When I spoke to me!

It was a traffic-riddled tiring drive from Bangalore city to back home in Taponagara. The never-ending B’lore City Metro and fly-over constructions are like obstacle courses for the thrill seeking commuter; a big pot-hole here and pile of rubble there holding-up traffic instigating honking contests. Driving on most Indian streets forces one to live in the moment! While I made two reluctant pit-stops to buy groceries, the sun had already handed over the night shift to the moon. As I switched off stress, as in my car, used all my fingers to carry a million grocery bags, pushed the car-door shut and trudged towards my house gate in the dim of the streetlight, I was petrified by what I saw.....a slithering snake, right at the entrance!

Taponagara is a blooming community of meditators in a village called Chikkagubbi on the outskirts of Bangalore. The Meditations Halls and houses in the area are surrounded by farmland; a few metres from my house there’s an orchard followed by a dried lake. Scorpions, snakes, bugs unusual for a city-bred like me, and even exotic birds, are my immediate neighbours. I have even sighted cobras nearby. 

The orchard nearby

The day was refusing peace to me as the snake parked itself right at the gate. I waited for it to move, it waited to try my patience. Knowing that my husband was home, I buzzed his cell phone; with every ring my irritation levels were soaring. “Gosh,” I thought to myself “even I can hear his phone ring from outside the house.... grrr....and he’s not bothered to take the call.....grrrrrr.....” Finally I gave up; rather, I put my annoyance on hold to release on him later. In sharp contrast to my condition the brown-speckled snake was totally peaceful and meditatively still.

I thought of quick-action – what if I swiftly open the latch, kick the gate and jump over the snake. Swimming against the tide of stressful emotions, a wise thought popped up into my consciousness screaming – ‘Don’t even think about it!’ ....I was back to pushing buttons on my cell phone trying to reach my knight-in-shining-armour; he in turn was pushing mine by not taking HIS LOUDLY RINGING cell phone. I resorted to hollering to no avail.  

As I tried to call again I saw the snake move and even before I knew it.....I had high-jumped onto the street, with my million grocery bags, et al. After landing I realized that it was my cell phone sling which had swung and in dim light I mistook it to be the snake!

Having received its share of amusement, the snake moved away. Even as I entered the house, fidgeting with my house keys; it occurred to me that out of fear I had jumped before I had realized it.....body’s reflex? Yes, but there is more. Human body has its own intelligence separate from that of the Mind, the Intellect and our soul. Besides the autonomic processes which make our body tick, the physical human body, which is made of consciousness, can have a will of its own. This will, as well as those of the Mind and the Intellect’s, are subordinated by the soul’s Will.  

I once mentally spoke to my body, to be specific, the vital organs saying – “Please be in good working condition so that I can persist with my life’s mission unhindered...” no sooner had I uttered this, came a rather high toned response – ‘You take care of us first’....wha....t! Taken aback that my own body would speak to me in such a tone, I swallowed my pride knowing how I have always taken my body’s youthful health for granted. Well, who doesn’t? Mustering humility I purred, ‘...ok......’

Strange, I speak to me!....and this is not mind-chatter. Keeping semantics aside, once we understand the symphony of complex processes and the innate awareness of animate beings as well as inanimate objects it does not appear crazy. All the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Animate beings have souls, they grow, multiply, express and die; while inanimate objects have limited consciousness.

Also, notice that when I spoke to my vital organs (plural), I got a reply by “us” the separate organs. If I had spoken to my body as a single form of Intelligence, the response would have been - ‘You take care of me first’.

Once after Meditations, after I tucked myself in bed, I had a big smile on my face. I was surprised to notice that my emotions did not correspond to the smile. I had no thought or emotion going on inside me to trigger, and sustain for 3 min, a huge smile; so huge that I could feel the pressure of my cheeks on my lower eyelids. For once, my body was happy!

In fact, my Spiritual Guide – Guruji Krishnananda – has taught us that before Meditations if we request our body, mind and intellect to co-operate and go into silence, they oblige and we can enjoy long and deep Meditations.

Anyways, as I walked into my house I found my husband, dripping wet as he had just emerged from a shower, telling me that he had hollered from the shower saying that he needs just 5 min to open the door. With increased awareness of how we hurt our body with strong emotions, I left my annoyances outside my house and got busy eagerly telling my husband what had just happened.