Peace-the quality of our Soul

Last night on 23^rd Jan, I slept in deep peace. Something mystical conjured up before I was retiring to bed. As is the practice every night, I washed my face by splashing some tap water and began preparing myself for a good night’s sleep. While I was  brushing, I smelt something heavenly near me. There was a waft of jasmine incense stick scent sweeping in my area and it caught my attention instantaneously. I was quick to perceive and identify the alluring ethereal scent  in the atmosphere. It was very distinct. I spoke to myself,  “This is not the ordinary Jasmine fragrance I know of, though it is similar to the one I have at home.” My extra sensory perceptions were heightened and I continued thinking “Definitely, there is something supernatural happening around me. A celestial being is near me at this moment and wishes to convey something. But who can it be? Why has He appeared before me? What am I to understand and grasp from all this?”

I comprehended and perceived the identity of the Divine Soul right then with whom I am very familiar with and was obviously delighted and felt so blessed. Not ready to miss this blessed moment, I went in my room without allowing my mind to get engaged in its trivial and frittering movements. I sat quietly on my bed with no lights. I bowed unpretentiously to my beloved astral accomplice of those blissful moments. I then meditated upon the pious and serene image of this compassionate saint and waited in expectancy to receive his bountiful gifts.

Within a few seconds, I slipped into a spell of calmness and tranquility and began to experience profound peace vibrations falling all over me. The room was radiating with abundant peace and I tried to absorb every little ray of peace floating around me. I became calmer and more calmer and the mind melted completely in the calm sea of peace and bliss. I continued sitting still without moving and was bathing in joyful peace. My eyes were closed and on my forehead, cheeks, head and shoulders as well as on arms were falling glimmering rays of golden Light one by one buoyantly. I got completely softened, melted  and immersed in the golden glow of mellow luminosity!

During such glorious moments, I submitted myself at the Lord’s feet and sincerely requested Him to suggest to me what I must write next in the upcoming post of mine. “I, in all humility and submission offer each word that I write to the Merciful Father, the endower of all creative works.”  I spoke politely to Him. With such wonderful thoughts, I went to sleep peacefully. So peaceful were the last moments that I woke up on light ethereal wings and I yearned to experience those sublime moments once more after absorbing the leftover divine beatific rays!

The morning that followed was a distinguished one. I returned to the same spot and began to concentrate on the inner illuminating eye. The connection with the inner Self seemed effortless on that day. Enlightening thoughts began to brim over one by one and I could comprehend that this is because of last night’s ‘classic encounter’ of mine. So I consolidated previous night’s sojourn with the Deity within me who began to speak in its own distinctive language and speech! Ideas and thoughts began to flow with his benign flow of Grace!

My dear daughter, now this is for you….

During the meditation span, I started getting insights regarding the current situations of our country as well as the world from the viewpoint of the liberated souls of the saints and mahayogis who are not in their physical body at present but they still wish to communicate something to us. Doors to an entirely new subject were opened for me and I saw their  wide and broad-minded opinion of  a global vision during meditation. The current economic and political situation is not only our concern today, but also for them. They are more concerned than any of us I feel. I began to understand this more and more during the passing moments and clarity crept in.

To those liberated souls, progress in spirit and the events of the world are of equal concern as these events affect our lives and future in many serious ways. We cannot be indifferent to the circumstances around us. It is the limited mind which thinks otherwise. God speaks to us in so many ways you see! Sometimes through nature, sometimes through bizarre incidents and sometimes through the medium of saints. Man doubts God’s existence and His power existing behind the presence of life on the earth. But God is very, very compassionate and is looking after and protecting humanity by conveying peace messages through Divine Souls. Like god, the liberated souls are equally concerned about bringing peace upon the world for progress and prosperity.

Look at the phase through which our country  and the whole world for that matter, is passing through now-a-days. Many developmental and economic reforms were undertaken in our country in the last few years and there was a boom. People were thrilled and were beginning to expect the country to take a giant leap by its emerging as a super economic power. But with the  recent abrupt halt we now see gloom. There is a downturn and all eyes are on the President of US, who won the elections recently as to what economic and political policies will he adopt and the consequent results they will have on the other countries as well.

Now let’s look at this particular scene from the view point of spiritualism and humanitarianism put together. The question is can only bringing about economic reforms and developments, changing political situations bring about peace and prosperity in the world? Can there be prosperity for all of us only by making life more abundant, comfortable and tizzy? Let’s assume for a moment that all the nations of the world have Presidents or Prime Ministers who are ideally suited and have only one mission- serving the people. Will we still be done? If every person benefits (which is incredibly impossible) from the incredible economic and political waves of reforms, will then each man be happy? If not, then let’s think, what is missing here?

From the spiritual viewpoint- no, he won’t. Because-

Apart from economic, social and political correctness, the man also needs something more, something else. And that is peace! Man thrives on peace. We must have peace in the world, peace in our country, at home, at office and peace everywhere.

Many years ago, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and his peace plans were thwarted. Look at the social and political scene of the two neighbouring countries at present. There are no signs of peace but only conflict and violence. War, hatred, economic rivalry, petty ideals make our world narrow and difficult and unsafe to live in. Our countrymen are being divided and further divided into smaller groups for personal petty gains by people in power and politics. Therefore, corrective measures as individuals, groups as well as nations need to be taken  soon. If the President of US is today taking corrective measures to bring about peace in the world by resolving and amending the conflict between warring groups and countries, let’s join in the world family and wish good for all and pray for him and others too, so that there is lasting peace established in the world that we live in today.

These days, I am flipping through the  pages of  ‘Savitri‘. I understood some paras well. The following lines convey similar line of thoughts which I have picked up and am writing  for you.

 In ignorance and nescience are our roots.

A growing register of calamities

Is the past’s account, the future’s book of Fate:

The centuries pile man’s follies and man’s crimes

Upon the countless crowd of Nature’s ills;

As if the world’s stone was not enough,

A crop of miseries obstinately sown

By his own hand in the furrows of the gods,

The vast increasing tragic harvest reaped

From old misdeeds buried by oblivious Time.

He walks by his own choice into Hell’s trap;

This mortal creature is his own worst foe.

His science is an artificer of doom;

He ransacks earth for means to harm his kind;

He slays his happiness and others’ good.

Nothing has he learnt from Time and its history.

   ‘ Savitri’ Canto II  by Sri Aurobindo.

In this Universe, of which we are a part, there is a constant play of God and anti-God forces. When the anti-God forces increase in the form of unrest, agitation, violence, unrighteousness or adharma, crimes and other sinful acts, there is chaos, disruption of peace plans and prosperity.

Our world is going through the era of ‘Kalyug’. The basic characteristics of the Kalyug man are greed, selfishness and materialism. With such characteristics, where is the scope of peace in his mind?

Greed divides man from man, society from  society, one nation from another nation. If only we could realize that true happiness comes from peace within and not by satisfying our selfish materialistic goals and impulses and passing pleasures, we can make our ‘Home’, the world a better and worth living  place for all of us.

Hope you understand the underlying many good thoughts and golden rules of spirituality which are interwoven in this thought provoking post.

So my dear girl, we, as responsible citizens and devotees of God must pray for peace for the  world and for ourselves. When you remember God in your meditations and prayers, bring down peace in your heart, in your mind and disperse it everywhere you go. Bring down peace for yourself, for your family, for your neighbourhood, for the country and for the whole world. During meditation, chant the mantra- ‘Om shanti, shanti, shanti Om’ many times. The holy word Om has peace vibrations, its frequency is such that it creates creative energies in the environment we live in. Shanti means peace. Shanti word dispels agitation in the mind and relieves the body from restlessness and mental agitations. It is a powerful mantra. Chant it whenever you can, wherever you go.

This is the ideal way to offer our contributions towards our Mother Earth, Nature and our planet as a whole. We owe a lot towards them, don’t we?  In return we must spread vibrations of peace on the place we live in. Do you recall this mantra from Upanishada?

Om Sarve bhavantu sukhina. Sarve santu niramaya. Sarve bhadrani pashyantu.  Ma kashchit dukhbhag bhavet. Om Shanti, shanti, shanti Om!

May all be happy. May all be without diseases. May all have well being. May none have misery of any type.

                                                                                                                          Brihadaaranyaka    Upnishada 1.4.14

(This post is dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace. Today is 30^th Jan, Gandhiji’s death anniversary)