Some Feelings..Some Words...From The Heart...

Yes, this comes thr’ after a while (Break ke Baad). The reason being that nothing was happening really which deserved to be reported / re-acted upon. The Thursday philosophy lectures at my Residence started a month back with lots of fun and fare. Many wanted it, demanded it and worked to get it started. But unfortunately, it started fizzling out also that soon. It was difficult for people to come regularly as something would crop up that day which deserved their priority attention dis-abling them from coming for the class. I am sure most of times it could be genuine. And so, the 2nd class was attended by 3 people (one of them being an outstation ex-student). The 3rd class had 0 attendance and so was the 4th class where 2 people landed up 1 hour late. Perhaps, this did not come as a surprise to me having had such experiences on previous occasion too. But still, I gave it a shot since the supply must be there if there is a demand. If the demand goes/ dissolves, the supply must wait. But ...

On demand of many of my students, I will be starting lectures on Philosophy every Thursday, 6pm-7:30pm at my house in Breach Candy. Those interested are welcome to come.

It has been some time now since the last input. A few friends called to ask why this break. But it is just that nothing inspired me enough to deserve expression. The inspiration comes from the Lord and may be my receptacle got fogged. And it is not necessary that a flower must blossom within at all times. If it does not, it is ok. No Forced inspiration. Whatever is forced is never forceful. But this does not (and should not) deprive us from enjoying and savouring the flowers blossoming outside and around us. And so, let me share with you some of my most favourite one liners. There is a huge compilation – with a hope you enjoy a few delicacies. 1)You haven’t lived unless you found someone worth dying for. 2)The world is a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed. 3)I’ve learned that we don’t need to change friends if we understand that friends change. 4)I don’t suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it. 5)I have given up waiting for someone to get me flowers. I have ins...

It is said that the only remedy to love is to love more. The feeling of love is perhaps inexpressible. But you do get a glimpse of it in the eyes of Shahrukh Khan throughout ‘Mohabbatein’. The movie is indeed a moving experience especially for people who believe their hearts can beat strong enough to feel wounded. While watching the movie, however, I couldn’t help comparing it with another movie of recent times ‘Dhadkan’. Briefly put for readers, who haven’t seen the two movies, they deal with unresolved love due to the intervention of the girls’ father resulting in a permanent separation. In both the movies, the daughter sacrifices her love at the feet of her father’s wish. However, ‘Dhadkan’ recommends the’move on’ approach, wherein she marries someone else and ultimately falls in love with him too. ‘Mohabbatein” propagates that true love is not alterable. It is eternal devotion and commitment to the person loved, even when it is certain that love will never be reciprocated. Does the...

This heading aroused my curiosity and on reading the article in the 'BT' (B'bay Times), it was stated "You cannot eliminate stress out of your life but you can deal with it". It suggested that some relaxation techniques can ease the "SQ" (Stress Quotient) - Given were: 1) Deep Breathing 2) Yoga 3) Imagery (Day Dreaming) 4) Music 5) Aroma Therapy 6) Spending Time with pets 7) Take a nap 8) Hot Beverages I was reminded of a story I had heard long back. A rat had died and was lying in some corner of a room, spreading bad odour all over. When the odour became unbearable. the person sprayed scent/cologne and the room was filled with fragrance. But Alas, not for long. Within sometime, the bad odour of the dead Rat came back. This time, the person tried something spiritual - lighting two Agarbattis (incense sticks)and the room was incensed, obviously not for long. He tried everything to deal with the odour, but nothing to go to its source i.e. find the rat ...

Just the other day, I read a small write up on the last page of Bombay Times in some obscure corner about Naseerudin Shah’s speech on his friend Ravi Vasvani’s demise. A casual point there caught my tears and attention. It was said that the pet dog of the late actor also died within a week. Only a dog could live upto what we say so often to our dearest one “Darling, I can’t possibly think of living without you”. Of course, there is no data to show that we possibly meant that. Imagine the intensity of pure emotion in a dog that he refused to live on. The only example that I can think of is that of King Dasaratha, who too refused to accept his life without Ram. Of course, there is a spiritual principle indicated here that a person cannot live on without the God-Principle within (Atma) which stands personified as Lord Ram. No, I am not advocating or supporting any such indication that true love means you do not live on or supporting any such indication that true love means you do not live...

1. Instrument – Our Gross Body 2. Sim card – Our subtle body (Comprising of our mind/intellect which move from 1 body to another/from 1 birth to another) 3. Balance of sim card – Balance of our karmic a/c c/f from life to life 4. Cell number – Our name, identity 5. Charger – Our scriptures, satsangh, study, contemplation – need to do everyday 6. All incoming calls are free – All troubles come free 7. Calls kept on hold keep beeping – Our delays and things kept on hold 8. Missed calls – Missed opportunities since you were sleeping or out 9. Local charge – Introverted life – lower charge 10. Roaming charge – Extroverted life – higher charge 11. Radiation – Mental agitation due to over use – too much self obsession 12. Electricity supply – The Lord within us (Atman) 13. Monthly bills – Our Karma – phal 14. Free time – Patience shown by nature for our stupidities. If you still go beyond, the bill (charge) comes. P.S.: Simple tips to minimize risks associate...

The one question which seems to be ever untiring about me is "Why are you not married?".And I really do not know what to answer as i do not know the answer.But a few thoughts about it do surface.Initially,when the marriage "season" originated in my life,it was an egoistic thought on meeting someone "will she be able to take care of my insanity?". When immature wisdom dawned a little later, the thought changed "will i be able to take care of her?".I call it immature wisdom since it was wiser than the earlier egoistic self-care thought,but still immature since it was devoid of the reality that nobody can really take care fully of anybody.The real care-taker is the supreme Lord and his not-negotiable laws,which if observed religiously,will bestow natural protection and care.But I wonder if we qualify to marry without any clue of these laws of emotions,thoughts and care.Are we unselfish enough to pledge our life to someone,whom we can love unconditi...

As I see today most of my young friends on their way to graduation or on the verge of it have no bases whatsoever for the selection of their profession or their vocation.Most of them go by herd instinct or what is the 'In Thing' or blindly takeup what their father's are doing whether it is business or CA or doctor.Does this make this make any sense? Is somwthing which is so important and life long selection to be made so immaturely?Do you have the time or inclination or wisdom or courage to hear your heart voice and pursue it without considering whether it has your so called market value?this is so tragic when I see students who are so well-of and who can easily use this gifted opportunity to experiment about this.Do you know what Gita has to say on this? Lord Krishna roars "follow your Swadharma that is your inherint nature,appitude ,talent ,inclination in doing whatever you need to do to earn your livlihood only then can u find fulfillment". If you dont follow t...

Recently I happened to speak to my dear student wondering why she hadn't come for the weekly lectures.To which she replied that if 'all is well' (Aamir please note) she would definitely come this monday.I smiled and asked her "if all was really well then why need you come there anyways?".Don't we need this knowledge especially when we have this false sense of complacence that all is well.Is it really so?does all really become well by noding at your heart singing "all is well".Remove just one card of your crutches and beware that your entire house of supposed wellbeing will collaspe like a pack of cards.

A murtikar brought 3 exactly similar murtis for sale to the king but priced them at Re.1,Rs100 & Rs.10000 respectively.The king wondered why since they looked identical from outside & material used was also same.The murtikar called for a thread.He put the thread into the 1st one's ear and it came out of the other ear.In the 2nd one it was put into the ear and it came out of the mouth.Tn the 3rd one it was put into the ear & it dint come out.Similarly our worth is also decided by whether wisdom goes through one ear to another or whether the wisdom gathered is flown out of the mouth as a sermon for others or whether the wisdom earned is internalised for self transformation. Choice is ours.

Do you know why one needs a 'workout'? Its only because one has forgotten to 'work-in'.There is no need felt for taking care of the mind & no need felt for developing the intellect since the entire focus is restricted to the body & beautifying it.As a result all the gyms are full & satsangs(mental gymnasium) stay empty.

1) When you want to do something right or good you ask or look for 'Subh Murat'. But do we do this even while doing wrong things??? For Example: Just before you want to shout or feel jealous or just before betraying somebody's trust?? ------------------ 2) Regretting about the past is as wasteful as analysing ones own vomit. How Disgusting?

"What I don't like to be done to myself,I shouldn't do that to others". This is the bottom line of our value system.Your value system is what you wouldn't want anyone else to undo to you. For Example: If honesty is your value system then you need to be honest to yourself first & leave the nature to take care of everything else.Be rest assured that you will be protected against all betrayals.This implicit faith in the law of nature is only bhakti.

Bhishma once decided to test Yuddhisthir & Duryodhana by giving them one gold coin and asked them both to fill up one empty room with whatever they can procure with that coin. Duryodhana filled the room with dirt/garbage/waste which he could get as much as he wanted in return of that coin. The room was full with with not a place for a pin-more of dirt. Yuddhisthir placed just 3 things, (a) God's idol (b) Oil-lamp (c) flowers, leaving the rest of the room empty. On entering, Duryodhana laughed at the empty space in the room accusing Yuddhisthir of loosing the test. Yuddhisthir explained that the room was indeed ful as per the test. God ( is the idol ) was omni present in each & every atom of that room. The room was filled with light from the oil-lamp, not even a centimetre was unlit & the room was filled too with the fragrance of that flower. We too have the gold coin given by the Lord in the form of this human-life. We are given the choice too, to fill up our life with...

Man: Oh God, 'I' want peace. God: My dear, drop the 'I'(ego) and drop the 'want'(desire) and you will be left with PEACE.

When a person is angry he shouts.Have you ever wondered why? It is because he has thrown the other person so far away from his heart that he needs to shout even when that person is standing next to him. But in love don't we just whisper? This is because that person is very close to our heart.And when we become one even whisper is not necessary.Only eyes talk then :).

In Villages they say,"talk softly even walls can hear".They sense life even in matter i.e. A Wall. In City even the ears have walls since nobody wants to listen to anybody.Nobody has the time nor the inclination to. In cities they say,"We just don't care,we have no time to".

You are the creator of your own thoughts,emotions.Nobody can hurt you or cause u any anger unless you allow the same to happen unto yourself.Every negative emotion entertained by us is a self inflicted & self abuse.Whenever you are hurt or negatively affected by anyone or any external situation you need to go through the following check-list of 4 points one or more of which may have been self triggered by us- 1) you lack in understanding & therefore make a faulty assessment of the other person or external situation. 2) You are attached to that person or situation & there by insisting on a particular outcome from that situation or person 3) Your ego has been provoked & u consider yourself to be the standard for how the world should be. E.g.) anyone driving slower than you is an idiot & anyone driving faster than you is a freak. 4) you lack in love & gratitude & completely & conveniently forget what that person may have done for you otherwise. E.g.) any ...

Swami Vivekanand went to maa Sharda (wife of his guru) for blessings since he wanted to go abroad to spread message of Vedanta .She was cooking at that time & asked swamiji to hand over the knife which was lying at a distance.He gave her the knife holding the blade in his hand & offered the wooden handle to her to hold.She blessed him & said "My son you are ready to spread the message of Vedanta for only the one who keeps the sharp blade(pain of the world) to himself & offers protection to others in the most casual activity only qualifies to spread knowledge & devotion " Do we similarly qualify in all our relationships in the same manner??? think about it

If you get hurt or angry, when nobody listens to you although you are giving the gospel truth, then look at any picture of any Lord (Krishna, Ram, Shivji). Don’t you see them smiling even when nobody listens to them and their gospel voice (your conscience talking)? Just learn this much and keep smiling. Only a human being can smile in reality, animals smile or laugh only in cartoons. Learn to be a fool sometimes – a deliberate fool for someone you love. Remember, a person who is nobody’s fool is nobody’s darling too. P.S.: My next batch just started today – wow, so many new potential friends in the making, I hope.

A person worshipped Lord Ganesh for a long time, but his desire was not fulfilled. Lacking in patience needed in faith, he kept the Ganesh idol on the side and started worshipping Lord Ganesh’s father Shivji. Does not our faith lack patience too? While worshipping Lord Shivji, once he saw that the fragrance from the Igarbatti was going towards Ganeshji now sitting on the side. He was angry at this and brought two cotton swabs and put them on either side of His long trunk, trying to ensure that Ganeshji does not partake anything offered to Shivji now. At this point, Lord Ganesh manifested from the idol and asked the person to ask for his boon now and it will be granted by Him (Ganeshji) immediately. This person was dumbfounded and asked the Lord why he did not manifest while he worshipped Him so fondly earlier and now when he was being so cruel, He came. Lord Ganpati (wisdom personified) replied , “ My Dear, for the 1 st time in your life, you actually felt my existence in my stone ido...

Smart student went to his guru with the intention of testing his guru.He kept a small bird in his hand & asked the guru whether it was dead or alive.The student had pre -decided to prove the guru wrong.So if the guru says 'alive' then he would choke the bird to death & if the guru says 'dead' then he would let it fly proving the guru wrong in any case.The guru saw through this mischief & said "the answer to your question is actually in your own hands". Isn't it so true for each one of our lives? Its ultimately in our own hands to make or mar our own destiny. "Remember your life may be yours but not the laws that govern the life ".So take care :) P.S. :- I personally thank the students of this years TYb .com batch for not responding the previous article.

This one is for our Saldys batch of this year which just gave their T.Y. Exams.We were just 4 of us watching the movie, 4 out of 25 or more.Our silly boy 'Deep' called me on Thursday wanting to meet everyone.In spite of poor health and inability to talk,I agreed immediately and with great enthusiasm he undertook the endeavor to contact everyone in the batch for a movie and meeting thereafter. On Saturday night , a frustrated Deep calls me up,to say that "Everyone is doing nataks & only 2 have confirmed,some have not even bothered to respond,some are waiting on the fence and will come only if all come or whatever,some have seen the movie,others dont wish to etc". Is this correct?Must every organiser start with enthusiasm & end with frustration in this batch,whether it is Paramjeet trying for a picnic over 3 months or Deep organising just an hour or 2 outing that too on a Sunday evening.The batch must feel proud of its only achievement unsurpassed so far- n...

Once " BANDHAN "(Bondage) went to its creator (Lord) complaining that he was not welcomed anywhere, nobody wanted him & if that was so then why was he created.The Lord smiled & asked him "What do you say to introduce yourself ?".He replied "Obviously by my name BANDHAN ". Lord advised "Oh no, you need to do a little bit of makeup & then introduce yourself ". BANDHAN asked " how do i do that?".The Lord smiled & said "introduce yourself as ' SAMBHAND ' ". Ain't all our SAMBHAND creating BANDHAN for us due to our wrong attitudes,inadequate knowledge & lack of love & gratitude ?

The shrill noise of the ringing alarm woke me up in the morning. Iwoke up but my thoughts went back to the day, not long ago,when a soft tender touch used to wake me up every morning. The touch was very warm & pleasing- it was the touch of a mother. Ours was a small Guju family,very closely attached in which every mother of the house depended on the other for company.My mother being most talkative,contributed a major portion of this company.Ever since i experienced existence,i was so used to seeing her around,that it inculcated a weakness in me(as it happens so often) of taking her existence for granted.As a child, i remember being very attached to her,but adolescence,teenage,college-life, friends took her roll- the attachment reduced though the love & sense of belonging remained . Then came the day of agony & misery for us.I still distinctly remember that moment when i was told that she was sick beyond cure.It was only then i understood what helplessness was all about...

A few days back,while cleaning my drawer,I found (Meghna's) poems and a list of my batches 3-4yrs back.And i re-called some of the memories of a few on that list who were so close to me then and about whom i knew so much-so many long calls,personal agonies, confessions, heartburns.I had felt then that they had become such close friends of mine and remaining in touch was a foregone conclusion.And today,I dont even knw where they are and what they are doing.It all fazed out so quickly.Heard of "Lost & Found" dept? Well I have a long "Lost & Found" dept.In most cases, it was either distance, career, or marriage which proved too strong for my lonely inclination to remain with them.I just hate saying Bye to anyone.I kept wondering why we say GoodBye- How can a bye be ever good? Does 'moving on' & 'growing up' need to be so harsh? All this is not about living in the past.Its all about caring of the past.Yes,initially,I tried hard to remain...

Recently i overheard a conversation between two young girls,one ridiculing the others confession as to how much she cried while watching "titanic".Many of us may have also ridiculed somebodys sensitive nature at many times in our lives.Well the word 'sensitivity' - my favourite in dictionary.Maybe it was derived from 'being sensible'.Amongst other bankruptcies if there is an acute insolvency of something today it could be of this sensitivity in us. I can still vividly recall the total insensitivity of the audience finding incomprehensible humour in Karishma Kapoor throwing stones at God in the sky complaining for feeling bad on a heartbreak.I confess that i had tears in my eyes watching the intensity of the scene & performance accompanied by laughter & shouting by my co-audience.I cant forget(or should i say 'forgive') the insensible audience trying to clap with the slow,serious & beautiful Mukesh song "jaane kahan gaye woh din" ...

As my car stopped at a signal this morning a small boy came near the opposite window begging.My friend shooed him away in a language & manner i dint approved of.The anger & complain that i saw in his eyes as he moved away remained with me for a long time.I knew it was not the right thing to have happened.I remembered a story i had heard long back. There was this man who was being felicitated on his completing 100 years.Naturally he was being questioned by one & all as to the secret of his longevity & resounding health. The man said that he owed it all to something that had happened in his life when he was very young.One day he witnessed his old maid in a pensive mood trying to hide tears gathered at the corner her eyes.On a persistent enquiry ,she finally revealed about the ill-health of her only son who medical expenses were going beyond her means.There was both desperation & helplessness on her wrinkled face.The man couldnt bear to see her moist eyes and p...