell her that it was I who needed to carry threads on the wrist, not her! I cleared the misunderstanding, and finally she tied a Rakhi to me. I gave her chocolates to share with others. I was happy to meet my “Universal Sister”.

An year passed on, it was Rakhi time again. It wasn’t so difficult this time to get her slot for the Thread festival. She tied Rakhi on my wrist. But in return this time, I had no gift to give to her. So I opened my wallet, and took out a 10 pound note and passed it to her. She refused to take the note despite many pressures from my side, and later asked “Are you my brother?”. I answered in a nod. “Will you give me what gift I want?”. Now this time she surprised me, but casually I said “Yes”. “Give a me a big smile, that is what I want in return” – my ears heard this statement in a second. I smiled, and looking at me she smiled. We hugged each other – Universal brother and Universal sister – The moment was of the Truth! I really admired how she embraced “my” culture, “my” festival despite her upbringing in “different” religion, “different” culture, “different” country. I learnt Universality from her.

In same year, on Aga’s birthday I sat on Facebook to wish her “Happy Birthday” . I typed it and was about to send when a thought clicked to me. Why not send wishes in Polish. She would love to see a message in her own language. Since I don’t know Polish, I took help of Google translator and sent her a message in Polish. During the day I also met at her work, and wished her birthday again. She didn’t talk of my wish on FB, so I also didn’t touch the topic. When I returned home and checked my FB messages, I saw there was a reply from Aga. I really got excited to unfold how she would have expressed her love to receive those wishes. But as soon as I opened her message, all excitement died off. Quite surprisingly she hadn’t expressed anything in particular for me using polish language but had simply written, “aapakaa bahut bahut dhanyavaad J”. Oh my God was my reaction – Another moment of the Truth! Looking at my Facebook profile, I kept thinking how easy it was to bridge differences of languages with mutual respect and love. Having lived in cities where people were so proud of their native languages, proud to the extent that they would even fight to prove superiority of their language, this incident was a reminder that love comes first. And wherever love comes first, the barriers created based on differences of regions, languages, religions etc automatically vanish.

Quite a time, I sincerely pray as the bollywood song goes, “…. Rab kare tujhko bhi pyaar ho jaaye”.  If only man would have understood the message of Love, our world would not witness the walls in minds of individuals due to differences in religion, region, nation, language, etc. This world itself would have become a Heaven.

One Nirankari

Just back from Sangat where I heard the story of the One Nirankari.

Someone mentioned the name of Nirankari Mission in a discussion between group of people. Listening name Nirankari, one of the attendees (say Rob) took special attention and he mentioned that he too knows One Nirankari.

This Nirankari is milkman who comes and delivers milk everyday at Rob's place. The milk that he delivers is very thick and rich. Rob wondered how come this milk is thick, compared to all other milks that Rob had tried. Is there something mixed in milk? Or are the cows of different breed? These thoughts bothered Rob so much that one day he went to test the milk at milkman's residence. 

On reaching there Rob first of all checked the containers, was there something sticking to the walls of container. But he didnt find anything. Then he let milkman milk the cows. Cows also looked of normal breed. All of a sudden Rob sees that milkman is stirring something in the container. Feeling milkman was caught red handed, Rob asked milkman what was he doing?

Milkman replied that he was stirring the milk to let the froth settle down. Else he would have sold froth along with milk to the customers. He mentioned that God Almighty is watching over him, and he would be cheating customers by selling them froth on the cost of milk. So he was settling the froth in milk to be fair in his business.

Rob concluded that this is how he knows about Nirankaris.

Discourses concluded as scheduled but kept me thinking of this One Nirankari, who was so conscious of Almighty's presence that he didn't want to do something unfair which has now become sort of normal practice.

I personally don't know this One Nirankari Milkman but have come across many Nirankaris in my life. Wish I too someday become a True Nirankari....who lives in constant realization of the Nirankar, whose acts are fair as per Nirankar.

4 ON 10 - Life in all humility

I first heard this incident some 3 years ago, since then it has been one of my favorites. This is about Tuslidas Ji and Rahim Ji. 

Story goes that Rahim Ji was well known for his strange manner of giving alms to the poor. He never looked at the person he was giving alms to, keeping his gaze downwards in all humility. When Tulsidas Ji heard about Rahim Ji's strange method of giving alms, he promptly wrote a couplet and sent it to Rahim Ji:

Aisi deni den jyu, kit seekhe ho sain
Jyon jyon kar oonchyo karo, tyon tyon niche nain

"Sir, Why give gifts like this? Where'd you learn that?
Your hands are as high as your eyes are low"

Realizing that Tulsidas Ji was well 'Aware' of the 'Truth' behind creation, and was merely giving him an opportunity to say a few lines in reply, he wrote to Tulsidas Ji  in all humility:

Denhar koi aur hai, bhejat jo din rain
Log bharam hum par kare, taaso niche nain

"The Giver is someone else, bestowing, day and night.
The world gives me credit: so, down are my eyes."

I am amazed and honestly humbled every time I come across Rahim Ji's name and this incident. I just imagine, how he would have actually recited these words with eyes down in humility...just amazing!!

Perhaps this is the 4th item to be kept on my To Do list - Humility. Wish when I breath my last, I would have inculcated this important teaching in my life.

As Ravi Ji other day reminded that "Mitha bolo te niv chalo, Murshid ehiyo seekhaanda hai"...humility is such an important aspect. I have seen so many living examples of humility in my life, that I sometimes just feel jealous :)

With jealously, I recall Upashak Ji's example where he says that beauty in a garden is guaranteed because rose is not complaining why I couldn't be as tall as coconut tree and coconut tree is not complaining that why I couldn't have beautiful flowers like rose. Everyone is happy the way they are.

Obviously Jealously shouldn't be there :) That's another thing I need to learn. 

If you are wondering like me, how does jealousy, humility fit in same post...and if you have known me in person and wondering how does humility even relate to a person like me....just chill!!!

I don't have any humility I know but that's why I am keeping it in my To Do. I pray, and you too join me in prayers, that may Nirankar bless me with a life that's lived in all humility. 

Amen!