Describe the single event that has significantly influenced your life.
One fine Sunday, way back in 2004, I had taken my mother to a "satsang" organized by the most popular spiritual guru in India. My mother is a devout believer. I, however tend to be skeptical of such god men. It was a huge crowd in Ram Lila ground in Delhi, easily tens of thousands of people. I was happy to see my Mother happy. I tried to endure it through the day, playing games on my mobile to pass time.
Towards the end, I grew more amazed by the rapt attention that the guru enjoyed from the masses. Strangely enough, the huge crowd was seated very patiently and was actually listening to every word. One would expect more chaos. I had to give the guru some credit.
Finally the "satsang" ended. By then my mother was so emotionally charged that she was almost bursting into tears every now and then. It was eerie. It is difficult to explain that feeling. When almost everybody around you is so emotionally moved yet you don't feel anything. On their way out, a few people fell over each other. Suddenly a huge section of the crowd started to panic. For a moment, I was terrified. Images of stampedes flashed by. A lot of noise, many people toppled over each other, I most certainly felt that I was going to die.
Then something happened. The guru took the microphone, laughed out loud and then started singing something. Instantly the almost stampede situation turned into a peaceful procession. Slowly everyone moved in queues, singing along and through the exit. In some strange chemical way, the way these things happen, I had a realization that is slowly but surely transforming me as a person. How could one simple old man literally transform an impeding stampede, into a peaceful procession, almost instantly? Over the days that followed, I became increasingly aware that the limits of human potential are far stretched than what I had originally thought.
Things that I had been conditioned to perceive as being difficult, started looking worth another try. When the fundamental paradigms through which you see everything change, the impact is profound. I quit smoking. I changed to a more disciplined lifestyle. Each small success encouraged me more. I got a 95 percentile in CAT, 98 percentile in GMAT. I put together a personal project "Staircase". One of its deliverables is to find myself an ulterior purpose in life. I realized there is not much point in living a life that makes no meaningful impact. If it turns out that the maximum impact that I can make is leave behind nothing more than a fat bank balance, so be it! But maybe, I could be the next Narayan Murthy. How would I know unless I try hard enough?
My wife finds it difficult to see the connection between this incident and my realization. I tell her that it does not matter. Sometimes, it makes sense not to try to make sense of everything.
3 comments:
Hey Chandan,
Nice post! I too do not believe in the hundreds of so-called 'gurujis' preaching some thing about karma, ultimate goal, etc., in their sessions. But one thing I surely feel they can be credited with is their power to get people listen to them and believe them. The few sessions I listen to are mainly with the intent of identifying what is that they have to bind such large masses!
Sometimes we need someone to remind us about the basic humane principles that we know but have forgotten. However, things go wrong when ppl worship the messenger rather than the message and then everything justs becomes blind faith!
Even i keep listening to such discourses on TV sometimes. Ekhad achchi cheez sunne ko mil jaati hai.
Chandan,
Brilliant..what happehed with you is one thing that I luv the most about the subconscious mind. It enables u make out great sense out of common sights and happenings...
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