Neerad's Mom, aka Bhartiben, is known as the ‘Iron Lady’ of the family. She lost her father at the age of 5 and had a tough childhood. Got married to a rich businessman who was also a deep seeker and as destiny decides, he ran into severe losses financially and in the phase of depression took to ashrams for solace. The iron lady steps up and manages to get a job as a school teacher, studies one more degree for that and keeps the family of 3 kids, an ageing granny and loads of visitors all seamlessly together. 15 years pass by and things are now positive -- both the sons find their ground and start their lives and daughter is happily married. Time comes when the elder son calls his parents to US for a vacation for the first time. Everyone is happy, all formalities done, all goodies packed, and everyone is ready to fly. A week before the flight, her husband dies of cancer. The world goes blank in front of her. But Iron Lady gathers herself and passes through all this with God’s name on her lips. She devotes her life to Chinmaya Mission and starts translations of books from Sanskrit to Gujarati and life goes on.
She comes to Pune's Giftivism retreat with vast knowledge gathered from life’s experiences and her studies at the Mission. Here, she experiences the depth of silence, goes within. She feels loved by all around. She feels encouraged by a 78 year old brother. On the last day, when she bows down to the universe -- she cries. She cries tears of 40 years that she had not shed. Iron finally melts to silent bowing, with an awakening in heart of oneness with the Universe. In her words “When I was bowing and coming up, each time I would look up and see the mountain around me I saw myself in that, I saw trees around me and I saw myself in that, I saw the flowers, plants and the ground around me and actually felt “I am that.” At each bow, I am asking- who am I afraid of?, who am I jealous of? Who do I get angry with? Whose sorrows are in my heart? When all this is a part of me and I am part of all of this, all these questions just melt. The only realization that remains is ‘all is one” and “one is all’.” With this, she sobs between smiles and we are speechless just hugging her and the vast universe that she embodies.
She comes to Pune's Giftivism retreat with vast knowledge gathered from life’s experiences and her studies at the Mission. Here, she experiences the depth of silence, goes within. She feels loved by all around. She feels encouraged by a 78 year old brother. On the last day, when she bows down to the universe -- she cries. She cries tears of 40 years that she had not shed. Iron finally melts to silent bowing, with an awakening in heart of oneness with the Universe. In her words “When I was bowing and coming up, each time I would look up and see the mountain around me I saw myself in that, I saw trees around me and I saw myself in that, I saw the flowers, plants and the ground around me and actually felt “I am that.” At each bow, I am asking- who am I afraid of?, who am I jealous of? Who do I get angry with? Whose sorrows are in my heart? When all this is a part of me and I am part of all of this, all these questions just melt. The only realization that remains is ‘all is one” and “one is all’.” With this, she sobs between smiles and we are speechless just hugging her and the vast universe that she embodies.
Reflections
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