In Search of a touch stone

In Search of a Touch Stone

I remembered one story of a very poor man, who never cared to have wealth, shelter, or any kind of help, but was madly busy in searching of a touch stone.

It is believed that the touch stone has a special quality, to turn iron into gold just by a mere touch. It is indeed a rarest fortune, one can dream of, to have such a magical stone. But that mad man, whose condition was worse than a beggar, did not want to compromise his search with any other gain.

Only with one fixed idea in his head “How to get a touch stone” he spent his youthful energy, time, and eventually turned into an old man without any strength. But still his intense search was on.

Till one day seeing him, when a street urchin cried out, “oh old saint, from where did you get that gold chain around your waist?”

The old man was shocked with surprise. He realized, that magic stone came in his hand in some special moment; he also touched it to his iron chain in a routine habit. But what a pity that precious moment slipped away unnoticed. It came in hand, and went out of it, because for his inattentiveness. He was doing his job with just ritualistic practice, without engaging his mind in present moment, so he did not notice the change. With a broken heart, he started his reverse journey again to try his luck.

This is the exact story, which is happening in our lives too. 

We are all crazily searching for a magic stone, which can vanish all miseries from our life and can bring only peace, joy and happiness. 

We are trying our luck in all possible ways. This is the heart’s desire of everybody, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, young or old. 

By spending our life’s energy in desperate search for money, name, fame, and what not. We believe, through these channels only we can make our life secured, comfortable and happy.

Our basic confusion is, what we are searching for is “inner bliss” but our chosen paths are only fit to provide us outside comforts, but definitely cannot supply inner bliss. While searching for inner bliss, our adopted methods should also be inward looking.  That path is referred in our scriptures, as a path of self-control (nivritti). 

Basic needs of life cannot be, and should not be ignored. With our honest efforts we must full fill those needs of our life. We should remember, where to stop, and not get entangle by them. Life has two aspects, soul and body. 

Meditation and action both are needed. For the development of these two, Gita refers about “pravrtti” and “nivirtti”. Through pravrtti, improvement of economy, political and social system is possible. Where as through nivrtti value oriented life, inner spiritual enlightenment is achieved.  Both are needed in proper balance, to make life wonderful. Here I quote from a German philosopher Schopenhauer’s book, “The world as will and idea”. Long back he said, “When man achieve security and welfare, now that they have solved all other problems, they become a problem to themselves”. 

Same idea is reflected in Swami Ranganathanda’s sayings, “Work, work and work, earn more and more money, but remain inwardly poorer and poorer, until one becomes a nervous wreck.” (Universal Message of the Bhagavad Gita, page.??? )

So we see, balancing between our inner and outer journey is most essential, otherwise like that old fakir we may have to start our reverse journey again in next life.

We are all atman, we are one and not separate. This wisdom is the real touch stone which has the power to remove our vanity, feeling to separateness, hatred and all negativities in a second. Then why not start searching for that gem of wisdom in our life? 

The root cause of all unhappiness, whether in family, society or between countries, lies in the feeling of separateness between each other. 

This separateness is created on the basis of social status, caste, creed, race, and on so many other criterions. We forget that all of us, we want to be loved, to have helping hand in each other needs, to share our joys and sorrows.

Today though we are able to keep in touch with the whole world in a second, through our modern gadgets, but some how the art of communication with genuine feelings is fading away.

Time has come for the realization of our oneness. If only we combine our comforts, with attitude of co-operation, life can be complete and we can co-exist peacefully with all.