How I journeyed to the moon and back !
I am going to tell you the true story of my journey to the moon and back. It’s almost true. Almost, because Elon Musk is yet to take people to moon. True, because the moon is symbolic of the mind. Also true, because I did actually journey. I am taking you all for a ride here. I mean it, literally! Fasten your seat belts and watch out for the wisdom breakers and the mind suspenders. We will be going through some narrow gullies, city roads and also freeways at 200 miles an hour. See if you can keep up!
Mind and the Moon
Coming back to what I started off with, the story I am sharing here is true not just for me — This is an almost true story for all of us. It is the story of our minds and its trappings. And also the story of our lives! The mind and the moon are quite synonymous in behavior. The moon waxes, wanes, blooms into a fuller version and recedes into a no moon — A new moon actually.
Similarly, the mind waxes and wanes — It vacillates between the past and the future. When exactly is your mind in the present? Even right now, what are you thinking? Is your mind here? Our minds are hardly in the present — They wax and wane — Vacillating between the past (anger, regrets, sadness) to the future (worries, hope, anxiety). And where is life happening? Right here in the present. When we are full of gratitude — Then the heart is full. And where is the mind ? The mind is in the present.
And just like that, happiness dawns within like the sun that rises out of the horizon and brightens the entire sky. You don’t need a million dollars to be happy — You just need the mind be in the present, just like the full moon is fully present in the sky — And looking at a moon so full and yellow, the mind grows ever so silent and mellow.
And what of the new moon? Dark night of the soul anyone ? When we go through a rough phase of life — And come out of it, there is a transformation within us. Almost like we are reborn. A new moon. A new mind.
The moon is quite significant in astrology as well. It is synonymous with the mind. So my dear friends — We journey every day in the mind space through the different phases of the moon, symbolic of the different phases of our lives.
Like we say, ups and downs are part of life. But smiling through ups and downs is the art of living. Even with an astrological rarity like 6 planets in one sign with a solar eclipse that’s happening this December 26th, it’s best to treat it as an opportunity to go within and meditate!
To the moon and back
You usually go to the moon and back for something you love. I just did that today, literally, to go meet my spiritual guru. Just a word of caution for those who have stumbled upon this blog and are new to the concept of a spiritual guru — Some of what I share may be “out there”. However when your mind goes inwards, i.e. “in here”, lot of what I share below will start to be part of your experience and something you will begin to appreciate more and more.
Ferry me across
My first meeting with my guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, happened on a ferry across the puget sound, downtown Seattle. As we awaited the arrival of the guru, the atmosphere of music, festivity, dance and soulful meditation inside the beautifully set up multi-windowed room inside the ferry increased the longing to see him even more. And this was the first time. What would he talk about, what’s his communication style, what nuggets of wisdom would he share — My curiosity peaked to a crescendo with these questions, mirroring the music being played a few seconds before he arrived. And when he arrived — He immediately sat down and began to meditate. What an anti-climax, I thought ? No introductions, no small talk? The guru had gotten down to business. As I looked at him, gauging him from a distance of 50 feet and swaying to the music and the gentle rocking of the ferry, my eyes started feeling heavy and I drifted inwards into meditation as well. It is said the job of the Guru is to ferry devotees across the ocean of misery (samsara). And I was just starting to get a glimpse of that….
I had one of the most deep meditations of my life, to say the least. My first meeting with the guru had no words exchanged, but it was full of silent and blissful communion. The journey of the mind had just begun — To the moon and back.
Back to the Future
That was 10 years back. Just a couple of days back, I flew from Bangalore to coimbatore one day and back to Bangalore the next day. For what? To meet the guru, of course. Yet again. Last year, it was to Dubai and back. Tickets booked within 5 hours of the flight time. 12 hours back, I thought I was done — The mind thought so. The heart had other plans. Even as I landed in coimbatore, the heart was already full — It had to go back. How much ever you meet the guru, it doesn’t seem enough. There is something about the divine energy around the guru that is very attractive — Krishna like (one of the meanings of Krishna is the center of attraction).
And so back I was — As I type this from 20000ft feet above sea level, I am so looking forward to meeting my Guru (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) on the ground level. How does one explain this feeling of wanting to bask in the presence and wisdom of the guru — Wanting to take a dip in the soothing ocean of the guru tattva? It is unexplainable but something that can be experienced!
The guru is more than just a person. The guru is a personification of the divine that is way above the ground level. It is said, when a devotee goes looking for the guru, they only find the feet…the ground level. The rest of the Guru is one with the divine. The guru tattva (principle) is what draws one towards itself.
I felt a strong pull to visit the Bangalore ashram yet again and playing in my head was the song: “Tune mujhe bulaya sherawaliye…” And playing in the satsang that evening, as the Guru entered the amphitheater was the same song. Coincidence ? Not really. When one has kept up with the spiritual practices, one opens up to greater and subtler realities of life. There is nothing more juicy and sweet to the soul than the nectar of devotion towards ones beloved.
And so my friends, as we say here — Love moves the world. And in my case, the guru drew me to the moon and back. Around the guru, situations get created that highlight ways in which the mind gets entangled. Chaos is to be expected. And so is bliss! For me going back and forth between Bangalore and Coimbatore was chaos, but I was used to it and actually looking forward to it! And just as easily- The mind (symbolized by the moon) has an aha moment, moves into gratitude and moves into the no mind or the full mind. That’s the journey my friends, that the body and mind take to be with the guru, all the way to the moon and back!
Jai Gurudev!