A wishful death - ইচ্ছামৃত্যু

A wishful death - ইচ্ছামৃত্যু

This universe has not unfolded all its mysteries. There are still many more things scientists need to discover, but some ancient knowledge from thousands of years ago is still well in practice. In this era of modern technologies and innovations, spirituality seems to have taken a backseat. People nowadays are more busy connecting themselves with the outer world than the inner world. Having said that, after a while they actually start looking for things sitting deep within their hearts, something that goes beyond logic and fact. While the world is engulfed by extreme materialism and ostentation, there are a few communities who still prioritize spiritual success over material possessions. Hands down, Bishnupriya Manipuris are one of them, because the spiritual practices are still alive and prominent among us, and somewhere I am learning to balance between the modern world and ancient wisdom. Here, I would like to share an extraordinary story which may sound uncanny; nevertheless, it happened and eventually invited me to the realm of the unknown where logic does not apply!

I am pretty sure that if I say I love my grandfather more than my parents, they won't mind, as they already know and understand why. Since my childhood, I was mostly close to my grandfather; maybe because of the love he has always given me. It was the 16th of February 2013, the day after Saraswati Puja. I got a call at around 2 PM from my cousin. I could not believe my ears when he said, "Your grandfather is no more. He died right at the Maha Kirtan premise”. My brain could not really process those words. I did not understand how to react to the piece of information. My grandfather was in good health, which was very unlikely for a person who was 93. I lost my awe in thinking of how it could happen!

My grandfather, Mr. Dharma Singha, was a revered figure in our society due to his wisdom and experience. He was invited to the “Maha Kirtan” as one of the main guests of the event (one of the biggest events in the Manipuri community, performed to pay homage to ancestors and also for the peace of their departed souls). He went to the “Mandap” (Temple where the Maha-Kirtan is performed) by himself, fulfilled his duty, exchanged greetings with others and sat inside the Mandali (the sacred circle). After a certain period of the “Nata Sangkirtan”, suddenly he was seen holding his chest and falling to the ground. A man who was in good physical condition, for whom everything seemed normal, suddenly died amidst a ritual.

I reached home as soon as I could. During the whole journey, one particular thought was bugging me. How could a person die who had no serious health issues or anything? I had even spoken to him two days earlier but felt nothing like he was having any trouble which could lead him to death! In our courtyard, in front of the basil leaf altar, “Bopa” (Grandfather in Bishnupriya Manipuri) was lying peacefully. I could see a lot of my relatives, villagers and other people gathered around him. I have always been a stoic, meaning displaying emotion is not my cup of tea. So, unfortunately, my eyes couldn’t shed a single tear, but my heart had cried an ocean by then! The preparation started for the cremation procession, where the Dakula (Pung player) and Ishalpa (Singer) were also called upon, and they guided the death procession with holy songs. It is quite a surprising fact that in our society, from birth till death, devotional songs are part of our rituals. As a society we strictly follow the rules and regulations of every ritual, because there are profound meanings and logic behind them.

Meanwhile I observed something odd which I had never seen in such a situation. Usually what happens is, a demise naturally unleashes the core emotions from people, hence they break into tears. The atmosphere of that place becomes heavy due to crying, howling and mourning. However, in that case it was different: more than people were crying, they were talking about how fortunate my “Bopa” was; he could experience such a death that people crave for lifetimes! Most of the elderly individuals were discussing it, which I could not really comprehend. Whenever someone was crying aloud, a person would raise his voice and say, “Please, don’t cry! He has attained the best possible death by the grace of his Guru! God would take him to “Baikuntha”. He has untied his soul from the game of “Samsara”, he has obtained “Moksha”. Please, rejoice, don’t shed tears”.

Those words made no sense to me; they were beyond my level of comprehension. What Moksha, what Baikuntha, what Samsara! I mean, I had come across such words while reading religious scriptures or listening to mythical stories, but the intrinsic meaning of these words was still unknown to me. Hence, I got more inquisitive about knowing more. I mean, why would someone ask not to mourn but to rejoice in death? I silently went to that person; I knew him from childhood, as he was close to our family for many years. After he listened to me, he smirked. Caressing his hand on my hair, he said, “Dear, you will find your answers once you grow older. First of all, you have to know about the “guru-shishya” parampara. Now you are too young to comprehend its deep mystical and spiritual concepts. For now, pray for your “Bopa’s” departed soul. May God grant him Baikuntha”. His answer did not satisfy me, so I insisted and asked, “But, see, he was fine and sound. How could he die like that? He walked to the “Nata-Sangkirtan” premise, met people there and suddenly ....”. Before I could finish my words, he uttered such words as turned my world upside down. He went, “Your “Bopa” chose his own death; nature did not take him, he surrendered to nature himself”.

I was carrying the weight of invisible wounds in my heart, because I still could not accept his death at all. The only thing that struck me was the question of how anyone could decide to die at his own will. That particular question became the reason for the quest that I started immediately. I reached out to the people who are actually experts on this particular topic, like priests and scholars. Their words and insights sowed a seed of spirituality deep in my heart. I came across the in-depth ideas of the spiritual practices in our society and the impact of them. Everything starts from the concept called “Guru-Shishya Parampara” or “Master-Disciple lineage”. This practice has remained at the heart of Hinduism since ancient times; however, nowadays in modern society the practice is kind of obsolete. It all begins in childhood, when a child is sent to a “Guru” or “Eiga” (in Bishnupriya Manipuri), who is a revered, learned priest, for initiation. Personally, I could recall when I was initiated at the age of 4. This process begins with a ritual called “lemok lona” (a part of “Dasha Karma” or ten purificatory rites in Hinduism, believed to sanctify individuals at different stages of life), where a young boy of age 5-6 is sent to the “Eiga” of the “Sillup” (translates to clan in English) for initiation. This initiation is also an indication that now the young boy is socially allowed to be a part of all religious and social rituals. The young boy is given a sacred “Mantra” that he is supposed to chant every day. The process is not just confined to the Mantra; the “Eiga” then gives moral lessons to the boy so that he can lead a righteous life in the future. After the ritual of “Lemok” is completed, the Priest becomes the “Guru” for lifetime. A “Guru-Shishya” relationship is considered to be a divine connection between two people who are destined to be each other's counterparts, or as The Great Swami Vivekananda said, “The Guru is the bright mask which God wears in order to come to us.”

The role of the Guru is vital to his disciples; a guru having multiple disciples is always in contact with his disciples and keeps on transmitting mundane and spiritual knowledge which will pass on from generation to generation. It is quite a disheartening fact that nowadays, since most of the Bishnupriya Manipuris are living away from home for education and livelihood purposes, the connection between the master and the disciples is not as it used to be in the past; yet the practice is not obsolete completely. If not everyone, most young people still seek the company of their masters, spend time with them, and learn about the cultural heritage. Also, before doing any religious functions, rituals and social activities, they take opinions from their gurus and follow them accordingly. Moreover, most importantly, after a certain age they step into the realm of mysticism and spirituality, which are neglected in most of the societies in this modern world. In the past, the disciples would learn spiritual philosophies from their masters, where they would learn about the mysticism and metaphysical aspects of philosophies in order to attain freedom from the chain of incarnation. My grandfather’s guru was “Sri”, a revered mystic and enlightened person of his time in the Bishnupriya Manipuri community. He had his own “Gurukul” in our village Madhabpur, Kamalganj, where many of his disciples studied various subjects, since back in those times schools or educational institutes were not available. Rather, the disciples would be admitted and study under the supervision of their Guru. According to my father, my grandfather spent many years with his guru and developed his knowledge about spirituality and mysticism. I had also seen that many people would come to him for religious inquiries. Back in the past, our home used to be the epicenter of religious discussions, all because of my grandfather.

The “Master-Disciple” lineage is a sacred relationship because, according to the Sanatana scriptures, the Master is the person who will lead an individual to Liberation or Moksha, which means to transcend the bondage of this world and become a free soul, or get immersed in the source from which we have originated. Therefore, a master holds immense importance, and especially in the Bishnupriya Manipuri community; they are revered, respected and honored. I strongly feel that practices like these are keeping the indigenous communities alive; otherwise we would be detached from our roots completely, and unfortunately it is happening around the globe. Keeping up the pace with the ever-evolving world and at the same time sticking to the age-old traditions is indeed difficult; however, we must do it for our existence and identity.

Anyway, during those few days my persistent quest for answers introduced me to the ancient traditions and wisdom of our community. Honestly speaking, I started wondering how people in the past could be so sophisticated that they thought of such systems, which would bind the culture and community in a single thread. It felt like a revelation for me personally, as I had no such ideas about my own culture and traditions. While gathering the information, I was still swaying on the ocean of skepticism. An invisible fight between belief and reality was on in my mind. Meanwhile something unprecedented happened that sort of consolidated my idea about things beyond logic. One morning my father found a diary of my grandfather. I saw my father was holding it with disbelief on his face; tears were coming down from his eyes, hitting the page of the diary hard. “Bopa” left 5000 taka in cash and wrote a few lines; they read, “My sudden death may come as a surprise. You would need money for all the rituals, so I am leaving some money for you. I hope it will be useful”.

Indeed, this universe has not unfolded all its mysteries; perhaps it has, but only to a very few!

Footnote:

Moksha: referring to liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara) and the attainment of a state of ultimate freedom and bliss. In Hinduism, it's considered one of the four primary aims of life (Purusharthas) and the ultimate goal of spiritual development.

Samsara: a cycle of reincarnation, including one's actions and their consequences in all times past, present, and future.

Vaikuntha: in Hinduism, the divine, eternal abode of Lord Vishnu, also known as Vishnuloka.

Nata Sankirtan: a hall-based religious dance and music performance, known for its rendition of the pastimes and worship of Lord Krishna. It is a basic ceremony where the god is worshipped through dance, song and musical instruments.

Gurukul: a traditional residential schooling system from the Vedic era, where students live with their guru (teacher) and learn not just academic subjects but also life skills and values.