The week that I began courting classical music and lived through live painting sessions till its middle had more to offer. I strayed into spirituality when my niece told me about Swami Sukhabodhananda’s discourses on the Bhgwad Gita at Pragati (called pargati or the higher world by bus conductors!) Maidan over the weekend. My senior colleague, whom I had coaxed into the rendezvous, began to lose his patience when Swamiji did not show up past 6.30. As we sauntered out for a stroll, he sarcastically commented, there’s your swami in the big car to our left, attired in silken, saffron. Why can’t these people be more austere? The car may not be his”, I offered the best defence I could muster, and he needs to look good... on camera. He gave me a glare so I used some humor to calm him down.
Swamiji was also to use it to intersperse his talk full of Sanskrit slokas, most of which flew over my head, and words of divine wisdom during the next hour. “Every one I meet with has a problem- with the boss, some Mr. Verma at office or his wife at home. You marry my wife, Swamiji, and all your ananda shall disappear”. The males in the audience broke into guffaws. “I am glad you in Delhi at least laugh at my jokes. At some places, people show constipated faces” and he won over the hearts of Dilliwalas.
“We blame our pristhiti (situation) for our suffering but the real cause lies in our manosthiti or mindset. It made sense. Most of our colleagues are quite happy with the way things are at our work-place. If some of us continue to crib, we need to change our attitude since we can’t change others’ anyway. Swamiji offered more gems of divine wisdom. “All of us experience vishad or sorrow, don’t we? So did Arjuna. He didn’t want to kill his kins, his gurus and wailed in the battle ground. Why? The reason was that he needed to be awakened; to be able to see beyond the physical and become one with the Soul. We too must see beyond and see what we often do not see”. I could only see a paradox. “Sometimes we think we are awake but still do not see-like somnambulists- who walk, eat and even drive a car while still in a slumber. Therefore, my friend, Bhagwad Gita is a wake-up call. Arise and be awake”
I jerked up as a mosquito sang into my ear while another stung me on the ankle. I realized many in the audience were similarly struck and were busy waving them away. An innocuous insect could spoil the serene session of spirituality. My senior prodded me to get up. The next evening, I returned with another friend and found a Prasanna Trust’s volunteer spraying mosquito repellent around the Swamiji’s seat but my raised eyebrows fell when I saw a coil being lit and placed in our vicinity. Repel the negative thoughts, I told myself and immersed myself in the melodious bhajans being played to bring us into a better mood.
Swamiji's arrival was announced-something I missed the previous day. He walked through the audience, many men and women touching his feet, one hefty man almost blocking his way. I thought he would bend and raise them but he just looked benevolently at them with folded hands. Better safe than sorry, I thought, swamis are in the news for all the wrong reasons. His mother arrived on stage to light a lamp. I wondered if he would touch her feet but he didn’t. Perhaps he has transcended the level at which ordinary mortals exist. Swamiji asked us to chant Om with him three times. As the resonance of the divine sound reached a crescendo, I found my mind racing to the Red Fort from whose ramparts successive prime ministers call upon the spectators to shout three times, Jai Hind.
“The cause of our distaste for the present lies in our past. We keep thinking about what happened and it fills us with anger and hurt. So what happens? We spoil our present. We don’t enjoy it. By enjoying, I don’t mean smoking and drinking- to some people enjoyment only means this. I mean being at peace, looking within, being awake and seeing. And then we begin to worry about the future. What would happen to us tomorrow and so on.” The lone Sikh seated ahead of us nodded I agreement.
Swamiji narrated the interview of a trapeze artist who changed swings without a safety net below. When asked if his job required toughness, the artist answered in the negative. One needs awareness and timing. You have to let go of the first to catch the second or you will be left swinging on the first. Similarly, Swamiji concluded, we have to let go of the past and grab the present. Forget the hurts of the past and forgive those who caused it. What did Jesus say about those who were crucifying him? ‘Forgive them for they know not what they are doing’. I wondered if it is easy and found my frown projected on the large screen.
“If you keep living with the hurts of the past, you devastate not only your present but destroy your future too. You keep worrying about things like death”. Swamiji mentioned a computer expert in his thirties, very successful and intelligent, who had stopped going out for fear of being killed on road. He had downloaded data from Google about maximum number of people being killed in road accidents. I said to him, “Your data has not been updated. In fact, most people die not on the road but in their beds. The young man got the message right. So stop worrying about what may happen tomorrow and live your present fully”. I rose to leave with deep thoughtful sigh and bought a book written by Swamiji by way of thanksgiving. The title reads, ‘Oh, LIFE Relax Please!’ and offers Y
Swamiji was also to use it to intersperse his talk full of Sanskrit slokas, most of which flew over my head, and words of divine wisdom during the next hour. “Every one I meet with has a problem- with the boss, some Mr. Verma at office or his wife at home. You marry my wife, Swamiji, and all your ananda shall disappear”. The males in the audience broke into guffaws. “I am glad you in Delhi at least laugh at my jokes. At some places, people show constipated faces” and he won over the hearts of Dilliwalas.
“We blame our pristhiti (situation) for our suffering but the real cause lies in our manosthiti or mindset. It made sense. Most of our colleagues are quite happy with the way things are at our work-place. If some of us continue to crib, we need to change our attitude since we can’t change others’ anyway. Swamiji offered more gems of divine wisdom. “All of us experience vishad or sorrow, don’t we? So did Arjuna. He didn’t want to kill his kins, his gurus and wailed in the battle ground. Why? The reason was that he needed to be awakened; to be able to see beyond the physical and become one with the Soul. We too must see beyond and see what we often do not see”. I could only see a paradox. “Sometimes we think we are awake but still do not see-like somnambulists- who walk, eat and even drive a car while still in a slumber. Therefore, my friend, Bhagwad Gita is a wake-up call. Arise and be awake”
I jerked up as a mosquito sang into my ear while another stung me on the ankle. I realized many in the audience were similarly struck and were busy waving them away. An innocuous insect could spoil the serene session of spirituality. My senior prodded me to get up. The next evening, I returned with another friend and found a Prasanna Trust’s volunteer spraying mosquito repellent around the Swamiji’s seat but my raised eyebrows fell when I saw a coil being lit and placed in our vicinity. Repel the negative thoughts, I told myself and immersed myself in the melodious bhajans being played to bring us into a better mood.
Swamiji's arrival was announced-something I missed the previous day. He walked through the audience, many men and women touching his feet, one hefty man almost blocking his way. I thought he would bend and raise them but he just looked benevolently at them with folded hands. Better safe than sorry, I thought, swamis are in the news for all the wrong reasons. His mother arrived on stage to light a lamp. I wondered if he would touch her feet but he didn’t. Perhaps he has transcended the level at which ordinary mortals exist. Swamiji asked us to chant Om with him three times. As the resonance of the divine sound reached a crescendo, I found my mind racing to the Red Fort from whose ramparts successive prime ministers call upon the spectators to shout three times, Jai Hind.
“The cause of our distaste for the present lies in our past. We keep thinking about what happened and it fills us with anger and hurt. So what happens? We spoil our present. We don’t enjoy it. By enjoying, I don’t mean smoking and drinking- to some people enjoyment only means this. I mean being at peace, looking within, being awake and seeing. And then we begin to worry about the future. What would happen to us tomorrow and so on.” The lone Sikh seated ahead of us nodded I agreement.
Swamiji narrated the interview of a trapeze artist who changed swings without a safety net below. When asked if his job required toughness, the artist answered in the negative. One needs awareness and timing. You have to let go of the first to catch the second or you will be left swinging on the first. Similarly, Swamiji concluded, we have to let go of the past and grab the present. Forget the hurts of the past and forgive those who caused it. What did Jesus say about those who were crucifying him? ‘Forgive them for they know not what they are doing’. I wondered if it is easy and found my frown projected on the large screen.
“If you keep living with the hurts of the past, you devastate not only your present but destroy your future too. You keep worrying about things like death”. Swamiji mentioned a computer expert in his thirties, very successful and intelligent, who had stopped going out for fear of being killed on road. He had downloaded data from Google about maximum number of people being killed in road accidents. I said to him, “Your data has not been updated. In fact, most people die not on the road but in their beds. The young man got the message right. So stop worrying about what may happen tomorrow and live your present fully”. I rose to leave with deep thoughtful sigh and bought a book written by Swamiji by way of thanksgiving. The title reads, ‘Oh, LIFE Relax Please!’ and offers Y
