The Lost Dreams

The Lost Dreams

by

Sri Soubhik Patranabis

During the Christmas weekend while browsing through books at a bookstore in the Medford Mall, I came across one in the bestseller section titled ‘The Last Lecture’ by Randy Pausch.

It looked very impressive from the cover illustration and whatever else I could lay my eyes upon in the brief time I had before being pulled away by my son, desperate to show me the dinosaur book he liked! To make a long story short, I bought the book and started reading about a dying man’s last lecture on how his childhood dreams came true – the realization of those dreams and the rediscovery of his childhood.

We have all had dreams growing up - some got realized, some didn’t. Those who dared to dream will be able to tell us how their dreams got realized, and to what extent. I feel sorry looking at children today, being subjected to so much pressure from all sides. Schools and parents want a child to not only be a scholar, but also a painter, a litterateur, a sportsman - all rolled in one! Busy trying to realize the dreams of his parents, the little child doesn’t dare to dream of his own, fails to develop his capabilities or worse, never learns to think in his own way. If he isn’t allowed to dream and think independently, how can his creativity ever develop? The Masters tell us that the Knowledge of Knowledge is within one’s own Self, and one needs to realize it. Bookish knowledge makes one so dependent, so ‘one track’ – there’s hardly a way to come out of it. Taking in something unconventional, something new becomes extremely difficult. Look around, and you’ll find millions of people just following what the politicians and the religious institutions want them to see. They don’t even stop for a minute and evaluate if what they are doing or following is indeed right.

Why are we so bothered with differences from the outside? Before finding fault with others, we need to explore how right we are about our own beliefs. Instead of trying to discover the inner truth, everyone seems to be very concerned about the outer differences. Not only inter-religious differences, but intra-religious differences too play a major role. It is surprising that from time immemorial, people have killed each other on the basis of something that’s of no importance at all! A true Realizer doesn’t have any religion – He is unified with the whole world.

But who is a Realizer? How can we become one? Surely engaging in wishful thinking or merely aspiring to become a Realizer doesn’t help much - for the mind should be free of even the smallest of ambitions and aspirations. Self-analysis is the most important thing that is needed. A constant practice is required to ‘Shun the I’, and surely conventional thoughts don’t help out there.

Who then can help guide us towards becoming a Realizer? “Tadbidhhi Pronipateno poriproshneno sheboya – Oikhane boshe achhe Guru – Guru bina nahi mele Gyan “ - the Guru knows best who needs what medication, as Thakur Sri Ramakrishna had said. He needs to be an ‘uttam boidya’, one who can successfully persuade the disciple to have the needed medication.

Our pranam to the SadGuru :

Brahmanandam parama sukhadam kevalam jnanamurtim

dvandvaateetam gagana sadrusam tatvamasyadi lakshyam

ekam nityam vimala machalam sarvadheesaakshibuutam

bhaavaateetam triguna rahitam sadgurum tam namaami

The meaning of the aforementioned mantra is:

"I salute to that Sadguru who is the source of eternal bliss,

supreme happiness, who has true wisdom,

who is beyond the dualities, who is infinite,

whose attention is always on the divine, who is unique,

eternal, pure, steady, and who sees with the eyes of wisdom

who is beyond thoughts and beyond three gunas ".

(Ref : The Secret Mantra from Guru Gita by Dr. Satyavati Kandala )

* "Knowledge is that which reveals the light and which embraces all intelligences and the rest.": Sri Sri Babathakur.