This is a story from a Buddhist tradition. There lived a family: Dhanadāsa, his wife Sumati, and the son Lakṣmīdāsa. They were all living like pagans. Lakṣmidasa had married to a girl who was converted to dhamma some twenty years ago upon a discourse by a bhikṣu. After the marriage his wife tried to bring the members of the family to dhamma. After five years of her strenuous effort her mother-in-law, Sumati got convinced of the way and accepted her path. They had a son, and he embraced dhamma at the age of five. Just two years ago, her husband too followed the way of dhamma. One day a young bhikṣu came to his house for alms. While giving alms the daughter-in-law began interacting with the Bhikṣu. “Oh Bhikṣu, what is your name?” The Bhikṣu replied, “I am not with a name. I go beyond name and forms.” “You seem to be very young. How old are you?” “I am beyond time. I was born before time.” “How did you choose this path?” “I have understood the passing of this life. I have experienced the divine presence. And I have surrendered everything to Buddha and ready for my salvation. By the way, how old are you?” She replied, “I am twenty years old.” “How old is your mother in law?” “She is fifteen years old.” “How old is your son?” “He is five years old.” “How old is your husband?” “He is two years old.” How old is your father-in-law?” “He is not yet born.”
It is not when one is born that matters, but how well one lives the life. Jesus tells Nicodemus, “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (Jn 3:1-21). Being born again is to born in faith and in communion with the Lord. Communion with the Lord is nothing but a long lasting encounter with the divine.
Every religion has a truth to live by, has a message to communicate and values to propagate. There is something unique in every culture and creed. The question I need to reflect here is this: “What is that unique thing in my religion that I have encountered/experienced in my life?” My experience of this uniqueness of my religion paves the foundation for my journey of faith and defines my personality. That convinces me of my vocation and leads me to live that conviction. If I lack this experience I cannot be a ‘religious’ in a stricter sense. Being ‘born again’ is an invitation to experience this unique salvific event of my life. Therefore, I need to be born again.
The real journey begins once I experience the uniqueness of my faith. This is nothing but realizing my mission and beginning to live a life of total dedication to the task I have undertaken. In this sense, one can ask oneself, “How old am I?” It is not an easy task to answer. The answer will vary from the person to person. One may have dedicated oneself to a religious way of life, but not necessary that one is grown enough in that life. One may have dedicated oneself to be a house-holder (gṛhasthaśrama dharma), but may not be a good husband, father, son, mother, wife, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, daughter and so on. One may have started a religious center or runs a huge religious renewal programme to cater the divine appetite of people, but may not be a religious person at all. According to the story narrated above, they may not have ‘born at all,’ or may still remain to be ‘infants,’ or ‘children,’ or ‘teenagers,’ though one is at the doorsill of physical old-age. Seldom we have seen ‘adults’ who are fit to be in such positions. This is a reality in every tradition and culture.
I pose two questions here: “what determines the age for your present way of life? What stage of spiritual life you have reached so far?”
We believe in what we are convinced of, and our conviction begins from our experience. Once we are convinced, need to walk the talk–live and act what is experienced and convinced of. The ‘talk’ is the ‘Word of God’ or ‘Vāk’ incarnated in our very being, that is, the life lived according to the revelation we have received. Reflecting in this sense, are we yet to be born, just born (infants), children, teenagers or adults? Depending on our age, we need to grow/mature. If not, we call it the ‘abnormal growth’ or the ‘stunted growth.’ The way one talks, relates, speaks, takes decision in life, behaves in the public, initiatives one takes, the content of the public speech, the selection of words one makes in the speech, etc. tell us how the person is growing. You cannot expect a child to take a mature decision, nor an adult to act like a child. At the same time, a ‘child’ can be the ‘father’ of a ‘just born child’ or a ‘not yet born child.’ Each stage of growth has its own dynamics. At the same time, every stage has a particular vocabulary and way of life. For example, it does not suit the person of holding a highest position in an institution to use reproachful and disparaging words. That is not only demeaning the person oneself, but also to the position one holds on. Such people, per se, are ‘not yet born’ and therefore, have no moral right to hold on to such position.
What are the yardsticks to test ourselves? There can be several pointers which can gage our growth in life, or tell us how old we are. At the end of the day, it is not to accuse ourselves whether we are right or wrong, but whether we are in the right direction or not. It is not whether we have achieved our goals (to be adults) or not, but in what rigor/pace we are moving ahead. It is to see the Self through our own selves (paśyati ātmanam ātmāna says the Mahābhārata 12.242.10). This is our own Spiritual Quotient (SQ).
Some of the yardsticks are: the emotional life, the self-acceptance, the self-image or the self-esteem, the inter-personal or the community life, my dedication to the work entrusted, being true to myself, etc. One may be an excellent preacher or gives an excellent satsang or known to be a spiritual guide, but may not be true to himself/herself. Mother Teresa, Baba Amte, Gandhiji could be some of the excellent examples for ‘Walking-the-Vāk.’
To conclude, what is the age of our religious gurus, politicians, doctors, bureaucrats, social workers, etc.? What is my age? Lenten season is a season to look back and see the foot-prints we have walked; to look down and see our own gait and begin afresh with renewed vigour; and to look ahead with hope in the Lord to experience the Easter event, the Resurrection. Let us listen, meditate and contemplate.
Fr. Raju Felix
Crasta
Originally Published in http://thewriter.in/ on 14 February 2018, in the following link http://thewriter.in/lent-time-walk-vak/.
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