Timeless Tales I What truly spills out when life bumps into us

Let’s revisit the scene. The man in a hurry pushes through the crowd, bumps into the one holding the coffee, and doesn’t pause to apologise. The man whose coffee spills could react in many ways. He could shout abuse, curse under his breath and throw the cup away, calmly clean the mess so no one slips, or chase after the man to confront him. Whatever was inside him is what would spill out.

For us humans, just as with gifts, what matters is what’s inside. It is our character that counts. Sri Sathya Sai Baba would distribute sweets as prasadam on special occasions. Once, he gave individually wrapped pieces of burfi to devotees. The prasadam felt special because it had been touched by him – but in truth, he had only touched the wrapper. Devotees still ate the burfi because what was inside was precious.

I also recall a school concert where stones had to be thrown at a character. Our teacher taught us to make harmless ‘stones’ by crushing old newspapers into balls and painting them grey. Once again, what was inside was what mattered.

We eat fruits and vegetables for vitamins, dals and milk for protein, and cereals for carbohydrates. We seek the company of kind or helpful people because what is inside them is what appeals to us.

If qualities like politeness, empathy and helpfulness form our inner core, they spill out when we ‘bump’ into people. If ego or anger fills us, that is what comes out. Character cannot be enacted; it is woven into our persona. Discipline is the hallmark of intelligent living. Devotion is a way of life. We act according to the qualities nurtured within us. Building a better persona begins slowly and steadily, from within.

At a deeper level, we must look within and recognise the indwelling presence in our body. There is a spark of the Divine within this gross form. When that spark departs, the body becomes a corpse. Human birth is an opportunity to realise that the soul within us is part of the Supreme Soul. Only humans have the ability to recognise the Shiva-tatwa within before the body turns to Shava-tatwa.

Carpe diem.

(The writer pens a daily blog on Indian mythology)