This is all about me and my life. How did I become Story teller.
My journey to present and dreams of future. People who influenced me.
Since I was a child, I was always curious about people and their behaviour. I noticed same people behaving different in similar situations. I used to observe the well thought play. How one would manipulate other.
Instead of shunting me aside, my parents answered my curiosity very patiently. Father would give a rational view where as mother would give a view from her highly religious beliefs. I was influenced equally by these mutually exclusive and opposite thoughts. Neither of them ever insisted that they were right and the other was wrong. It was just another way at looking things.
Jiddu Krishnamurti
As I grew, after a certain period of time, my Father thought I need to be introduced to J. Krishnamurti and he did.I started reading books about his talks and his views. Sometimes my head would spin with all that information and some other times, it was very easy to follow.
I kept on reading. Always asking questions to my father and his answer was always the same. He used say, ‘No need to understand what he is saying. You need to feel what he is saying.’ I saw many pseudo intellectuals saying, I believe what Krishnamurti says and I follow him and I … all of them were liars.
Throughout his lifetime, Krishnamurti insisted that he wanted no followers. “To follow another is evil,” he said, “it does not matter who it is.” He created no organization of believers and disciples, authorized no one to become an interpreter of his work and asked only that, after his death, those who shared his concerns preserve for posterity an authentic record of his talks, dialogues and writings and make them widely available to the public. It was a shame to see how a few ‘educated’ people, out of compulsion of looking intelligent, foolishly discussed Krishnamuti.
Of many of his profound words, that have had great impact on me, I follow these, for my Happiness Project.
“This is a conversation between two friends, two friends who have a certain affection for each other, a certain care for each other, who will not betray each other and have certain deep common interests. So they are conversing amicably, with a sense of deep communication with each other, sitting under a tree on a lovely cool morning with dew on the grass, talking over together the complexities of life.” – J. Krishnamurti
Swami Vivekananda
I got introduced to Vivekanand. As it has happened with many young people, I was utterly fascinated by this charming monk. His simplicity and almost magic like powers that I had heard of, drew to closer to aspects of ‘spirituality’ and practice of Yoga.
“Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion that you are sheep; you are souls immortal, spirits free, blest and eternal; ye are not matter, ye are not bodies; matter is your servant, not you the servant of matter.” — Vivkeananda
This was a profound call for us young people in those days. Even now, it has certain motivating effect. Not aggressive but more affirmative mood prevails.
Reading his books Raja Yoga, Bhakti yoga and others, opened up a completely new dimension to understanding of this world and its’ mechanics.
During early school days, we found it utterly boring to memorise passes from his famous Chicago speech. Now, I have a printed copy in my ‘Don’t touch this’ collection of books.
For those of you who want to have a kick start, you can start with his books on Yogas (Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga). Other books can follow. This is my suggestion.
Osho
During the college years, when all of us were, sort of rebellions, of our own silly perspective of world order, we were attracted towards equally revolutionary views of Osho. Initially I was not willing to even listen to anything what he had said. I was still biased with the negative publicity he had earned in orthodox Indian society. In addition there was a lot of intrigue about him. Osho entered in life simply out of curiosity. I was wondering when I read, he had 100 odd Rolls Royce gifted to him. Till date, I have no clue if its true or not.
However in those early days, It was off and on relationship. Once I would like him and then would dislike him for his contradicting statements. It took time and maturity to appreciate his wisdom, long after he was gone.
His power was his simplicity of explaining the most complex idea. For any given philosopher or spiritual master, Osho is one of the most quoted and there are many quotes to his credit. He, I am sure did not intend to use them as quotes. They just flowed through in is talks. Simple and profound. I call it Simply Profound. Whatever message he has to convene, is done. In few words. No ambiguity. No intellectualization of concepts.
His greatest influence on me, I would say, would be the ability to think unconventionally. Not within the norms, or set rules of society. To be able to grasp the essence and not just the useless bulk. I don’t proclaim to be any great thinker. However seeing others around me, I do think I am different.
To speak matter of factly is another thing that happens when you read his talks.