Faith, Hope, and Love

Extract from section -“Journey Begins” (Chapter 4: Everyone is a Guru):

I have found nature to be the best teacher, and the universe the best university. Similarly, human beings are the very reflections of the Divine. The realized ones I have met or studied about have become Gurus for those meant to learn from them. From my experience, we do not meet people without a purpose. Everyone we meet and everything we encounter imparts some knowledge.

A couple of years ago, my husband and I were asked to speak at a spiritual retreat. Two days prior to our travel, as usual I went for an evening walk. As always, I prayed for guidance so as to prepare and share my experiences with the people at the retreat. While contemplating on which subject to choose, I saw a long, straight twig with a vine that entwined it tightly. The twig and the vine were so closely connected that they looked as if they were embracing each other dearly. If anyone tried to separate the two, they would break into pieces and nothing positive would be achieved. The two elements just looked inseparable. I picked up the piece and brought it home.

I considered the piece of wood to stand for God or the universe, and the vine to stand for the individual or human being. Just like the vine, if human beings embrace the supreme divinity or the universe and get interconnected, they will always receive unique gifts. For example, if the vine encircled a sandalwood tree or a huge rose bush, naturally it would absorb its fragrance without much effort. On its own, the vine might be incapable of exuding this quality, but by being in the constant company of the tree, it shares the wonderful fragrance. In this analogy, the sandalwood that exudes fragrance is compared to the all-giving divine love or energy. It offers support and provides comfort. As long as our lives are centered like a vine on divine love, we radiate the fragrance of its goodness and sweetness wherever we are. I can never forget the particular evening when I picked that twig. It taught me a profound truth and I thanked Mother Nature for guiding me.

I recorded the message and the inner meaning I drew from the incident in the following prayer:

“O Lord!

If you are a mountain may I be a gentle stream flowing down your side?

If you are the sky may I be a star twinkling in your vastness?

If you are a tree may I be a vine that twines around and clings to you?

In this way dear lord, may we always be inextricably one with you.”

Extract from section - “Home Coming” (Chapter 16: Purify the Heart):

My favorite story is from the Bible where a group of people are upset and even angry with a lady who in their eyes has wronged. They want to persecute her by stoning. Jesus appears on the spot and says that the person who has not sinned can be the first person to stone her. It turns out that no one can lay claim to not having sinned – either then or now – I suppose. So they disperse. The beauty of this episode for me was that though Jesus is the very personification of purity – he Himself did not throw the stone. Based on the criteria, he would be eminently qualified to do so. But when we become as pure as Him or even somewhat pure we cannot but show compassion and feel sympathy for the other. Such is the state of being of a person who is pure that he/she can only render service to the other so called impure person(s). In fact for them there is no one who is impure. All are pure and worthy of God’s grace. They do not see any difference between themselves and others and thereby do not consider themselves as superior and others as inferior. They do not preen over others in any manner and will be simple and unassuming. We will never see them to be pompous or boastful. In their eyes it will be about others and their well-being not about themselves at all. If there is anything to be shared they will not have an aggressive claim over their portion of it. They will ensure that all others get their shares first and if there is anything left then they may take it. They put others needs ahead of their own. Sacrifice comes naturally to such souls. The beauty of it is that they do not consider it as a sacrifice at all.

Such is the greatness of a pure hearted soul that no words can ever delineate the greatness in full measure. Above all a pure hearted soul will not even be aware that he or she is so pure. Others around them will realize their purity. It is like a rose that is unaware of its own fragrance. As an example we find that there are some folks who find out that there is an elderly couple of a needy family ahead of them in the grocery checkout line or at a diner. They understand that these folks are probably facing hard times and they wish to help in an anonymous manner. They pay their bill and prefer to keep it quiet. Recently I came across this story of someone who was tipping huge sums to the waiters/waitresses at restaurants where they had been and signed it as @tipsforjesus. The tips were sometimes as high as one hundred times the bill. All I could say was “Wow!” The person(s) chose to be totally anonymous.

May the Lord Grace us to live such a life of purity and simplicity!