What a short rafting trip down the river taught me
As we start our maiden rafting trip, floating calmly downstream, the pre-trip cautioning by the guides seems almost patronizing. But as we enter the first rapid, it’s plain clear that all the advice in the world wouldn’t prepare us for the experience. Our raft is tossed and turned, while we paddle away furiously, hoping that it will help keep us from going under. Even so, while we barely save ourselves from going overboard, we are super pumped on surviving that first rapid. We are exhilarated, not annoyed. We are happy, not angry. We beam with joy instead of complaining about the rough. Why? Simply because we volunteered to take the trip. And we decided to enjoy the experience.
For sure, we have ups and downs in our Lives too. But very often, we are found complaining, angry, frustrated. Why?
Experience, Embrace, Enjoy Life
After the rapids, on a calmer stretch of the river, we are asked to jump in. “It helps” is the sage advice given in response to our incredulous looks. The freezing water is like a knife to our insides and the body goes numb but once I stop fighting the cold and embrace it, I feel much better. So much that I stay in the river for a long time, floating downstream enveloped in a sort of peacefulness I had never experienced before. I close my eyes and let myself get lost in bliss.
Experiencing Life is the only way to enjoy Life. The only way we enjoyed the rafting trip was by embracing the experience. The river starts in the mountains and flows through heartland ending in the ocean. But the journey doesn’t end there. The water evaporates, form clouds, come down as rain and snow and the river flows again. Thus the river is the same and different at the same time. Just like our Body-Mind-Complex. Changing constantly – adding, subtracting but still remaining the same. We are born and one day will die – the journey in this particular BMC will end, but we the essensce of our lives continues. Like the river, we pick up millions of experiences through our journey and leave behind our legacy just like the river leaves behind rich, fertile lands in the Ganga basin.
Life comes full circle. This analogy equating the River with Life is not new nor is it the only one. But the peculiar thing is that even though it is plainly visible for anyone, even though it’s staring at us in our face, most of us still go through our Lives feeling miserable.
So what Life lessons did the ride gift me?
1. The journey will have its ups and downs and each and everyone of us has to go through it. No ifs and buts, we are all on and in the river of Life and have no choice but to LIVE through it.
2. Embracing the journey and experiencing it is the ONLY way to live. There will be times we will be under water but we will resurface and move on.
3. Be grateful for the support we get along the way. The life jackets, the guides, the raft – all aid us in our journey, just as our parents, well-wishers, teachers, gurus and if you are spiritually inclined, God, help us through our life journey. Being grateful for the support we get.
4. And remember to utilize the support well. Many times due to spurious reasons, we end up not really making use of the support we have at our disposal. We fight with our parents and are prejudiced against our teachers. In most cases, it is our Ego that comes in the way and that brings us to the most important lesson learnt.
5. Be humble. Our greatest texts including the Upanishads and Puranas, teach us that our Ego is what prevents us from realizing the Ultimate Truth. As difficult as it is to do, we are truly alive when we let go. I got a glimpse of it on the ride. We delude ourselves if we think we can always be in control. The river made me realize my insignificance. Of course, Mother Nature gifts us that lesson many times and in many ways. Being human, we can learn, adapt, and overcome the vicissitudes of Nature. Of course, we consider it more of a right than a privilege. Moreover, we let our ignorance turn into arrogance. Our Egos blind us to the truth and binds us to this Body-Mind-Complex. Humility is liberating. We can then truly enjoy this journey of Life.
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