A young man with flowing hair and beard. Blue eyes. Young man. May be thirty-two. Strong muscular forearms. Broad chest. There was tranquility on his handsome face. Merciful piercing look
He walked into Psychologist Mathaichan’s clinic.
“Please be seated, the Psychologist said pointing to a chair.
“Good thank you”
“Where do you come from?”
He thought for a while and said, I come from my father’s abode.
“Where’s that?”
‘It’s far-off’.
He seemed reluctant to come out of his shell.
Some people are reluctant to reveal their identity.
‘Well, your name?’
‘Easo Joseph’.
Must be from Central Travancore, he made a mental assessment. Kumbanad, Mallapally, Vennikkulam etc. etc. there are ‘Esos’ by name of persons.
“You can’t be a catholic, can you?”
“No”. Easo smiled.
“But, I recently visited a catholic Bishop. In his palace.
Hearing my name, he asked me mockingly, are you Jesus Christ? We call Christ by the name Easo”.
Then I revealed myself.
“Yes, I’m Jesus Christ. The son of Joseph and Maria. The Nazarene. You must have heard of him”.
The bishop stared back at me. The same old cruel priestly look of Caiaphas and Annas.
“After the Crucifixion I had spoken about my second- coming. Now, I’ve come as a man. You’ve made churches in my name and worship me. Even in those times I was against religious organizations. You carry my idols around in procession. You spread communalism; fight each other for cemeteries churches.
Taking politicians to your side eh?
The bishop’s face reddened. Rage and distress rushed to his face.
Mind you! Rappai, the bishop screamed.
Rappai presented himself in the most reverential way.
‘ Praise to Jesus Christ’, Rappai said the usual salutations.
“Umm…. Now and forever more”, the bishop responded.
Oh…. I’m happy you still remember me”.
“Yes, Dammit! It’s you that we praised!”
“You Rappai, who let this lunatic in? Throw him out!”
Before that I made my exit.
Now, having heard this all, Mathaichan was convinced. It’s schizophrenia. Delusion. Hallucination. These patients consider themselves to be Gandhi and Nehru. He remembered meeting a Saddam Hussein lately.
Without showing any sign of surprise, he asked:
“ Where all had you been?”
“Easo changed his posture and started talking. I went to the Orthodox bishop palace in Devalokam, to the patriarch’s palace and also visited the bishops of the Mar Thoma and C.S.I churches. They all made fun of me. Leave alone a place to lie down and rest, they didn’t even offer a seat to the Son of man. I also attended some Pentecost meetings. I heard them criticize christians of other denominations and people of other faiths with malice and contempt”. All in my name.
“Do you want to hear a joke? A Pentecost pastor urged me to get baptized in water. He quoted from the scriptures, ‘ Obey now!’ I remembered having told the same thing to John, the Baptist long ago.Are they ticketing the bus conductor too for the ride?
I bluntly told him a strong No.
“I was possessed of Legion, the big satan, they said and added that I was bound for hell, where there shall be waiting and gritting of teeth. What can I do but laugh?
Then I went to a Meditation centres.
“They are using some of your techniques from psychology in my name. Group Therapy.
What shall I say?”
“From there I went straight to the famous Maramon Convention. To be frank, there they sang with gusto songs in my name through mikes. They were praising my name. Many, including foreigners were giving sermons quoting my ideas and verses from the Bible. I felt happy and proud. The Sermon I had given on the Mount has reached down to this far corner of the earth. But the hustle and bustle there made me recall the scene at the Jerusalem Temple. I looked around for a whip. But I had to control myself given the unfavourable situation.
‘I went and met the Convener. I told him that I was a foreigner and that I wished to be allowed a few minutes to speak. My fair skin and bluish eyes must have helped. I was allowed to speak during one of the intervals.
“My beloved people, you have heard them announce His return. I am the One you were earnestly waiting for. Come to me all you who labour and heavy-laden, and I’ll give you……………
One man came up abruptly, and interrupted me by snatching away the mike. They pushed me down from the pulpit.
‘Who let him go on stage’?
“So screamed some representatives of the Pharisees and scribes. I came here straight from there. Psychologist Mathaichan inspected him thoroughly and smiled within himself.
Having read Mathaichan’s mind”, Easo said.
“You won’t understand me clearly by your psychological scientific and intellectual reasoning. You won’t even recognize me. For that you will have to widen your sphere of consciousness. Apart from the unconscious mind and the conscious mind there are other more developed horizons of consciousness”. I Mathai seemed to miss a beat. The psychologist’s cloak slipped down from Mathaichan for a while.
“You’re right, Guru. Sometimes even this poor Mathaichan has felt the same way”.
Jesus Christ looked relieved, satisfied.
“At least you showed me such an attitude”.
If for nothing else, you have one of my old disciple’s name too.
“That is ‘diff’ and this is ‘erent!’ Mathew and Mathaichan are different”.
Psychologist Mathaichan’s mischievous thought.
Jesus took note of this thought process and meaningfully looked at him just as he looked down upon Peter when he denied him thrice in fulfillment of the prophecy.
Abashed, Psychologist Mathaichan stepped back
Guru, poor Mathaichan prayed – one time
“What shall I do then?”
“I’ll tell you even though you know it. Keep the doors of your heart closed. Avoid all prejudices. Be quiet and know that I am God”.
Poor Mathaichan remained motionless for a moment. He was spell- bound in that divine presence. A divine light filtered through Mathaichan from his Mooladhara upwards. It moved through the cycles of Swathishtana, Manipuraka, Anahatha, Visudha, Ajna, and Sahasrara. Every cell in his body throbbed. They resonated with the divine experience. The upward momentum soaring higher and higher towards a climax of bliss.
Losing sense of time and space and gradually gaining strength, ordinary Mathaichan went through an undefinable experience of joy. He came face to face with the ultimate truth.
But Psychologist Mathaichan interfered by giving strong suggestions. Hey, these are illusions. No, no…. It’s all a mental game. Stop it. … Come down.
Gradually, poor Mathaichan came down to earth and stood there nervously.
“My son”. That affectionate call made Mathaichan misty-eyed again.
I am unconditional love. Easo’s voice. I can’t be contained within the frames of any religious sect. Whether you keep the water of River Ganga, in a pot, pan or in any other vessel that won’t change the content or property of the water. You need vessels for your convenience and you mistake their shapes to be mine. The unreasonable people get into arguments over that. They kill and call for murder. They expel me from their centers of worship. They are not aware that I, the creator, am at work through my creation every moment. I manifest myself, I incarnate.
“ I must add one more thing”. Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing. I remembered what I withered on the cross
Mathaichan puts back his psychologist’s garb and asks with artful humility.
“ In this old mind of mine, there is food for thought. You people have incarnated in various forms down the ages, but basically the human beings haven’t changed, have they?”
Jesus smiled.
“Mind you, in addition to that old Mathai, I also find the doubting Thomas in you.
Didn’t your ancestor pluck and eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge in the ‘Garden of Eden? Thereby gaining the ability to distinguish and make choice? Expanded state of consciousness, eh? In that state, no external influence can totally reform you. Beyond repair. If you want to know the ultimate truth, you must look within yourself. Into the furnace within you. You have to melt the idea in the fire of knowledge. Churn it through meditation. The truth that surfaces which enlighten you. You’ll find the light”.
“O Lord, doesn’t it sound like the churning of the ancient Palazhi?
“Mathaicha, such stories help you gain insights”.
“Shall I proclaim all these through a Gospel Campaign?
Mathaichan asked seriously.
Jesus burst in to laughter.
“Mathaicha, my son. Though I came down personally they didn’t believe my message either then or now. And now, you want to have a go?”
“Then what shall I do?”
‘Just take it easy’.
‘What do you mean?’
Don’t burden yourself. Be quiet. Feel assured that I’m within you. Set aside your past agonies and the further anxieties. Live here, this moment in consciousness. The heaven is within you. You continue to live in me and I in you.
So that’s what you call ‘Aham Brahmasmi Thathwamasi’.
Yes you’re right.
Ayamaathmaa Brahma:
Sarvam Khwallidam Brahma:
Pragnaanom Brahma:
‘So, you know Sanskrit too?’
‘Am I not omniscient?’
Still you created men so wicked and cruel that they swear at you”.
Psychologist Mathaichan interjected.
“It’s no wonder you ask such questions. You are intoxicated with Psychology”.
Easo’s soft smile.
I didn’t create anyone cruel. You yourself are creating Satan and angels. Don’t you have the choice? You created gods-both deva and asura. devi and bhadrakali. These are all symbols of what you created within yourself. Images. Anthropomorphism”.
Hey, you even talk anthropology?
“It’s no use lecturing a psychologist like you”.
“Mind you, Mathai, the poor Mathai in you, only people like him will inherit heaven. Here in this life, you must go through both joy and sorrow. The pure in heart are those having self-awareness. Only those who step aside and take a dispassionate view can distinguish the grain from the gravel. Woe unto them who run after success!”
Poor Mathaichan felt relieved. Tranquility spread on his face.
“I’ll come again,” Jesus Christ spoke.
“Guru, is it necessary? Psycho. Mathaichan asked with a sly smile.
Last time they spat on your face and lashed you into chutney. They hanged you on the cross and disgraced you. Neither is your present experience any different. After all these bitter experience, will any man with self-respect and honour come back? Do you have to?”
“I must come. For a select few. I have to come for those like poor Mathai in you.
They are the salt of the earth. The warmth of life”
.
The compassionate smile of Jesus.
That tender smile of love went on and on.
Psycho. Mathai sat there with mouth wide open. The poor Mathai’s mind felt cooled within.
Oh my love!
The unconditional love!
COMPLIMENT
Once in a while in your life,
didn’t you too wish to commit suicide.
Yes, I have. Then who hasn’t?
But, how often did you say you want to live?
Only while on the brink of death.
Death is not the real thing, but life is.
Grief is not the ultimate truth.
Darkness is but the absence of light
And absence of joy is grief.
One complements the other like existance and void.
You got to have awareness to experience this.
EXPLOSION
As a child
He’s scared to silence
And as he grows up
He tends to blow up.
What an explosion it’ll be!
You must listen to him with interest.
Let him say what he wants to.
If you give him no time to have his say
And sit on the father’s pedestal,
What’ll he say?
He’ll swear at you
Mathaicha, do you get it?
When he gets big as you, treat him so.
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