Don’t Stop Cryin’

If you’ve ever seen water boil on the hob, you’d have noticed that it starts off slow and within a few minutes it goes out of control. And usually, the water vapour is a great sign that boiling is complete. No, no, this isn’t a science class. 

You see, I noticed that it is also how the Divine works with our transformation. Whether it is through our Guru or through God Himself, it starts off slow, as if warming us up for a nice dance session, and before we know it, we are sweating like crazy.

In life too, although we may miss the events leading to our transformation because there is so much subtle work going on within, the signs and symptoms are a great way to know that we have reached somewhere. Today, let’s cry together and transform. Just kidding, but,

I’d like to present to you my most unlikely teacher:
Tears.

Over many years, tears combined with constant contemplation, led to great insight and self-discovery. As humans, we tend to avoid crying, as it is a sign of weakness to many. However, my take is different. Crying is an amazing way to know ourselves better. Behind each tear lies an incredible lesson about ourselves and what ought to be done. In other words, each tear is a guru. But I will go a step ahead and say that each tear is sent by the guru himself, as a way to uncover ourselves.

You see, every time i found myself crying, afterwards, or even while crying, I would contemplate on the reason behind it. Here are some of my learnings:

1. Pain

Many of us cry out of pain. Wounds of the past that have not healed yet. However, when the Divine chooses, these are brought up to the surface. It all erupts over a period of time, usually days, weeks or months. We may choose to dismiss it and brush the feeling aside. However, if we opt to delve deep within and cry it out, it may very well be the soothing balm to our past wounds.

2. Self-defeating beliefs

Another lesson which tears may help us face, is that of overcoming our beliefs which no longer serve us any purpose. In the past, we have been subject to demeaning comments which gave rise to guilt, a feeling of uselessness, or low self-esteem. When a trigger, such as someone’s remark, brings these emotions to the surface, tears may erupt. And frequently too. In that case, just let them flow and enjoy the ride, because after a lot of crying, you will notice that those self-limiting beliefs have gradually been washed away by those tears. The idea is to identify why you were crying in first place. And in there lies the cause which needs to be addressed. And as Swami says here: 

You are only as limited as your beliefs. ~ Om Swami.

3. A desire to belong

Sometimes, we may cry due to a lack of understanding by those around us. In such instances, those are lonely tears but it brings about a profound realisation. If the desire to feel belonged by others triggers tears, then eventually the Divine, makes us realise that the only one we ought to belong to is Him.

There are also other causes behind our tears, but that’s enough crying for today, don’t you think?

To wrap up I’d just like to say that each time we cry, whether it’s in pain, out of guilt, shame or out of loneliness, we can take it as a message of love for us. And as a message to heal and to get closer to Him. If we contemplate and analyse, in hindsight, we are guaranteed to find a reason and a solution for every tear we shed. Sometimes the wounds may be deeper, but more frequent sessions are equivalent to a digging process, it’s like a teacher going through a whole syllabus till the end of the semester. And tears are no less. Step by step, day by day, they take us through the syllabus of healing our soul, clearing the path towards our blissful truth. 

And sometimes, just like having had a class from a bad teacher, we may come out of the lesson without understanding anything, but hang in tight, this one is a good teacher. She is just having a bad day at explaining things. (I picked the female gender for tears because women are usually more likely to express their emotions freely). Next time you cry, if you wish, answers will gush forth. 

Tears, my friend are an unlikely teacher, yet there’s none like it. Precious, wet, and warm at the same time, filled with wisdom in the silence of its flow!

So, here are some tissues. *Imagine soft Kleenex tissues* Please go cry elsewhere. Just kidding:) What I mean to say is, crying isn’t a bad thing, please don’t stop yourself, because on the other side of it all, you will emerge happier, like this super happy baby laughing away here.

PC