An Ancient Story of"Groundhog Day"
“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” Pema Chodron
During the course of my yoga teacher training, I was asked to choose an asana (pose) and research the Sanskrit name and the story behind it. While difficult to choose from so many amazing stories, I chose one called Bharadvajasana I. This asana is a basic twist which stretches the spine, shoulders, and hips; massages your abdominal organs; opens the chest; and relieves some types of lower backache and neck pain. A simple twist but a power house of benefits. I was drawn to this one after I read Bharadvaja’s story.
Bharadvaja was a scholar who studied ancient Hindu texts and hymns (known as the Vedas). He spent his life learning and pondering them until his death. Bharadvaja was reborn two more times and continued his reading, writing, and memorizing, dedicated to the study of these texts each time. By the third rebirth, he had become a recluse who devoted all his time to learning. He was beginning to wonder how he could stop this cycle and grow in new ways.
The story goes that near the end of his third life, Shiva, one of the most important of the Hindu gods, paid him a visit. Shiva scooped up a pile of dirt and placed it in front of Bharadvaja and said “this handful of dirt represents what you learned in one lifetime”. Another handful of dirt was scooped up by Shiva and placed with the first, saying “this is what you learned during the second lifetime”. Shiva reached out a third time and placed the pile of dirt in front of him, saying “this third mound of dirt illustrates the knowledge you accumulated during this lifetime.”
While Bharadvaja had attained more knowledge than anyone else, he had kept it all to himself not sharing the knowledge. Shiva reprimanded Bharadvaja saying that it would take thousands of lifetimes to master all that is contained in the texts. “It is through teaching and sharing that you’ll awaken to life and overcome death” was the message from Shiva.
Oh yes, he did come back a 4th time. (Sounds like Groundhog Day, right?) During this 4th lifetime, Bharadvaja again studied the same sacred text but also became a compassionate educator, sharing wisdom with many students. On his deathbed Shiva came to tell him he’d learned the lesson and that he could choose to be freed from the rebirth cycle. Bharadvaja recognized that sharing and teaching had helped him feel most alive and chose to be reborn again. He became known as one of the greatest sages of time.
I wonder how many of us have had the same lesson reappear in our lives? I have begun to recognize some of them as they happen to me. Maybe the message of Bharadvaja’s story is that we all have things to teach or share and may find that those things are what gives us joy and fulfillment. Many times fear stops us from sharing or teaching. The negative voice we all have in our head reminds us that we don’t know as much as others. “Comparison is the thief of joy”.
When our lives become our message and we share the lessons we’ve learned with others, we find happiness and may inspire others to seek their own joy and to live their own life’s purpose. Bharadvaja teaches us this important lesson. This simple twist, Bharadvajasana I, reminds me of his story and the lesson.