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

Total acceptance of what comes to us will grant us the much desired inner peace. This acceptance comes through complete surrender that it is just and for my ultimate good. The one who is on the path of karma surrenders to the Law of Karma (As one sows, so will he reap). The Bhakta accepts everything as the Will of His beloved Lord. The Gyani surrenders to the design of Life. Whatever be our path, unconditional surrender is must. Our conscious mind can never understand fully how the laws function and therefore resists and questions the rationality of what happens, especially when it happens to us or to our near and dear ones. Our conscious mind can barely see the present, and is totally oblivious of the past causes and the future ultimate good. But the truth is “Whatever happens is justice (with respect to the past) and for our ultimate good (growth) with respect to the future.” We ask “Why me” for the negative outcomes, never when we succeed or stand first in class. I invite you all to...

When Meerabai was pressurized by her family to fulfill the duties of a daughter-in-law and forego her spiritual pursuits, she was torn in between the two paths. Unable to decide, she wrote a letter to her contemporary Saint Tulsidasji for guidance. He replied that “Those who have no love for Ram and Seeta (Divinity in any form) are not your relatives anyways, and there need to be no hesitation in distancing yourself from anyone who obstructs your spiritual journey, and divine quest.” The spiritual growth C/F to the next Janmas, while our parents, spouse, children change in each birth. Thus, they are ‘relative’ (pun intended).  In this context, can any parent ever say or think that their son/daughter is ‘My child.’ Do they own the child (Maalik) or they are just caretakers (Maali)? Do they really have the jurisdiction to decide the destinies of their children against their children's wishes or nature (Swabhav)? Can they force the children to decide their careers or profession or mar...

In the game of cricket, there is this mystical 12th man who can replace an injured fielder, and otherwise he is the one who brings on the drinks and refreshments in the drinks interval. He is supposed to go through all the rigorous practice sessions and has to be as fit as the other 11 players. My Vedanta teacher gave a fabulous definition to this 12th man as “Always ready, seldom needed.” This is the foundation Sutra for any service we wish to render in our relationships or social causes or in any other endeavour where we want to just give whether it is our Time or our ears to somebody’s problems or our shoulder to cry on or if you allow me to say, our Heart too to someone we care for or love without any need for a return in any form, not even a thank you. We just have to be “always ready,” but realise deeply that we may be “seldom required.” Is there any scope for any anger or let down feelings or hurt then? In fact, most of times we are not really required when we are very ready to ...

I recently saw again one of the finest movies of my life – Amar Prem, starring Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore. It captures brilliantly something that is sorely lacking today – reasonless affection and purposeless love, care. In the movie, neither do they marry nor are they in a definable relationship, but their love and care for each other transcends worldly definitions. Rajesh Khanna is brilliant and speaks with his eyes through the movie. All the songs are classic, and the end is heart – rendering.  You may wonder why am I talking about this movie. Last week, a friend called to share his recent experience. I knew that he was spiritually inclined and wanted to spend his life in doing his Sadhana at a place he loved and visited often in The Himalayas. He narrated his experience. He had a close friend over many years, who loved an Ashram in that very town, and who often spoke to him about how she would love to settle there, offer her Sadhana and service full-on there, as she did ...