The individual self goes round and round
Until it sees its identity with the lord of Love
And attains immortality in the indivisible whole.
- Shevetashvatara Upanishad
We are beckoned all the time to undertake a journey to discover our true nature, the source of which is LOVE. Love is considered the supreme virtue of the higher self, and other virtues like compassion, charity, and service stem from it. The call to discover our true identity is always present in the form of softer knocks on our heart’s door, but due to living under the spell of maya (illusion), the call goes unheard. Sometimes as a result of sudden enlightenment or grace, the whisper of call gets so loud that it is heard in every cell of the body. Ignoring the call becomes painful and the journey towards love and self-discovery starts at this juncture in earnest. Every quest has obstacles, requiring perseverance as well as sacrifices. The love quest demands a sacrifice of the ego.
Jau Tau Prem Khelan Ka Chau, Sir Dhar Gali Moree Aao;
Iit marag pair dhareejee, Sir deeje kaann na keeje
- Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Salok Varran Te Vadheek, p. 1412
(If you desire to play the game of love, then step onto my path by surrendering your ego;
When you step onto this path, be egoless and yet, do not pay attention to public opinion)
This journey of finding and then immersing ourselves with the source of love requires moving past ego and its manifestations. The stages of this journey are beautifully represented in old Hindu temples by utilizing various symbols from the nature. The areas before the entrance are adorned by statues of animals such as lions, foxes, birds, and snakes, each signifying negative human emotions, such as fear, anger, hate, greed, deceit, etc. Finally in the end, deep inside the temple, there is a space dedicated to the deity. The space is known as Garbh Graha (“the womb”), and it houses an idol representing some aspect of nature of Brahmin (“higher self”) such as creation, wisdom, sustenance, destruction, etc. The idol is a like an umbilical cord, connecting the seeker to the original source, the higher self.
The meaning behind this symbolism is that the journey of “self” requires one to first come to terms with demons residing within one’s psyche. After that, one can enter the depths of the psyche and see the glimpse of true spirit reflecting pure love. The journey to find this truth is not possible without hearing “the call”. One needs the help of a Guru (Spiritual Teacher) to put one on the right path as a guide.
The journey of love is really a rediscovery of our true nature which is unencumbered by ego and its manifestations. While writing this blog, I remembered a story about a quest of a prince who, in order to find love, embarks on a journey and in the process discovers his true identity. I have reworked the story without altering the central theme.
Like quite a few stories, the story begins with a prince who goes on a journey to find and marry a beautiful princess living in a palace built on top of a treacherous mountain. To get there, he has to cross dense jungles, water bodies infested with flesh-eating, fire-breathing creatures, burial grounds with roaming spirits, and enchanting beauties.
During his journey, he encountered a wrinkled, limping old woman. Upon finding out the purpose of the prince’s pursuit, she offered her help. Before the prince could say anything she said, “Do not get fooled by my feeble body; my experience and wisdom compensates for my physical limitations more than you can imagine.” She added, “I know the nature of the forest, water bodies, and settlements inhabited by loquacious damsels. They will lure you in abandoning your journey.” Thinking that he had nothing to lose, the prince agreed to take her along.
True to her words, she guided him through dense jungles, helped him navigate through water bodies, and successfully helped him fend off the siren song of young nymphs. Eventually the time came when the old woman thought that going forward, her help may do more harm than good. She said, “Dear son, the call to meet your soul mate, and the journey undertaken in light of it, is also a journey of self-discovery. Solitude and contemplation will help you sharpen your inner compass. Therefore, you must go alone. You may know the saying, When you meet Buddha, slay him. It simply means that in order to have a fulfilling journey, you must learn from people of wisdom but in the end cultivate and use your wisdom. You are on your way to find your truth and for that you have to get on the path which is uniquely yours.”
The prince asked if she could share some more wisdom as a parting gift. She continued, “Remember that eventually you will arrive at an open space and a mountain will be clearly visible, but do not get excited. When one thinks that he/she is in control, the nature throws a curve ball as a reminder that you are not calling the shots, and that you are just a product of life’s small and big accidents. Lastly, and most importantly, when you are climbing the treacherous mountain, the fear of failure and death will overwhelm you, and your mind will hear voices, asking you to turn back. The voices will use all sorts of trickery, such as the lure of a good life back home or expectations of others cloaked under duty. If you pay heed to those voices, you will turn into a stone, just like the thousands spread over the mountain.” The prince and old lady bid each other farewell and the prince moved on.
As the old woman predicted, while climbing the treacherous mountain, a fog of fear descended upon the prince. Every few steps his horse was skidding. The path was narrow, and one misstep could spell disaster. The voices in his head started telling him to turn back. At that moment, a cool mountain breeze woke the prince from his emotional state. He thought that the cool breeze is a signal from the spirits of the ancestors who have moved beyond traditions, rituals, public opinion, and fear. This interpretation made him realize that these fearful thoughts were creation of his mind.
This realization had a calming effect. He started moving in the direction of his destination. In a few hours, he reached the palace and the gates flung open. He came face to face with the soul princess who was majestically sitting on the throne of his heart. The caller and the called became one.