Saturday, August 1, 2009

Outside the Box

Sri Swami Vishwananda
Thinking, Acting “Outside The Box”
“My mission is to spread love, Divine love [unconditional love]. The word “love” itself has so many meanings nowadays that people have forgotten the true aspect of love. This unconditional love is what will change the world. All other types of love have expectations. But when one feels this true love inside one’s heart, it’s beyond all expectation. And only with this love can peace be restored.” — Sri Swami Vishwananda Talks

Mahaavatar Babaji
Thinking, Acting “Outside The Box” in Communication…
“When one realizes His unity with mankind, all minds become transmitting stations through which he can work at will. —Babaji speaking to Lahiri Mahasaya — Autobiography Of A Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. Babaji Says...We invite you to comment…scroll to bottom of this entry and click on comments…may be anonymous.

From Utpalavati With Love
Thinking, Acting Outside the Box” in life dilemmas…
Sri Swami Vishwananda, my Satguru, continually inspires me to “think outside the box.” Those of you who read the various blogs dedicated to Sri Swami Vishwananda are people who use man’s inherent faculty to “think outside the box.” A friend from Greece sent me an Email containing the inspirational small story below. I was reminded to take its message into my day and future days and to become more aware of my “thinking and acting inside the box of this material world!”

A SMALL STORY: Imagine you are driving down the street on a wild, stormy night and you see three people as you pass a bus stop standing in the pelting rain, driven by a fierce, gusty wind.

• An elderly man appears to be swaying from side-to-side as if he might faint and fall to the cement pavement at any moment.

• An old friend, who once saved your life, and whom you have not seen in years stands in the inclement weather, looking forlorn.

• A third person with an umbrella shielding the rain from a smiling face emanates a radiance that informs your intuition: “Standing there in the rain is without doubt, the “Life-Partner of my dreams.”

Your dilemma: You are driving a car with only two seats and therefore you may help one person only…what to do?

IN THE BOX THINKS:
• My first choice to offer help should be the elderly man as he obviously needs a doctor’s care. I should help him first as I have room for only one passenger.

• My second choice should be my old friend because I am alive and faced with this dilemma of who to help because that old friend saved my life once. This is my perfect chance, in this small way, to say again, “Thank you!”

• Since my spiritual path is that of a householder instead of a renunciate, my third choice should be to offer a ride to the person my institution tells me is heaven-sent.

OUT Of THE BOX THINKS:
• I will give the keys to my car to my old friend and ask the friend to drive the elderly man to the nearest hospital. I will wait for the bus, perhaps being invited to share the umbrella of the remaining person, while basking in the glow that I have the perfect opportunity of talking and being alone with this heaven-sent “Life-Partner of my dreams.”

I marvel at the wonder of Swami Vishwananda’s interminable ability to demonstrate for His devotees how freely he walks through life thinking and acting always “outside the box.” And in the end, no matter how hard it is and however long my teacher’s difficult lessons are offered, I feel deep love and gratitude that such a Divine and Great Being takes the time and effort to teach me, and with unconditional love! Readers have you had this experience with Beloved Swamiji? I, for one, aspire to be like Him and to stand with Him…come what may!!!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Oh Utpalavati...this story has melted my heart...and YES, I've experienced the 'out of the box' grace and blessings from my Satguru Swamiji recently. I can't even believe the lengths to which He will go to teach, and uplift his devotees, and it is amazing how much unconditional love He bestows on all of us, even when we think we are undeserving. It is beyond the mind's reasoning faculties. Jai Gurudeva!