a disciple of Dr. Nithiyanandham since 1985 shares his experiences and spiritual philosophy grounded in the tradition of our guru Dr.Nithiyanandam.
In essence, the life and message of great masters has always been a practical one. It is always about how as human beings put on this planet we can realize our full potential, find lasting happiness and also help others realize their potential and happiness. The individual and the collective are like the inside and outside. Evolution is a combined push from the inside, and the conditions on the outside which together trigger growth. Like a seed struggling within itself in the dark soil looking for light, until it pushes through using the very earth that was covering it for its nourishment. Life is ever expanding. Everything is only growing in greater perfection. If we see the details, we realize that life is not just a series of disasters as reported in the newspaper. A lot more ;life worthy things happen each day which are not newsworthy. The personal filter we have to 'see through' events around us is the one we should strive to maintain and keep current. Someone like myself who has almost a minus 3 power of eyesight correction, cannot take my glasses off and say the world appears very hazy and hence it must be so. We need our sight to be continually optimized as we grow. If we see problems today, God sees solutions tomorrow. My son who was born premature gave us anxious moments 14 years ago as a new born baby and we didnot know what to expect. Outside the hospital, I was praying to Doctor to deliver him safely. Today, he is 5 feet 9 tall and is a strong talented, loving boy who amazes me. We need to maintain divine perspective
These are the real attributes of life. Never ending growth, never ending change, never ending challenges, never ending learning, never ending opportunity and never ending joy. Here is a great story worth repeating. A king once asked a mahout of an elephant how such a big elephant was tied to a small post with a rope and be controlled. The mahout says the elephant was tied to that post when it was a small baby. It could not move the post at that time no matter how it tried. Based on that old experience, years later as a fully grown elephant it still thinks that the rope and post are still too strong for it. The King realized he too had been thinking of his weakness based on the past, not realizing how those challenges had made him stronger. We are like that elephant, not realizing our growth through the challenges we have faced, only remembering our limitations
Life is a paradox. At its core it remains a mystery and that is what makes it wonderful. The challenges that we face must keep us humble but at the same time courageous. It is said that humility is the mother of all virtues and courage is the father. Out of this union comes our integrity, which shows us who we are. We are a drop in the ocean. We are both the drop and the ocean. When seen separately we appear small and weak. When seen as part of a collective community and a brilliant cosmic creation, we possess infinite capabilities. A lone man cannot even create a handful of mud. Together as a whole, he has changed landscapes, built skyscrapers, created work, prosperity and culture.
The story is not over there. There are those times when you need a Gandhi, Vivekananda or Mandela to rise above a mediocre mass that is lost without knowing it's own strength. These men were giants because they saw that they had to rise above petty views and be an example for the sake of everyone. Of course if you ask them, they will not tell you that their life was rosy. The life of such giants was paved with uncertainty and challenges which they overcame because they were not doing it for themselves. The message is that after we have found ourselves there is still work to be done. The sort of contentment and happiness that comes while watching flowers or watching a sunrise or listening to the ocean is not the only kind. There is also a whole world of happiness in dealing with problems and challenges if it is done as a service. The soul thrives only when it gets both types of happiness in good measure. There is a Jesus or Mother Teresa in each of us waiting to fulfill the mission we were born for. Size does not count. Only intention and action. Start something. Help someone. Hold a child…and know that it is life holding itself up.
-Mahesh 'Matt' Krishnan.
