top of page
Writer's pictureHari Kirin Khalsa

Crossing the Terrible World Ocean


By HariKirin


For hundreds of years, the leaders of equity, religious freedom and nondiscrimination in India, known as the Gurus of the Sikh community, wrote often about “crossing the terrible world ocean.” They advised that our best strategy is to hold fast to the support of a merciful and loving Divine Being.  And to dwell in constant remembrance of this love: with every breath, with every bite of food.    

 

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines “terrible” as not only

extremely bad, but also difficult, formidable in nature, awesome, and great.   

 

To a yogi, a pair of opposites are not for entanglement. They are there for navigation. 

Yogic philosophy, open to anyone, describes that humans embody all five elements of earth, water, fire air, and ether: (the thin density that holds space for the other four elements).

This earthly journey is temporary - and also magnificent.  It is an absolute opportunity to be in union with the Divine, while in the densest of forms. 

 

When you relate to what is infinitely patient within you, you can bide your time.  Like mud in the pond, you send the lotus upward later, when conditions are warm and nurturing. 

This creates success.

 

When you relate to what is indestructible within you, you can flow like water around a rock instead of beating your head against it. 

This prevents needless suffering. 

 

When you use your fire to cook food and warm a room, rather than to scorch-earth another person, you are in your best human nature. 

 

When your presence and your words touch hearts and uplift, you are a human angel. 

 

This is not being an ostrich, and it’s not an invitation to spiritually bypass.  You are are not an angel all the time.  You need to notice, sit with and feel every feeling.  You also need to move on from analysis paralysis. If it's true that you came here as a ray of light, then you have work to do while that light is still home in the body. But before you roll up your sleeves and get to work, ground into your 5 elements and your ten bodies.


A good navigation is to process feelings in your personal yoga and meditation lab, as well as with others. The more you practice, the more you build equanimity, The more equanimity, the more every single thing -every single thing- is held.  The things you wanted, didn’t want, every thing in this vast arc of a human life.  You win the game when you remember exactly who and what you are, a ray of light: a soul that took on this journey. Suddenly constant remembrance is easy.

 

Travel well my dear friend, be nothing but exactly who you are.  Build kindness and dignity within yourself then share it everywhere.




 


15 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Trust

Comments


bottom of page