IMPRESSIONS / Rudra Aryan Potluri

Chinna shodha yatra was a journey through which I was able to exceed my physical capabilities and break through my pre-existing mindsets. On the first day, when I went to take a bath along with other yatris we did not have a bucket with us, so one of the yatri went to a lady who was washing clothes to ask for a bucket and when he was coming back without a bucket, I immediately thought that the lady did not give a bucket, and became a bit annoyed about how people don’t share things, but when I saw that yatri go into that lady’s house and got a bucket I understood that the lady did not want to give us a dirty bucket, so she asked the yatri to take a clean bucket from her house. This incident was the first of the many selfless acts that I experienced throughout this journey. I used to think that being a ideal human is a waste of time, even though it may seem nice, since this not an ideal world. But after seeing these villagers I changed my mind.

In this yatra I learned a new principle- The 4 gurus, when brigador sir was explaining this concept I thought it was superficial and won’t really happen, but at the end of the yatra I was surprised to see that I subconsciously followed the 4 guru principle; A dog followed us for almost 14 Km, it should us how to have perseverance till the end, that was nature’s knowledge given to us. The old people from different villages shared their wisdom with us and showed us how to live without regrets, this was my learning from the villagers. All the yatris came from different lifestyles and backgrounds, yet we all had unity among us. This yatra had many first time experiences for me and my co-yatris helped me go through some of them, such as taking a bath from a hand pump. Being adaptable and patient is what I learnt from my co-yatris. At the end of each day I was able to reflect upon my understanding about myself to review my strengths and weaknesses. I learned how to evaluate myself and this is what I learnt from my 4th guru. I will be applying the 4 gurus principle in my everyday life, the 1st guru- The nature around me. The 2nd guru- the housekeeping staff, the chefs at the school and various others who help us go through the day. The 3rd guru- My friends and teachers. Finally, the 4th guru- myself. I’ll never stop learning through these 4 gurus.

I would like to thank Anji Reddy garu for his multi-dimensional knowledge and various advices for me that I will never forget. And for constantly encouraging me to give my best. Finally, I would like to thank brigador sir who has given me a new perspective to view the world from and an opportunity to practically see the world from this new perspective.

-Rudra Aryan Potluri

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