Journeys
It’s the time of the year when as per the traditional calender the Founder of Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust, Swami Rama dropped his body with full consciousness. It also happens to be the time of the year when the festival of lights is celebrated. As I was taking a walk early in the morning, saw two young maidens – one walking her cycle (with umpty number of small plastic containers) and the other one shivering through her thin cardigan. This is the picture of our next generation and my mind went over to the work of the last 25 years. One group of co-workers demand that as a 50 year old I’m too old to continue, one team of staff feels ‘catering to the poor’ now is to cater to the urban poor (as people seek to leave the villages in terms of better opportunities), the team that is going high places (at macro level) feels the garbage and waste disposal at public places is the work of the municipalities (which indeed it is).
And my mind goes back to the talisman given by Mahatma Gandhi, ‘Recall the face of the poorest and weakest man/woman whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him/her. Will he/she gain anything by it? Will it restore him/her to a control over his/her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?’.
As I journey back, knowing that today is also the day when the ashes of one of my teacher’s student (who is himself a teacher to many students) has been brought all the way from America to be immersed in the Ganges, I pay tribute to this lineage of the Himalayan sages.
Close your eyes and you will see clearly.
Cease to listen and you will hear truth.
Be silent and your heart will sing.
Seek no contact and you will find union.
Be still and you will move on the tide of the spirit.
Be gentle and you will need no strength.
Be patient and you will achieve all things.
Be humble and you will remain entire.
Sri Swami Rama of the Himalayas.
