Tapping into the Divine Source

Anyone who has ever lived in India knows the importance of having a ‘source’. Without a ‘source’, it is very difficult to get anything done; without a “source” it’s difficult even to get a proper job. We call the all-important source by different names; sifarish, approach, pahuch When a person is well-connected, we say, “Us ki pahuch oopar tak hain.”

In essence, it’s no different in the West. In North America,  there is a saying, “Who you know is more important than what you know.” The word pahuch is replaced by the word networking and trust me, it really works. 

Here is a true story of how networking helped me a land a prestigious job in the Government of Canada.

My network consisted, essentially, of my mother-in-law. She was a very pious lady and left everything in the hands of her Shankar Bhagwan. It worked very well for her;  my father-in-law, was a public servant in India. When he retired, my mother-in-law prayed for him, and he got a job in the United Nations. He worked in the UN for several years until he passed away, a few years after my marriage. My mother-in-law-law was very generous in her prayers for her friends and relatives, too. If anyone in her circle had any problem, my mother-in-law was always there to help, with her prayers.

She was very keen that I should work for the government; she prayed for this with all her heart. In her eyes, a government job was the best and she wanted only the best for her favourite son-in-law. 

As soon as I got my Canadian citizenship, I applied for a job in a federal government department in Ottawa. I even gave the interview for the position, but then the file went dead. Nothing happened for a long time, and I even forgot that I had applied for the job.

A few months later, my mother-in-law became very, very sick. She was hospitalized and she was soon living her last days. Even in the hospital, she kept saying, “Niraj babu you will get the government job.” Then, she passed away. We were very sad, but she had led a full, saintly life helping many people during her journey. There was little doubt in our minds that she went to the right place and within a few weeks, we received confirmation.

She must have pulled a few strings up there, because she got my job application file re-opened, using the highest possible source. One day, just three weeks after her departure, I got a phone call from a person named Ed Durand, asking if I could join the department as soon as possible. I tendered my resignation from my current job in a private company, with the minimum possible notice period. Then, I  joined the Government of Canada and there has been no looking back.

This job really turned my life around. The pay was at par with the private sector and there were so many other benefits, including job stability and a generous pension plan. The very best feature is that there is no upper age limit for retirement. I can work for as long as I like, if I am fit enough to do the work. It is a huge blessing, who can ask for more? It is all thanks to my mother-in-law-law, who looked after me so well, even after she moved on to a better place.

Some might say that I got the job  due to my own merit. However, this is simply not true. There are so many talented people in the world looking for opportunities. Nothing really happens until they get a lucky break. I am convinced that this kind of luck only happens by divine grace. We need a ‘source’ that works in our favour.

There is yet another example of grace in our lives. Due to the pandemic restrictions, my wife and I have started watching TV much more than ever before. At night, we go on Youtube, looking for good music, or, something spiritual. Just by chance, we found Om Swami ji on you tube, talking about meditation. We felt an instant connection, and listened to more of his discourses. Over a period of weeks we got completely hooked; then, we found his books, his Black Lotus application, his meditation course, and, finally, this blogging web-site. It feels truly amazing to be able to write on this blog, to be in the august company of fellow seekers. They write such beautiful posts and their comments are always very positive.  It seems my wife and I belong to one large Om Swami family. I can now honestly say:

Meri pahuch bahut oopar tak hai.

Thanks to Swamiji, and, of course, my mother-in-law, I feel very well connected to the highest levels of power.