It is time we pay our dues to this holy community with reverence.
A sadhu, saint, sage, rishi or a monk- plurality in names yet purpose is singular. A sadhu in all his simplicity is a holy soul on the path of spirituality towards attaining Moksha. A life nevertheless filled with austerity, meagre means and penance yet living for the good of humanity, growth of Dharma. A life filled with sacrifices to save a culture. A civilization that is millions of years old and still flourishing,if not for these holy beings. Custodians of culture, traditions and rituals, which hold much truth and answers to the unknown where science failed. Who are these holy souls? Where to they live and where to do they disappear sometimes with a choice of their own other times at the brutal hands of those in disguise of humans.
A life of piety
Sadhus of India, a community which believes in living in harmony with nature and with humanity. More so with nature, the reason could simply be as the nature being at peace, non-disturbing and non-killing kind. Such is the benign sadhus’s abode. The space he makes pious with the tapasya or hours and days of meditation. What does he want from us? A little donation if we please or some alms to simply survive. That is all he aspires for, nothing fancy. A harmless being as his Dharma taught him to be tolerant, non-violent and respectful to all lives. And so he dutifully follows his Gurus or Saints who inspired his journey of this current life. While he lives with all the knowledge he has acquired, along with him lives the culture, the saintly traditions and values. Their presence in the society is necessary to create a sense of divinity around and close to us. Must we remind ourselves again that the sages in ancient Indian civilizations were equivalent to God with their divine powers and no one ever faulted with a Sadhu to invoke a curse upon thyself. We have read it, heard about it and felt this as well in the presence of a sadhu, cannot be denied.
Judge thy not
A sadhus with his spirituality and piety has much to give back to the Indian society in terms of – a faith, a legacy and a civilization. And yet he is misunderstood, mistaken by many and mistreated by some. Reason is not one but many- as he is not living a ‘normal’ life which is more common to many of us. He is mistaken to be in some kind of disguise? He is a wanderer/ drifter or may be homeless? Why do we turn judgemental? Who are we to judge his chosen path in life? Even though it does not fit into the regular idea of living. Why has our tolerance died or turned dormant, in the current materialistic nature of living that all have turned subservient to, without batting our eyelids. Not able to bear any other forms of beings who are different than us.
Saffron embrace
A sadhu sheds this worldly life in favour of embracing the saffron for the rest of his life. A daunting task he undertakes. Saffron in thoughts, deeds and actions from there after. Pledging his life to the true essence of the colour in other words a life of sacrifice and a life of service to humanity, the holy motherland and the holy spirit, with a simple quest to attain moksha and no more than that. Knowing well that he may face the onslaught of criticism, doubt and indignity. A prize he is willing to pay, for the love of saffron, no turning henceforth. It is disturbing and shameful to see them questioned, to see them plead and to let them give up on the same humanity they pledged to serve. Can we let them doubt their choice in life? Can we not offer them our respect and reverence? Is that too much to offer to them, who define our existence as a part of a civilization the world is in awe of? Can we pledge to defend them and their integrity from here on? Heart breaks to see them break. We cannot let them abandon us.
Offer reverence
Yet, we fail to understand the purpose of these holy beings amidst us who are closer and more dearer to the almighty. Time to seek forgiveness for our ignorance and failed duty, to let them depart from this earth in a most brutal way. It is time that we turn towards the sadhu fraternity with our humble offerings of respect and restore their faith in us. It is time to not let the anger of God unleash, more than what has already caught us with Covid. It is time to play our part as protectors of sadhus from evil intentions just as they protect us from the wrath of God by suffering and paying a prize with their pious lives.
