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  Opinion   Oped  04 Feb 2017  Mystic Mantra: Life lessons are everywhere

Mystic Mantra: Life lessons are everywhere

Sadguru Rameshji is a modern age spiritual guru and founder of Poorna Ananda, a centre for spiritual evolution and joyful living. Visit www.poornaananda.org
Published : Feb 4, 2017, 4:13 am IST
Updated : Feb 4, 2017, 6:45 am IST

Window taught me to look outside ourselves, and not to confine ourselves to the four walls of selfishness.

Happiness is there in every being like air is everywhere.
 Happiness is there in every being like air is everywhere.

If we are open to learning we get life lessons from everything and everywhere in this world. Life lesson could be learnt from an object or an animal or a child or a bird or from a totally unknown, unexpected and unthought source.

Lord Dattatreya is the best example of how one can learn spiritual lessons from the various objects and beings in this world. He considered he had 24 gurus, which included Mother Earth, air, sky, fire, pigeon, python, moth, ant, elephant, a prostitute named Pingala, honeybee, etc. He had learnt one lesson from each one of them and evolved spiritually.

Similarly, we can also learn life lessons from nature, from the objects around us and from the various activities happening around us. A child can teach us how to forget enmity in no time. A spider teaches us that when we try to trap others, we will eventually get trapped (spider tries to trap insects through its cobweb, but eventually gets itself trapped in its own cobweb). Nature teaches us that if we try to disturb its balance then it will balance itself through earthquake, tsunami, floods, etc 

One day while I was casually lying down on my bed and looking at various objects around, I realised that each object started giving me some life lessons. I was filled with ecstasy and from that day my life underwent a change for good. Life lessons I learnt from the objects in bedroom were:

Fan taught me how to spread happiness. Happiness is there in every being like air is everywhere. But to experience the existence of air we need to switch on the fan, which will make the air spread around. Likewise we need to invoke happiness in others by talking to them nicely, appreciating them, offering unconditional love and the fan of happiness will start rotating thereby spreading the breeze of happiness all around.

Air conditioner taught me to give coolness to others even when we are hot inside, which means, whatever state we are in (stress, tension, pain, etc), we should not reflect that outside and we should continue to smile, behave positively and help others. 

Pillow taught me to give comfort to everyone even when we are pressed hard for time, money or inconvenience. 

Window taught me to look outside ourselves, and not to confine ourselves to the four walls of selfishness.

Door taught me to keep the mind open for fresh opportunities to flow in and not keep it closed. 

Mirror taught me to look at ourselves first before pointing fingers at others and criticising them.

Television taught me that this life is only like one episode of a serial. There have been many episodes (lives) before this life and many would follow beyond this life. All that which we have done in the past is reflecting in the present and all that we do in the present will reflect in the future, so always try to be good to others and secure a bright future. 

Roof taught me to look up in life instead of looking down on small dust particles of pain and turbulence below. Newspaper taught me that only the present is worthwhile. Past has no value. 

Clock taught me that time is constantly moving, so realise your true potential at the earliest and do whatever you want to do for others and for your own spiritual self.

Carpet taught me to tolerate others mistakes, unruly behaviour and anger without any reaction. Be soft even to those who stamp on you.

Tags: life, spiritual, tsunami, happiness