The Divergent Paths: Babur’s Missed Opportunity for Heart Space Living
Amidst Babur’s self-perception as a holy warrior of Islam, an era of religious harmony was unfolding in India with the emergence of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. In contrast to Babur’s concept of Jihad, India witnessed the growth of Vaishnavism, a branch of Hinduism that emphasized peace and the love of God. The humble Vaishnava saints became messengers of peace, offering a message of harmony. While Babur excelled in devising military strategies, his victories did not bring him true happiness. He was at last doing things right and that gave him victories, but was he doing the right things?
Babur had his chance to be a saint; he simply had to follow his inner calling. He could have been a messenger of peace and love but he lost it. Ironically, while he conquered India, he missed the essence of Indian spirituality and suffered a profound internal defeat. His ambition and determination led to great external triumphs, but at what cost? Frederick Douglass, the influential African American social reformer of the eighteenth century, eloquently appealed to our conscience when he said, “I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false and incur my own abhorrence.”
We are constantly faced with distractions and temptations and it’s not easy to follow our inner calling. Especially, when the soft inner voice implores us to be an agent of positivity but our raging mind and senses, impelled by the ego, direct us to do the wrong things. Conscience is that still, small voice that is sometimes too loud for our comfort. Yet, if we show courage and determination to follow the right but difficult path, we may be pleasantly surprised to see we reach a beautiful destination. The correct choices always yield the right results. And the strength to make the correct choices comes when we live in the Heart Space.
The truth is that deep down, we always know the right thing to do. The hard part is actually doing it. While Babur died long before he was buried, we can choose to live and love.
3. Shelter in the House of Peace – Home State/Heart Space
Finding Peace in Chaos: A Journey of Surrender and Resilience
Amidst the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, I found myself stranded in my mother’s house, nestled in a small coastal town in Southern India. The government had imposed a strict lockdown, confining us within the walls of our home. During those days, my mother and I would devote a few hours each day to chanting, reading scriptures, and praying together. Within the confines of our house, we created our own sanctuary, our “Home State.”
One fateful night, a cyclone struck, unleashing heavy rains and plunging us into darkness as the power went out. The fierce winds whipped the coconut trees into a wild dance, and I witnessed a long snake fall from the roof, writhing in pain as it slithered away. My mosquito net was torn away, and the clothes I had hung out to dry vanished with the gusts. The thunderous thuds of falling trees and the violent shaking of our house threatened to alter the landscape, as if the winds desired to uproot our dwelling completely. Fear and chaos enveloped the atmosphere, but I held tightly onto my mother’s hand, who was bedridden and unable to leave the house. Helplessness loomed over us like the sword of Damocles.
To be continued…
