The Razors Edge

Attention with awareness has its benefits. The raindrop on the window sill looks fuller. The silence
after the rains feels like a blessing. It is the inner bliss reflected in outer perfection.

As the Sufi saying goes- “the journey begins and ends within”

But when do people go on an inner journey?

People have always looked for security, novelty and meaning. Most people would spend the first
half of life working hard for their security and exploring novelty in objects and relationships.
Sometimes, on encountering suffering, people turn away from the world to explore the meaning of
life. The quest begins to figure out why things are as they are.

Vedanta is a tool in this quest for meaning. The Razors edge is one metaphor for the path. In this
path, a guru makes the journey easier. He is a polished mirror that shows us what we truly are.
Being a dynamic navigational aid, he slices the ego and customizes the path. The transference
from the Guru is the larger flame lighting up the wick of the smaller lamp facilitating the
awareness of divinity

Does the awareness of divinity within make everything allright? Well, not exactly... The thorns of
prarabda do not disappear completely. With sustained sadhana, the roots get nourished well. In
time the blossoms appear in full splendour, with an array of qualities benefiting everyone.

However, for many seekers this path is not exactly a joyride. At times, doubt rears its ugly head.
Incomplete understanding, shifting awareness, shallow faith, vacillating beliefs and incompatible
practices add to the confusion creating a lack of progress.

It makes sense to start from a position of strength. In the Vedantic tradition, no one is born a
sinner. As Swami Vivekananda says “We are children of Immortal Bliss”. We are starting as
Tendulkar who has forgotten how to hold the bat. It’s OK. We can only progress.

As long as we stick to our swadharma based on our innate natural quality, we will make it. Yes
the flowers will wither, the fruits will drop, and the trunk may be cut away for furniture,

But the roots will always remain

Connected to the womb of earth
And fed by cosmic consciousness

The drop is always a part of the ocean

©2010 V Nagarajan email:vnag51@yahoo.com