The Act of Selfless Seva

I recently did the Art of Silence Course (Mar 19 – 22, 2015) with the absolutely brilliant and awesome teacher Percyji. The course was simply liberating, as everyone already knows. What I am about to share here is the Nature Walk exercise.

On the second day of the course, we were asked to go and enjoy the beauties of Mother Nature for an hour. Just outside the course venue (Sanyaas Ashram, Ghatkopar, Mumbai), there is a small lane where 4-Wheelers are often parked on both sides. There must have been a 4-wheeler parked the previous day as well, because I had failed to notice the usually noticeable  few potted plants bang opposite the course venue’s gates, on the sidewalk.

My eyes noticed these plants and the poor state they were in. It so happened that there was a construction site just behind these plants and the site spewed cement and asbestos and what not into the air and this dust had formed a thick layer on top of these plants’ leaves and pots.Now,cement absorbs water and the mud in these pots had gone bone dry because of this. Moreover, the layer on top of leaves meant the plants couldn’t process sunlight properly either. I rushed to grab two bottles and watered them that day. I did so for the next two days (course’s third and fourth day) as well. While I was watering them on the third day of the course, a security man from the construction site approached me and asked rather rudely, “Is this bike yours?” He pointed to my bike, which I had parked close to where the plants were. I was in silence, but I still looked up and nodded. He didn’t say a word, luckily, and just walked away. But the look of him shook something inside me. He was the exact lookalike of a certain individual who resides in my housing complex, whom we will call Mangesh for the sake of our story.

Mangesh is a gangster in our area of Chembur. He has a bad reputation, a long criminal record, and is someone whom no one speaks up against in our area. I have had my share of tiffs with him, and let’s just say that when Guruji asks us to visualize our greatest enemy during a process in the Art of Silence Course, Mangesh’s grinning face is what envelops my mind. And the security guy looked exactly like him! He even wore the same tilak on his forehead!! I kept my shock to myself and just went ahead with the course. The last day of the course arrived and there I stood watering the plants one last time. I was so moved by the course that I promised the 8 potted plants that I would water them until the construction site remained operational (which I continue to do till today). As the course ended and a large group of participants came to the gates of the venue on our way out, the local fruit vendors, who sold their wares just outside the gate, saw me and remarked appreciatively about my watering the plants. They said they were impressed, and I said “Jay Gurudev!” and left it at that.

So, as per my vow to the plants, I arrived there on the day after the course ended to water them (this also gave me an excuse to visit the venue, which I felt a particular affinity to, as any sadhak who has done the Art of Silence will understand ;-)) To my very pleasant shock, the plants had already been watered! My heart leaped with ecstasy! I was so happy that I feared my lips would tear from how dangerously wide my smile was at that point. I still watered the 8 little beauties and shouted from across the street to the fruit vendors, “Who did this?” I inquired; sure it was one of them, “Who watered the plants?””The security guard, sir!” came back the quick answer. I was stunned into silence. And yet, a part of my mind thought the situation was perfectly natural. Yes, of course the security guard had watered the plants! What option did he have?

I felt such amazing gratitude that this measly keyboard cannot express it. I had touched a life with my simple act of watering the plants. And now the security guard was doing selfless seva as well. I looked for him but could not find him anywhere.I came the next day and naturally the plants were already watered. Till today (seven days since the course ended), we haven’t spoken a word and yet I feel he is my brother.

And nor is there a need for words. He waters the plants in the morning and I do so in the evening. Everyone’s happy. Jai Gurudev!
P.S. — I will now have to find another face to ponder over when Guruji asks me to visualize my greatest enemy in my next Art of Silence Course :-))
— Aditya Nair