Truly madly deeply
What is the starting point for identifying your passion? Does it start from childhood? Is it a matter of co-incidence that makes you stumble onto it? Or is it sheer fate that leads you to it? Even if you figure it out, how to start believing? Off late one question that rings in mind non-stop is on the topic of trust. How does people begin to trust whoever the other person maybe? To have trust in one's own abilities and backing themselves is a totally different aspect, over which at least we can have a semblance of control. But how or when does one start trusting another person? Does it start with the other person doing things on expected lines? Does it get strengthened in one’s ability to predict the reactions and responses of the other? What happens when the other person on whom you base your trust happens to be your spiritual guru?!!
I got drawn into a conversation by accident that set the stream of questions raised above. It was between two of my colleagues who are also absolutely-no-nonsense devotees of a late holy seer. During lunch they were having animated discussions on the events they were planning with no penny on hand, having full faith on their guru and how things just simply fall in place every single time. They were as determined as they come to make a difference in the life of those who are deserving and were discussing various other people as well, who are part of their group on how they go about in their charity work without even a hush. Note that this is not a religious group or some famous cult or NGO but merely a set of people who are driven by their passion to serve the needy in guidelines with the teachings of their spiritual guru. Their absolute, unquestionable, unflinching faith and devotion on their guru and the passion with which they go about their activities were contagious to say the least. It was obviously heartening to see how volunteering for social causes, which of course is their passion, drove them across the state and the interesting and unbelievable experiences that they encountered. What was astounding was that, whenever they start, they have just a plan and no idea on funding, logistics or any resources for that matter. They just pray to their guru and their faith on him ensures that the event runs to success every single time!!! If at all there appears to be a need for anything, it always is made available to them from some unknown source who wouldn’t even have been there at the place but for some chain of events. It might sound like way too much of a co-incidence and magical to say the least. But the point that was appealing to me was their passion. Their trust in their guru which they believe is the single factor driving and they are very humble and careful to attribute every single success to their guru’s grace and not even by mistake do they take credit for anything.
How do you trust someone/something so wholeheartedly? Is trust an implicit faculty that everyone is born with, which is kindled on upon satisfying certain parameters? Or is it a toggle switch that is always On by default and is switched off when the other person fails to justify the faith? I am not putting these questions as a pessimist or as a cynic filled with negativity. In my family everyone has their own spiritual guide but for me and my mom, for whom, everything and anything is worth following and praying. Looking at fellow people with such staunch beliefs and redoubtable passion with which they follow their beliefs, be it community service or teaching or helping with logistics, they all seem to take it up with a joy in their heart and smile on their lips and are truly happy in doing what they do. Even if I push myself to join them in their activities, beyond a while, it becomes monotonous and I question my own sincerity in being a part of it. Feels so jealous to see those people who are so sure on what they want to do in their life.
What is that one thing or many things that I am passionate about and will I ever be able to realize it within this lifetime? If at all I am unable to decide, at least I plan to buy that Honda bike called Passion before it goes out of production. That way it would truly be my passion that would be driving me!!
I got drawn into a conversation by accident that set the stream of questions raised above. It was between two of my colleagues who are also absolutely-no-nonsense devotees of a late holy seer. During lunch they were having animated discussions on the events they were planning with no penny on hand, having full faith on their guru and how things just simply fall in place every single time. They were as determined as they come to make a difference in the life of those who are deserving and were discussing various other people as well, who are part of their group on how they go about in their charity work without even a hush. Note that this is not a religious group or some famous cult or NGO but merely a set of people who are driven by their passion to serve the needy in guidelines with the teachings of their spiritual guru. Their absolute, unquestionable, unflinching faith and devotion on their guru and the passion with which they go about their activities were contagious to say the least. It was obviously heartening to see how volunteering for social causes, which of course is their passion, drove them across the state and the interesting and unbelievable experiences that they encountered. What was astounding was that, whenever they start, they have just a plan and no idea on funding, logistics or any resources for that matter. They just pray to their guru and their faith on him ensures that the event runs to success every single time!!! If at all there appears to be a need for anything, it always is made available to them from some unknown source who wouldn’t even have been there at the place but for some chain of events. It might sound like way too much of a co-incidence and magical to say the least. But the point that was appealing to me was their passion. Their trust in their guru which they believe is the single factor driving and they are very humble and careful to attribute every single success to their guru’s grace and not even by mistake do they take credit for anything.
How do you trust someone/something so wholeheartedly? Is trust an implicit faculty that everyone is born with, which is kindled on upon satisfying certain parameters? Or is it a toggle switch that is always On by default and is switched off when the other person fails to justify the faith? I am not putting these questions as a pessimist or as a cynic filled with negativity. In my family everyone has their own spiritual guide but for me and my mom, for whom, everything and anything is worth following and praying. Looking at fellow people with such staunch beliefs and redoubtable passion with which they follow their beliefs, be it community service or teaching or helping with logistics, they all seem to take it up with a joy in their heart and smile on their lips and are truly happy in doing what they do. Even if I push myself to join them in their activities, beyond a while, it becomes monotonous and I question my own sincerity in being a part of it. Feels so jealous to see those people who are so sure on what they want to do in their life.
What is that one thing or many things that I am passionate about and will I ever be able to realize it within this lifetime? If at all I am unable to decide, at least I plan to buy that Honda bike called Passion before it goes out of production. That way it would truly be my passion that would be driving me!!
Comments
I suggest that trust and faith are two different things. What you have described about your friends is faith, almost spiritual or devotional. That is a highly debatable subject and very personal. It may or may not work. It may work differently for different people.
Trust, on the other hand, to me is about assumption of the innate goodness of another individual. You assume that the other person is "good" and act accordingly. I would like to assume that everybody is trustworthy unless proven otherwise rather than the other way around. In the beginning, "trust but verify", might be appropriate, but rapidly the verify diminishes and its just trust. I don't mind the times when this goes wrong - the joy of simply trusting outweighs the disappointment when it is breached. I also submit that if you are openly trusting, it pushes the other person to reciprocate.