Since time immemorial, human beings have been on the quest to know about the origin of our creation, for even though we are known as the intelligent species on Earth, we are the frail seeking the shelter of the unknown force in times of despair. But just as we resort to shortcuts to become successful in life, we also fall for certain delusive resources for advice and only much later do we experience the repentance and pain, absolutely having no clue of the ways to reconcile our blunders. Every person experiences turbulent times and he seeks the advice of a learned and wise person for solutions. It is for this reason that all faiths and cultures around the world from ancient times had learned wise men in their societies who were known as the Teachers or Gurus, who are the only ones who have the ability to counsel the turbulent person with proper advice to deal with the problem in hand. The Guru does not perform miracles, nor does he flash a magic wand — the Guru is the manifestation of knowledge, sacrifice and service, without anticipating any material benefit.
In my legal practice, I have successfully strategised the financial difficulties of various destitute entrepreneurs and provided them with reliefs, and they were all like ‘manoeuvres’ of a war general to subdue the adversary and to make way for a truce. I always made it a point to inform my clients that I provide ‘advocacy’ for their overall wellbeing and not to annihilate their opponent. And, resultantly, most times I paved the way for a settlement between parties. In a short span of time, I established my reputation with the ideology that my clients should ultimately benefit a residual value after settling their debts, hence I incorporated my consultancy firm as ‘Guru Business Rescue Strategies’ manifesting its objective in letter and spirit. I believe that the backbone of true advocacy is ‘equity’. Hence, I always took time to read, understand and perceive the real issue at hand and only then provide a suitable solution. I tried my best to be honest, even pointing out the mistakes that my clients committed, and not take the briefs for mere material benefit. It is for this reason that I still continue to be reasonably busy and occupied with sufficient practice to keep myself going. But I continue to still live in trepidation while handling a case, for I fear that I might end up with a solution that could end up ‘irreparable’ in case I was wrong. Advocacy is not only to give active support for a cause benefitting the aggrieved but also to strike a balance with the truth.
I might have been extremely good at dealing with the issues of my clients, but last year, a situation came where I took decisions in my personal life which I thought could be the cure for certain infirmities. My decisions were triggered purely out of emotions without seeking advice from the wise and without any review. At that juncture, after I had taken the measures, I did share the decision with a few of my near and dear, and subsequently, with awareness, drifted away from the company of the one whom I found not wise enough. Even thereafter, I was continuing to suffer from the emotional distress deep down, which was clearly reflected in my eyes, and it was then some of my clients approached my close friend, reporting to him that it was time for him to intervene. They felt that I, who rescued them in their troubled times, needed to be rescued now with good advice.
My friend is the wisest among many known to me within my circle and I have immense faith in him. My friend could not bear my turbulence but he still felt instead of any advice from him, I needed a divine intervention for my cure. He took a long time to analyse the situation and then one day, he called me for a ride to Ananthagiri, an hour’s drive from Hyderabad, and on the way, he said, “Prem, I know you are disturbed, but the solution is within yourself and it needs a spiritual understanding." He continued “I visit the Ananta Padmanabha temple whenever I have no solution and thereafter, I miraculously begin to find solutions.” I wondered whether mere darshan could resolve my pain and I remembered an incident two decades ago when I was living in Chennai. There was this raw material supplier and a good friend of mine named Ismail. One day, we were discussing a Hajj trip by our common Muslim friends and I asked him, “How many times have you visited the holy Mecca, Ismail?” He looked at me and said, “I did not have the chance to visit until now.” I looked at him surprisingly and he declared, “We do not get salvation in case we visit Mecca with indebtedness of both material and moral, so I am waiting for the day I am eligible.” I was stunned at the statement.
Back to the present (in the car with my friend), he said, “As far as I know, you have been honest and all it needs is a little patience." He continued, “You will get the solution for your problems soon,” whereby he reposed confidence in me. Soon, we visited the temple and my friend arranged for the darshan and advised me to pray sincerely, reposing faith in the One. On the way back, my friend said, “By the way, your blog this week on ‘prejudice’ was excellent! There can be none who cannot be prejudiced in this world and I am glad you confessed that you do introspect on your stupidity on a day-to-day basis,” he laughed. A true friend is also an honest critic. I was happy to hear his comments.
Until today, I have published numerous articles on a variety of subjects to which the readers have responded that they were highly ‘motivated’ or ‘inspired’, but last week blog ‘My Experiences With Prejudice’ had an unprecedented readership, setting a record of the highest reading in a single day by both the direct subscribers around the world and my contacts to whom I post via WhatsApp every Saturday. There were many other blogs earlier that were even more vastly read and popular, but last week’s blog was different in many aspects. Readers from all corners have messaged admiring the inspiring article dealing with a sensitive subject where the theme was how I understand my stupidity by reviewing my decisions on a daily basis, especially those that were taken without proper advice from virtuous people, and today, I am giving the inspiring incidents that unfolded subsequently. A profound thought triggered within me after the visit to Ananthagiri and I began searching my consciousness with the clue my friend had given during our trip, and then I remembered my Guruji, and since then, the reconciliation process started.
I visited my Guruji on the Thursday immediately thereafter, and then a miracle happened. “Hello Premji,” greeted my Guruji even as I was approaching him with folded hands in the queue from a distance of fifteen yards, “You have missed the weekly classes for almost one year,” he questioned “What happened?” I had no proper answer, hence I replied hesitatingly, “I have been worrying too much and living less.” “Of course you are, I can see it from your face,” he analysed quickly. “Don’t worry, you can overcome it very easily,” he assured. “Procure the recent discourses from the store at the Ashram and listen to them carefully and you will find the solution.” After a few exchanges, I bowed in reverence and made way for the next disciple without forgetting to obtain the recommended discourse on the way back.
As I played the first CD of the recommended discourse, I experienced tranquility in my mind. The gist of the discourse is as follows, “Everything that exists in this Universe is a manifestation of the Almighty, but when we seek the blessings of the One, we travel to a holy pilgrimage to reach Him. The devotee need not necessarily travel to a certain address to seek the blessings of the Omnipotent — he can trigger his own consciousness by a simple prayer.” Guruji explained that “whatever one perceives with his sense organ goes and falls at the altar of consciousness which is the Atma or Paramatma.” It was said that “The consciousness of even a pessimist can also experience the divine presence.” It dawned on me that it is necessary to understand what was originally documented in our holy texts through our Gurus for guidance. The one area that every human being usually fails to recognise is one’s own consciousness. At this juncture, I remember the iconic statement of Albert Einstein, “The more I study science, the more I believe in God”, which is proof that the legendary physicist was genius beyond comparison for he completely dwelled in his consciousness.
A pilgrimage is not a vacation and the sight of God’s idol can only be an inspiration and restitution of faith, it is only when the devotee understands the message in the holy texts interpreted by his Guru, that the true enlightenment begins. Arjuna was the mightiest of all warriors in the Mahabharata, but he sought the wisdom of Krishna for his wellbeing prior to commencing the eighteen-day war and later after the Kurukshetra war, the very same Krishna advised Yuddishtara to seek the lessons of life from Bhishma to cure his guilt that he was the cause for all the bloodshed. Ironically, it was Arjuna who shot the fierce arrows into the chest of his grandfather Bhishma in battle. Both Yuddishtara and Arjuna sought the advocacy of the wisest without any prejudice of their opponents, that’s how superior people are recognised. To maintain universal consciousness is to be inspired by everything in this creation.
My friend’s advice was not at all a coincidence and it is proved by the statement of Albert Einstein that “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.” Alfred Einstein, the mightiest of any physicist known to science, died in his sleep at a hospital in Princeton, USA, on 18th April 1955, where he was admitted due to a burst of a blood vessel in his abdomen. On his deathbed, Einstein was murmuring something in German and the nurse could not understand a single word uttered by him. Prior to his death, for almost thirty years, Einstein was pursuing a fruitless quest to find the ‘Theory of Everything’ but he could never succeed. Einstein once stated that “I have made the Bhagwad Gita as the main source of my inspiration and guide for the purpose of scientific investigations and formation of my theories.” Now, I have become aware that the wisest humans are only highly knowledgeable and spiritual, for all the solutions to our turbulence are available by understanding the universal consciousness. Einstein once confessed that “When I read the Bhagavad Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous.” I now begin a new journey.
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