Among the vast sea of Facebook posts one day, we chanced upon this amazing human, thanks to the Logical Indian. What followed was the “perfect one-time phenomenon of life” as Tarun himself puts it.A little curiosity and shamelessness on our part, led us to having an amazing conversation with this kind random stranger who likes to carry the “You’re Perfect” signboard on the streets!
Curious, right? Without much ado, let us fill you in with how our (profound and ADORABLE!) conversation transpired!
Why 'You're Perfect'?</strong>
</li>Because each one, is a living one-time phenomenon happening privately - without any precedence whatsoever. It has never happened before, isn't happening anywhere else, and won't ever happen again. So unprecedented, that all comparisons, scales and labels fall short of that explosive uniqueness. Perfect, because there is nothing to compare it with.
Comparison needs a standard. Where is the standard? (except as dead words). Cannot find any living standard to compare with because each one is so private and unique.
Further, at the level of physical reality - it has to be perfect because right now at this moment, nothing else is happening apart from what is happening. This is it!
You're perfect, and this is perfect. Just by the fact that this alone is really happening!
What are the personal transformations you went through, which finally led you to start this beautiful initiative? How did those transformations come through?</strong>
</li>I stumbled upon a bunch of 'spiritual' books very early in life, and that had an impression on me so much that I spent most of the teen years looking for some sort of final 'truth'. The seeking lead me to agonizing searches with different methods and ashrams.
Maybe out of exhaustion, or luck, the search dropped. What remained was an obvious insight, that there is no where to go but here. It was like a relief, but with a lot of energy. I wanted to share that insight with people around, and thus the initiative.
We at LeanOnTree also believe that there is receiving in giving. As you gallantly gave these beautiful experiences to random strangers, did you receive something in return as well?</strong>
</li>That's a fuzzy question!
There is no giving I do - whatsoever! What can I give to perfect beings? (Unless if I don't believe what I've written on the signboard)
Just sitting there and watching in awe!
Tell us about your most memorable experience while you held out the message?</strong>
</li>The very first day I held it, something profoundly beautiful happened. A lady came up to me in tears, held my knee and said “I really need this”.
But, there have been hundreds of such memorable experiences!
I had a little girl make chocolate for me because i made her dad smile each evening while he returned from work!
A woman once told me that her daughter ran way to do something bad to herself until she saw the sign and returned home.
I failed actor told me the sign gave him strength to go back and start afresh in Mumbai.
A guy came to me in tears saying he cannot find himself worthy of being confident enough to hit on girls.
A British gentleman outside the Osho ashram broke down saying he is tired of spiritual seeking since 17 years and not finding anything in the end.
There is massive shaming happening, online and offline. Phrases like 'Fat is Ugly', 'So Gay', 'Slut', 'Bitch', etc, haunt people in their sleep. What would you say to someone who might be a victim of the same?</strong>
</li>I am not trained to advise on this, and anything I say would be too generic to help. Usually, when I am holding the sign and someone comes to me with an issue like this, we end up talking for hours and exploring ways - until their ache dissolves.
But, here is the general idea:
There is a very private space that we all have, untouched by public perception. It was there as a kid, when we'd just play alone with the sand and our imagination. Eventually our idea of worth begins to shift outside (partly because of the way the system is set up - it needs us to keep buying so we feel full). But with a little effort, I guess we can go back to the space where we understand that all these social notions of standard and no standard is just made up!
Here are a few dialogues I recently wrote for LeanOnTreeBlog that resonate with this.
Also, what would you say to victimizer and bullies?</strong>
</li>I don't know. Such things are to be reacted to case by case!
Once, while I was holding the sign outside a college in Pune, a bunch of guys broke my sign and threatened me to never come back to that area because they sit there and trouble the girls that came out of the college, and I was taking away the attention.
We started chatting henceforth, and he broke down saying how he felt ugly and undeserving of female attention - and the only way for him was to use force.
I don't want to disclose what happened eventually, but things changed into being calmer and more civilized - so I am a genuine believer in the power of a loving conversation.
Never know what's making someone go this way or that, unless you really engage.
So, are you planning on coming to Delhi anytime soon? We and our readers would love to meet you in person!</strong>
</li>I am in Finland now! For the next two years, I am going to study philosophy, and more importantly - tour the continent with the signboard :D
But after I am back, will tour few Indian cities with the sign - would love to see you then!
Any message for people who want to believe they're perfect, but somehow are just unable to?</strong>
</li>Go to the mirror. Look at that face closely, all the intricate details and the stories and secret desires and the hair curls.
Now, find that same person anywhere in the world - throughout the past and present. Can you?
SINGLE, ONE-TIME PHENOMENON.
All adjectives and comparative. Beautiful is in contrast to ugly and vice versa.
But how would one compare something that has no replica or precedence? :)
</ul> </div>Sometimes we wonder, how easy would life be if we would've had someone would've had such faith in our existence. But that person never came into our life for a reason. Because we ourselves had be that person for us and others.