It was probably late in the night and I was awakened by the sound of thunder seering through my ears. As I sat alone on my bed I could see flashes of light before me as if all the moon light was in my room. I had this very positive feeling inside me, a kind of warmth had spread and it was eternal bliss. Then to my astonishment I saw a very bright figure standing right before my eyes. I am so
shocked even thinking of it now, so let me put it in straight words, I saw GOD in front of me. I wanted to talk, but was not sure what to ? You could ask a zillion questions but still not be satisfied after all he is the Omnipresent you see, so here is what we spoke on that memorable night.
ME: Father, I will ask you questions but only on one condition.
HE: YES, MAY I KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
ME: Your answer should be specific and you should be honest with yourselves.
HE: YOUR ARE DOUBTING ME, THE CREATOR OF UNIVERSE AND ALL THAT EXISTS HERE.
ME: You may be the Creator, but I am still a human you see.
HE: OK. I PROMISE I WILL BE HONEST WITH MYSELF AND WILL BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE.
ME: What is your favourite Flower?
HE: I LIKE ALL MY CREATION AND IT WOULD BE UNFAIR....
ME: There, There...I told you to be specific.
HE: HMM..THOUGH ALL ARE MY FAVOURITES, I PRIDE MYSELF FOR CREATING THE LOTUS.
ME: The lotus !! The flower that grows amidst stagnant and dirty water.
HE: YES, YES. THAT'S EASILY WHY I LIKE IT THE MOST. IT SYMBOLISES PURITY. WHEN YOU SEE A LOTUS AND ADMIRE ITS BEAUTY YOU ARE FORGETTING THE STAGNANT AND DIRTY WATER FOR A MINUTE, THEREBY MAKING IT THE TRUE SYMBOL OF PURITY. ANY PERSON OR THING CAN BE CALLED PURE NOT JUST BECAUSE HE OR SHE IS PURE BUT THEIR PURITY SHADOWS THE SHORTCOMINGS OF ALL THINGS AROUND THEM.
ME: Then does the stagnant and dirty water have shortcomings.
HE: EVERY ENTITY IN THE WORLD HAS SOME FORM OF SHORTCOMING OR THE OTHER. THE LOTUS AND THE DIRTY WATER LIVE IN PERFECT HARMONY.
ME: Can you please clarify
HE: THE LOTUS IS SO SPECIAL BECAUSE IT GROWS AMIDST THESE WATERS, AND THE STAGNANT AND DIRTY WATER INDIRECTLY HELP THE LOTUS TO FEEL THAT IT IS SPECIAL. IT IS WHAT I CALL A PERFECT HARMONY.
ME: You told that every entity has some shortcomings, I am sure you do not have any shortcoming.
HE: I INDEED HAVE MANY SHORTCOMINGS (smiling...)
ME: Can you tell me any one of them.
HE: I THINK I LACK FORESIGHT.
ME: Why do you say that ?
HE: I CREATED RELIGION TO HELP AND GUIDE HUMANITY TOWARDS THE PATH OF ETERNAL PEACE AND INFINITE KNOWLEDGE. BUT SEE WHATS HAPPENING TO THE WORLD.
ME: So you say that you regret creating religion.
HE: NO I DONT REGRET IT ONE BIT.
ME: But there are people slaying each other because of religion.
HE: THERE ARE PEOPLE CAUSING EACH OTHER HARM IN THE NAME OF RELIGION AND NOT BECAUSE OF RELIGION. ITS HOW EVERY INDIVIDUAL PERCEIVES. AND ITS VERY SAD THAT MANY OF THEM HAVE A TOTALLY WRONG PERCEPTION.
ME: We all see so many people do so many bad things be it theft, robbery, bribe, dowry the list is so many. If you claim that we all are your creation then how can you let us into such a bad world and made us so vulnerable.
HE: I MADE YOU AND THE WORLD. I THOUGHT EVERY CREATION SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN INDEPENDENCE IN CHOOSING HIS DESTINY AND SHOULD BE RESPONISBLE FOR HIS ACTIONS. BUT AGAIN THEY MADE MY WORLD INTO A BAD WORLD DUE TO THEIR ACTIONS ALONE AND I DONT THINK ANYONE IS VULNERABLE.
ME: But being the almighthy God, why don't you stop them.
HE: I INDEED STOP ANYONE WHO INDULGES IN ANYTHING THAT IS BAD.
ME: Oh this is news to me.
HE: WHENEVER A PERSON TRIES TO DO SOMETHING HARMFUL OR SINFUL, THERE IS ALWAYS A CALL FROM THE HEART, A FAINT CALL THAT REMINDS HIM OF HIS WRONG DOING. I AM SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD THAT CALL. HAVE YOU NEVER FELT SOMETHING INSIDE YOU ALBEIT VERY WEAK CALLING AND TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS WRONG.
ME: Ya sometimes I have felt it.
HE: EVERYONE WOULD HAVE FELT IT.
ME: The world is turning ugly day by day. Why don't you come and change it ?
HE: I HAVE COME DOWN ON THIS EARTH WHENEVER I FELT THINGS GO OUT OF HAND.
ME: Then where were you when there were masaccares in the name of ideology and religion, where were you when there were attrocities created on people just because they were blacks, where were you when people where ignored because they were poor and unhealthy.
HE: I HAVE INFACT SHOWN MY PRESENCE IN ALL OF THE TIMES... THERE WAS A MAHATMA WHOSE SINGLE WORD SILENCED MILLIONS OF AGITATING PEOPLE AND THERE WAS NELSON MANDELA WHOSE SACRIFICE ALONE BROUGHT IN EQUALITY TO BOTH WHITES AND BLACK, AND THERE WAS MOTHER TERESA WHOSE GENTLE HANDS PROVIDED INFINITE LOVE TO ALL PEOPLE WHO WERE IGNORED AND DOWNTRODDEN.
ME: So you say that you were Gandhi, Mandela and Teresa.
HE: THEY ARE INDEED A PART OF ME. THEY ARE MY CREATION AND THEIR EXISTENCE IS MY EXISTENCE.
ME: But they are not relevant today.
HE: THEY INDEED ARE VERY MUCH RELEVANT TODAY. HOW MANY FIGHTS AND TURBULANCES HAVE BEEN SOLVED WITH VIOLENCE : NOT MANY. BUT SEE THE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS BEING SOLVED BY PEACEFUL DIALOGUES, THEY ARE INNUMERABLE. THE MESSAGE OF PEACE, TRUTH AND NON-VIOLENCE IS IN FACT MORE RELEVANT TODAY THAN AT OTHER TIMES. SEE THE AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS HAPPENING IN AFRICA JUST BECAUSE OF PERSONS INFLUENCED BY MANDELA. AND THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED BEING SERVED AND HELPED BY YOUNG MINDS INFLUENCED BY TERESA.
ME: So you say the world is in safe hands.
HE: AS LONG AS PEOPLE HEAR THE CALL OF THEIR HEART AND ACT ACCORDING TO CONSCIENCE, THE WORLD IS IN SAFE HANDS.
ME: I can go on and on, but this will be my last question, but I want an answer, a definite one.
HE: PLEASE GO ON...
ME: Will Humanity survive, will we ever walk on the face of the earth for a long time to come, will we survive the catastrophes we have created in the past, present and the future
All of a sudden I woke up and I could feel my face drenched with sweat. I badly wanted an answer and as I was cursing myself for the missed oppurtunity my eyes fell upon the mirror across my room. As I watched myself over the mirror I just got my answer ! As long as there is a rightful spirit in us, we shall have the will to survive and we shall have the spirit until we can see ourselves in the mirror and be content with the image it shows....
I wondered whether it was a dream or God in fact had apperared in front of me. My heart told me I spoke to God and my mind told me it was a dream. I chose to go with my heart this time.
As usual, signing off with a little verse I had written when I was in my high school..
Oh dear God show me the path,
Free from any of the blood bath.
A Place filled with love,
With People sweet as dove.
A Place with emotions,
And no room for confrontations.
A Place free of religion,
A place free of rebellion,
A Place filled with trust,
And friendship is a must.
A Place free of any fear,
A place Free of any anger,
A place with beautiful showers,
Shower of enchanting flowers.
At last to you I ask my Lord,
With all your grace,
Give me a place,
A place free of demons,
And very few humans……
