My Train Journey

Every morning in the train I come across so many different types of people; the government staffs, the physically challenged, the vendors, the college students(SRM college), the software professionals working for Infosys and TechMahindra and also the worker class going all the way to Chengalpet. All these people have so much to teach me in some way other the other.



Most of the government staffs travel from the city all the way to Kancheepuram. These women would fall under the age group of 40 to 50. They generally discuss about a wide range of topics from saris and cuisines to the family issues. Most of them either have a Kanda Sashti kavas am or Hanuman Salisa or Vishnu Sahasranaamam,they read one page and will talk for 5 minutes and then read the next page J When I look at them I would imagine the enormous task they perform everyday; getting up early doing all the house world and going to work all the way till Kancheepuram;I would if I would also work until their age.



Then comes the next group of people the SRM college girls; these girls are always busy in copying their assignments in the train without even thinking of what they copy. They open their book only during the semesterJRest of the time they are too busy in meddling with their new Nokia; SMS ing listening to songs and their topics of discussion would be the latest film of Surya or a handsome guy in their college. But on the other side I would think about the education system in India where the parents need to spend around 86K every year for the B.Tech course and the most of the children are only bothered about getting through their papers and managing to copy their assignments before reaching Potheri.Still it’s time for fun and I find them so happy and cheerful always with a least worry about the future and that is the main thing they convey to me.



The most inspiring among all the people are the physically challenged people whom I meet every day. People with various deformities; still trying to make their living. They give me a reason to live and show me the good side of life. The beauty about them is they don’t choose to beg, they either choose to sing or to sell something J How many times I would like to ask them what motivates them to go on.



Coming to the Vendors, some of them are too old to even walk, yet struggling to shout as much as possible to sell their commodities. How much they teach about hard work, honest and pious earnings by their living example.



Then comes the girls who try their level best to make Chennai a Chicago with their straightened hair, tight fitting T-shirts and hip swaying jean..no more comments, these are traits of Professionalism and I should think the other way that they live up to the proverb “Dress for the job you want and not the job you are in” J



Then few other professionals trying to maintain the traditional aroma of Chennai; some preparing for their GMAT;some newly married and some are expectant mother’s..I don’t know what goes on in their mind, but how much I wish they are aware of the fact that Spirituality begins right at conception. Will these girls remain in a state of prayer and earn for their child the imperishable spiritual wealth or are they just bothered about the material aspect of life.Oh But at least for them I would wish that office should have been somewhere in the city.



Who else is left ? Me !! what do I do in the train ? I remain a quiet observer of all the above,along with the outside learning I try to learn something everyday by reading the words of My Master. It’s much more than all these..Because to me the journey is nothing both a moment from the outside noise to the inner noise, from the inner noise to the inner silence ~they are hours of intimacy with my creator and this makes me to love the long journey J