ALL is ONE

The poem or the text from the Tao Te Ching is insightful which carries a deep meaning for me. I am still pondering on this thought of ALL is ONE and ONE is ALL since the last eight years.  Here is this text that explains the concept of Oneness in a beautiful way. Leading to the great Tao (the way) of life.

Tao Te Ching- 

What cannot be seen is called the invisible. 

What cannot be heard is called the inaudible.

And hence are mixed together as one. 

This “Oneness” is not much brighter in the sky, as It is not much dimmer on earth. 

It is not more glorious in a saint as It is not more fainter in an ordinary person. 

It is everlasting and cannot be named. 

It is the original void of “non-being.” 

This “Oneness” is the Tao which is invisible, and formless. 

It may be regarded as vague and intangible. 

When the Oneness Tao comes forward, Its front cannot be seen. 

When one tries to follow It, one cannot see Its rear. 

By abiding with the original Tao, one can master the presence. 

He who knows this “Origin,” shall know the teaching and principle of the Great Tao....

I am always meeting, seeing or reading everything, which points out to the concept of ONEness.  The title of my blog is ALL is ONE/ ALLis1. My first time to embark upon this concept of All is One, when I was watching the Japanese serial, Full Metal Alchemist (Episode 28 - One is All, All is One). Then I came across The Three  Musketeers, which has this Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro UNO is a Latin phrase that means "One for all, all for one" in English (Wiki). The similar meaning that everything is one, although it looks too different. 

I was taking Molecular Dynamics course two years back. In the first lecture, Professor asked a question that what is fundamental thing in the universe. I rarely answer questions in the class, although I know the answer. I answered in a second that it is an atom. Then he showed the Richard Feynman's  quote. I don't remember the exact question or that quote from the lecture.  I found his beautiful poem  “I, a universe of atoms, an atom in the universe.” 

In my opinion, life is explained by a carbon cycle. We come from where, we go back to the same place. Everything is made up of carbon or the atom - the ONE. The universe is made up of atoms. We still take so many forms from the basic atom block. No two living things are alike. No one remains the same at the passing moment. The diversity and change  are the universal truth. The truth is to understand the meaning of anything which you can find using your own awareness. What you believe is truth for yourself. We all are part of that ONENESS. We are that collection of an atom or carbon or whatever you imagine or think about it.  Connecting dots from everything I am experiencing, reading, understanding and inhaling. 

And I am moving towards the ONENESS......................

Garbage = Negative emotions!

We  collect garbage in a dustbin and thrash it every day or every week. Now, if you imagine that there are two persons in a house. One person is responsible for thrashing a garbage. He decides that he will not throw that forever. First few days, the other person will not realize that there is garbage in a house. The first person is trying to cover it properly, so the other person does not find it. However, after a short time, the garbage will start to smell. So, whenever one goes in the kitchen will smell it. The other person thinks that it's the responsibility of the first person to thrash the garbage. So he does not take action, although the smell is annoying. As none of the two persons are taking action, the pile of garbage is now overflowing the bin and it is lying everywhere on the kitchen floor. After a few more days, the people are walking on the pile of garbage in the whole house. Both the persons are complaining that it smells bad and blame each other, walking over the garbage pile. It never occurred to either of them to clean the mess.  At the end, they both leave the house or the person to get away from the smell.

Find your own moral of this story. Here, garbage is symbol of negative thoughts or emotions about any person/thing. Kitchen and house signifies the person's life. Dustbin and thrashing garbage out of house refers to properly purging out negative emotions regularly in a healthy way or at a proper place. The two persons are people in any relationship. Now, once again read this story and relate to all the relationships in your life.  

So, are you thrashing the garbage regularly?

My Guru Prasad Mama

When you are a child, you have someone who inspires you or is a role model for you. My inspiration was my Maternal uncle, Prasad Mama. I call him my Guru. During my childhood, a serial Chanakya  was telecasted on the Doordarshan. As I started watching this serial. I felt that Prasad Mama used Chanakya-Niti. I always felt that he was like Chanakya.

He always used to tease me with a small funny four-line poem with my pet name. Whenever he sang the poem, I used to cry and felt embarrassed. For this very act, I used to hate him. One day he sat and told me that a sentence that struck me. He continued that if you give your thought and emotional control to others, they will fear you and make you cry. These words still ring in my head.

I was doing my engineering. Prasad Mama and his family were staying with my grandparents.  My  grandparents' place was near  to my University. I  visited them on weekends and holidays. I preferred to stay at Prasad Mama's place. He knew what I like to eat and my favorite dish is Dhokala. He always made sure that I will get  my favorite Dhokala on each of my visits.  He personally  instructed my cousins to take care of me. The best part was that he use to give me money. I knew that he didn't have much money that time. Still, he knew that I need money. I clearly remember the first time he handed me Rs. 100 bill in my hand. We were sitting on the temple stairs in my grandparents house. I refused to take it. I told my parents won't like it. I won't be able to give you back. He said that I am sowing a money plant. I am confident that it is going to become a big tree.  I will get it back that time. I have my eyes filled with tears, whenever I remember this incident. I can write so many incidences about him. He was truly my guru. He taught me so many things. I give full credit of goodness and passion which I learned from him.

His life journey was adventurous.  I am not fully aware of his journey. I always got time to spend with him during summers. So I can write a short version of his biography. He was funny, jolly, witty and smart person. He belonged to a wealthy Brahmin family. My grandfather was a strict orthodox.  Prasad Mama was forced to join diploma in Mechanical Engineering during 1960's. He was passionate about the arts and drama. He had many friends and was popular amongst his friend circle for his helping nature. He may have lent money to so many people even without expecting it in return.  He acted in a few plays.  He married to a Non-Brahmin women.  During those times, this was the  difficult because the person would be outcast from his family. He dared to marry my Mami against my grandfather's wish.  He was outcast for a few years.

You have to get a degree and join a job. This is a traditional unspoken rule in India.  So he joined Bachelor of Arts and then he did B.Ed. He joined as a Math teacher in my grand parents' school. He was really good in maths. He spent a few years teaching maths. He was not satisfied with it. He felt that students were not hardworking. They always used short cuts.  He took voluntary retirement. He did farming for a few months with some of his friends. 

Then he started a new journey, he thought that Tamasha, which is the Maharashtrian traditional art. He always admired it. He opened a Tamasha theatre in Solapur. This endeavor was not a great success. Being a Brahmin guy to have guts to open a theatre when nobody is supporting you. Its called as passion to achieve your dream. 

Most amazing part of this journey is in the second part of his life. My grandfather was an Agnihotri.  Agnihotri literally translates to "one who carries out fire rituals."Agnihotri should be a Brahmin, but he may be a celibate or a householder. If a householder becomes a widow or a widower, she/he cannot perform as Agnihotri. The Agnihotri has to conduct worship as an ideal householder. He cannot beg for his own livelihood. In fact, the last Aahuti of the Agnihotri is the sacrifice of his own body - (source wiki). 

Someone from the family has to continue this tradition. He became Agnihotri after my grandfather passed away. It's a very hard thing. You have to follow so many rituals, rules and regulations.

 I remember my interaction  with him. I asked him why he became Agnihotri. He said that there are few things you cannot understand. Throughout my life, I did not do anything what my father liked or wanted me to do it. Something inside me asked to do it. 

Prasad Mama passed away due to cancer few years back. It was the saddest day of my life. How much I was connected to him and what he mean to me. I could not write in words.  I remember my last meeting with him in Pune. He no more looked like Prasad Mama. Due to chemotherapy he had lost weight and he was looking different.  I wrote a letter included money for his treatment. Luckily I just joined a job that time. I did not have much money.  I wrote him that your money tree has grown now. It's just for you. 

This is  my tribute to my beloved Guru Prasad Mama.  Your teachings are always with me.