Nirvana

There is one point when man stops craving about the material comforts in life and looks beyond. For me, they are the same thing - a craving for something you do not have.

Look at any one of us. Money, investments, career, security - something or the other keeps us tethered to the post of ambitions. And after some years when we actually reach there, we realize there is a higher target to achieve in the same parameters. This is probably because we do not quantify our targets, all we always want is 'more'. Hence however much we achieve, there is more ahead. Today, even as we have left behind the goals of the past by far, we are well into a few rounds of this vicious circle.

However, at one point in life, the futility of all this running around dawns on us. As I said, there is again a craving for something we do not have. So we shift our focus to peace of mind - realizing little that peace was all we had when it all started. And without our knowledge, we also no longer talk about going to the gym or for a jog. We have yoga and praanayam to go with our new wants. I do not understand why one cannot dissociate Yoga and the, often needless, spirituality.

But the fact is we cannot. And there opens the door for the spiritual leader, ever-eager to step into our lives. Supposedly, for our betterment. While the Deepak Chopras await the elite class, the common man in us can always resort to Baba Ramdev, Amma Amritanandamayi and so on. Without realizing, again, we attach ourselves to the lessons of, quite ironically, detachment.

I am not averse to spirituality or religiousness. But we need to realize that we do not need anyone to lead us there. When we think we have had enough of money and fame and want Shanti, the person supposedly guiding us there is in his own pursuit of money and fame. One life is quite simple to manage and no one, not even God himself, can make it easier. And for me, we have God and extra-ordinary Men but sadly, no God-men.

I am not preaching without practising here. If you are into a lot of trouble, you just need to do two things to feel at peace -
A) get used to more troubles, and then,
B) break free.

I can pursue, arrest and experience peace at will. Just yesterday night, I was feeling a bit restive and wanted to come out of it. So I browsed and settled for an album titled Best of Baba Sehgal and put all the songs to play. The repulsion notwithstanding, I intently listened to Manjula Manjula, Baba Deewana, Thanda Thanda Paani, Dr. Dhingra, Memsaab, Miss Loomba Loomba, Kitty Kitty and Dil Dhadke. (Step A)
Then I closed the browser window. (Step B)

At that precise moment, there was more Shanti in my life than what all the holy men have gathered in theirs. When you are in need, you achieve Nirvaana by doing the same by clicking here.

And I can assure you, Baba Sehgal works much faster than Baba Ramdev.