Tapasya aur vardaan

My first blog writing...I drafted it in Oct 2010. Posting it now after my wife pushed me to do so.....

This thought came to me while thinking about the 33 miners rescued in Chile after 69 days stuck underground. Hats off to all of the 33 miners and to the team of rescuers who worked relentlessly day and night to ensure safe return of their fellow workers.

It would be really interesting to know and interview these miners to understand what went inside their minds during these 69 days and I know we would see movies/ documentary on this on Discovery/ CNN/ History channels very soon. But I am more interested in knowing and understanding how this experience is going to effect their future lives.

I am sure most of these 33 men and their families/ friends would notice a remarkable change in their attitude. Attitude towards life, family, relationships and work.

If you think, what would one do if caught alone, away from all the outside world, away from the materialistic possessions, away from the noise and sounds of known and unknown. He would start listening to his inner voice. The voice that gets drowned under the humdrum of our daily lives. He would start thinking of all his actions of the past, good or bad. He would now have the time to understand the consequences of his actions and the impact it had on his life.

I think, the "Tapasya" mentioned in the Hindu Scriptures is nothing but the above.Where a man gets away from all the outside noises to listen to his inner "atma". During this solitary period, one realizes his inner strengths, he is able to understand what he wants in the life and plans out for it. He learns from his past and becomes a better human being. And this new "Avatar" is seen as the "Vardan" from God.