Keep Paddling
When we find ourselves in turbulent and troubled times, we often feel lost. Our friends and family may feel distant; we want to find help, but we don’t know where to look.
Maharaj Charan Singh sometimes compared us to logs floating down a river. The current brings us in contact with one another for a while; then it pulls us apart. He reminds us that some family members have already left us and passed on, while we ourselves are preparing to leave others behind. Anyone who has watched pieces of wood floating down a river will have noticed how one current brings them together, and then another disperses them.
It is the same with worldly relationships. A wave of karma arises, and within moments all our relationships are established: brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, friends and acquaintances. Another wave of karma comes, and they scatter, all in their own particular directions.
In our own lives, we might feel that we, too, are in a river. Some days it flows smoothly, tranquilly, serenely. Other days it’s more like a run of whitewater rapids, smashing into rocks and tumbling through canyons. We try our best to stay afloat, but we feel we can barely keep our head above water.
Some adventurous folks like to ride in wild rivers for fun, even though there are risks involved. They float in inflated rafts, paddling under the direction of a guide, who leads their passengers through churning rapids as well as smooth, pond-like flows.
The guide sits at the back of the raft and calls out directions to the riders: “Right side forward! Back paddle!” Each rider has a paddle, to pull the boat through still parts of the river and to steer and control the boat in shifting waters. What’s most important for the riders is to listen to the guide and follow his or her directions. This keeps the boat and riders both safe and moving toward their goal.
As we make our way through our lives on this path, we may have experiences similar to river rafters, and it may be helpful to know what the river guides have to say. Their directions are simple:
First: Stay in the boat
When we’re on a river in a turbulent stretch, our boat may bounce around from one side of the river to the other, and from still water to whirlpools. We may start to panic, not knowing what to do. We may start thinking we could do better if we just jumped out of the boat and started swimming. The boat feels so limiting, and we’re sure we can do better on our own.
Similarly, when turbulent times erupt in our own lives, we may feel that the way of life that the Master has given us is too restrictive. We want more freedom and flexibility. The four walls of his commandments – the vows we take at our initiation – may seem like the walls of a jail cell rather than a fortress of protection.
On the river, when the boat is tossing and turning, the guide calls out directions for our safety: “Hold on! Keep your arms and legs inside! Stay in the boat!”
On our personal river journey, when things are going wild all around us and we can’t seem to make sense of it all, it is tempting to just jump out. We may feel that this way of life is just impractical or too difficult. Keeping to the diet, monitoring our conduct, and attending to our regular daily practice may feel too burdensome, and we just want out.
Here it is most important to remember the first instruction of the guide: Stay in the boat. We may think we might do better in the water on our own, but the guide has seen the river and the troubles ahead. If we’re in the water on our own, there is nothing to protect us from the rocks and tree branches that line the river and can pull us under the current. In the boat, we have a structure that can protect us. The Master gives us a way of life that protects us from the dangers of the wild river of circumstances we find ourselves in.
Second: Keep the boat pointing in the right direction
The currents of the river can turn the boat from side to side and even spin it around. The guide is experienced and gives instructions for keeping the boat pointed in the best direction. He may call out, “Right side forward! Left side back!” to keep the boat in the river’s moving current so we don’t get stuck in still water.
Similarly, the Master advises us to keep our eye on our goal and the main purpose of life – spiritual liberation – and to keep our life circumstances in perspective. Here it is useful to attend satsang, read the books and keep good company. We want to keep our mind pointed in a good direction and at least know the right direction to be able to make good choices.
Third: Keep paddling
We have stayed in the boat, and we are keeping our goal in view, so now it’s up to us to take action. We need to keep paddling, to maintain our daily meditation practice. The practice is just that – a thing we do every day to keep our boat steady. The river of our karmas is always flowing, and we don’t know when or where turbulence may come. We need to keep our paddle in the water – that is, never miss a day of meditation – to stay balanced, keep our perspective and build our strength to face what we must.
Then, as we go on in life, dealing with the ups and downs by following this guidance, we may realize that these instructions also apply when we sit for meditation:
Stay in the boat. Here the boat is the eye centre, where we want to maintain our focus.
Keep the boat pointing in the right direction. The right direction is upward and inward. We want to keep our attention there and keep bringing it back when it goes out.
Keep paddling. Simran and bhajan are the only actions we can take that always keep us moving toward our spiritual goal.