Zubaan ka Ras

I remember there was a book which I read in childhood, it contained small small stories with different moral. One of the stories was, Zubaan ka Ras...where a person who is passing by a new town feels hungry and he knocks a door, door is opened by an old lady. Man asks for food from the lady, and lady starts preparing food for this stranger..while she is preparing batter for the roties, this man starts asking questions, one being " Lady your door is so narrow, if your cow dies, how will you take the cow out of your door?" quite angry with this question lady throws the batter at man's face. Some passer by sees the liquid dripping on man's face, and asks anqiously "what is this?", to which this man says "zubaan ka ras". Moral that was told in the story was that be wise in your speech.
Although this story was heard in childhood years, but I think this is ageless learning as here lies the start of self improvement. If man takes a pause and starts analysing what he is speaking, or asking, he will be astonished to see how comforting or breaking his words are. Path to self improvement is definately long, but one who has conquered his words, he has made a start. Speech is not the final criterian to prove one's level of wisdom but definately is a milestone. If its said, that one who doesnt think wrong will not say wrong...it also seems true that one who wants to think right, should start saying right.

Are you religious?

Yesterday he was after me - Aapne bhagwaan ko dekha hai? I tried my best to ignore the question but he seemed rigid too - Aapne bhagwaan ko dekha hai? Quite surprisingly, I took few more minutes before we started talking of God Realisation.
I just look back and see those years of Bangalore, where I wanted to fly high and share this with everyone around. Nothing much has changed and yet everything seems changed. A small incident as from yesterday, when some one was asking about God Realisation and I felt like better not to answer.
Recently I read this on one of the banners from Samagam, and also received this as text, "Dharam ki sabse badi shiksha hai sehansheelta". "The greatest teaching of religion is tolerance", everyday there are numerous incidents where I see that the tolerance is no where around. Ofcourse, the answer is 'NO', if asked a question "Are you religious?". If religion teaches tolerance, there has to be tolerance in my life if I am religious. It has always been easy to talk of religion, God realisation, God knowledge but been tough to act religiously.
Perhaps it was the same thought yesterday when I didnt want to talk of God Realisation. Didnt want him to carry an impression of God Realised soul, if I still havent managed to live fully in God's realisation.
Having said that, there's more to ask from you - I do wish to fly again but this time with both the wings - realisation and practical living.

1 ON 10 - A Friendly Ear

Heard this from Shastri Ji last week - Once Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji was sitting on stage and namaskar was going on. Babaji called Shastri Ji close to himself and spoke "That particular mahapursh standing in queue for namaskar will take good amount of time..". Shastri Ji asked "So, should I take that mahapursh out of line? This way the namaskar line can advance normally." To this Babaji responded - "Shastri Ji, I am saying that mahapursh will take good amount of time, please do not interrupt him while he is speaking his heart.".
BANG!! went the chords in my heart!
Shastri Ji continued sharing that we should be a patient listener. We never know what comfort our listening can give to the speaker. Irrespective of whether there is any logic in talks we should be able to give an ear to the speaker.
another BANG!!
It seemed that I too could understand what he was trying to convey. All these years of transformation perhaps, I have witnessed what magic listening could do. Be it Amrit Auntie, Puri Sahib..I miss these souls who gave ears to my talks without any judgements. Despite their age, both of them could give me a friendly feeling. Don't know why the wire got connected so strongly with both of them that its hard even today to compare anyone else with them. Amrit Auntie...honestly I till date admire how she paid ears to my talks... any kind of talks...Sheetal's exam...My exams, My scores, My colleagues, Incidents in their lives...It seemed that every thing was of interest to her. I understood from her, what wonders listening could do.
It wouldnt be wrong if I call her my role model for listening. But I still havent managed to copy this behaviour into my life, however I wish someday I could. The 10 things to be done before I die - Listening is one thing I definately would like to do! Listening that could give support to those who need it without myself being disturbed !
Babaji, I dont know if this is a must have quality or a quality that I am destined to have, so these raw thoughts are in your hands to mould them in the best possible way! Seeking your blessings for the life ahead that could be comforting to those around me and ofcourse myself :-)
Ta!

New to business

Just after Sheelu returned from his Israel trip, we all gathered around him in 1998. He started sharing his experiences, and one of the things that he shared was the words of his Cab driver who had said, "I am quite new to the driving business, its been just 50 years I got into this Job". Quite recently these words came back to my mind, how beautiful would it be if I start viewing others around with the same vision.
At times when I see people around not able to do what they have been learning since so many years, or even while seeing my own self, there are times when I get disheartned. Take example of spiritual world, anyone speaking about tolerance for past 50 years and yet not able to tolerate things...Before I judge any other person, may I remember this line that person is quite new to this Spiritual world, its been JUST 50 years. When I myself fail on the scale that I have set for myself, may I rememeber that I too am quite new to this Gyan..JUST 20 or so years...It takes a life time to imbibe these virtues of humility, love, compassion, tolerance and everything...and for me its been JUST 20 years of Gyan.

JLT

Thank you Babaji!
I got up from bed to write a small observation at airport but before I could complete writing the experience, I realised it might not be worth sharing on a public forum. Although intention wouldnt be to comment on culture but still didnt want to sound as if laughing on the culture where I come from. Above that dont want to comment on anyone's personal likes/dislikes. So left the experience aside :)
But Babaji, thank you for these small small experiences where I am reminded of what difference you have brought into our lives.

How to loose one's Ego?

Other day I was talking to Lakshmi about the "Most wanted person by virtue of need" award which I had received for work in my previous project. Since I was the only contractor working in that project, I myself informed my Line Manager in parent company about it. Although I don't like doing this but somehow wanted it to be recorded with my parent company, that I had received some award for my work. However, after sending that email I had no replies or congrats from my Line Manager. I was surprised as generally what I have observed is, any email appreciation from client is followed by appreciation emails from all managers in parent company. Nothing happened basically after my sending that email to Line Manager. I kept quiet.

Days followed, and then other team mates received some appreciation from client. Surprisingly, this time same Line Manager sent that email to higher management which resulted in number of emails floating for appreciation. Luckily, I wasnt able to digest that, it was just an email for other team mates but an award for me. An email was heavily acknowledged but an award went unnoticed ? Perhaps I wouldnt have bothered but because it was "I" who had received the award, I was disturbed. I couldnt sit properly for some time, as this was disturbing me. I wasnt sure how I should react, but nevertheless I thought of discussing this with Lakshmi.

As I shared with her my problem, the usual happened. As predictable she is, "Sunil Ji, isko dekha hai aapne. Yeh to creator hai fir bhi kabhi nahin jataata". Lol...that was the simple tonic for the huge problem I was facing. Often I have noticed how easily she relates to the Almighty than I can do. A simple thought but with great depth, that look at the Almighty, despite being creator He never boosts about His deeds, why winning an award is making you disturbed...just because others failed to acknowledge it. It was a matter of seconds, that I was back to normal state..laughing at my ownself.

Quite truely, I still havent learnt how to be humble. Something I desire to learn, because its so soothing. I remember Babaji citing example of Lord Rama, and how humble He was when Parshuram Ji was shouting at Him. Definately, Looking at Rama's life there is so much to be learnt, the simplicity, divinity, kindness,...a whole lot of chapters in syllabus of spirituality. But again the first step as mentioned, "Pratham Bhakti Santan Kar Sanga.." Thankyou Babaji that you have sent Lakshmi in life who has guided and reminded me of your teachings where ever I was going aside.

No surprises why I always answer in same way to this question," how to loose one's ego?".."By seeing someone who is greater than you"...You'll stop worrying about not getting credit, if you understand how this Creator is silent even if His deeds are not acknowledged :)

Mistaken Identity

Three of us were travelling in the car and somehow D touched one of the hot topic these days. D started informing all of us what had happened to few spiritual guides in India in recent past. How few guides were caught for being involved in one or the other unacceptable activities. I tried paying less ears to the conversation but got into an attentive listening mode when name of the Mission came into their discussions. D felt that one of the guides caught was actually the lead for the SNM. Not realising that I too was one of the followers of SNM, he kept on keeping his concerns about the condition that few spiritual leaders were not acting according to social norms. I thought of interfering in discussion by clarifying that D was mistaking the held guide with some other mission. However I kept quiet. Dont know why but I kept listening to the discussions without reacting much, although understanding that more than D I have had chance to observe SNM philosophy and the leader. I did think that I will go and perhaps separately clarify D's misunderstanding. D would meet so many people in his life hereon, It would be unjust if he continues giving wrong information to the people he meets. And people as they are would pick up wrong information about a mission that is making human out of me.
But as day progressed, I still kept quiet. I dont know if I should have had some anger or concerns for held guides like D had. I somehow feel, its tough to judge the situations these guides would have gone through. Without knowing them as a person, I am no authority to form any opinion, be it good or bad, for the held guides. My thoughts dont hold any grudges for these guides, because I dont know what they have gone through.
And on correcting D, I dont know what should be my reaction. Should I go and inform D that he is carrying wrong information? or should I keep silent because if D is giving wrong information, so am I? D hasnt known the mission, but I have! Despite knowing mission for so long, I have not been successful in portraying the correct ideology of mission. In a way, I too am giving wrong information to people about SNM. Hence, there's not much difference between D and myself. I kept quiet because of this confusion, which let to a conclusion that before correcting D, I should be correcting myself.