Surendar Koul
It was Sunday of early sixties when teenage boys in neighbourhood of Motiyar, as usual, had gathered at Vithal Bhairav yarbal (ghat) for a leisurely swimming session in the back water canal of the Dal Lake. Sun was warm and shinning on blue sky of Kashmir. The periscope view of Shankrachari hillock, slander poplar trees and dense willow trees across the canal, planted on long straps of island was aesthetics surrounding. Boys were in jovial mood, getting ready to take dip in canal water. They were enjoying while displaying their acrobatics drills on the water surface and local aquatic games in the canal. It was occasion of fun and frolic for these boys, when suddenly silence on their chattering fell upon them, on seeing my grandfather Master Samsar Chand Koul, popularly known as Masterji ,with charming smile on his robust looks, walked down to the steps of Yarbal to meet these budding swimmers. Instantaneously, these boys tried to hunt for some cover to avoid any embarrassment but he caught the bull by horn with his pleasant knack that they were self driven towards him with attention. Masterji evoked these boys to undergo an exercise of breath retention capacity by , swimming across the canal under water to maximum possible distance and would give rewards for outstanding boys.
Fondly called Samakak, had a strong belief that physically fit, mentally alert and spiritually aware are positive attributes of one’s personality. As a teacher he would lay emphasis on cultivating all the three aspects in one’s body system, not only to his students but also among his grand children back at home. Boys became curious for the given aquatic activity took it up enthusiastically. All were ready to participate in under water swimming competition turn by turn. They were assured that the best swimmers would be awarded a copy of Khir Bhawani book written by Master Samsar Chand Koul. In the meanwhile many youth and adolescent trickled at the yarbal on Sundays as usual promenade which culminated into this watchful event. House ladies with bundle of dirty clothes occupied steps of the Ghat for washing them in the canal water were onlookers for this innovative aquatic activities of boys. It was happy gathering of motley neighbouring people at the temple Ghat.
While presenting books to winning boys, Masterji gave brief to them about growth of mental health. In his short address, Masterji explained them the requirement of mental, spiritual and physical nourishment for strengthening of a human body. He said that physical exercises improve blood circulation to reach each tissue within the body. It sharpens one’s memory and enhances intelligence quotients and develops flexibility for retention capacity in the brain and adds to physical agility in the human body. One has to adhere to physical exercise in routine manner to cultivate it a part of daily fixture.
The other prerequisite for human body is the metal stimulant for fertilizing the mental elasticity and its sharpness. For that one has to take recourse to studies, reading books not only of course classes / professional or academic material but other books of informative and idealistic contents having bearing on social, ethical and philosophical values for positive growth of mind. Such practices can train and develop brain faculties in understanding, application, analysing, thinking power to perceive the issues and matters. Thus gives a kind of distinct dimension in one’s personality which becomes visible in one’s behaviour and outlook. This is going to fillip mental alertness and broadens the canvass of imaginations and range of thinking. Professionally and academically individual with such mental growth and vision gets confidence to achieve goal in any field of life.
Spiritual awareness is the ultimate in one’s life. Mostly, it is ignored knowingly or unknowingly while in the struggle of mundane life style. Generally, spiritual awareness is being slotted to later stage of life. But that is wrong. Spiritual strength is to be chewed simultaneously with every day routine of life. This is to be planted within one’s psyche. By putting it off to later stage of life, say post retirement is not going to gain in spirituality. At that stage one is novice to understand the nitty-gritty of spiritual practices. So the spiritual practices should be going along schooling. In KP families, parents would often ask their ward to recite Mantara ten times ( Dasham) and sitting for Dyan ( meditation ) before opening of school book after morning routine . This shows spirituality is connected with day to day in way of life in families. Meditation, though, it is very difficult process to control the cluttered thoughts in mind, yet it can be overcome by regular efforts to be made. Number of unwanted thoughts does make way in mind which ring the bells of disturbances in meditation. But, superfluous thoughts are to be stopped, ignored or repulsed by shifting to the focal point meditation somehow. Spirituality is to search for inner self, the consciousness which is hard to define in any form. It is the inner energy of human life realised by intense practice. The patient takes medicine for getting well as prescribed by doctor, same way a person who has quest for spirituality or strong will power can search for the light of spirituality. Therefore, one has to have passion, craving, desire, thirst for spiritualism. Amber of inner self can’t be ignited by ritualistic performances and by religious scriptural readings but it needs committed association of noble, selfless persons who are wallowing in spiritual ecstasy. To find such person in the society is difficult. Conditionally, seekers of spiritual path should inculcate purity of thoughts, humility, unbiased nature and earnest longing for inner search and unabated perseverance towards objective of getting absorbed in the depth of inner self. This is constant, continuous long struggle at pre fixed stipulated time and period till one reaches some stage of standstill thought in mind. That could pave the way for initial step on the long path of spirituality. Once, one is able to fix one’s thought at some level, one gains in self confidence, happiness, calmness and hones mental acumen to take up challenges of life in positive stride.
Lalded had lucidly described the inner search in her vakh to make path finders understand the process to approach the ultimate. Finally, it depends upon, how much one gets involved deep in search of that unity of air and mind? Even to reach that climax, one should have the grace of God.
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