After coming back from cycling I was waiting for my turn to take a bath, as the bathroom was occupied, I began  reading on os.me Digest: ‘The 5 R’s of Creative Nonfiction’. And my nephew was watching a Netflix series. Wait a minute! my nephew is just 12 years old and was watching a Netflix series!

An auditor’s mind immediately went on to enquire about the content of the series further. It said 18+, Violence, Language, and Sex. I immediately countered him by saying “It is not for you. Please stop watching it.” My words got Didi’s attention who did not waste a second and started scolding him and giving motherly threats. Poor chap, he was just watching what was available. I immediately realised my mistake of not following Swamiji’s way of talking with a kid. We cannot convince by just countering him, something else was required. And I went into the bathroom with such clinging thoughts.

The hot water started flowing into the bucket, mixing with cold water and filling the room with steam, and me thinking about the problem of how to make him realise that he should not watch such content, even when we are not around.

How to convince him that his mind is not ready for such content yet? Then came a deep realisation that even when my mind, again and again, wants to understand god through intellect, it starts to feel anxious. But it should not, as the mind is not ready. Or maybe our intellect is not designed to comprehend god. With this truth of mine, I thought, the best I could do is experience god by being having godly sentiment (bhav). Being kind, happy, experiencing good, thinking good, Doing good karmas. Hence, Live Love Laugh and Give. EUREKA.! No, no I did not run out of the bathroom. But I committed to myself that let’s make this bath a memorable one, by bathing mindfully and enjoying each drop of warm water passing over my body. And let me tell you, it was indeed heaven, experiencing the warm water on a tired body after cycling and that too in cold weather in a room filled up with steam all around. I enjoyed every bit of it, coming out refreshed like a new birth and in mind, I was thinking of writing the first blog, prepared after reading os.me digest. Thank you.

Anyways, after this realisation, I framed an example for my nephew and asked him “Do you know what is Sin Theta in Mathematics?” to which he replied, “No, what is that?” I tried to explain him but he stopped me in between and said ” I cannot understand, it is something my brain is not ready for.”

“Similarly there are certain things your mind can not understand, until you achieve a certain level of understanding like in Mathematics. The content which you were watching on Netflix has certain concepts that can make you confused, or maybe violent or may make you think about the unthinkable for your little exposed mind. And you may form a wrong opinion about life. But as you grow up and attain a level of thinking and an evolved thought process, where you can judge that these series as mere a source of entertainment not an inspiration, then you are ready to watch it. And no one will stop you.”

He was listening quietly while sipping his mango drink and nodding. I hope he understood, do you think he did?