Travelling by trains in India is a unique experience – one like which you
will rarely find in any other country. Well for starters, there are different
classes of compartments ranging from the cramped, often not-so-clean, crowded,
‘unreserved’ compartments to the clean, air-conditioned, well-serviced
first-class compartments. Then there are berths for one to sleep on because
most of the train journeys in India last at least a day (the country is so
huge). Apart from the actual journey, the ways by which one has to make
reservations, use waiting-lists and getting upgraded also come into picture.
This is a musing by a passenger on one such train journey in India.
It all starts off with a quest for a berth (read that as ‘birth’) on this
train. It is not that easy to secure that berth. There is always a large number
of passengers eager to get on the train and reservations for that journey begin
much before the actual date of journey! So much so that when one gets a
confirmed ticket, one is literally overjoyed. Ticketless traveling is a strict
no-no and those that do not get a confirmed ticket can try for the ‘next train’
(read as ‘another lifetime’) or get into the ‘waiting list’ hoping that
somebody will hop out of the reservations so that they can hop in.
Just a minute please. What is this ‘waiting list’? Well, you see, there are
some who are considered special by society – ministers, educationists,
administrators, rulers – and therefore have ‘reserved berths’ on the train.
Only if they choose not to travel will these berths be released to the ‘common
man’. Those who wish to get onto the train via such berths constitute a waiting
list! Such reservations are made for beings who have done so much good that
society pays its gratitude to them via these berths. Well, being ‘good’ and
‘noble’ might not be a prerequisite when it comes to the normal trains but that
rule is strictly adhered to when it comes to the train of life. And ‘nobility’
and ‘goodness’ are determined by deeds and not by birth!
All the pains and pleasures man experiences are the results of his own
actions and not due to any act of the Divine.
- Divine Discourse, 30 Jun 1996
Having secured a berth on the train, let us take a stroll through its entire
length. One thing that immediately becomes clear within the train is that there
are ‘upper’ berths, ‘middle’ berths and ‘lower’ berths. It would be highly
foolish to think that an ‘upper’ berth indicates superiority over the ‘middle’
or ‘lower’ berths. In fact, statistics show that during reservations, many
passengers pick a ‘lower’ berth in spite of its lowly name because it is
definitely more comfortable in context of the entire train journey! (Think of
Mother Kunti requesting Lord Krishna for a life filled with suffering so that
the Lord always remains in her being.) It is only the kids that seem to like
the upper berths for they can jump and frolic there, feeling superior to those
sitting ‘below’. Well, you can’t help that; kids are immature.
The point is that the berth one has - ‘upper’, ‘middle’ or ‘lower’ - is only
indicative of one’s ‘elevation’ in the train. It has nothing to do with the
journey – all berths are headed towards the same destination anyway and unless
one chooses to get off the train in between, one is sure to reach the goal
irrespective of the ‘height’ of the berth.
Another thing that slowly becomes clear as we walk the train is that there are
sections of the train that are much more luxurious that the other. These
sections offer better facilities and greater comforts during the journey. Why
this discrimination? Call it karma if you please but those people in these
sections of the train paid greater ‘amounts’ (read as ‘good deeds’) during the
reservation. The difference in one’s bank balances is what creates the
difference on board too. That should be strong motivation for all to ‘earn’
more. But the wise realize that the luxury is no big deal because, as was with
the case of the upper and lower berths, all the ‘classes’ of compartments too
are headed to the same destination. Irrespective of the bank balance, one has
to travel the entire journey anyway. So, though a healthy bank balance (of good
deeds) can make the journey comfortable, one can do the journey even without it.
Traveling light is another way of making the journey comfortable! Of course,
one needs to carry necessary luggage and baggage. But it would be best to keep
it to the minimum necessities. Anything else only adds to the burden during the
travel.
Do not cultivate excessive desires. “Less luggage, more comfort makes travel
a pleasure.” Hence, reduce the luggage of your desires. It is natural for
people to have some desires, but one has to enquire which one of those desires
is good for one and which causes harm. Unfortunately, this sense of
discrimination is lost in present times. All these desires, which are the
result of kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, and matsarya (desire, anger, greed,
delusion, pride and envy), have their origin in the mind.
- Divine Discourse, 22 Nov 2009
One’s destin(y)ation has been decided before one even boards the train and it
is clearly printed on the ticket. So, it is pretty obvious that one can ‘break’
the journey at any station and choose to book a new berth on another train to
reach the ultimate destination. Any number of such breaks can be taken – only
that, the time in reaching the destination gets delayed.
Just think how foolish it would be to simply keep drifting between the
different stations, up and down, without actually moving closer to the
destination? Again, that is something that only the ‘kids’ might enjoy, not
those that have ‘grown-up’! More foolish than ‘breaking’ the journey by getting
off at stations in-between, pulling the ‘emergency’ chain. No wonder that this
‘suicidal’ action has been considered a crime!
Man alone has the chance to liberate himself from the wheel of birth and
death, through the pleasant means of serving God. But as a result of ignorance,
or what is worse, perversity, he lets the opportunity slip from his hands, and
suffers grief and pain, fear and anxiety, ad infinitum.
- Divine Discourse, 31 July 1967
Are we missing something? Yes – the TC (ticket collector) - the most powerful
being on the train! The TC (read ‘God’) is the master of the train. He has the
authority to issue special tickets and privileges to the travellers. In fact,
there are several stories of TCs being moved by the plight of a ticketless
person and issuing a free ticket as well! (For those that feel it is morally
wrong, be assured that the TC pays from his own pocket!)
The TC can move a passenger from a ‘lower’ to a ‘higher’ berth or from a
‘normal’ to ‘luxury’ class based on the needs. Note the term used - ‘needs’ -
not the wishes of the passengers for the TC knows best. He can also tell the
ticketless passengers to get off and board a train only when they have a legal
ticket. He definitely fines the offenders and ensures discipline on the whole
train.
The TC has no need to travel in the train but he does so to ensure that the
passengers are safe and happy and that there is no nonsense going on in the
train. If the TC is your friend, you can rest assured that your journey is
going to be smooth.
Only those who are immersed in the Divine are dear to Me and are My friends.
-BABA
Human life is a train journey indeed!
--
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"saimsg" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
