Freedom – A Conscious Choice.

Pranams, to my Guru – OM Swami (The One – Who is ever in the Bhav of Blessing Boons). Going through his inspirational discourses, I reflected if my experiences could add 2 cents to someone’s life instead of sitting idle in my head.

Here is an intricate episode from about few months ago – when desire to travel far-off places and closely observe life of ascetics hit me. Incidentally it coincided with advent of the pandemic, which left me with very little options to move around. Nevertheless, I did came across one true Yogi who readily accepted my request to follow him on his journey. Without divulging into much details, all I can share is that he himself was on a long aimless tour, wandering around the country for no specific reason. Seeing him doing – what I had planned for, provided tangible support to my rationale of doing it.

As I followed him through the journey over next few months, I soon realized that living around a realized being was mixed bag of expectations being broken and insights being gained. Daily routine was strange in more ways than usual. Nothing was “Done On Purpose” but everything was “Happening” as if derived from the ZEN philosophies. Two square meals, walk in the jungle and short talks on my queries constituted ordinary part of the day while “Effortlessness” involved in doing so was the extra-ordinary thing he personified.

Strangely –  no scriptural recitals, prayers or rituals had any place in his daily routine, which are generally taken as indicators of religious living. In stark contrast, these were suggested best to be avoided – which initially came as a shock to me. While he made me understand and adjust to this new way of spiritual life, many talks ensued explaining the rationality behind.

Here is one such dialogue that captures gist of it:

Me: “Baba ji, why do you advocate against spiritual practices?”

Baba Ji: “All spiritual practices are performed through the Mind. How can any act done through the mind, annihilate it ? Rather it strengthens it with each repetition.”

Me:  “Then can we not request the mother nature (By way of Prayer/ Sadhana) to pardon us of our sins and release us from her control, to be free ?”

Baba Ji: “It’s ‘us’ who bind her with our beliefs, desires and emotions through the Mind.  As we free our mind of these feelings, there is nothing left to cling on. That’s freedom.”

Silence followed, while I tried to get my mind around suggestion I had just received. Is it actually not the right way to see all this?

Are we not captive of our own emotions, beliefs & desires while we pass onus of it onto something external(Gods)?

I leave you with these questions and thoughts to ponder upon. 

In service of my Gurus.

Disclaimer: I ride same boat as everyone else who relate to this.