Mind Games !

Its really interesting to observe this mind... This mind is really tricky and plays all sorts of games ! When, what happens to the mind and the whole trajectory of life changes... An interest in this and going beyond the mind got me to this path, or so my mind thinks :)...

Very often I hear people doing things that are not so healthy, justifying their stance by giving other wrong things that people do, or they themselves do ! This is how the nature of mind is... It likes to justify itself logically, so that it doesn't have to change and can continue indulging in the vices or habits that it has got used to...

Another way of the mind to justify itself is, it accepts that they do the wrong thing, but are not strong enough to change ! Here again, the mind has found an escape route for itself to change from its habit pattern...

One more mode of the mind is that it claims that all these things have an effect, but it really doesn't matter, I am or my mind is strong enough to handle the effect... Well, if the mind is strong enough to handle the effect, then isn't it strong enough to stop the habit ?

In many cases, the craving for the sensory pleasures, blinds us and creates this false sense of logic or comfort, and that is why the mind is really tricky, and one has to be really cautious of it... But, how does one become cautious ? What can one do, when we are stuck in the illusion ? That is where a Guru helps... This is where faith comes in place... If there is a Guru in life, then he removes this curtain that has blinded us and shows us the reality... He authenticates... That is the significance of a Guru in life...

I feel fortunate to have a Guru in life... It is said that Guru comes to you whenever you need him and not whenever you want him ! I've seen this happen to me so many times... Everytime I've got entangled or stuck somewhere, I've seen him helping me and guiding me through it!

Come with ME...

I had heard so many stories about, how Guruji values love and devotion more than anything. He doesn't see what food he eats, but with what love and devotion that food is made... It doesn't matter how loudly you call him, but with what love in your heart you call him... It doesn't matter how big errors you make, but with what intention you make... It doesn't matter how big or small you are, but what devotion you have... But when he is with you, he behaves so normally, that one is not able to hold on to so many concepts and stories that one hears about and one doesn't even realize what happened !

About three years ago, I wanted to ask Guruji a question... The question was weather, I should quit my job or join my job back ( I had postponed the joining of my job )... I had been staying at the ashram for about 3-4 months by then... I was pretty happy at the ashram but I still wanted to make sure that I don't take a wrong step... So, that evening, he was walking, and he looked at me and asked me " haan kaisa hai ? " ( How are you ? )... I said... " Thik hoon, ek question tha " ( I'm fine, wanted to ask a question )... He said... " haan tum humare saath Belgaum chalo wahan set karte hain tumko... " ( You come with me to Belgaum we'll sort it out there )... I didn't know what happened ! I was obviously elated ! Slowly, as the fact was getting digested, the fact that GURUJI has invited ME to travel with him, started getting to my head... This is a very common phenomenon, when he pampers you, one feels YOU are the only one !!! So, I started becoming stiff and proud thinking that no one is so great as I am, and blah blah...

So, when the date to leave came closer, I had to book the tickets etc... The ticketing people asked me, that you get a confirmation from Guruji's secretariat. So, I went to one of Guruji's secretary, and told him to send the confirmation... He said, he would ask Guruji and send it... A day later, I meet the secretary, and asked him... He said... " Guruji said he doesn't remember telling you anything like that !"... That was it !!! I couldn't believe it... First I thought the secretary was telling a lie and he hadn't asked, but he seemed to have asked very surely ! Then, I thought, how can Guruji forget things ! He remembers and knows things that he is not supposed to remember also and here he is saying that he can't remember something that he himself said ! I started feeling helpless... I asked other people... Does this happen that Guruji forgets something that he says ? They said... yes... very often he does... I couldn't believe this ! I didn't know whom to believe... weather, to believe what his secretary told me, or what Guruji told me, or what other people told me... So, then I thought, I'll ask him myself next time... Till the time I got the next chance to ask him directly, all my pride and stiffness had completely gone, I had started feeling vulnerable, humble and grateful... So, when I asked him directly the next time, he said " Yes... yes... you contact swamiji " and left... Later, that day I got a call from swamiji that Guruji has asked me to go with him and bring this one guy along with me... That time I realized how he plays games ! Till the time, I was all stiff and proud, he had even forgotten what he himself said... I feel so grateful that he forgot it !

Thats when I learnt: every-time you become stiff and proud for anything... you loose the connection !

Intro talk to Traffic Police

I was on my way to IIM - Bangalore for an appointment, when a traffic cop stopped me! Every-time a cop stops me, I usually feel this sudden something ( not very pleasing ) in the stomach... This time also the same thing happened... but it vanished very soon... Surprisingly I was very calm and composed! The cop said park it right at the corner of the road and so I did...



All begin with the same first line... " license, car papers, insurance, pollution test please "... In that one breath they demand so much! I was only able to manage my original license, and the photocopy of the car registration... I decided ' I will not lie ' and then I got off my car with a smiling face... The reason I was stopped was that, the car had a 'Chandigarh' registration... All non Karnataka registered vehicles are supposed to pay a tax to the state ( otherwise the car is seized until one pays the tax which was around Rs. 20,000 )! He asked me... "whose car is it ?"... I said its my parent's car... "we are from defense" I added... Everything seemed to become fine ( usually they don't fine defense people) ... and then he asked me "which unit does your father working in?"... Now since I had decided I would not lie... I said "He retired less than a year ago"...

And that was it ! He said that means he is not in the defense any more... He said "your car will have to be seized"... After some persuation and convincing, he came down to saying that he would allow me to take the car, provided I fill the form of tax payment there and then, and leave my original driving license with him... He then started filling the form... Somehow Art of Living also came up... and while he was filling the form, I told him... "Sir, you please do the course... Its a very nice course"... He stopped filling and started talking about god... then he told me that he has been to the ashram and loved the place... Then I proposed to him to do the weekend course at the ashram ( fri, sat, sun )... He said, "You know I'm a very short tempered person...Do I look like one ?" he asked me... Then he said everyone at his office are really irritated and annoyed with him all the time... the moment they see him they say... look "tension mahadev" has come... Suddenly he stopped filling the form... He said.. you are a teacher with Guruji right? I didn't believe it earlier... But now I believe.. You are doing such great work... You please go !!

I was like... "Are you sure"... I mean you have some rules to follow... He said... I'm sure.. You please go... He then took my phone number and told me that he would contact me when he comes to the ashram... I again urged him to do the course as soon as possible... He smiled... and we left...

One never knows, who is waiting for you to tell them about the course !

Come for Satsang

I had worn a wet dhoti for (cold) morning sandhya vandana ( chantings that I do almost regularly ever since I shaved my head)… By afternoon, I caught a fever… my body was aching and I felt weak…


After finishing the evening sandhya vandana, we got to know that bhanu didi’s ( guruji's sister) birthday was being celebrated close by, and that there was food there… So we went there… I met bhanu didi and wished her… My fever had risen, my body was now aching terribly and I was finding difficulty in standing. So, I decided I would return to my room, miss bhanu didi’ birthday satsang and just rest… Just then, there was a queue formed and we saw guruji ( Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ) heading to his car… So I decided to see him off… As he went past me, he looked at me, gave a caring glance and gave me a pat on my left cheek. Within 30 seconds of the pat, I realized, my pain disappeared, my fever had gone, and I was feeling fit ! It was unbelievable !! So, I went for bhanu didi’s birthday satsang and had a great time there… Surprisingly immediately after the satsang the fever reappeared! That’s when I understood, guruji’s gesture… with a pat on my cheek he invited me to the satsang... At the same time he didn’t want me to become a softie and not be able to bear a simple fever. The fever eventually got over completely by next morning…