Last night, I sat working till late. Very late. At about 4:00 as I went off to make coffee, all of a sudden, thoughts about Bahadurshah Zafar just dropped into my head. That's the only way I can describe it. Usually we say that a thought popped out of the head. But the feeling that this thing dropped "into" my head was just too distinct. No confusion there. I walked back reinforced with the coffee and decided to read the Wikipedia page on Bahadurshah. I also heard his immortal ghazal "लगता नही है दिल मेरा उजड़े दयार में". Out of the long and detailed Wiki page, only two sentences stayed in my head. In fact, only two words out of those. The sentence was -
Bahadur Shah died in exile on 7 November 1862. He was buried near the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, at the site that later became known as Bahadur Shah Zafar Dargah.
And the two words that I refer to were SHWEDAGON PAGODA. There was just something in the way the words sounded. At least I imagined it that way.
All this took five minutes and then I was back to work. Before I realized, it was past 6 and the newpaper boy's footsteps made me get up. As I opened the Pune DNA, my eyes fell on THIS piece. Right at the top of the first page.
Bahadur Shah died in exile on 7 November 1862. He was buried near the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, at the site that later became known as Bahadur Shah Zafar Dargah.
And the two words that I refer to were SHWEDAGON PAGODA. There was just something in the way the words sounded. At least I imagined it that way.
All this took five minutes and then I was back to work. Before I realized, it was past 6 and the newpaper boy's footsteps made me get up. As I opened the Pune DNA, my eyes fell on THIS piece. Right at the top of the first page.
Source - DNA Pune edition - 5th Apr 2010.
I am yet to get over this fully. If it is a coincidence, it is a most remarkable one. And if it isn't, someone help me fathom what it is.
I have never heard of Shvedagon ever in my life. So the name did not mean any particular space for me. It was just a word, a sound in my head as I read.
Later in the day, I was listening to the eBook Destructive Emotions by Daniel Goleman. And this is what the Dalai Lama says in the foreword.
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I have often said that if science proves facts that conflict with Buddhist understanding, Buddhism must change accordingly. We should always adopt a view that accords with the facts. If upon investigation we find that there is reason and proof for a point, then we should accept it. However, a clear distinction must be made between what is not found by science and what is found to be non-existent by science. What science finds to be non-existent we should all accept as non-existent, but what science does not find is a completely different matter. An example is consciousness itself. Although sentient Beings, including humans, have experienced consciousness for centuries, we still do not know what consciousness actually is: its complete nature and how it functions.
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I have never heard of Shvedagon ever in my life. So the name did not mean any particular space for me. It was just a word, a sound in my head as I read.
Later in the day, I was listening to the eBook Destructive Emotions by Daniel Goleman. And this is what the Dalai Lama says in the foreword.
Quote
I have often said that if science proves facts that conflict with Buddhist understanding, Buddhism must change accordingly. We should always adopt a view that accords with the facts. If upon investigation we find that there is reason and proof for a point, then we should accept it. However, a clear distinction must be made between what is not found by science and what is found to be non-existent by science. What science finds to be non-existent we should all accept as non-existent, but what science does not find is a completely different matter. An example is consciousness itself. Although sentient Beings, including humans, have experienced consciousness for centuries, we still do not know what consciousness actually is: its complete nature and how it functions.
Unquote
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5 comments:
Oh I just loved the way you've enumerated this experience of yours about an increased consciousness...
I've experienced such incidents numerous times but just brushed it off as pure co-incience but like they say there's nothing like co-incidence. Everything in this Universe is with a purpose and by a reason...
Thanks for this post for now on I shall keep track of such a happening to report at my blog...
ANd wont brush it off as nonsense!
Awesome post. Spooky too! I think it means that the time has come for you to let go of your worldly ties and follow the footsteps of the young boy ...
loved this one the most...
For no apparent reason, a search led to the Washington Times internet edition and I subscribed to it. Two days later an article was posted which detailed an American child's 14 day quanrantine in China for the swine flu. My daughter was to leave for China three days later to represent her school for Model United Nations. The entire fee had been paid and was non refundable. She has an allergic disposition and something felt wrong. Agaisnt all logic I cancelled her trip. She came down with a bad viral fever in two days.
Uncanny, isn't it?
@ Vibhuti - Thanks. I have also come to believe that the purpose or reason that you speak of is beyond our reach of comprehension. And yet, the search for that reason is what life is all about.
@ sacredeastwind - Oops. I didn't see it that way. But now that you mention it. Hmmmmm, maybe. Juuuuust maybe....
@ Omkar Reggae - Thanks buddy. Thanks for the comment. Your first one on my blog!
@ Sharmila Ganguly - Yup, uncanny for sure. Thanks for visiting the blog.
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