I saw the movie Life of Pi today.
To me it reminded me of the Ksheera
Sagara Madhana story in Bhagavata Purana. In this story, the Devas and
the Danavas churn the milky ocean, to get the celestial nectar of immortality .
Instead of the Divine nectar they got the halahala (poision) first. When they
surrendered the halahala to lord Shiva, later on they got the celestial nectar
that gives immortality. Devas and Danavas were our own, positive and negative
tendencies. When we churn our intellect,
the animal tendencies (halahala) emanates first. When we surrender them
to lord Shiva (Atman) in us the
celestial nectar of immortality is attained later. This is the symbolism of Ksheera
Sagara Madhana.
The story of life of Pi is
similar. Pi (pie) also means part (portion). One can say life of Pi is also life of part or incompleteness in its
quest for fullness or completeness. Here the Pi Patel sails with family in the
stormy ocean of life. While others are sleeping to the realities of impending
struggle in life Pi was awake (like an alert spiritual seeker) and ready for
the challenges of ups and downs of life.
Ya nisa
sarvabhuthanam thasyam jagarthi samyami
yasyam jagrathi bhuthani sa nisa pasyatho
muneh -
B. Gita 2-69
When all beings sleep (unaware)
that the realized is awake (aware), When all beings are awake to(worldliness)
the realized is asleep (disconnected to worldliness). - B.G
2-69
When he was faced with the life’s struggle in stormy ocean, he passes through a sequence of events
like in Ksheera Sagara Madhana. First he was confronted with his animal nature
(survival instincts - reactive mode), Then he makes peace with his animal
nature and subdues his animal nature . Next
at one point he totally surrenders his ego at the feet of Vishnu (all pervading
divinity- to divine will). With this surrender he loses fear of the tiger (ego
– limitedness - animality). He was deluded by an attraction of a safe island (Maya),
but soon realizes that it is a trap at night (carnivorous island). He leaves
this attachment also and finally the tiger (ego) in him disappears. When tiger (ego) is gone
he becomes full (poorna) and complete. He experience Oneness with totality of
creation.
Thus this story is relevancy for each
one of us. Upanishad declares “Thyagenaike Amrutatva Manasu”. Only through
sacrifice (sacrifice of ego) one attains immortality. This is similar to the statement in Bible “The
meek shall inherit the earth” (meekness is a state of humility attained after
sacrifice of ego).
This story depicts the
eligibility criteria for this realization of Oneness. Pi Patel has glimpses of
this connectedness of all of creation shown by his connection to the wild
animal like the tiger. He tried to feed the tiger with bare hands fearlessly.
His purity, connectivity (samskaras – vasanas – tendencies) is displayed here.
He experiences “Eswara Sarva Bootanam”, “Eswara Sarva Bhootatma” and “Eswara
Sarva Bhootantaratma”. This is Buddha’s “Boota Daya”. This is “Jiva Karunya’.
This kind of purity is the one that prevented him from drowning in the stormy
ocean of life like others and successfully made him reach the shores of Ananda
(self realization). As shown in the life of Pi the final step is to let go the
ego (tiger). When we do that we realize our true nature of Unity and Oneness.
When the Japanese insurance adjusters interviewed him, he narrated them the true story of what
really happened, which they did not believe. This is similar to our life’s
story. When realized souls tell us that this world of duality in unreal
(midhya), we deny their assertions and say this world is real. Similarly when
they say all are one, we say that they are different and distinct. When Pi narrated a fictional account of the
same story, they believed it. In this fictional account, he himself was the
tiger (Body-mind complex, ego). What ultimately happened is the departure of his
ego and his realization of Oneness.
In our own journey of life, which
is like a boat sailing in stormy seas, with full of ups and downs, we should
always be awake and aware. The biggest enemy is our own limitedness created by
our own ego, that makes life fearful and unbearable. Once we tame our ego and
finally let go, we expand ourselves to our full potential of Oneness. This is a
state of fearlessness and joy. When we attain this state of Unity, the world of
duality perceived by others transforms into a beautiful world of Unity.
Man – Ego = God
God + Ego = Man
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