The rains have really settled in although delayed. As usual we are cribbing about our problems - how the places are flooded, how the government is not doing its job etc. Before the monsoons, we said - What a hot summer it is! Why are the rains not coming? Sometimes it looks like human beings just live to crib. In fact, there was someone in my class who I would call a ‘happy cribber’ because of her habit of cribbing about everything. And of course, she didn't expect me to take it seriously. Jokes apart, a couple of generations ago, the changing seasons were accepted very gracefully, as a natural thing.
Back then people didn't have to face the hassles of commuting that we have to do. I agree that it is up to the local governments to provide infrastructure, so our commute becomes easier. Trains are cleaned. Garbage is carried away so that there is no water logging. Much gets done as nature has its dance and sometimes fury. In many of our cities, our network of metros that are being built, help. But in every country in the world, some days the cities come to a stop either because of rain or because of snow or some other act of nature.
As people who have an interest in spiritual growth, what can we do? Irrespective of your path or the guru whom you follow or your disciplines, one thing is common for all spiritual students — to develop a sense of acceptance and proactively deal with the situations that one faces. Be it in the heat or the flooding or snow or storm or whatever else nature throws at us, there are situations where one can cultivate our sense of acceptance and proactively deal with the issues that confront us. All spiritual students need this spiritual strength. Rather as a person wanting to live a competent life, everyone needs to develop this sense of acceptance and proactivity instead of just sitting down, cribbing, ranting and raving. Nature is offering us a great chance to develop these values.
The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com
