In good company....

Seek people and you find Life.
Seek yourself and you find the divine.

Meeting interesting people is like breathing fresh air, or allowing new water to flow into a stagnant pool. You learn new things, gain perspective and are never left the same again. Any person can be interesting depending on how you look at them. The most charismatic dude could fall flat on his face--as far as you are concerned. Alternatively you may find an interesting angle in an everyday person.

A few years ago I had a brush with a young man in New delhi railway station. He became a friend in an instant and within five minutes of chatting, he invited me to accompany him to freak around, booze a bit and see a few girls!

Another old beggar I had met when I was at the lowest point in my life-- I've written about him here. He was nothing special, but because of those circumstances, I think I'll never forget him.

Yesterday night, I met a young fellow, maybe in his mid 30s. He's a book-keeper at the place where our meditation classes are held every tuesday evening. We chatted quite a lot about everything under the sun and he came across as a specimen.'I do everything in life according to the wishes of Mother,' he said befor adding, ' I sleep for only 1 hour and work for the remaining 23 hours. I don't know from where I get the energy....'

He's a kind of a wanderer, a seeker--or maybe a drifter--but incredibly polished, well-read and someone with a variety of interests. He was into the sidda-tradition and could talk very comfortably about the mystical side of life. Within half an hour he'd spoken quite a lot about himself, enquired about me and had presented his philosophy of life. Yet he had moved away from his wife and hadn't seen his people in the past 7 seven years!

'I can be with people but if someone gets attached to me, that's the end of the relationship,'he quipped.

Inspite of the contradictions and quirkiness in him, i found him to be an interesting specimen. A man for all seasons, as a friend describes himself.

I leave my blognest unattended and fly off to delhi for 2 days, rushing on flights like a time-starved businessman. The occasion is the engagement of my sister-in-law. Marriage parties are fertile grounds for meeting interesting individuals, show-offs and stupid mean people too.

I get an opportunity to meet archana's cousin, Sunny. Living in a big metro whose second nature is aloofness, rushing through a taxing job, and balancing the demands of everyday life, he's yet completely at ease with himself and with the world. His wry sense of humour, a polished street-smartness and the ability to gel with people from all age groups and walks of life--these amaze me! I wonder how he cultivated them and also wonder how i missed these.

Never losing your sense of humour and detachment...in any situation... this is the lesson I take back from him.