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!

MEET KAMNA

Introducing another model, Satguru kept infront of me - Kamna Di.

I met her in Bangalore. A shining diamond which shared her shine with me from time to time. Her house was quite far off from the main city. Many a times it so happened that saints used to plan a visit to her house and then said no for some reasons. I used to observe her happiness whenever some saint would commit her a visit. And then her strength when she smilingly would accept the cancellation of same visit. I always wondered about her emotional balance to accept both visits and cancellations with same smile.

One saturday, we all had planned a visit to her place. But then all of a sudden I got a call from some saint suggesting that we shouldnt skip the weekly sangat to go to Kamna di's place that day. The plan can be post-poned for some other time. Though I thought it would be okay but still wasnt very happy to tell this to Kamna di.
I called her up to check what should I do ? Should I goto Sangat and visit her later or should I alone skip sangat and visit her ? After listening to my question, she very humbly said " Sunil bhaiya, ek baat bolu. Jab kabhi bhi guru aur apne man ke thought mein clash ho na, to hamesha Satguru ki baat ko sun na chahiye".

"Par Di mujhe to dono hi guru ke kaam dikh rahe hain" was my reply. She kept silent and we decided that I would visit her the same day. The reply from my side was simple. For me, visiting her house wasnt just a pleasure but a chance too which would have made a saint happy. I still don't know whether that decision was right or wrong but I carry no guilt for this. Had it been a movie or anything, I would have carried different feeling. Skipping a sangat/sewa chance for something which can be adjusted for some other day is a possible mistake. But for this particular day, I was satisfied. I had similar feelings for this saint as well as the sangat.

Sangat is made of one plus one. Each one needs to be respected as the sum. Its not at all easy to love one & every one, but still feel its the right way. I have failed many a times but again and again He picked me to show that I can improve. Thanks Lord.