Friday, April 13, 2012

Sailing with the Tides

It was half past ten o’clock in the night and I had not yet crossed Karnal bypass on national highway. I was returning home from Patiala alone and that day being a Sunday, night traffic was not heavy, but due to the six-lane highway constructions between Panipat and Jalandhar cities, there were lots of diversions on the national highway number-one. I was driving very much within the speed limit of 90-KMPH and suddenly a dumper-truck loaded with stone chips stopped in front of my car and in spite of applying the brakes; I could not avoid the collision and hit the truck with a big bang. My car’s front-half portion was smashed very badly and gone inside the dumper; simultaneously the car-engine caught fire.

I was rather surprised that the car was burning, my body was profusely bleeding with deep injuries and wounds but I was not feeling any pain; how come? I could not make-out what was happening to me. In between lots of people had gathered at the accidental site, some people were running around and trying to put the fire off and few of them were working very hard to take out my body in one piece from the damaged car.

Suddenly, I saw an old man around sixty years of age, tall, fair, well-built, wearing very peculiar dress of an old Hindu god loaded with lots of gold and silver ornaments. He was wearing diamond earrings and golden crown which was studded with multiple gems and jewels. He was carrying one gold stick in his left hand and one book in his right hand. I could also see one chariot adorned with two very beautiful white horses standing next to the spot of the accident.

He looked like a very matured, peaceful and respected Angel (Dev-purush) and I saw him coming towards me. He extended his right hand to me and simply pulled me out from the car-window without any hurdle or hindrance. I came out in one piece standing next to him but I was literally shocked when I looked back and saw myself still sitting in that damaged car? I was surprised with wonders and questioning myself, am I dead? The person who was standing next to me, was the representative of Yamraj (God of Deaths) who had come to take me along to the paradise?

I was unable to draw any conclusion when the old man said: “Don’t worry my son, this was the time and place of our first meeting, and I am happy that we met just in time, you see; I am Yaksha Dev, my son”. I folded both my hands and bowed my head in respect and offered my Pranams, but simultaneously asked him: ”I thought, you must have come from Yamalok?” He immediately interrupted me in between and said: “No my son, I have come from Paradise. Remember, you often used to talk with me, whenever you were alone and you had asked me thousands of questions and I have also tried to give you my answers through various modes, means and methods from time to time but today, when you were calling your late father for help repeatedly, who had left you ten years back, I could not control myself and decided to come and meet you personally; that’s why I came running at this place to see you in-person so that we can talk face to face. I am willing to answer all your pending questions once for all; may be, after listening to my replies, it will quench your long lasting thrust and you will finally become calm quiet and at peace with yourself, my son”.

He was still holding my hand and we started walking towards his chariot and after making me sit he took his place and said: “Start with your questions my son, I am listening?” I was almost in a panic and was about to collapse seeing all this happening. I was wondering if he had brought that accident just to meet with me, in which my car got badly damaged and I didn’t know whether I will be back in one piece or not. On top of it, he was saying that he had come to see me and offer his help in solving my problems by providing accurate, correct and the right answers to my various unresolved questions? But was he really crazy, mad or insane, how could he do such horrible things to me and play with my life like this. Moreover, who gave him this right to interfere in my life, at the first place, damn it, who he thinks himself to be?

He said with a very warm smile: “I don’t need anybody’s permission to move around. It’s my decision, desire and wish, when, where and how will I reach my next destination. Therefore, don’t waste time on irrelevant things and start asking questions, my son, you are running out of time: come on now start, I am listening?”

What question, I don’t want to ask him any question; as a matter of fact, I don’t have any question, in fact I don’t remember any questions right now. I didn’t know what was happening to my mind and when I looked back and checked in my memory bank, I could see only a clean slate and not a single question was written on it. Some how, I tried to remember few questions with lots of efforts but without any success, nothing came alive in my mind as if I never had any questions in my life at the first place.

I have just fixed up my daughter’s marriage for October this year; I have to send my younger daughter for M. Tech. in Information Technology coming July; besides I have to admit my wife to the hospital for her sciatica treatment; my mother has to go for cataract operation ensuing summer and finally, I have to be at the services of my Rehnuma and Saheb ji, once again because I have promised them that I would come back and serve them in this life time.

I also have to meet my very dear friend in-person for the first time after so many years and last but not the least, I have to complete my book before the end of this year. So many things are pending, tell me my Lord, how can I die now; no-no, I can’t afford death at this very moment. I think there must be some kind of mistake at your end, may be some confusion at your office; there are so many people with similar names alive on this earth. Moreover, in my Punjabi community, even the father’s name is also similar and matching. Therefore, please check your records once more, thoroughly and then send a messenger; please for God’s sake, it’s my humble request to you, my Lord.

How can you be so careless, casual and callous, no you can’t commit such mistakes, my Lord, not at all, you cannot afford to make such blunders? You know very well that such matters have to be dealt with extra care, concern, caution and very precisely; after all, it’s a question of someone’s life and death, you can’t be so casual and careless, my Lord? I just want to remind you that you can’t be wrong in your calculation at the first place, it’s a serious issue and offense my Lord. I am sorry, but you can’t have this luxury, no chance, no-way my beloved God?

This kind of senseless and stupid conversation was going on in my mind and the Yakasha Dev was sitting just in front of me, very cool, calm and quiet. He was staring at me with his big, deep and sharp eyes. Finally he said: “Whatever is going-on in your mind right now is all created by you and to be more precise, it’s your illusion, misconception, notion and your own wishes that all the things should happen in your life the way you think right, but my son, life is not predictable, neither is it science nor mathematics. You can’t predict two plus two four all the time, but in real life it can be three or sometimes five also.

Nevertheless, I have seen you driving your boat always against the wind-pressure and flow of water; wasting your precious energy, efforts and time by sailing in opposite direction, which is very much against the nature. Please don’t do it, be with the Mother Nature, go and swim with the tide, pull-up all the anchors and the mainsail from your boat and let it be free from all corners, concerns and conditions, sail it free from all the fears and allow the boat to swim with the wind and you simply sit silently on the boat and just be a witness, just be non-committal and let the boat sail with the tide, and flow just flow with the wind, let it go, wherever the flow of water takes you, don’t stop for God-sake, just go with the flow. Surrender yourself in HIS hands and you will find yourself landed at the destination without any difficulty or struggle, trust me”.

“As a matter of fact, you will find the destination very closer to your place, but you were unnecessarily sailing in the opposite direction through-out your life, hence this lead to confusion, chaos, delay and total mess in your life. Although you were moving ahead in your journey of life, but in real terms not towards the ultimate destination; instead it was just quite contrary, as a matter of fact, with each step taken forward you were actually going two steps backward”.

He further said: “Therefore, just relax and accept his verdict happily you will always get HIS indications and instructions, just try to listen and understand his signals and you will find your life-boat sailing easily, smoothly and trouble free. You always thought that you were sitting behind the wheel of  your life-vehicle and can steer your life as per your dreams, desires and wishes but my son, the fact remains that you have always reached at the wrong place at the wrong time with wrong people, so to say; where you never wanted to be at the first place; and it becomes more frustrating when you don’t exactly know how to get back-home. You are still hunting that place which could be simply your illusion, wild goose chase or a stupid idea. Therefore, stop pretending, that you were the master of your life. Let the real Master do HIS job the way HE thinks it fit, fine and right. Therefore, don’t come in-between and create any hindrance, obstruction, problem and simply obey his instructions; stop resisting without raising any objections or question and you will be surprised to see all your problems resolved within no time and you will find yourself amalgamated, mixed and submerged with the universe; the way HE wants you to be, it is that simple, my son, welcome abode!”

Suddenly I found myself being pulled out of the bed and I woke up. It was my wife shouting: “Please get up, it is already 7 O'clock in the morning and you are getting late for the office”. I woke up with a jerk and found myself still alive and kicking!!! Was I dreaming? Oh no-no, but was it a dream? But if yes, then indeed a very good revealing dream! Thank you my Lord and thank you Yaksh-Dev for all the assistance, guidance and help. I bow my head once again for such a nice sojourn with you. Come again Yaksh Dev, I shall be anxiously looking forward for your visit soon, very soon, my Lord!!!

With prayers
Gurcharan



No comments:

Post a Comment