3 January 2002, 12:50am IST
Rashme Sehgal.
Most of us are only too happy to put 2001 to bed and ring in the new order. it began with the earthquake in gujarat, followed by drought conditions in large parts of india. then came september 11, when the world trade center towers in new york were transformed into towering infernos. and, if this was not horrific enough, there was the december 13 attack on parliament, the very citadel of indian democracy. who does one turn to in times of such crisis? who can put a perspective to these calamitous events? swami chidvilasananda, in charge of gurudev siddha peeth in ganeshpuri, has repeatedly in the course of the past year, spoken about how to cope with this relentless dance of death and destruction taking place around us. in one of her recent talks she said, ‘‘it was a difficult year, a year that we would be only too happy to put behind us. the world we live in was under attack. we must work harder to create better energy, to bring back the health of this world both for ourselves and for the many generations to come’’. yoga has taught us that we must never lose focus in this world. the whole world is your home and everybody in this world matters. that is why each one of our good thoughts, our good feelings, our good energy and our practical actions do make a difference in this universe. we need continued strength to face what is happening around us especially in order to perform the right action. it is, therefore, important to trust our own inner wisdom and strength. it is important to offer this strength to those around us. ‘‘offer this strength to people who have a dark cloud over their heads and who cannot see the light. be there for such people. be there for such times. do not hide yourself’’, she says. chidvilasananda then goes on to insist, ‘‘if one has lived one’s life helping others, one will know what to do in a crisis. in siddha yoga, we talk about this all the time not only when there is a tragedy but also when one is happy. we talk about being there for others, being there for our loved ones. but we must be there for our world leaders. we must remember that we have chosen these world leaders. therefore, it is important for us to send our caring & love to them. they need it as much as anyone else. we must send them good energy and we must believe that they will make the right decision not only for their country but also for the planet. ‘o lord, may they have the right discrimination’ ". we need to become vigilant. we need to become generous. when the time comes to give, just give. do not analyse it; do not judge it, do not criticise it. it is god’s gift to us. just give. it will help expand someone’s life. truly it will. be generous with your light, your strength, your courage, your fearlessness. you just smile at a person, and you are blessed with many greater virtues. this help can be given in different ways. sometimes the help may be by going for a walk. sometimes it may be calling somebody on the telephone. sometimes it may be just observing silence. the shiv sutras or formulae use the expression that knowledge is wakefulness. they describe this state as janam jagrat — knowledge is wakefulness. this phrase means that the knowledge that constitutes wakefulness is the knowledge of oneness, the knowledge that this universe is one consciousness. it means that all of us have the power of god within us. it means that our awakened consciousness does have the power to make a difference. make a very conscious decision to be kind, loving and gentle. this is not the time to have an acrimonious conversation. this is the time to focus on peace. if ever there was a time when your help as spiritual seekers was needed, this is the time. due to what is going on in the world, each and everyone of us must cooperate with one another. and, it is very important that you maintain the health of your own being and deal with every situation with janam jagrat, by being awake to knowledge. this is the time for people to come together and create a sangam or supportive environment for each other. this is not the time to be alone. when people are together, they will find the hand of god much more quickly and there will be more reassurance and greater support. these are the eternal verities. hearing them from a living master helps us to keep taking one step at a time during these troubled times.
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