Sunday, March 11, 2012

Who the hell are you?




Fifteen years ago, as highly successful industrialists our family was very comfortable and we had almost everything we desired. We had it all.

It was after lunch one day that my brother  Parvinder and I, decided to go for a walk  around the neighbourhood. Dressed too casually in shorts,  T shirt and sandals we walked around for a while before we came to a bungalow complex where a friend lived.  We were thirsty and decided to go to his home and get something to drink.

Shockingly the security watchman refused to let us enter the complex. We initially tried reasoning with the rigid oaf, then demanding, and finally threatening him that he would lose his job. All to no avail, he was one stubborn man.

Not being able to quench our thirst was one matter but when the watchman asked, "Who the hell are you? I don't know you." our egos really took a beating.

This very same watchman would leap into action to fling open the gates of the complex whenever we drove into the complex in our Mercedes, now refused to let us enter. What was wrong with this man?  I was upset and getting angrier by the minute.

My philosophical and logical brother said, "Hey! he does not recognize us, he recognizes only our cars. Since we are now on foot the man is acting silly. Let's forget this rude man and your friend, let's just go home, we will be there in ten minutes"

Blinded by my ego and inflated impressions about myself,  I learnt nothing from that experience until almost a decade later. In the intervening years our industries grew from strength to strength only to unfortunately collapse during the next recession.

With the downfall was lost most of our material possessions and now we stood as individuals, laid bare without those superficial layers of wealth with which we adorned ourselves. It was a time of reckoning.

The world had nothing to offer to heal my spirit and my thoughts turned to God and I began to introspect. I found incredible courage in prayer and meditation, and thanked my elders for having taught me  how to reach out to God. 
I finally realised that in essence, there was this little soul of mine and that great soul of our Creator and nothing else that really mattered. With this realisation came a liberation of the being and I was born anew.

Irrelevant was my rank or the glittering riches and the props I used to define myself. I began to look for meaning in my existence and finally discovered that living each moment that I am nothing and a nobody except what my Creator wishes me to be. 


The higher we rise materially the more pompous we become with an increasing fragile ego. The more we progress spiritually the more humble we become as the ego dissolves, and the stronger our being becomes. 


Only those that have felt pain and sorrow can truly appreciate joy. Only when one has faced destruction that we can begin to sense  the meaning of creation.

Keep me in palaces or in a hutment, rich or poor, alone or with dear ones, if I accept my destiny and do my sincere best the joy will always be there.




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Albert Einstein once said, "Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value."
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13 comments:

  1. Gurcharn Dang says;

    True, but easier to suffer in a mansion than a hut.

    gdang@softrim.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. True,
    I love your responses.
    But would it not be better if we did not have to suffer.
    After all Happiness is a state of mind.

    Someone once said Money can't buy you happiness but sure can help make up for lack of it.

    Good Luck & God Bless you

    Gurvinder

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gurcharn Dand says;


    No, you have to suffer, that is the only way you can recognize happiness.

    Our brains can only process relativity. We would not know that we are happy with being unhappy.

    gdang@softrim.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Shekhar Naik said,

    Like they say - der aaye durust aaye!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Shekhar,

    'Ayye to nahin, magar humara Chehra sahai tharaf mud gaya'.
    My journey has just begun but I like to believe I am on the right path.

    Cheers

    Rainy

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ashwini says,

    Gurvinder, one of my favourite Buddhist sayings encourages one to look at both beggar and millionaire and say "But for my birth, there go I..."
    Vital lesson in respectful attitude and a great tool to bust your ego!

    Good reading! Thank you!

    Ashwini Khare Dasgupta

    ReplyDelete
  7. Daksha Raval says;

    So true Rene......simply love reading your fwds . get to learn a lot on life....

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Daksha,

    You are as usual gracious and kind particularly to your friends.
    I am greatly encouraged by the fact that my thoughts and writing make a differenc in the lives of people and particularly my friends.

    Look forward to catching up with you God willingly, soon.

    Regards
    Rainy

    ReplyDelete
  9. Shreekant Apte says;

    How true . . . . and we again met by chance . . . by Destiny . . .!!
    It was nice meeting you . . .

    Shreekant

    ReplyDelete
  10. Krishna Chaitanya Vakati (MAG) wrote:

    Wonderful, wonderful blog sirji!
    The sooner we realise this, the more happy u r! GOD BLESS !!

    ReplyDelete
  11. janak hathiramani wrote:

    Hi Gurvinder,
    WOW (means Words of Wisdom)

    Janak

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dear Bhaya,

    You are gracious and kind. Thanks a lot for WOK (words of kindness)
    God Bless
    Gurvinder

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jerry Suyavong wrote by email:

    Mr. Singh,

    It has been a while since we interacted.
    I share your view and experience. I do believe that "for everything that goes up, it must come back down".

    However, like a ball, if it comes down, it can also bounce back up and this time, make sure it stays up for a long time so that when it comes back down, you will have something to cheerish without going back up.

    Cheers,
    Jerry

    ReplyDelete