Rule # 6 of Love –Love The Guide, In Whom You See Yourself

Certain friendships are meant to last beyond eternity.

How can I write a eulogy for someone who is always with me? He is no more in his physical form, no more in his physical entity since about an year. But like he said recently, his spirit, his essence lives on with us.

He was the perfect householder, an excellent executive at work, the chosen disciple to his spiritual guide, and a friend and guide to all of us.

He was the perfect spiritual friend to many – quoting him – “I would like to tell you that in the Sufi tradition only the Spiritual Master is known as the ‘Friend’. This follows the ancient Indian tradition that a real friend is one who will give his life for you.”

A mother’s love, I know, a father’s love I understand, a child’s love, sister’s and brother’s affectionate relationship, the love of the soulmate too. But here is a person, who loves everyone the same way – and in the same intensity, and that intensity is not something which can even be called an intensity. It is a wondrous feeling, a time in the presence of a wonderful being, a moment just beyond eternity which you don’t want to end, so filled with an astonishing Inner Beauty, which only being in his presence can help to understand.

Exactly a fortnight before his passing, I met him to express something and all that he said in reply was, he was with me all the time. It was an overwhelming moment. He was signalling for me to understand it, and believe in it, forever too. I was confused and refused to understand why he said that, though deep down intuitively I knew he was conveying something. That was the last he spoke to me. I met him a couple of more times too, but we only spent hours in silence, neither speaking. He was not able to speak, his own health was not permitting. And one night, he just passed on… to be with me forever, just like he promised.

Lyrics of song in the video…

The lamp of Lalaji burns and will continue to burn.
The faces will change but He will remain.
The lamp of Lalaji burns and will continue to burn.
In every atom is the fragrance of that sweet flower,
in every heart you find his form residing,
thou art the flower blossoming forever.
O beloved of Babuji, I salute thee,
Blessings of Babuji to thee, thou art his devotee.
Thou will get immersed in the work given by him.
Thou will get immersed in the work given by him.
The lamp of Lalaji burns.
Thou art the light of dusk, thy life is pious.
He, who is the beloved of all, is immersed in thy breath.
He will ever be smiling in the hearts of his abhyasis.

It was a very lonely period for everyone to see him passing away from us, as the way we knew him, as the way we communicated with him, in this earthly realm. That loneliness, was there, even in the presence of thousands of his friends. It was so confusing, so depressing, and so lonely. No words can describe what I or all the thousands of people felt.

The President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission, Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari had passed on, leaving behind his spiritual successor, Shri Kamlesh D. Patel. He is a blessing, for us bestowed by Chariji.

However this loneliness I felt during that time was very overpowering. It has been a year since. Who said, “grief” has an expiry date? It does not. But time helps to some extent. And our own chit (consciousness) helps too. Like the song says, I started looking at Shri Kamlesh D. Patel with a new eyes.

I promised HIM, in my heart, that losing a spiritual friend, a spiritual mirror in one’s lifetime is the greatest misfortune, and I pray no one ever goes through this again. I pray for the long life and best and pinkest of health for Shri Kamlesh D. Patel.

All sweet memories bring pain. Isn’t that the way of life? Company always bring loneliness. Friendship always bring separation. And when that happens, something flowers, and one’s own subtle bodies evolve, the deepest core of the heart, melts enabling that …

So, a similar something happened one day in the midst of all these musings. I happened to read, “Solitary Reaper” yet again. Wordsworth’s concluding words,

“The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.”

triggered a sense of understanding. Those words hold a great significance. The music, a vibration which gives pleasure to the sense (the ear) was no more present. However in the heart, its memory remains, the vibrations are stored somewhere, and they are triggered again and again, on-demand… and heard on-demand.

Similarly if I try to retain my condition, my own state, the happiness, the bliss, the joy of his presence, of (if I may) his eternal presence with me,  within me, and bear it in my heart, wont it be melodious too? In fact, I may also work on expanding that state of consciousness, that state of serenity to cover the whole plane of consciousness …

Which reminds me … Have you watched the movie, “Lucy“? In the end of the movie, Lucy’s consciousness pervades all through the Universe – not just this earth or galaxy, the whole Universe, and perhaps the multi-verse if I dare to say so. And she says, “I AM EVERYWHERE” …

Shams Tabrizi said, “Loneliness and solitude are two different things. When you are lonely, it is easy to delude yourself into believing that you are on the right path. Solitude is better for us, as it means being alone without feeling lonely. But eventually it is the best to find a person who will be your mirror. Remember only in another person’s heart can you truly see yourself and the presence of God within you.”

So how may I achieve that state of consciousness – ever-pervading, all over, encompassing and cocooned in the presence of HIM, who I want to think I miss?

From the recent Heartfulness International Convention, NJ, USA. 19 Dec 2015, I quote, “The aim of the spiritual practice is to allow the available Consciousness to soar into the infinite sky of the super consciousness and to plunge into the deepest oceans of the subconsciousness.”

And this solitude, is helping me go there. And in his reflection of me, in being my mirror, I can feel more expanded. Like Shams says, the presence of another person (Shri Kamleshbhai), who can guide me and keep me in a heart of love, perhaps I can feel God. And probably this pain is the permission HE has given me to enter HIS heart.

❤