Journey on the ocean of Life

If you have not done so already, please read the post "An ocean journey with a twist" before you read this one.

On the journey of life, there is no itinerary. The purpose is to make the journey. The ultimate goal is to get back to the shore (The Source also variously called Brahman, Consciousness, or Divine among myriads of other names. Treat the names as mere words failing to describe the indescribable), which is where you came from. The twists on this journey.

1. You (the Atman or the Self) will never lose your life on this journey.
2. You can choose to make the journey on your own in your own boat (body, mind, ego, intellect). Even if you start out with this choice, you are always given the opportunity to get back on the ship (Surrender), no questions asked and no judgements made. You gain experience (karma. NOTE: I use the word experience very loosely so it fits the story.) when you journey on your own.
3. The fine print : The only way to get back to the Source is through Surrender.

An ocean journey with a twist : The twist

If you have not done so already, please read the post "An ocean journey with a twist : The reality" before you read this one.

Until now it appears as though the passengers are given a choice as to whether they want to stay on the ship or take a boat. Also, when they are on the boat it appears as though they have control over the boat.

But that is what it is, just an appearance. In this case, the appearance is deceiving. The whole journey is just an elaborate illusion. It is virtual reality. As passengers enter the scene, they are given virtual reality glasses and made to play an elaborate virtual reality game. The goal of the game is to still reach the shore but everything that happens in the game is carefully orchestrated by somebody with the power to do so. The game is so engaging that the passengers forget that it is only a game and start believing that its all real, that they have control.

The only way to get out of the game is to accept that all of this is virtual reality, then give up the illusion of control, and choose the ship, not necessarily in that order. It turns out that doing one of these fully leads to the others.

An ocean journey with a twist : The reality

If you have not done so already, please read the post "An ocean journey with a twist : The journey" before you read this one.

Given that being on the ship is the only way to get to the shore, you would think that most people, if not all, would choose the ship. However, the reality is quite different.

Almost everybody chooses the boats. The reasons are different for different people.

• Some never actually got to read the fine print because the people who brought them to the journey never showed them the fine print, (which, if you remember says that the only way to get to the shore is on the ship) probably they themselves did not know. Also, they never get an opportunity to see the fine print again due to circumstances.
• Some read the fine print. However, they were under the impression that the point was to make the journey. Having completely missed the point that the goal was to reach the shore, the fine print did not seem important.
• Some understood the fine print. However, by then they had spent so long on the boat, that they were conditioned to believe that they still needed to be in control to make the journey.

Only the people, who at some point, got what the fine print was saying, got the real purpose of the journey, make the choice to get back on the ship and completely relinquish control.  In fact, it is possible that everybody on that ship started out by choosing the boat but later chose the ship once they realized what this was all about.

An ocean journey with a twist : The journey

If you have not done so already, please read the post "An ocean journey with a twist : The vessels" before you read this one.

The journey on the ship is simple. You let the captain take care of the journey while you just wait to get to the shore. You will have to do the captain's bidding if necessary but in general you are guaranteed to reach the shore in a relatively short amount of time. The only thing you have to do is give up control.

The journey on the boat is not so simple. You have complete responsibility over the journey. Even when things are going smoothly, you have to know which way you are going and make course corrections as necessary. When things are not going smoothly, say a storm, then things get really messy. The best case you come out of the storm with a few bruises and some fixable damage to the boat. The worst case, your boat gets destroyed, and you have to wait for the ship to bail you out and get you a new one. In either case, you are guaranteed not to lose your life so you know you will continue on the journey again.

An ocean journey with a twist : The vessels

If you have not done so already, please read the post "An ocean journey with a twist" before you read this one.

The ship will always get to the shore.


The boat, on the other hand, undergoes wear and tear. Eventually the passengers who choose the boat route will need a new boat, either because it sprung a leak or because it was too old to be workable anymore. When that happens, the passengers can get back on the ship and the captain chooses a new boat for them based on what experience they have gained from the previous boat. The new boat is different from the previous one. Therefore, passengers have to relearn how to navigate the new boat, all over again.

An ocean journey with a twist

Imagine that you are on an ocean journey with a twist. There is no itinerary. The purpose is to make the journey. The ultimate goal to come back to the shore where you started. You start on a ship with all of the other passengers. There are a few twists on this journey.

1. You will never lose your life on this journey.
2. You are given a choice. At any point, you may choose that you want to take your own boat and leave the ship and make the journey on your own. Even if you choose to make the journey on the own, you are still given the choice to get back on the ship any point, no questions asked and no judgement made. You gain your experience as you go along in the boat. 
3. The fine print : The way to get back on the shore is on the ship. Every now and then you are given the opportunity to read the contract in the hope that you will read the fine print.

Link : Memorable quotes from Peaceful Warrior

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0438315/quotes

Do you like that its Friday or maybe you like Monday better?

Why? NOW is the best time.

What do you want in life?

I already have everything I want, and therefore, I want Nothing. 

The only things I need are food, water, and air to sustain this body so I can achieve the real Goal of human life.

Now that you have embraced spirituality, are you going to leave your family and become a sanyasi?

The short answer - an emphatic NO.

Spirituality provides Living Lessons. It is about living the life you have been given fully, NOT running away from it because you are chasing God.

In the laboratory of life, the family life is the crucible and the members of your family are the other reagents in your transformation.

In Chapter VII (The Role of the Guru) of the book "The Combined Works of Chariji - Volume 2 (My Master)" By Shri P. Rajagopalachari (my master), he states the following.

"... . Master has time and again stated that it is in the family environment that true vairagya is developed, while performing one's duties. The sannyasi system, on the contrary, encourages runaways and drop-outs, who seek the system merely as a refuge from the demands of a family existence. Sannyasa thus encourages weakness, and adds to the already exceedingly large number of itinerant wanderers who live off society without contributing anything significant in return. This is a burden that, in the present context, society can hardly continue to bear, in terms of both materiality and the higher life. ..."

You are chasing god with your spirituality. I cannot compete with god.

You only have to chase something that is running away from you. God is here, NOW!

You cannot find God by chasing God or looking for God. You will experience God when God chooses. Your job is to knock hard on God's door with your love and wait. Spirituality provides the knowledge and the tools to knock on God's door and live a life of love in the present moment as you wait for God.

You only have to compete when you want to win something you don't have.  You already have God. Therefore, there is Nothing to win in the wait for God.

Announcement : Links updated

I have updated the Links page.

Living lessons

If you have not done so already, please read the post "Driving Lessons" before you read this one.

Almost everybody in the world can learn how to drive. Therefore, driving must be relatively simple task. Also, driving is not something you do every waking moment. It is only a part of your life. For that, you had to take lessons and get a license to do so.

Why do you think you can live life based on just what you learned from growing up?

Just like you get driving lessons to drive well, spirituality provides living lessons to live well. Spirituality is the knowledge that lets you respond to the road of life. It helps you be in the present moment, taking in the breathtaking beauty of the present, and at the same time responding with actions that are perfect for that present moment.

The more experienced your driving instructor, the more the chances of you ending up a better driver. The more experienced your living instructor, the spiritual master, the better the chances of transformation of your life. Just like you might figure out by which driving school/instructor is the best one by looking at the driving skills of the people from that school, choose your master and the path carefully by looking at the life the people on that path live.

On the road of life, the present moment is your guide

If you have not done so already, please read "The road and the map are your guides" before you read this one.

Consider all life is unfamiliar territory. Just like you cannot plan every action you are going to take as you get on the road, you cannot plan every action you want to take in life. Choose how you intend to be and continue your journey.

Live life with you in the present moment. Let the present moment dictate your actions. You respond to things as they occur. Surrender completely to the present moment and the action to take appears by itself.

In this mode of living, you are neither stuck in the past nor looking into the future. You are completely in the present and enjoying every bit of what life has to offer NOW!

What are you looking at in life?

If you have not done so already, please read the post "What are you looking at?" before you read this one.

Are you looking into the rear view mirror of the past, holding on to your regrets and repeating your if onelies? Are you constantly putting your past into your future and looking for past patterns to repeat themselves? Are you blaming everybody around you for your present condition?

Are you so worried about the future that your are glued to the map of your future? Are you letting your future affect your present?

Are you able to respond to what is happening around you in the present moment without everything becoming a problem? Are you able to experience the beauty of the present moment unfolding around you?