River played important role in human lives in all continents, In India the whole civilization and its richness is the gifts of rivers. But Indian yogis and saints went deeper they realized that river is not helping a society to progress by agriculture or other business but it also enriches the soul.
If we are open to the existence, this existence opens itself for us. The most interesting part of any search and seekers to seek opening, openings of one self. Once we are open the existence reveals it self, that revelation connects everything that we have in our surrounding. That connection one calls bliss of being one self.
I must a tell a story of my life which might be interesting for many of you. When i was a small boy my father was serving 150 Km away from a place where a river named Narmada originates. Narmada is a important river for India, it flows upwards, there are very few rivers that flow upwards.
The place where Narmada originates is knows as Amarkantak, its been known to many seekers and saints for several 1000 of years, many saints and seekers have found silence of their soul on the banks of Mother Narmada.
As you all know that with India's rich tradition they have worshiped rivers like a mother, one should know that India has worshiped all forms including natural forms as divine. That's the beauty of India that everything is divine, everything has a message of divinity, you cant go a place where divinity does not surrounds you. It was a philosophy of higher understand to make the whole life divine, there was not a place which is not holy.
River played important role in human lives in all continents, In India the whole civilization and its richness is the gifts of rivers. But Indian yogis and saints went deeper they realized that river is not helping a society to progress by agriculture or other business but it also enriches the soul.
Let us go back to my own story, with Narmada river. As i told you i was born very near to the place where Narmada originates, but i did not get chance to see and experience of the river till very late. I was around 11 years old when one day my family decided to spend a day at this place. We all went down there and as a kid i was mesmerized with the location and energy that surrounded. It was so strong that i could feel it for days. When we all reached the Amarkantak, i felt that i could not move further up, i sat for a long time near the holy tanks, the place where many rituals are done.
I did not know what this place is about but i only knew that i have come to place where everything is open and alive, i merged in the silence of Mother Narmada, there were all kind of muttering of pilgrims but i felt that world is in slow motion.
My family was busy doing the rituals what most of the Indians do but i was in different space beyond my mental understanding. I was scared too as the feeling entered in me which was out of my common perception.
That day was one of the beginning of opening and feeling of the existence and merging my self. The days went and the years but something was left open in my soul, i wanted to drench my self again and again in that feeling. But with the school years and being away for my education in different parts of India it was long that i shall be physically close to the mother Narmada again. But it was just before i left from India for my higher education to US, i spent two and half years on the bank of Narmada river. My college was situated not far from Narmada and i visited few times the banks. The place is full of tourists as there is great water fall and it was made famous through various Indian movies.
When i was in Jabalpur, not for a moment the bliss of Mother Narmada left me, its amazing the way mother Narmada helped my journey in this earth. I was about 19 years old by than, had started to read heavily philosophy, religion and spirituality. I felt something is changing in me and the way i see this world, i used to go on Bhedaghat where Narmada flows and sit alone for hours and in her flow i flew, times upon times i could not remember that i have to go back to hostel which was almost 35-40 kilometer away from the banks. It was on that one occasion when the weather was hot and humid and i had sat will late evenings, for few hours i felt that there was only only river nothing else, my own perception of the world had gone. I asked to my self is this something weird ? or i am being fool ? for a moment i thought that i have gone nuts, but i liked being nuts at that time, drenched my self again. It was not till very late when a local came and started shouting, he had thought i am going to commit suicide! He could not understand why a young guy sitting there without any purpose except suicide?
It was sooner that i left for US for my further studies but Mother Narmada has nourished my soul, now there was no go back, my one part of mind was busy in reaching the climax of the experience but it all started when i was 11 years old in Amarkantak. The interesting part of my life is that Mother Narmada connected me to the world outside and inside. She has opened my horizons of human and existential understanding, she ignited my the light.
It will be quite awkward for a western mass like you to see that living image of any river but it is this way for me, i live with Mother Narmada even though i am far from India.
- From the discourse on the "The bliss of being with nature"
Vivek ji