I've been extremely eager to write about the following experience. Not because I want to have praises heaped on me. It is just that this apparently small and simple experience has had a tremendous effect on me.
This was about 2 weeks ago. (I could have blogged about this earlier, but time was a crucial factor then and I wanted to give this post plenty of thought.) I was in a bus and was travelling from one end of the city to another when at one particular stop, an elderly gentleman got onto the bus. He was almost bent double with age and had a frail body. He was walking with the assistance of a walking stick; in fact, the bus conductor made sure that the driver stopped for ample time so that the old gentleman could get onto the bus safely. Someone soon offered him a seat and the rest of the journey was quite uneventful.
It so happened that both he and I had to get off at the last stop. Although getting up the steep steps was not much of a problem (thanks to the handrails), getting down was. I was right behind him and supported his arm while he slowly got down. I followed. As soon as I stepped down, he requested me to help him cross the road. Nothing unusual. I agreed and he put his hands on my shoulders and I guided him across the busy road. It took us roughly a minute to get across the road, owing to the evening traffic.
As soon as we had crossed the road, he promptly said "Abhaar" (Gujarati for "Thank You") and followed that with "May God bless you". I mumbled "Not at all" and something along the lines of it being my duty, but by then, the gentleman was already on his way. But here, the heart took over.
Now, dear reader, you would do well to remember that this was the time when I was under great stress owing to the (then) upcoming examinations and the project presentation. But the wonderful feeling that had come from helping the old man cross the road had put a new spring in my step. Even in the then quickly failing evening skylight, I could feel an unmistakable glow within. I couldn't stop smiling to myself as the words "God bless you" resonated within me. For a second, I was selfish. I wished to God that the old man's blessings may be transferred to good luck for my presentation with which I was facing extreme difficulties and pessimistic thoughts by the truckloads.
But the very next moment, I realized my mistake. Hello? What had I taken God for? A manager of some Swiss bank who, instead of currency, transferred blessings from one account to another? And, in that one moment that I wished to God that I was happy with just the simple blessing that the old man had given me, I realised something very important.
I realised that life and love are way above the success/failure of an MBA degree. It cannot be measured by any percentile, nor any Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Both, life and love, can be experienced either during the length of a heartbeat... or the length of a lifetime. I do not wish to be the next spiritual guru, but I appeal to you to do some kind deed today.
Go, find Love; find Life.
This was about 2 weeks ago. (I could have blogged about this earlier, but time was a crucial factor then and I wanted to give this post plenty of thought.) I was in a bus and was travelling from one end of the city to another when at one particular stop, an elderly gentleman got onto the bus. He was almost bent double with age and had a frail body. He was walking with the assistance of a walking stick; in fact, the bus conductor made sure that the driver stopped for ample time so that the old gentleman could get onto the bus safely. Someone soon offered him a seat and the rest of the journey was quite uneventful.
It so happened that both he and I had to get off at the last stop. Although getting up the steep steps was not much of a problem (thanks to the handrails), getting down was. I was right behind him and supported his arm while he slowly got down. I followed. As soon as I stepped down, he requested me to help him cross the road. Nothing unusual. I agreed and he put his hands on my shoulders and I guided him across the busy road. It took us roughly a minute to get across the road, owing to the evening traffic.
As soon as we had crossed the road, he promptly said "Abhaar" (Gujarati for "Thank You") and followed that with "May God bless you". I mumbled "Not at all" and something along the lines of it being my duty, but by then, the gentleman was already on his way. But here, the heart took over.
Now, dear reader, you would do well to remember that this was the time when I was under great stress owing to the (then) upcoming examinations and the project presentation. But the wonderful feeling that had come from helping the old man cross the road had put a new spring in my step. Even in the then quickly failing evening skylight, I could feel an unmistakable glow within. I couldn't stop smiling to myself as the words "God bless you" resonated within me. For a second, I was selfish. I wished to God that the old man's blessings may be transferred to good luck for my presentation with which I was facing extreme difficulties and pessimistic thoughts by the truckloads.
But the very next moment, I realized my mistake. Hello? What had I taken God for? A manager of some Swiss bank who, instead of currency, transferred blessings from one account to another? And, in that one moment that I wished to God that I was happy with just the simple blessing that the old man had given me, I realised something very important.
I realised that life and love are way above the success/failure of an MBA degree. It cannot be measured by any percentile, nor any Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Both, life and love, can be experienced either during the length of a heartbeat... or the length of a lifetime. I do not wish to be the next spiritual guru, but I appeal to you to do some kind deed today.
Go, find Love; find Life.
4 comments:
Nice post!
truly and extremely inspiring...!
Thank you folks. This post remains my favorite post till date. I hope I have been successful in expressing the feeling that I felt on that particular November evening.
Hey Buddy nice post. You dont want to be the next spiritual guru but there is already a hint of Osho in your words which i felt thru this post. Keep writing such good experiences not only yours but also if from someone else. they will surely motivate people like me.
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