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Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. Jai Guru.
Two days back a woman from Palghat came here. She was speaking well. She said, “I had come here earlier.” She started weeping, said that she had two sons. One of them died. The husband died sometime back. The other son got married. They thought that will bring some kind of a peace and joy to the family. But the son has got a child which is about 2 years or so old and the child does not speak at all. Most probably it is a case of autism. And she was weeping. Evidently these people come here to find some peace and consolation.
When one adversity or calamity after the other comes, what are we supposed to do? This child is recently born. In all probability, the child will continue to live as long as the parents are alive. Very rarely it is otherwise. The death of the son and also the death of the husband, both are a one time event and the person has gone, maximum we have memory of the people and some suffering associated with it. But here is an instance where unlike death, a defective child is born and the ceaseless task of managing the child, looking after the child, nursing the child is there. And what is this child? An autistic child.
One suffering is the death of two people, another suffering is the living of a child. When the human mind is being churned in this manner by the pairs of opposites, where is the salvation or what is the remedy? I spoke to her that "Your child, your son has died. The only way you can have relief and consolation is that our life in this world is not an option. We are all born without our permission or without our seeking. We only know when we grow a little old that we have been born. And we have been born into a world which has its own order, sequence, plights and fates. None of these is apparently submitting to our wish, will or otherwise."
We have a nose above the mouth. Why is the nose above the mouth and the eyes above the nose? We cannot say anything. It is so. We are on the Earth surrounded by air, to some extent by water, we have sun, moon and the other planets, stars, their rays and the like. This is the way world is. And we are born. Not only are we born, a number of other creatures also are born. Each creature has its own nature and course of life. We have ours. If all the animals and birds upon the Earth can and do live in spite of whatever situations surround them, whatever characteristics and habits they have... There are some animals and creatures which offer themselves as prey in front of the others.
I saw when I was travelling to the United States, one National Geographic scene. A buffalo is walking in the forest. About eight female lions started chasing. We may not normally have such a sight in front but photography has made it possible to see it. And they were approaching, approaching, the buffalo automatically got afraid and intimidated and finally these female lions pounced upon the animal and started scratching and eating. You know the sentiments I had while looking at the whole sight. What is this? Is there any meaning? It is not a straight attack. The buffalo is walking and these female lions are chasing from behind. Automatically the animal must have sensed the danger and he becomes weak, he is not able to walk, then all of them together pounce upon the animal and they start scratching and eating while the animal is still alive.
What do you think of the buffalo which has become a prey in this manner helplessly? Is it its defect, its wrong? And what about the helpless lions for whom this kind of a prey is fated by God or nature? So when I look at both, what shall I say? The lions are pouncing upon the animal only to have their grub meal. And without meals they cannot live. What will they eat? They cannot eat earth. This kind of vegetarian animals they prey on. In preying, can I blame them? In being preyed, can I blame the animal?
The question is, do I have that balance, that harmony, that loftiness or refinement, describe it in any manner you like, by virtue of which I can think of the sight, look at the sight without having a partial view about either the buffalo or the lions? Do you mean to say our life is any different or is it even worse? We generally do not have such a situation in our life. Nobody pounces upon us making us his or her prey. So many such buffaloes are being preyed and eaten while the animal is still alive. It is not that they eat after killing the animal.
See, I found that their mouth, their teeth, their gums, they are all blood-red. It is not a good sight to see. They don’t wash their teeth, they don’t have any hygiene to be kept, like that so many creatures are there. Finally we come to the human beings.
So I told her, "My dear woman, we are nobody to question it and unnecessarily cry and weep. The birth of a child is something over which we don’t have any interference, we have no scope. A child is born, before that he is conceived and when the child is alright, well and good. When it is not alright, what can we say? It becomes a great burden. This is a situation where one has to either understand more or try to be submissive and reconcile with whatever comes. One is a path of wisdom, another is a path of surrender and attunement.
"Anyway, your son has died, you have not killed him." Generally youngsters live and old people or grown up people go. There are rare instances where the youngsters go and the elders live. She said, “I would like to come and stay here for a few days. I want to have peace.”
Just imagine, what is this world like? Do you know that I am writing Mahabharatam and I wanted to know clearly what is mentioned about how Drona died? Such a great person, glorious person, unconquerable hero in war, additionally an ascetic and austere Brahmin, somehow he was forced to participate in the war siding Duryodhana. Neither Drona nor Bhishma nor Kripa nor any of the elders wanted to side and fight with Duryodhana but they did have to, because they were living in Hastinapura throughout. And then Drona says, “When I am up and active with my bow and arrow, none in this world can face me and put me down.” At the same time he had to die.
So an episode took place whereby an Ashwathama elephant was killed and this story was communicated to him, finally he said, “I will lay down my weapons.” You know, I think repeatedly, Drishtadyumna who was born to kill Drona went with a sword and cut his neck. Was this great man supposed to have such an end? He had dropped, kept his weapons down and sat on the chariot in a yogic pose and he was absorbed within. At that time there was a Drishtadyumna who came absolutely mercilessly to cut off his neck.
See, in a fight when two people are encountering each other, if one arrow hits another or one weapon is used to kill the other, we can understand. But here is a person who has abandoned his weapons and who sits in a yogic pose with no intention of fight and then his head is cut. There had to be a Drishtadyumna who could do this merciless and treacherous act seemingly. And there was also an incident where Drona paved a way for it. So, I am still imagining these things. I told that woman, “You read Mahabharatam. A number of instances are described there and by reading these pathetic and puzzling stories and events with a sense of realism, our mind will pick up strength, depth, vision and loftiness so that we will be able to live in any manner and under any circumstances. The only way is to have a largeness of the heart - a state beyond love, hatred, sympathy, emotion, jealousy etc. and it is possible.
I started from a practical household problem and I am ending up with a note of divinity and spiritual transcendence. I would like you to think about this and develop a sense of expansion in you.
Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.
