DAY 4: KUSHMANDA & TRIVIKRAMA -- (Expansion of the Seed)

(Spotlight on. Anant enters from right again.)

ANANT: On first three days, the Seed was prepared.

Day 1 Shailputri - The Root Where Kundalini resides.

Day 2 Brahmacharini - Self Quest.

Day 3 Chandraghanta - The Bell that Awakens.

On Day 4, the Seed expands.

(Curtain rises. Satya and Shree are sitting in meditation, requesting Shakti to appear.)

SATYA: How did you create the world?

SHREE: Let me guess. You created it with your cosmic rage.

SHAKTI: (smiles) I did not create the universe with weapons. I created it with a smile. And therefore, I am also called Kushmanda.

Ku + Ushma + Anda — When there was nothing but darkness, I smiled a little — and that little warmth created a cosmic egg. The Brahmanda.

I am not fierce today. In my womb, the entire cosmos dwells. That is why I glow like the sun — because the sun is inside me.

MONK (Voice Over): "And then, Vishnu takes his step."

As soon as the egg expands, it needs to be measured, to be given direction, to be given space. Who does it? Her own self — Vamana, who becomes Trivikrama.

SATYA: (recalling) Yes, I know this. He comes small when Bali is about to conquer the three worlds. He comes as a brahmachari with a wooden umbrella. Everyone ignores him. Just like a seed looks small.

Then in one moment — He expands.

One foot on Earth — What you can see.

Second foot on Heaven — What you cannot see.

Third foot? No place to keep. Bali offers his head. So he keeps it on Ahamkara — the ego.

The small seed has now covered everything.

SHREE: This is the leela of Day 4.

Kushmanda teaches us — our dreams, our business, our sadhana — don't worry if they look small today. A whole Brahmanda can be inside a small smile.

CHILD: (emerging from the existence of the Monk) Trivikrama teaches — When the right time comes, take three steps:

1. Master your physical world (first step)

2. Master your mental world (second step)

3. Surrender your ego (third step)

Then expansion happens automatically.

And in your mind, see Vamana not as small, but as Trivikrama — standing so tall that the sun is just a jewel on his foot.

ALL IN CHORUS:

"Maa, like you expanded from a small smile, expand my small efforts. And like Trivikrama, give me space to grow."

This is the day your seed stops being a seed.

It becomes a Universe.

(Shakti looks at the child, gives a subtle smile, and then disappears. Light fades.)

Day 3: Chandraghanta and Buddha — A Call to be Awakened

(Spotlight on. Anant enters from right.)

Anant: Once the writer starts the journey inward, he understands the core of all religions — Self Quest. And then the hard shell breaks. What is left is soft, delicate water... ready to evaporate into the sky to merge with its origin.

Let's see what Shree and Satya are doing after getting the insightful message of the monk.

(Curtain rises. Sea shore. Satya and Shree are playing with sand. They have built a beautiful world. It looks fantastic. Shakti appears.)

Shakti: You both have done something remarkable. It's really amazing.

How have you made it?

Shree: It comes out of our own self-awareness.

Satya: (nods) Yes.

Shakti: What have you seen after regaining your awareness?

Satya & Shree: (together) You... only you... doing everything.

Shakti: (smiles) So Monk has opened your third eye too.

(Monk enters from left.)

Monk: I didn't do anything. What they got was always there. I simply turned their attention inward.

Satya: (to Shree, curious) Look, who is coming?

Shakti: Chandraghanta — another form of me.

Satya: But I can see a boy child, not a girl.

Shakti: (laughs) That's because you live in duality. Once duality vanishes, you will see me as pure awareness.

(The child who always lives with the Monk enters in Buddhist attire. Suddenly, a bell rings in the sky. A soft chime — Chandraghanta's bell. Silence.)

Anant (Voice Over): Chandraghanta wears the half-moon shaped like a bell. Buddha heard the same bell inside — and woke up.

Day 2: Brahmcharini and Parashuram -- A Symbol of Self Quest not Aggression

Satya and Shree had been talking since morning. They were concerned about politics and its involvement in religion and spirituality.

Satya said, "What is going on will affect people a lot. They will either become dumb followers of rituals or they will become an aggressive mob."

Shree said, "True."

Suddenly, Shakti emerged from nowhere. Shakti is everywhere. She is the base, the root and the very cause of reality. Not just one reality, but many realities.

She said, "This problem is not just about any one person or religion. It's about all. All who exist. All religions tell us to explore our very origin: our very self. But then come traditions and rituals, and with the passage of time, people forget traditions and start following only rites and rituals."

"Let's take the example of light. Light is nothing but the absence of darkness. Likewise, spirituality is nothing but the disappearance of our pseudo self," said the Monk, appearing out of the vast silence.

Shakti smiled and said, "You come back. It's better. We need you so you can make people aware of the subtle concepts of the Self."

The Monk bowed to show reverence. Satya and Shree looked at the Monk searchingly, as if they were hoping that the Monk had the answers to their questions.

Shakti smiled and disappeared.

The Monk said nothing except three words, "Observe, understand, discover."

Thereafter, the curtain fell and Anant appears. Spotlight on him.

The Monk didn't give a mantra. He gave a method. This is the true Sadhana of Brahmacharini.

1. OBSERVE — This is Parashurama.

Parashurama observed the world without taking sides. He didn't see Hindu vs non-Hindu. He saw Dharma vs Adharma, even when Adharma was in his own people. 

To observe means to see without your identity, without your politics, without your religion. Just see what is happening. Most people never observe — they just react.

2. UNDERSTAND — This is Brahmacharini.

After observing, Brahmacharini goes into Tapasya to understand. Why do traditions become empty rituals? Because we forget the why. 

To understand means to ask: Why did this ritual start? What was the original quest? Every religion started as a self-quest, not as a crowd. When you understand the origin, the pseudo self starts to dissolve.

3. DISCOVER — This is Shakti.

You don't find truth. You discover that you ARE the truth. Light is not created — darkness is removed. Similarly, you don't become spiritual — the pseudo self disappears and what remains is Shakti.

She is everywhere, as the writer wrote. She is the base of many realities. He just discovers Her when he stop looking outside.

To observe is the axe. To understand is the Tapasya. To discover is the Goddess Shakti.

Day 1: Cosmic Order — Shakti aka Narayana — Maa Shailaputri and Kurma Avatar

The consciousness of the Monk and the child merged into the vast emptiness. And now what emerges from it is not the Monk, not just the masculine stillness, but Mother Nature Herself with all Her attributes and strengths.

It's not just a quiet energy. It's the force of the Cosmos. But we can't understand Her as a whole, who ensures the cosmic order.

Why?

Because of our limited perception.

Because creatures of the ocean can't comprehend the ocean, can't see the ocean.

She is called word, sound, energy, force.

As per my understanding of the scriptures, Narayana and Shakti are not different. They both are actually known as Cosmic Order. Devotees just framed two different forms of the same Cosmic Order so they could worship it in two different ways.

And even in our Puranic stories, Narayana is called the brother of Shakti (Durga). This very symbol confirms that they are actually the same, just like a brother and sister are the same.

And their nature, their traits are also almost the same. They both ensure the law and order of the infinite cosmos. You can call them the force of the Multiverse.

Also, in the Agam tradition, both of their root mantras are the same. For instance, the root mantras of Kali and Krishna are the same.

And in the Devi Bhagwat Purana, it is said that it is Shakti Herself who incarnated as Ram and Krishna.

But I know most of the population is atheist and I don't have a problem with them. Rather, one of my best friends is an atheist and I am myself agnostic and omnist.

What I mean to say is that the force itself is feminine, the earth itself has traits of feminine power and Nature itself feeds us like our mothers. So, in spite of being an atheist, you can logically relate to my write-up.

How?

Because energy itself is feminine, I repeat and emphasise.

Our very source is because of feminine power and because of Her tolerance, sacrifices and pain.

The first form of Mother Nature taught us to be tolerant. And we all know strength enhances when our capacity to tolerate increases.

And the Kurma Avatar of Shree Hari taught us the same thing — to be grounded, to be down to earth.

In the Yogic tradition, Shakti dwells inside us in the form of Kundalini. And the first day tells us to work on our root chakra — the chakra of foundation, tolerance and base.

Maa Shaki was listening to the conversation of Shree and Satya. She smiled and said, "Both of my daughters will now enlighten the people."

The monk and the child were there only to make them aware. But Shree and Satya will enlighten the disciples.re. 

Be one and comprehend all.

The Monk IX --- Not End but Endless (The Conclusion)

There is no end. Ends can never be found.

Like thoughts, there are many realities; realities which can never be experienced as a whole, realities which are vivid and vague at the same time.

The Monk is sitting quietly. Just sitting quietly. But you can't call it meditation. Meditation is the word given by society, people and philosophers of the past. Nor is he doing yoga or any sort of breathing exercise. Not Vipassana even. Nothing. Just nothing, but that nothing seems like everything. It's too vast.

A child comes near him and asks, "Is it Vipassana?"

He said, "No."

The child asks again, "Then it may be Aana-Apana...?"

He smiled and said, "No."

The child gets confused, "I know you are thinking. Yes, I know, you think a lot."

The Monk laughed, "Yes, I do, but not always. Sometimes I just go beyond the source from where thoughts come."

The child feels emptiness and gets terrified by the calm of the Monk.

He asked, "Who are you?"

The Monk asked the same question, "Who are you?"

Now the child is also sitting quietly along with the Monk, doing nothing.

There is no method here. There is no technique to achieve. There is no success to chase. The world wants to make everything a product — even meditation, even breathing. But how can you make nothing into a product?

The conclusion is that there is no conclusion.

The conclusion is to go to a full stop from a question mark.

The series ends, but the journey never ends, for it is endless.

The Monk VIII -- Learn from All, but Stay Aware of their Flaws

Once, there was a Monk who lived near the kingdom. He often told his disciples the story of a King — King Lear. Yes, King Lear of William Shakespeare.

He had three daughters. He asked them, "Who loves me the most?"

The elder two daughters said big, sweet words. They praised him, flattered him, said what he wanted to hear. The King was happy.

The youngest daughter, I didn't remember her name, loved him truly. But she spoke simply and honestly. She did not know how to perform her love. The King felt insulted and banished her.

Later, the kingdom fell. Those who flattered him betrayed him. The one who was honest was the only one who truly loved him.

The Monk closed the story and said, "This is the truth hidden behind minds."

Every mind has two faces. One that wants to be validated, and one that wants to hide its flaws. When we praise someone only to get something, we feed their first face. This is fake validation.

Nowadays people want success, but they don't want values.

They want to be seen as successful, not to be useful. They want followers, not character. They want quick praise, not slow wisdom.

And when a whole society starts chasing this fake validation, what happens? 

Chaos hidden behind the veil of civilized society...

Everyone becomes successful, but no one remains useful. That is how a society goes towards its doom.

The disciples asked, "Then how to live?"

The Monk said, "Learn from all, but stay aware of their flaws."

Learn from the elder daughters also — learn how beautifully they speak. But stay aware — their beauty is empty.

Learn from the youngest daughter also — learn how honest she is. But stay aware — the world may not understand honesty at once.

This awareness comes only when you study your own mind. Carl Jung called it the Shadow. Until you see your own hidden fears — the fear of being judged, of being watched, of being misunderstood — you will keep looking for fake validation outside.

A strong mind does not need to be understood by all. A weak mind is always afraid to be misunderstood.

So learn from every school of thought, every faith, every story — but do not become a blind follower of any trend. See the flaw, keep the light of wisdom inside.

"Only that's the way to remain free," the monk said not I. 

The Monk VIII (1) — Delayed, But a Realisation

Today, we had a stay-back so I reached at home around 3:30 p.m. Yesterday also, I was late and reached around 4:40 p.m. When Physical tiredness amalgamates with mental fatigue, writing becomes not just challenging but a painful exercise too. However, a writer must write no matter what. So, I re-scheduled the 8th part of The Monk series for today after 4 p.m. and just pondering what should I cover in this post. But due to consistent back pain, I am unable to write and frame it properly today even.

Today I realised something very deeply 

--- body and mind are not two different entities. We think they are separate, but in reality, they are one. They just seem different.

When the body suffers, the mind suffers too.

When there is pain in the back, you cannot think clearly. You cannot frame sentences spontaneously and effortlessly. You cannot align your thoughts. You have ideas in your mind, but you cannot bring them to paper. The pain pulls your attention again and again towards itself.

This is the interconnection.

We often say --- "If mind is powerful, you can overcome physical pain." It is true to some extent. But when pain is consistent, the mind also gets tired. Concentration breaks. Patience reduces. Even the will to write, which you love, feels heavy.

And the reverse is also true. When the mind is disturbed, anxious or tired, the body also feels heavy and exhausted.

They influence each other every moment.

Perhaps this is what monks understand early. You cannot train the mind by ignoring the body, and you cannot heal the body by ignoring the mind. Both need to be taken care of together.

So today, instead of forcing myself to write The Monk VIII, I am observing this pain and this restlessness. Maybe this observation itself is a part of the monk's learning.

Will be back soon with the next part --Learn from All, but Stay Aware of their Flaws.

Thank you for understanding.