Monday 28 January 2013

The letter


She penned her thoughts.. she wanted to post the letter.. she wrote:
“It is now that I feel like I know you more… few words in the virtual space and none in the real.. probably that is why I still feel immensely connected… I don’t know if it is a stairway to heaven or hell.. but I felt like I was in a jungle or some desolate island.. or a world in sepia tones.. some kind of nothingness yet being complete.. living a movie of few words set in some far-away location.. I wish I could show you what I saw.. it was less claustrophobic, more filled with humanness and being… with silence that fills up and conveys more than words can ever try! I was really.. really living in the present.. the present called imagination… fed with images constructed in your mind.. what does that make me or you? You a puppet and me the string? Neither is the creator and yet both are!”

Wednesday 16 January 2013

God in Dog?


We all live each day. Sometimes if we open ourselves to our surroundings, we bump into small incident that open big questions in the mind. Yesterday offered me one such sight.

Disclaimer: This post mentions a place of worship – a temple. The temple is just an example and offers a premise. The symbol of divinity extends to all places of worship such as a temple, a mosque, a church, or whichever such physical space that might otherwise be parallel to orthodoxy.

source: http://www.bradfitzpatrick.com/weblog/1410/funny-god-cartoon-by-dan-piraros-bizarro/

I was driving back home and just as I was crossing a temple on the right (or left? ;)) side of the road, I saw a dog resting on the roof of the temple. This badgered a series of questions in my head, most of which for me myself were rhetorical.

If there was some ‘human being’ in place of the dog, would he (no gender bias intended, just sparing myself of repetitive oblique’s - '/') have been allowed to remain there? Would he be asked how dare he thought of allowing his feet – that may have tread along dirty muddy paths, probably over some loo, or something ‘grosser’ that that – to touch the divine crown? Would that have made the temple impure? Would they suggest that the temple needs consecration? Would they beat up the guy for having dared to do such an act? Would he have been ostracized from his community and society for behaving this way? Would he have been handed over to some moral police?

If the answer to the above questions is Yes, then why should the dog be exempted?

Do you think the dog has lesser intelligence than today’s man? Leading a dog’s life? Are they sparing the dog, just because they think it is an animal without the power of discretion? But isn't that how we should also be in all matters? Carefree and uninhibited? No, don’t get me wrong! I don’t mean all that at the cost of disrespect to the others! Even dogs respect rules of their species. OK, yet again, don’t get me wrong! I am not provoking you but only a thought process in you, just as this incident affected me!

To me, God is everywhere and in everything. I don’t understand the difference between spelling that higher force as GOD or DOG! I don’t understand God (or whatever name you wish to give the Force) as a Being restricted in idols and pictures. I do understand that forms and pictures help focus. I do understand the sentiments of those who believe in them. But we need to also understand that they are only symbolic.

My experiences with the Force have taught me that the Force has been my best friend, with whom I can fight and laugh. I have had my own personal relationship with God, where prayer is talking to the Force, feeling the love, giving love and warmth, smiling, helping people around, looking at ‘small’ things and finding God in them. Grace flows in abundance, if you just thought of looking around. Darkness is not the opposite of light, rather it is the 'absence' of light!

We all go through moments of confusion and incidents that make us wonder how futile our lives are. There are some more incidents in the recent past that have triggered some thought processes in me; those writings will sometime see the light of day.

source: Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson











The above incident of the dog reiterated to me the simplicity of being innocent. It reiterated to me that if you really don’t know what you have done is ‘wrong’ out of innocence, you need to be given another chance. It reiterated to me that indeed the force is omnipresent and omnipotent and doesn't need a place of worship to feel connected. It can happen anytime, anywhere! Such experiences just make the internal faith and connection stronger! After all, isn't God just that one inside of you.. why? Verily you yourself!!

Of what use is religion, if it doesn't teach you to be human. Of what use is it, if it doesn’t make you a better human being, and practice and preach peace. Why do most people mix up religion, spirituality, faith, and rituals? Religion may be a means to spirituality, but spirituality is a vast canvas. You may chant mantras (sacred chants) and perform rituals and worship, but of what use is all that, if you are not able to recognize the divinity in you and all around you?

Here are beautiful words that I came across in SDI that perfectly sum up and capture, "You are Me and I am You :)"
“O Man that runs...To temples…mosques... And churches
To touch the Feet of God..
But forgets.. To turn toward.. And touch.. The golden heart within
Run not here and there
For God is there.. Where you are ready.. To see Him…”

High time we did this, right? Recognize who you really are? 

Monday 14 January 2013

Small Things Bring Joy


I was sitting for some quiet moment in SKH, which is so full of pigeons. I was facing the queues marching towards the ornate marble edifice. Diagonally behind me to my left, was a pink arch divided by the magnificent white exit gates.

A momma pigeon had found a nice corner above the gate arch with a comfortable side wall to make a cushioned abode for the ones presently resting inside her. Precarious spot!” I thought to myself; but I obviously did not have as much of a clear view as her.

image source: http://www.shutterstock.com

Perched atop, she panned her neck to see what could make the spot a home. Any and every string/twig-like object that was more than 3 cms long was targeted. I wondered “What sharp eyes!” The pigeon would fly down, pick it up, and fly back to the corner. And the most amazing part – this was an activity that went on through the day. Was she over-exercising her wings to make her kids’ home? But her love and anticipation was such.

A lil story in that story: They use nylon strings in SKH to demarcate the boundaries. When the crowd reduces to just a hundred or less, they wind the strings and wrap the bunch up. This momma pigeon saw the string, came flying down, and tried her best to pull the string out. She managed a few inches from the loose end. She tried to drag it. It was heavy for her. Yet she dint give up. In fact she managed to pull out close to a foot of the string out of the ‘wrap’. She kept trying until she felt convinced and then realized it was too long and heavy for her to carry.

Another lil story in that story that gave me a glimpse of BEING in the NOW: I had a pretty white rose that I wanted to offer. The stem had a couple of slender branches with leaves. I wanted to help this momma pigeon. I also wanted to see how fearless she was. So I cut a branch and left it on the floor, a short distance away. I waited eagerly to see if she noticed this branch. A few minutes passed but no sign of her coming this side, let alone of pecking at the branch. I wondered if the branch wasn’t clearly visible on the black floor. But she proved me wrong. After about 10 minutes, she glided down, skated on the smooth floor while she landed, and within a second flew back with the rose branch. She gifted me a smile from deep within. I wanted more. I plucked the only other branch remaining and left it a shorter distance away, maybe 2-3 tiles away. Again I waited in hope. I kept turning around to the top of the arch. Probably the woman sitting behind me might have wondered what I was up to. Finally a few minutes later, my lil inspiration came down gliding again, this time close to me. She held the branch in her little beak and flew back. I had a bigger smile this time. And since I was reading excerpts from the Power of Now, I was deeply touched by this experience, because while I was part of this small episode, I was completely present in just that!  I had absolutely no other thought and I was completely one with my surroundings. Bliss!

Small things bring joy but joy is not a small thing!


Wednesday 9 January 2013

She


Why did she put aside her ego and self-respect for that one person? Why is it so difficult to let go, while that should be the easiest thing to do. As a great master said, holding something is like a burden; the thing being held has a weight… instead try dropping it, you will be weight-free. She wished it was as easy as saying those words.
Evasive butterfly… she dint want to cut its wings for she knew how beautiful those wings are.

The more she knows, the more she gets entangled, and then the more it hurts her! She feels his pain, if only he knew it! She hates it that he should have gone through all that he did, even if she only had glimpses; but it pains her that he did. But the way to recovery is in one’s hands – only that person can help themselves! When one knows that something is a problem, knowing that it is a problem is the first step to redemption! And if she is offering a hand, if she is willing to reach out to him, how can he not know that? How can he not recognize that she does not want to take anything from him. Everyone has been doing that to him, but there is that one who is not looking to take anything from him, but only give him in abundance. Has his brain become so fuzzy and his sight so veiled by the ill-meaning of others that he cannot even sense that she wishes only good for him?
What he thought would never work, would have worked if he peeped in deeper. She doesn't know why she is persevering on reaching out and stuck on her thoughts so much. She can’t even open talk to anyone. She dislikes this noise. She dislikes that she is feeling all this when he doesn't even bother to know!

How hard surfaced has his heart and perception become?! She only keeps wishing that it is all after all a bad dream.

Friday 4 January 2013

My ENcounTer with the ENT surgeon – a lil walk down ‘historical’ memory lane..


image courtesy: http://www.cartoonstock.com

I had been to an ENT surgeon recently for fixing an issue that I had to fix for a while now. Finally the day my product went live, that very evening, I went to the doc to fix up an appointment. It felt like I was suddenly given a time-machine. Or was it a scene from an old movie. The checkered light grey and white false ceiling, the wooden walls with distinct blackened out elliptical patches wherever the oily heads would rest, the mosaic flooring, a ceiling fan, and a khat khat khat khat…kreen..khat khat khat sound… guess of what.. a type-writer! Yes you heard it right!! The receptionist filled in my details and asked me to wait for my turn. And finally I was allowed in to meet the doctor.

The consultation room inside was another masterpiece! Of the master himself that spoke of skilled fingers that were seasoned over 55+ years. The doctor is 85 yrs old and going strong! The room inside too was distinct with pictures of a couple of God’s pics that dated some decades old, papers stacked up in cupboards, and I think this room had a checkered grey and black tile flooring.

The senior doc had a junior doc to assist him. The senior asked me about my problem. After I explained to him all that I could remember , he asked me when did the trauma happen? I was confused. In my head I was asking what ‘trauma’? Do you mean like now? Or do you mean my mental state (screw that!)? Then it occurred to me, he meant my nose’s first encounter with the floor. So I told him about my smart idea of skipping with my jacket as a kid of 7, when I really was a kid of 7 yrs! He heard me out for about 3 minutes, patiently listening to my account.

The senior doc then just gave notes as the junior doc wrote as instructed. The senior did not write anything!! He just spoke. He probably didn’t even move his hands! He asked me to take a seat a few steps away. The senior doctor sat facing me. The junior doctor placed a crown-like gear on the senior’s head. And suddenly the crown flashed its Kohinoor; the ‘headlight’ went on. The junior held some mini-golf stick like object with a reflecting surface, and put it inside my nostrils. The next thought in my head was god, how many noses does that go into?! But I had no choice but to ‘trust’ the doctor. The senior examined my nose. He said the known, and I pretended to be unknown! The words came like thunder, “Your left nostril is almost completely blocked!”

He then spoke a few words.. all of which I already knew… coz I knew what the issue was! I felt like a mini-ENT surgeon myself :P Anyways, so then he said I needed to undergo such n such minor surgery and such n such tests before that. I concurred with him.

And the whole meeting inside the consultation room would have lasted not more than 7 minutes. 15 seconds of me walking in, 3 minutes of my talking, 1 and a quarter minutes of checking up, 1 and a half minutes of the senior doc speaking, 7 seconds of him saying “the charges are 500 bucks and you need to pay it here”, 5 seconds of me giving him a wry smile (with massive questions running in my head about 7 minutes and 500 bucks.. WTF!!!), 20 seconds of me fishing out notes from here and there, 7 seconds of dishing out the treasured amount to him, 15 seconds of me walking out! Phew! Chuck the math! :D
image courtesy: http://www.cartoonstock.com
But I came back feeling like hah! I knew it, all he had to do was to confirm my thoughts! So much for it! But I was glad that I now knew for SURE! :)

So, that was my ENcounTer with the ENT surgeon! A phenomenal doctor, really! Why am I saying that.. I will keep that for another blog entry!