CHAPTER - 2

Margdarshak recognized him and said, “Are you not the gentleman whom I guided to a route to Celestial City? Then, why are you here? He objurgated him. People, who do not bother to adhere to good advices, should not think of purification of their body and soul. People must have courage and determination to reach Celestial City. I don’t think you deserve purification of soul, if you deviate from the path guided to you in the very beginning of a journey.

Then, he saw that Mind is crying and bows down to his feet with repentance. He embraced him, kissed him and asked him the reason of his deviation.

Mind replied, “Sir, I apologize for what I did. In fact, I was misguided by the the the black gentleman for the route of an opposite direction.”

“How does he look?” Margdarshak inquires.

Mind described all the details about the The the black gentleman including his dressing, countenance, his disposition and a shrewd smile he gave lastly when he departed.

“You should have well judged the indication of his crooked smile. He is nothing but an evil spirit. His name is Evildeed. He roams in that area; robs the pilgrims of their belongings and leave them penniless to starve and die on the way. You are just lucky that he only misguided you and not harm you.” Margdarshak described the Evildeed’s characteristics.

“Sir, I promise; I won’t repeat this mistake anymore.”

“God has created this great world. Out of all creatures, man is precious as he has been created in Almighty’s own image. He has given five senses to man to distinguish the good and bad correctly. It is upto a particular individual as to how he makes the use of the senses and follows the right path. But, you are deceived and allured. I can’t help you now. You have to face the consequences for disobeying God’s advices eventually. However, I accept your apology and again advise you to follow the path I have shown you earlier.” Margdarshak then quickly disappeared.

Mind and Godlover folded their hands and bowed down their heads in a gesture of respect to Margdarshak.

After three days of journey, they reached a wicked gate made of iron. They knocked it but received no response. They again knocked. The gate was opened ajar. A gentleman with white beard appeared and enquired, “What do you want?”

Mind replied, “We are pilgrims coming from city of Pride. We met Margdarshak who advised us to get into this gate to reach Celestial City.”

“Margdarshak was right.” The bearded person spoke and opened the gate for them to enter.

Immediately upon their entry into the gate, they were attacked by a person with a sword who was wearing a tremendously glittering golden robe. This sudden attack made both Mind and Godlover startled. Mind was bit surprised and back turned. The bearded gentleman pacified them saying that, “there is no need of getting frightened by the robed person. This is a gesture of welcome to invite the guests to fort. Mind and Godlover are relaxed. When they further get into the fort, they found a man chained in a cage. On enquiring, they found that his imprisonment is the consequences of God’s wrath. This particular man was a great professor and was always vaunting about his pedantry. All the time, he used to insult his students, friends and family members. Gradually he lost everybody’s support and goods wishes. Even his family members left him alone. He got lunatic and was lying near the iron gate duly chained in a cage.

“I chained him and put him in this cage because he was completely out of mind and hitting himself and others. Since then he is here murmuring anything all the time.” The bearded chap informed Mind.

“Can we talk to him?” Mind asked.

You can. But be careful. He sometimes attacks.” Bearded man cautioned Mind.

“What is your name? Why these people have chained you? You can also live a normal life like others.” Mind tried to initiate the talks.

“You fool, don’t you that God does not grant a blessing of peaceful life to those who vaunt and show their haughtiness? One or other day, he gets into the wrath of God. This is what exactly happened to me and this is why they have chained me. Bloody rascal, how can you relieve a person who is punished by God himself? Go away; do not show any sympathy to me. I am just facing the consequences of my past life.” The lunatic professor laughed loudly and sarcastically at Mind and went away.

Mind was then mesmerized to see photographs of various Gods, pilgrimages, religious places, greeneries, mountains and hills in the next room. He whispered to Godlover that the place resembles a religious place. The white bearded man whose name is Vidhata understood Mind’s inkling. He then said, “My child, this place is a purification center. The gentleman, by whose grace you are here, is none other than the great monk who preaches and shows right path to mankind. You were lucky to meet him just in the beginning of your journey.

Now, I have to explain everything by which you can purify your inner consciousness. Unless your thoughts are clean, you are not prejudiced by any “ism”, you do not believe in conflicts, you develop the feeling to help others without bothering of your comforts, without this, it is very difficult for you to reach Celestial City. You can live a religious life, but since you want to attain divine life at Celestial City, I would suggest that you gain wisdom.”

Vidhata took them in to a medium size room which was depicted with two big size portraits opposite to each other on the walls. One photo portrayed people standing in a queue and a monster like person throwing them one by one into a cauldron filled with hot oil.

“These people enjoyed their lives very well on the earth. They had money, wealth, friends, fame, palatial residences, servants and valets to take care of their comforts. They were all the times busy in gathering wealth, showing their status-co in the society and earning big name and fame for them. They used to go to temples, mosques and churches but just for namesake and without any devotion to God. Now after their earthly lives, they have come here to be judged and have eternal punishment by God so that in their next life, they become religious in true sense and think for others not only for themselves and their family,” Mind started pondering.

They were shown another picture in which there was a congregation of people there. Some of them were seen singing the songs, some dancing on the rhythm of the songs and others just listening to the songs attentively. Mind was trying to comprehend the hidden message of the picture. He asked Godlover his opinion about the picture. Vidhata, being a divine character, could make out what was going on in the minds of Mind and Godlover.

“This photo depicts joyous mood of people. They seem to have enjoyed their lives completely on the earth, and even here at this here also, they look gleeful. Why? You must be surprised to know that how people, after living prosperously comfortable lives on the earth, can be so happy at the judgment hour. Let me inform you that these are the people who have not plunged their minds in the wealth but devotedly served God with the belief that all the prosperities are the blessings of God. They used to remember God, seek His blessings in their big or trivial endeavours and thank Him for all they receive in their lives. This is the reason why they seem to be happy even at the judgment hour while others cry seeing the death approaching,” Vidhata narrated the edification of the life after death to Mind and Godlover.

“Do you mean that one gets rewards for his earthly deeds in the next incarnation? But who cares for the life after death?” Mind politely explained.

“No, not exactly.” Vidhata pacified.

“You can even get fruits in your existing life. Take the case of your own. Certainly, you have devoted your life to all good deeds, led a religious life upto your this age and so when you have come here, you are getting religious sermons. If it is other way round you would here suffered a lot of hardship after coming here.”

“It means people who do good, only can come here and what I understand that one has to pass through the gate to reach Celestial City.”

“To certain extent, it is correct. But many times good people by heart but influenced and mostly burdened with bad deeds also reach here. Their inner desire to reach Celestial City, of course, bad deeds done by them are only recognized when they come in contact with me. Otherwise they feel that their all works done by them in their respective places are as per the norms of the law of the society and they have not done any wrong.”

Mind was listening to Vidhata’s words very attentively and enjoying his narration. Mind also understood that there are many hurdles to reach Celestial City for a divine life. Vidhata now led Mind and Godlover to the meditation room and explained to them the need of meditation for prospering the soul.

He said, “The more you enrich from within, the less will be the attraction for outer self. When inner self of a person completely overcomes the urge of his outer self, he gets detached from all comforts. You have reached the stage of your life to control all your five senses and so Margdarshak has accepted your desire to show you the path of Celestial City. Otherwise, it is extremely difficult even to search this route.”

Mind enquired, “Why is it so?” If a person wants to embrace a religious life what is wrong in doing that?”

“There is nothing wrong, but I mean to say that the transformation is not a deliberate process. It comes suddenly when the inner self is induced by religious thoughts. At some point of life, it happens. Some are able to realize whereas some other take the same as a passing of time. You take my case. The whole world now worships me to receive my blessings and are always keen to hear my preaching, whenever I visit, people flock together to touch my feet.

Before twenty years, I was an ordinary person, of course, possessing abundant wealth, but had no perception of religion life. I was a top-notch criminal lawyer. If I used to plead for any client, he was damn sure that the verdict would go in his favour only, no matter whatever might be the nature of the crime. I owned a palatial bungalow in Florida of USA, an outhouse at Miami Beach, dozens of swanky cars and a private jet to crisscross the whole USA and European countries for legal matters. One day in a jam-packed court room, I was pleading for one of my clients who revengefully murdered his employer. During the process of interrogation and cross-interrogation, I had severe chest pain. It was so painful that I collapsed on the floor. An ambulance was called and I was shifted to a nursing home. I was operated thrice within a span of seventy two hours. Because of a sedentary lifestyle and high cholesterol foods and wine, doctors had to perform the operations to set right my condition. It was a life and death situation at least during the period of those seven days. Though I was saved, I had to bear the blow of hefty medical expenses. Moreover, my family members could not bear the bad news of my being caught into paralysis. My right hand went numb which I came to know when I was shifted to home

“But today you look very hale and hearly.” Mind replied

“Listen, my child, “I had to forego a huge amount of money behind my medical treatment. I was totally confined to bed rest, and doctors, suspecting a fatal damage to some of the brain cells, left hopes of my being alright anytime. For nearly two years, I lied in the bed without any income. I almost became bankrupt. My sons decided to leave me to lead their lives. My wife became mentally stressed. We used to lead a lavish life because of my huge income earlier. She started selling almost all the assets. We were forced to shift in a small flat. My wife could not tolerate this shock and ultimately collapsed. In front of me, I saw her leaving her last breath due to renal failure. I came to know that she stopped her medication of diabetes just to make me all right and not to curtain medical expenses for my treatment. What a great lady she was!”

“What is her name? Tell something about her,” Mind interrupted.

Vidhata’s eyes were slightly tearful. But, within a fraction of a second he was again cheerful.

“Even I start saying about her, your mission to reach Celestial City will be late. She was once a beauty queen and also a lawyer. She was big hearted and always used to place herself jovially whatever may be the situation. I never saw her tempered in our two decades of conjugal life.” Vidhata narrated his story.

“Everybody left you and you were alone in bed,” Mind further asked.

“Yes, I was alone and counting my days. I do not know how many days it was like that. One day, I suddenly saw a dream that someone is calling me to serve the world as a preacher but not as a lawyer. I also saw in the dream that I have to lead a life like a lazarus person. You won’t believe after this dream, I tried to get up from the bed so that I would be on my own. Initially, it was not possible. But, with my courage and under the influence of the dream, I could manage to stand. Fortunately, my outhouse at the Miami Beach was not sold. I sold it off and with that money; I started visiting all the religious places of India and China and then got settled in the Himalaya. I came into contact with great personalities, monks and heard their discourses. I strictly followed a very disciplinary life with diets of fruits, yoga exercise and meditation. I met one monk whose name was Bramhanand in the Himalaya. He taught me how to lead a life which only intensifies the knowledge and wisdom and induces the inner self,” Vidhata said.

“You are advocating too much for the inducement of inner self. Actually, how it is possible to do so,” Mind again interrupted.

Vidhata laughed and closed his eyes for meditation and sat there in the said posture for quite a long time.

Vidhata opened his eyes.

“Your mind is full of inquisitiveness. I find it altogether is a good sign. You are anxious to learn. Now, this learning can bring benefits to you only but if you want, you can bring a transformation to your sorroundings which may include living beings and non living beings through this acquired knowledge convert to wisdom,” he preached to Mind.

“How,” Mind asked.

“It is very simple. We always harp for more money, wealth and comforts. If we face any simple painstaking situation, oh God! What is this happening to me? I am so ill-feted. We always remember God in our distress except our routine five to ten minutes pray. Of course, in old age the sequential pattern of religious activities go up, but still wish of comforts will be always in the back of mind. Tell me, Mind, how many of us wish that God should make us more religious, increase our mind power to serve others and help others in their distress. When you lead life with all disciplinary measures, read thought provoking books, listen to religious gospels, mingle with priests and monks to understand the inner meaning of life and that too for a long period, automatically your urge for materialistic and inner self becomes strong and energized. You will not be able to know this transition because it is a phase-wise creation,” Vidhata explained the nitty-gritty of inner self.”

Mind touched his feet. Godover also did the same gesture. He being Mind’s follower preferred mostly to observe the things silently. Vidhata gave his blessings and presented a parchment to Mind saying that the same would help them in all dangers which they are going to encounter in the next place of journey.

To Be Contd....