It’s Only a Transit Point

Once, an American man travelled to India to meet a Sufi Master. When he entered the master’s hut, he was surprised to find the great teacher sitting on a rugged mat. The place had no furniture; only books and notes scattered all over. The American looked around and said, “Where is your furniture?”

The master laughed and said, “Where is yours?”

I am just a visitor here,” replied the American.

“So am I,” said the master, “a visitor to Earth.”

The master meant that our stay on Earth is only a minuscule part of our journey as celestial beings. However, during our brief stay here, we get so engrossed in our daily affairs that we tend to overlook the impermanence of our very existence here. We tend to forget that of all that we have hoarded, nothing can be taken along on the journey beyond. It is only when we see our time on Earth as just a stopover and not the whole journey in itself that we realise the futility of being attached to material objects.

However, it doesn’t mean that we must give up all ambitions, cut off from the material world and live in solitude. We can lead a regular life and, at the same time, be aware that our being here is not just any chance but an essential part of the bigger cosmic plan. Hence, during our short lifespan, what really matters is not the things we accumulate but the impact we make on others’ lives, the experiences we undergo and the progress we make as spiritual beings in human bodies.

Source: Economic Times, 2/08/2018