Collect Your Pearl of Life

Life lessons are like pearls given by life to enrich our life and make it meaningful. We need to be always remain alert and receptive to take it whenever life presents one - might in own life or from experience of others life.

I would love to narrate one such incident where life presented wisdom of pearl to me through a co-traveler life story. The incident goes like.......

Couple of years back, I along with my parents and sister went for a tour in Rajasthan. We just

completed visiting Chittorgarh and was boarding a passenger train to go to Udaipur. We were looking for compartments where we could get a place to sit. I suddenly noticed that in one of the compartments, which was empty, one past middle-aged sanyasi was sitting. The Sanyasi was looking charismatic, there was charm around him. I instantly liked him and occupied the seat opposite him. I asked my parents and sister to get in and take the place in the compartment.

Anyway, my getting into the compartment was intending to get acquainted with the sanyasi and to know more about him. After a couple of minutes of silence, I attempted to start a conversation with my co-passengers. Initially, the Sanyasi was hesitant to talk and to divulge anything. Gradually I succeeded. The Sanyasi started talking.

The sanyasi asked me “Normally seeing a Sanyasi sitting inside, nobody gets inside the compartment. People generally try to avoid us. How come you decided to choose this compartment?”

I was amazed to see the sanyasi was speaking in fluent English.

“We don't have any aversion for sadhus. I thought of having a good conversation with you and know more about you and hence I chose to sit here.” I replied.

My parents and sister also joined the conversation and within half an hour, we all were talking as if like the same family. On our insistence, he started telling us about his life.

The sanyasi continued, “I normally don't discuss or disclose all these things to anyone. But somehow there is a positive feeling about you all. A sanyasi is normally not supposed to discuss his past life but I am feeling I can discuss with you all.

It has been almost 15 years; I have chosen the path of Sanyasi. I have traveled across the whole of India barefoot. I don't have any fixed place, so I keep on moving from place to place. I have even encountered tigers a couple of times in deep jungles but they never harmed me.”

“What made you take the path of Sanyas ( renunciate life )?” I insisted that he discloses it.

“I was a professor in English literature in one of the renowned Universities in Delhi. I had a very beautiful loving family with two sons and one daughter and their family. One fateful night, when we were returning from a family marriage event, our minivan met with an accident and fell into a ditch.

When I got my consciousness back, I found myself surrounded by local people. I survived the accident with a broken leg. Now you see me limping while walking and this is because of this accident. When I asked nearby people about my family, they took me to the place where all my family members were kept. It was a heart-wrenching scene. I realized that it's only me who has survived the accident. All of my family members died in the accident - my wife, my two sons, my two daughters in law, my 3 grandchildren, my daughter.

That day, I cremated nine bodies together at a time. Can you understand my mental state? It appears that I will go mad. I was not knowing why this happened to me. I can't even take revenge on anybody.

Can you imagine the scene where you are seeing nine of your beloved family members are burning and turning into ashes?

My life and my family were wiped out in a single incident. My world was taken away from me in a single snatch and I was left alone in this whole universe.

That day I didn’t return home. I never went back to make a family again and embraced the path of a wandering monk. I keep moving from place to place and whomever I can help I do on my way.”

We sat speechless with tears in our eyes.

He smiled, “Nothing stands in front of His wish. He wanted me to serve humanity by being a traveller monk and I am fulfilling His wish. I have met several people all across India - cities, towns, villages, jungles, and seen their pain from so near that my pain became nothing.

I keep moving.”

I collected my pearl of wisdom:

Life is uncertain. When we face with adversity, keep faith in heart and to Keep Moving.....

चरैवेति चरैवेति…….

Will you share your pearl of wisdom?

Note: The snippet is take from book "God, The Best Friend & Guide", Chapter 8.

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