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

When any event occurs in our inner/outer life, we tend to analyse its pros and cons too much instead of learning its lessons. There were endless debates on demonetisation too – whether it will work or not. The first lesson it could have taught us is (what is often said in discourses) “This Sansar (external world) is transient and subject to change. And so, are we ready to accept the sudden changes it inflicts in our life at times.” Within hours, many people’s Wealth – quotient dwindled to their utter shock and dismay. Some of the richest were seeking temporary financial help from their servants/staff, as they did not have the lower currency notes. The wealthiest were surviving, as it were, on the equivalent erstwhile pocket money of their youth days. Perhaps, it taught them that they were capable of austerity and living on limited means. Suddenly, there was a spate in donations/charities. When people realised that their hoarded wealth was not of much use to them, they wanted to ...

Jagannath Mishra, an ancient philosopher, was accomplished in all our scriptures. He was contemplating once on the central verse of the Geeta in which the Lord assures that He will take complete care of the surrendered devotee by getting him what he needs, and also by protecting what the devotee has [Chapter 9, Verse 22]. Being soaked in relentless poverty for most part of his life, Mishraji angrily struck off this verse as he and his family were starving on that particular day. He left the house soon after to sit by the river in the village on an empty stomach. Sometime later in the day, a young boy came to their house with loads of groceries saying that Mishraji had just placed this order at the neighbouring shop. Mishraji’s wife was surprised, since she knew that her husband did not have a penny. A fatigued Mishraji returned home in the evening knowing well that he and his wife would starve that night too. He was greeted by the fragrance of a sumptuous dinner kept ready for him. ...

Last week, I got a call from an old ex-student who is my good friend now. She keeps in constant touch. She is a very pretty soul, with a prettier heart, shy and sensitive. We met. She confided that she met this guy sometime back at a friend’s wedding and who seemed to have liked her. He wished to know her better. They began exchanging messages and talking on the phone. She confessed cutely that she had begun to relate to him. However, he wanted to match the kundlis since his family is a firm believer. Unfortunately, they did not match. And he chose to withdraw. She felt quite disappointed and asked me what to do now. Many of us face this scenario. Personally, being a complete believer in love, I feel that if we seek divine grace through heartfelt prayers, and if we have total faith in Love itself (be a giver), then that Grace can mitigate and nullify all laws of destiny. My Guru Shri Haribhai Kothari often said that the Lord’s ‘Anugrah’ (Benevolence) can offset the effect of ‘Nav-gr...

There was a rich man in a village who was a great miser. He never gave alms to the poor or to any charity. There was also a poor shoemaker in the same village, who was very generous. He gave something to every beggar coming to his hut and also his little to every charity project and noble cause. One day the miser died. Nobody mourned or prayed for his soul nor did anyone accompany his coffin buried well outside the village. As the days passed, there was a sudden change in the shoemaker who stopped all his charity too. He said now that he needed all his money. One day, the village priest went to him and asked about this change of heart. The shoemaker said with hesitation and tears, “Sir, many years ago the miser came to me with a huge sum of money and asked me to give it away in charity. He made me promise that I would never reveal this to anyone till he lived. Once a month, he visited me late in the night and gave the money for that month’s charity.” The priest called the village...

Only Osho could have expressed this above Truth so amazingly. He further explains that love creates fear since love is death. In the death we know of, only the body dies which is just like a dress. We drop the old body and acquire a new one. The form changes, yet the same mind/ego continue (an old wine in a new bottle). There is no real death. But love is real death since here the body does not die, but the mind/ego/our identity dies or dissolves. If you love, you cannot be the ego since the ego will not allow love. We have to choose between love and our ego. And so we are fearful in love since we have to drop ourselves now. Maybe, that is why true love (egoless) is vanishing from our pretentious world. What we call love today is just a false coin. The device is to live in a false love in which our ego continues to thrive. We have invented this false coin since without love life carries no meaning, no poetry, no dance within, no celebration, no gratitude, and above all no prayer. I...

Somebody asked Majnu once, “What is so special about Laila, she is quite ordinary to look at.” Majnu replied, “If you wish to see her beauty, see her through my eyes.” Whenever we see the world, it is perceived through the lens of our mind/heart/samskars (innermost tendencies and past impressions). We all see the same object or person and yet perceive them differently as we want to see them. If we understand this deeply, we will never ask our beloved ones questions like – what do you see in him or her (when your teenage daughter/son introduce their boy/girlfriend to you) or what do you see in this movie or serial, what do you see in this dress, what do you see in this hair-style, what do you see in this, that or whatever? These questions only indicate that our shallow understanding and love for others. We want everyone to see everything through our own perception. I don’t see serials much, but over last 3 months I have been watching this Sony serial – ‘Ek Dujhe Ke Vaaste’ and am comple...

I go to the garden opposite my house everyday in the evening, where I see many boys/girls taking a selfie – a craze which has been recognized now as a clinical dis-order called “screen obsession”, if it is your predominant passion. Personally, I don’t see anything abnormal in this, since most of us are heavily body-conscious. Paradoxically, the first lesson taught in nursery level of Vedanta is “I-am-not-this-body”, and perhaps it is also the last lesson we choose to imbibe or accept. Nevertheless, when I see the “Selfie-culture” prosper, I wonder if someday, they will come up with a camera which can capture our mind (feelings, emotions we entertain) and which will exhibit out thoughts, instincts, and beliefs. It sounds only so dangerous. Imagine that someone closest to us has an access to our inner personality or anybody can see our thoughts, feelings, and the inner murmur while we are acting so sanely or saintly outside. I wonder how many relationships will survive to see the sun-ris...

A Chinese Proverb says, "If you want happiness" - For some moments = indulge in any sense-pleasure. - For an hour = Take a nap or a walk - For a day = Go for a picnic - For a month = Get Married (Debatable) - For a year = inherit a fortune (that is, in one year you must have spent it) - For a decade = Get divorced (Well, Well, I added this one to make my married friends imagine happiness) - For a lifetime = Give, give, give (love, care, help, time, patience, smile, tears to others in need of them) - For eternity = Know who you really are from the one who knows who he is not. Now, we must ask ourselves, which happiness we want. We are all happy today since everything is in place as per our wish and want (House, wife, child, health, job, Bank balance, knees, heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, the list is endless and subjective). Just imagine that one of the features in this list is taken away. Now what happens to our "Happiness Quotient" is a true indicator of ...

I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!!

Love - On Valentine's Day If there is one word which has never got the respect it deserves, then it is "Love". It is also a word which has seen upon itself the highest distortion and misuse. We have used (or should I say abused) it so much that very few feel the need to know what it really means. Everybody seems to know it, everybody seems to practice it too in their lives. But alas, how many of us can claim to live it. When we say "I Love You", what does it really mean? Unfortunately we never felt the need to learn its sublime essence. If asked, we would just nod and say "Ofcourse, I know the meaning of love. I love my parents, my spouse, my children, my friends, my God too, my.... the list is endless." We believe that it means attraction, liking, passion, a deep longing, a sense of mineness, care, missing someone, feeling deeply hurt if it is not reciprocated, and feeling shattered if that person leaves us. But the checklist is different when ...

Normally, positive thinking is to expect the best out of every moment in the future. While this may be true, is not accepting that whatever comes out of each moment will be the very best also positive thinking? - a graceful acceptance trusting that there is fairness in all situations, even though some events appear to be unfair from our limited perspective and short-sighted vision. This needs Bhakti - a trust in Isvara, an order which governs everything in creation. An unwavering faith (Shraddha) that this creation has come out of a wholeness, a benevolence, and there is no scope for any like/dislike in the ordainer (Isvara). If our observation does not seem to concur with this, we should be willing to give it up and accept the above declaration of all scriptures. Our evaluation of what we perceive is based on our preconceived notions determined by our limited knowledge causing us to feel bound. Nothing ever happens without a reason, without a cause. Nobody causes situations to happen...