LIVE FOR THE PRESENT

You are fond of brinjal and would like to consume a variety of side-dishes prepared from that vegetable. This is a legitimate desire which you have every right to seek fulfilment of. Now, what all do you need to go about the task? Let us examine in detail.

First and foremost, the doer should be there, called Karta in Sanskrit. That is yourself. Secondly, a patch of ground is called for and that is available in your back-garden. In the third place, you should have the required implements and inputs in the form of spade, watering can, seed and fertiliser. Fourth comes the technical know-how — when to sow the seed and at what depth etc.

You assure yourself of all these four factors and settle down to gardening with enthusiasm. The plant comes up fine, blossoms in a manner to gladden your heart and displays bunches of brinjals. The crop would be ready for harvesting in two days and you go to slumber dreaming of the dishes in the offing.

While you are fast asleep, a strong surface-wind blows all of a sudden; it gathers up your precious brinjal-plant, root and branch, wafts it away and parks it on the roof of a hut, some ten kilometres away. For the poor inmates of the said hut, it is a god-send and they make the most of the full-grown brinjals, even as you are ruefully watching the crater in your back-garden, which is all that is left of your love’s labour.

In such a circumstance, should you be bemoaning your lot? No, for the very elements of Nature, which you needed to rear the plant, have now deprived you of the fruit. It is an occupational hazard of any gardening effort, which you should have legislated for in advance. It does not happen every time but it could happen. You did not anticipate it because you were emotionally involved with your desire.

Apart from and in addition to the four factors listed at the outset viz., (i)doer (ii)ground (iii)implements and (iv)know-how, there is an invisible fifth factor which controls the ultimate outcome of any action. That invisible factor is the fullness of Nature referred to as ‘Deivam’ in the Gita and the Tirukkural.

If you develop the total perspective vision you would have pre-empted Disappointment and Frustration. Facing a loss, you would quickly regain your mental poise and plan what to do next in the circumstances.

The past is gone beyond recall; and so live for the present, day to day. The future, then, would take care of itself.

— Excerpt from Sage TGN’s Talk on

AdiSankarar:Life and Message

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