Many seekers witness a lull in their sadhana. They feel that they are a rudderless boat going nowhere, that there is no change in them. Anger, greed, lust, jealousy and the like still unsettle their minds despite all efforts.
How does one know if one has progressed, or that one is moving in the right direction, as there are no milestones on this path? To such a seeker Ramana Maharishi replied, “Why don’t you do what the first class railway passenger does? If you could trust your Guru (the lord, through complete surrender) as much as you trust the railway guard, it would be quite enough to make you reach your destination. Your business is to shut the doors and windows (of doubts, fears, and worries) and sleep (with full faith). The guard will wake you up at your destination.”
It is the nature of the common man to worry. He finds it hard to disengage his mind from worry and keeps trying to solve problems mentally, as if he could. There is this very engaging story of Mulla Nasiruddin, who was seen throwing crumbs around his house. On enquiry by a neighbour, he replied, “this is to keep the tigers away”. “But there are no tigers in these parts”, said the neighbour. “That’s right, see how effective this is?” That’s how we all feel, that our worry will surely bear fruit.
Even today, astronomers have discovered millions of galaxies in space that are ten billion light years away. Our whole earth is a microcosmic particle of one small galaxy, and on that earth is India, then Delhi, then your colony, then your house, and then the insignificant YOU, soon to be clean balled, without a trace. Let’s learn to trust the commander of these galaxies. Slowly shift that bundle of fears onto His shoulder.
Prarthna Saran, President Chinmaya Mission Delhi. Email: prarthnasaran@gmail.com