Everyday grace

Long back, while visiting a holy temple in Delhi, I bought a simple Rudraksha bracelet. Rudraksha is known to increase good health and spiritual qualities of the users and these trees grow only in the foot hills of Himalaya mountains.That bangle was inexpensive and the seeds were strung through an elastic thread.. One morning I was delighted to get a call from my friend who was visiting the holy city of Haridwar, and invited me to join her for a day, at her Guru’s Ashram. I loved the idea, and next morning, I got dressed and wore my Rudraksha bracelet. Her uncle and aunt picked me up, and we proceeded towards Haridwar early in the morning. We reached the holy city by noon, when my friend was waiting for us at her Guru’s Ashram, but first, decided to have a dip in the holy river Ganga. It is a popular belief that, mother Ganga flows down from Shiva’s jata (uncombed twisted knot of Shiva’s hair), and flows down through the holy city of Haridwar. So people from different countries come there to have a holy dip. We found the river was full and had a strong current. So the bathing ghats were cordoned off by iron chains, which devotees could hold to take a holy dip. Before getting into the river, I handed over my belongings to someone in the group who decided not to take a bath. But I forgot to remove the Rudraksha bracelet from my wrist. And just as I took my first dip, I realised that my precious Rudraksha bracelet slipped from my wrist, and floated away to some unknown destination of the river bed. I stayed cool, and continued to take my seven more holy dips in the river. When I finished taking my last holy dip, I felt some thing under my feet. I took it out, and to my surprise I found , it was my Rudraksha bangle. It came back to me , after being blessed by Ma Ganga , and became my most precious possession. I realised that, like that ordinary Rudraksha wrist band, any object can be transformed to become of value, if we so attribute it. And if we are to be attached to them, may it be for non-material reasons. There is grace in all things if only we can see it. Paramhansa Yogananda said, “ change your consciousness from that of a mortal to a divine being….In every atom of space, you will see the twinkle of God’s light and laughter. Behind every thought, you will feel the ocean of His wisdom,” (journey to self- realization). So following his advice,by remoulding our consciousness , we all can be new person in this New Year.