Ill father & Sama Drushti

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Achieving " sama drushti " or equanimity is the toughest virtute. It is

a virtue possessed only by Jivan-Mukthas or ones who are liberated

completely. Though others may say they possess a bit of it or more,

they are not complete (purna).

 

Therefore, when someone is ill and suffering, its our duty to attend

to them and do our best. But we can only pray to God to do what is

best. He knows what to give and what to take.

 

In a satsang in Madras recently, one elderly person used to come to

the temple everyday to read the " Divya Prabhandam " . Infact he was so

good at that and unfailing, that the daily offering of food to the

deity would be conducted only after his reading was completed.

 

3-days back on the way to the temple, he was riding his scooter, and

tried to avoid a stray-dog crossing the road suddenly. In the process

he had to brake suddenly and he was ejected from his scooter and he

suffered a great injury. His nose was broken, his skull was damaged,

there was concussion in his brain, and he lay there bleeding with no

one attending to him for almost 1-hour.

 

Finally he was admitted into the emergency ward and doctors have

given not more than a few days for his survival. They say even if he

survives, his brain might have been affected in such a way that he

could end up being a " vegetable " for the rest of his life.

 

Now, what a cruel fate indeed for someone who was devoted, and was on

the way to a temple for a daily rendering of his services !! Also he

was not a rash driver, but was only trying to avoid causing injury to

a stray-dog!

 

But once again, what to say in such a situation ? God knows best.

 

Whether one survives one injury or many, one day this body has to

perish. It is nature. Probably one can draw an inference from such

incidents that, life is ephemeral (a-nitya) and we have to catch hold

of God even tighter so that we develop the equanimity and get

liberated from this sufferings.

 

But its not easy. To see one's own kith and kin suffering and being

calm is only a virtue posessed by Saints.

 

-- Pradeep