“Because it’s there” is the famous answer given by George Mallory to the question as to why did he want to climb Mount Everest. Most explorations & adventurous endeavours can only be explained in hindsight when the person considered “mad” in his times is hailed as a “pioneer” for being the first one in the field. You can’t explain why you do what you do if it is outside the realm of human understanding at the time.
But it is these crazies who have gone beyond known limits to increase the spectrum of human possibilities.
As Arthur Clarke beautifully put it: The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible
To be a great human being despite being God in your game is a skill to be learnt from the humble, kind, ever smiling Roger Federer.
It is when your arch rival regrets your retirement knowing that he has lost his opportunity to learn more from you on the court and off it as well, that you know you have lived a worthy life.
He exemplified the proverb- it’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.
We will miss you on the court Roger but will hold you in our hearts forever.
We search for happiness in “achievements”. Does it by extension mean that people with no achievements are not happy? That we know is not true, in fact just the reverse is true – happiness lies in simple things – being alive for starters, being able to carry out our bodily functions, mind functions, just witnessing the nature around us – this unfortunately you realise when either you are too young(a child) or too old or incapacitated due to some unfortunate reason. In the intermediary stages we seem to collectively forget that happiness is in simple things and we create a chase for ourselves and call it “purpose”.Â
There is no “purpose” to life, it is the meaning that we assign to our own otherwise meaningless existence. We seek to be important, relevant but that is not existentially needed. They say “Find purpose and means shall follow”, it is true for someone wanting to start the chase for achievement like a dog trying to catch its own tail who eventually experiences “Find Purpose and misery follows”.
Ask yourself would you like to be happy and if the answer is yes, then simplify your life, don’t mortgage your happiness to “purpose”, be in the moment and be joyful with whatever you do – achievements will come if they have to but your happiness is your own, not dependent on it.Â
We(especially distressed people) give enormous importance to miracles and search for them. Why is there rush at Siddhivinayak or Lalbaugcha Raja Ganapati, etc ? It is because the deities in those places are considered to perform miracles and hordes of people wait in queues for hours to seek Divine Intervention and a sort of miracle in their own lives. How is the idol of this Deity more powerful than the one in your homes or the one in the society or the all pervading Divinity?
If you observe, a miracle is nothing but an event outside our understanding of human possibilities. It is our own understanding that is limited, not the possibility. To explore the possibility takes the right effort but we want quick fixes and don’t want to invest our energies into transforming ourselves and hence the rush to deities/ saints who perform miracles. Further we somehow don’t seem to accept the fact that life is fair, in that it screws everyone and no one gets out alive. Everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die… This is the paradox of human existence.
An idol of a God is just meant to remind you of what you truly value and give you the inspiration to make all efforts to reach there. In the instant case – Ganapati is the symbol of Buddhi (Intellect), Riddhi (Prosperity) and Siddhi (Spiritual Powers), so when you bow to a Ganapati Idol you are reminding yourself to have the strength to walk the path of Yoga that would proferr Buddhi, Riddhi and Siddhi for ultimately attaining Moksha (Liberation). You still have to walk the path.
So don’t look for miracles, you are the miracle that you are waiting for.
Intent, thoughts, speech are a precursor to action though not necessarily so, people can act out of sheer reflex of habits built over years. Cursing or speaking ill of others or the situation is the most common negative habit developed unconsciously. This leads to a negative world view and you start seeing only the half glass empty.
It is never too late to change this habit, break the chain of negativity by first being aware of what you are talking about & acting upon and if it doesn’t meet the “think” test, simply don’t say/do it and break the chain then and there. This is the beginning of “Ahimsa” and will definitely change your outlook and response to life making it more positive.
Love and violence cannot co-exist.​ Choose love, always and you will be living a life that ensures that you don’t need to say Micchami Dukkadam to anyone ever.
As you bring my idol home and lovingly attend to it for a few days and consign it back to the elements remember to celebrate form not cling on to it, it is impermanent and will eventually fade.
I am nothing but the love in your heart and am here again to remind you that love multiplies with sharing.
The best Ganapati celebration is being as loving to everyone/everything as you are to me.
A human born in any part of the world is human whose needs conform to Maslows hierarchy of needs model and yet we manage to create divisions based on colour, caste, creed, sex, financial status, nation, etc creating a concept of superiority/ inferiority and a basis for exploitation much like Hitler and possibly as dreadful. We were all the same until race disconnected us, religion separated us, and wealth classified us.
The frightful part is somehow divisions have become a legacy for societies across the world whether black or white, hindu or muslim, rich or poor, Indian or Chinese….Where does this division exist? In our collective minds, we perpetuate it. If you observe the root of this “need for differentiation” is a “Psychological Need” that needs to be added to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model. People assist only people who meet their similarity criteria, others can go to hell…How are we different from Hitler?
Being inclusive and not exclusive is the key – follow your own code but do not try to impose it on others. How? Change always begins with self. Difficult but not impossible…
Traffic jams are the best way to test your spiritual progress – if you remain calm, composed, cheerful during the traffic jam – whatever is your “spiritual” practice is working. I got to test mine on 11th August 2022 as I was rushing back to Mumbai from Nasik alone in my car for some urgent work and got stuck for 6 hours to get from Nasik to Thane (which normally takes less than 3 hours). Sharing a few valuable insights from the most recent traffic jam experience.
1. Nothing is urgent, everything can wait and even if it can’t there’s not much you can do about it
2. You can’t run away from your fate – what will happen, will happen
3. The best time to practice zen is when you are in a traffic jam in midst of pouring rain, with no end in sight, with a slight opening in your car wind shield bringing the rain water inside to give you a taste of your own private waterfall
4. Always pee before you get into a car for a long drive. No guys you can’t pee in a bottle whilst sitting, don’t know about women. You need an elephants bladder and a truck drivers patience, who simply get on with their lives oblivious to the traffic jam since waiting in long queues on roads is normal life for them…
5. Can someone lend me their left knee? Mine is numb pressing the clutch for hours…Why is my car not Automatic transmission?
6. Count your blessings that you are not in the next rickshaw with people packed like a can of sardines with an excuse of a rain curtain not offering any protection from rain
7. Well you need some “me” time, here it is – you’re alone in the car with no-where to go, enjoy your “me” time
8. Have a flask of tea, snacks in the car always. You never know when you may need it.
9. Whatever your view about God is will change – if you are a believer, you will start doubting, if not then you will start believing – it is all directly proportional to the number of hours of the traffic jam…
10. There comes a time when you just want to leave your car and run as Munnabhai says khali pili bheja sala yunhi phadphadaye but… Hence last but not the least, travel by train – avoid cars especially during rains. Na rahega baas, na bajegi basuri…
Bodhisattva 