Buddha Under The Bodhi Tree

It was a busy Monday morning, I was busy packing lunch and helping Amma wrap up kitchen work so that both of us could leave the house by 9 and not get late to work.  Just when I was cleaning the place, she glanced at my bag – a very pretty cloth bag with floral designs on it.

Amma: Why are you carrying that *vegetable shopping* bag to office?

Me: Just like that, I wanted a change.

She thought for a couple of seconds and then said, “If you leave your apartment behind, I’ll give you my new handbag.”

Me: Apartment?

Amma: yeah, all those unnecessary things you carry in your bag, they just add onto extra weight.

I was part listening, part lost in my own world, when she uttered this; “I think you should do the same with your life” It sounded very cryptic and I dint have that kind of mental peace to decipher it.  I brushed it away saying, you seem to reading through a lot of Paulo Coelho Status on Facebook.

I was thinking about it on my way to work and suddenly it made perfect sense; I was carrying excess baggage not only in my bag, but the same applied to my head. There were too many things grabbing my attention at the same time leaving me baffled. I had to learn to let go and get my head sorted.

That’s just once instance. The other day I was telling her that I’ve lost faith in the system, and I don’t really feel positive about my life. The talk veered towards boy-hunting and I told her I had actually lost hope of finding the one. That’s when she asked me if I had read Lochinvar by Sir Walter Scott. According to her interpretation – one fine day there will be a God-Awesome boy who will simply sweep me off my feet and take me away. Her undying optimism is something that I’d like to imbibe and I’m very amazed that she can never really think negative no matter how trying the situation is.

If there’s another piece of advice I’ve received innumerable times over the years is that; the one above us has a plan for all of us. She firmly believes that no matter what happens, one fine day every single piece in the jigsaw puzzle of life would fall into place and it would be picture perfect.

Truth to be told, I live by the same faith.

To Amma, for being my Idol, Rockstar and Goddess! I love Amma and I really wish 25yrs down the line I have a couple of kids who would talk the same way about me. I’d run of out words if I had to write or tell you how much you mean to me.