Thursday, June 24, 2010
I would like to define sensitivity as the ability to perceive the subtle undercurrents that accompany an act of expression- verbal or non-verbal. There are some people who are naturally attuned to receive such signals emanating from the communicator as usually go unnoticed by many others. When such people share their perceptions with others, they are usually regarded as nitpickers or those having over-imaginative mind. The question that arises is whether the extra-sensitivity of such people a gift or a curse?
The answer perhaps lies in how one uses one’s special endowments from God. Like every other talent, this particular talent could be used both creatively as well as destructively.
Gautam Buddha, by virtue of his extreme sensitivity towards misery brought about by disease, old age and death, tried to search for the reasons why suffering existed in human life, and through deep meditation attained enlightenment about the cycle of cause and effect that entraps all living beings. He then preached non-violence and compassion as the only way of life that can rid us of the eternal cycle of life and death.
Sensitivity can be a curse for those who remain entangled in the emotional web created around them by their perceptions. It can be a gift only for those who learn to rise above their troubled emotions and discover an immense potential for creativity hidden behind the smokescreen of personal grief.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Aloneness vs Loneliness
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
I met the mother of one of my son’s friends at the skating class, and exchanged introduction and some pleasantries with her. During the next class, I settled quietly at a faraway secluded bench with my study material in printed and MP3 form, and remained engrossed in it till the final whistle blew, and both my kids came rolling towards me to wake me up from my academic reverie. I noticed my son’s friend with his mother sitting on a bench at some distance. I tried to catch the mother’s eye, but she quickly wound up and left with her son. In the next class after that, I scheduled to make some important phone calls from my cell phone, and was walking and talking into my phone when I once again saw the mother walking in my direction. I was ready to acknowledge her with a smile, and kept my eyes fixed on her while talking on my phone. She, however, walked right past me with her eyes turned away from me. I thought that maybe she hadn’t recognized me, and went on with my task at hand. Once again, our paths crossed while we were both taking evening walk around our society park. I was busy returning calls to the numbers that I had missed during the day, and saw her coming from the opposite direction. I steadied my gaze towards her, and noticed that she quickly brought her cell phone to her ear as she approached near me. I didn’t miss my chance this time, and said ‘hello’ to her. She replied feebly while hurrying past me. I understood the whole situation, and broke into a smile. She, like many others, had misunderstood my liking for ‘aloneness’ as my attitude problem!
I’ve never felt lonely to the extent of trying to beat it with some gossip and aimless talk. I, however, immensely enjoy meaningful conversation with grownups as well as children. I love listening to the various things that people have to say about themselves and their experiences, and at times, like talking myself when in the company of genuinely interested people. I love to be alone with my work, thoughts and feelings unless and until I am lucky enough to be with someone whose company inspires me to blossom into my best colors and mood.
I feel that the basic difference between ‘loneliness’ and ‘aloneness’ is that ‘loneliness’ happens when one doesn’t enjoy being with the self, and tries to avoid it by seeking the company of others; whereas, ‘aloneness’ happens when one is in absolute harmony and love with the self, and appreciates interaction with those who are at peace with themselves, and whose company brings the best out of each of them.
I met the mother of one of my son’s friends at the skating class, and exchanged introduction and some pleasantries with her. During the next class, I settled quietly at a faraway secluded bench with my study material in printed and MP3 form, and remained engrossed in it till the final whistle blew, and both my kids came rolling towards me to wake me up from my academic reverie. I noticed my son’s friend with his mother sitting on a bench at some distance. I tried to catch the mother’s eye, but she quickly wound up and left with her son. In the next class after that, I scheduled to make some important phone calls from my cell phone, and was walking and talking into my phone when I once again saw the mother walking in my direction. I was ready to acknowledge her with a smile, and kept my eyes fixed on her while talking on my phone. She, however, walked right past me with her eyes turned away from me. I thought that maybe she hadn’t recognized me, and went on with my task at hand. Once again, our paths crossed while we were both taking evening walk around our society park. I was busy returning calls to the numbers that I had missed during the day, and saw her coming from the opposite direction. I steadied my gaze towards her, and noticed that she quickly brought her cell phone to her ear as she approached near me. I didn’t miss my chance this time, and said ‘hello’ to her. She replied feebly while hurrying past me. I understood the whole situation, and broke into a smile. She, like many others, had misunderstood my liking for ‘aloneness’ as my attitude problem!
I’ve never felt lonely to the extent of trying to beat it with some gossip and aimless talk. I, however, immensely enjoy meaningful conversation with grownups as well as children. I love listening to the various things that people have to say about themselves and their experiences, and at times, like talking myself when in the company of genuinely interested people. I love to be alone with my work, thoughts and feelings unless and until I am lucky enough to be with someone whose company inspires me to blossom into my best colors and mood.
I feel that the basic difference between ‘loneliness’ and ‘aloneness’ is that ‘loneliness’ happens when one doesn’t enjoy being with the self, and tries to avoid it by seeking the company of others; whereas, ‘aloneness’ happens when one is in absolute harmony and love with the self, and appreciates interaction with those who are at peace with themselves, and whose company brings the best out of each of them.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sons and 'Sanskaars'
Thursday, June 17, 2010
We watched the movie ‘Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?’ last week-end. The movie, though a comedy, provoked serious thoughts rather than laughter in me.
The storyline had an unexpected and uninvited guest, an elderly man, introducing himself as the ‘Chachaji’ (paternal uncle) to a young couple. The couple and their school going son loved their guest for a few days, but then started finding his eccentricities a big nuisance in their personal and professional life. ‘Chachaji’, however, ignored their inconvenience, and continued to stretch his stay with them. The lady of the house asked in frustration, “The deities like Ganpatiji and Durga Mataji come every year as guests in people’s houses, people celebrate their stay at their house, and after a few days bid them adieu requesting them to visit again the next year. Why doesn’t our guest understand the basics of guest-host relationship and goes back to his house to come again the next year?” ‘Chachaji’ overhears them, and finally decides to go.
As ‘Chachaji’ prepares to leave, the man of the house blames himself for his lack of patience and dearth of ‘Sanskaars’ for not being able to accommodate a father-figure in their household. He comments, “Parents look after their children and make them stand on their feet, but children find it a burden to take care of their parents in their old age.”
The thoughts that the movie inspired are as follows:
Parents bring about their children in the world through their conscious choice. Rearing and loving one’s progeny is the most basic instinct in not only humans but also lesser animals. But when the human child grows up, his love and respect for his old parents is determined mostly by the inputs that he got from his parents. Child is the most accurate reflection of the success as well as the failure of the parents. If a child fails to feel respect or sense of duty for his parents, the responsibility for it lies with the parents only.
In a fast changing world where the demands on people’s time and energy have increased manifold, it is imperative that the parents remain sensitive towards the pressures that their grown up children face in their personal and professional life, and instead of demanding respect for their old age, try to earn it for their wisdom and experience.
Modern society has started treating a daughter at par with a son. A girl, who enjoyed the same rights as her brother while growing up, feels equally dutiful towards her parents. In that scenario, for a married couple, the definition of ‘parents’ should include not only the boy’s parents but also the girl’s parents.
We watched the movie ‘Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?’ last week-end. The movie, though a comedy, provoked serious thoughts rather than laughter in me.
The storyline had an unexpected and uninvited guest, an elderly man, introducing himself as the ‘Chachaji’ (paternal uncle) to a young couple. The couple and their school going son loved their guest for a few days, but then started finding his eccentricities a big nuisance in their personal and professional life. ‘Chachaji’, however, ignored their inconvenience, and continued to stretch his stay with them. The lady of the house asked in frustration, “The deities like Ganpatiji and Durga Mataji come every year as guests in people’s houses, people celebrate their stay at their house, and after a few days bid them adieu requesting them to visit again the next year. Why doesn’t our guest understand the basics of guest-host relationship and goes back to his house to come again the next year?” ‘Chachaji’ overhears them, and finally decides to go.
As ‘Chachaji’ prepares to leave, the man of the house blames himself for his lack of patience and dearth of ‘Sanskaars’ for not being able to accommodate a father-figure in their household. He comments, “Parents look after their children and make them stand on their feet, but children find it a burden to take care of their parents in their old age.”
The thoughts that the movie inspired are as follows:
Parents bring about their children in the world through their conscious choice. Rearing and loving one’s progeny is the most basic instinct in not only humans but also lesser animals. But when the human child grows up, his love and respect for his old parents is determined mostly by the inputs that he got from his parents. Child is the most accurate reflection of the success as well as the failure of the parents. If a child fails to feel respect or sense of duty for his parents, the responsibility for it lies with the parents only.
In a fast changing world where the demands on people’s time and energy have increased manifold, it is imperative that the parents remain sensitive towards the pressures that their grown up children face in their personal and professional life, and instead of demanding respect for their old age, try to earn it for their wisdom and experience.
Modern society has started treating a daughter at par with a son. A girl, who enjoyed the same rights as her brother while growing up, feels equally dutiful towards her parents. In that scenario, for a married couple, the definition of ‘parents’ should include not only the boy’s parents but also the girl’s parents.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The River and the Ocean
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Ek nadi se maine poocha, ithla ke chaldi kahan…
Sagar se milne ka uska jo sapna tha meri hi tarha piya
Our poets and philosophers have equated the relationship between a woman and a man with the relationship between a river and an ocean. We all know how rivers originate from icy glaciers, come frolicking down the mountains, dig deep into the plains while rushing incessantly towards its final destination…the ocean! The ocean thrives on the fresh water added to it by the river , and in turn, offers its water to the clouds that go back to divest their bounty over the glaciers. The entire creation depends on the love affair between the River and the Ocean!
I am forever on the lookout for the human counterparts of the Ocean and the River, and I did actually spot one such couple!
My husband was super-excited after talking with him for the first time. He said about him, “This man is a mine of ideas. He simply stormed my brain with myriad business schemes in just half an hour of telephonic conversation!”We visited his home, and saw a bundle of energy in him. Our daughter instantly got glued to his various tricks, and found a worthy playmate in him. His wife, in the later stages of pregnancy at that time, glowed with happiness and contentment. She was a curious mix of friendliness and reticence.
The next time I visited her after she had delivered her second son. She was looked after and fussed over by many family members. It was a big happy family spectacle. The most beautiful thing about this family was that they all had fond memories to share about each other, and all seemed eager to help in whatever way they could. She was full of praise for her mother-in-law for caring about her younger brother staying with her for his studies. It looked as if the entire existence in that household was soaked in the sunshine of love and care.
I could witness a full-fledged household thriving on the fruits of the love affair between him and her. His oceanic nature provided nourishment to everyone who came in contact with him, and he, in turn, got flourished by the sweet attentions that his wife showered upon him.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Law of Interdependence
Friday, June 11, 2010
The other day I was having a conversation with my hubby on the subject of creative people. Both of us agreed that being creative is the best way to be, and creativity has the power to not only add something new to the collective consciousness of people, but also reward the creator with pure joy and deep satisfaction. The twist to our conversation came when he questioned the role of those at the receiving end of the creative process - people who sit listening to the great singers; people who watch the great movies; people who admire the great works of art; people who watch the extreme talents unfold in the field of Sports; people who lap up every single word written by great authors… he asked if the quality of happiness derived by those who enjoy the fruits of others’ creativity was inferior to that relished by the creative people!
The answer probably lies in the understanding of the Law of Interdependence working everywhere in God’s creation.
The lowliest of lowly and the mightiest of mighty are useful in some way or the other. No single creature in this world can survive by either being entirely dependent, or being entirely independent. There is always a give and take of energy between two living things. Singing survives only when listening happens; Works of Art carry value only when admirers exist…there has to be a receptor for every transmitter!
If I cook and serve a great meal to a singer who just made my soul dance in ecstasy by his beautiful singing, I am being as creative an artist as that singer. I feel that each one of us can be creative by virtue of how we do a particular thing rather than what we do.
The other day I was having a conversation with my hubby on the subject of creative people. Both of us agreed that being creative is the best way to be, and creativity has the power to not only add something new to the collective consciousness of people, but also reward the creator with pure joy and deep satisfaction. The twist to our conversation came when he questioned the role of those at the receiving end of the creative process - people who sit listening to the great singers; people who watch the great movies; people who admire the great works of art; people who watch the extreme talents unfold in the field of Sports; people who lap up every single word written by great authors… he asked if the quality of happiness derived by those who enjoy the fruits of others’ creativity was inferior to that relished by the creative people!
The answer probably lies in the understanding of the Law of Interdependence working everywhere in God’s creation.
The lowliest of lowly and the mightiest of mighty are useful in some way or the other. No single creature in this world can survive by either being entirely dependent, or being entirely independent. There is always a give and take of energy between two living things. Singing survives only when listening happens; Works of Art carry value only when admirers exist…there has to be a receptor for every transmitter!
If I cook and serve a great meal to a singer who just made my soul dance in ecstasy by his beautiful singing, I am being as creative an artist as that singer. I feel that each one of us can be creative by virtue of how we do a particular thing rather than what we do.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Salman Khan - The Enigma
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Nothing ever could make me hate Salman. His indifferent performances in a string of look-alike movies; his mechanical showing-off of his body; his seemingly mindless squabbles with his fellow actors; his violently possessive nature; even his tragic involvement in a car accident – the weight of his negatives sure numbed my mind towards him, but still, I couldn’t bring myself to dislike him.
I had cried inconsolably with him in the movie Hum dil de chuke sanam, and knew from that moment that I was very similar to him. His conversation with his father’s spirit in the last scene of the movie broke open the floodgates of my lonely eyes, and I have since learnt the therapeutic use of crying out one’s deep-set hurts and loneliness.
I recently watched Veer, the brainchild of Salman, and could clearly understand the real person that he is behind the entrapping of super-stardom.
The following dialogues reflect the values that have shaped the consciousness of the man whose way of life and actions make him an enigma –
Princess Yashodhara asks Veer, “If you had to choose between your father and me, whom would you choose?”
Veer thinks for a moment and says, “I would choose the truth. My loyalty would be for the one who is truthful.”
Yashodhara then asks, “Everyone supports a just and truthful father, but when the father is wrong, should one support him or abandon him?”
Veer replies, “When the father is wrong, he should neither be supported nor abandoned. He should be helped to discover what is right.”
Salman, just like Veer, is a man who lives by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty (Satyam Shivam Sundaram). His values and his love for his family make him a very endearing human who is not a perfect person, but whose path to perfection is guided by the right virtues. May God bless him!
Nothing ever could make me hate Salman. His indifferent performances in a string of look-alike movies; his mechanical showing-off of his body; his seemingly mindless squabbles with his fellow actors; his violently possessive nature; even his tragic involvement in a car accident – the weight of his negatives sure numbed my mind towards him, but still, I couldn’t bring myself to dislike him.
I had cried inconsolably with him in the movie Hum dil de chuke sanam, and knew from that moment that I was very similar to him. His conversation with his father’s spirit in the last scene of the movie broke open the floodgates of my lonely eyes, and I have since learnt the therapeutic use of crying out one’s deep-set hurts and loneliness.
I recently watched Veer, the brainchild of Salman, and could clearly understand the real person that he is behind the entrapping of super-stardom.
The following dialogues reflect the values that have shaped the consciousness of the man whose way of life and actions make him an enigma –
Princess Yashodhara asks Veer, “If you had to choose between your father and me, whom would you choose?”
Veer thinks for a moment and says, “I would choose the truth. My loyalty would be for the one who is truthful.”
Yashodhara then asks, “Everyone supports a just and truthful father, but when the father is wrong, should one support him or abandon him?”
Veer replies, “When the father is wrong, he should neither be supported nor abandoned. He should be helped to discover what is right.”
Salman, just like Veer, is a man who lives by Truth, Goodness, and Beauty (Satyam Shivam Sundaram). His values and his love for his family make him a very endearing human who is not a perfect person, but whose path to perfection is guided by the right virtues. May God bless him!
Monday, May 10, 2010
In-Laws blues
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Today I had to be all ears to the woeful tales of one Mother-in-law and one Daughter-in-law; one tale-telling taking place during the pre-lunch hours and the other during the post-lunch hours.
Not long ago, it used to be difficult for me to listen to one party while maintaining a state of non-judgment and non-involvement. With studied objectivity in the matters of a highly volatile and combustible relationship between a daughter-in-law and a mother-in-law, I have tried to understand the problems that generally infest this relationship, and dare to offer some solutions.
During a meeting once, someone mistakenly addressed Kasturba Gandhi as Gandhi ji’s mother. On realizing his mistake, he apologized to Gandhiji, who in turn said that Kasturba was then more like a mother to him than a wife. In old times, the saints used to bless the newlywed woman by saying that- I pray that you become the mother of ten sons, and then have your husband as your eleventh son. The meaning underlying this seemingly absurd statement was that the woman was blessed to have such deep bonding with her husband as grew stronger in love and weaker in lust with each passing year of their togetherness.
We can understand a mother’s insecurity over losing her son to another woman who becomes his lover, friend, wife, sister, and mother all at once. Another problem is about the shift of power over the household from the older woman to the younger woman. The generation gap, difference in cultures and level of education also add to the odds between the two women.
Having known the fundamental problems that this relationship comes with, it can be suggested that the younger woman, equipped with better education, financial freedom, and her man’s attentions tilted towards her, should try to be sensitive towards her mother-in-law and share with her happiness, laughter and good wishes to the best of her ability. The daughter-in-law of today would be the mother-in-law of tomorrow, and her good work today is sure to reap good return tomorrow. After all, that which goes out comes back!
Today I had to be all ears to the woeful tales of one Mother-in-law and one Daughter-in-law; one tale-telling taking place during the pre-lunch hours and the other during the post-lunch hours.
Not long ago, it used to be difficult for me to listen to one party while maintaining a state of non-judgment and non-involvement. With studied objectivity in the matters of a highly volatile and combustible relationship between a daughter-in-law and a mother-in-law, I have tried to understand the problems that generally infest this relationship, and dare to offer some solutions.
During a meeting once, someone mistakenly addressed Kasturba Gandhi as Gandhi ji’s mother. On realizing his mistake, he apologized to Gandhiji, who in turn said that Kasturba was then more like a mother to him than a wife. In old times, the saints used to bless the newlywed woman by saying that- I pray that you become the mother of ten sons, and then have your husband as your eleventh son. The meaning underlying this seemingly absurd statement was that the woman was blessed to have such deep bonding with her husband as grew stronger in love and weaker in lust with each passing year of their togetherness.
We can understand a mother’s insecurity over losing her son to another woman who becomes his lover, friend, wife, sister, and mother all at once. Another problem is about the shift of power over the household from the older woman to the younger woman. The generation gap, difference in cultures and level of education also add to the odds between the two women.
Having known the fundamental problems that this relationship comes with, it can be suggested that the younger woman, equipped with better education, financial freedom, and her man’s attentions tilted towards her, should try to be sensitive towards her mother-in-law and share with her happiness, laughter and good wishes to the best of her ability. The daughter-in-law of today would be the mother-in-law of tomorrow, and her good work today is sure to reap good return tomorrow. After all, that which goes out comes back!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Child is Father of the Man...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
William Wordsworth’s poem ‘The Rainbow’ goes as follows:
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began,
So is it now I am a man,
So be it when I shall grow old
Or let me die!
The child is father of the man:
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety
In her it seemed as if I was meeting my 18 year old self, though a wee bit smarter, more articulate, better informed, and more sorted than I was at that age. Having figured her out after my one-hour session with her, I found myself full of nostalgia about my magical adolescence and remembered it with tearful eyes and a choking heart.
I was a promising young girl who just needed a little guidance and a strong belief in her abilities. A few wrong choices at that time, and I was delayed by next 18 years to take the correct route to fulfill my destiny.
She, however, has in her what it takes to attain greatness in her chosen field, and I feel happy to provide her that little guidance and the strong belief in her abilities to help her fulfill her destiny without falling for degenerative detours.
Though the child is father of the man, it still needs tending and love to manifest the desired results.
The Two Rivers
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
She recognized a force in me when I scored good marks in my first monthly tests in class XI and called me a ‘Chupa Rustam’. My insensitive teasing of a class-mate for her song ‘tera mera pyaar amar, phir kyon mujhko lagta hai dar’ irritated her, and she chided me for it. My immaturity took offence and I stopped talking with her. Her maturity, in turn, made her break the ice between us and apologize to me. Our relationship emerged stronger after weathering that minor storm.
Her observant eyes and alert ears were the first to detect the nuances of adolescent attraction that a class-mate had started feeling towards me. She warned me about it; and interestingly, a couple of years later, she was the happiest person to whom I first broke the news of my emotional attachment to the same person. I, in turn, enjoyed listening to her accounts of some of the ‘dreamers’ in her vicinity.
We both went our ways – she married and went to the USA, and I found my job and my husband in Mumbai. Life moved on, but she very much remained a part of my psyche. I continued to meet her and have long winding conversations with her in my dreams. I went to the USA with my husband and googled her name there. She, then a young and dynamic doctor from the top medical school in the USA, was easily found. Real-life conversations started between us on phone again. We talked mostly about our husbands, kids and careers; and then, I returned to India with my family.
After about a year of silence between us, she once again called me on phone. Our conversation this time touched upon our spiritual lives. She had read some of my blogs on my website, and was happy to know that I had finally discovered my true calling. She shared with me her deep spiritual explorations, and I was thrilled to hear from her the very same thoughts and feelings that comprised my understanding of life.
The two of us have been on the move ever since we got to know each other. We started out as the feisty brooks touching upon the fantastical shores of adolescent romance; lost much of our bounce, but gained depth in the responsible adulthood of a wife, a mother, and a professional; and have started sorting our souls for meeting the eternal ocean in the state of complete preparedness and absolute bliss.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Show Business
Friday, April 16, 2010
Not many years ago among the Indian middle-class, Show-business was looked upon as a dangerous world for young girls. The girls working in the movies or as models, either came from illustrious families having a background in the film industry, or were the ones who worked their way up using any and every kind of means at the disposal of a blindly ambitious girl. Parents felt threatened at the sight of their young daughters trying to imitate the mannerisms of film heroines.
Not any more though…for the way the number of Beauty Pageants has increased exponentially is an evidence of the change in general perception about the world of Glitz and Glamour. Every second day, the front page of the newspapers carry the pictures of dozens of skimpily clad girls from some beauty pageant posing with some film-maker on the lookout for a’ fresh face’ for his new movie, charitably declaring that these pageants are like ‘finishing schools’ for the budding actresses and models.
If ‘Body’ has become an asset, and ‘Show Business’ has become a regular business, than the ethics and values determining the moral health of any regular business would be applicable to the show biz as well. It depends on the newcomers in this particular industry to purge the industry’s image of being ‘a cannibal world’ where ‘dog eats dog’ is the norm. To do so, they have to conduct themselves as thorough professionals who are out there to create value, or else, they would continue to be regarded as cheap ‘commodities’ by the male chauvinists who enjoy all the vulgar delights before their eyes and then sneer at the contemptible depths to which the modern woman can degrade herself to.
Not many years ago among the Indian middle-class, Show-business was looked upon as a dangerous world for young girls. The girls working in the movies or as models, either came from illustrious families having a background in the film industry, or were the ones who worked their way up using any and every kind of means at the disposal of a blindly ambitious girl. Parents felt threatened at the sight of their young daughters trying to imitate the mannerisms of film heroines.
Not any more though…for the way the number of Beauty Pageants has increased exponentially is an evidence of the change in general perception about the world of Glitz and Glamour. Every second day, the front page of the newspapers carry the pictures of dozens of skimpily clad girls from some beauty pageant posing with some film-maker on the lookout for a’ fresh face’ for his new movie, charitably declaring that these pageants are like ‘finishing schools’ for the budding actresses and models.
If ‘Body’ has become an asset, and ‘Show Business’ has become a regular business, than the ethics and values determining the moral health of any regular business would be applicable to the show biz as well. It depends on the newcomers in this particular industry to purge the industry’s image of being ‘a cannibal world’ where ‘dog eats dog’ is the norm. To do so, they have to conduct themselves as thorough professionals who are out there to create value, or else, they would continue to be regarded as cheap ‘commodities’ by the male chauvinists who enjoy all the vulgar delights before their eyes and then sneer at the contemptible depths to which the modern woman can degrade herself to.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
How to make Money?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
IPL season is on with its essential ingredients – Energy, Entertainment, and Economics.
Everyone connected with IPL seems to be rolling in Money…Big Money. But then opens the hidden door letting out the stench of Bad Money. The question that arises is whether all ‘Big Money’ in today’s world is in some secret way ‘Bad Money’?
How then will I ever fulfill my dream of becoming seriously rich while living by the values of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty (Satyam Shivam Sundaram)?
The answer comes from the Spiritual Guru, Deepak Chopra in his book ‘The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success’.
His prescription for success – in terms of material abundance, good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind in life, is as follows:
1. Practice meditation twice a day, commune with Nature, and practice non-judgment.
2. Give the gifts of a compliment, a flower, or a prayer; receive all the gifts gratefully; keep wealth circulating by giving and receiving the gifts of caring, affection, appreciation, and love.
3. Witness the choices you make; when making a choice, ask yourself two questions: “What are the consequences of this choice that I’m making?” and “Will this choice bring fulfillment and happiness to me and also to those who are affected by this choice?” Ask your heart for guidance and be guided by its message of comfort or discomfort.
4. Accept things as they are this moment, not as you wish they were; having accepted things as they are, take responsibility for your situation and for all those events you see as problems; feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept your point of view, and remain open to all points of view without being rigidly attached to any one of them.
5. Make a list of your desires, and carry it wherever you go; release this list and surrender it to the womb of creation, trusting that when things don’t seem to go your way, there is a reason, and that the cosmic plan has designs for you much grander than even those that you have conceived; remind yourself to practice present-moment awareness in all your actions.
6. Allow yourself and those around you the freedom to be as they are; factor in uncertainty as an essential ingredient of your experience; step into the field of all possibilities and anticipate the excitement that can occur when you remain open to infinity of choices.
7. Lovingly nurture the god or goddess in embryo that lies deep within your soul; make a list of your unique talents which when used in the service of humanity, you lose track of time and create abundance in your life as well as in the lives of others; ask yourself daily, “How can I serve?” and “How can I help?”, the answers to which will allow you to help and serve your fellow human beings with love.
IPL season is on with its essential ingredients – Energy, Entertainment, and Economics.
Everyone connected with IPL seems to be rolling in Money…Big Money. But then opens the hidden door letting out the stench of Bad Money. The question that arises is whether all ‘Big Money’ in today’s world is in some secret way ‘Bad Money’?
How then will I ever fulfill my dream of becoming seriously rich while living by the values of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty (Satyam Shivam Sundaram)?
The answer comes from the Spiritual Guru, Deepak Chopra in his book ‘The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success’.
His prescription for success – in terms of material abundance, good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind in life, is as follows:
1. Practice meditation twice a day, commune with Nature, and practice non-judgment.
2. Give the gifts of a compliment, a flower, or a prayer; receive all the gifts gratefully; keep wealth circulating by giving and receiving the gifts of caring, affection, appreciation, and love.
3. Witness the choices you make; when making a choice, ask yourself two questions: “What are the consequences of this choice that I’m making?” and “Will this choice bring fulfillment and happiness to me and also to those who are affected by this choice?” Ask your heart for guidance and be guided by its message of comfort or discomfort.
4. Accept things as they are this moment, not as you wish they were; having accepted things as they are, take responsibility for your situation and for all those events you see as problems; feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept your point of view, and remain open to all points of view without being rigidly attached to any one of them.
5. Make a list of your desires, and carry it wherever you go; release this list and surrender it to the womb of creation, trusting that when things don’t seem to go your way, there is a reason, and that the cosmic plan has designs for you much grander than even those that you have conceived; remind yourself to practice present-moment awareness in all your actions.
6. Allow yourself and those around you the freedom to be as they are; factor in uncertainty as an essential ingredient of your experience; step into the field of all possibilities and anticipate the excitement that can occur when you remain open to infinity of choices.
7. Lovingly nurture the god or goddess in embryo that lies deep within your soul; make a list of your unique talents which when used in the service of humanity, you lose track of time and create abundance in your life as well as in the lives of others; ask yourself daily, “How can I serve?” and “How can I help?”, the answers to which will allow you to help and serve your fellow human beings with love.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Fear Factor
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep again. My head was full of scenes from the movie ‘Vanilla Sky’, and it took me hours to think of a logical explanation for the strange happenings in the movie. The movie is about a prodigal young man who has inherited extreme riches from his late father, and he doesn’t really need to exert himself for anything in life. His only problems are his dreams which turn out to be very similar to the actual events that take place soon after in his life. The similarity between the virtual world inside his head and the real world in his wakeful hours is so striking that he soon begins to lose all sense of reality. The troubled man then turns to a Psychologist for help, but the Psychologist himself starts manipulating all the wrong connections of his patient’s mind, and therein lies the ‘Fear Factor’.
Muddle-headedness can be the biggest bane of one’s life, especially when there seems to be no reasonable explanation for it in the external world of a person. Unruly subconscious mind if left un-understood can be the single most dangerous problem. Where and to whom does one go to in such a situation?
The only answer I could think of during my uneasy few hours last night was that one has to have a clear understanding of the fact that human existence is not merely physical in nature. There is an all powerful Mind controlling the Body, and the Mind itself needs to seek counsel from the Soul. It is only at the time of Meditation that the Body, the Mind, and the Soul sit together and experience an all-enriching communion. God has put in place a self-diagnostic and self-corrective mechanism inside each human being, and to activate this mechanism, we just need to go deep inside our being by way of meditation.
Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep again. My head was full of scenes from the movie ‘Vanilla Sky’, and it took me hours to think of a logical explanation for the strange happenings in the movie. The movie is about a prodigal young man who has inherited extreme riches from his late father, and he doesn’t really need to exert himself for anything in life. His only problems are his dreams which turn out to be very similar to the actual events that take place soon after in his life. The similarity between the virtual world inside his head and the real world in his wakeful hours is so striking that he soon begins to lose all sense of reality. The troubled man then turns to a Psychologist for help, but the Psychologist himself starts manipulating all the wrong connections of his patient’s mind, and therein lies the ‘Fear Factor’.
Muddle-headedness can be the biggest bane of one’s life, especially when there seems to be no reasonable explanation for it in the external world of a person. Unruly subconscious mind if left un-understood can be the single most dangerous problem. Where and to whom does one go to in such a situation?
The only answer I could think of during my uneasy few hours last night was that one has to have a clear understanding of the fact that human existence is not merely physical in nature. There is an all powerful Mind controlling the Body, and the Mind itself needs to seek counsel from the Soul. It is only at the time of Meditation that the Body, the Mind, and the Soul sit together and experience an all-enriching communion. God has put in place a self-diagnostic and self-corrective mechanism inside each human being, and to activate this mechanism, we just need to go deep inside our being by way of meditation.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
18 Till I Die...
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
I couldn’t agree more with Bryan Adams as he sings aloud in his husky voice…
I wanna be young the rest of my life
never say no - try anything twice
til the angels come and ask me to fly
I'm gonna be 18 til I die - 18 til I die
Well, say what...I’ve found the secret to be 18 till I die. What? How? When?
- Yes, you heard it right! I’ve indeed found the secret behind staying 18 till one dies!
- By regular Pranayaams or Yogic Breathing Exercises, optimum amount of physical exercise, Satvik Bhojan ie Fresh vegetarian food, and daily practice of meditation, one can stay young and active till one finally departs for the Heavenly abode.
- The enlightenment happened the other morning when I sat in meditation after doing Pranayaams for some time.
After doing three rounds of ‘ KapaalBhati’ pranayaam, I sat with my attention focused on the Energy Chakra between my eyebrows. I could feel my face glowing with energy, my head feeling light, my mind floating in silence, my straight spine emanating warmth, and my entire body feeling weightless. I was instantly reminded of myself during my Senior Secondary School time when I felt healthy, alive and full of hope all the time. The only difference between the time when I was 18 and now, when I am the exact double of that number, is that at that age, I was happy because I hadn’t experienced real setbacks and shattered dreams, and thus, lived a life of dreams; but now, when I have already experienced failure, disappointment, deceit, and bitterness that life had in store for me, the quality of my happiness is such as can never be disturbed by anything in the world. There is no dream-like uncertainty about my joy for it has firmly found its source in the imperishable treasure of happiness that Creativity brings.
I couldn’t agree more with Bryan Adams as he sings aloud in his husky voice…
I wanna be young the rest of my life
never say no - try anything twice
til the angels come and ask me to fly
I'm gonna be 18 til I die - 18 til I die
Well, say what...I’ve found the secret to be 18 till I die. What? How? When?
- Yes, you heard it right! I’ve indeed found the secret behind staying 18 till one dies!
- By regular Pranayaams or Yogic Breathing Exercises, optimum amount of physical exercise, Satvik Bhojan ie Fresh vegetarian food, and daily practice of meditation, one can stay young and active till one finally departs for the Heavenly abode.
- The enlightenment happened the other morning when I sat in meditation after doing Pranayaams for some time.
After doing three rounds of ‘ KapaalBhati’ pranayaam, I sat with my attention focused on the Energy Chakra between my eyebrows. I could feel my face glowing with energy, my head feeling light, my mind floating in silence, my straight spine emanating warmth, and my entire body feeling weightless. I was instantly reminded of myself during my Senior Secondary School time when I felt healthy, alive and full of hope all the time. The only difference between the time when I was 18 and now, when I am the exact double of that number, is that at that age, I was happy because I hadn’t experienced real setbacks and shattered dreams, and thus, lived a life of dreams; but now, when I have already experienced failure, disappointment, deceit, and bitterness that life had in store for me, the quality of my happiness is such as can never be disturbed by anything in the world. There is no dream-like uncertainty about my joy for it has firmly found its source in the imperishable treasure of happiness that Creativity brings.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Shri Krishna – The Guru
Friday, April 09, 2010
An acquaintance of my husband once said that he uses Shri Krishna’s policy of applying Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed to get ahead of his competitors in the professional world. He is of the view that ours is a ‘dog eats dog’ world, and that there are people who are always ready to walk over you the moment you slacken your pace. He once narrated to my husband a ‘very interesting’ incident about a man who used to be his senior in his old company. He told that this man had joined his present company as his junior, but very soon fled without a trace when he made it a point to showcase before his entire team the reversal of position that the ‘poor’ man had suffered.
Shri Krishna’s policy of using ‘Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed’ while dealing with his enemies established him as the most sophisticated diplomat. However, his relationship with his friends and lovers was far from diplomatic. His sitting at the feet of his poor friend Sudama, washing away the dirt and fatigue off them with his own hands, shows the picture of a large-hearted friend for whom nothing mattered more than his dear friend. Every one of his lovers could feel his total presence with her whenever and wherever her soul thirsted for communion with him. His coming to aid of his sister Draupadi shows that his help was just a true call away from those who needed him. His preaching of Nishkaam Karma to Arjun, urging him to perform his duties sincerely without getting attached to the outcome, is the most powerful lesson in leading a successful life without getting entrapped in greed and disease.
Shri Krishna has to be understood in his entirety before we start following his teachings, or else, we may end up worse off than before. Like it is said – Half knowledge is worse than ignorance.
An acquaintance of my husband once said that he uses Shri Krishna’s policy of applying Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed to get ahead of his competitors in the professional world. He is of the view that ours is a ‘dog eats dog’ world, and that there are people who are always ready to walk over you the moment you slacken your pace. He once narrated to my husband a ‘very interesting’ incident about a man who used to be his senior in his old company. He told that this man had joined his present company as his junior, but very soon fled without a trace when he made it a point to showcase before his entire team the reversal of position that the ‘poor’ man had suffered.
Shri Krishna’s policy of using ‘Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed’ while dealing with his enemies established him as the most sophisticated diplomat. However, his relationship with his friends and lovers was far from diplomatic. His sitting at the feet of his poor friend Sudama, washing away the dirt and fatigue off them with his own hands, shows the picture of a large-hearted friend for whom nothing mattered more than his dear friend. Every one of his lovers could feel his total presence with her whenever and wherever her soul thirsted for communion with him. His coming to aid of his sister Draupadi shows that his help was just a true call away from those who needed him. His preaching of Nishkaam Karma to Arjun, urging him to perform his duties sincerely without getting attached to the outcome, is the most powerful lesson in leading a successful life without getting entrapped in greed and disease.
Shri Krishna has to be understood in his entirety before we start following his teachings, or else, we may end up worse off than before. Like it is said – Half knowledge is worse than ignorance.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Greatness of Gandhiji
Thursday, April 08, 2010
I found myself humming De dee hamein aazaadi bina khadg bina dhal, Sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal as I touched the sacred dust of Porbunder, the Janmabhumi (birth place) of Gandhiji. The moment my son and I entered the house where Gandhiji was born, my son, already familiar with the Saint by means of the great movies like Attenborough’s Gandhi and Rajkumar Hirani's Lage Raho Munnabhai, turned into a livewire. Forgetting his fatigue from the long journey and discomfort from the scorching heat of Mid-March in Gujrat, he roamed about in the entire three-storeyed house of Gandhiji asking questions about him, and expressing wonder at the myriad information he was getting. In my effort to answer his intelligent questions, I was reading frantically from the various engravings, posters, and paintings housed in the large museum in the adjoining building. The more I read about him, the deeper my longing became to feel his spirit in those surroundings.
We then came to Ahmedabad, the Karmabhumi (work place) of Gandhiji, and visited Sabarmati Ashram. Something about the atmosphere of the Ashram made me feel very peaceful. I felt privileged to walk on the land where Gandhiji had walked his Dandi March. Strolling around the Ashram premises, I walked into the museum building, and came across a poster in which Gandhiji was quoted as saying –
“I am mostly busy making sandals these days. I have already made about 15 pairs. When you need new ones now, please send me the measurements. And when you do so, mark the places where the strap is to be fixed – that is on the outer side of the big toe and the little one.”
It dawned upon me that Gandhiji belonged to the elite group of Yogis comprising Shri Krishna – the Gopal (who grazes cows), Jesus Christ – the Shepherd, Kabir Dasji – the Weaver, and Sant Raidasji – the Shoemaker. When such Yogis are at work, every work – humble or great, becomes the expression of their divinity!
I found myself humming De dee hamein aazaadi bina khadg bina dhal, Sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal as I touched the sacred dust of Porbunder, the Janmabhumi (birth place) of Gandhiji. The moment my son and I entered the house where Gandhiji was born, my son, already familiar with the Saint by means of the great movies like Attenborough’s Gandhi and Rajkumar Hirani's Lage Raho Munnabhai, turned into a livewire. Forgetting his fatigue from the long journey and discomfort from the scorching heat of Mid-March in Gujrat, he roamed about in the entire three-storeyed house of Gandhiji asking questions about him, and expressing wonder at the myriad information he was getting. In my effort to answer his intelligent questions, I was reading frantically from the various engravings, posters, and paintings housed in the large museum in the adjoining building. The more I read about him, the deeper my longing became to feel his spirit in those surroundings. We then came to Ahmedabad, the Karmabhumi (work place) of Gandhiji, and visited Sabarmati Ashram. Something about the atmosphere of the Ashram made me feel very peaceful. I felt privileged to walk on the land where Gandhiji had walked his Dandi March. Strolling around the Ashram premises, I walked into the museum building, and came across a poster in which Gandhiji was quoted as saying –
“I am mostly busy making sandals these days. I have already made about 15 pairs. When you need new ones now, please send me the measurements. And when you do so, mark the places where the strap is to be fixed – that is on the outer side of the big toe and the little one.”
It dawned upon me that Gandhiji belonged to the elite group of Yogis comprising Shri Krishna – the Gopal (who grazes cows), Jesus Christ – the Shepherd, Kabir Dasji – the Weaver, and Sant Raidasji – the Shoemaker. When such Yogis are at work, every work – humble or great, becomes the expression of their divinity!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Love's Labor's Lost?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
He said, “I love her, but she thinks I don’t. How do I make her believe me?”
She’s a romantic at heart; he’s logical.
She expresses her love by arranging pleasant surprises for her beloved; he considers progression towards perfection as the ideal manifestation of love.
She is charmed by the beauties of the material world; he is attracted towards the allure of Spirit.
She questions the traditions of Hindu society; he understands that societal practices are skewed against women.
On what plane can the two meet and share love?
The answer probably lies in accepting women as individuals, and valuing God’s Nature over Man’s Custom.
When a man says that he loves a woman, he should accept the woman with the individuality that she is born with. Like men, women also live on three levels of consciousness – Body, Mind, and Soul. The man and the woman may or may not be on the same level of consciousness at the time of their union. Real love between them happens only when the one on the higher level lovingly and responsibly uplifts the other in order to grow together.
The wife should be allowed the space and freedom to feel genuine affection and respect for her Husband’s family, rather than being forced to accommodate with them in the name of tradition.
Then only ‘Love’s Labor’s Lost’ can be converted into ‘Love’s Labor’s Won’!
He said, “I love her, but she thinks I don’t. How do I make her believe me?”
She’s a romantic at heart; he’s logical.
She expresses her love by arranging pleasant surprises for her beloved; he considers progression towards perfection as the ideal manifestation of love.
She is charmed by the beauties of the material world; he is attracted towards the allure of Spirit.
She questions the traditions of Hindu society; he understands that societal practices are skewed against women.
On what plane can the two meet and share love?
The answer probably lies in accepting women as individuals, and valuing God’s Nature over Man’s Custom.
When a man says that he loves a woman, he should accept the woman with the individuality that she is born with. Like men, women also live on three levels of consciousness – Body, Mind, and Soul. The man and the woman may or may not be on the same level of consciousness at the time of their union. Real love between them happens only when the one on the higher level lovingly and responsibly uplifts the other in order to grow together.
The wife should be allowed the space and freedom to feel genuine affection and respect for her Husband’s family, rather than being forced to accommodate with them in the name of tradition.
Then only ‘Love’s Labor’s Lost’ can be converted into ‘Love’s Labor’s Won’!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The Fall of God man
Friday, April 2, 2010
As I read stories about the self-styled Spiritual Gurus getting caught in acts far from spiritual, I tend to wonder as to how it is possible for someone to be unspiritual when all the actions and thoughts in conformity with Nature are purely spiritual. Every emotion, ranging from compassion to anger, is spiritual. Similarly, every action, ranging from meditation to mating, is purely spiritual. How then in the God’s world do these ‘Godmen’ manage to be unspiritual?
The answer probably lies in the intention behind the action and the emotion.
Any action or emotion intended to uphold the values of Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram (Truth, Goodness, and Beauty), can never go wrong or be unspiritual. Whereas, even the best action or emotion imbued with desire for Power, Money, and Lust, will always go wrong.
It is not unholy to have material abundance when it is used for the goodness and welfare of self and our fellow beings.
It is not unholy to enjoy the pleasures of the body when they are guided by the highest moral standards of Nature.
What make riches and pleasure unholy are the demons of greed and hypocrisy respectively.
Moreover, I feel that it is the great misfortune of those who, though pretend to have communion with the Divine, have never actually tasted the Nectar of unparalleled pleasure that the meditating soul enjoys.
For incarnations, the mind has been ruling us and forcing us to follow the ceaseless lures of sensations, feelings, and memories. But each little victory we win in controlling the mind brings us that much closer to mastery over our senses and our environment. – Shri Paramananda Yogananda
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Quality Consciousness
Monday, April 05, 2010
The first day I saw her at the tennis court, she looked attractive – her well-shaped body clad in good quality sportswear; her well-cut and tastefully highlighted hair; her attention-grabbing small talk with our Tennis coach on the highlights of the previous day’s Grand Slam tennis match; everything about her reflected good quality consciousness.
She came with her son to my son’s birthday party looking her best. I introduced her to my friends as ‘my tennis buddy’. She told them that though I had joined the tennis academy much later than her, I picked up the game really well. I could once again sense her consciousness about the quality things happening around her.
At the court, while taking short breathers between the play, I gathered that she studied English Literature for her Master’s degree, and is currently pursuing MBA from a renowned institute. No wonder, her good-natured short remarks reflect a cool combination of sharp humor and well-informed intellect.
A steadily increasing number of beginners at the tennis court was eating into the time and attention that each individual player got from the coach. She started talking with her fellow players about taking up the matter with the coach, and did actually make him conscious about the effect that the growing crowd was having on the quality of coaching we received.
The other day, she expressed to me her willingness to take personal coaching for a month in order to be able to practice repeatedly the strokes under the coach’s guidance, and thereafter, join the regular group. I am sure that behind her funny motto – I like to win, by hook or by crook, lies hidden the real mantra – Strive for Excellence, and Success will follow.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Power of Technology
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. - Immanuel Kant
I was once talking with a Software Engineer friend of mine about the importance of work done by a typical city dweller in the Information Age. I said that Primary occupation such as Farming, and then Secondary occupation dealing with processing of the products of the Primary occupation, seemed so real and vital for human existence. A Tertiary occupation like writing Software, in contrast, only created a virtual world far removed from the real needs of humanity. Her arguments in favor of the virtual world created by juggling ‘0’s and ‘1’s didn’t impress me much.
I took up the discussion with my Software Consultant husband, and again found my primitive instincts favoring work done with our physical selves against the one done by pressing of buttons of electronic gadgets.
The other day, I went to my Bank pedaling hard at my bicycle only to find that it was closed for a holiday. The next day, I pulled myself before the computer at home, and started studying the instructions for using the online services provided by the Bank. Slowly and gradually, I went through the entire process on my computer and found that I had activated my online banking system as well as the telephone banking system while sitting in the comfort of my cushioned chair. The time and energy that I saved in the process got invested in my writing work that day.
I had finally hit upon the answer to my question about the relevance of technology in our life.
Any convenience, whether of Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary nature, that helped me in making my life simpler and more productive in my particular field of work, was valuable.
Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. - Immanuel Kant
I was once talking with a Software Engineer friend of mine about the importance of work done by a typical city dweller in the Information Age. I said that Primary occupation such as Farming, and then Secondary occupation dealing with processing of the products of the Primary occupation, seemed so real and vital for human existence. A Tertiary occupation like writing Software, in contrast, only created a virtual world far removed from the real needs of humanity. Her arguments in favor of the virtual world created by juggling ‘0’s and ‘1’s didn’t impress me much.
I took up the discussion with my Software Consultant husband, and again found my primitive instincts favoring work done with our physical selves against the one done by pressing of buttons of electronic gadgets.
The other day, I went to my Bank pedaling hard at my bicycle only to find that it was closed for a holiday. The next day, I pulled myself before the computer at home, and started studying the instructions for using the online services provided by the Bank. Slowly and gradually, I went through the entire process on my computer and found that I had activated my online banking system as well as the telephone banking system while sitting in the comfort of my cushioned chair. The time and energy that I saved in the process got invested in my writing work that day.
I had finally hit upon the answer to my question about the relevance of technology in our life.
Any convenience, whether of Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary nature, that helped me in making my life simpler and more productive in my particular field of work, was valuable.
The Taj Mahal
Emperor Shah Jahan described the Taj in these words:
Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory.As i stood at the Darwaza (The main gateway), with unblinking eyes rested on the Rauza (The main mausoleum), my feet slowly began to tip-toe the Bageecha (The gardens) leading me to the Rauza. Sideways glance brought into perspective 'The Great Symmetry' provided by the Masjid (The Mosque) on one side, and the Naqqar Khana (The resthouse) on the other side of the Rauza, disturbed at the interior chamber by the 'Lover of Symmetry' himself, for he could no longer have his symmetrical way with the placement of his own cenotaph.
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Perfect Party!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Our revered scriptures have emphasized upon the importance of various art forms in human life.One such shloka goes as follows:
Kala sahitya sangeet viheena,
Sakshaat pashu puchch vishaanheena.
Meaning - Those without inclination towards Art, Literature, and Music, are but animals without a tail.
Human life has to be lived on three planes - Body, Mind, and Soul. Just as Food, Clothing and Shelter fulfill the needs of the Body, and Education of the Mind, similarly, Fine Arts, Literature and Music provide nourishment to the Soul.
At the birthday party of a friend’s son, while tasty food filled our stomachs, and conversation, ranging from light-hearted chatter to meaningful exchange of ideas, satisfied our minds, something soulful went amiss till we decided to hum and sing some beautiful old melodies. As soon as the nectar of music started flowing out, everyone of our group started feeling animated and more closely bonded with each other. Our souls were breathing through our tuneful humming.
The Party had finally been perfected!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
The Somnath Temple
Photographed by Shalini Goel
Monday, March 29, 2010
The first time I had the full view of the Somnath Temple, my eyes became still, slowly drinking the beauty and grandeur of the Chalukyan architecture of the temple. The rhythmical beating of the drums and the bells at the evening and the morning Aarti inside the Sanctum Sanctorum made me sway in ecstasy, and for a moment, I found myself merging with the infinite. I lingered in the sea-facing gardens of the temple and found myself gazing across the oceanic waters at the Antarctica. I sure felt endowed with limitless power in the corridors of ‘The Shrine Eternal’.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again
Alain Robert, the French Spiderman, the ‘human spider’ climbed up 100 meters high, 20-storeyed building in Pune, and left different people feeling differently about his extra-ordinary ‘ascent’ atop the most fundamental of all human fears, ie the fear of height.
I watched him weave a pattern with his bare hands and feet while crawling little by little like a spider on the vertical challenge before him. My fears started troubling me as I watched him move higher and higher. What if he misses a step? ... his grip loosens? ...his head gets hazy? I knew he had the experience as well as the expertise, but still, he is human…prone to errors.
I scolded myself for attracting negative emotions to the whole spectacle, and sat watching him go up and up like a Yogi in trance. Suddenly, he stopped, standing precariously on the edge of the window-sill at the 12th storey, waving to the spectators, whipping up the frenzy of the cheering crowd. The cameramen inside the building, following his every step through the window panes, started clicking away poses of the man hanging in the middle of nowhere. My stomach churned at the thought of the Yogis of the highest order like Durvasa and Vishvamitra, falling prey to distractions; and here was this modern Yogi, in the jungle of distractions. What if his meditation gets disturbed?
I found my eyes welling up with tears of relief as our Hero arrived safely back to the ordinary humanity, in awe of the laws of Nature, especially the law of Gravity.
The itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again
Alain Robert, the French Spiderman, the ‘human spider’ climbed up 100 meters high, 20-storeyed building in Pune, and left different people feeling differently about his extra-ordinary ‘ascent’ atop the most fundamental of all human fears, ie the fear of height.
I watched him weave a pattern with his bare hands and feet while crawling little by little like a spider on the vertical challenge before him. My fears started troubling me as I watched him move higher and higher. What if he misses a step? ... his grip loosens? ...his head gets hazy? I knew he had the experience as well as the expertise, but still, he is human…prone to errors.
I scolded myself for attracting negative emotions to the whole spectacle, and sat watching him go up and up like a Yogi in trance. Suddenly, he stopped, standing precariously on the edge of the window-sill at the 12th storey, waving to the spectators, whipping up the frenzy of the cheering crowd. The cameramen inside the building, following his every step through the window panes, started clicking away poses of the man hanging in the middle of nowhere. My stomach churned at the thought of the Yogis of the highest order like Durvasa and Vishvamitra, falling prey to distractions; and here was this modern Yogi, in the jungle of distractions. What if his meditation gets disturbed?
I found my eyes welling up with tears of relief as our Hero arrived safely back to the ordinary humanity, in awe of the laws of Nature, especially the law of Gravity.
God's Own Gujrat !!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
"Cleanliness is Godliness."
"Life is a field of unlimited possibilities."
"Honesty is the best policy."
Powerful quotes when put into sincere action create wonders.
Gujrat, the Karmabhumi of the two greatest Yogis of India – Shri Krishna and Mahatma Gandhi, showcases all the above quoted attributes.
Right from the Railway Station to the narrowest alley, every inch of land of Gujrat looks strikingly clean and well-maintained.
Right from the neatly uniformed women porters in Rajkot to the wealthiest Entrepreneurs like Gautam Adani, Dhirubhai Ambani, Uday S. Kotak, Karan Bilimoria, Dilip Shanghvi, A. M. Naik, Azim Premji, Anil Ambani and Mukesh Ambani, every son and daughter of Gujrat seems to be making use of the unlimited possibilities around them.
Right from the smallest fruit vendor to the biggest business conglomerate, every hard working Gujrati demands and accepts only the honest value for the product sold and the service offered.
No wonder Gujrat is such a Wonder!
"Cleanliness is Godliness."
"Life is a field of unlimited possibilities."
"Honesty is the best policy."
Powerful quotes when put into sincere action create wonders.
Gujrat, the Karmabhumi of the two greatest Yogis of India – Shri Krishna and Mahatma Gandhi, showcases all the above quoted attributes.
Right from the Railway Station to the narrowest alley, every inch of land of Gujrat looks strikingly clean and well-maintained.
Right from the neatly uniformed women porters in Rajkot to the wealthiest Entrepreneurs like Gautam Adani, Dhirubhai Ambani, Uday S. Kotak, Karan Bilimoria, Dilip Shanghvi, A. M. Naik, Azim Premji, Anil Ambani and Mukesh Ambani, every son and daughter of Gujrat seems to be making use of the unlimited possibilities around them.
Right from the smallest fruit vendor to the biggest business conglomerate, every hard working Gujrati demands and accepts only the honest value for the product sold and the service offered.
No wonder Gujrat is such a Wonder!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Art of Focussing
Wednesday, March 23, 2010
When photographing a moving subject, the ‘panning’ technique is achieved by keeping the subject in the same position of the frame for the duration of the exposure. The length of the exposure must be long enough to allow the background to blur due to the movement of the camera as you follow the subject in the viewfinder.
One cool summer morning, after running at moderate speed for about two miles, I sat down at a stone bench and experienced something very similar to the aforementioned ‘panning’ phenomenon taking place right inside my head. I found my eyes closing softly on their own accord, my breathing becoming deep and regular, and my attention following a beautiful creative idea from among a cluster of hazy thoughts running alongside it. I pressed the shutter release button inside my head and lo! There it was… a clearly segregated idea… full of potentiality… waiting to blossom into a meaningful write-up.
Tapur-Tupur
Tuesday, March 22, 2010
Bristi Pore Tapur- Tupur…Tapur- Tupur goes a sweet Bangla song celebrating the Pitter- Patter of the raindrops on the parched Earth.
Pitter-Patter, Tapur-Tupur, Rim-Jhim…all are the verbal garbs of the same phenomenon, namely, the rhythmical falling of raindrops on any hard surface.
I met her at a friend’s place; thought her to be much younger than her real age; liked the lyrical sound of her name –RimJhim, and was instantly reminded of the equally musical name of the friend’s niece – RunJhun; saw her many-a-times at many-a-occasions dressed up prettily, joking n laughing merrily, making the exact same impression on the onlookers as the gracefully falling raindrops on a tin-roof.
However, her clear understanding of the abstract terms such as ‘depth’, ‘God’, ‘Godliness’…made me take a closer look at her, and I discovered her water-like quality of taking the shape of the vessel that she finds herself in.
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Conqueror!
Monday, March 15, 2010
‘Veni, vidi, vici’ – “I came, I saw, I conquered” wrote Julius Caesar as a comment on his short war with Pharnaces II of Pontus.
I would like to write, “He came, he saw, he conquered” as a comment on the impact that the protagonist of this write-up made on our household during his three day stay with us.
The moment he entered our house, he straight away bent towards his bhabhi’s feet (that’s me) to pay his respect, got stopped in the midway, and was offered an affectionate hug by her instead.
He serenaded one and all with his brilliant talk on any conceivable subject in the world; made us laugh and smile in turns with his skills at histrionics; left us spellbound with his honest account of the meetings that he had been having with his prospective bride.
He made everyone dance at the Holi Party; reprimanded his bhabhi for not paying heed to the golden adage – Spare the stick, spoil the child, while dealing with her two naughty kids; became his bhabhi’s confidant of all her woeful tales.
He went back and then came the biggest news that he had successfully convinced his traditional father in favor of the strong and independent young lady that he had been seeing for matrimonial purpose.
‘Veni, vidi, vici’ – “I came, I saw, I conquered” wrote Julius Caesar as a comment on his short war with Pharnaces II of Pontus.
I would like to write, “He came, he saw, he conquered” as a comment on the impact that the protagonist of this write-up made on our household during his three day stay with us.
The moment he entered our house, he straight away bent towards his bhabhi’s feet (that’s me) to pay his respect, got stopped in the midway, and was offered an affectionate hug by her instead.
He serenaded one and all with his brilliant talk on any conceivable subject in the world; made us laugh and smile in turns with his skills at histrionics; left us spellbound with his honest account of the meetings that he had been having with his prospective bride.
He made everyone dance at the Holi Party; reprimanded his bhabhi for not paying heed to the golden adage – Spare the stick, spoil the child, while dealing with her two naughty kids; became his bhabhi’s confidant of all her woeful tales.
He went back and then came the biggest news that he had successfully convinced his traditional father in favor of the strong and independent young lady that he had been seeing for matrimonial purpose.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
What's in a Name?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Shakespeare asked,
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
But I have my doubts about the great Shakespearean question concerning a name, for in my life, I am fortunate to have two persons sharing the same name and by a happy coincidence, both of them happen to have come closest to my heart and soul.
My youngest sister Richa is someone whom I consider as my alter-ego, for she has been one person in whose company, both physical and metaphysical (via intuition), I have always felt loved and deeply connected. My hurt brings tears in her eyes; my achievements become matters of pride for her; my guidance and advice become the cornerstone of her decisions, my reprimand brings about the desirable change in her; and my kids find the doting version of their mother in her. My relationship with her transcended the state of sibling affection, and took the colors of parental-filial attachment. Everything related with her - her studies, her career, and her marriage, remained a matter of concern for me till she found her soul-mate in an intelligent and loving husband.
By the time one Richa settled in her new world, the other Richa, my cousin’s wife, slowly entered my life. She was my confidante when my heart was bursting to share its pain with someone. She had been initiated into Sahaj Yoga, and was practicing it regularly. I wanted her to be my Guru and guide my confused mind to the realm of peace. She sat with me when I wanted to cry my heart out, and listened to me with such compassion as I had never experienced before. She initiated me into Sahaj Yoga and taught me to find solace in the teachings of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi ji. I, however, had much to travel and explore in the world of infinite peace before I could achieve the desired state of complete silence and boundless joy. She, nevertheless, was someone with whom I started experiencing the same affinity and comfort level that I had with my sister Richa.
I know that had their names been different, they would still have influenced my life in the same way. But the fact that both have the same name and both have affected my life in the same affectionate way, makes me think of their name as a talisman of love in my life.
Shakespeare asked,
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
But I have my doubts about the great Shakespearean question concerning a name, for in my life, I am fortunate to have two persons sharing the same name and by a happy coincidence, both of them happen to have come closest to my heart and soul.
My youngest sister Richa is someone whom I consider as my alter-ego, for she has been one person in whose company, both physical and metaphysical (via intuition), I have always felt loved and deeply connected. My hurt brings tears in her eyes; my achievements become matters of pride for her; my guidance and advice become the cornerstone of her decisions, my reprimand brings about the desirable change in her; and my kids find the doting version of their mother in her. My relationship with her transcended the state of sibling affection, and took the colors of parental-filial attachment. Everything related with her - her studies, her career, and her marriage, remained a matter of concern for me till she found her soul-mate in an intelligent and loving husband.
By the time one Richa settled in her new world, the other Richa, my cousin’s wife, slowly entered my life. She was my confidante when my heart was bursting to share its pain with someone. She had been initiated into Sahaj Yoga, and was practicing it regularly. I wanted her to be my Guru and guide my confused mind to the realm of peace. She sat with me when I wanted to cry my heart out, and listened to me with such compassion as I had never experienced before. She initiated me into Sahaj Yoga and taught me to find solace in the teachings of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi ji. I, however, had much to travel and explore in the world of infinite peace before I could achieve the desired state of complete silence and boundless joy. She, nevertheless, was someone with whom I started experiencing the same affinity and comfort level that I had with my sister Richa.
I know that had their names been different, they would still have influenced my life in the same way. But the fact that both have the same name and both have affected my life in the same affectionate way, makes me think of their name as a talisman of love in my life.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Healthy Influence
Thursday, February 25, 2010
For me, a typically good day starts with getting up at 5.00 am. I have always seen my Grand-parents and also my parents start their day at early hours. I, however, thought that I belonged to the ‘nocturnal’ category of humans, who can stay awake and active till very late at night, but could only laze around with a heavy head and tired body if made to get up early. It took me more than three decades to finally develop a routine in which I am able to get up at 5.00 am without experiencing any unpleasant lethargy.
My Chachaji has always stressed upon the importance of doing the same thing, be it meditating, preparing for exams, or doing creative writing, at the same time and at the same place. It is only now that I have started experiencing the power of maintaining regularity in my writing work.
My father says that learning and playing a sport is the most interesting form of exercising. For past few months, I have been playing tennis on every alternate day. I jog for a couple of miles on the non-Tennis days, always reminding myself of what Doctor Sanjay Gupta says about the wholesomeness of jogging in the open air as a form of exercise. I could never really appreciate the tremendous power of some breathing exercises till one day I sat through the entire video program on Pranayaams taught by Baba Ramdevji. I made it a habit to do Anulom-Vilom, Bhrastrika, Kapal Bhati, and Bhramari every day after coming back from Tennis and jogging.
I learnt to practice Yogic breathing and Yoga Nidra at the Shri Shri Yoga program. Yoga Nidra is an amazing technique to relax our body and freshen up our mind in less than fifteen minutes when we cannot afford to sleep for a couple of hours.
I learnt to meditate and retrace the lost connection with the Infinite by practicing the techniques taught in the lessons that I receive from the Yogoda Satsang Society founded by Shri Paramhansa Yogananda.
Mrs. Aine Greeney ,a prize winning Irish author, in one of her workshops on Creative Writing, taught me to develop and maintain a strict discipline of writing at least one page every day.
With each passing day, I have started realizing that a good life is but a sum total of all the good influences received, retained, and put to use.
Innocence and Experience
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I witnessed two separate worlds – the World of Children and the World of Grown-ups, at the ‘Get-Together’ I wrote about in my previous write-up. ‘The New Bride’ at the ‘Get-Together’ seemed to have created a bridge between the two worlds by sharing her thoughtful attentions between them. It seemed quite symbolic of her present situation when she herself is progressing from the Age of Innocence to the Age of Experience.
The children are innocent by their very nature. The way they perceive the World, relate to the people around them, and enjoy an uncomplicated version of life, is a gift that God sends them with. In the process of growing-up, most of the children either misplace that gift of God and then forget all about it, or are forced to shirk that accessory in favor of ‘higher’ rewards that await them for excelling in the world where they are made to believe in the theory of ‘Survival of the Fittest’.
The Grown-ups, especially those, who chose to throw away the gift of Innocence in their mad pursuit of experience and success, find their lives revolving around the materialistic aspirations. They perceive the World as a dangerous place and tell their kids that ‘ours is a dog eats dog world’; they relate to people only superficially and think of them as ‘the others’; they make their life a continually complicating gizmo where there is no place for simple joys of life.
There are, however, some Grown-ups who hold on tightly to their most precious gift while learning new things that Life is continuously revealing to them. They are the ones who master the art of not letting a single drop of oil spill from the spoon in their mouth while travelling the whole world and marveling at the greatness of God manifest all around them. Such Grown-ups are the ones who really GREW UP and not just became old. These people leave behind the ‘childish’ tantrums, but never the ‘childlike’ simplicity.
I witnessed two separate worlds – the World of Children and the World of Grown-ups, at the ‘Get-Together’ I wrote about in my previous write-up. ‘The New Bride’ at the ‘Get-Together’ seemed to have created a bridge between the two worlds by sharing her thoughtful attentions between them. It seemed quite symbolic of her present situation when she herself is progressing from the Age of Innocence to the Age of Experience.
The children are innocent by their very nature. The way they perceive the World, relate to the people around them, and enjoy an uncomplicated version of life, is a gift that God sends them with. In the process of growing-up, most of the children either misplace that gift of God and then forget all about it, or are forced to shirk that accessory in favor of ‘higher’ rewards that await them for excelling in the world where they are made to believe in the theory of ‘Survival of the Fittest’.
The Grown-ups, especially those, who chose to throw away the gift of Innocence in their mad pursuit of experience and success, find their lives revolving around the materialistic aspirations. They perceive the World as a dangerous place and tell their kids that ‘ours is a dog eats dog world’; they relate to people only superficially and think of them as ‘the others’; they make their life a continually complicating gizmo where there is no place for simple joys of life.
There are, however, some Grown-ups who hold on tightly to their most precious gift while learning new things that Life is continuously revealing to them. They are the ones who master the art of not letting a single drop of oil spill from the spoon in their mouth while travelling the whole world and marveling at the greatness of God manifest all around them. Such Grown-ups are the ones who really GREW UP and not just became old. These people leave behind the ‘childish’ tantrums, but never the ‘childlike’ simplicity.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The New Bride
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
I had a feeling that my blog for today would find its source in the ‘Get-Together’ that I was going to attend in the evening at a friend’s house. The ‘Get-Together’ was organized by her to enable her friends to meet the new bride in her family, who had come to Pune from Allahabad for a few days to collect her office papers. I had heard about the new bride from my husband yesterday as he had picked her up from her office in his car. I, however, had no intention to write about the obvious i.e. ‘The New Bride’ till, of course, I met her myself.
On being introduced to me, she, draped impeccably in a pretty sari, and with her shoulder-length silky straight hair framing a lightly made-up smiling face, moved gracefully towards me and started to bend towards my feet. I quickly moved to hold her gently by shoulders and gave her a light hug instead. She touched the feet of other elders with reverence thus performing to perfection the duty of a newly-wed bride towards offering her obeisance to the elders related to the family of her sister-in-law.
While she joined her sister-in-law in the kitchen, I took my daughter to the kids’ room. There I set her up with some crayons and a coloring-book, and asked her if I could go back to the living room. She didn’t let me as she didn’t have her brother for company, for I had dropped him to his music class before coming there, and usually takes some time to mingle with the other kids. I made myself comfortable on the kids’ bed, and started talking with children. A class II student among them excitedly told me that he was going to appear in the role of a Rat dancing to the tunes of ‘Pied Piper of Hamelin’ going to be performed in his school the next day. I asked him to show some of the moves, and he instantly broke into the jump and dance action. The younger son of my friend, a class I student, quickly grabbed my attention by showing off his cool collection of ‘hi-fi writing instruments’. I expressed my awe and envy at his collection, and was immediately told by one older boy of class V to hold my sense of wonder till I saw the great stuff that he had amassed at his house. My attention was then summoned by the elder son of my friend, a student of class VI. He gushed that he had become a millionaire in a certain computer game. I wondered if he could exchange his game booty for some real-life money, and he said that had his game been a more popular one, he could have sold off his virtual money for the real one. My friend came in to call me for the yummy snacks that sat on the dining table waiting for the guests’ attention. She asked her elder son to go fetch my son from his music class, and then got busy with serving piping hot pakoris to her guests.
I came back to the world of the grown-ups, and found them engrossed in chatting away happily about grown-up stuff broadly falling in the categories of Food, Clothing, Shelter, and Socializing. I found that I was forcing myself to look interested, laugh aloud, and listen attentively to whatever went on among the older humans. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and my son came in with his surprise escorts for that day. He looked thrilled at having been picked up by his friends, and ran with them to the kids’ room. After a while, a soft voice addressed me asking me if my son wouldn’t have any other snacks besides Pasta. It was the new bride of course! I hadn’t realized that she was quietly taking care of the needs of all her guests, and had gone after my son to offer him the snacks. I once again found the lost thread of interest as the new bride played a perfect hostess bridging the world of grown-ups with that of the young children.
I had a feeling that my blog for today would find its source in the ‘Get-Together’ that I was going to attend in the evening at a friend’s house. The ‘Get-Together’ was organized by her to enable her friends to meet the new bride in her family, who had come to Pune from Allahabad for a few days to collect her office papers. I had heard about the new bride from my husband yesterday as he had picked her up from her office in his car. I, however, had no intention to write about the obvious i.e. ‘The New Bride’ till, of course, I met her myself.
On being introduced to me, she, draped impeccably in a pretty sari, and with her shoulder-length silky straight hair framing a lightly made-up smiling face, moved gracefully towards me and started to bend towards my feet. I quickly moved to hold her gently by shoulders and gave her a light hug instead. She touched the feet of other elders with reverence thus performing to perfection the duty of a newly-wed bride towards offering her obeisance to the elders related to the family of her sister-in-law.
While she joined her sister-in-law in the kitchen, I took my daughter to the kids’ room. There I set her up with some crayons and a coloring-book, and asked her if I could go back to the living room. She didn’t let me as she didn’t have her brother for company, for I had dropped him to his music class before coming there, and usually takes some time to mingle with the other kids. I made myself comfortable on the kids’ bed, and started talking with children. A class II student among them excitedly told me that he was going to appear in the role of a Rat dancing to the tunes of ‘Pied Piper of Hamelin’ going to be performed in his school the next day. I asked him to show some of the moves, and he instantly broke into the jump and dance action. The younger son of my friend, a class I student, quickly grabbed my attention by showing off his cool collection of ‘hi-fi writing instruments’. I expressed my awe and envy at his collection, and was immediately told by one older boy of class V to hold my sense of wonder till I saw the great stuff that he had amassed at his house. My attention was then summoned by the elder son of my friend, a student of class VI. He gushed that he had become a millionaire in a certain computer game. I wondered if he could exchange his game booty for some real-life money, and he said that had his game been a more popular one, he could have sold off his virtual money for the real one. My friend came in to call me for the yummy snacks that sat on the dining table waiting for the guests’ attention. She asked her elder son to go fetch my son from his music class, and then got busy with serving piping hot pakoris to her guests.
I came back to the world of the grown-ups, and found them engrossed in chatting away happily about grown-up stuff broadly falling in the categories of Food, Clothing, Shelter, and Socializing. I found that I was forcing myself to look interested, laugh aloud, and listen attentively to whatever went on among the older humans. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and my son came in with his surprise escorts for that day. He looked thrilled at having been picked up by his friends, and ran with them to the kids’ room. After a while, a soft voice addressed me asking me if my son wouldn’t have any other snacks besides Pasta. It was the new bride of course! I hadn’t realized that she was quietly taking care of the needs of all her guests, and had gone after my son to offer him the snacks. I once again found the lost thread of interest as the new bride played a perfect hostess bridging the world of grown-ups with that of the young children.
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