Bhagawan often refers to Prasanthi Nilayam as a Divine workshop wherein devotees with various afflictions find healing once they turn their vision inside. This workshop refines and redefines individuals bringing in total transformation. Just like automatic lights streamlines traffic, human lives are also being controlled and regulated by such a system, precisely Divine, confirms Dr. Veeravahu, quoting Bhagawan. Read on…

Learning the Lessons

Peep. Pee ...ep. Peep. I look in the mirror. A driver in a sports car was sounding the horn. I was giving way to other traffic at a roundabout where usual priorities of traffic flow have been changed recently. Perhaps that impatient driver has not noticed the small red "Changed Priorities Ahead" sign. A lull in the traffic lets me pass the roundabout.

Suddenly I realise that my priorities in life have changed too, after ten peaceful days at Prasanthi Nilayam in the summer of 1989. I basked in the overwhelming divine love of Swami, but at that time my senses failed to detect the most important gift Swami bestowed upon me. Yet now, there is no doubt in my mind that Swami has sown the seed to transform my thinking and behaviour. Each and every thought, word and deed of mine is now under close scrutiny, leading to exploration of the joys of the inner world which I have neglected so long. "When one turns one's vision inwards, the inner eye sees the reality of the bliss of the Supreme Consciousness. It is then that God's grace descends." These words of Swami now seem to have a new dimension to me.

My thoughts were disturbed by the sound of a horn. To my disbelief it is the same irate driver in the sports car! He seems to be irritated by the relatively slow speed of my car; so I slow down and let him pass. If not for the changed priorities in my outlook, I might have even shown him the capabilities of my car! But Swami asks us to let the ego perish for unhindered progress in spiritual practice. In my experience, driving provides the best opportunities for ego eradication. I fail many times; but I win too! Whenever I resist the temptation of one up manship on the road or am considerate to other road user, I feel one step nearer to Swami.

As I approach a cross road, with two lanes of traffic, the red light turns to green. I keep to the right hand lane and pass the traffic lights quickly. I smile as I pass the sports car trailing behind in the slow lane. To my surprise and delight the next few traffic lights change to amber as I pass, and the sports car catching up with me now seems remote. I thank the computer which controls the traffic lights. Do you know where a traffic computer is? We do not even think or talk about it! Smooth sailing like this happens only rarely.

Traffic and life

But stagnation in traffic jams, crawling behind slow moving heavy vehicles, and even accidents are much more common. I find no difference between traffic and life. In fact Swami says, "Life is a journey to God". I remembered reading in `Journey to God, Part II', Prof. N. Kasturi's difficulty in translating Swami's speech in Madras in front of ten thousand people. As usual Swami started with a poem composed on the spot, starting, "Automatic lightku adhipudevadu?" Literally, it meant, "Who is the Master of the automatic lights?" But neither Prof. Kasturi nor Dr. Bhagavantham could translate it properly. After the discourse they asked Swami about it. Swami told them the automatic lights He meant were actually traffic lights. He added that such an automatic light system also exists for the movement of planets, for the Dharma of the community (for the behaviour of different groups of people to lead lives without clashing with each other) and other functions in the universe. Thus proving that God is the One who laid down the law, not only for the things that are in space, but also for the things that are in the space of all hearts. He is the driving force of our life traffic.

Cars perish. So too our bodies. Drivers change cars. Likewise the Atman enshrined in our bodies. If the driver controls the paraphernalia of gadgets in a car he reaches the destination safely. In life traffic, the ego and the senses need proper control to reach the Driving Force.