How Narendra Modi goes about meeting Himself!

How a person is with him or herself is the biggest indicator of how he or she is.  Everyone tries to deal with people around him in different ways.  Mostly with respect to the circumstances or one’s own conscience.  But there is one person with whom you cannot play games.  You.

If you are comfortable with being alone, with yourself, then it can be the most blissful way to be.  I remember once I was asked by a colleague in an elevator on a Friday – “So what are your weekend plans?”  I replied, without much thought “I want to meet myself this weekend.” He was taken aback by my answer.  And I half-jokingly replied, lest he took me for a nut “We meet so many folks in our lives, but this weekend, I want to meet myself.” (also read I want to meet Myself)

I know sometimes how tough it is to just be with yourself.  So when I read this from an interview with the Indian PM Narendra Modi, I was pleasantly surprised.

“Not many people know this, but I would go away for the 5 days of Diwali. Somewhere in a jungle – a place with only clean water and no people. I would pack enough food to last for those 5 days. There would be no radios or newspapers, and during that time, there was no TV or internet anyway,” he said. “I would reflect – and the strength that this alone time gave me still helps me to handle life and its various experiences. People often asked me, ‘Who are you going to meet?’ And I would say, ‘मैं मुझसे मिलने जा रहा हूं।’” (source)

This sense of connecting with one’s inner self requires a certain level of understanding of life and existence.  It does not come to person normally.  Many would be shit scared to just be alone in the jungle – which is not like many think it is.  Its a rough place.

And, this is one thing I find unique about PM Modi which is drastically different from any other leader we have had.  He has a deep connection to the real spiritual ways of India.  He has said many times that he spent a lot of years in the Himalayas.  That he would go back many more times to wilderness is indeed very interesting for anyone on the Spiritual path.