Art of Living!

She said the decade showed her many things. School, college, graduation, job, post graduation, love affair, break-up, and finally marriage! For my ex-collogue, the first decade of the millennium was a full of turning points. It’s a long span for anyone, especially, for youngsters. She inspired me to think what happened with me in the decade gone by. Oh! I realized. Many things! Even my decade was also an eventful one.

I joined a drama group. Performed in State Drama Festivals consecutively for five years, and won a state level certificate. I cleared my board examinations, failed in science stream, passed in arts stream, and completed graduation. I left home for job, learned how to live alone, started earning and completed my PG. I made new friends, preserved old ones, and trying to be even matured. I wrote poems, one act plays, short stories, and news reports. I tried to write blogs regularly, tried to lose weight, and tried to acquire reading habit, and failed. But, the most important thing, this decade gave me is my way of thinking.

I realized that philosophy of life, spirituality and the definition of peace of mind defers from person to person. Whatever I read in these days, made me think that there is no point in following path told by somebody else. Whether it may be Sri Sri Ravi Shankar telling us about Art of Living or Swami Ramdev finding peace in Yoga, or it may be Aasaramji Bapu finding ‘shanti’ in reasserting the name of god or Sudhanshu Maharaj finding the goal of life in Satsang, -- it is their way of finding peace, and not yours and mine. It may be Vipassana told by somebody, it may be Ahimsa, Astheya and Aparigraha told by somebody, it may be Pradnya, sheel and Karuna told by somebody, or it may be Karmayog told by somebody – it is theirs way of thinking. No doubt, they are great thinkers, they are Gods! But, it is their thoughts, and their experiences, and not of me.

Whatever little I read, whatever little I heard and whatever little experienced and whatever little I thought in these ten years, I conclude, everyone has to think and find oneself within and one’s philosophy of life. In Hinduism, it is allowed. That is why; Kapil Mahamooni dares to state his own ‘Sankhya’ school of philosophy even after being a son of a staunch follower of Vaishav tradition. That is why, Siddharth Gautam Buddha, Bhagwan Mahaveer dare to state Buddhism and Jainism respectively. That is why; Guru Nanak dares to introduce Sikhism, and hundreds and thousands of Maharajs, and Babas, and Gurus are still daring to state their way of achieving the ultimate aim – mental peace.

Instead of following some Maharaj or some Guru, why couldn’t we read everything, go through many thoughts and decide our own way of living life? Yes, no doubt, we can have our own way of living. Everybody can have. Everybody must have. I think.