Harinath and Lalitha, a couple living in Vijayawada, were very fond of movies.
They would watch a movie on Friday and discuss it on Saturday.
«“There was absolutely no logic in what the hero did.”
“If that girl had told him just one thing earlier, the whole story would have changed.”
“The director just forced that twist in for the sake of having a twist.”»
One day, Lalitha said with a smile:
«“Maybe we are also blaming the director of our own lives in the same way!”»
Harinath laughed.
«“Who is the director of our lives?”»
“That is exactly what we need to find out.”
---
When Harinath was twenty-eight, he got a job opportunity abroad.
Everyone told him to go.
But he didn’t.
His father was running a small business at the time.
«“I’ll stay with Dad for a few more years,”»
he decided.
Within two years, the business shut down.
Harinath was furious with himself for the decision he had made.
«“If I had gone abroad then, my life would have been completely different today.”»
Years later, that same father fell seriously ill.
During his final years, Harinath stayed by his side.
On the day his father passed away, he said to Lalitha:
«“If only I had gone to America back then...”»
Lalitha gently asked:
«“Then would you have been there with him now?”»
Harinath fell silent.
---
Lalitha had another story of her own.
When she was very young, her beloved elder sister passed away.
For years, she had only one question:
«“Why did it have to happen to her?”»
Later, she came to know something her mother had told her.
After her sister’s death, the family moved to another town. Because of that move, Lalitha was able to continue her education. Otherwise, she too might have had to discontinue her studies at a young age.
Lalitha felt somewhat comforted.
«“Perhaps that incident is what led my life in this direction.”»
But her thoughts did not stop there.
One day, another question arose in her mind:
«“But how can I say that my education was the reason my sister died?”»
She had no answer.
---
A few days later, the two of them met an elderly man at an ashram.
Harinath told him his story.
«“Now, when I look back, everything seems to have happened for some reason or the other.”»
The old man asked:
«“Do you know that?”»
“What do you mean?”
«“Do you really know the reason? Or have you simply connected everything that happened later and created a meaningful story out of it?”»
Harinath remained silent.
Lalitha too said nothing.
The old man said:
«“Once a movie is over, the whole story appears very logical because we know the final scene as well. In life, however, we are sitting right in the middle of the movie.”»
After a brief pause, he continued:
«“There is no need to look back and say, ‘This had to happen.’ It is enough if you can say, ‘This happened. I do not know its complete reason. Yet I can remain at peace with it.’”»
---
On their way home, Harinath asked:
«“Then, if everything is already decided, why should we make any effort?”»
Lalitha immediately replied:
«“But we don’t know whether our movie has already been written, do we?”»
Harinath smiled.
“That's true.”
«“That is why our job is not to know tomorrow’s scene. Our job is to play our part properly in this scene.”»
“And what about the result?”
«“We should do whatever is within our hands. The rest belongs to life.”»
---
A few months later, Harinath got a major business opportunity.
This time, he thought carefully and made the decision as cautiously as he could.
The business failed.
For three months, he was deeply distressed.
One day, Lalitha asked him:
«“Are you going to say that this too happened for your own good?”»
Harinath smiled.
“No.”
“Then?”
«“I suffered a loss. It hurts. I don’t completely know why it happened. But I also don’t think my life has gone wrong because of it.”»
Lalitha said nothing.
For the first time, she saw a quiet peace on his face.
---
That night, sitting on the balcony, Harinath said:
«“All these years, the two of us have been writing a story for our lives.”»
Lalitha said:
«“Yes. Giving a reason to everything that happened.”»
“And now?”
«“Now I feel there is no need to completely understand the story.”»
“Then?”
Lalitha looked at the sky for a while and said:
«“It’s okay if we don’t know what tomorrow’s scene will be. Perhaps it is enough to know who it is that is watching this scene.”»
Harinath looked at her.
This time, neither of them spoke about the movie.
---
Commentary
The mind wants a reason. So it creates a story around the past.
But just because we find a meaning later does not mean that meaning was the actual cause of the event.
Advaita does not stop at the comforting idea that “everything is God’s plan.” It takes us deeper.
- “Why did this happen?” — Sometimes, there is no answer.
- “It was bound to happen.” — That may simply be our interpretation.
- “It happened; I will face it.” — This is titikṣā (patient endurance).
- Letting go of the urge to completely control the future — this is vairāgya (non-attachment).
- Vairāgya does not mean giving up action; it means giving up the insistence that the result must completely belong to me.
- Rather than justifying the past, being at peace with it even when its complete cause is unknown is a deeper form of maturity.
- Ultimately, the question is not “Who wrote my movie?”
«“If the movie keeps changing, is the one who knows it changing too?”»
That is where the sādhanā (spiritual practice) begins to move from trying to understand destiny toward knowing the sākṣī (the witnessing consciousness).
No comments:
Post a Comment