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Road Rage… October 26, 2007

Posted by tharinid in Self discipline.
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My biggest failing is impatience. It always has been impatience, and this one negative trait has a domino effect on my life in the problems that it creates. This same impatience, also extends to the roads when I am driving. I don’t seem to like speed limits much. I always feel the need to go at least 5 mph above the prescribed limit. And when I am on the road, I am not a benevolent driver. I don’t feel kindly towards other drivers. If its an especially slow driver just in front of me, I huff and I puff in exasperation, and try to find the closest gap in which I can hop over to the next lane, overtake the slow tortoise and just be on my way! If its a fast and reckless driver, I cuss and wonder aloud what all the hurry is about. I shake my head and think he is crazy. And I make flat judgements if I see that it is a lady driver. I don’t have a good opinion of women drivers. If someone from the next lane indicates with a signal that he wants to come to my lane, my first basic instinct is to speed ahead and not give him the leeway. In short, I have a lot of road rage. And its a disease.

Which gets ahold of you in the most unobtrusive way possible and turns you into a demon, capable of the most vile thoughts. But where there is a grave problem, there is also HOPE. And for me that hope lies in this quest I have undertaken. To find the true nature of my soul. This quest….is bringing amazing possibilities my way. And by making me introspect, it is making me hit gently on the brakes, slow down a little and just go on cruise mode. It is extinguishing the volatile flames of my impatience and anger, and dousing it a bit. The aftermath is a cool silence.

Now, when an especially slow driver navigates ahead of me, my first instant reaction is still impatience, but coming quickly in its wake…is also a little prayer of acknowledgement. Thank you dear driver, for helping me slow down my life. Thank you for helping me adhere to speed limits. Thank you for making me a little slower and a lot more safe. God bless you.

When a car weaves recklessly in and out of traffic, missing collisions by a hair’s breadth, I do still shake my head. But its with a lot more humility than before. And it is followed by another prayer…Oh fast one…pray…don’t rush so. Pay heed to your safety and that of others. Slow down. May God keep you safe from yourself, always.

When someone gives me room to change lanes comfortably, I bless his soul and feel eternally grateful and send vibes of goodwill his way.

And when someone wants to shift lanes, I back off a little, give him the room he needs and think…Welcome to my lane…do let us be pleasant travellers.

My impatience is slowly evaporating, even when I am running late. For if I am running late, it is because of my own disorganisation in being unable to make good time. What use is it to curse other drivers and signals and generally wreak havoc with my thoughts?? And more than anything else, I realise that in speeding up to get someplace…I am only saving like what….1 min? 2 ? 10 ? Big deal! And whenever I feel like speeding, I stop and think…Is this a matter of life and death?Just that one simple question and the answer is always a flat and resounding NO. Nothing is sooo important or crucial that I have to unleash my impatience, and jeopardise my safety, my children’s safety and my fellow travellers. NOTHING.

And so…everyday as I pull out the driveway, I look to the Ganesha figurine on my dashboard and say silently to the great cosmic charioteer….Oh Parthasarathy…please be my Sarathy!

Unlimited… October 17, 2007

Posted by tharinid in Daily Reflections messages.
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I am subscribed to receive daily thoughts from Sahaj Marg. The message today was particularly fascinating to me. Posting it here so I have a ready reference to it.

Unlimited

So you see, the ultimate, perfect, divine worker works without working. And for him, all fields are his fields, though he belongs to no fields. He heals minds without being a psychiatrist. He heals bodies without being a doctor. He heals plants without being a botanist. What is he? He is nothing. How can he be all these, being nothing? Only he who is nothing, can be everything. Only he who has nothing, can have everything, because for him everything is his. Now, these scientists, at any level of authority and performance and capacity, are limited to their fields. But He is unlimited. So, by definition, a field limits. Do we want limitations? No. Then what have we to do? Being what you are, rise above what you are, to that which we must be. This is the truth.

Does God exist? – A light take… October 11, 2007

Posted by tharinid in Inspirational stories.
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A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: “I don’t believe that God exists.”" Why do you say that?”asked the customer.

“Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists,would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can’t imagine loving a God who would allow all of these things.”

The customer thought for a moment, but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: “You know what? Barbers do not exist.”

” How can you say that?”asked the surprised barber. “I am here, and I am a barber.And I just worked on you!”

“No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.”

“Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me.”

“Exactly !”- affirmed the customer. “That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don’t go to Him and do not look for Him. That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.”