The Jewel

Once, I experienced a profound sense of divinity within myself. It was as though my entire being overflowed with immense joy. At that moment, I began to see the same divinity in everyone around me. However, I noticed this divine is struggling to pierce through their minds, which are preoccupied with countless activities. This realization shifted my focus from being frustrated by people’s behaviors to recognizing the divinity within them, struggling to emerge. This shift in perspective transformed me. The anger I once felt toward others dissolved into unconditional love. Sharing whatever I know to stir their mind to think differently from the routine, which gives them a scope to recognize the divinity within. Sharing is love.

While basking in this immense joy, my mind began searching for a way to represent this divine presence—a tangible reminder of the divinity within me. It is the habit of the mind to find a physical representation of whatever it feels inside. It occurred to me that a diamond could serve this purpose. Its brilliance and rarity seemed fitting as a symbol for the greatest (divinity) I found in my inner consciousness. I imagined wearing it around my neck so that each time I saw it, I would be reminded of the divine essence within.

However, I soon realized a potential danger in this symbolism. Over time, my mind might begin to see the diamond itself as divine, forgetting that it was merely a representation pointing toward something far greater. The symbol could eventually overshadow the truth it was meant to signify. In this way, a mere object could become “God” in my mind.

This realization led me to reflect on religious figures and idols, such as Krishna and deities from other faiths. These idols are not merely objects of worship but are intended to symbolize divinity and remind us of its presence within ourselves. Just as Krishna realized and expressed this divine essence during his lifetime, these symbols inspire us to recognize that the same divinity resides within us today. They encourage us to recognize this inner divinity, get fresh thoughts from it, and express them in our actions and thoughts.

It is the nature of the mind to see everything as a task, to create a defined process so that it will be comfortable. So, it created a process to visit the temple or church or mosque, see the God once and it is done. This is lot comfortable than taking the pain of clearing the mind, feeling the divinity within, getting fresh thoughts from divine and expressing them.

The best thing can happen in this instance is to feel great for a few moments in the temple(church or mosque) out of habit and carry on with routine. Once the defined process is completed, terrorist continues planning to blast this & that, politician to grab more, spouse playing his/her wits, daughter-in-laws cursing their mother-in-law, mother-in-laws cursing their daughter-in-law, employ trying their wits to get promotion, employers to extract more work from employees, youth in finding new ways of entertainment, elders discussing all politics going around the world, and the list goes on. Everything that was happening before the temple (or church or mosque) visit is happening after. No change.

Many festivals, auspicious days are coming and going, people are repeating the same defined tasks, and it is done. No change. When we are repeating, how can it stir our mind? How can a change come without stirring our mind? How can we have a better life without change?

Quotes:

When I recognized the divinity within myself, I began to see it in everyone around me. Instead of frustration, I found compassion—realizing that beneath every mind’s distractions, the same divine light patiently waits to shine through.

Symbols and rituals are meant to remind us of the divinity within, not replace it. True transformation comes not from repeating routines, but from awakening our minds to the living presence of the divine inside us—and letting it inspire fresh thoughts and actions.