Organised chaos.

I have been in India for slightly over three months now and this has been my longest stay yet. Life in India is very different from what I have been used to growing up and the sights and sounds of life here truly amaze me in a different way. For example, a cow would suddenly appear in the middle of the road and vehicles would know how to swerve around it or a five-road junction would function without a single traffic light and no collisions would take place. I even witnessed a man shouting unruly remarks at someone and later giving that same person directions to a place he wanted to get to. To the unseasoned eyes this may look like chaos - but it seems to work. The thought that came to mind was: organised chaos.

Whether we like it or not, whether we thrive in it or not, chaos is part of our lives. If everything seems to go 'your way', it is by sheer coincidence. Truth be told, chaos will exist no matter what. But the funny part is that some way or the other, it works out for a greater purpose. Take for example the chaos during child birth - a beautiful human being comes into the world. Now one would ask - what about the chaos during war or natural disasters? Even that has been planned out to shape the globe and the world around us or for some reasons unknown to us and only known by God. After all, nothing is permanent.

Chaos is indeed part of our lives, but it is organised by a higher power for a higher purpose. Trying to avoid chaos and trying to make everything 'perfect' is like trying to build a dam to hold a tsunami in - it will consume you and leave you miserable. Instead, go with the chaos and simply keep your mind still. Experience the chaos, but do not let it affect your inner mind. We do not have control over the chaos, but if we know that it is organised for a higher purpose, it will soothe our minds. Let go, breathe and meditate, because only then can we exist amongst chaos. We can only control our own thoughts and mind.

To end off, I would like to quote what Shakespeare said: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." What we experience in this world is part of this divine play and the play script is written by God - we just have to play our role in this chaos and not try to take control of what goes on around us. It is organised chaos. 

The four step path to peace.

When I look at my Daughter, I see pure radiance and innocence. All she experiences is the immediate world she is in contact with - her parents, her toys, her milk bottles and the room she is in. As human beings grow older, they come into contact with harsh realities and negativity as well, which they were shielded from at a young age. How then do we maintain peace of mind and maintain positivity in this world that it is being increasingly polluted both in the physical realm and mental realm?

There are four steps prescribed for this purification process: devotion, spiritual knowledge, detachment and righteousness. 

Devotion refers to the faith that we have in God as well as our practices to constantly meditate on the form of God. 

Spiritual knowledge is the seed of understanding that God is the all-doer and that we are merely tools. It is also the understanding that we are the soul, unblemished and radiant, and not the physical form that we see in a mirror. In order to see out true selves, we need to internalise through meditation. We will then know that we are a part of the infinite consciousness. If we think of ourselves as a drop of water, distinct from the ocean, we will struggle. However, if we think of ourselves as part of the ocean and merge into the ocean, we gain the power of the ocean and attain bliss. Alas, everything happens for a reason and everything is done by God for our betterment. 

Detachment refers to living a minimalistic lifestyle and not placing importance on worldly objects and things around us. Yes, we need a phone for example to communicate, but it cannot become the centre of our lives. A spiritual man once told me that in order to truly help someone, especially if it's a relative, we need to push emotions aside. If a doctor gets emotionally involved with a patient, he will not be able to provide the appropriate medical care. Similarly, we need to detach from the relation and then only can we provide service. Detachment will also allow us to reach the higher realms and merge with infinite consciousness. 

Last but not the least, dharma or righteousness should be the core of every decision that we make in life. If our conscience is clear, the decision is right and our minds will be filled with positivity. 

These four steps may not come immediately to our minds when faced with problems or struggles, but regular meditation will help us along this path. Then, and only then, can we attain peace of mind. 

Like old clothes.

My bedridden grandmother just passed on a couple of weeks back and as per Hindu rituals, we cremated her body. The loss was an immensely painful one and I was grief-struck for quite some time. Following her passing, I had to face a few difficult tasks. These tasks were not difficult just physically but emotionally and mentally as well. The first was bathing her lifeless body (which had turned cold due to the draining away of blood) and the second was collecting her bones and ashes using my bare hands at the crematorium.

A million questions and thoughts materialized in my mind as I performed her last rites and one that struck me the hardest was about how our body is like old clothes. When I saw her lifeless form, I still felt her presence, even though I knew her soul had been freed from the shackles of the human body. However, after she was cremated, I stared at what remained - ashes and a few broken fragments of bones. However difficult it was to stare at her in this form, it finally struck me that she was really gone. Our body, no matter how complex it may seem, can be reduced to dust in a matter of hours. Our bones, no matter how strong they may seem, become like broken pieces of biscuits which crumble upon touching them. Scooping her remains made me feel like I was packing her old clothes, because she had already left for a better place which is void of suffering. 

After collecting her remains in a big vessel, we set off on a boat to release it into the deep sea. I carried her all the way in that vessel and a second thought struck my mind. She used to carry me and place me on her lap when I was a child and now I was carrying her back - it was like going full circle. But somehow after going through this experience, however emotionally draining it was, I finally accepted that she had left. 

Alas, we come and we go - but we bring nothing material with us on either journey. The only thing that does continue on its journey is our soul and we bring with us our deeds. Riches and beauty will turn to dust, but what remains is the soul and how much spiritual enlightenment it has achieved in this lifetime. And in a matter of time, our spiritual journey continues until we reach a point where we have realized our true purpose on earth. Then, we get liberated - like my grandmother.

My grandmother got liberated, because she understood her purpose on earth. She still lives on within me, as my biggest inspiration. She taught me the meaning of growing in adversity, of turning weaknesses into strengths, of loving unconditionally and forgiving wholeheartedly. She taught me things books cannot and gave me lessons through her own actions. She may have gone, but her teachings will remain. She has shed her old clothes, but her soul remains as beautiful as ever.

Miss you ma.

Interconnection.

All living things are interconnected - like drops of water in an ocean. What we need to remember is that every thought and action, both positive and negative, has a rippling effect.

It is very common in today's individualistic society for people to hold the 'not in my backyard' mentality. In this case, something is not their responsibility unless and until it directly affects them or their interests are at stake. But what we fail to realize at moments like these, is that whether we like it or not, our thoughts and actions are indirectly linked to others.

Like a domino effect, our thoughts and actions lead to a series of events, getting amplified at each stage. Take for example the simple act of smiling at someone at random or helping someone carry heavy loads up the stairs. Acts of kindness may cheer up someone who may not be having a very good day and he or she may in turn send positive vibrations to the next person he or she encounters. There you go - a classic domino effect!

Sometimes, we may not be able to physically or mentally help someone, but positive vibrations and thoughts may help them more than we think. At times like these, I think about how we are all interconnected - at a level deeper than we can perceive.