Divinity in a Flash
Surrounded by lofty mountains and the serpentine Ganga, nestled in the small town of Narendra Nagar is the Ananda Spa. Our stay at Ananda was getting over and in the course of discussion over lunch; the thought to raft on the Ganga was planted in our mind. We did not pay too much heed to it, of course! Nevertheless the thought was subtly pushed in.
We consciously planned a trip to Devprayag, the confluence of the famous rivers, the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda. Prodded by a sense of devotion and awe we set out towards Devprayag.
It was with child like enthusiasm and glee that we set forward. We had to come down to Rishikesh and climb up towards Badrinath. On the way we paid homage at the serene cave of Swami Rama Tirtha. Travelling along the banks of Ganga, remembering the innumerable realized souls whom she has inspired for ages, we proceeded on the winding roads.
We reached Devprayag. The awesome spectacle of the two rivers merging, took our breath away. The vibrant Bhagirathi and the calm and composed Alaknanda merge here to form the life-giving river, Ganga. The sight of this holy river compelled us to take a dip in it. With great devotion and joy we took a dip near the ghats. The ice-cold waters rejuvenated us and made the scorching heat of May, vanish! Little did we realize that the thought that was planted two days ago of rafting in the river was slowly taking shape.
Let me not keep you in suspense for long. On our way back, our cab driver also suggested that we should try the white water rafting on the Ganga. Look at the strengthening of the desire at this point! The sankalpa, a thought, was nourished all along and now was taking the form of a powerful desire waiting to be fulfilled. The mahat, environment was also equally conducive. The stage had been set for the desire to come forth at the action level.
We got down at Shivpuri where we could join the rafters. Jeep loads of people stepped out and happily boarded the rafts. We stood watching the sight for quite some time. We had no prior experience of swimming or rafting and were totally ignorant of the waiting danger. We had the choice to look away and walk back to the safety of our car or board the raft. This is the choice of action that every human being enjoys! Like the famous words of Shakespeare in ‘Hamlet’, we stood there pondering ‘To Board or Not to Board’. Overpowered by our mind we took our instructions from our guide and happily boarded the raft!
Even as we started rafting, there was a slight drizzle. We successfully negotiated the first rapid. Then came the thrilling second rapid, where we just escaped hitting a rock. Even as we gained confidence, we hit the third one, the Wall. The raft overturned and we hit the raging waters with tremendous impact. Almost instantly we were sucked in by the swirling Ganga. We were looking out to ensure that both of us were still alive! A faint spark of submission had ensured that we did not leave the ropes that we had been instructed to hold. Now we were in the Ganga, rapidly moving with the force of water, trying desperately to keep afloat! When faced with adversity, we generally tend to ask, ‘Why me?’ The first thought that sprang to my mind was ‘Did I really entertain this horrifying desire?’ At one point of time in our lives, all of us ask this question. Well, the answer was very clear! All the knowledge we had gained, worldly and spiritual, came to no avail! This clearly proves that all of us have knowledge but have not transformed it into wisdom!
As we discussed this later, my husband said that he had a strange experience to narrate and it goes this way.
“I did not panic. My mind was in the present, not in the past, guilty of having taken this risk or the future possibility of death. The truth of Verse 30 of Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita dawned clear in my head.”
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He further continued that,
“There was complete peace and total identification with the Pure Consciousness that is actually responsible for this experience of mine. The mind was so absorbed in this divine experience that the present situation of being in the frightening water did not have any impact. There was complete surrender.”
The situation changed dramatically. The raft was back in position; we were pulled into it and slowly taken to the shore. As we reached the shore, the drizzle became a heavy downpour and the experience weighed heavily in our hearts. We reached the safety of our car.
Looking back at this experience, we relate to the teachings of Kenopanishad with more conviction.
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The analogy in the mantra is talking about a flash of lightning that brightens the place for a moment and plunges it into darkness immediately. This is compared to the momentary experience of divinity in our lives and again falling back into ignorance.
All of us are blessed with such lightning like glimpses of the Pure Consciousness. It is momentary, transient and stunning. Even before we clinch this Pure Consciousness, we drown ourselves in mundane samsaric experiences. Pure Consciousness always eludes us. We look forward to miracles and mysteries to experience the Pure Consciousness.
As Arthur Schopenhauer says,
“It is difficult to find happiness within oneself, but impossible to find it anywhere else.”
It is this Pure Consciousness that enables us to act, feel and think. We have a choice to either focus our attention on Pure Consciousness or on our actions, feelings and thoughts. Our mind is constantly tempted to focus on our mundane experiences. Spiritual sadhana is to identify with the Pure Consciousness in and through the mundane experiences. The Pure Consciousness is inherent in all of us. It lives in the silences between two experiences. It is like the flash of lightning as suggested in the mantra. By practicing Karma Yoga (Path of Action), Bhakti Yoga (Path of Devotion) and Jnana Yoga (Path of Knowledge), as proportioned to the need of the individual, and subsequently in the seat of meditation, we experience the stillness of the mind, which is Pure Consciousness.
We really do not need white water rafting to experience Pure Consciousness!!!
