THE CONNECTION

A connection is made when the phone is answered at the other end. Your attempt to reach someone depends on the other person. This is different for divine connection. Here we shall discuss ‘connection’ which we may or may not be aware of, while at the same time being aware of the term God, whatever one may conceive him/her to be.

If someone believes in the existence of God, it is correct for him to assume that God is always “listening”, whether you speak to him silently or loudly. The hardest part of a prayer is waiting for an answer, if you are awaiting one. A human being is a part of a whole called by us as the universe. If you go off into a far, far forest ans get very quiet, you will come to understand that you are connected with everything.

Before we proceed further and delve deeper into this topic, let us look at what we are familiar with, when using the term ‘connection’. In various fields of our present day professions, we have been bombarded by pundits and experts about ‘connection’ and its connotation and attributes.

When discussing ‘connection’, two more terms are entwined with this usage, viz. contact and networking. So, we are not discussing ‘connection’ as in sales and marketing, as also when using the term contacts, with reference to one’s collection of business cards. In these areas the following scenarios are common:-

• Meet someone briefly, exchange business cards and keep in touch for mutual benefits or favors.
• Establishing contact, with the intention to reach (third party) someone or to get an introduction.
• Meeting someone and instantly connecting.

In the above scenarios, the length of time one has known someone may not be relevant. Here, we like to stress on the instant recognition in an unconscious level. Therefore, we arrive at invisible bonding. To site some examples:-

• Islands in the deep. Where the islands are separated on the surface but connected in the deep.
• Roots of trees. Scientists call these mycorrhizal networks, which appears to operate as a symbolic relationship between trees. With their deep roots, trees carry nourishment to each other. And they have significant energy for sustenance.

As for contact and connection, there is a popular anecdote doing the rounds in the net, which I reproduce below:-

“The year was 1990. I was returning from Delhi by flight with a monk of the Ramakrishna (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramakrishna) Mission. A journalist from Chile was there with us . He started interviewing the monk, as had been decided earlier.

Journalist – Dear Sir , in your last lecture, you told about Jogajog ( contact ) & Sanjog (connection ). It’s really confusing. Can you explain it to me ?

The Monk smiled a little but apparently deviating from the question, he asked the journalist: Are you from Chile ?

Journalist( J ) – Yeh…

Monk ( M ) – Who are there at home ?

The Journalist felt that the Monk was trying to avoid answering his question since this was a very personal and unwarranted question. Yet the journalist said: “Mother has expired. Father is there. Three brothers and one sister. All are married…”

The Monk, a smile on his face, asked next: – “Do you talk to your father?”

Now the journalist looked visibly annoyed…

The Monk – “When did you talk to him last?” The journalist suppressing his annoyance said: “May be a month back.”

The Monk: “Do you brothers and sisters meet often ? When did you last meet as a family together?”

At this point, I saw sweat on the journalist’s fore head. I wondered who was taking whose interview. It seemed that the Monk was taking the interview of the journalist.

With a sigh , the journalist said: “We met last at Christmas two years ago.”

The Monk: ” How many days did you all stay together ?”

The journalist ( wiping the sweat on his brow) : “Three days…”

Monk: “How much time did you spend with your Father, sitting right beside him ?”

I saw the journalist looking perplexed and embarrassed and scribbling something on a paper…

The Monk: “Did you have breakfast or lunch or dinner together ? Did you ask how he was? Did you ask how his days are passing after your mother’s death ?”

I saw the journalist’s eyes sadden.

The Monk placed his hand on the journalist’s hand and said: “don’t be embrassed or upset or sad. I am sorry if I have hurt you unknowingly…

But this is basically the answer to your question about “contact and connection ( Jogajog and Sanjog)”. You have ‘contact’ with your father but you don’t have ‘connection’ with him. You are not connected to him. Connection is between heart and heart… sitting together , sharing meals , caring for & hugging each other. Touch , shaking hands, having eye contact, spending some time together…You brothers and sisters have ‘contact’ with each but you have no ‘connection’ with each other….”

With the above discussions, we have deviated from our topic and need to get back to the essence of the term ‘connection’ used here, which is heavy with import for most of us not used to delving inside. When people go within and connect with themselves, they realize that they ae connected to the universe.

“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

What are divine connections? Connections lead to life: When a husband and a wife come together, babies are born. When humans connects with God, new birth takes place, through the awakening of self!

Let us look at self-discovery or introspection. Introspection helps us to identify our anilities, how we could make the best use of them and how do we expand on them and develop what is latent. So we are gaining knowledge about ourselves and understanding how we are operating.

At the base level, introspection would help an individual to grow in his work, profession, relationship and other materialistic pursuits. But to connect with the creator, one has to trust that he/she has a higher purpose.

One can connect with belief, because it implies acceptance of the existence of something without proof. So, when you are praying you are displaying belief, because you have not seen God. Majority of us are into this habit from childhood, just by listening and following our parents and elders.

My personal interpretation, from my life experience, is that one can make connection simply by any of the following means:-

• Belief
• Faith
• Trust
• Thanksgiving
• Belonging
• Sacrifice
• Abundance
• Love
• Peace

What emerges from the above list is very clear yet unseen! And that is: It has to start from the individual. It is just an extension of activities of most lives. What is missing is the consciousness. When we crave for acceptance, love, peace, health and wellness, we have to realize that these moves have to start from us and not the other way around. When you share or give, you are in the know first, you experience it first, you benefit first before the other person to whom you are giving. When you share love, you have it in you to share! If you are not in peace, you cannot bring peace! If you are suffering, you are not in a position to share wellness!

When you are unwell, you first identify the unease or go for consultation to understand what you are suffering from and then start the process of curing as per advise and medication. There is no guarantee that the prescription is going to work and you may have to go to another doctor and change the treatment. The new doctor may diagnose differently and start a completely different treatment. Whereas, if you are connected and take guidance for the cure, you are certain to get the right direction and the process would be simpler and faster.

On a recommendation from a friend, you may speak to a doctor on phone, whom you have never met or seen and yet willing to take his prescription and consume the drugs prescribed. Why not trust yourself and your conscience and connect to the ultimate source of all healing and solace! When you realize that you are a part of this ocean of love, peace and healing, it would be so much easier for you to receive what is missing in your well being.

As a child would walk into the kitchen and ask his share of food from the mother, knowing well that he would receive it and may even demand a treat. Or walk into his father’s study and ask for his favorite pen, again knowing that with persistence there is every likelihood of success. These acts comes from the knowledge of belonging of acceptance and of trust.

A poor connection may have to bear the crackle of the ether and disturbance in the line low signal strength leading to poor connectivity, compared to a crystal clear connection, where you hear the other side loud and clear! Is your jack in the right slot?!!!

Looking forward to your inputs.

LET US MEET AT OUR NEXT POST: THE PERSPECTIVE; UNTIL THEN PEACE!