Tete-e-Tete with Past … IV

“People are not sure what to believe and what not to. They know what is right and what is wrong but they are not sure what action is appropriate.Current government is full of corrupt ministers, the prime minister is mum despite seeing all the various misdeeds happening around him. People have lost trust on this government and suffering from price rise, value system is at threat, economy has almost crashed, poverty and unemployment is causing rise of many violent criminals. Women and children are not safe and elders are not respected. People who have money are either through inheritance or misdeed. Environment is polluted and all living creatures are suffering from lack of proper food, clean water and air. Intellectuals are helpless as they think revolting against the government is against their primary duty. It is a chaotic situation.Enemies are within and all around. To be on the safe side most are following the enemy’s commands.”, I said. “So, what you want to do?” Dadu said, “Sorry, I forgot that you said people are not sure, that means you are not sure. But do you at least know what you wish?” he asked.

“Does my wish matter? My wish is to see a clean and prosperous Bharat. A Bharat which develops every day, every instance and all Bharatiyas believe that they are growing righteously every moment. But that is not possible. Problems are too many and there are no effective solutions.Main problem is, there are no leaders. Nobody is there whom I can trust. I believe them based on one report in print and electronic media and after few days those all prove to be wrong. All are trying to achieve their political milestone by doing all farce.” I said with frustration. “Hmm. You have a real problem in front of you. I am not talking about the problem in front of the nation but the problem that is in front of you.” he said. I was not sure about his prospective. I am telling the problem with the nation and he is talking about problem with me. I asked, “What problem do I have? I am fine. I am talking about the problem about the government, nation and it’s leaders.”.

“That is the problem. You know what is the problem but do not know where it is and what is the root cause? You have to win two Mahabharata battles. One that is within you and once you conquer then you should gather the winners like you and fight the second battle.Let me focus on the battle that you have to win within yourself.

You have to create an army of Pandavas.

Steadfast belief in Dharma and do not confuse this with religion. This is to always guide you to know what is right and what is wrong. For that you have to study and understand many sacred texts and understand them so much so that even in most difficult situation you will have right answer to every question.  

Robust body to withstand any kind of force. Body being the carrier of atma needs to be built, oiled and maintained. For this you need to practice yoga, pranayama and various other exercises. You have to eat right food and at right time. You have to take proper rest and avoid anything that can intoxicate your body.

Very stable and focused mind. When you do a task, you must have utmost dedication and concentration towards it. For this you need to practice meditation and practice. You must be capable of focusing even at the most difficult times.

Developing a pleasant personality by working on your soft skills. Your every behavior must be pleasant to others. at any moment. You must have great control over your emotions.You should never not hurt anybody by your words or action unless you are fighting consciously.

.You must develop and believe on a vision for yourself and for the nation. This must be a vision or goal which you have to achieve before death. If you die before it is achieved then you must have friends to carry out the mission in your absence

Once you develop all these. Then you are ready to fight the second Mahabharata battle.” Dadu said thoughtfully.

“Are you serious Dadu? In order to achieve the above it will take so much time. Then the problem would have been severe. Are you getting my point?” I questioned. Dadu smiled and said,”When warriors are not good enough then battle can never the won. If warriors would not have been good enough then Mahabharata battle would have lasted for ages. There are many wars in recent and not so recent past went on for decades, because warriors of good were not good enough. So first prepare the soldier and then jump into the battle.” he explained. “And, what about the leader?” I asked. “I think it is premature to talk about the second battle now. If you win the first battle then leader will be born within you.” he answered quickly. “Don’t waste time in asking premature questions, go and start preparation.” he added and got up taking the support of my shoulder. I did not dare to ask him the question but one question bothered me too much. I am a young man and if I do not act right now then who will take care of the situation now. Won’t they ruin everything by the time I am ready.

May be I should take care of my kids so that they do not feel so helpless like me when they are at my age. Dadu was walking slowly towards the gate. Just before leaving the park, he shouted raising his right hand, “Good Luck!!!”.

Namaste!!!

– Stray Dog