One day in November 2000, I sat inside a small temple near my house, with a mike in front of me, ready to deliver a discourse on the topic, “Spiritual practice for a blissful life”.
An uncanny situation, one I had never encountered before in the 24 years of my life.
In that nerve-wracking moment, when every instinct made me want to run away, I found the strength to mentally surrender to the Guru. Praying that He take me through this weird test He had devised, I started.
I noticed some people turn to look at me and I hung on to their eyes. Slowly, a few of them came forward and stood around me. Some people sat down for a while. Even as I relaxed and got into the flow, some of them got up and walked away abruptly. The audience kept floating throughout the 40 –odd minutes.
Even as one part of my mind directed the tongue to keep talking, another part was trying to make sense of it all. Why was I being given this experience? Had I grown too egoistic from the praise I had got on previous occasions? Was this being done to teach me to be humble and realize that I’m a mere instrument and God is the actual Doer?
Overall, it was a situation that made me truly experience the meaning of the Bhagavad Geeta quote
Which means:
“You have the right to work only but never to its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.”
In simple words – do what has to be done without having any expectations about the outcome.
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Every night of November 2018, I sat in front of my laptop, keying in words, talking to yet another floating audience, this time in the blogosphere.
The only problem – there was no audience! Not one person was sitting down, waiting to listen to me. When I turned questioningly to the temple personnel, I was told to just start, and that people who were interested would come and listen.
An uncanny situation, one I had never encountered before in the 24 years of my life.
In that nerve-wracking moment, when every instinct made me want to run away, I found the strength to mentally surrender to the Guru. Praying that He take me through this weird test He had devised, I started.
I noticed some people turn to look at me and I hung on to their eyes. Slowly, a few of them came forward and stood around me. Some people sat down for a while. Even as I relaxed and got into the flow, some of them got up and walked away abruptly. The audience kept floating throughout the 40 –odd minutes.
Even as one part of my mind directed the tongue to keep talking, another part was trying to make sense of it all. Why was I being given this experience? Had I grown too egoistic from the praise I had got on previous occasions? Was this being done to teach me to be humble and realize that I’m a mere instrument and God is the actual Doer?
Overall, it was a situation that made me truly experience the meaning of the Bhagavad Geeta quote
Which means:
“You have the right to work only but never to its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.”
In simple words – do what has to be done without having any expectations about the outcome.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Every night of November 2018, I sat in front of my laptop, keying in words, talking to yet another floating audience, this time in the blogosphere.
Some readers responded regularly and some intermittently either on the blog, or through WhatsApp or in person or by a phone call – to them, I’m very grateful, for taking the time and making the effort to communicate.
Because I learned my lesson of November 2000 very well; there is nothing more to say.
Every time I sit down to write, I send up a prayer, asking God to guide my words to be of some help to someone in some way.
Every time I sit down to write, I send up a prayer, asking God to guide my words to be of some help to someone in some way.
Whether I come to know what it means to someone or not; whether it even means something to someone or not, is, therefore, totally irrelevant.
Day after day, I’m realizing that all I can aim for, is to become an instrument worthy enough to be held in the hands of the Doer.
I thank all of you, dear readers, for coming along on this journey.
Day after day, I’m realizing that all I can aim for, is to become an instrument worthy enough to be held in the hands of the Doer.
I thank all of you, dear readers, for coming along on this journey.
NaBloPoMo 2018 is officially over.
I will, of course, continue to blog ........... as regularly or irregularly as possible.
I will, of course, continue to blog ........... as regularly or irregularly as possible.
What a fabulous journey, Ma'am. I loved your writings and was truly inspired by them. Thank You!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind appreciation!
DeleteBeautiful journey, Anu. I believe whether you experience to get a learning or learn from other's experience, learning should never stop. And with your writings I grow every day. Thank you for all your posts, including this one.
ReplyDeleteThank you for being so engaged, Shilpa :-)
DeleteCrowning glory! On successful day 30! Touched!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Vatsala!
DeleteBeautiful journey Anu.The last one was the fruit you acquired for your dedicated work. The shloka can also be interpreted followingly along with the meaning given by you - Do your duty with dedication on which you have Adhikara and never bother about the fruit. There is no need to go after the Phala, Phala itself will follow you if the duty is done.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to say but little or some what difficult to follow. Thank you and good wishes. Kumuda
Thank you, Kumuda for yet another interpretation of the shloka, and for being a part of this journey.
Delete🤞🤞
ReplyDelete