Hidden Treasures

I bet all of us look for “hidden treasures”. Oh! Hold it! Did you think I am talking about going on a treasure hunt or something? Well, you could call it that but not in the outer world. For some it means that but for some of us it is the inner treasure.

Most of us are always searching for treasures outside. Something which will make you happy and exciting. It could be money, material, fame, name etc. These treasures are I guess absolutely short lived. There is always a need for you to hold on to these otherwise it slips away. And when it slips away it becomes very painful and often you find yourself always surrounded with an enormous amount of need. All kinds of need physical, emotional, mental and social. And holding on is itself a very painful process. While you are searching out there then you inner world suffers with illness, sadness and suffering.

Searching for the inner treasure is different. This search never ends. The very process of this search is filled with happiness and excitement. For each of us the search starts with various questions. Some may be in search of “what is this breath all about” or “why do I get angry” or “who am I” or “what else can I find out about myself” or “what is my purpose of living” or “what is death” or “how do I end this suffering inside, sometimes I am happy and other times sad” so on…

But each of these questions leads you to another and then another and then another… There is no limit to the amount of searching you can do. Besides there is no holding on to this kind of treasure. You could hold on to it if you like and make yourself miserable. But if you hold on then that is the end of your search. It becomes stagnant, stale and will even stink. Each of these questions are so closely interrelated and connected that holding on to these doesn’t make sense at all. An answer to one leads you to another question and the excitement never ends. You have peeled one skin and then another appears and you peel that one off too then another appears.

And the exciting part is more you are searching for answers in your inner world the more you are growing in your outer world. Money, Fame, Name will automatically walk into your doorstep. Then you don’t even have to hold on to these because they are always there with you and will never slip away.

To search for your inner treasures you need the “hunger to know yourself” but without expectations. Expectations will lead you to more suffering and this kind of suffering is even more harmful. It is like the law – “The more you go after something; the more distant it becomes”.

And “the hunger to know you” comes from being in the awareness of this moment. And being with yourself (Meditation) and being with your breath.

All great masters have had only one thing common in their teachings “Meditation”. Meditate and Make your life. Guru’s role is to show you the path to your inner world. There is no gift greater to a guru than to see you on this path.

So what kind of treasure hunt do you want to be on?

Beyond Completion

Human relationships are very fragile. One needs to nurture them with care, wash them until it shines and place them in a most sacred place, your heart.

You break it, it never remains the same. Let us say you have broken it and caused hurt or discomfort. First thing you will do is apologize and take a vow to change yourself and complete with her. But still, I say it is never the same again.

For example, a piece of Glass Bowl in your home may be which you cherish the most, happens to breakdown. Something so important and so precious to you has broken down without your awareness. After you realize you will do all the possible things to fix it up with fevicol or glue bring it back to its original shape. But my dear the initial beauty is lost. It is gone and will never come back. Or you may go out and buy another one which looks like the one you had. But it is still not the same one. Your mind will keep going back to the old one. Even after mending it.

To be in this state of nurturing and to be in the state of love always requires tremendous amount of awareness. All of us are in the state of sleep, deep slumber. All of us are so caught up with the things we are doing or the work we are involved in, that even to take a moment to become aware and nurture something that is so precious to us seems difficult. I am sure many of you will say “but I am doing so much, go to work, keep the house, pay the bills etc. but relationships… well, others have to take care… since I am doing so much”. I say may be others too have to take care but that is not your problem. At the end of the day if you are not complete with your self then it bothers you and not others. At the end of the day when you are conversing with the God almighty, don’t you want to be proudly saying that, “God, guess what today I changed myself a little bit more. Thank you for the gift of awareness”. You will definitely not feel proud in saying “God, guess what I changed my child today or my wife or my husband”. For this God may say “Hey, wait a minute, I thought that was my job”.

Meditate… Remain in your inner Silence… Wake yourself every moment, take a moment and say “I am aware” and ask yourself these questions “what is important to me at this moment?”; “The work I am doing or my relationship with my child or spouse or collegue or parents or even a perfect stranger”.

Living in the state of total awareness helps you achieve many things in life infact I would say ‘it helps you achieve your life back’. Remember relationships are like a Glass Bowl. Being in the state of awareness is going beyond just completion…