“Prakriti” is the “Univers-ity” – The story of the cap of my himalayan

This story emanates from an interesting experience. As one’s mind evolves so does one’s search, thought patterns, reading habits and a way of seeing & perceiving situations on a daily basis.

The most important job at hand is to be in peace. This search for “peace” or “Ananda” is the real journey or goal of life. Like all living beings man struggles for existence. While the lower beings struggle more or less for blindly without any conscious plan and purpose, and work by instinct, man uses superior gift of his intellect to understand the conditions and meaning of the struggle and to devise plans and instruments to ensure success.

Desire for knowledge springs, therefore from the rational nature of man.

We all live in accordance with a certain philosophy of life.

Since 2012, the subject of “Who am I”, “What is the purpose of life” “What is mind” etc. has been very intriguing. Hence reading habits changed from reading management books to reading books on Vedaanta and rich Indian philosophy i.e. The Carvaka System, The Jaina System, The Bauddha System, The Nyaya System, The Vaisesika System, The Sankhya System, The Yoga System, The Mimamsa System and The Vedaanta System.

The journey is - A man of realisation becomes free, one who lacks it is entangled in the world.

These reads are very intense, logical and evolved after years and years of realisation & expression of the same in words by Sages born In India.

One particular book which has been of deep influence is “Yoga Sutras” of Patanjali.

The 2nd verse of this book says “Yogah Chitta Vrtti Nirodah” meaning “The restraint of the modifications of the mind is Yoga”.

The 3rd verse says “Tada drastuh svarupe vasthanam” meaning once we are able to succeed in restraining the fluctuations of the mind, then we are able to see our true self which is expressed as “Tat Twam Asi” – I am that, Sat Chit Anand – Conscious Eternal Bliss etc. All in an attempt to define what is that?

The crux is - all these words and knowledge is great but what is that at the individual experience level.

This story is the inspired from the following experience.

I love biking. I love my Royal Enfield Himalayan. I love the book, the philosophy and the practice of “Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

In the month of March I need to get my bike serviced annually and I get it done diligently in front of my eyes. I have attachment to very few “things” and this is one of them. The reason we have pain and pleasure is attachment. “Viveka” i.e. Wisdom the ability to differentiate and “Vairagya” I.e. not being colored in this pain & pleasure is the way out. ?

The servicing of the bike was done well. I was happy. However I noticed, one of the caps missing for the hinge bolt. I asked the technician to put a new one. However as luck would have it the store did not have it in stock. Since I am attached to the bike, I could realise “the feeling of incompleteness”. I also realised this attachment to this “Vrtti” prevented me from seeing my original self even though momentarily.

The concept of “Purusha” and “Prakriti” was in action here. Prakriti is nature i.e. nature is “anitya” i.e. impermanent like seasons changing. And I needed to accept that.

The 25th verse says “Tatra niratisayam sarvajnabijam” meaning “Isvara is the complete manifestation of the seed of omniscience” & Supreme Pusrusha is Ishwara, the most scientific definition of God i.e. Ishwara.

The job of “Prakriti” is to polish the “Purusha” within each of us. To put us through these situation, to see how our mind is fluctuating as we are attached to the worldly things & hence the cause of pleasure or pain.

Since I realised all this, I accepted the situation and decided to move on and come back when the store manager give a call that the part was there.

I park my bike at a particular location in my apartment complex. As I was about to park my bike once I returned I saw the cap lying there.

I had no words to express. The cap could have fallen off anywhere in Gurgaon. Call it miracle, call it test of prakriti to put me through one more test. I was speechless. The word that was even more cemented in my mind was “Surrender”. But surrender to what?

The practice recommended in book is in verse 23 “Isvarapranidhandva” meaning Samadhi i.e Union with THAT is attained by devotion with total dedication or surrender to Isvara.

I couldn’t dispute it. This experience was Blissful. Prakriti is the Univers-ity for each of Purusha within us. We will keep coming back till the job is done. The journey to Nirvana. God Bless Us All!