Rajendra's Blog

Purpose of Existence

I have been influenced by a friend of mine to join Sun Toast Masters Club in India. As it is aligned to my development plan, I joined the club recently and delivered my first speech. In my first speech I have to talk about my self, so I  recollected some experiences from my childhood and talked about it in last Toast masters meeting. Transcript of my talk goes like this...

It is said four things are not returned if we do not utilize them properly. They are, The time spent, The opportunity lost, The arrow sped and The spoken word. I am reminded by this truth because three years back I attended toast masters program as a guest but somehow I neglected this opportunity. As they say better late than never finally I realized need for the same and now I am here in front of you giving my first ice-breaker speech.

Ok let me break the ice with a question.
What is the purpose of existence?

When I was a child I used to think by observing people. Okay we born. We grew up. We get educated, We do job. We get married and have children and then finally become old and die. This is the series of events that we see in most of the human lives. I did not know the purpose of life until my beloved father breathed his last breath.

Dear Tostmasters, My Name is Rajendra Vittal G. I born as a last kid to my parents. I have two brothers. I loved my father anything more than in this world. I just want to narrate two incidents connecting to my father.

I remember one incident which has strong influence in my life. My father was a smoker. He used to smoke six to eight cigarettes in a day. Every day I used to bring cigarettes from the near by shop. One day I remember in 7th class, my curious mind asked me, 'What would happen if I smoke? Does it taste like Lacto King chocolate which melts in my mouth?'. I wanted to feel the experience that my father enjoys. So One day my father asked to bring two cigarettes but I brought three cigarettes one for me. Looking around I kept one cigarette in my pocket. I went on to the terrace of my house sneaking like a snake. I lit a cigarette. You know what happened, I had a irritating intolerable cough. I thought my self how can my father smokes this stupid thing. Okay I should not judge result just by trying one time.Let me try for the second time. Second puff was same and third it tasted to my tongue and I felt thrilling sensation running through my blood. From then on I was smoking on and off not very regularly until I got married. After I got married my wife gave me a ultimatum. She said, either you give up smoking or give up me. I gave up smoking cigarettes. I am not narrating this incident as a great experience. This is a lesson for all fathers and mother too nowadays.

Let me tell you one more incident which changed my way of life. My father was hospitalized with mild heart-attack and left this world after one month struggling on the bed. I could not digest the separation of my father from me. I challenged God that you can take him from me but I will find him wherever he is. May be I got this confidence of challenging God, because during those days I read one wonderful book and I recommend you to read the book 'An Autobiography a Yogi by parmahamsa yoganada'.I wanted to renounce everything and go on the tour for search of Guru under whose guidance I can find my father. But I put off the plans as my mother was crying all these days and I don't want to cause any more pain to my mother. So what can I do for the search of a Guru without going here and there. I got a beautiful idea. Lets pray continuously until I find a Spiritual Guru. I continuously prayed for a Guru to unknown source silently in my mind through out day and night. Miraculously after a week I came to know about Guru “ Parthasarthi Rajagopalachari” president of Shri Ram Chandra Mission. I borrowed a book 'Reality At Dawn'. From his teaching I came to know that It is not my father I have to search for It is the ultimate father who created this whole universe. And I understood “There is no need to go any where to search for the Ultimate father 'God'. He is there right in your heart ”. Only thing is you have to experience it by being obedient to Guru.

After I read these statements my heart was filled with peace and the next day I joined the Shri Ram Chandra Mission
Let me conclude my Icebreaker speech with a Wisdom that is passed on to me by My Master.
'Live as if you are going to die in the next moment'

Posted at 12:37PM Jul 11, 2008 by Rajendra Gutupalli in Personal  |  Comments[2]