28/11/2021
Story of a Dragonfly………………..
In the bottom of a pond. It seems there were a colony of insects. Every now and then, one of those insects used to climb up that lily stalk, go to the surface of the water and disappear. None of the other insects knew... Why every now and then, one amongst us is going to the surface of the water and disappearing, and never coming back?
What's actually happening? Nobody was clear about it. So they took a collective pledge. The next one amongst us, whoever will go to the surface of the water and disappear, should come back and tell the rest of us, actually what happened. We promise, they took a pledge. Providence it is, that the very insect which suggested this suggestion, found itself climbing up that lily stalk, and it went up to the surface, and all these lily leaves, these lily pads were floating on the surface. It climbed onto one of those lily leaves, it was still wet.
Little by little, the sun kept drying it. It went through a metamorphosis. And at the end of the metamorphosis, one day it had this compulsion to flap some extra growth in its body.
And as it flapped, it realized it had developed wings, and it took off as a dragonfly.
It found a newfound freedom, and it was so excited about flying as a dragonfly. It kept darting in the air, making circles, every now and then coming and resting on one of those lily pads, again take off and keep flying.
And during one of those flights... It saw right at the bottom of the pond, there were a colony of insects.
Only then it occurred to it, "I have a promise to keep. I'm supposed to go back and tell all of them, what had happened to me.". So it took off from that lily pad, flew towards water, it touched the surface of water, and it realized, it cannot go back.
So it again went back into the air, and came back and rested on that lily stalk, one more time. And it seems that dragonfly had four realizations. And it's for all of us.
One... If I didn't aspire... To become something more than an insect, I would have still remained an insect. Without this aspiration, that I don't belong to that colony of insects, I would have never become a dragonfly. The first point for any transformation, is this recognition... This is not where I belong. I think we have so easily accepted the herd mentality, at various levels, or maybe because of age or because of past successes, a sense of complacency comes into us, and we lose this aspiration. The dragonfly said, "The only reason those insects are still insects is, they are comfortable being an insect, and the only reason I became a dragonfly is, I had the aspiration in me alive. I believed I am not here to be an insect. I'm here to be something." Can we aspire? But if I aspire, and I scale heights, then what happens to me?
The second realization. Now that I've become a dragonfly, even if I want, I can't go back from where I have come. Transformation is transformation only when, your own past looks like someone else's past. I repeat, transformation is transformation only when, your own past looks like someone else's past. Twenty, twenty-five years later... our life cannot be that, it looks like just a modification of how we lived twenty years ago.
There must be something dramatic about our life! We want country to grow at least eight percent. We want new records to be set in every field of sports.
In entertainment industry, we want movies to break into that five hundred crore, thousand crore, two thousand crore barrier.
For everybody, we have an aspiration. What about us? Now that I've become a dragonfly, even if I want, I can't go back from where I have come.
In all these things, there is a price. For becoming in life, there is a price. And a lot of us are so sentimentally, we don't even know how this bonding is holding us back. That was the third realization of the dragonfly.
"Even somehow if I can go back, they will no more recognize me in my new form."
This is one price you have to pay. What happens to a lot of you who keep growing is, when you go back to your old world... They don't relate with you with the same ease with which they used to relate. So this starts affecting a lot of you. In fact, one of the complaints people have towards any one of you who's growing very well is, "You have changed.".
If you changed only is right, if you don't change, that should be complaint. Lot of people say, "You have changed!". And that's what you're supposed to be!
Dead bodies don't change. Living human beings should change. That which does not change, does not grow, that which does not grow, dies.
You have to change! You have to become. That's why you are a human being.
Human being alone is capable of transformation. Transcending the old formation into a new formation, is what a human being is there for.
We all need to transform. They won't recognize. Friends of Sunder Pichai, Virat Kohli, will refuse to be friends of Sunder Pichai, Virat Kohli, that's the price you have to pay.
Somehow our bonding holds us back. One of you give up drinking(alcohol), right now. Let us say, you are not going to touch it again.
Actually speaking all your friends there, when you go and tell them, "Dude, I have given up drinking, I will not drink anymore.".
They should give you a hug ? they should give you a treat ? they should celebrate, they should feel proud of you ?
No! Nobody wants one rascal less in the world. In fact, They will laugh at you. Probably throw some drinks on you.
"Take a drag in the name of friendship." Lot can be done in the name of friendship. Why do I have to do something that is wrong?
Their victory is to ensure you still belong to them, and you do not outgrow them. They want to hold you back. And this one bonding for a lot of us, holds us back.
When a Narendra becomes a Swami Vivekananda, he loses out that crowd. But at this level, there is another Sangam Saranam Gacchami that will be formed.
You have to accept that... All your regrets in life, all your hurt in life is that, you become something in life, you go back to that world to relate.
You feel they are not relating with you properly, and you get hurt that they are not relating. They won't relate! They are comfortable with insects, they're not comfortable with a dragonfly.
You're a dragonfly, you have to find other dragonflies right now. And you keep going, till you reach a point where humanly, there is no more company.
The only company you have is divinity. Till then, you have to keep scaling. There's no other way!
First realization, If I didn't have an aspiration to become a dragonfly... I would have also remained an insect, starts with aspiration.
Second. Now that I have become a dragonfly, even if I want, I can't go back from where I have come. Transformation is transformation only when your own past looks like someone else's past.
Third, even if I can go back, they will no more recognize me in my new form. I have to accept that.
And Fourth, so what do I do? I grew out of them. I'm still grateful to them. Without all of them, I would have never become what I am. What can I do for them?
The dragonfly said, "All I can do for them is, keep flying as a dragonfly.". "Looking at me long enough, they will all get inspired one day, realizing, when one amongst us can become a dragonfly, maybe even we can! One day, if one more of that insect also becomes a dragonfly and tells you, you inspired me to become a dragonfly, then I have achieved my purpose in life as a dragonfly."
