What If the Question Arises?

One day while I went for a morning walk, I saw an old man cooking on the roadside. I sat down beside him. He lit the fire on a small piece of wood, four breaks around it, shaped the dough gently with his palm, and fried purries in very little oil. He cut the brinjal and the potatoes in a relaxed way at the same time. He used every part of the brinjal, even the top. As there was no way to regulate the heat, yet each puri came out to be perfect. I thought I need a kitchen, gas, a stove to regulate heat, different vessels to cook different dishes, but he needed none. He was enjoying his work. I felt so much silence around him. After making 50 purries he used the same leftover oil to make the vegetables.  He also offered me the food. I asked him “Why are you making so many purries?” He said, “I will take it in breakfast, at lunch, and in dinner. Also, if someone asks, I should have enough to share”. He was an ironsmith.

Later, I kept thinking about him. Does he and many simple people like him also wonder about the purpose of life !! Is it love, compassion, or to find happiness, to help others, or to realise self or God or all the above!

A few days later, my friend came to visit me, who is happily married, enjoying her life with her husband, family, and a child, buying gold and diamonds, fulfilling all her desires. Suddenly, she asked me what is the purpose of life? 

I thought for a while, “What should I say to her? She does not lack anything. If I say, to find true happiness, she will say I am happy. 

I did not know what to say to her, so I smiled back. But she kept asking. At that time, whatever came to my mind, I said, “I know my purpose of life but I don’t know yours. I guess you have to find it yourself.”

She asked, “What is your purpose of life?”

I said, “To be more calm and peaceful, and to know the complete truth”.

She said, “What do you think is the whole truth?”

I said, “Yet to find.”

She said, “Still, what do you think?”

Again I did not know what to say and said, “I remember when I was 10 years old, our school took us on a trip to a bell temple near Nanital. The teacher said, “When your turn comes to get close to the goddess, make a wish and it will be granted”. 

Standing and waiting for my turn, I thought, what to ask! It has to be very special. The teacher told us only one wish is granted. Shall I ask goddess that I want to get rid of my school, bad teachers and granny at home? Or I should have my own separate room in the house, or become the best student of my class, and win many awards at the school”. 

I kept thinking, but nothing seemed to be worth one wish. 

When my turn came, I closed my eyes, I got blank for a few moments. And what came out of mind surprised me. I said, “Oh goddess, please give me the true knowledge”. I was just 10 years old.

My friend smiled and left my place. I was not sure my answer made any sense to her. Well, I made myself clear that I didn’t know the answer. But later I kept thinking about it. What could be the purpose of human life? It has to be the same for everyone. 

A few months later, suddenly what I realised made me very happy.  The coming of this question to my friend’s mind indicated that something was missing.

Oh my God…it means birds, animals, simple people around us, often not so educated, are naturally living their purpose of life.  They are naturally present at the moment ‘to be’. 

Our position is like a fish swimming in the pond but unaware of its swimming skills. She makes all possible efforts to realize that she has been swimming ever since her birth. The purpose of her life is just to be aware of her own nature. Now she swims as never before. Nothing much changes but her growing confidence in this awareness makes her very happy. Suddenly, I felt as if the dark clouds shed away and the sun came out.

Poem

What is that we are missing?

To learn how to swim! That fish knows

But to be aware of what she knows.

Go slow…go slow