Karma’s and its play

Pictured above – With Param Pujya Swamiji

I have witnessed the invisible hand of God, whenever I am going through the tough times in my life. But I had never seen God and had a lot of questions about life or you may also call it a mid-life-crisis !

The toughest phase of my life were the years 2010–11. My mind was confused and I had left my high paying government job overseas and went to Rishikesh in search of answers to some difficult questions of my life and its purpose.

I had seen a lot of money and the more money I saw the more it depressed me, as I was in cohorts with greedy people, wanting nothing more than just making and hoarding a lot of dollars and blinded and controlled by it.

On reaching Rishikesh, I was initially disillusioned as I saw that a lot of the so called yoga shops, where all that mattered was money.

The good thing was that the local Uttarakhandi people were very nice and I made some friends who owned a hotel, where I stayed. But this was not why I had come to Rishikesh.

Pictured above – Dining Hall

I had come to do some sewa or work for free or do karma yoga as penance for my materialistic and greedy decades spent overseas, which had hurt my soul.

At the hotel where I was staying, I also volunteered to wash the cars of all the guests there. Everyday morning for around a month, I used to come out of my room and wash the cars that were parked outside. Then after breakfast I used to roam around Rishikesh town and do some yoga and meditation on the side of the holy Ganges. Then I used to come back and have dinner and sleep. I was living on 2 meals a day again as a self imposed pennance.

Pictured Above – Realized teachers who changed my life

One evening while wandering, I entered into an ashram, and as was my practice asked the monks (sanyasi) if there was any sewa that I could do.

But this evening a very aged monk or sanyasi told me in a voice that sounded so kind and compassionate that I should first attend a three month Yoga – Vedanta course at their ashram and only then could I do sewa.

The next day I returned to meet the registrar to see if I could enroll in a three month residential Yoga Vedanta course, which was offered absolutely free of cost. What raised my spirits enormously was that swamiji or the senior monk, who was the registrar told me that they do not talk about money, this when I had serious doubts about how in this day and age could boarding, lodging, excellent satvic food, books and teaching be all free of cost.

Picture above – Sitting in the classroom at the start of the course

I could see only love and affection in swamiji’s gentle eyes and took the necessary forms for filled them up along with a medical certificate and submitted it, giving the contact address of the hotel where I was staying.

After a week I got a letter informing me that I had been accepted into the course which was to begin in the next 10 days.

Hence began my transformation for which I had subconsciously waited my whole adult life.

In the my batch there were 66 men from all over India and over the 3 months we learned about Yoga, Vedanta, Religion, Philosophy, Meditation, Scriptures, via classroom cum practical sessions.

By the end of the course only about 40 of us passed; some were kicked out mid-way, while some ran away scared of the strict monastic life – thinking it would be a free vacation.

Pic above – Our batch (Standing 3rd from right in top row is me)

This was toughest and most rewarding karmic gift that I got, which I had not even anticipated in my wildest dreams and it came after I subjected myself to severe penance for my greed.

Ever since there has been a dramatic change in me by just sitting at the feet of the learned and realized souls and I also found my guru and guide for this birth and ever since my life has turned for the better. I am self disciplined, happy and cheerful. Such were the strong and positive vibrations.

At the end of the course, I told swamiji that I wanted to stay and serve him – he politely but firmly told me to return back home and fulfill my worldly duties and then come back and live at the ashram with my wife.

My spiritual training has also given me a new perspective about astrology and palmistry and about life.

Pictured above – Daily aarti at the samadhi shrine of Gurudev.

Hari Om Tat Sat

Om Shanti