Saturday, December 20, 2008

Taj Mahal



I have been to this beautiful place couple of times and as every one finds, I have found it to be a beautiful and monumental place. Now everyone knows that it was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz and thus is a monument of love. Yes it is but there is more to it than that.

Some days back I was watching a program on Nat Geo where they were showcasing Indian history and they mentioned that there was a mystic aspect to the Taj Mahal as well which most of the people don't know, the whole design of the main building along with the parks on the two sides and water in the middle have a deeper meaning. Also it was mentioned that Taj was a communion of Hindu and Muslim unity where more than the religion itslef the core of both the religions was given priority.

And while sitting there with Taj behind you and Yamuna flowing in the front you can experience that silence and depth.

The photography inside tomb is not permitted but before I had realised that I had taken one snap which covered some part of mystisism.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Catching the train & knowledge

Being in Bangalore it is not unusual to get caught up in traffic jams and lose ones cool but I had been lucky enough to have not faced this situation because of close proximity of my house and office. But now on a working day I had to catch the train from railway station at 7:15pm, being fully aware of the traffic scenario I left my office at 5:15 reached home at 5:30 so I thought I should busy some fruits and snacks for the journey and as the shop was just 1km away so I thought I should be back by 5:45 and then will take an auto and leave. But while coming back after buying the stuff just 500m from my house there was a traffic jam and it was not moving, we remained stand still for 10-15mins, so the first knowledge point dawned accept the situation ... I cant do anything so relax and pray !

Now I reached my residence but power supply was gone, keeping acceptance still with me I picked up the bag and rushed to find an autorickshaw and surprise surprise there are 5-6 waiting and no one willing to come to the railway station and it was 6:15 now. So one more prayer and one fellow came and agreed to go for a hefty 150 which I negotiated to 120 :) which was good considering the situation I was in, it was a good deal for both of us. Now this fellow started going through all the short cuts he knew plus which I had found out during my stay in Bangalore.
Now I was feeling confident that we should be on time and aha ... there was one more surprise, at a small turning a big bus had decided to not make any further movement and that resulted in others being forced not to move and now this situation started slowly to have its bad influence on my mind, why is this happening ? why did the bus have to die down at this position at this time ? so on.
Suddenly knowledge dawned "What is the worse thing which can happen now, I will miss the train and would not be able to go home, but I can take a flight tomorrow, yes it will cost more money and there will be change in plan but what is more important the state of my mind or that extra money which I would have to spend ? And pat came the reply "My mind is more important" and hence I became relaxed. And then the miracles started happening, the bus decided to move, the traffic lights decided to give us a green welcome and roads became wide enough to let us move freely. We had covered just 4km in first 20 mins and we covered 8kms in next 20( after my mind had relaxed). I reached station happily at 7pm bought some more eatables, called some of my friends and sat on my seat smiling and feeling grateful for reaching on time and more importantly keeping my mind at peace.

When I am with you, how can anything touch you? Come on be brave !

This is a heart touching experience shared by our friends from Mumbai who survived the Taj Hotel massacre.

"Dearest Ones

Jai Gurudev

There are no words to describe what we are going through after our miraculous escape after 12 hours in captivity at the Taj.

There is still a sense of daze & shock, there is fear ( after the continous sounds last 60 hours of grenades and gun firing) even the sound of a spoon falling is alarming, anger & rage at the total breakdown of security and the system , but above all, there is a huge huge huge huge sense of gratitude.

Gratitude to Guruji for giving us another life. As more is being revealed, 4 terrorists were in the kitchen of the chambers , just about 10 feet from the room we were in.They killed the chefs there. There was nothing stopping them from just turning left and come our way. It was almost like some indescribable force was between them and us. Knowledge of living in the present moment and present moment is inevitable was never never before a living reality for us. When they evacuated us after 12 hours, there was blood ,broken glass pieces, grenade remnants all strewn across the corridor outside our room. That's how close they came.

When we did come out and escaped another round of fresh firing at us as we were walking outside the Taj, the 1st call just that moment we got was from Guruji confirming that we were out and safe. It was almost as though He had escorted us out ! I was so shaken , I could barely stand let alone speak and He said to me, "When I am with you, how can anything touch you.come on be brave . Kya darti hai, main hun na "

Throughout the night, Bhanudidi kept calling and smsing us , giving us courage and encouragement. Giving us the confidence that we would be out surely. It seemed surreal then, but she kept telling me to be bold and support others. It was like being scooped in a blanket of grace and love. In every Part 2 course, I have learnt to sleep with a blanket of grace. Believe me, I can tell you with certainity that it was ON us that night


Through the night all of you kept calling us ,smsing us and telling us how much you are praying for us . Our parents,brothers ,sisters,sisters in law, little nephews and nieces from UK.......your voices gave us life & kept us going.

We were giving healing to the bullet hit, teaching deep breathing to some young boys with us to calm them down, teachimg mudras to control bladders to the old, all the while literally hanging on to each other ,holding hands tight and continuously chanting jai gurudev. My tongue continues to move in that chant in a almost pavlovian way even now

Even after we came out, all of you kept calling and supporting us. Hearing the concern and love in your voice was deeply humbling and moving for us. Anna kept refocusing my attention by talking about designing the Mandir for our new home to asking what I cooked ! Each one of you has kept reassuring us . This love is our only true treasure

I have no idea what we have done to deserve all this outpour of your love, concern,good wishes. We are just so grateful to you. It is the strength of your sadhana and sankalpa that rescued 100 of us that fateful thursday morning. As you know only about 8 people have come out alive from the taj after that


Many many people we know, top lawyers,bankers ,leading business heads have not been as lucky as us. They were victims of indiscriminate firing. Dalus son Shaan and daughter Shivanis 4 friends have losts either both or one set of parents.3 of our friends were stuck in Trident and rescued only yesterday morning after 36 hours and are in deep trauma

Writing this is a cathartic experience for me.
Going through this, a jolting wake up call to appreciate the value of every living moment of life, the indispensiblity of spreading knowledge URGENTLY, and above all deeply appreciating the love that surrounds us

We remain in Gratitude to you all FOREVER . Lifetimes will not suffice us to repay this love

Apart from our anniversary, Ajay and I now share a birthday too.Nov 27th

Love from the deepest depths of our heart
Rajita & Ajay"

Thursday, November 27, 2008

India Burning ....Who cares ?

This is not Diwali or any other festival where fire is being lit. This is Taj Hotel burning in Mumbai. Not only this whole mumbai is burning, India is burning. But who cares, India has been burning for last 2 decades under terrorism but who cares.
People come and visit our Parliament house with guns and grenades, they come and visit our religious places and hotels with machine guns and bombs. But we are so welcoming that we dont do anything.
If this current attack had happened on US, those responsible would have been taken to task but our ministers and authorities are busy giving useless explanation to media.
This is high time all of us rise together and fight for the integrity and safety of our country and our people.
Let us leave old dogmas and useless values, let's bring out the valor which has been lying dormant within us and care for our nation. Let us show the world that we can accept everything but now it is time for active acceptance were we become the change agents. Let's care.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Mind & Meditation

Focus sharpens the mind and relaxation expands the mind. An expanded mind without sharpness cannot bring holistic development. At the same time, a sharp mind without expansion causes, anger and frustration.

The balance of a focused mind and an expanded consciousness brings perfection. Sudarshan Kriya and the Advanced Course techniques aim at developing that is sharp and unbounded. Seva and commitment play a major role in this, as does the food you eat and your attitude in daily life.

Expanded consciousness is peace and joy. Focused consciousness is love and creativity. A point of focused individual is individual self. When every atom of the expanded consciousness becomes sharp and focused, that is the awakening of the Divinity.

Monday, October 27, 2008

October update !



Ya it has been almost a month when I posted but have not got much time. Only two things have been happening during the month of october - office and ashram.
I came to Bangalore because of my job here in IBM and stayed back here because of Art of Living. So both are interlinked :-)

Was celebrating and blissing out during Navratri, then some more visits to Ashram here and there along with regular office and now we have Diwali.
We are all working for a mega Sahaj Samadhi with Chhayanna from November 1st in Koramangala so just a small post so that October month opens the account.

Also Ujju prepared a wonderful poster for the same so posting that as well .. will post in detail after 3rd November. Till then Have a safe and environment friendly Diwali. Best Wishes to all.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Navaratri Is Celebration Of The Universe

The festival of Navaratri is celebrated with prayers and gaiety in the beginning of autumn and spring. This period is a time for self-referral and getting back to the source. During this time of transformation, Nature sheds the old and gets rejuvenated.

Vedanta says, matter reverts to its original form to recreate itself again and again. The creation is cyclical, not linear; everything is recycled by nature in a continuous process of rejuvenation. The human mind, however, lags behind in this routine cycle of creation. Navaratri is a festival to enable us to take the mind back to its source.

The seeker finds the true source through fasting, prayer, silence and meditation. Night is called ratri because it brings rejuvenation. It gives relief at the three levels of our existence — physical, subtle and causal. While fasting detoxifies the body, silence purifies speech and brings rest to the chattering mind, and meditation takes you deep into your own being.

The inward journey nullifies our negative karmas. Navaratri is a celebration of the spirit or prana which alone can destroy Mahishasura, inertia; Shumbha-Nishumbha, pride and shame and Madhu-Kaitabh, extreme forms of craving and aversion. They are opposites, yet complementary. Inertia, deeply ingrained negativities and obsessions, Raktabeejasura; unreasonable logic, Chanda-Munda and blurred vision, Dhoomralochan can be overcome only by raising the level of prana and shakti, the life-force energy.

The nine days of Navaratri are also an opportunity to rejoice in the three primordial qualities that make up the universe. Though our life is governed by the three gunas, we seldom recognise and reflect on them. The first three days of Navaratri are tamo guna, the second three of rajo guna and the last three of sattva guna. Our consciousness sails through the tamo and rajo gunas and blossoms in the sattva guna in the last three days. Whenever sattva dominates life, victory follows. The essence of this knowledge is honoured by celebrating the tenth day as Vijaya Dashami.

The three primordial gunas are considered as the feminine force of the universe. By worshipping the Mother Divine during Navaratri, we harmonise the three gunas and elevate sattva in the atmosphere.

Navaratri is celebrated as the victory of good over evil. From the Vedantic point of view, the victory is of absolute reality over apparent duality. In the words of Ashtavakra, it is the poor wave which tries to keep its identity separate from the ocean, but to no avail.

Though the microcosm is well within the macrocosm, its perceived separateness is the cause of conflict. For a gyani or a wise person, entire creation comes alive and he recognises life in everything in the same way children see life in everything. The Mother Divine or pure consciousness pervades all forms and has all names. Recognising the one divinity in every form and every name is the celebration of Navaratri. Hence, special pujas honouring all aspects of life and nature are performed during the last three days.

Kali is the most horrific manifestation of Nature. Nature symbolises beauty, yet it has a horrific form too. Acknowledging the duality brings a total acceptance in the mind and puts the mind at ease.

The Mother Divine is recognised not just as the brilliance of intellect buddhi, but also the confusion, bhranti; she is not just abundance, Lakshmi, she is also hunger, shudha and thirst, trishna. Realising this aspect of the Mother Divine in entire Creation leads one to a deep state of samadhi. This gives an answer to the age-old theological struggle of the Occident. Through wisdom, devotion and nishkama karma, one can attain advaita siddhi or perfection in the non-dual consciousness.
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

This was posted in The Speaking Tree in Times of India today.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Going down the memory lane - Silver Jubilee


This post is in remembrance of the miracle called "Silver Jubilee".

The photo which you can see is from my mobile (I wish I had a camera during that time :-) ).

The occasion being that it was the last day of the Art of Living Part -1 mega course we had in Bangalore before Silver Jubilee and more than 20,000 people were present in the Ashram that day. We had booked 12 BMTC buses from Koramangala to take the participants to Ashram and Koramangala is one out of thirty odd centers where the course had happened, so just imagine the euphoria in the atmosphere.

The venue being Ashram amphitheater. I still don't believe how so many people fitted in there.

It was just mind-boggling and believe it or not, every one who came was fed till he was full in every sense. Kudos to Ashram team and specially Sundar bhaiya and the kitchen team for managing this spectacle.


P.S. I have lots of experiences to share regarding Silver Jubilee and will keep them rolling in future posts.

Shivoham Shivoham


Mano Buddhi Ahankara Chitta Ninaham Nacha Shrotra Jihve Na Cha Ghrana Netre Nacha Vyoma Bhoomir Na Tejo Na Vayu Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham

Na Cha Prana Samjno Na Vai Pancha Vayu Na Va Saptadhatur Na Va Pancha Koshah Na Vak Pani Padau Na Chopastha Payu Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham

Na Me Dvesha Ragau Na Me Lobha Mohau
Mado Naiva Me Naiva Matsarya Bhavah Na Dharmo Na Chartho Na Kamo Na Mokshah Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham

Na Punyam Na Papam Na Saukhyam Na Dukham
Na Mantro Na Teertham Na Vedo Na Yajnaha Aham Bhojanam Naiva Bhojyam Na Bhokta Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham

Na Me Mrityu Shanka Na Me Jati Bhedah
Pita Naiva Me Naiva Mata Na Janma Na Bandhur Na Mitram Gurur Naiva Shishyah Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham

Aham Nirvikalpo Nirakara Roopaha
Vibhur Vyapya Sarvatra Sarvendriyanam Sada Me Samatvam Na Muktir Na Bandhah Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham

Meaning:

1) I am not mind, nor intellect, nor ego,
nor the reflections of inner self (chitta).
I am not the five senses. I am beyond that.
I am not the ether, nor the earth,
nor the fire, nor the wind (the five elements).
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva,
love and pure consciousness.

2) Neither can I be termed as energy (prana),
nor five types of breath (vayus),
nor the seven material essences, nor the five coverings (pancha-kosha).
Neither am I the five instruments of elimination,
procreation, motion, grasping, or speaking.
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva...

3) I have no hatred or dislike,
nor affiliation or liking, nor greed, nor delusion,
nor pride or haughtiness,
nor feelings of envy or jealousy.
I have no duty (dharma),
nor any money, nor any desire (kama),
nor even liberation (moksha).
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva...

4) I have neither merit (virtue),
nor demerit (vice). I do not commit sins or good deeds,
nor have happiness or sorrow, pain or pleasure.
I do not need mantras, holy places,
scriptures (Vedas), rituals or sacrifices (yagnas).
I am none of the triad of
the observer or one who experiences,
the process of observing or experiencing,
or any object being observed or experienced.
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva...

5) I do not have fear of death,
as I do not have death. I have no separation from my true self,
no doubt about my existence, nor have I discrimination on the basis of birth.
I have no father or mother, nor did I have a birth.
I am not the relative, nor the friend, nor the guru, nor the disciple.
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva...

6) I am all pervasive.
I am without any attributes, and without any form.
I have neither attachment to the world,
nor to liberation (mukti). I have no wishes for anything
because I am everything, everywhere, every time, always in equilibrium.
I am indeed,
That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva...

Friday, September 12, 2008

Act of Benevolence


There is a saying in classical Indian poetry that a lake, a tree, a saint and the rain are all symbols of benevolence, i.e., they are constantly giving to others. If we spend some time to think about this, we can learn much about the act of benevolence from such elements of nature.

You may ask how can we learn to give from a mere tree? There is a wonderful story, which is a true incident that took place in Saurashtra, that best illustrates this.

One day, the King of Bhavnagar was relaxing in the garden surrounding his palace. There was a high boundary wall separating the garden from the outside road. Just at that time, a poor Brahmin and his young son were walking on the road. It was very hot, and the young child was extremely hungry. He noticed a high mango tree from beyond the palace garden wall. The tree had bent across the wall and there were ripe mangoes on the outstretched branch.

Forced by temptation, the boy picked up a stone from the road and threw it at the stem of the fruits. His aim succeeded and he caught a beautiful ripe mango. Unfortunately, the stone exceeded the target and struck the King who was sitting in the gardens. The stone hit the Kings head, which began to bleed. The guards quickly ran towards the road and caught the young Brahmin boy and his father.

When presented in front of the King, the Brahmin, trembling with fear, began to beg to the King to pardon the boy for his mistake. Soldiers and ministers laughed at the Brahmin’s request and advised the King to punish them both.

The King politely asked them both not to worry. He asked the young boy "Did you throw the stone, my son?"
The boy immediately accepted his fault with tears in his eyes.
The King then asked "Why?"
The boy replied hesitantly, "I was hungry. I threw the stone to drop a mango from the tree."
"What happened when you threw the stone?" asked the King.
"A mango fell from the tree. This is what I have in my hand. Please forgive me. I did not throw the stone to hit you."

The King immediately ordered his prime minister that both father and son be released and additionally be given 500 coins! All the ministers and soldiers were surprised and wandered why the King was rewarding them instead of ordering punishment! The King was amused to see their astonishment and explained with a smile, ”When the stone struck the tree, it gave the boy a mango. The same stone struck me. Wouldn’t I be meaner than a tree if I did not give anything? If a mere tree can be benevolent to a young boy, why cannot I, a human being, do the same?

Such are the lessons we can learn from simple elements of nature that constantly give us all we need without any expectation or hesitation. The sun, the mountains, the rivers and lakes, the earth and the wind: they are beautiful symbols of benevolence. Perhaps we too can evolve to become symbols of benevolence.

Happy Onam (ഓണം)


Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala. It is a harvest festival and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm all over the state by people of all communities. According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.Onam is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar (Kollavarsham). This corresponds with the month of August-September according to Gregorian Calendar. Carnival of Onam lasts from four to ten days. First day, Atham and tenth day, Thiruonam are most important of all. Elaborate feasts, folk songs, elegant dances, energetic games, elephants, boats and flowers all are a part of the dynamic festival called Onam.

The Legend
Story goes that during the reign of mighty asura (demon) king, Mahabali, Kerala witnessed its golden era. Every body in the state was happy and prosperous and king was highly regarded by his subjects. Apart from all his virtues, Mahabali had one shortcoming. He was egoistic. This weakness in Mahabali's character was utilized by Gods to bring an end to his reign as they felt challenged by Mahabali's growing popularity. However, for all the good deed done by Mahabali, God granted him a boon that he could annually visit his people with whom he was so attached. It is this visit of Mahabali that is celebrated as Onam every year. People make all efforts to celebrate the festival in a grand way and impress upon their dear King that they are happy and wish him well.

Wish you all a Happy Onam!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Bihar Flood Relief - Full Coverage

After first round of collection of RM(relief material), people just kept calling and bringing in more and more, for helping our brothers and sisters in Bihar. So yesterday being a Sunday, the organizing team decided that it was the right time to go to the parcel office (of course we had to collect the RM first in big trucks :-) ).
This drive started in various areas in Bangalore around 9am and continued till evening 8pm.
In Koramangala my friend Ujval got a big truck from somewhere ( he has amazing enthusiasm and also plenty of contacts :-) ). As I joined him, the truck got punctured, not an auspicious start but when intention is good nothing can stop you. Also Gyanesh,an enthusiastic young boy, who came to Bangalore only few days back to start his engineering studies,joined us.
So somehow we (of course driver :-) ) got the truck ready and started to roll and then immediately God decided to sprinkle some water on us, so we waited near SSRVM (Sri Sri RaviShankar Vidya Mandir),HSR Layout, till we got our act together and got hold of a big cover for the truck and with grace, Sun God decided to give his darshan in full glow. One more friend Shankar joined us at HSR Layout in his car. And then story unfolds as follows
1. We went to Belandur on Outer ring road were our friends were ready with the RM, so after putting the RM time for some PR :-)



2. Then we went to Ujvals office on the same road, he and his teammates had already packed the boxes one day back so again ....



3. After that our friend Abhishek also joined us at Marthahalli for next destination which was in Whitefield (it is pretty green area, will go into nomenclature sometime else :-) ). There our other friends Radhika and Arun had already done a superb job, they properly packed collection of RM and so we decided to have some fun in between loading those heavy boxes.









4. The truck got full but our stomachs were empty so we decided that we will eat something on the way to the station and we kept teasing Abhishek (he is very fond of food and food and more food :-) ) that today we wont eat anything till we reach Railway Station and that happened that way only.





And finally we reached Parcel Office at 4:45pm and if had been even late by 10mins we would not have been able to unload the truck, as people from various areas had already brought RM and Parcel office was full. The place was buzzing with smiling and enthusiastic young and old volunteers, people were carrying boxes as if boxes had nothing inside (man they were heavy !)
One thing which I have realized is, that if you are doing selfless service, you are never alone, there is an invisible power which is helping you out.









This is just the beginning, there will be no stopping till we realize our goal. You are all welcome to join us in future endeavors.

Keep looking for more interesting updates !

Bihar Flood Relief

There is a state by the name Bihar in India which is very famous (infamous) for various reasons all over the world, but I have a personal liking for this place for various reasons. There is a river by name Kosi which passes through it and every year floods are experienced in neighboring areas but this year Kosi has spread itself into lots of areas of Bihar, resulting in a national disaster. Almost 30 lakh people have no home, people are not getting much to eat as well, whole situation is in a jeopardy but our politicians are busy in finding out whose responsibiliy is to take care of people who have been left stranded without food and shelter. But there are some selfless people and organizations who have come forward to help provide relief there.

Art of Living as ever is already active in the flood hit areas and volunteers are helping there day in and day out. So this week we started a drive in bangalore to collect some material (clothes, ready to eat stuff, medicine, plastic sheets etc) to be sent across to Bihar and it was an overwhelming experience.
Tuesday night we decided to go to an apartment complex and ask people for RM(relief material), the enthusiasm was palpable, we were just running and knocking doors, waking people up (some people sleep early :-) ). When people opened their doors, first facial expression was "who the hell is disturbing at this time" and when we told about the drive, they were also happily driven into it, we asked them to drop the material in one of our teacher's spare flat and believe it or not, within 3-4 hours in the morning that flat was jampacked with material. Who told human values have dissolved into oblivion, we just need to remove some dirt from the top and you will get ever shining human values.
Wednesday our friends in IndiraNagar caught hold of a truck and started to collect the RM in the nearbay areas, I joined them at Koramangala and then we collected some more RM and went to deposit the RM at Ashram. When we reached there, not many people were there, so we alongwith some Ashramites decided to sort the RM properly so that we could send it to Bihar as soon as possible, meanwhile some devotee came with another truck load of RM which he collected from his apartment and then it was decided that we will use the same truck to take the packed RM to Railway Station, my friend went with that truck.

After sometime we loaded another truck and I boarded the same for Rly Stn. One more friend started from Banashankari in another truck at the same time. We reached the parcel office and even though it was past 8:00pm (Parcel office closes at that time), the railway authorities helped us in all possible manner. So now at this time we did not had enough people to unload the 3 trucks, but where there is a will there is way and from no where some people came and helped us in that situation. So after a super day, we went back physically tired but mentally in a blissful state. Next morning again came to the parcel office, helped in loading the RM into the train and then bid adieu to the train and left for office.

Short Break Excuse and Gyaan !

Hmm .. long time no see. My blog telling me.
So time to get started again.

List of excuses for not writing :-)

Was not getting in a mood to write, the problem being I never liked to write, even in my school days I really had to struggle to write the homework, the problem used to get even worse when I had to write in hindi and the problem worsened when I had to write Social Studies ( consists of History, Geography, Civics and Economics) in Hindi as in KV (Kendriya Vidyalaya) it was taught in hindi mode.
But still somehow, used to take time out of my passions cricket and doing maths, I used to complete homework on time (A Big Accomplishment for me in school :-) ).

The basic problem which I had was that rather than being a mechanical student I was kinda logical type, so when teacher used to ask to do the homework, my simple question was why do I have to write in notebook if it has already been printed in the books, I thought it was a waste of paper, pen, my precious time ( I had to play more cricket ) and I would get tired without getting anything out of it. Also at the same time my handwriting happened to be not so good as compared to my family members, so it was an added challenge to write something.

But when it came to handwriting competitions in the school I got first prize 2 times, so the problem was not that I was bad at writing but only when I wanted to write did I write well. And that is I suppose basic nature of every human being, if it comes naturally to you, you will excel and also enjoy but if something is forced (today's education system) on you, you might excel but never enjoy the process. We need to get out of this routine which has entangled us, let's break all those mechanical rules which dont give us freedom to live a life which is really ours, our life is gone in pleasing others and dancing to others tunes. And usually when we realize it, it has been too late. Take some time out for yourself and go on a journey of self exploration (Art of Living Advanced Meditation Course is there for taking).

Meanwhile some interesting things have been happening around (which I will reveal in coming blogs) so keep waiting for more...

Friday, August 22, 2008

शुभ प्रभात ( Good Morning)

"ब्रह्म मुहूर्त (Brahma Muhurat)" is the time when it is said that Gods are supposed to be most active and praying and meditating during this time is supposed to be very deep and most fruitful.
Usually when we wakeup, we are already late, having shut alarm at least 3-4 times, so we just hurriedly come out of the bed and start running and this run continues till we again come back to the bed in the night and go into deep rest (I mean sleep :-) ).

The state when we have partially woken up, is supposed to be like a meditative state, so don't hurriedly get up and run, just relax and slowly and gradually come out of the state, it will make your day more relaxing.
In olden days when people used to wakeup, first they used to pray with their eyes closed and then first thing which they would do was to see their palms and while looking at their palms they used to chant.

"Karaagre Vasate Lakshmi Karamadhye Sarasvati,
Karamuule Tu Govinda Prabhaate Karadarshanam,
Samudravasane Devi Parvatastanamandale,
Vishhnupatni Namastubhyam Paadasparsham Kshamasva Me"

Meaning: The front part of the hands (the finger tips) is credited to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. The middle part or palm is credited to Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of learning and the root (the part of hand near the wrist) to Govinda. So, every morning, one should have a reverent look at one's hand which represents sincere labor. I bow to Mother Earth, who has mountains and jungles on her body and whose clothing is made by the ocean. The wife of Lord Vishnu, please pardon me for touching you with my feet.

How beautiful are all these slokas we have in our tradition and how deep is the meaning in them, we need to just wakeup and explore, infinity is nowhere but between those words.

A fresh breath of… Ayurveda

Life has four characteristics: it exists, evolves, expresses and extinguishes. And for these, it depends on five elements: the earth, water, air, ether and fire. These correspond to the five senses: sight, smell, taste, sound and touch.

Ayurveda is the study of life — Veda means to know and Ayur is life. According to Ayurveda, life or existence is not rigid compartments — it is a harmonious flow. Even the five elements are not tight compartments of defined objects — they flow into one another. Each one of the elements contains the other four. So, the approach of Ayurveda towards life is holistic.

The subtlest element in us is space, which the mind is made up of, and the grossest element is the earth, which our bones, skin and body structure are made up of. To understand the physiology, its characteristics and its reflection on the mind, the human system is divided into three Doshas or imbalances: Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

When an illness arises, it manifests first in the thought form, which is the subtlest aspect, and then in the sound form. Thereafter it manifests in the light form, that is, in the aura. It is only then that the illness manifests itself in the body. To begin with, simple symptoms arise in the fluid form, which can be eradicated, and then only they manifest in the grossest form, where they need medication. In aromatherapy, an illness can be cured just through fragrance. It is mostly focussed on the preventive aspect.

The holistic approach of Ayurveda includes exercising, breathing and meditation. Breath is synonymous to life. For all practical purposes, if someone is not breathing, that's the sign that there is no life there.

It is very interesting to notice the relationship between breath and the three Doshas in the body. These Doshas affect certain parts of the body more than the others. For example, Vata Dosha is predominant in the lower part of the body — stomach, intestine etc. Diseases like gastric problems and joint aches are caused due to this. Kapha Dosha is predominant in the middle part of the body. Cough is mainly a result of Kapha imbalance. Pitta affects the upper part of the body i.e., the head — short temper is a sign of Pitta.

In the breathing techniques, the three-stage pranayama has effect on these three Doshas. Among different breathing techniques, there are specific breathing exercises for lower, middle and upper parts of the body. After the three-stage pranayama, you would feel that the Doshas in your body have altered. Something in the body changes; you no longer feel the same, you feel more balanced. The pranayama brings that balance in the system. Once you get in the rhythm of the pranayama, you will find the balance setting in. Making it a habit is difficult, but not the practice itself. Definite rhythms or breathing patterns correct these Doshas and bring the balance to the connected parts of the body. You can also find the three Doshas in our fingers and the nerve endings. For example, the index finger is Kapha; the middle finger is Vata, and the ring finger, Pitta. You can discern the Doshas running in the body by the shape of someone's fingers. Practice of Mudra pranayamas, i.e., gently pressing the nerve endings in the fingertips in a subtle way and breathing with the Ujjayi breath, also balances the Doshas in the body.

How to bring good health to a system? First, attend to the ether element that is the mind element. If your mind is clogged with too many impressions and thoughts, it is draining you of your resistance power and is preparing your body for some illness. If the mind is clear, calm, meditative and pleasant, the resistance in the body increases. It would not allow an illness to come into the body. Thus, the first remedy is to calm down the mind, provided by the ether. Then come to the air element, the breathing. Aromatherapy depends on this element. And then light — the colour therapy. You can see an illness in the aura of a person before it manifests in the body. Some physicians have done research on the aura photography, especially in cases of ulcers, cancer and diabetes. They took photographs six months before these diseases could manifest in the body and found some spots. By energising our system with the prana — life energy or breath — you can clear the aura and prevent the illness before it comes. That is what yoga does. Patanjali, in the Yoga Sutras, says that the purpose of yoga is, “Stopping the sorrow before it arises.”

And then, come to the water element. Fasting with water, purifying the system with water can bring a balance in the system. And final recourse, of course, is different medicinal herbs, medicines and surgery. All these come when everything else fails or when we neglect these other steps; then it becomes inevitable.

Our breath has a lot of secrets to offer to us, because for every emotion in the mind, there is corresponding rhythm in the breath. And each rhythm affects certain part of the body physically. Observing the great correlation between these sensations, the level of body and moods of the mind is meditation.

Have you observed the sensation you experience when someone praises you? Or, when you feel happy looking at a sunset or are meeting someone very close and dear to you? You feel a sense of expansion of mind, of consciousness. Though we do feel that happiness and the sensation is happening, we fail to notice the connection. It is because our attention is on that object, not on the sensation. And when you are miserable, there is a sensation of contraction. Somewhere you feel tight and tense inside; there is a contraction of the consciousness — that's misery, sorrow. Knowledge is, knowing that which expands. What is this something in this body which is expanding and contracting, which is feeling happy or feeling miserable, which is expressing and which is experiencing, which is evolving and which is moving through the events? This knowledge, this enquiry is the study of consciousness, of life, of prana, of Ayurveda.

Breathing is the first act of life and this is also the last act of life. In between, though we are breathing in and out forever, we do not attend to the breath. If you attend to the breath, you'll find that in one minute we breathe nearly sixteen to seventeen times. If you are upset you may go up to twenty; if you are extremely tense and angry, maybe twenty-five breaths per minute. But if you are calm, pleasant and happy, you will breathe ten times; and if you are in deep meditation, then only two breaths or three.

If you observe an infant and its breathing pattern, you will be amazed how balanced it breathes. Infants breathe from all the three sections of the body. Their breath goes very deep, and as they breathe in, their belly comes out; as they breathe out their belly moves in. But more nervous and tense you are, you will do the reverse. You don't have to go to a school or learn these things from anybody. If your mind is very keen and observant, then you learn a lot just observing people, children and the nature around. But our mind is preoccupied with so many things, judgements, opinions and impressions that we are unable to observe and perceive the refined things in nature.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

RakshaBandhan

Relationships are the essence of celebration. This holds true for any Indian festival. Each festival brings the families and society together. That mere togetherness is celebration. The celebration of one such relationship is Raksha Bandhan; the celebration of brother sister relationship. The sibling relationship is nowhere so celebrated as in India. The brother sister relationship is no where so worshiped as here. It is this affection and love that is celebrated on the Raksha Bandhan.

Raksha Bandhan is a festival celebrating the bond of affection between brothers and sisters. The day when the siblings pray for each others' well being and wish for each others' happiness and goodwill. As the name 'Raksha Bandhan' suggests, 'a bond of protection', Raksha Bandhan is a pledge from brothers to protect the sister from all harms and troubles and a prayer from the sister to protect the brother from all evil. The festival falls on the Shravan Purnima (full moon day of shravan month) which comes generally in the month of August. The sisters tie the silk thread called rakhi on their brother's wrist and pray for their well being and brothers promise to take care of their sisters. This festival which is unique to India creates a feeling of belongingness and oneness amongst the family and society.

Guruji's Message
Today is the day of commitment and upholding that. Commitment of coming together, not against any enemy but for love and sharing joy. There are various strengths which every person has, be it bodily, mental, emotional or spiritual and today is the day to become aware of our strength and using that to protect others.
Bondage doesn't allow us to grow, it stiffles us and to come out of such bondage we have to take a different kind of bondage(bandhan), one which is full of love and knowledge and thus the significance of rakshabandhan.
Also, women should not feel that they are not strong, even though they may not be physically as strong as men but definitely they have higher mental strength, India has always been a place which has treated women with reverance and respect, we always say "Radhe-Shyam, Siya-Ram, matradevobhav (मातृ देवो भव)", so today is the day to realise the strength within us and use that to spread love and knowledge to everyone and not just keep it limited to ourselves.

Origins
The origin of Rakshabandhan from Vedas specifically the Bhavishaya Purana (137/20), which explains that once Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, after King Bali’s surrendered unto Him, promised the king that He would personally guard his kingdom in the Sutala planet, which is situated in the lower planetary systems. Later Laxmidevi, while looking for Lord Vishnu, arrived in Sutala planet on Shravan Purnima. She accepted King Bali as her brother by tying a ‘raksha’ on him. In return, Bali asked her to wish for a boon. She requested Lord Vishnu’s return. However, the Lord had pledged to eternally protect King Bali. To resolve his dilemma, Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva agreed to guard King Bali for four months each, while Lord Vishnu would guard him for the auspicious four months known as Chaturmasaya. The festival of Rakshabandhan commenced when Laxmidevi tied the ‘raksha’ on King Bali.

The Bhavishaya Purana also cites a story about the great battle between devas (demigods) and danavas (demons). In the battle the devas, headed by King Indra, was defeated. Indra, humbled and crest-fallen, sought the advice of Brihaspati, the Guru of the demigods. The sage told him to bide his time, prepare himself and then march against his adversary. He also indicated that the auspicious moment for sallying forth was the Shravan Purnima. As the devas prepared to fight again, Sachidevi, King Indra’s wife took a thread, charged it with sacred verses or mantras for protection and tied it on Indra’s hand. Through the strength of this thread Indra conquered his enemies re-established his sovereignty. Since then till today this festival is celebrated.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Independence Day

Independence, have we ever thought what it means, it means experiencing total freedom in spite of whatever activities we are doing and also sharing this freedom with as many people as possible.
One more year has passed by and we will again go into deep slumber within couple of hours of celebrations getting over.

This day when our nation got independence has become a day of vacation and enjoyment for all of us. We send each other messages "Happy Independence Day" et AL, but do we really mean it?
Can we just take couple of minutes from our busy schedule and ponder on what has happened to our nation in last 61 years of Independence, are we progressing, regressing or digressing ?

15th August is not just another holiday or a day to lazy around, it is a day to pay tribute to all those people, even whose names we don't know, who sacrificed their life for our country. Let's get out of this rigmarole of formalities and take some commitment for the coming year. Just close your eyes for a minute and think what this country has given you, what is the current state of India and what can you do to make a difference ?

Are we so useless that we can't make an iota of difference in the society, which we are part of ....
I request you to come out of this sleep, the whole country is being taken for a ride by a group of people who are only concerned about their own interests, if we don't plan a "RDB" Rang De Basanti kinda action sooner, our nation will soon be on verge of going back into pre-independence era.

Let this Independence Day bring a new lease of life in all of us, so that we can work towards building a great nation and bring real prosperity and independence for our mother India.
Jai Hind !!

"Sirf hangama khada karna mera maqsad nahin, meri koshish hai ki ye surat badalni chahiye"

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

The Phenomenon - Michael Phelps

Michael Fred Phelps (born June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American swimmer who holds world records in several events. Phelps won eight medals (six gold, two bronze) at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens,which tied the record for most medals at one Olympics, a record set by Alexander Dityatin in 1980.Phelps' international titles, along with his various world records, have resulted in him being named World Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and American Swimmer of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Phelps has qualified to compete in eight swimming events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and is attempting to beat Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at one Olympics, and the lifetime record of nine Olympic golds. As of today Phelps has won three gold medals in Beijing, all in world record time, and he became one of only five athletes to win nine Olympic gold medals (others being Larissa Latynina, Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz and Paavo Nurmi) and by the end of this Olympics he will probably be the person with highest number of individual Gold medals at the age of 23 only.

Background: In his youth, Phelps was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He started swimming at age 7, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his restless energy. He blossomed quickly as a swimmer, and by the age of 10 held a national record for his age group. More age group records followed, and Phelps' rapid improvement culminated in his qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15.

Message: Children are immensely talented and have high energy levels, as adults and parents if we just recognize it and direct there energy into a proper channel, then the day would not be far when we will have people breaking records in all spheres of life. When youth don't know what to with their energy and enthusiasm, they get carried away into drugs, bad behavior, suicides, criminal activities, which troubles them, their near and dear ones and the whole society.
Spend time with children, they need you more than the video games, cartoons and other stuff which you offer them.
If you want to know how to deal with children, there is a beautiful program called KYC (Know Your Child) offered by Art of Living's SSRVM team, it is couple of hours program, which provides lots of wonderful insights and helps to provide proper upbringing to our children.

PS: There are other course for youth which I will describe in future posts.

Indian Golden Boy - Bindra

Yesterday morning I switched on the TV just before I was ready to leave for office and what followed was just incredible which forced me to just sit glued in front of the TV for an hour or so, the moment he got on podium and our flag started getting hoisted and national anthem started, it was just out of the world, atleast for me.

This post itself tells what Abhinav Bindra has achieved. I am a total cricket buff and also have interests in lawn-tennis, football, F-1, badminton and TT. For long I was thinking of putting a post on Sachin Tendulkar but due to some reasons it was getting delayed ... and now before putting a post on him I had to put Bindra here.
No Indian has been able to achieve what Bindra has done by getting Gold Medal at Olympics. For some moments I was just blank, which tells what has been the magnitude of this effort. God bless this guy. It was a moment of redemption for India. The global media looked bemused as grownup Indians danced like little children, shedding tears of joy. How can they understand ? This moment ended decades of Olympic misery for India, the world's second most populous nation and a perennial underachiever at the games.

Hope this will result in people taking notice of various other sports in our country other than cricket.

Meditate upon this ... it is out of this world !

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Guru Gyaan

*1. QUIT WORRYING:*

Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry.

Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry themfor you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

*2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:*

Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOURlist. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me.

And although My to-do-list is long, I am after all... God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever reallyknown, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

*3. TRUST ME:*

Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back.

Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list.Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list.
I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

*4. LEAVE IT ALONE:*

Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of them.

I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

*5. TALK TO ME:*

I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy.

Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life.I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

*6. HAVE FAITH:*

I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are.

Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so
much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

*7. SHARE:*

You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement.

Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none.

*8. BE PATIENT:*

I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much.

How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

*9. BE KIND:*

Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake.

I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

*10. LOVE YOURSELF:*

As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself.

It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me, Don't ever forget.

आए हो मेरी जिंदगी में - Aaye Ho Meri Zindagi Mein

Aye ho meri zindagi me tum bahar banke
Mere dil me yuhi rahena tum pyar pyar banke
Ankho me tum base ho sapne hazar banke
Mere dil me yuhi rahena tum pyar pyar banke

Mere sathi mere sajaan mere saath yuhi chalna
Badle ga raang zamana par tum nahi badalna
Meri maang yuhi bharna taare hazar ban ke
Aye ho meri zindagi me tum bahar banke
Mere dil me yuhi rahena tum pyar pyar banke

Agar me jo rooth jao to tum mujhe manana
Thama hai haath mera phir umar bhar nibhana
Mujhe chod ke na jana waade hazar karke
Aye ho meri zindagi me tum bahar banke
Mere dil me yuhi rahena tum pyar pyar banke
Ankho me tum base ho sapne hazar banke
Mere dil me yuhi rahena tum pyar pyar banke
Aye ho meri zindagi me tum bahar banke ....

Naiharva Hum Ka Na Bhave - Kabir Song

Naiharva Hum Ka Na Bhave
Sai Ki Nagri Param Ati Sundar,
Jahan Koi Jav Na Avey
Chand Suraj Jahan, Pavan Na Pani,
Ko Sundesh Pahunchave
Dard Yeh Sai Ko Sunave
Agey Chalo Panth Nahin Sujhe,
Peeche Dosh Lagawe
Kehi Bidhi Sasure Jau Mori Sajani,
Virha Jor Jarawe
Vishai Ras Nach Nachawe
Bin Satguru Apno Nahin Koi,
Jo Yeh Rah Batawe
Kahat Kabira Suno Bhai Sadho,
Supne Na Pitam Awey
Tapan Yeh Jiya Ki Bujhawey

Explanation:
In this song Kabir portrays himself like a bride who has gone to her parents house. But having gone there her soul burns from the pangs of separation from her beloved. The bride’s trouble is further complicated because there are no messengers (such as the Sun, Moon, Wind or Water) who can reach and convey her message to the beloved. She has no path or way to solve this problem. Meanwhile the separation is killing her from inside.

Kabir, in his mystical way, is comparing the separation of the individual from the universal self like that of a bride from her beloved. He explains that this insatiable thirst comes from the feeling of separation whose root lies in duality.

He then explains that the only person who can help out of this problem is the Guru. In his final parting signature note, Kabir reveals that the way to reach the beloved is not outside but Inside (similar to a dream-like state) which alone will satisfy the seemingly unending burning thirst.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

छूकर मेरे मन को - Chhookar mere mann ko

Chhookar Mere Man Ko Kiya Toone Kya Ishaara
Badla Yeh Mausam Lage Pyaara Jag Saara

Tu Jo Kahe Jeevan Bhar Tere Liye Maein Gaoon
Geet Tere Bolon Pe Likhta Chala Jaoon
Mere Geeton Mein Tujhe Dhoonde Jag Saara
Chhookar Mere Man Ko

Aaja Tera Aanchal Yeh Pyaar Se Maein Bhar Doon
Khushiyaan Jahan Bhar Ki Tujhko Nazar Kar Doon
Tu Hi Mera Jeevan Tu Hi Jeene Ka Sahaara
Chhookar Mere Man Ko

Feeling the presence - The Art Of Self-Discovery

Only those who have eyes can see and only those who have ears can hear. That which has to be seen cannot be heard; it has to be seen. Life has five dimensions or five senses — seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching. But there is one more dimension that has gone out of sight; that is feeling. Feeling the Presence. Light cannot be heard through the eyes; it has to be seen through the eyes. Sound cannot be seen through the eyes but heard through the ears. Likewise, the presence has to be felt by the heart.

God is not an object of senses but the feeling of feelings, the presence of presence, the sound of silence, light of life, the essence of the world and the taste of bliss. And our human life is enriched only when we can live this sixth sense of existence, of feeling.

If you are feeling depressed and continue to feel depressed, you create particles of depression around you. Those ions of depressions around you go and stick to the environment. If someone walks into that place, even after you have left, that person for no reason would start feeling depressed. Have you experienced this? You walk into a room and suddenly feel angry vibes. You were all right a few minutes ago but the moment you walk in, all the anger, stress and tension overtakes you.

Today there is a lot of talk about the environment. Environmentalists are at work everywhere you see. There is talk about protecting the forest, bringing up more greenery, recycling of things, materials, plastics and use of more natural and organic substances. A few years ago, this was not an issue at all, wasn’t it? Now all nations are coming to an agreement to save planet earth. Like we pollute the earth, we pollute the water, we also pollute the subtle environment of feelings and emotions.

Man has become a victim of his environment. He is not in control of his mind but a victim of the environment. He is not in control of his mind but a victim of the environment and the total stress in the environment. Is it not so? We pollute our environment in a very subtle way through our negative emotions. But it takes quite sometime to clear the environment of this. It is inevitable that sometimes you feel stressed, sometimes you feel negative, sometimes you feel doubt, sometimes you get into all sorts of moods — it is inevitable. It happens. Nobody wants it. But when it happens how do we handle them? We hear a lot about other things in life but we spend very little time to hear about ourselves; how to handle our mind? How to be in the present moment? How to be happy and grateful? This we have not learn t. This is the most unfortunate thing. Then what is the solution? This is where we miss a very fundamental principle that governs our environment, our mind our emotions and our life in general. Our body has the capacity to sustain much longer the vibrations of bliss and peace than it does negative emotions because positivity is in the centre of our existence. Just like in the structure of the atom, protons and neutrons are in the centre of the atom and electrons are only the periphery, same is with our lives; the centre core of our existence is bliss, positivity and joy but it is surrounded by a cloud of negative ions. Through the help of the breath we can easily get over our negative emotions in a short period of time. Through meditation and certain breathing techniques you can clear this negative cloud.

In future, I think the rule will come — anybody who feels depressed, will be fined! Ten thousand rupees fine for getting depressed! Then you will be asked to go and breathe and meditate and get rid of all your depression without swallowing any tablets. What is there for you to get depressed? You are here for a few years anyway; just a few years on this planet. And as long as you are here, you can as well, be happy.

This life has so much to offer to you. You can see this once you take sometime off, rejuvenating the soul. You soul is hungry for a smile from you. If you could give this, you feel energised the whole year and nothing whatsoever can take the smile from you.

Everyone wants to be successful in life. But without knowing what is success, you want to be successful. What are the signs of success? Just having a lot of money, is that success? Why do you think money means success? Because money gives you freedom so that you can do whatever you want. You may have a big bank balance but, you have stomach aches, ulcers, you may have to go for bypass surgery; can’t eat this, can’t do this, can’t do that. We spend half our health to gain wealth and spend half our wealth to gain back the health. Isn’t that funny? Is this success? It is very bad mathematics.

Look at all those who claim to be successful — are they successful? No, they are miserable. Then, what is the sign of success? The sign of success is overwhelming joy, right? It is confidence, compassion, generosity and a smile that none can snatch away, being really happy and being able to be more free. These are the signs of a successful person.

Take some time off to look a little deep into oneself and calm the mind down. Thus erasing all the impressions that we are carrying in our minds and experience the presence, the divine that is the very core of our existence. This is FEELING THE PRESENCE!!!

Friday, July 4, 2008

Life is Celebration

Usually we all feel happy and then the feeling goes away very soon, we feel sad and that feeling does not seem to go away but still somehow it manages to leave us. How beautiful it would be if we could just shift our vision from what we see from our eyes to what remains unseen to them, hence देखूं मैं उस पार ...............
When people start walking on the spiritual path , what happens is just an amazing experience, it is more profound if you can see, hear and meditate on the master directly. Then life starts becoming a celebration. Every day is a festival and every moment is an expression of joy.

The whole idea here is to express those moments of great joy and gratitude which we have experienced in our lives.