Something To Ponder Upon (Grace)

    Something To Ponder Upon (Grace)

    There are a few things I would like to share with youngsters. Currently all over the world times are hard and very trying; there is no assurance that the near future will be any better. Though this writer is biased (in a positive sense) towards the Indian subcontinent, he is fully aware of his readership across continents. Now, in this post and some future ones I would like to narrate close encounters with “grace”. This I do with utter humility – not to bloviate. Perhaps some distraught youth may get inspiration from my humble experiences and overcome imminent despair. Like “freedom”, we need the guru in the beginning, at the start. Alas, life does not work like that. Our ignorance (or burden of past ‘karma’) is so great, it overwhelms every instinct to do good acts, follow basic norms of decency (dharma), and be generous to others and us. Grace is accessible to everyone; it is there for all genuine seekers. No one is rich or poor in the eyes of “grace”. We’ll be unnecessarily harming ourselves if we ignore this important aspect in life. There will be times when we lose friends, companions, and close relatives in the long journey of life. Or, when we encounter incurable disease. At such times one has to draw on inner strengths. Our rishis have great inner strengths. Personally I’ve known or seen several such great austere personalities with utter inviolability and authentic inner energy. Nothing would perturb them in the slightest.

 

    These narrations are not in any temporal sequence. I just follow my thoughts and the quick fingers do the rest. It is like catching the falling (spiraling) maple seeds or colorful autumn leaves. You have to gather fast and not let any one beautiful leaf escape your grip.

 

    It was during a severe snowstorm. Normally we try to avoid driving during heavy snowstorms/blizzards. Even with excellent snow ploughs (salt and road cleaning) one may get stuck on the road. The traffic gets jammed and often you see cars skidding, hitting the curb or sliding off the highway into shoulder. I was returning from a short shopping trip and was just barely two miles away from home. A slight mistake and the front tire went over the six-inch high sidewalk (curb). Everything came to a standstill and I got stuck. No amount of maneuvering would work. It was a front wheel drive vehicle and the front wheels were skidding. Of course, eventually I would be rescued or towed to the nearest gas station. But before the AAA rescue vehicle came, a strange intervention happened. Someone came out of nowhere and lifted my van with bare hands and put down the passenger side wheel on road. Instantaneously everything got solved efficiently and before I could express thanks, the Good Samaritan miraculously disappeared without a trace. Now, one could surmise such an event as just fluke, sort of a random event. But this writer would only count it as “pure grace”. (The writer would not like to boast but he has studied deeply logic, sufficient and necessary conditions, delved more profoundly into mathematical topics such as various types of infinities, real and imaginary numbers, transformations, and probability theory – certainly had more exposure to science and mathematics than many in the world.)

 

    With the same vehicle earlier I ran into another dangerous situation on the highway. Once I went to the dealer to find a part to fix the bonnet (hood) prop rod. It is a small plastic clip that is held firmly to the body. Due to age and extreme cold weather the original plastic part got cracked (broken) and I had to improvise with a twist tie. Finally I got the part from the dealer and installed the piece right in the parking lot. But I made a serious (tragic) blunder; I forgot to drop the hood from two feet high and forcibly shut the spring-loaded latch. What was I thinking? Or, just being utterly careless and absent minded? We laugh and blame surgeons for leaving a scissor or scalpel in a patient’s body. But here I made a deadly stupid mistake. I let the hood rest loosely and hurriedly got on to the expressway at full speed (50 - 60 mph). The house is barely five miles from the car dealer. Now you can guess what happened. Bang! The unlatched hanging hood got swung out (like a loose door during strong wind) with a massive force and hit my front windshield – while I was driving at 60 mph. When I opened my eyes, the entire front (windshield) glass got broken into hundreds of one inch pieces, with cracks all over the viewing area, and I was literally shaking in my driver’s seat. Luckily, not a single glass shard came loose. Nothing hit me, truly thanks to some unknown grace. Now, in retrospective how could I’ve saved myself in such a dangerous situation? I could’ve hit a vehicle, a tree, or median. It was beyond my limited human ability, beyond my skills. There was no time even for a prayer. Fortunately I got everything repaired professionally to a flawless perfection. Luckily I escaped the accident unscathed both bodily and fiscally.

 

    A more recent accident happened near an ancient temple. (This writer did not do any special act to deserve any grace or reprieve for any infraction or unkind act in life!) I was trying to wade into the river waters and do an abbreviated “ablution” (మార్జనము) as part of the temple visit. I am always attracted to water, rivers, lakes, ocean, or even swimming pools. Perhaps I’ve developed this aqua-instinct due to living my formative years next to the Godavari canal. I learnt swimming a bit late in life but I never had the fear of water. The steps to the river were covered with green glistening moss and I was fully aware of the danger while entering the waters. Still, without any warning I momentarily slid and fell into the river. When you are young, falling is no big deal. At the most a few bruises, a little bleeding, or perhaps a snap of bone is all that occurs. But it is entirely a different situation when you are a grownup, thousands of miles away from home, and among strangers. On top of that, my doctor expressly advised me to avoid all falls due to valid reasons. Now, here in the shallow waters (near the bank) I got totally wet and I had to change. Changing of clothes and drying water dripping freshly pressed shirt and trousers – that was no problem, no big deal in the larger scheme of things. Again, some thing intervened and I was fully saved. I just landed gently on the smooth sandy layer over the concrete river steps. When I stood up there was not a scratch on the body. It was as though some hand (or something) was protecting me all along. Perhaps, the “grace” wanted to give me a full bath in the sacred river. Why an “abbreviated” act? It was as though some voice was speaking to me thus: “Earlier you bathed in this river and showed me your devotion and innocence. Why are you hesitating today? You brought spare clean clothes, didn’t you? Have a nice ablution facing the divine couple. They are none other than your loving parents. Do not miss this unique opportunity.” The same Lord Narayana watched over us through all the tiring travels and took us around many holy pilgrim places.

 

    Accidental falls can be disastrous for anyone, young or old. They may result in hip fractures, hairline bone fractures, or deadly blood clots in the brain. Simple bone fractures or joint dislocations can heal. But clots in the brain (hematoma) can be fatal if not treated immediately. Complex hip or knee joint fractures may impair ones mobility permanently. (to be continued) Copyright 2020 by the author