The Path - Part 2

Please read my earlier post - The Path - before reading this post  (http://ravi4corners.blogspot.in/2014/12/the-path.html). In this post the word "I" has been used more for ease of writing - it could be read as "You", "We", "S/he". 

I turned around from the temple and walked back. I began a new journey in the same path again. It was very dark and there were no lights. I was not carrying my mobile and so could not switch it on for light. There was a gentle breeze and it brought Belief with it. As I let Belief in, I realized that there was enough light inside me to light up my path and I did just that. It reminded me of what the South Indian Cinema Hero, Superstar Rajnikanth said, "En vazhi, thani vazhi" - translated as "My journey/path is a unique one"...Yes, everyone's journey is unique and only you have to decide it.

As I walked down the path, I was a totally different person. I had always believed that this body and mind was me and that it was there to experience this world around me. When I realized that I am not this body or the mind, I became a different vehicle altogether. A vehicle that included everything and everybody. A vehicle that let me understand that I was part of everything and everybody. A vehicle that lets the gentle breeze of belief in, that shines forth light and that steers through storms. I realized that this new me was going to make a totally different journey this time. Suddenly, all my past journeys in this path flashed in front of my eyes. I could see and remember every journey that I had taken on this path. I could remember and understand all the learnings from the various journeys that I had taken in this path. It was as though I had been on this path hundreds of times. The path became clear, there was no need for light and I seemed to know every nook and cranny.

In all my earlier journeys I had veered from the extreme left to the extreme right of the path. All of these were to ensure that the slush in the path does not dirty my trousers. This time I realized that I was in the stone and in the slush. That my trousers could not get dirty as I was in everything and everything was in me. So, I walked the middle path led by Belief. The path seemed different. I could see millions of other people in their journey. Funny, I had not noticed so many of them earlier. I was touching so many of them and they were touching me. I was talking to them along the way and some liked what I said and were in awe whilst the others moved on.  The different temples that I visited gave me different points of views and the learning was immense.

As I continued on the path, it took me to a garden. I had never seen this in my previous journeys. It was filled with flowers. Each flower seemed to have a word written on it. I bent down to read the words - I could find love, hate, truth, untruth, like, dislike, shallow, deep, God, Devil, good, bad...and the list continued. I looked at all the flowers. They were beautiful individually. However, I decided to sow a seed in the midst of them all. So, I selected a spot and searched for the packet in my bag. I found it. As I pulled out the packet to take out the seed, I saw the word "Belief" written on the packet. So, I took out the seed Belief and sowed it in the spot I selected. I am not sure how long it took to sprout...it seemed a long time. When it did, out came a beautiful plant with a flower. All of a sudden, all the other flowers circled around this flower and became a beautiful composite flower. Belief had brought love, hate, truth, untruth, like, dislike, shallow, deep, God, Devil, good, bad and all the other flowers together. It was one huge composite flower. It was then that I realized that each human being is like this composite flower. We are made up of these smaller flowers. We have everything in us. What we become, depends on what we decide to nurture and how we convert that in to action.

I was reminded of a story. One evening, an old man told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."  The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old man simply replied, "the one that you feed".

During this journey, I had decided to feed the good wolf, convert my deeds to be constructive and sow the seed of Belief. When there was light outside, I enjoyed the journey. When it was dark outside, I decided to let the light from within shine forth. I had begun to understand that the light outside is because of the light from within. This new journey filled me with ecstasy and bliss…not just happiness. This is the bliss that I was trying to share with everyone I touched.

Time seemed too short for me to reach everyone in this journey. Somehow, I knew that there were and would be others who would take a similar journey in this path. As I turned the corner, I suddenly saw a bright light. It welcomed me with a wide smile and with arms open. I stopped and looked at the light. I turned around to look at the path and could not see one. I saw a temple had come up right behind me and blocked my view of the path. I turned back confused. The light gestured to me to look beyond the temple to see the path. But I could not find it. I decided to peer in to the temple that had come up so suddenly behind me and without my knowledge. As I peered in I was shocked to see an idol of me and many bowing down to pray.  I came out of the temple and the light was already there waiting for me with a large smile. It gave me a real warm hug as I dissolved in to it.