Distinct Discipline

Aai loved a very structured day. Ever since I have understood such subtleties, I have always seen her lead a very organised life. Papa was no different. Both of them had their own regimes, not very pronounced and/or advertised, but surely followed. Both would wake up before daybreak. Both would have a quick wash, the morning tea almost always at the same time. As for Papa, he did not even drink tea, and as for coffee, it was an incidental luxury. Prayers over, Aai would start her day's work, while Papa would be busy with the daily pooja. In brief, both their lives had a systematic quality that would do any yoga guru proud. 

Beyond the daily regimen, whatever work they took up, it was with total devotion. Aai, for example, decided to study Dnyaneshwari in her mid-sixties. She literally threw herself in to the studies. Every afternoon, she would study from 2 to 5 p. m. She would read up the original text, its major versions, the Geeta itself, major reference books, and so on. In other words, it was not study for the sake of time pass. It was with total devotion. Tukaram Gatha was studied with the same ardour and commitment. No wonder, she was a rank-holder. As for Sant Ramdas, such impressive work earned her the position of a counsellor/ teacher and examiner on the progamme. 

Till she became bed-ridden, she would do all her exercises, pranayam, hasta mudra, omkara very regularly. She would get quiet fidgety if her physio were to be absolutely footloose and fancy free regarding timings. At 12 noon, she would her complete her pooja/rudraksha japa. Lunch and a short quickie of a siesta later, it used to be study time, followed by a crossword quiz and a look at the headlines, then she would watch a few serials, listen to the T.V. news. Early to bed, early to rise, she led a life that that was healthy, wealthy and wise.

No temptation could distract her, nor Papa either, from the set routine. Both lived a simple but scrupulous life. And yet this regularity never appeared dull nor dry nor drab. It had the natural rhythm of a brook or a breeze, spontaneous, yet `norm'al.  Let me hence complete the blog today with the famous Frost lines: 

the woods are lovely dark and deep

but I have promises to keep

and miles to go before I sleep

and miles to go before I sleep.

pratima@leading by example