Can a bicycle enunciate the profundity of the cycle of life? Perhaps, it can. And if you wonder how, you must meet this 22-year-old, Vishal Tekade from Nagpur, Maharastra.
Vishal is out on a bicycle voyage covering 28 states, nine union territories, and four corners of India. ‘In Search of Life’, he has rightly christened his quest. As his name means enormous in Sanskrit, Vishal is in pursuit of a larger-than-life goal.
After cycling through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Telangana, this BBA graduate had reached Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on the 501st day. This is when he interacted with Life Beyond Numbers and shared his journey so far.
Recollecting his childhood days, Vishal shared spending his growing up phase in a hostile atmosphere. Slowly a sense of inner void crept into him. There was a time when he hit rock bottom and suffered from insomnia, inattentiveness, and a state of absentia. Noticing such symptoms, he discerned, it is depression. However, he didn’t share it with his family. He wanted to take professional help. But, his family’s financial status didn’t permit him to do so.
“I started to realize that the happiness around me is more materialistic in nature, and it felt vague. Meditation appeared as a medium to answer many questions and introspect what is percolating within me. One can’t erase buried memories but can harmonize by honoring and accepting them. I won’t say my depression has left me completely. It is still there, but in another form, i.e., inspiration.”
He sought help in books and came across the teachings of Rajneesh, who is known as Acharya Rajneesh, and Osho. His books, sermons, and videos nudged Vishal to observe life from a different perspective.
“I must mention that Osho never asked us to be a follower or believer of him. His message is loud and clear, i.e., God is within all of us. Another book which has brought an internal shift in me is Alchemist.“
On 13th June 2020, when the whole world was battling the pandemic, he embarked on a unique voyage from Nagpur on a bicycle. He carried the bare minimum and a meager amount of Rs.10,000 as his fund.
“Ever since my childhood, till the year 2020, my mind, like any other youngster, was conditioned with the beliefs of my parents, family members, teachers and society. I had accepted their laid down ways of talking, behaving, thinking, living my life and so on. In 2019, while I wrote a book, ‘Reborn Within’, numerous questions emerged, such as ‘who am I’? Why I am here? Whose life I am leading? If what we are customarily taught and told are meant to assure happiness, then why there are so many cases of suicide? I found it as if darkness was cloaking us and reflected on where the light was? As a divine sent messenger, a friend suggested, why not explore life on a bicycle? It rang a bell.“
Vishal hails from a family with a conservative mindset. However, he is an exception. The rest of them are with the usual societal conditioning, never questioning the purpose of life or deeper realms.
“I lied to them when I left home, and without divulging much, I mentioned a bicycle voyage covering only Maharashtra.“
But when he reached Karnataka, he caught the attention of a few local media, and his family was taken aback to know his whereabouts. Initially, they were anxious but were overwhelmed to watch how strangers were helping Vishal.
Also, read: The Guy Who Discovered Himself After A Backpack Solo Trip Across India
Till now, he has covered most of the southern regions of the country. Languages spoken in these parts have no similarities with Marathi. However, Vishal never felt it as a barrier to communicating with anyone.
“In Alchemist, it is mentioned there is a language above spoken words, and it is the language of love. I have received help from absolute strangers even in an alien linguistic setup.“
Alone, on a bicycle, has he never felt threatened? He admits to having fear before starting his quest. But he decided he would return only when he received the answer and purpose of life, and that commitment has dissolved all sorts of fear.
“Our fears are primarily with losing our materialistic possessions and the mortal body. The day I realized nothing belongs to me, not even this body, my fear vanished.“
His networking from one place to the next has been growing organically. Often, he gets referrals during his stay in an area or meets people spontaneously. When Vishal doesn’t have a place to rest for the day, he goes to bus stops, railway stations, temples, mosques, or gurudwaras. At times, he picks up odd jobs in lieu of food or accommodation. He never decides his next destination but follows what people, whom he meets, suggest and takes that route.
Sharing his first enlightenment, Vishal says:
“On the 37th day, I was in the Konkan region in Maharashtra. I had no money, and people denied a stay because Covid was at its peak. The only option was the graveyard to spend the whole night. As I was sleeping, it started pouring at 2.00 am. With no food, no shed to protect me from the rain taught ‘how being nothing is everything‘.”
Also, read: 22 Countries In 36 Months! This Desi Woman Traveled Solo Almost Penniless, Relying Only On Humanity
He was homesick in the initial days, but he came across many people, including a few who earn merely Rs.200 per day but hosted him as he continued his ride. Wherever he goes, he finds a new family.
“Strangely, my parents have accepted my quest for life. They ask me about everything, except one question- when am I coming back? Along with my inward journey, I guess they are gaining their wisdom. And accepting life as it is unfolding for me, both in its volatility and perplexing nature simultaneously.“
Has he got the answers?
“I wanted to know the existential phenomenon of life. When I moved away or shed my ego, I got closer to my existential truth. Even when I say I am in search of life, then ‘life’ isn’t an object, but self-realization.“
How he let go of his ego has a fascinating transition.
During one of his pitstop, he met a young man who adopted 170 children. From him, Vishal learned how ‘Self’ can not be perceived when one has ego or Ahaṅkāra. The 22-year-old donated all his money to that orphanage. Left with no funds, Vishal had to beg for food to feed himself. And he understood how egoist he had been. Hunger crumbled his pride. The kind of discrimination he had formed since his childhood got dissolved.
“I am not a traveler but a seeker. I am not seeking name, fame and money; neither have I given a destination or end date to this pursuit. It might take a year or my lifetime.“
Vishal’s quest is on. However, he wishes to write a book documenting his experiences. Though he doesn’t have any definite goal at the moment, he strives to work extensively and serve people with HIV, transgender, special children in broader schemes of life.
Vishal bids adieu by saying:
“One can’t merely comprehend the vastness of life by following the preaching of others. It is a solo and inward journey, unique to every living being. I have learned how to live and perceive life without filters.”