One of the greatest story tellers of all time, Hans Christian Anderson, wrote a story called the Ugly Duckling. In the story, a mother duck hatches her eggs. One of the ducklings is markedly different; it’s bigger with brown feathers. The siblings and other animals tease him, calling him ugly. One day, lonely and feeling like an outcast, he runs away.
As the duckling grows, he looks up into the sky and sees a flock of swans overhead. He looks at their beauty and starts to cry. The swans call to him to fly with them. Although he feels unworthy, he takes flight with the majestic birds. When they land, the duckling looks at the ground and again starts to cry. One of the swans asks him what is wrong. He replies that he wishes he wasn’t ugly.
Confused, the swan leads the duckling to the edge of the pond and says, look into the water my child; you are divine. When the duckling stares into the water, he sees his own reflection. He is not an ugly duckling, but now a beautiful swan.
As human beings, we rely on our sense of self, the collection of characteristics that we think define us. We take personality traits, abilities, likes and dislikes, our self-belief system, moral code, and the things that motivate us and contribute to our self-image, to be us. Social media tells us to be thinner, earn more money, and surround ourselves with things that make us happier. We compare ourselves to others to determine our own worth. In the process, we become sad and even despondent when we find we are not the same, or perhaps even feel we are not as good as others.
The Gyan helps us to see our Spiritual Self. It is our most beautiful powerful Self. Not only authentic, but the unconditional part that does not rely on any pattern or the body. This is, in fact, our divine consciousness which lies within us all. Our human brain, the mind, tries to control us with thoughts and regrets of the past.
Rather than just learning from our experiences, we must let our true Self cultivate the qualities within us that fill our lives with love. Our connection to Nirankar is a ‘felt’ experience. It is not our past or future, nor our mind or body.
We must reconnect with our true formless identity and fly with other Saints. They will allow us to see that we are not alone, ordinary, rejected, or ugly.
When we falter, feeling lost, lonely, ugly, we must trust in Nirankar. We must remember to take a step towards the edge of the water, taking a leap of faith, and see our true reflection.
We are glorious, we are beautiful, and we are divine!
– Debbie Braid, UK
