Bhishma is no ordinary soul. In his pain, he constantly remembered God and as a loving gesture, Lord Krishna appeared at his bedside when he left his body. Still, when he lived, he offers us a sobering lesson: the best of the warriors with the noblest of intentions can still feel defeated.
We may serve sincerely but the more important question to ask oneself is: am I connected to values that nourish me; is my life aligned to a vision that defines me? Am I truly authentic?
It requires immense courage to adjust one’s values to a higher principle. Bhishma’s sense of duty to his kingdom overpowered his wisdom: he knew Duryodhana was wrong, yet couldn’t stop him. He knew Pandavas were the rightful heirs; still he sided with the evil Kauravas.
When contribution is more important to you than connection or when giving becomes more sacred than living by right principles, one could slip further down by ironically rising higher on a moral pedestal. One’s sense of rightness becomes rigidly rooted in the head. One gets inflexible and lacks the strength to do the right things.
Disclaimer: you wouldn’t judge Bhishma as a villain. For someone to be favoured by the Lord during his last moments reveals his sincere desire was recognized by God. Yet, for practical purposes, when we are alive let’s try our best to align our good intention to right action.
And the best way to do that is improve and increase our connection.
Three ways to connect to yourself
1. Ask a simple question: WHY
A friend of mine working in the Middle East, once confessed to me, “I am frustrated staying alone in Oman while my wife and kids are in Kerala, India. I miss them so much. I wish I could live with them. I feel so sad. Can you please help me?”
I asked him WHY- Why you stay in Oman alone.
He spoke at length about his liabilities and the financial constraints he faced in life. After a few minutes, he revealed his debts are almost settled and he needs to stay another three months. Then, almost as if he knew the solution to his problem, he said, “I guess it’s just a matter of few months. I’ll soon be reunited with my family.”
Sometimes our friends may not be able to help us in our moments of loneliness or we may not have them around. But if we probe the WHY a little deeper, we may connect to our own selves better.
To be continued….
