PINING
SOULS FIND INDEPENDENCE ON REPUBLIC DAY
A miracle is an
extraordinary and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific
laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency or a supernatural
phenomenon. This is what was experienced by sincere seekers, the devout and
followers of the Art of Living hailing from the hamlet of Seranthangal, in interior
Tamil Nadu and those from the bijou town of Thiruvanmallai- which gets its name
from the central deity of the Annamalaiyar
temple.
The lands of the hapless populace of
the hamlet were parched, very reminiscent of the iconic film Lagaan. Crops were
withering away at nature’s fury. They desperately sought divine intercession to
overcome their woebegone situation.
The scheduled programme was to ferry
H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and his group of fellow travellers from Bangalore to
Neyveli Lignite Corporation and the famous Nataraja temple at Chidambaram.
However, inclement weather altered the plans. Was this a signal of things to
manifest- a Chidambaram rahasya?
The weather became tempestuous and
the helicopter in which Guruji was travelling had to make an emergency landing
and descended on the paddy fields of the drought stricken village, quite
symptomatic of Lord Narayana seamlessly gliding the Pushpak Vimana to redress
the grievances of the faithful.
As Mandrake conjures magical situations, the elements conspired
to provide succour to the doomed people. After participating in Republic Day
celebrations at Neyveli, the chopper was perforce grounded at Seranthangal village. Soon Guruji stepped out of the
chopper and the skies opened to a thunderous downpour. People danced
with gay abandon at Seranthangal village.
This was like the talismanic film Lagaan
being re-enacted, where Aamir Khan despatched the red cherry out of the park
and the denizens erupted with jollity as heavy downpour moistened the arid
lands.
Today, Seranthangal village is triumphant
with its prized possession- a borewell commissioned by an Art of Living teacher
who also dons the hat of the Deputy Block Development officer. The gentleman,
upon hearing that Gurudev’s chopper was grounded in the paddy fields rushed to behold
a glimpse of the master and seek his blessings.
Guruji narrated the misadventures and
plight faced by the villagers to the Art of Living teacher. And thus, the seed
to install a borewell was sown, the mission accomplished and fructified
shortly. Dots were seamlessly joined by the mere presence of the Master and
marvel and wonder has been the outcome.
Apparently, 12kms away were a group
of Art of Living participants who had undertaken a meditation programme. They
were to catch a glimpse and discern the chopper transporting Gurudev as it flew
over their township. Half in jest, they mentioned they would make the
helicopter take a detour and have a pit stop at their bijou town. Intemperate
weather conditions compelled a change in program and Guruji decided to return
to Bangalore by road. On the way Guruji decided to make an unscheduled but most
welcome stop at the course venue, leaving the participants incredulous, stupefied
but ecstatic, all at the same time! One
may term it as the work of angels as mere utterances metamorphosed into
reality.
Three young men for a living had
travelled all the way from Jammu and Kashmir to Thiruranvanamallai. These
youngsters had learnt about Gurudev’s various peace initiatives in the
distraught valley and the perturbation faced by the people, through the media.
It was impinged on their minds to have darshan of Gurudev. However, their
proposed visit to Bangalore Ashram did not fructify on account of paucity of
resources. But their sankalpa was
unassailable and impregnable. They were blessed with robust minds. The grace of
the Master was evident as Guruji on his way to Arunachaleswarar temple arrived
at their door step.
This is result of the spiralling
effect of efficacious thought processes where a sequence of fortuitous events
occurs in a facile manner. Unalloyed and sterling intents of the devout get magically
answered by a positive sleight of hand of the Master. A deep seated, positive sankalpa is paramount.
There is a long-standing tradition to
hold a majestic Kumbhabhishekam every twelve years at the striking and
resplendent Arunachaleswarar temple. The priests of this sacred shrine had beseeched
Guruji twice to preside over the function. On account of Guruji’s over wrapped
schedule this did not materialise. Who
was to know that this was to happen now, in the most felicitous and
unpremeditated manner. Gurudev happened to be present in the temple town on the
auspicious day and inaugurated the ceremonial rituals.
Human mind and intellect would
normally debunk these sequences of events as mere coincidences. But one should
probe deeper at these inexplicable and preternatural events. This is the
difference between an ordinary and a Brobdingnagian mind.
Let us draw our attention to the
following mathematical representation:
The summation of mere Intellect + Intelligence
is Ego. However, when Intellect +Intelligence < Surrender, it transforms
into Imagination. An imaginative mind is a creative and sinewy one, where
incidences just occur.
As Guruji succinctly puts it, “Effort
is a trait of body but effortlessness is that of mind.” He goes on to say “You are total. You have
all that you need. Do not underestimate yourself.”
The villagers of Seranthangal, the Deputy
Block Development officer, people meditating in the small township, the
muscular men hailing from Kashmir and the priests of Arunachaleswarar temple
were all independent entities but were strangely intertwined in His divine aura,
without any encumbrance. Events occurred admirably, without any exertion.
This is where these pining souls
discovered spiritual independence on a Republic Day.
