"We are not human beings with occasional spiritual experiences , but we are spiritual beings with occasional human experiences" is a quote which i like very much.
A scene from Anbe Sivam which i like very much.
Recently a incident which happened in train made me spontaneously remember the quote on spiritual beings.The incident though simple conveyed a deep message to me.
As usual i was accompanied by many government staffs in the train.They travel all the way to Chengalpet.There are few vendors who come to sell accessories like bangles, ear rings etc.Since they come almost every day, these government staffs were well acquainted with them.They told a vendor that a particular lady from their gang(she was called Hema) was expecting a child.The conversation conveyed that she had become a mother after many years of marriage.The vendor was too happy to hear the news.
Though the expectant mother was on long leave, the vendor immediately gave some beautiful bangles to a lady and asked her to give it to Hema.After some ten minutes she gave some packets of Bindhi to Hema.She came back after half an hour buying flowers from another vendor.All this must have costed her around 50 rupees.That vendor might only earn a profit of 50 rupees everyday.Despite all her poverty she was so generous.I am not telling about the generosity in giving away a day's salary.Oh how generous she was in affection.How much of love she had towards a fellow person was reveled in her face.I was deeply touched by her love for others and i saw a God in her.
I was thinking of the quote "We are not human beings with occasional spiritual experiences , but we are spiritual beings with occasional human experiences".
Some eight months back i listened to a speech by Sudha Moorthy.It was the best speech i have ever heard.The main agenda of the speech was about her welfare trust.
Every point in the speech was so powerful and heart touching
I cannot put down the entire speech here, but i wanted to write about one point.
"some people come and tell me that their servant maid is not well to do and they expect the welfare trust to help them.I just tell them that are they not wealthy enough to help their servant maid?The welfare trust is not for them.It is for the Riksha puller or a kulli in the road who does not even what is Infosys It is for them and their families.Millions of people have born and passed away from this world.what are we going to do.Helping is not for gaining fame or for our name to be displayed in newspaper,When we look back at our life we need to have a sense of satisfaction.When we help someone.We need to help a person who does not belong to our family or our religion or our language or caste,we need to help a person who is no way related to us,the person need not even know who we are."
After hearing the speech i recollected a help which i have a received from a person who is no way related to me.A simple help had a highly positive impact in my life.It was a incident which made me experience God in another person.
The speech moved me to tears and i was questioning myself if i was revealing the Divine within me or not ?Are we really spiritual beings, revealing the divine in us ? Of course occasionally at some time or the other to some people we reveal our divine nature knowingly or unknowingly.But we need to do that as often as possible.
It should be like occasional revelation,then frequent revelation and finally constant revelation of the Divine within :-)
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Hi Suba,
ReplyDeleteAnbe Sivam is a terrific example to take your thought process forward.
I believe that within a man resides a beast as well as god. Ironically, there is an equally powerful scene in Devar Magan, another Kamal Hassan movie, where he says "Unakulla muzhichittu irukara adhey mirugam, enakulla thoongikittu irukku".
When a man goes out of his way to help another who is not related, and without expecting anything in return, he becomes god.
When a man will do anything to harm another, in order to gratify his ego, increase his wealth, prove his ideology or thought process is superior, then he kindles the beast in him.
At the end of the day I think if you have lived like a human being more or less, you can die happy. If you can connect with the God in you, great, but probably not worthwhile doing so, if you think the other man’s spirituality is inferior.
So, while I love your writing on this topic, I must say all of us have to start being human beings first, before we aspire for the next step. I think it’s important to be a good man / woman, first.If you, or anybody who reads this consider themselves a good human first, I wish them best to realize the divine within.
As always, best wishes for your further writing and spiritual journey!
Cheers!
Raghu
@ Raghu,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
I have already discussed with you that i believe that "If God is infinite then the means to reach Him is infinite and Sahaj MArg is one such way".
It is the right of every individual to choose the way he/she wants.To me my Master the the gateway to the Brighter world.It can very well vary from person to person;after all choice is our birth right.
Regarding your point,
"If you can connect with the God in you, great, but probably not worthwhile doing so, if you think the other man’s spirituality is inferior."
I dont know (a)if it was a general statement
or (b)if it is a statement addressed to me by your assumption that i consider other man's spirituality as inferior
or (c) if it is a statement addressed to me because of any of my acts or words.
If it is the last case,I do not remember any such conversation between us, if it is so i apologize for it.
Regarding the aspiration for the next step,well i believe that our aim should always be the highest and also our efforts to achieve it.
I believe in the words "Aim for the stars only then you will at least reach the tree top".
Above all according to me to find the divine is not just an aspiration, but i consider it as the first and foremost duty and the purpose of my incarnation.
Regards,
Suba
Hi Suba,
ReplyDeleteIt is a general statement addressed to every religion, cult, sect and creed in the world. That is a broad definition that includes mainstream Hinduism, which i follow, and atheism, which I also categorize in many ways as a cult.
So this is nothing directed at your marg or religious beliefs, but much broader.
It is my own cynical view borne by studying history. Starting from the crusades to the modern holy wars on terror and jihad, the two biggest motivating factors for people to kill and torture one another have been religion and money. Jews are fighting Muslims, who are fighting Christians and Hindus, and Christians have fought amongst themselves…all in the name of god for thousands of years….that is what I find insane.
So I stand in the middle and look at some people like you who are mature and have a belief in a system, but do not look down upon another man. I am proud you are my cousin, and I have respect for the marg because I know devotees of the marg like you and others in the family I respect.
On the other hand for every one such person, I find a thousand people who claim to be religious and believe in a particular god or sect and will do anything to defend their faith as superior. If all those people tried to be just normal simple human beings in the first place life would be so much easier
But yes, one you think you are living like a good human being, the spiritual journey is the next step, and it can happen to people at different ages. I hope I reach there some day
Keep reading & keep writing.
Cheers!
Raghu