Faith Amidst Fear And Despair

Over a hundred days have passed since the dreaded word Corona entered our lives and started dictating so many don't and do's we had hitherto not heard of nor cared for. It brought the very wheel of life to a screeching halt and the eerie silence prevailed. Everything we valued, cared for, had always lived with in normal parlance came to be stand still. Literally became the 'cruelest' month, breeding despair and fear, mixing apprehensions and desires..just that there was no 'stirring (of) dull roots with spring rain'. Unimaginable thud hit us hard and suddenly all things valuable, precious started to seem of little use, all relationships sort of put on hold, all aspirations to be or do this and that bore no meaning. Home became the only safe place to be. We witnessed suffering of horrendous kind when channel after channel showed hundreds of thousand people walking on foot bearing the brunt of scorching heat of May to a place called home. We were shaken and suddenly started loving all the more the four walls of our homes, our safe houses. All the things big and small which we had always thought could give us joy in familial or social way like eating outs or sojourn in lands distant became distant dreams and almost meaningless. We waited patiently for the wheel to turn and bring life back to normalcy, unlock our freedom to do and be. 

The wheel of life started moving with passage of time but everything about life has suddenly changed with no mood to turn back and be the same again. We wear masks 'to meet the faces that we meet' and look at all and all look at us as potential carriers of the dreaded virus!! Everything- a piece of paper, a door handle, the seat we sit on, the car we drive in or are driven in, the lifts we have to use-in short everything we use fills us with fear and is potential threat to our safety, security, health and danger to life itself! We have become prone to despair and vulnerable to an extent we could hardly ever imagine. 

We have tried to believe 'we shall overcome' and that this too will pass; we have wanted and desperately so to trust that we would not be hit by the dreaded virus and so relentlessly we have believed that 'tomorrow shall be better....'

The iconic figures' seizure by the Corona has further enhanced the fear despite their exhortations to us not to lose hope or fall in the pit of despair. Its the most difficult thing in the world to live with fear of one kind or the other. That's not the way of life for any of us. To be happy, jovial, normally living with sense of freedom and self dependence are our basic needs. Our faith is shaken but as Christian Bernard felt before the first heart transplant: 'from despair thoughts lead only to one direction- hope'. For sure, we are in dire need to inculcate hope, trust and yes, faith that we are strong, resilient and strong enough to pass this difficult test of time; for sure, we need to build on our strengths, count our blessings, be vigilant and extremely careful and guard ourselves against the negativity which is writ large everywhere and can engulf us if we let it happen to us. It is when things seem to fall apart that we need to be brave enough to hold on to the centre because it's we alone who can build again, move on, keep our morale high and face the travail of Time boldly without letting our confidence be shattered. The time is tough and we have to be tough to get going. 

'Let's go then you and I.....'

With Gratitude to All Gurus

Today is very auspicious and humbling day, the day of gratitude, thankfukness to all those who have played role in our lives as Gurus, taught us without sermonising, made us learn amicably and with empathy, created in us the zest for learning. 

I have been nostalgically and reveredly thinking of all those whom I owe whatever I have learnt through sanskaras, education, as under trainee, as subordinate officer and above all as recepient of whatever they could impart unto me. Its not an easy walk down the memory lane as it has been moistening my eyes, causing choking in the throat and making my head bow in respect and gratefulness. But for all those noble souls, parents, teachers, mentors and friends, officers in high echelons, I would not have learnt the lessons of life.

Parents taught by precept humility, importance of hard work, how to keep grace and dignity intact in struggle for survival and above all the need to let go and leave it to Alnighty the result of efforts. It was not just a few shlokas of Bhagwadgita or prayers of both Sanatan Dharma and Arya Samaj, it was the training to be independent and self reliant through education that they lay so much stress on to enable all seven daughters do and be what they themselves wished and aspired for. With great pride and humility, I feel blessed to have been the part of Pitaji and Ma's family. Not only that both of them led us from front, their elder daughters became beacon bearers for the younger ones. Neelam di was mentor for all of us and Mridu di trained us in basic manners and social behaviour. My salutations to them all.

What a blessedness it is to have been taught by teachers like Jamuna Behanji in Arya Putri Pathshala, Abohar and Mrs Satish Jasuja and Meenakshi didi, Madam Usha Kiran in Gopichand Arya Mahila College, Abohar or Dr DD Jyoti, Dr DK Saxena and Dr( Mrs) Pushpinder Syal in Dept of English, Panjab University, Chandigarh. Madam Pushpinder Syal not only made personal efforts to teach me Literary Criticism but also mentored me in Reiki which I got trained in further levels by Dr Hemant. I feel so grateful to God that He bestowed such kripa on me. 

At varied points of time so many awakened souls have guided me to sail through the tough terrains of life. Gurus are givers like the Sun that shines, brings and shows light of hope when the darkness envelops and despair sets in. Feel blessed to have been mentored by Acharya Mahamandleshwar Swami Avdheshanandji and Gita Maneeshi Swami Giananandji, Avdhoot Ababa Shuvanandji whose blessings are numerous and my gratitude ever scant in expression. 

My friends have always been my guide and guardian too ( even if they are younger to me in age!) From some I learnt the hard way but most of them have shown me how love and affection and respect can be the harbinger of peace of mind. They have valued me and borne with me despite all my whim wham and oddities of behavior and moods and work alcoholism. I feel richie rich and bow before their fortitude and patience to be with me even today when the age is waning and I continue to remain a difficult person to cope with, according to my own self perception. It is their own greatness and ability to guide that I feel their being with me as blessedness exquisite. Thanks is such a small word indeed.

In a Guru disciple relationship ,its the receptivity of the shishya which matters alongwith the feel of surrender one feels for the person from whom we learn. There may come times when we see the 'greatness flicker' but more important is what we have learnt and how much we have imbibed. We all have human follies and frailties but what we value as receivers enables us carve the path that our life takes. I feel it's very important to both forget and forgive and move on keeping intact the good and the positive as learnings. It's hard to imagine our life without the parents, teachers and mentors. But for them the Sun would not shine on us.

Salutations to Gurutatva that you all abound in.