In another life
Life is fragile. Fickle. And momentary.
The candle burns away- leaving blobs of wax, and smoke. The light does not outlast the candle. But it can.
One candle may light up one or ten or a hundred or several thousands of other candles. Each of these can then spread the same light. And spread the warmth that defines life.
A happy life is a meaningful life.
A happy life is a life of pleasure and pain, of engagement and of anticipation, of living- and dying each moment.
A happy life is a life of significance. Like the candle...
The energy of the Universe is finite, just as the entropy of the Universe is finite. When one life is extinguished another one sprouts up somewhere else.
The soil toils for the plant that grows and the leaves that fall finally return the elements to the soil that generated it. The life forms do the same at another plane... They are born, they grow and they die- merging finally in the pool that generates another being some place, some time.
Birth and death are simply means of cycling the energy in this vast Universe. We know but a figment of this vast firmament.
We may let out light die away and merge with the elements. Or we may consciously light up several others who feel life is a significant force and indeed make this life a significant force.
Headed for each other . . .
What would be the difference between hapiness and contentment?
One does not need millions to be happy.
One does not need a massive mansion to be happy.
One does not need a soft cushioned bed to be happy.
All that you need is to have the peace of mind that gives you the freedom to leave everything to God ( did you see the begging vessel?) and allow yourself to sleep. Sleep with not a worry to crease your forehead. Sleep with not a thought to what tomorrow will bring.
Perhaps tomorrow will be better. Perhaps it will be the same.But who the hell cares?
There are people who will live every day like they lived every yesterday. And every day prior to that.
They will pass their days as if nothing matters.
Then there are those who pass each day in wonder that the life is, the rewards it brings, they celebrate each little victory. And find their happiness in the air. They find their joy in their daughter's kiss and their son's hug. They find their joy in the cold when they breathe out smoke on cold cold ice creams, and in the heat when the first rain makes everything around them smell so wonderful that...
Yes... happiness is a funny thing. It alights on your shoulder if you only stop. And pause a moment. If you try to run after it and catch it- it will fly away, never to be caught.
You cannot find your happiness trying to run after it. You find your happiness in your own garden, in the dust and the grime of everyday living, and working and winning and... finally being able to sleep the moment you hit the pillow.
Happiness expands your brain!
Happiness expands your brain! Yes! It truly does.
An experiment was carried out with some simian creatures behind bars. To survive, these creatures from our evolutionary past were required to consume 240 pellets of food every hour. Unfortunately, these pellets are located outside the cage, in minute holes. In the beginning, it takes the monkey about thirty seconds to reach for the pellets through the bars and grab them, and another few seconds to actually bring the same pellets to your mouth. If the task cannot be completed faster, the monkeys would starve to death.
After about 500 tries, the monkeys actually became more expert at retrieving the pellets, and a much larger part of their brain lit up on scanning during the task. And this active part of the brain became progressively bigger, and bigger, and bigger!
And the study with the London cabbies proved beyond doubt that the spatial orientation areas opf the brain- the hippocampus- is much larger than an average hman's hippocampus.
It appears that practice does indeed ,ake you perfect! So if you practice being excellent, you expand the areas of ypour brain involved in being excellent and become more of it.
If you practice being happy, you expand the happiness areas of your brain, too!
Happiness seems to serve a bigger evolutionary purpose than just making it making it momentarily good, better best for us.
The negative emotions evoke a fight or flight response. Very limited options. And not very friendly for survival, let alone growth.
The positive emotions, on the other hand, expand our options, too. Happiness broadens our thinking and allows us to think more creatively, and build more intellectual, social and physical resources. These resources improve nopt only our chances of survival but actually help us thrive much better.
Happy people have a much bigger peripheral vision! So they are able to observe more in their surrounding. The visual cortex in the happy people is much bigger than normal people. A positive survival benefit.
And revisiting the Markonokoff''s rule- The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer still.
So happy becomes more happy.
And successful becomes more successful.
And...Happiness... makes... a lot of sense...
So- BE HAPPY!!!
Waiting for no one . . .
I am old.
I am tired.
I wait.
I have waited since etrnity.
I shall wait till infinity.
Reaching for the sky, a tree tells its tale of holding an entire Universe in the grasp of a hand. One just has to reach out. And the Universe accepts us.
Our bodies model the macro cosmos with graceful fidelity.
Every cell is connected to every other cell. Each unit is independent and related...
The day dawns, and casts its shadows into the evening that drifts into the night. Nature moves relentlessly. untiringly.
Are we up to it?
Monarch effect...
A butterfly fluttering its tiny wings in the Sub-Sahara African forest can trigger a Cyclone in the Pacific Ocean.
Surprised?
This is the Monarch effect. The air envelope around our planet is a single continuum. It is almost like a pulling the edge of a sheet. It is bound to create creases at the far end.
It is not how tiny the butterfly is, it is how significant the connection is!
The Earth is like a gigantic creature... rumbling and breathing. Rolling and crying. And spinning. Anything that happens anywhere on the earth has its impact everywhere. We are just not vast enough to see it happen.
We need to step back from the insignificant, realise our role in the macro-cosmos that surrounds us and is pulsating with a life force that defies description.
We need to realise that we are as significant as the Monarch butterfly.
We need to realise that each small act of kindness ripples into a veritable wave of warmth that can change the way the winds blow. Anywhere on the globe!
We must also understand that each act of savagery has an impact in equal measure as that of kindness but can cause immeasurable damage. It can fracture Nature. And these fractures are not so easy to heal. They leave scars.
Can we make that choice with all our mind and awareness? Can we let anything else matter?
Theory of Relativity
Time is relative... And it is not time that passes but we that move through time. Time is like another ordinate to define an event in the Universe. And appears to be a covenient frame of refrence for a short-lived momentary bubble in the vast ocean of the Universe.
Consider the paradox of Time. No one has been documented to travel at any speed faster than light. We have not been able to 'find' any sign of 'intelligent' life to the limits of our observable universe. The nearest galaxy is several hundred to thousands of light years away. So the light that reaches any intelligent life TODAY would have escaped the earth several thousand years ago. For any observer TODAY in that remote corner of the Universe, we would still be having dinosaurs roaming the earth's surface. Time would simply be a co-ordinate to depict the point in the Universe where the LIGHT originated!!
Given the vast scales involved this momentary bubble of life in space time is really insignificantly infinitsimally tiny. For us, a life time that is
a few decades is but a minute moment in the life of the Universe.
We are so full of ourselves that we use our frame of refrence for all comparisions and overlook the fact that were we to scale the Time line of the Universe to a day, we humans have been around for less than an hour!
So... each of us owes it to the tiny moments we are going to spend here to make each moment meaningful.
Let each moment defne just how much impact a single sentient being CAN have on the Universe.
Let each moment leave the world a better and brighter place...
What do you do when...?
There are times when everything seems to stand still.
There are times when every day is the same as if nothing really happened the day before- or the day after.
There are days when the sun rises and sets and the earth moves just the same and nothing really happens.
These are the days when you must stop. Breathe. Breathe deeply. Step back and watch like a spectator.
Can you make yourself expect the unexpected? Can you make the unexpected happen? Can you muster enough gumption and breath to make the unexpected happen?
Can things change? Will they change?
Things do change. It only takes a little bit of effort to stick to it. A little. Just a bit.
The sun will rise again. The day will dawn again. And as Scarlet O'Hara always said, "Tomorrow will be another day."
And tomorrow will be.
There are times when every day is the same as if nothing really happened the day before- or the day after.
There are days when the sun rises and sets and the earth moves just the same and nothing really happens.
These are the days when you must stop. Breathe. Breathe deeply. Step back and watch like a spectator.
Can you make yourself expect the unexpected? Can you make the unexpected happen? Can you muster enough gumption and breath to make the unexpected happen?
Can things change? Will they change?
Things do change. It only takes a little bit of effort to stick to it. A little. Just a bit.
The sun will rise again. The day will dawn again. And as Scarlet O'Hara always said, "Tomorrow will be another day."
And tomorrow will be.
What kind of a parent are you?
What would you do?
Give out your index finger and make the child grip it?
Or would you make sure you had a good grip on your child's tender hand, irrespective of the child's grip?
These tiny hands are always curled to hold. This is nature's way of securing them. A tiny infant's grip can be so tight as to require even a strong adult some effort to free themselves. And the hold is completely natural and reflex. The child does not think (s)he has to hold your hand. You simply put your finger to the palm of the child and the fingers curl up into a most endearing and tight grip you are likely to encounter in your life.
But... a child is not strong enough to keep holding on. And may leave your hand when distracted by a sight or even a sound that captures its fancy. And any sight or sound can capture their imagination
And... they let go...
Then there is the parent who holds the child's hand. Tight. Almost too tight. The more the child tries to free the hand held by this parent, the tighter the grip becomes... And the parent KNOWS...
NOT TO LET GO...
It is easy to provide the comfort to the innocence and allow the child to hold on. The result may be tragic at times- in a flash, the child will be carried away by the waves of a tsunami or a flash flood. The waters of time will be relentless. And the child, powerless. The parent... helpless.
It is more difficult to hold on. Sometimes despite the resistance by the struggling child. Gentle. And firm. In a moment of crisis, the parent thinks only of the progeny.
The Father does not let go.
The Mother holds on despite the odds.
The parents gather supernatural powers from the nature to KEEP their child, nature's child, safe.
So, what kind of a parent are you?
Leave it all behind
No one can walk alone... so our shadows walk with us. Our shadows inspire us with their depth and with their fidelity.
However, shadows, too need a little light. And they fall away from the light.
If there is no light, there is no shadow. If there is too much light right overhead, there is no shadow!
The days may be dark and overcast... but the presence of the shadow indicates that the light is around- somewhere- close enough to create the shadow. The shadow teaches us to go on...
Yet, when darkness takes over, even the shadow disappears. Each of us must walk the darkest hour alone.
Find our strength.
Know that the darkest hour is just before dawn breaks into a riot of colours.
Know that we are never alone.
Know that the spirit knows what it needs to see, hear and feel.
Know that the darkness has its own lessons to teach.
Know that the shadow, and the smile, will penetrate any darkness.
That darkness is not an entity, it is the absence of light. And light is the most basic form of energy in the Universe. Light is always near... very near..
If I could say to you...
If I could say to you that you will find your Self inside you, I would.
If I could say that you will find your Love inside your heart, I would.
If I could say that life must run a full circle and bring its joys and sorrows to everyone, I would.
If I could say that I love you, I would!
If I could... I would...
Since Time began, we are here to occupy our Space on the World's stage. We will play our own roles and pass on. Some of us will remember some figments of a life past and of the future. Most of us will live mindlessly and move on. Time does not move on. We do. And whatever we do, have done or will do is all in the Space around us, just waiting for us to reach out and touch. Everything that has ever happened in the Universe or is happening or will happen is actually in the collective memory of the Universe. And all this requires simply that we open all our senses to be able to receive.
Our lives are meant to give us an opportunity to love and devote. Our lives are meant for the soul to travel through Time and Space and discover the wonder that each of us is.
We may be able to find our purpose or die in the search.
The purpose is simply to be happy, joyous and find bliss. This, for some is in the family, for a few in their work and for many in the money they have in this day and age. The Bliss may be found in life, in love and in living each moment as if there will be no other.
So I want to say to you to open your heart and see life for what it is.
And I want to say to you to take your heart to places it has not ventured before and do things it has not done before.
And I want to say to you that you MUST take your time to live, learn and wipe a tear dry; that you must take your time to live, learn and bring a smile to a face.
And that life is waiting. Catch her hand and start walking. You will find yourself.
If I could say that you will find your Love inside your heart, I would.
If I could say that life must run a full circle and bring its joys and sorrows to everyone, I would.
If I could say that I love you, I would!
If I could... I would...
Since Time began, we are here to occupy our Space on the World's stage. We will play our own roles and pass on. Some of us will remember some figments of a life past and of the future. Most of us will live mindlessly and move on. Time does not move on. We do. And whatever we do, have done or will do is all in the Space around us, just waiting for us to reach out and touch. Everything that has ever happened in the Universe or is happening or will happen is actually in the collective memory of the Universe. And all this requires simply that we open all our senses to be able to receive.
Our lives are meant to give us an opportunity to love and devote. Our lives are meant for the soul to travel through Time and Space and discover the wonder that each of us is.
We may be able to find our purpose or die in the search.
The purpose is simply to be happy, joyous and find bliss. This, for some is in the family, for a few in their work and for many in the money they have in this day and age. The Bliss may be found in life, in love and in living each moment as if there will be no other.
So I want to say to you to open your heart and see life for what it is.
And I want to say to you to take your heart to places it has not ventured before and do things it has not done before.
And I want to say to you that you MUST take your time to live, learn and wipe a tear dry; that you must take your time to live, learn and bring a smile to a face.
And that life is waiting. Catch her hand and start walking. You will find yourself.
A split second...
Everything was over. A split second had changed her life, irrevocably. As a dancer she was a legend. The key word being WAS. Her dancing career was over. Or was it?
She saw it coming but could only helplessly be carried by the momentum of the moment.
Sakshi was driving her Jazz and feeling great about life that wonderful winter morning in the outskirts of Delhi.
The winter nip chilled the tip of her nose. The soft music wafting from the car stereo set her mind to a much slower pace than she was used to.
At twenty something life is always full of promise. And if you are talented and love what you do, it is difficult to walk. The step has a bounce and the heart is heady with the spirited existence. The world is beautiful, green and sunny. And you are invincible. The smile is more a part of your face than the make-up you put on. And makes you more beautiful, too.
The dance program this evening was completely sold out. The reviews of the previous one were pegging this to be an event to be watched. It was the kick-off to the Fashion Week. The talk of the town, however, was not the fashion but the dancer.
At the centre of this Universe of stars of various shapes, colors, sizes and luminosity was Sakshi.
Beautiful. Graceful. Floating.
Her mind was drifting from one thought to another but she was strangely at peace. She could not identify each thought that came to the stage of her mind and clamored for attention... smiled gently... and walked away... She was happy...
Then she saw it. The truck coming at her in the wrong lane was hurtling out of control. It had veered a few yards ago and jumped the divider as effortlessly as a doberman jumping a garden fence. There was a moment when it appeared to be toppling over, and then it landed with a thud on all four wheels and sharply went out of control.
Fascinated, Sakshi watched. Time was moving as if in slow motion. She was at the centre of a vortex. Everything around her was turbulent, but she was strangely in the eye of the storm and watched every passing second as if from above. She was being carried inexorably by the whirlwind right into the lorry. Or was the lorry being carried to her toy car?
Her foot lifted off the accelerator slowly, ever so s-l-o-w-l-y, moved a graceful arc in the air and came to rest on the brake. It seemed like eternity. She had heard it said that in the moment of death, everything slows down and the entire life flashes in front of your eyes. It did. Her mother's tears as she won her first Interschool Dance Competition at the age of 6, her father's smile as he proudly picked her up and high above his head on the way back home, her brother wanting to play with her at the end of her dance class and her grandmother's concern that she would be tired. Everything was as if a movie were playing on her windscreen. Yet, this movie did not prevent her eyes from seeing the oncoming truck.
In the moment that she finally braked, the lorry rammed into her.
Her last memory was of the look of horror on the face of the lorry driver.
Then it was all blackness. She passed out.
She saw it coming but could only helplessly be carried by the momentum of the moment.
Sakshi was driving her Jazz and feeling great about life that wonderful winter morning in the outskirts of Delhi.
The winter nip chilled the tip of her nose. The soft music wafting from the car stereo set her mind to a much slower pace than she was used to.
At twenty something life is always full of promise. And if you are talented and love what you do, it is difficult to walk. The step has a bounce and the heart is heady with the spirited existence. The world is beautiful, green and sunny. And you are invincible. The smile is more a part of your face than the make-up you put on. And makes you more beautiful, too.
The dance program this evening was completely sold out. The reviews of the previous one were pegging this to be an event to be watched. It was the kick-off to the Fashion Week. The talk of the town, however, was not the fashion but the dancer.
At the centre of this Universe of stars of various shapes, colors, sizes and luminosity was Sakshi.
Beautiful. Graceful. Floating.
Her mind was drifting from one thought to another but she was strangely at peace. She could not identify each thought that came to the stage of her mind and clamored for attention... smiled gently... and walked away... She was happy...
Then she saw it. The truck coming at her in the wrong lane was hurtling out of control. It had veered a few yards ago and jumped the divider as effortlessly as a doberman jumping a garden fence. There was a moment when it appeared to be toppling over, and then it landed with a thud on all four wheels and sharply went out of control.
Fascinated, Sakshi watched. Time was moving as if in slow motion. She was at the centre of a vortex. Everything around her was turbulent, but she was strangely in the eye of the storm and watched every passing second as if from above. She was being carried inexorably by the whirlwind right into the lorry. Or was the lorry being carried to her toy car?
Her foot lifted off the accelerator slowly, ever so s-l-o-w-l-y, moved a graceful arc in the air and came to rest on the brake. It seemed like eternity. She had heard it said that in the moment of death, everything slows down and the entire life flashes in front of your eyes. It did. Her mother's tears as she won her first Interschool Dance Competition at the age of 6, her father's smile as he proudly picked her up and high above his head on the way back home, her brother wanting to play with her at the end of her dance class and her grandmother's concern that she would be tired. Everything was as if a movie were playing on her windscreen. Yet, this movie did not prevent her eyes from seeing the oncoming truck.
In the moment that she finally braked, the lorry rammed into her.
Her last memory was of the look of horror on the face of the lorry driver.
Then it was all blackness. She passed out.
Riot of Colors
Has the dawn broken?
The morning is where love is... and family and life.
The earth moves on its own axis and does so relentlessly. Ha done so since times unknown to us. We are but a figment in this firmament. And we will also pass into the wind and the dust- merge with the elements we came from.
Each dawn is beautiful simply because we open our eyes to the possibility of another day that can bring us to and bring to us another day of appreciating life for the wonder that it is. Each day breaks - for those who choose to wake up and see the world with eyes that are open.
EAch day brings its beauty for those who have love in their life.
EAch day brings its glory for those who will only open their eyes to see!
Each time we lay eyes upon a loved one, each time we think of a moment that brings a smile, each time we find our thoughts drifting to a memory that defined our life, a new dawn is breaking in our hearts.
And each dawn is beautiful and powerful only because someone is making it so in their life, in their experience.
Love each day.
Love each sunrise.
Love.
Live.
See.
Experience.
Choices...
We had, in the last post explored a situation in which some boys were playing on an old unused rail track when one of them discovers the thrill of being on a shiny new track. The problem with being on this one is, however, that the gleam of the new metal hides in its shine the possibility of an oncoming train that can cause death. The children belong to a village where the village elders have built tales around the track to protect their young. They have legends to scare teh young away from the new track as well as to keep them close to the village by the rails of the old track. This track is too old to have any strength to carry a train. Yet, it is strong enough to bind the villge in its metallic grip and keep it and its inhabitants 'in'.
One boy, only one, is able to withstand the peer pressure and stay on the old track when the rest follow the glitter and the glamour. He is able to stand his ground and stay true to his nature. He is able to stand alone and also make the effort to call back his mates and warn them of impending danger. His words fall on deaf ears, his friends are blinded by the glitter. They do not come back.
The oncoming train is hurtling towards the boys- full steam ahead.
The driver sees the four boys on this track. He sees one on the other. His mind does a quick calculation... 4 is to one. And then, logic takes over. It is not a question of 4 and one. It is, rather, a question of the six hundred and forty eight in the train he drives that have left their lives in his hands... He must not endanger those lives.
If he moves the train from this track to that, the four boys will definitely be safe. The one who stood his ground, the one who had the strength of character to resist the temptation of glitter and glamour, will surely die.
The train may trundle along to a dangerous halt on the decrepit track or get derailed. But... these four will survive. And THAT one will be dead. And all those passengers, too may find their lives hanging in the balance. They may survive if God is with teh driver. They may die if Fate takes over.
Suddenly time seems to slow down for the driver. HE is trying to brake the speed with every little ounce of strength in his sinews and each little bead of sweat on his forehead- bunched over his brows in intense concentration.
Will he be able to stop in time?
Will he divert the train to the old unused track and risk all his passengers?
Will he ?
Well... This driver does what is obvious even to a teenager...
He stays on this track.
And he saves the nearly six hundred and fifty, and he saves the one who has the strength of character to resist glitter and who has the wisdom to stay safe.
As for the ones who ventured into the dangerous and the unsafe.
One boy, only one, is able to withstand the peer pressure and stay on the old track when the rest follow the glitter and the glamour. He is able to stand his ground and stay true to his nature. He is able to stand alone and also make the effort to call back his mates and warn them of impending danger. His words fall on deaf ears, his friends are blinded by the glitter. They do not come back.
The oncoming train is hurtling towards the boys- full steam ahead.
The driver sees the four boys on this track. He sees one on the other. His mind does a quick calculation... 4 is to one. And then, logic takes over. It is not a question of 4 and one. It is, rather, a question of the six hundred and forty eight in the train he drives that have left their lives in his hands... He must not endanger those lives.
If he moves the train from this track to that, the four boys will definitely be safe. The one who stood his ground, the one who had the strength of character to resist the temptation of glitter and glamour, will surely die.
The train may trundle along to a dangerous halt on the decrepit track or get derailed. But... these four will survive. And THAT one will be dead. And all those passengers, too may find their lives hanging in the balance. They may survive if God is with teh driver. They may die if Fate takes over.
Suddenly time seems to slow down for the driver. HE is trying to brake the speed with every little ounce of strength in his sinews and each little bead of sweat on his forehead- bunched over his brows in intense concentration.
Will he be able to stop in time?
Will he divert the train to the old unused track and risk all his passengers?
Will he ?
Well... This driver does what is obvious even to a teenager...
He stays on this track.
And he saves the nearly six hundred and fifty, and he saves the one who has the strength of character to resist glitter and who has the wisdom to stay safe.
As for the ones who ventured into the dangerous and the unsafe.
Choices...
Imagine...
Imagine... That there is a faraway place largely untouched by outsiders. Largely, because it is somewhat affected by the train that passes on the new track. The old decrepit track tells the unwritten tales of the past. The children here still run free and explore the nature around. They roam everywhere except the new train track.
The children hear it from the elders that Nature nurtures everywhere- except the new train track.
They hear it and drink it with their milk that the new train track is like the devil- it will steal the soul of those who venture on it.
And this is just as well. The trains do follow a time-table of sorts. But the villagers still tell the time of the day by the position of the sun and still travel by the horse and bull pulled carts. They are contented living within the dusty by-lanes of a rustic neighbourhood that nurtures their soul.
There are, however, always the rebels. Always those that are curious to see beyond, walk beyond, run beyond... REACH beyond...
One day, on a bright sunny morning, a group of five children walked to the out-skirts of the village. Their eyes could reach much farther than their tiny bodies, their little hands and their small feet.
Are you still imagining?
The children were playing on the old track. This was a safe place. The train would not travel on this one... Though still connected to the main new track, it was weak and dangerous for the trains. That, itself made it safe for everyone else.
What is a lump of flesh for some in the form of a larva, is the beginning of a butterfly for the others. It depends upon the perspective.
One child ran to catch the ball that had landed on the new track. This track was very much more attractive for him. It glistened in the sun. It seemed to reach infinity in the horizon. The boards of wood seemed to hold the two rails together, yet apart. These boards were strong and new. They were weathered and resilient. Everything about this track was vitality and enigma. New and attractive.
Everything about the old track was... dull and dying.
Ramesh, the one who had run after the ball yelled in obvious amazement, " Babu, Ram, Keval, Rattan, come here... look... how magnificent and shiny this track is!"
His voice beckoned his friends, alluring them to an experience that they knew could be dangerous.
Keval, however, was a disciplined boy. He always thought before he did anything. He always considered tradition before jumping headlong into the unknown. He always considered the word of the elders before he took a step away from home. He was sincere. He was strong. He believed he could do anything if he had the blessings of the Gods above and the Elders below.
Keval spoke up," Ramesh, this track can be dangerous. we MUST not play on it... It ,may thrill for a while but sooner or later, the train will come trundling along and carry us all to the infinity that seems to be alluring you! Come back to the old track. We are safe here."
Ramesh had a strange shine in his eyes. Glazed and mesmerised by the attractiveness of the moment, he was blind and deaf to any other advice. And he prevailed.
Ramesh and the other three began running on the new track, oblivious of the oncoming train. It was as if the track was actually directing them to their Destiny and Fate.
Keval was left alone. Dejected and desolate, he tried to make sense to the unhearing ears, unseeing eyes...
Now imagine...
The Driver in the oncoming train sees the children playing on the track. He is desperate. He blows the whistle. It goes unheeded. The train is inching closer every moment. The children are too happy to let anything else interfere with their moment of pleasure.
The Driver knows he has to do something, or four innocent children will die. His eyes dart from the instrument panel in front of him to the track with the children. Then his eyes swing like the pendulum and see the track running parallel to this one. There is one child there.
The driver knows that the track cannot support the weight of this train.
All the six hundred and forty eight passengers along with his crew are in danger, if he stops too suddenly because his train might get derailed.
If he does not stop, the four children on the track will definitely die.
If he changes the track... there is one child there. He, too will not survive- but the driver would have saved four children, sacrificing one!
Are you still on the track? Or in the driver's chair? Can you imagine the scene in front of you?
What would you do?
Would you stay on track, and kill the four children?
Would you change track and kill one child?
Would you try to stop suddenly... and risk derailment?
Imagine....
What would you do????
Answers later...
Imagine... That there is a faraway place largely untouched by outsiders. Largely, because it is somewhat affected by the train that passes on the new track. The old decrepit track tells the unwritten tales of the past. The children here still run free and explore the nature around. They roam everywhere except the new train track.
The children hear it from the elders that Nature nurtures everywhere- except the new train track.
They hear it and drink it with their milk that the new train track is like the devil- it will steal the soul of those who venture on it.
And this is just as well. The trains do follow a time-table of sorts. But the villagers still tell the time of the day by the position of the sun and still travel by the horse and bull pulled carts. They are contented living within the dusty by-lanes of a rustic neighbourhood that nurtures their soul.
There are, however, always the rebels. Always those that are curious to see beyond, walk beyond, run beyond... REACH beyond...
One day, on a bright sunny morning, a group of five children walked to the out-skirts of the village. Their eyes could reach much farther than their tiny bodies, their little hands and their small feet.
Are you still imagining?
The children were playing on the old track. This was a safe place. The train would not travel on this one... Though still connected to the main new track, it was weak and dangerous for the trains. That, itself made it safe for everyone else.
What is a lump of flesh for some in the form of a larva, is the beginning of a butterfly for the others. It depends upon the perspective.
One child ran to catch the ball that had landed on the new track. This track was very much more attractive for him. It glistened in the sun. It seemed to reach infinity in the horizon. The boards of wood seemed to hold the two rails together, yet apart. These boards were strong and new. They were weathered and resilient. Everything about this track was vitality and enigma. New and attractive.
Everything about the old track was... dull and dying.
Ramesh, the one who had run after the ball yelled in obvious amazement, " Babu, Ram, Keval, Rattan, come here... look... how magnificent and shiny this track is!"
His voice beckoned his friends, alluring them to an experience that they knew could be dangerous.
Keval, however, was a disciplined boy. He always thought before he did anything. He always considered tradition before jumping headlong into the unknown. He always considered the word of the elders before he took a step away from home. He was sincere. He was strong. He believed he could do anything if he had the blessings of the Gods above and the Elders below.
Keval spoke up," Ramesh, this track can be dangerous. we MUST not play on it... It ,may thrill for a while but sooner or later, the train will come trundling along and carry us all to the infinity that seems to be alluring you! Come back to the old track. We are safe here."
Ramesh had a strange shine in his eyes. Glazed and mesmerised by the attractiveness of the moment, he was blind and deaf to any other advice. And he prevailed.
Ramesh and the other three began running on the new track, oblivious of the oncoming train. It was as if the track was actually directing them to their Destiny and Fate.
Keval was left alone. Dejected and desolate, he tried to make sense to the unhearing ears, unseeing eyes...
Now imagine...
The Driver in the oncoming train sees the children playing on the track. He is desperate. He blows the whistle. It goes unheeded. The train is inching closer every moment. The children are too happy to let anything else interfere with their moment of pleasure.
The Driver knows he has to do something, or four innocent children will die. His eyes dart from the instrument panel in front of him to the track with the children. Then his eyes swing like the pendulum and see the track running parallel to this one. There is one child there.
The driver knows that the track cannot support the weight of this train.
All the six hundred and forty eight passengers along with his crew are in danger, if he stops too suddenly because his train might get derailed.
If he does not stop, the four children on the track will definitely die.
If he changes the track... there is one child there. He, too will not survive- but the driver would have saved four children, sacrificing one!
Are you still on the track? Or in the driver's chair? Can you imagine the scene in front of you?
What would you do?
Would you stay on track, and kill the four children?
Would you change track and kill one child?
Would you try to stop suddenly... and risk derailment?
Imagine....
What would you do????
Answers later...
Lead your family
A family is defined in our text-books of family and preventive medicine... a family is a group of people of the same blood line and living under the same roof. There are two exceptions to this rule. A wife is not of the same blood-line but she is what defines and shapes the ethos of a family. A servant is not of the same blood-line but shares the same roof.
A family is a group of people that shares values and goals. They share dreams and aspirations. They have similar interests and likings. They often, have the same tastes and dislikes, too. They define the quality of the family life by whether they are together in love or a losely thrown together group of people who simply share the roof but not the air they breathe.
Families need to share togetherness, love and they need to share values and dreams. This has to be done- it takes time, and effort, and dedication, and commitment. It is helped by a shared prayer and a shared feeding time. It is strengthened by unequivocal and uncontestably clear value statement. Certain things MUST be clearly spelledout for the family.
We will pray together.
We will eat dinner together.
We will not cheat or lie.
We will not sleep over a difference.
We will not let the sun rise AND set on a fight.
We will BE together- no matter what.
We will rally behind whoever needs our support in any situation...
We will share our aspirations clearly.
We will not hesitate to express love.
We will not let anyomne be wronged.
We will work together.
We will work together to build a better world!
And it starts at HOME, with a family.
One parent has to take on the role of the leader. One parent has to allow for the family to begin growing. One parent must set the tone for a common platform to be clear. If both parents can be on the pedestal together, these families will create citizens to be proud of. And if there is one that CAN take on this role, the other needs to support this one.
We need to live our lives not pass them. Ants also live- and they live very well.
They work together- lifting many times their weight; they leave everything and lift an injured family member to safety. They work hard. they collect what is essential for their inclement season.
We need to live better.
We need to create a culture of leadership that begins in homes and grows in the nation.
A family is a group of people that shares values and goals. They share dreams and aspirations. They have similar interests and likings. They often, have the same tastes and dislikes, too. They define the quality of the family life by whether they are together in love or a losely thrown together group of people who simply share the roof but not the air they breathe.
Families need to share togetherness, love and they need to share values and dreams. This has to be done- it takes time, and effort, and dedication, and commitment. It is helped by a shared prayer and a shared feeding time. It is strengthened by unequivocal and uncontestably clear value statement. Certain things MUST be clearly spelledout for the family.
We will pray together.
We will eat dinner together.
We will not cheat or lie.
We will not sleep over a difference.
We will not let the sun rise AND set on a fight.
We will BE together- no matter what.
We will rally behind whoever needs our support in any situation...
We will share our aspirations clearly.
We will not hesitate to express love.
We will not let anyomne be wronged.
We will work together.
We will work together to build a better world!
And it starts at HOME, with a family.
One parent has to take on the role of the leader. One parent has to allow for the family to begin growing. One parent must set the tone for a common platform to be clear. If both parents can be on the pedestal together, these families will create citizens to be proud of. And if there is one that CAN take on this role, the other needs to support this one.
We need to live our lives not pass them. Ants also live- and they live very well.
They work together- lifting many times their weight; they leave everything and lift an injured family member to safety. They work hard. they collect what is essential for their inclement season.
We need to live better.
We need to create a culture of leadership that begins in homes and grows in the nation.
Cinderella rubbed floors!
Cinderalla rubbed floors, she cooked food and she did the laundary. When she could, she dreamed.
She dreamed of attending the Royal Ball. Not because she had an lofty notions about herself but because it would take her away from drudgery for an evening. She wanted a break!!
And she wanted happiness.
Some tasks appear small but when one does them, they show how truly massive the effort is in doing them. There are other tasks that appear mammoth... but in effect, when we get down to really doing them, they appear sooooo easy!
When we were young children, 7 or 8 years old, our parents used to take us for regular morning walks. We used to walk 5-7 km each day in our summer vacations. It used to be one BIG GIGANTIC walk for us. Sometimes, we would just want to give up. Then, Dad would say, very matter if factly, "Just count ten steps".
We would walk ten, counting each step. With utmost concentration. We would stop. And breathe deeply. Our sweat soaking our eyes and stinging them. Each breath tearing through our system as if there is no passage for it to exit except by tearing through!
My father would calmly say, "Count ten more. Then ten more. You will soon reach the destination."
A very simple process! It breaks up a difficult and daunting task into several small ones. It sets up small targets- easy to achieve. The small jobs done also mean the positive re-enforcement comes quickly in small but tangible bursts of energy. Each burst of energy provides a better and firmer push towards the final goal.
Attend the Royal Ball.
Walk the ten steps.
Dance with the Prince.
Walk ten more steps.
Reach home before twelve!
Reach home!!
That is what Dory also says in Finding Nemo... Keep on swimming... Just keep on swimming...
So... who is going for the party tonight??
She dreamed of attending the Royal Ball. Not because she had an lofty notions about herself but because it would take her away from drudgery for an evening. She wanted a break!!
And she wanted happiness.
Some tasks appear small but when one does them, they show how truly massive the effort is in doing them. There are other tasks that appear mammoth... but in effect, when we get down to really doing them, they appear sooooo easy!
When we were young children, 7 or 8 years old, our parents used to take us for regular morning walks. We used to walk 5-7 km each day in our summer vacations. It used to be one BIG GIGANTIC walk for us. Sometimes, we would just want to give up. Then, Dad would say, very matter if factly, "Just count ten steps".
We would walk ten, counting each step. With utmost concentration. We would stop. And breathe deeply. Our sweat soaking our eyes and stinging them. Each breath tearing through our system as if there is no passage for it to exit except by tearing through!
My father would calmly say, "Count ten more. Then ten more. You will soon reach the destination."
A very simple process! It breaks up a difficult and daunting task into several small ones. It sets up small targets- easy to achieve. The small jobs done also mean the positive re-enforcement comes quickly in small but tangible bursts of energy. Each burst of energy provides a better and firmer push towards the final goal.
Attend the Royal Ball.
Walk the ten steps.
Dance with the Prince.
Walk ten more steps.
Reach home before twelve!
Reach home!!
That is what Dory also says in Finding Nemo... Keep on swimming... Just keep on swimming...
So... who is going for the party tonight??
Flat line means Death!
In the EKG (or, if you are in teh UK, ECG), flat line loudly proclaims death. The ups and the downs are what define life, and activity. However, the sharp lines symbolic of life are definition of a physical presence, not a spiritual existence. The spirit does not trace sharps. It writes in gentle curves. It knows no pain and delivers none. The letter Aum is only curves... It is the sound that preceded existence and the sound that will survive beyond eternity- Sanatan. Eternal. Truth.
The spiritual practices in everyday living round off the sharps and give gentle rocking curves that nurture teh body and allow the soul a journey that it is meant to have. Everyday spirituality does not mean dedicating fixed time to prayer or renouncing the world. Everyday spirituality means being true to your Soul Purpose. It means doing what you do with full intention and complete body, mind and soul. It means being present in the moment, each moment. It means performing everyday tasks with sincere gratitude- that we have the task to perform! And with diginity- that each task defines and colours our living experience.
Spiritual sincerity at the kitchen sink, in the bath, while driving or while talking to a friend helps to eliminate sharps, cut extremes. It introduces curves in life. It moderates the breath and modulates the mind. It puts us in resonance with our energy. It magnifies teh life force available to us. Chanting helps us focus our energies more efficiently. It helps us to focus our mind to a point. The NOW.
The trace from birth to death is to be a line of bliss and happiness for the soul. The journey is frought with difficulties and apparent distractions. We need to remember, however, that obstacles are those tiny things that take our sights away from the goal, away from the task at hand. Any chant brings about Unity of mind, word and action- Manasa, Vacha, Karma. for Valmiki, it was Maramaramaramaram..... ; for a mother it may be her child's welfare; for a lover, it may be those magical three words- I love you!
The Zero, the shoonya needs to be experienced to realise the resonance that is possible in life. The Universe also appears tpo be shaped like a warp- a zero! The rounding off of the edges brings bliss, joy and achievement.
Why must the bliss be attained after death in the flat line of ECG? Why can it not be attained in life with single mindedness of purpose?
The line of death is simply a line. A line when alone is unity... but is single. To magnify its value, it needs attachment! Attachment to zero. To nothing, and to nothingness. The curvature of the zero magnifies teh energy of Unity to infinity... In themselves, ech alone has little or no value.
This seems to be the ultimate journey of the soul in the human body... to achieve union of the Unity with the shoonya.
This appears to be the The Soul Journey... from birth to death, form unity, through zero to eternity...
Embark. Enjoy.
The spiritual practices in everyday living round off the sharps and give gentle rocking curves that nurture teh body and allow the soul a journey that it is meant to have. Everyday spirituality does not mean dedicating fixed time to prayer or renouncing the world. Everyday spirituality means being true to your Soul Purpose. It means doing what you do with full intention and complete body, mind and soul. It means being present in the moment, each moment. It means performing everyday tasks with sincere gratitude- that we have the task to perform! And with diginity- that each task defines and colours our living experience.
Spiritual sincerity at the kitchen sink, in the bath, while driving or while talking to a friend helps to eliminate sharps, cut extremes. It introduces curves in life. It moderates the breath and modulates the mind. It puts us in resonance with our energy. It magnifies teh life force available to us. Chanting helps us focus our energies more efficiently. It helps us to focus our mind to a point. The NOW.
The trace from birth to death is to be a line of bliss and happiness for the soul. The journey is frought with difficulties and apparent distractions. We need to remember, however, that obstacles are those tiny things that take our sights away from the goal, away from the task at hand. Any chant brings about Unity of mind, word and action- Manasa, Vacha, Karma. for Valmiki, it was Maramaramaramaram..... ; for a mother it may be her child's welfare; for a lover, it may be those magical three words- I love you!
The Zero, the shoonya needs to be experienced to realise the resonance that is possible in life. The Universe also appears tpo be shaped like a warp- a zero! The rounding off of the edges brings bliss, joy and achievement.
Why must the bliss be attained after death in the flat line of ECG? Why can it not be attained in life with single mindedness of purpose?
The line of death is simply a line. A line when alone is unity... but is single. To magnify its value, it needs attachment! Attachment to zero. To nothing, and to nothingness. The curvature of the zero magnifies teh energy of Unity to infinity... In themselves, ech alone has little or no value.
This seems to be the ultimate journey of the soul in the human body... to achieve union of the Unity with the shoonya.
This appears to be the The Soul Journey... from birth to death, form unity, through zero to eternity...
Embark. Enjoy.
Physician heal thyself
They study hard. They work harder. They dedicate their life to illness. Sometimes they rise above all this and start to think of wellness!
I have been a doctor for so long now that I cannot count the years on my fingers. I am finding myself disillusioned. Disillusioned with the profession that kills its soldiers. Disillusioned with the soldiers who are like Zombies, not humans.
Intelligent. Idiots.
The doctors spend all their life and time on making people better, battling diseases that make other 'ordinary' mortals live in fear and sometimes die with fear. What puts others out of business is precisely what defines the business of a doctor. Extraordinary!
Invincible.
And human. They also lose. Nature wins. They also lose, and the disease wins.
And one would think having studies the life processes in such minute detail would fill them with awe and reverence at the marvel that life is, and particularly the wonder that the human life is. Yet! One finds very few who feel the reverence. One finds fewer still who will acknowledge this wonder.
What does this profession do to us?
I see jealousy and narrow-mindedness all around me. I see insecure humans who pose as invincible gods and feel great when they are placed on a pedestal. Human fallacies and vanities make us all behave oddly. Most doctors are average or even below average human beings. Only the averages are higher because the baseline is higher!
People are too full of themselves to see better around themselves, and we see them in all professions. Somehow, however, we see many many more like this in medicine! Medicine, as a profession, places a lot of stresses on its practitioners and leaves very little time or energy for them to do anything else. Observe a coffee table conversation between doctors- " Wow! Man! What a case! Have you seen anything like that before?" Life moves around being doctors. Nothing else. They are not doing too well at being friends, or parents or a lot of other roles and relations that ordinary humans derive their value and strength from.
Physician... Heal thyself...
Only when you are fit and healthy, can you deliver your care in a fit and healthy manner...
I have been a doctor for so long now that I cannot count the years on my fingers. I am finding myself disillusioned. Disillusioned with the profession that kills its soldiers. Disillusioned with the soldiers who are like Zombies, not humans.
Intelligent. Idiots.
The doctors spend all their life and time on making people better, battling diseases that make other 'ordinary' mortals live in fear and sometimes die with fear. What puts others out of business is precisely what defines the business of a doctor. Extraordinary!
Invincible.
And human. They also lose. Nature wins. They also lose, and the disease wins.
And one would think having studies the life processes in such minute detail would fill them with awe and reverence at the marvel that life is, and particularly the wonder that the human life is. Yet! One finds very few who feel the reverence. One finds fewer still who will acknowledge this wonder.
What does this profession do to us?
I see jealousy and narrow-mindedness all around me. I see insecure humans who pose as invincible gods and feel great when they are placed on a pedestal. Human fallacies and vanities make us all behave oddly. Most doctors are average or even below average human beings. Only the averages are higher because the baseline is higher!
People are too full of themselves to see better around themselves, and we see them in all professions. Somehow, however, we see many many more like this in medicine! Medicine, as a profession, places a lot of stresses on its practitioners and leaves very little time or energy for them to do anything else. Observe a coffee table conversation between doctors- " Wow! Man! What a case! Have you seen anything like that before?" Life moves around being doctors. Nothing else. They are not doing too well at being friends, or parents or a lot of other roles and relations that ordinary humans derive their value and strength from.
Physician... Heal thyself...
Only when you are fit and healthy, can you deliver your care in a fit and healthy manner...
Age of innocence...
This happened so many years ago in my life that I could not tell exactly when it happened. However, the event was so explosive and the age so impressionable that I remember each detail of the episode.
It was in our doorway at home. My brother and I were soaked with sweat, having had a great game out in the garden. It was a warm summer evening. Vacation time. There was no hurry to go back home. No school next day. It was still light at around six thirty or seven in the evening.
One of my 'friends', got annoyed with me for some reason. We all turned back home. Being next door neighbors, we were walking together. Not a good idea when you are annoyed. It did not help the situation. We were in the doorway- nicely framed by it. This girl could not keep it inside! She turned and slapped me full on my face- her left hand to my right cheek.
We were being taught about the Gandhian ideals at that time. I felt the sting of the slap. I also felt the sourness of the mood. For a moment, I felt a rage rising inside me. And then, all of a sudden, it disappeared. I told this girl- Gandhi used to say if you are slapped on one cheek, you must put forth the other. Violence is not a fitting reply to violence and a slap in return will only be returned by another slap... For a child of about ten, I would say, that was remarkable.
However, before I could even turn my cheek, she turned around and slapped me on the other one! Here's one for your Gandhi! She was really upset.
Looking back on it- I can still feel the hurt. I can still see the scene as if it is playing on a screen. And I can still live all the emotions I felt.
This girl is still my friend. We can now laugh about this episode. She is now embarrassed about it. But- we can not forget it!!!!
I have been called a lot of things. After this one one more epithet was added to the string of titles I would find attached to me- Stupid!
I would have preferred Innocent. But I came to be called Stupid.
Now my son has done something he will not forget the rest of his life... He is also INNOCENT!!! And he has done something in school- where he will be facing a lot of bullying for stupidity!
Another boy asked him to splash ketchup on the classroom fan if he wants to continue to be friends with him! And he did!!!
The teacher was livid- rightfully so.
I have not seen it- but I can well imagine what the red must be looking like on the clinically white ceiling of the newly painted class-room! I asked my munna ( is there anything else I can call him after this?!) why he did that!? His reply was that the other boy said he would be friends only if Moksh did this! " What is the name of this boy?", I asked in sheer exasperation. My son's unbelievable reply,"I do not know!" He does not know who asked him. He did it because this guy told him that was the condition of friendship!!!
Such are the days of innocence! Such are the currents that we learn to swim against. Sometimes they hurt us physically like the slap, and sometimes they hurt us much deeper like the teacher screaming at my son for having done something he could not explain. At the other end of the spectrum are the children who have the fun- at teh expense of the innocent ones...
But each action generates a karmic debt or equalises it... We, the innocent are better off- being taken care of by the Guardian angels and equalising at each intersection.
It was in our doorway at home. My brother and I were soaked with sweat, having had a great game out in the garden. It was a warm summer evening. Vacation time. There was no hurry to go back home. No school next day. It was still light at around six thirty or seven in the evening.
One of my 'friends', got annoyed with me for some reason. We all turned back home. Being next door neighbors, we were walking together. Not a good idea when you are annoyed. It did not help the situation. We were in the doorway- nicely framed by it. This girl could not keep it inside! She turned and slapped me full on my face- her left hand to my right cheek.
We were being taught about the Gandhian ideals at that time. I felt the sting of the slap. I also felt the sourness of the mood. For a moment, I felt a rage rising inside me. And then, all of a sudden, it disappeared. I told this girl- Gandhi used to say if you are slapped on one cheek, you must put forth the other. Violence is not a fitting reply to violence and a slap in return will only be returned by another slap... For a child of about ten, I would say, that was remarkable.
However, before I could even turn my cheek, she turned around and slapped me on the other one! Here's one for your Gandhi! She was really upset.
Looking back on it- I can still feel the hurt. I can still see the scene as if it is playing on a screen. And I can still live all the emotions I felt.
This girl is still my friend. We can now laugh about this episode. She is now embarrassed about it. But- we can not forget it!!!!
I have been called a lot of things. After this one one more epithet was added to the string of titles I would find attached to me- Stupid!
I would have preferred Innocent. But I came to be called Stupid.
Now my son has done something he will not forget the rest of his life... He is also INNOCENT!!! And he has done something in school- where he will be facing a lot of bullying for stupidity!
Another boy asked him to splash ketchup on the classroom fan if he wants to continue to be friends with him! And he did!!!
The teacher was livid- rightfully so.
I have not seen it- but I can well imagine what the red must be looking like on the clinically white ceiling of the newly painted class-room! I asked my munna ( is there anything else I can call him after this?!) why he did that!? His reply was that the other boy said he would be friends only if Moksh did this! " What is the name of this boy?", I asked in sheer exasperation. My son's unbelievable reply,"I do not know!" He does not know who asked him. He did it because this guy told him that was the condition of friendship!!!
Such are the days of innocence! Such are the currents that we learn to swim against. Sometimes they hurt us physically like the slap, and sometimes they hurt us much deeper like the teacher screaming at my son for having done something he could not explain. At the other end of the spectrum are the children who have the fun- at teh expense of the innocent ones...
But each action generates a karmic debt or equalises it... We, the innocent are better off- being taken care of by the Guardian angels and equalising at each intersection.
Being a doctor
There are two kinds of people in the world- one who are living each moment of their life as if it were the only life-defining moment and the other, who just go on living without a thought.
In our lives as doctors, too, we encounter the two types... one who live and die with each patient they treat and those who simply treat disease conditions.
From the ringside, the view is fantastic. The Doctor is a "God", someone who demolishes everything that comes in the way of health! Everything that puts ordinary mortals out of commission is put out of commission by the Doctor. Everything that makes ordinary mortals unable to do their ordinary everyday living is precisely what defines everyday living of doctors! Glamour. Strength. Victory. Undefeatable. Doctor.
From the ringside- it is only glamour and strength... the internal workings of a very human mind and body, the tribulations and triumphs of the human being who works with and on other human beings are often not seen by onlookers.
The mistakes and accidents are not viewed as mistakes and accidents. These are things that have affected another human being adversely. Does one human being set out to harm another- especially as a doctor? The first category feel each moment and each patient as a mission... something they are ordained by God and Destiny to help heal. The second category do what they can, and move on.
Which are doing their duty faithfully and with Faith?
Why is the stress of a complication something that the first category of humans who have trained to be doctors feel so much in their bones and sinew- in the depth of their souls?
They did the best they could- they cannot do anything less... And yet they carry the burden of the complication as a personal failure...
They did the best they could- they cannot do anything less... And yet they carry the cross of the mistake till it bleeds their soul dry...
And then, they get up once again. They set about doing the very thing that caused so much pain and anguish. They demand more from themselves. They stretch. And they stretch more and more. There will come a point when the stretch will no longer be possible... the string will break. The break point of every human being is different and programmed by something beyond our ordinary perceptions.
This is one reason why doctors married to doctors survive not only their professions well but also their marriages thrive and grow stronger in response to all the shared stress they experience.
Doctors, too are human. They are trying and more often succeeding than failing at setting ailments in a state easier healed by nature.
Doctors are human. They are not healers. They are helpers. Doing a duty. In very demanding and testing situations.
Appreciating our shared human nature, living a dream of a better life- for all... a sincere doctor signing off- hoping fellow humans could understand another human being...
In our lives as doctors, too, we encounter the two types... one who live and die with each patient they treat and those who simply treat disease conditions.
From the ringside, the view is fantastic. The Doctor is a "God", someone who demolishes everything that comes in the way of health! Everything that puts ordinary mortals out of commission is put out of commission by the Doctor. Everything that makes ordinary mortals unable to do their ordinary everyday living is precisely what defines everyday living of doctors! Glamour. Strength. Victory. Undefeatable. Doctor.
From the ringside- it is only glamour and strength... the internal workings of a very human mind and body, the tribulations and triumphs of the human being who works with and on other human beings are often not seen by onlookers.
The mistakes and accidents are not viewed as mistakes and accidents. These are things that have affected another human being adversely. Does one human being set out to harm another- especially as a doctor? The first category feel each moment and each patient as a mission... something they are ordained by God and Destiny to help heal. The second category do what they can, and move on.
Which are doing their duty faithfully and with Faith?
Why is the stress of a complication something that the first category of humans who have trained to be doctors feel so much in their bones and sinew- in the depth of their souls?
They did the best they could- they cannot do anything less... And yet they carry the burden of the complication as a personal failure...
They did the best they could- they cannot do anything less... And yet they carry the cross of the mistake till it bleeds their soul dry...
And then, they get up once again. They set about doing the very thing that caused so much pain and anguish. They demand more from themselves. They stretch. And they stretch more and more. There will come a point when the stretch will no longer be possible... the string will break. The break point of every human being is different and programmed by something beyond our ordinary perceptions.
This is one reason why doctors married to doctors survive not only their professions well but also their marriages thrive and grow stronger in response to all the shared stress they experience.
Doctors, too are human. They are trying and more often succeeding than failing at setting ailments in a state easier healed by nature.
Doctors are human. They are not healers. They are helpers. Doing a duty. In very demanding and testing situations.
Appreciating our shared human nature, living a dream of a better life- for all... a sincere doctor signing off- hoping fellow humans could understand another human being...
From here... to Eternity...
Are you ready for that step?
It takes a leap in Faith to believe that Sky is NOT the limit.
That Eternity is a touch away.
That it is NOT time that passes... but ewe that pass through a time envelope.
What is visible today and accepted as fact was once considered superstition or science fiction yesterday. If we can think it, it is possible- somewhere.
The collective knowledge of the Universe is as available to any of us as it is to the scholar or the Master. It needs a key to unlock the door. Sometimes that combination and the key are provided by the Master.
When you take the first step, you do not necessarily know where the stair-well leads. You know, however, that it leads UP. Is Up the only way to go?
Sometimes, we need to step aside.
Sometimes we need to see beyond.
Sometimes we need to reach around.
We are all here for a purpose. We need to be able to find that calling. Do what it takes to live that life we are meant to live. And move on.
We do not know today what lies beyond. We may find out in the future. And then Science will have crossed another frontier. Science explains only what it can observe. And that is painfully small part of what really is out there.
The bacteria were still there even before Pasteur discovered them. Gravity was still there before Newton found out what it did to the apple.
Moving beyond OBSERVED REALITY, into a realm of experiential existence- one in which miracles happen everyday is not science fiction.
It is today's reality.
Living in grace
There are times when our internal fire runs low... very low... It seems that tomorrow has to bring in something better and more blessed because it cannot get any worse than today! And there may be several such days in succession.
Then, along comes some soul- friend, mentor, guide- who holds your hand and touches your soul. This friend, mentor, guide shows new light, new sources of fire and even helps light up fire that appears to be dying out!
Fortunate are those who find such help along the path life is taking them. However, more fortunate are those who are able to recognise this help God Himself offers. He cannot be everywhere (?) so He decides to send guardian angels who reignite our faith and our belief. They make us believe again that Life has a lot to offer. That we CAN do what we THINK we can!
These people drop in for a while or stay a while longer, but they are always around us. We not only need our eyes to see them- which we do, everyday; but hearts to really feel their presence- which we more often miss.
The noise and the distractions in the modern day world take our feelings and senses on a roller-coaster ride. It makes us dizzy with thrill, and sometimes nauseous with the assault on our senses. This only serves to blunt our perception of the blessings in our lives.
If we are to accept more in our lives, we have to BE more- quiet, receptive, accepting, and be ready to live in grace. We have to pass it on, too. Only in passing it on can we open up the path to receive more.
A cup that is already full cannot accept any more tea- as the Zen master says.
So... have courage, especially when the fire appears to be low. If you seek, you will find. Help is always around. You only have to reach for it.
Then, along comes some soul- friend, mentor, guide- who holds your hand and touches your soul. This friend, mentor, guide shows new light, new sources of fire and even helps light up fire that appears to be dying out!
Fortunate are those who find such help along the path life is taking them. However, more fortunate are those who are able to recognise this help God Himself offers. He cannot be everywhere (?) so He decides to send guardian angels who reignite our faith and our belief. They make us believe again that Life has a lot to offer. That we CAN do what we THINK we can!
These people drop in for a while or stay a while longer, but they are always around us. We not only need our eyes to see them- which we do, everyday; but hearts to really feel their presence- which we more often miss.
The noise and the distractions in the modern day world take our feelings and senses on a roller-coaster ride. It makes us dizzy with thrill, and sometimes nauseous with the assault on our senses. This only serves to blunt our perception of the blessings in our lives.
If we are to accept more in our lives, we have to BE more- quiet, receptive, accepting, and be ready to live in grace. We have to pass it on, too. Only in passing it on can we open up the path to receive more.
A cup that is already full cannot accept any more tea- as the Zen master says.
So... have courage, especially when the fire appears to be low. If you seek, you will find. Help is always around. You only have to reach for it.
When old friends meet...
It has been nearly twenty years! Last I saw this friend of mine, it was in 1992!!
Long forgotten memories and long lost roads. We walked them again. Together. After nearly two decades.
Supriya is a teacher in the UK. I am a doctor in New Delhi. We have our families and our children and our work. We both feel passionately about our lives. And we were both together for most of our schooling.
So tender and so engrossing was our meeting that we did not even think of taking any pictures!!
We talked. We talked about our lives then and our lives since. We talked of all that we do now. And we talked about what our families do. With children nearly the same age, we identify with the conflicts and struggles of parenting and raising our childen to be what they can be.
It is not much different for her or for me. Our lives are defined by the several roles we play in the world we inhabit... and by the aspirations we hold for the world we want to build.
And we do want to build a world where our children are not only safe but also nurtured and nurturing.
We both are working in our small capacities and I do hope, there are several more 'mothering' their children to make a difference each day...
Long forgotten memories and long lost roads. We walked them again. Together. After nearly two decades.
Supriya is a teacher in the UK. I am a doctor in New Delhi. We have our families and our children and our work. We both feel passionately about our lives. And we were both together for most of our schooling.
So tender and so engrossing was our meeting that we did not even think of taking any pictures!!
We talked. We talked about our lives then and our lives since. We talked of all that we do now. And we talked about what our families do. With children nearly the same age, we identify with the conflicts and struggles of parenting and raising our childen to be what they can be.
It is not much different for her or for me. Our lives are defined by the several roles we play in the world we inhabit... and by the aspirations we hold for the world we want to build.
And we do want to build a world where our children are not only safe but also nurtured and nurturing.
We both are working in our small capacities and I do hope, there are several more 'mothering' their children to make a difference each day...
Sanjay- My love.
This man took my heart away nearly twenty three years ago.
I am fortunate to be married to the man I fell for- my first and only love. We fight and we make up. We see eye to eye- often only glaring. We love, and we often do not say it in as many words.
Do I NEED to say the words, asks Sanjay. Often. Too often. He has forgotten those days when he wanted me to say the words! He never tired of saying them. I never said them!!
Now, I thank the Lord everyday for this man in my life and say the three words to him- over and over and over again. Now he only says- it need not be said!
He is in Ladakh and the devastation due to Flash floods and a cloud burst there has been so graphically televised that I could hardly keep my mind on my work today.
How many phone calls I tried, I cannot count.
How many times I prayed for just one chance to speak to him, I cannot say.
I came to know he is fine by the mid morning. The MAX India foundation were very good to call all the family members.
However, hearing this man's voice was soooooooo important for me!
And after sooooo many years, today, HE SAID THE WORDS WITHOUT MY HAVING TO ASK HIM!!!
Thank God for the love and the sharing in our lives.
Thank God for all the good He has given us the opportunity to do...
Thank God for all that He gives...
Thank GOD for Sanjay in my life!!!!
If you are with the one you love- and he is also the one who loves you, there can be no greater blessing. If you are with the one you would like to grow old and spend lazy evenings sitting in the gentle winter sun, reminiscing about life- you cannot ask for more. If you are so deeply in love that layers of dirt and grime just fall off- leaving a polished and shining relationship, you have everything in life.
Thank God for all this, and more, in our life...
Flowering on clouds . . .
Read something beautiful today... The first magic of love is the ignorance that it can never end.
The exact quote is in the side panel but will move on. This quote will not be there in a few days. But its message will now be here. Whenever anyone chooses to see it, feel it, live it... it will be here.
When we love, we forget that once ignited this flame will never die. It is, infact, not even a flame. It is a gentle fire that drives life and gives it the warmth that is needed to sustain life.
Love is that gentle feeling that spreads a warm glow across the horizon. It is that warmth that is at the centre of existence. That defines the quality of life we lead.
It is like the lotus in a pond. In the water and the dirt, but untouched by it.
Magically, love transforms everything it touches. It soothes burns of suffering souls and warms the chill in the lonely bones.
It makes people insecure with the fear of losing it all because it would mean the end of life for them. It also makes people so secure that they will be able to move mountains because love is in their life.
We choose whether we make it our strength or our weakness...
Whether we bloom despite the muck or succumb to it.
Whether we reflect the light of the skies or choke with the dirt...
The knowledge that love can never die is ours to choose or to overlook. It does not change the nature of love...
Love only grows.
It can do nothing else!
And when love grows, it expands the vessel that contains it. It spills over to flow all around when the growth of the vessel cannot keep up with it.
Either way, love transforms everything it touches. And makes it immortal.
where will this road take us?
The woods are lovely dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep...
Sometimes, we get lost in the beauty that surrounds us on our journey. Sometimes, we even lose a track of the journey all together. And stop. We stop to drink it all in. We stop to let the Maya sink in. And enjoy the moment. The journey is, however, the whole epic. It is what the soul is here for
We may realise it and wake up from our slumber. We may not realise that we are sleeping and mistake the dream for the reality.
The dream will come to an end. The reality is eternal. The souls take on a form- the body to travel through this dream, this reality. It is not possible to have the experiences without this body . And yet, the body is not what the soul is!
The road may be long, and lonely. The soul is never alone.
The road may be hard, yet only for the body. The soul does not need the road. Nor does it need the support the body seeks.
We all came alone. We will depart alone. It is between these two punctuation marks that we must fill each other's existence with love, grace and abundance.
Where will this road lead?
Where will that one take us?
Is the road less travelled really that difficult?
Choices?
Life presents several choices. Sometimes, we are aware of our choices. Mostly we do not even realise we are choosing.
The choice to go on or to stay on...
The choice to be happy or seek happy...
The choice to be in the here and now or to be in the past or the future....
The choice to have and be friends or to give up on people in your life...
This is only a beginning of a list that might be as unending as the calculation for the value of pi!
And as fascinating!!
Each choice opens a new possibility. And each choice defines a new reality. We assume that time moves on. We take for granted that the people in our life will grow with time and look for a better future. We always have the choice, however, to realise that WE move through time. And the secret to self realisation is not in waiting for tomorrow to bring us better tidings nor wish we could relive or change our past.
We let our reflexes take over rather than be aware of what our choices are. We are so lost in trying to live that we forget to live!
We see darkness... and let fear take over. We forget that we are not afraid of the dark but what is in it!
We reach a pinnacle... and let fear take over. We forget that we are not afraid of the height but of falling down!
We see people around us... and often let fear take over. We forget that we are not afraid of people but of rejection!
We fall in love... and sometimes... let fear take over. We forget that we are not afraid of love but just of not being loved back!
We fall... and let fear take over. We forget that we are not afraid of trying again but simply getting hurt for the same reasons!
We choose fear over a clear and present joy, love and contentment.
We can choose otherwise!
Sometimes... the choices are not so clear.
How do you choose between good and good? How do you choose between a child and another? How do you choose between light and light? We choose only for a moment- and in that moment we redefine our existence. We choose a reality that we inhabit and forget that reality. For our life to be joy, we need to be more aware of a moment... in eternity... in infinity... NOW
The choice to go on or to stay on...
The choice to be happy or seek happy...
The choice to be in the here and now or to be in the past or the future....
The choice to have and be friends or to give up on people in your life...
This is only a beginning of a list that might be as unending as the calculation for the value of pi!
And as fascinating!!
Each choice opens a new possibility. And each choice defines a new reality. We assume that time moves on. We take for granted that the people in our life will grow with time and look for a better future. We always have the choice, however, to realise that WE move through time. And the secret to self realisation is not in waiting for tomorrow to bring us better tidings nor wish we could relive or change our past.
We let our reflexes take over rather than be aware of what our choices are. We are so lost in trying to live that we forget to live!
We see darkness... and let fear take over. We forget that we are not afraid of the dark but what is in it!
We reach a pinnacle... and let fear take over. We forget that we are not afraid of the height but of falling down!
We see people around us... and often let fear take over. We forget that we are not afraid of people but of rejection!
We fall in love... and sometimes... let fear take over. We forget that we are not afraid of love but just of not being loved back!
We fall... and let fear take over. We forget that we are not afraid of trying again but simply getting hurt for the same reasons!
We choose fear over a clear and present joy, love and contentment.
We can choose otherwise!
Sometimes... the choices are not so clear.
How do you choose between good and good? How do you choose between a child and another? How do you choose between light and light? We choose only for a moment- and in that moment we redefine our existence. We choose a reality that we inhabit and forget that reality. For our life to be joy, we need to be more aware of a moment... in eternity... in infinity... NOW
What is Free will?
Is there a thing called destiny? Is everything we are supposed to do, or feel, or live predetermined? Is everyone in our life there because they are predestined to be? Is everything in our life so because it is supposed to be?
What then, of free will? If no matter what we do, we will get and experience only what we are supposed to, why do we work?
Man- Human being- is a unique creature in the Universe as we know it. There is no other creature that has the faculty of Intellect and the drive of emotions that is modified by ethics or morals. In as much as we judge and determine what we will do or not do and what will be acceptable behaviour, we are exercising not only free will but also activating forces that will carry us in a given direction. Thus, destiny is a general direction that the life proceeds in and free will may modify our experience by opening up alternate possibilities.
Destiny and free will operate only under laws of nature. The laws are universal- like gravity. If you choose to put your bare hand into a burning fire, your fingers will experience the phenomenon of getting burnt. You may choose not to touch a raging fire, and you will not get scorched. Two alternative existences- equally openable by a single choice. That choice is Free will.
Destiny does not preclude action nor does she promote inaction. There will be circumstances like a flood or an earthquake or even a bereavement or loss of job or separation that may not be affected by our exercising our free will- these only create the milieu in which our internal environment will shape our existence.
Sukha and Dukha ( Joy and Sorrow) are like the spokes of a wheel. They will rotate and cyclically be on top or at the bottom. The wheel is our existence, its motion our destiny and each spoke has equal importance in our life and must be treated with equal regard. THAT choice- of treating each spoke with equal regard is ours- each moment. And that is the realisation of self that our scriptures ordain as the ultimate goal of the soul...
सुखापतितम सेव्यं दुखापतितम तथा ,
चक्रवत्परिवार्तानते सुखानी च दुखनी च।
Action is needed even for Destiny to manifest.
What then, of free will? If no matter what we do, we will get and experience only what we are supposed to, why do we work?
Man- Human being- is a unique creature in the Universe as we know it. There is no other creature that has the faculty of Intellect and the drive of emotions that is modified by ethics or morals. In as much as we judge and determine what we will do or not do and what will be acceptable behaviour, we are exercising not only free will but also activating forces that will carry us in a given direction. Thus, destiny is a general direction that the life proceeds in and free will may modify our experience by opening up alternate possibilities.
Destiny and free will operate only under laws of nature. The laws are universal- like gravity. If you choose to put your bare hand into a burning fire, your fingers will experience the phenomenon of getting burnt. You may choose not to touch a raging fire, and you will not get scorched. Two alternative existences- equally openable by a single choice. That choice is Free will.
Destiny does not preclude action nor does she promote inaction. There will be circumstances like a flood or an earthquake or even a bereavement or loss of job or separation that may not be affected by our exercising our free will- these only create the milieu in which our internal environment will shape our existence.
Sukha and Dukha ( Joy and Sorrow) are like the spokes of a wheel. They will rotate and cyclically be on top or at the bottom. The wheel is our existence, its motion our destiny and each spoke has equal importance in our life and must be treated with equal regard. THAT choice- of treating each spoke with equal regard is ours- each moment. And that is the realisation of self that our scriptures ordain as the ultimate goal of the soul...
सुखापतितम सेव्यं दुखापतितम तथा ,
चक्रवत्परिवार्तानते सुखानी च दुखनी च।
Action is needed even for Destiny to manifest.
A life well lived...
What really makes for a life well lived...
Is it the love you give or the love you receive? Is it the things you can buy or give away or the knowledge that all things are momentary and they, too shall pass?
Or is it the relationships you build, and peace you spread?
It is, may be, a little of all these and then some more.
A life well lived is one that is full of love- that you give and you receive. It is a life that scatters for all around you to gather. It is not in acquisitions but in give always that one finds more satisfaction. And always, the finest and most memorable moments are not ones we have spent alone but ones we have shared with others.
Our remembrances and memories are mostly of times spent with and for our loved ones. The more we spread love, the more happiness we have in our own life. Some professions allow us to experience this happiness and joy more easily. Teachers, doctors... Fortunate are those who can find their calling in professions that allow us to make a difference to lives we touch. And we MUST be grateful for that opportunity as well as be able to do what fate and fortune allow us to.
A life well lived would be one lived in the NOW, in the present moment, being fully committed to fulfilling each role to its fullest.
A mother who is not committed to mothering and a teacher not committed to teaching, a father not committed to fathering and a soldier not committed to soldiering are all not living a life of significance. They are all wasting the moment. They are all wasting their life- their opportunity to live well.
We all have several roles to live and to fulfill, and each role we fail at is another step away from a life of significance. This failure is not a failure that generates a red mark for us. It is a failure that generates more work for the soul.
How many people would be affected and how deeply by your absence?
The world will still go on... But there will be some souls who will deeply miss those who make a difference...
It is this that defines a life of significance.
Is it the love you give or the love you receive? Is it the things you can buy or give away or the knowledge that all things are momentary and they, too shall pass?
Or is it the relationships you build, and peace you spread?
It is, may be, a little of all these and then some more.
A life well lived is one that is full of love- that you give and you receive. It is a life that scatters for all around you to gather. It is not in acquisitions but in give always that one finds more satisfaction. And always, the finest and most memorable moments are not ones we have spent alone but ones we have shared with others.
Our remembrances and memories are mostly of times spent with and for our loved ones. The more we spread love, the more happiness we have in our own life. Some professions allow us to experience this happiness and joy more easily. Teachers, doctors... Fortunate are those who can find their calling in professions that allow us to make a difference to lives we touch. And we MUST be grateful for that opportunity as well as be able to do what fate and fortune allow us to.
A life well lived would be one lived in the NOW, in the present moment, being fully committed to fulfilling each role to its fullest.
A mother who is not committed to mothering and a teacher not committed to teaching, a father not committed to fathering and a soldier not committed to soldiering are all not living a life of significance. They are all wasting the moment. They are all wasting their life- their opportunity to live well.
We all have several roles to live and to fulfill, and each role we fail at is another step away from a life of significance. This failure is not a failure that generates a red mark for us. It is a failure that generates more work for the soul.
How many people would be affected and how deeply by your absence?
The world will still go on... But there will be some souls who will deeply miss those who make a difference...
It is this that defines a life of significance.
Living on an island of isolation is creating an existential black hole.
Living in a private world of your own is an extremely isolating experience. Each of us does have a private world inside our head. And then, we grow- physically, mentally and emotionally.
We begin to share our private world and include friends, lovers and family into it.
We begin to become a paradise of inclusion and shared living with many hued leaves and flowers, with multitude of scents and aromas.
There may still be nooks and crannies in this Garden of Eden that may remain private. These are few and far in between. And they are dark corners where, sometimes, we ourselves do not want to enter.
The sun of love can only shine into the garden if we drop the walls and break the fences. The flowers and the grass can grow only if we nurture them, water them, care for them and donot walk all over them when they are delicate tiny tendrils.
We must learn to communicate and include. Communication joins people and allows the sun to shine through. Loving in your own private world isolates. It breeds darkness and loneliness and cobwebs.
Even if one enjoys isolation, one cannot survive as an island of humanity. Even in the deepest of oceans, life that survives is either that which captures light from other sources or one that gives out light of its own.
Gravity, too attracts. Gravity holds people and even planets together. One does not experience negative gravity anywhere in the universe. It is a force that attracts and holds together anything and anybody that comes close enough. Light, and thoughts are the only two entities capable of escaping this private garden, and entering it at will.
Light- that we shine.
Thoughts- that we share.
If we refuse to share our thoughts and our light, we refuse growth. We refuse and reject the very purpose of our journey in this world. We are here for a reason. And that reason cannot be isolation and death. It has to be growth and eternity.
We do need to say and show what we want to be able to include people in our private gardens. These gardens can become beautiful only by including not excluding.
The only thing known to survive in the Universe in isolation is a black hole. And even a black hole allows entry... It has an immense gravitational force that attracts- and attracts EVERYTHING that comes close to it. A black hole is isolation is not on account of not allowing inclusion but actively excluding escape.And at the core of a black hole is Singularity where space and time merge and where everything ceases to exist - no time, no space, no light.
Finality. Death.
Till we are alive and vibrant, we take in and give out air; we take in and give out light; we take in and give out sound. We maintain a two directional flow of energy to and from our bodies, our private gardens.
When we begin to revel in not giving out, we can only become black holes. Not gardens of Eden in paradise of vibrant life.
We begin to share our private world and include friends, lovers and family into it.
We begin to become a paradise of inclusion and shared living with many hued leaves and flowers, with multitude of scents and aromas.
There may still be nooks and crannies in this Garden of Eden that may remain private. These are few and far in between. And they are dark corners where, sometimes, we ourselves do not want to enter.
The sun of love can only shine into the garden if we drop the walls and break the fences. The flowers and the grass can grow only if we nurture them, water them, care for them and donot walk all over them when they are delicate tiny tendrils.
We must learn to communicate and include. Communication joins people and allows the sun to shine through. Loving in your own private world isolates. It breeds darkness and loneliness and cobwebs.
Even if one enjoys isolation, one cannot survive as an island of humanity. Even in the deepest of oceans, life that survives is either that which captures light from other sources or one that gives out light of its own.
Gravity, too attracts. Gravity holds people and even planets together. One does not experience negative gravity anywhere in the universe. It is a force that attracts and holds together anything and anybody that comes close enough. Light, and thoughts are the only two entities capable of escaping this private garden, and entering it at will.
Light- that we shine.
Thoughts- that we share.
If we refuse to share our thoughts and our light, we refuse growth. We refuse and reject the very purpose of our journey in this world. We are here for a reason. And that reason cannot be isolation and death. It has to be growth and eternity.
We do need to say and show what we want to be able to include people in our private gardens. These gardens can become beautiful only by including not excluding.
The only thing known to survive in the Universe in isolation is a black hole. And even a black hole allows entry... It has an immense gravitational force that attracts- and attracts EVERYTHING that comes close to it. A black hole is isolation is not on account of not allowing inclusion but actively excluding escape.And at the core of a black hole is Singularity where space and time merge and where everything ceases to exist - no time, no space, no light.
Finality. Death.
Till we are alive and vibrant, we take in and give out air; we take in and give out light; we take in and give out sound. We maintain a two directional flow of energy to and from our bodies, our private gardens.
When we begin to revel in not giving out, we can only become black holes. Not gardens of Eden in paradise of vibrant life.
Our Journal- I love...
Sanjay did it again! He impressed me! We wanted to do something more meaningful than TV with our Dinner time and came up with the idea that we would write and share what we wrote. We ALL wrote.
Our first topic was- I love... dated 17/5/10
Sanjay wrote-
I love me... but me is not just my individual self. Me is defined by my world around me- my family, my friends, my work etc. My work gives me an opportunity to do good to others, to serve and to make a difference in this world. It also provides for my and my family's needs. My family is what I have been and what I will be. It embodies love on a more perceptible plane. Friends denote fun and freedom and all the other things that I enjoy doing when I am not working or fulfilling my family commitments.
Strangely I also love all the difficulties I encounter in my path of living because it is these very difficulties that give happiness its true meaning.
I also love God.
And I wrote-
Along with 'time', 'love' must arguably be one of the most used words in English language. And, like time, we live it, feel it and have it intricately woven into the fabric of our life but we cannot define it!
I love... two very powerful words that can begin a cascade of feelings. I love my family, first and foremost. I am defined by them- mother, daughter, wife, sister- They are all the roles that give me the opportunity not only to love freely but also BE loved infinitely. I cannot imagine a life devoid of this contentment. Friends, too occupy an important place in this 'scheme' of my universe.
Moving away from the Animate and the highly animated, I will have to say, I LOVE BOOKS. At any given moment, I could be reading three to five books! One in the bathroom, one by the bed-side, one in the car for the red light stops, and one in the purse are quite the usual. Books transport me to another Universe- and bring alive possible alternate existences. It is as real a world that we live in, breathe in and can feel the texture of. Yet, it is a world that we cannot touch...
My being a doctor gives me a definite high feeling. It is a profession that allows me to interact with several people who are usually highly appreciative and fuel my innate need to be appreciated as an individual who makes a difference. I was once told by a friend that it is possible to love several people and things at the same time. I have since realised that to be a BIG truth.
Each new experience of love expands the heart to be able to take and give ever more...
Thank god for this blessed feeling in our lives...
Our first topic was- I love... dated 17/5/10
Sanjay wrote-
I love me... but me is not just my individual self. Me is defined by my world around me- my family, my friends, my work etc. My work gives me an opportunity to do good to others, to serve and to make a difference in this world. It also provides for my and my family's needs. My family is what I have been and what I will be. It embodies love on a more perceptible plane. Friends denote fun and freedom and all the other things that I enjoy doing when I am not working or fulfilling my family commitments.
Strangely I also love all the difficulties I encounter in my path of living because it is these very difficulties that give happiness its true meaning.
I also love God.
And I wrote-
Along with 'time', 'love' must arguably be one of the most used words in English language. And, like time, we live it, feel it and have it intricately woven into the fabric of our life but we cannot define it!
I love... two very powerful words that can begin a cascade of feelings. I love my family, first and foremost. I am defined by them- mother, daughter, wife, sister- They are all the roles that give me the opportunity not only to love freely but also BE loved infinitely. I cannot imagine a life devoid of this contentment. Friends, too occupy an important place in this 'scheme' of my universe.
Moving away from the Animate and the highly animated, I will have to say, I LOVE BOOKS. At any given moment, I could be reading three to five books! One in the bathroom, one by the bed-side, one in the car for the red light stops, and one in the purse are quite the usual. Books transport me to another Universe- and bring alive possible alternate existences. It is as real a world that we live in, breathe in and can feel the texture of. Yet, it is a world that we cannot touch...
My being a doctor gives me a definite high feeling. It is a profession that allows me to interact with several people who are usually highly appreciative and fuel my innate need to be appreciated as an individual who makes a difference. I was once told by a friend that it is possible to love several people and things at the same time. I have since realised that to be a BIG truth.
Each new experience of love expands the heart to be able to take and give ever more...
Thank god for this blessed feeling in our lives...
Journaling for growth
Journaling is a process of self realisation, and subsequent inevitable growth.
It is an exercise to begin to understand our own internal workings.
We must be able to confidently address our own weaknesses and strengths. Our weaknesses allow us not only the means to growth but also to relate. Sometimes, in moments of utter despair and loneliness, we will look for a shoulder to lean on. And will lean only when we feel we can trust. All this requires maturity.
The initial topics to journal can be and should be simple. So, their appeal can be broad and surpassing age barriers. It is also nice to be able to find topics that can excite writing from both men (boys) and women (girls).
Sometimes, we would assume that jounaling is mostly done by girls and confuse it with dairy writing. We also assume, we will not be able to share what we write as it would be private and confidential. That comes much later.
And the best known journal writer is a man! Henry Thoreau! His journals were mainly composed of his observations about Nature- his travels and experiences. But that is not all his journals were. He also wrote about his hopes emotions and beliefs. That is where a Journal will offer anyone who is serious about Journal writing to find himself or herself. To grow. And identify traits that help us and the ones that deter us.
You need not write about yourself alone. You can write about religion, God, beliefs, about values you follow, about what you love and what you hate! And you need not share if you donot want to. But a good journal should EXPLORE and delve DEEP.
To begin with...
Start a Journal with- OBSERVE EVERYDAY THINGS AROUND YOU> NOTICE THINGS YOU OTHERWISE TAKE FOR GRANTED. Make a list that starts ,"I AM GRATEFUL FOR....
Write for 10 to 15 minutes. Free writing. This means you keep writing, mindless about the grammar or even the content of what you are writing. Usually you will follow or develop styles that are at least grammatically correct. You will initially THINK you cannot write for ten minutes at a stretch. Believe me, soon, this will look like too short a period of time. You must not make this into a CHORE THAT MUST BE DONE> You should try to make this into a fun thing you would like to look forward to each week day. Fix only one target entry a week. But make sure you write it.
Get yourself a nice notebook or journal to write on. Get yourself a nice pen to write with. Find and fix a corner that is yours. Some would like to have music in their corner, some would prefer quiet. Some would be able to write it only when alone and others will be able to write even in the cafe! Make it a ROUTINE. Your body and mind should gear to holding the pen to paper each time the clock strikes 6:00pm thursday evening ( For example!)
Once you are comfortable about doing it once a week, you could do it more often.
Next week, you could LOOK AT THE LIST YOU MADE LAST WEEK AND Write a 10 minute piece starting- This list surprises me because....
There are a lot of resources listed on the net about Journal writing. These are some of the prompts i liked and they fall into two broad categories- Journaling for understanding yourself and Journaling for Relationships
Self Understanding prompts
Let me know what you are working on.
I'd love to be able to do it with you guys. I'll rope in my family, too.
We had started a Journal writing exercise that we thought we should share at dinner time. No TV. All of us, Dad, Mom and the children would share what we wrote. We came to a consensus topic for the day. We unfortunately, set ourselves a very ambitious target of everyday writing from the start.
We will start again. Once a week. And journal about the TV, too! Then, may be we, too can build it into more frequent write-ups.
We all wrote on--- I love...
It is an exercise to begin to understand our own internal workings.
We must be able to confidently address our own weaknesses and strengths. Our weaknesses allow us not only the means to growth but also to relate. Sometimes, in moments of utter despair and loneliness, we will look for a shoulder to lean on. And will lean only when we feel we can trust. All this requires maturity.
The initial topics to journal can be and should be simple. So, their appeal can be broad and surpassing age barriers. It is also nice to be able to find topics that can excite writing from both men (boys) and women (girls).
Sometimes, we would assume that jounaling is mostly done by girls and confuse it with dairy writing. We also assume, we will not be able to share what we write as it would be private and confidential. That comes much later.
And the best known journal writer is a man! Henry Thoreau! His journals were mainly composed of his observations about Nature- his travels and experiences. But that is not all his journals were. He also wrote about his hopes emotions and beliefs. That is where a Journal will offer anyone who is serious about Journal writing to find himself or herself. To grow. And identify traits that help us and the ones that deter us.
You need not write about yourself alone. You can write about religion, God, beliefs, about values you follow, about what you love and what you hate! And you need not share if you donot want to. But a good journal should EXPLORE and delve DEEP.
To begin with...
Start a Journal with- OBSERVE EVERYDAY THINGS AROUND YOU> NOTICE THINGS YOU OTHERWISE TAKE FOR GRANTED. Make a list that starts ,"I AM GRATEFUL FOR....
Write for 10 to 15 minutes. Free writing. This means you keep writing, mindless about the grammar or even the content of what you are writing. Usually you will follow or develop styles that are at least grammatically correct. You will initially THINK you cannot write for ten minutes at a stretch. Believe me, soon, this will look like too short a period of time. You must not make this into a CHORE THAT MUST BE DONE> You should try to make this into a fun thing you would like to look forward to each week day. Fix only one target entry a week. But make sure you write it.
Get yourself a nice notebook or journal to write on. Get yourself a nice pen to write with. Find and fix a corner that is yours. Some would like to have music in their corner, some would prefer quiet. Some would be able to write it only when alone and others will be able to write even in the cafe! Make it a ROUTINE. Your body and mind should gear to holding the pen to paper each time the clock strikes 6:00pm thursday evening ( For example!)
Once you are comfortable about doing it once a week, you could do it more often.
Next week, you could LOOK AT THE LIST YOU MADE LAST WEEK AND Write a 10 minute piece starting- This list surprises me because....
There are a lot of resources listed on the net about Journal writing. These are some of the prompts i liked and they fall into two broad categories- Journaling for understanding yourself and Journaling for Relationships
Self Understanding prompts
- I really miss...
- For my birthday I'd like....
- I really wish....
- Something few people realise about me is...
- I dream that one day I will...
- Some little things I FORGET to enjoy!
- If I could live anywhere in the world, I would...
- The hardest thing for me to do is...
- I love...
- What makes me feel proud is...
- Teenage years can be...
- Best friends are...
- My best friend is...
- In a good friend I look for...
- I am a good friend because...
- I hate it when someone says to me...
- I love it when someone...
- I get mad when...
- i feel sad when...
- I resent______________ because_________
Let me know what you are working on.
I'd love to be able to do it with you guys. I'll rope in my family, too.
We had started a Journal writing exercise that we thought we should share at dinner time. No TV. All of us, Dad, Mom and the children would share what we wrote. We came to a consensus topic for the day. We unfortunately, set ourselves a very ambitious target of everyday writing from the start.
We will start again. Once a week. And journal about the TV, too! Then, may be we, too can build it into more frequent write-ups.
We all wrote on--- I love...
Trust?
Have you ever played with a toddler? A baby who can smile and laugh and gurgle?
The cries are only to convey discomfort- being wet or dirty or hungry. Everything else is a whole lot of fun! Life is an adventure.
When we toss the baby in the air, the smiles and the laughter is infectious. The parent AND the child are in the moment. They are here. Now. They are happy. And there is no fear.
The child has complete faith that he will be caught- each time. No other outcome is possible.
Then the child grows a little...
Begins to crawl...
Attempts to stand- and falls. The first experience of failure. But the faith is still supreme.
The child knows this is the way to stand and walk and run and jump. It is the natural course of things.
The possibility of failure is a possibility ONLY after the child has grown up and the comparisons start. When one's not being able to do something is compared with someone else's being able to do it. And Faith begins to die a slow death.
The way to move forward in life is to know the natural history of things in your life. And trust that the Natural course will eventually happen. It will be a matter of time. Or commitment. But not ability or lack of it.
If you can conceive of it, you can do it. It is only a matter of time. That is the faith that moves mountains. And the child like intensity that makes you go on despite anything...
The cries are only to convey discomfort- being wet or dirty or hungry. Everything else is a whole lot of fun! Life is an adventure.
When we toss the baby in the air, the smiles and the laughter is infectious. The parent AND the child are in the moment. They are here. Now. They are happy. And there is no fear.
The child has complete faith that he will be caught- each time. No other outcome is possible.
Then the child grows a little...
Begins to crawl...
Attempts to stand- and falls. The first experience of failure. But the faith is still supreme.
The child knows this is the way to stand and walk and run and jump. It is the natural course of things.
The possibility of failure is a possibility ONLY after the child has grown up and the comparisons start. When one's not being able to do something is compared with someone else's being able to do it. And Faith begins to die a slow death.
The way to move forward in life is to know the natural history of things in your life. And trust that the Natural course will eventually happen. It will be a matter of time. Or commitment. But not ability or lack of it.
If you can conceive of it, you can do it. It is only a matter of time. That is the faith that moves mountains. And the child like intensity that makes you go on despite anything...
Sea waves
Watch the waves crashing on the shore. They carry the sands from the bottom of some faraway bed somewhere deep in the ocean. They also wash away the surface sands with all else there is on the shore. With equal ease.
The waves hit the rocks . And in a splash, turn back to merge with the deep sea again. They keep at this seemingly infinite activity. They go on endlessly, till eternity.
Evidently, the waves are able to do nothing to the rocks. However, the waves are as persistent a force of nature as are the rocks a resilient feature. And, in this interaction, there is only mingling. No victory and no defeat. What is washed away from one rock goes on to build another one somewhere really far away.
Sometimes, all it takes is to keep splashing on the rocks in your life.
To keep persisting till the resistance and the resilience gives way to something gentler. You may feel that effort is futile, the rocks are unchanging. But each wave that even touches a rock, leaves an indelible mark. The process goes on. Almost invisible.
And all of a sudden, one fine sunny morning, when the tide is down, the rock stands bare... each little crack and pit and crater telling the story of each wave that has touched its heart. You will not need ears to hear this story, nor eyes to see it unfold. All you will need is a heart- a heart that can connect with the heart of the rock!
To keep persisting till the resistance and the resilience gives way to something gentler. You may feel that effort is futile, the rocks are unchanging. But each wave that even touches a rock, leaves an indelible mark. The process goes on. Almost invisible.
And all of a sudden, one fine sunny morning, when the tide is down, the rock stands bare... each little crack and pit and crater telling the story of each wave that has touched its heart. You will not need ears to hear this story, nor eyes to see it unfold. All you will need is a heart- a heart that can connect with the heart of the rock!
When you find yourself being able to connect, you will experience love, truth and divinity.
Here.
Now.
Forever.
And you will experience Unity - the central theme of the universe itself!
the best gift I have ever received
This was the sleepy head gift my daughter and son gave me for Mother's day, this year! 12 midnight, My daughter woke up Her father. Sanjay was so sleepy that he could not keep his eyes open.
He went into the bathroom!
We had a hearty laugh that Papa is so sleepy that he has gone to the bathroom!! And, then Saniya came into the room, and wished me Happy Mother's day. It was midnight. The next day had started.
A few moments ago she was fiddling with something in her own room- and switching off lights if I came anywhere near. I did not want to spoil her surprise so I did not venture into her zone.
The thrill, the planning and the creativity of my daughter often leaves me quite in awe!
And... then... in walked Sanjay! All gift wrapped, with pink ribbons!
With a label on his t-shirt that read Happy Mother's day.
I was so overjoyed! This is the BESSSSTEEESSST GIFT anyone has ever given me! And Sanjay was looking ssshhho shweeeeett!!! Sleepy and smiling to keep up with Saniya's plan. The front of the T-shirt proclaimed Happy Mother's Day and the back of the T-shirt had a card pasted on it.
Saniya whirled him around! The card read- Dear Mom...
From THREE IDIOTS! ( My Idiots are so cutely idiotic!)
Open with a BIG smile... ( I did not have to be told. I was smiling ear to ear- I was so happy with my unusual gift!)
LOL- (And just in case I thought that meant LOTS OF LOVE- They clarified- Laugh Out Loud)
The inside of the card...
Happy Mother's day,
Mom,
I did not have the time to make a very good card. But I hope you like this...though it is not that good... Ofcourse, I loved it!
But I wanted to say- I am all ears!!!
You are the Bestest Mom anyone can have. Thankyou! You are the best family anyone can have.
You are still my best friend ever, THANK YOU BABY!!!
from your daughter
Saniya
This was Sanjay's plan... finely executed by the children.
And because Moksh thought that he had not been included in the whole exercise, he went to the other room, quickly drew a BIG heart, cut it and pasted it on the front of his T-shirt and with a mango in his hand came to hug me- Happy Mother's day, Mom! You love me. And You love mangoes!!
And the smile was plastered in my face for the next three hours! I could not sleep even after everyone had slept off. It is so nice to have such a nice family!
Thank you God, for everything...
Touchwood.
I love them all...
How clean is your carpet?!
There are two ways to deal with what you DO NOT want to deal with...
You either resolve it or you avoid it. You either face it or you run away from it.
It may be a decision you are avoiding. Or a conflict you are not resolving. Or questions you do not want to answer to yourself. Or confessions you refuse to make to yourself and to those who matter.
Sometimes it may mean not saying what you absolutely must to a loved one. At other times it may even mean swallowing a bitter pill and not letting on that you are hurt.
At other times, you may well know and fully realise that you have hurt a loved one and you keep delaying the due apology knowing this could set things right and yet letting ego sweep the proverbial issue under the carpet!
You do it once. You do it again. And again. Then it becomes a habit. Then, you begin to do it as a reflex action. No more thinking and consciousness is involved in it. Such a wasteful and a mindless way to live!
Meanwhile, the carpet that was once a beautiful smooth and lush piece of fabric starts to lose its sheen. More the issues under it, more it becomes uneven and difficult to step on. Even more difficult to walk on. And barefoot? The issues begin to hurt.
The carpet becomes lumpy from all the issues that have been swept under. Some may be sharp and pointed, others soft and still others hard as nails. They all lie there making the carpet ugly and uneven.
The carpet of your life cannot be avoided. You must step on. You must walk on it. And with all the irregular folds and creases and the lumps, your feet hurt. Your foot is very likely to catch and you will fall. Often on your face. This hurts a lot more than the ego that prevented you to deal with the issues when they arose.
Relationships are delicate business.
Carpets need constant care.
Issues, too need attention.
Being mindful and attentive goes farther than avoiding and sweeping...
Let us then resolve to treat each other with respect that all of us deserve.
Let us then resolve to solve rather than to avoid.
Let us also allow egos to be only a tool of self preservation not a means to self destruct.
Let us keep the carpet neat and lump free...
You either resolve it or you avoid it. You either face it or you run away from it.
It may be a decision you are avoiding. Or a conflict you are not resolving. Or questions you do not want to answer to yourself. Or confessions you refuse to make to yourself and to those who matter.
Sometimes it may mean not saying what you absolutely must to a loved one. At other times it may even mean swallowing a bitter pill and not letting on that you are hurt.
At other times, you may well know and fully realise that you have hurt a loved one and you keep delaying the due apology knowing this could set things right and yet letting ego sweep the proverbial issue under the carpet!
You do it once. You do it again. And again. Then it becomes a habit. Then, you begin to do it as a reflex action. No more thinking and consciousness is involved in it. Such a wasteful and a mindless way to live!
Meanwhile, the carpet that was once a beautiful smooth and lush piece of fabric starts to lose its sheen. More the issues under it, more it becomes uneven and difficult to step on. Even more difficult to walk on. And barefoot? The issues begin to hurt.
The carpet becomes lumpy from all the issues that have been swept under. Some may be sharp and pointed, others soft and still others hard as nails. They all lie there making the carpet ugly and uneven.
The carpet of your life cannot be avoided. You must step on. You must walk on it. And with all the irregular folds and creases and the lumps, your feet hurt. Your foot is very likely to catch and you will fall. Often on your face. This hurts a lot more than the ego that prevented you to deal with the issues when they arose.
Relationships are delicate business.
Carpets need constant care.
Issues, too need attention.
Being mindful and attentive goes farther than avoiding and sweeping...
Let us then resolve to treat each other with respect that all of us deserve.
Let us then resolve to solve rather than to avoid.
Let us also allow egos to be only a tool of self preservation not a means to self destruct.
Let us keep the carpet neat and lump free...
What's your earliest memory?
The earliest memory I have of my childhood is one of identifying my fear, facing it- and getting on with the business of living.
It is also of holding your dear ones dear and helping them deal with their fear.
Fear is the only limit we place on our boundless flight...
I was barely one and a half years old. The memory is etched in my mind as if a tag that can start the play of a movie. We lived in an ordinary home. ( Notice... I call this a home- from the very beginning.) ( more about that later) . There were, however, focal points of the extraordinary here. One such focal point was the roof of the home. This roof also served as a small balcony for our small family to spend weekends and evenings of togetherness. Looking back, it appears foolish at worst and fool hardy at best to be using this risky balcony without railings and parapets for such a family activity.
I distinctly remember the rickety cross between a ladder and a stair that led up from the living space to this platform. What made this upward flight a stair was a flat board for each step to place our feet on. However, we had nothing to hold on to on the sides. It used to always make me feel a certain thrill going up. It was almost as if we were flying... and landing...
We used to land on the edge of the top of the world. This was the highest point of the neighbourhood. We could reach for the sky if we tried! Just a little stretch!
My father used to carry me up first. Leave me there. I used to sit- looking at him going back down. I used to sit at the edge of the roof of my world and watch with fascination. Even at that young age I used to wonder what made my father bring ME up foremost. It was almost a ritual. He would, then, descend and come up again with my baby brother... deposit the bundle close to me! I had to keep him safe. This was a huge responsibility for a tiny girl. My father trusted me from the very beginning! He never had to say it. And I am proud to know that I have never, till date, let him down.
Somehow, keeping a three month old baby safe took over the brain completely... freeing the mind from the fear or even the possibility of a fall!
Then last of all... he would very carefully, lead my mother up the rickety stair-ladder! My mother was mortally afraid of this ladder. When we were all up there-however- the towering presence and smiling face of my father made everything else fade into insignificance. His presence was, quite simply, a safety net around us. He never let fear figure on the radar of our consciousness. We would play, lounge and enjoy the evening breeze.
Then, quietly, we would all descend. Though the actual memories of descending the stair-ladder are not at all present, there must be some neuronal impression. To this day, I feel a sense of thrill climbing up and a hesitation, almost a fear that I will tumble and fall if I descend.
My father led from the front. Like he led his soldiers. And, he trusted.
When he left me up there with a little baby, he was leaving both his children on that roof top. He had a deep sense of faith that his children would stay safe. One looking after. The other, looked after. And God would always care for us. God did! We also did!
We learnt responsibility from an early age. We did what we were supposed to. And made fear irrelevant. Nonexistent, even.
We also learnt to take over and rally by the side of family when the fear was there. My mother felt the fear. It was her reality. We rallied around her till it became irrelevant for her, too.
Today, both my parents lead from the front. As they always have. They do not tell us. They show us. Infact, they simply follow their philosophy of life and love to the last letter. And... do not even care who is watching- if at all any one is watching!
Will I be able to give my children memories that teach, and instill a sense of wonder for life?
I do hope we, as a generation, could do this for our children.
I hope, we could.
It is also of holding your dear ones dear and helping them deal with their fear.
Fear is the only limit we place on our boundless flight...
I was barely one and a half years old. The memory is etched in my mind as if a tag that can start the play of a movie. We lived in an ordinary home. ( Notice... I call this a home- from the very beginning.) ( more about that later) . There were, however, focal points of the extraordinary here. One such focal point was the roof of the home. This roof also served as a small balcony for our small family to spend weekends and evenings of togetherness. Looking back, it appears foolish at worst and fool hardy at best to be using this risky balcony without railings and parapets for such a family activity.
I distinctly remember the rickety cross between a ladder and a stair that led up from the living space to this platform. What made this upward flight a stair was a flat board for each step to place our feet on. However, we had nothing to hold on to on the sides. It used to always make me feel a certain thrill going up. It was almost as if we were flying... and landing...
We used to land on the edge of the top of the world. This was the highest point of the neighbourhood. We could reach for the sky if we tried! Just a little stretch!
My father used to carry me up first. Leave me there. I used to sit- looking at him going back down. I used to sit at the edge of the roof of my world and watch with fascination. Even at that young age I used to wonder what made my father bring ME up foremost. It was almost a ritual. He would, then, descend and come up again with my baby brother... deposit the bundle close to me! I had to keep him safe. This was a huge responsibility for a tiny girl. My father trusted me from the very beginning! He never had to say it. And I am proud to know that I have never, till date, let him down.
Somehow, keeping a three month old baby safe took over the brain completely... freeing the mind from the fear or even the possibility of a fall!
Then last of all... he would very carefully, lead my mother up the rickety stair-ladder! My mother was mortally afraid of this ladder. When we were all up there-however- the towering presence and smiling face of my father made everything else fade into insignificance. His presence was, quite simply, a safety net around us. He never let fear figure on the radar of our consciousness. We would play, lounge and enjoy the evening breeze.
Then, quietly, we would all descend. Though the actual memories of descending the stair-ladder are not at all present, there must be some neuronal impression. To this day, I feel a sense of thrill climbing up and a hesitation, almost a fear that I will tumble and fall if I descend.
My father led from the front. Like he led his soldiers. And, he trusted.
When he left me up there with a little baby, he was leaving both his children on that roof top. He had a deep sense of faith that his children would stay safe. One looking after. The other, looked after. And God would always care for us. God did! We also did!
We learnt responsibility from an early age. We did what we were supposed to. And made fear irrelevant. Nonexistent, even.
We also learnt to take over and rally by the side of family when the fear was there. My mother felt the fear. It was her reality. We rallied around her till it became irrelevant for her, too.
Today, both my parents lead from the front. As they always have. They do not tell us. They show us. Infact, they simply follow their philosophy of life and love to the last letter. And... do not even care who is watching- if at all any one is watching!
Will I be able to give my children memories that teach, and instill a sense of wonder for life?
I do hope we, as a generation, could do this for our children.
I hope, we could.
What is love?
I have often written about this emotion and find myself reading what I wrote and saying- Is that it? Is that all I can say about this feeling that makes the world go round?
Love is what makes us wait for someone to come home long after everyone else has gone off to sleep...
Love is also what makes us sleep in peace in the arms of this one person when (s)he comes home!!
Love is what makes it possible for a man to go on and for a woman to carry on with the business of living- despite each difficulty in their path.
Love is the feeling that makes one remember the days gone by as if they are a running movie in front of our eyes.
Love is what makes us remember the first glance, the first touch, the first embrace and the first kiss. It is equally potent between a man and his woman as it is between a child and his parent.
The picture of a new-born child in the arms of its mother soon after entering this world is still the most enduring image of love that can be. The child knows nothing else than the mother's touch and her heart beat. The mother breathes the entire Universe in that single moment of holding the child.
Love is the feeling that wants to make you smile in anticipation after you wake up, but before you open your sleepy eyes. It is the feeling that makes you want to stretch and reach out and touch your love.
Love is also the feeling of awareness of closeness and proximity even standing in prayer in a temple. It is the feeling that pervades and provides utmost security... and the source of extreme insecurity.
Love is what makes your tiredness disappear the moment your eyes rest on that someone and makes you want to simply observe each breath.
Love is the heightened sense of awareness and of contentment... the sense that will make you believe that if you were to die today, you would have no regrets. And that you would be missed.
Love is also the drive that makes you reach out long after each ounce of power is sucked from your being... to continue despite all odds and REACH. It is the driving force that allows one to go on when all else seems to have been depleted.
Love may not make the world go round, as someone has said... it definitely makes the ride worthwhile...
Love is what makes us wait for someone to come home long after everyone else has gone off to sleep...
Love is also what makes us sleep in peace in the arms of this one person when (s)he comes home!!
Love is what makes it possible for a man to go on and for a woman to carry on with the business of living- despite each difficulty in their path.
Love is the feeling that makes one remember the days gone by as if they are a running movie in front of our eyes.
Love is what makes us remember the first glance, the first touch, the first embrace and the first kiss. It is equally potent between a man and his woman as it is between a child and his parent.
The picture of a new-born child in the arms of its mother soon after entering this world is still the most enduring image of love that can be. The child knows nothing else than the mother's touch and her heart beat. The mother breathes the entire Universe in that single moment of holding the child.
Love is the feeling that wants to make you smile in anticipation after you wake up, but before you open your sleepy eyes. It is the feeling that makes you want to stretch and reach out and touch your love.
Love is also the feeling of awareness of closeness and proximity even standing in prayer in a temple. It is the feeling that pervades and provides utmost security... and the source of extreme insecurity.
Love is what makes your tiredness disappear the moment your eyes rest on that someone and makes you want to simply observe each breath.
Love is the heightened sense of awareness and of contentment... the sense that will make you believe that if you were to die today, you would have no regrets. And that you would be missed.
Love is also the drive that makes you reach out long after each ounce of power is sucked from your being... to continue despite all odds and REACH. It is the driving force that allows one to go on when all else seems to have been depleted.
Love may not make the world go round, as someone has said... it definitely makes the ride worthwhile...
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ज़िन्दगी तो क्षण- भंगुर है. आज है, कल नहीं. इस छोटी सो ज़िन्दगी में लोग भीड़ में खो से जाते हैं और जब खुद नहीं भी खोते तो अपनों को ढूंढ नहीं पाते!
क्या आज को नज़र अंदाज़ कर, कल पर कदम जमाया जा सकता है? क्या बीते हुए कल के निशाँ अपनी ज़िन्दगी की राह से पूरी तरह मिटाए जा सकते हैं? क्या आने वाला कल इन्ही पथरीली राहों पर चलेगा? या... हुम, तुम, यह, और कोई और भी अपने अहम् को त्याग कर इन पत्थरों में भी फूल खिला सकेंगे?
क्या जीवन इन पत्थरों और काँटों के बिन भी इतना ही सार्थक हो पायेगा?
इन पत्थरों का, इन राहों का, सब का एक महत्त्व है हमारे जीवन में. इन सब को एक समान गले लगाना ही इस जीवन की सब से बड़ी शिक्षा है.
जब चलना ही इन राहों पर तो गिरने से क्या डरना?