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? 

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!

Freedom?

Is the loss of freedom only for a guy? Mustn't girls go through it more than guys would? After all it is a girl who leaves everything as it were and goes into a guy’s house. She has to accept his family as her own and do everything. (Personally I feel that acceptance between future family-members has to be done willingly. I also feel that it can very well be achieved with some maturity from all persons involved. I feel it is perfectly possible!! Maybe my opinion is positively clouded by my circumstances and what I have seen around me!)

Is there really any such thing as freedom? Or is it just a sense of it? Is it intrinsic or external to oneself?

If there is freedom, is it necessary for someone else to oppose it? There again, is the opposing element internal or external to the individual? If internal, how must one deal with it? If external, how must one deal with it?

Is exercising discretion the same as exercising control? Is it self-control? When does discretion of one become restraint for the other?

I am just loud thinking. These questions are occurring to me. They might have occurred or might be occurring to you too. My intention is not to tarnish anything or mess things up. It is just what I said: LOUD thinking!

I told you, this blog is MY space! :)

PS: CnH makes it a bit easy for us, right? ;)

Chaos

image courtesy: http://bbh-labs.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/3199296759_e5130dc6c1.jpg

When there is too much uncertainty and chaos all at the same time…

There is a line in hindi: dene wala jab bhi deta hai, deta hai chappar phad ke.

I can’t believe more in this line that right now! Most people would be thinking of elating moments in the given context, but well, the story is quite the contrary!

It’s not like it’s all so bad! But it sure is extremely trying!

When you have to justify or prove a point in your personal and professional sphere, all at the same time. Alright, this must be the case with many.. but I wonder if I have ever had it easy. The only two true companions in such times have been the Force and my humor. Yes of course my family and friends too. But aren’t they still external to the circumstances that one is directly in?

To cut the frills out, this is my first product release in the ‘new’ workplace. That too after some time. So it has been an interesting revelation to see how one deals with things all over again. My sabbatical taught me a lot of other things.. things which no other would have taught me. But I did experience withdrawal symptoms once I got back in the industry. It wasn’t easy sitting in front of the comp for so long. It was tough to sit in one place doing one thing. The extent of multi-tasking in my break and being on my toes all the time on the one hand, and then suddenly being ‘seated’ – maggi hot n sweet tomato chili sauce, its different! Hah!

But now am back into my ‘comfort zone’ so to say.. yes, I am still finding the need to prove it to myself, more than to anyone else, that I am still what I used to be! Probably inching ahead! I have learnt a lot over the last few months here. From new terms to new people to new distances to many more new things.. it has been an interesting journey. Now, as the release cycle ends and the product is about to hit the market, the last minute runs, the end rushes, all end up overwhelming me. The cycle is about to end. But the work is still in progress. And it’s not funny! I cant wait for it all to finish and me being able to sleep peacefully.

As if this is not it, some twists n turns in my personal sphere have made me feel like I am sitting in one of those Essel World rides. One minute you are concerned, the next minute you are relieved, the minute after that you are elated, the next minute more lemons are thrown at you. And then all you are left with are grapes waiting to ripen! Why change in fruits eh? Well! Please accept my smiles for now!

And just when you waited for the right time to see the grapes become yellow, something else on the personal front puts you off the zone. Your creators think that they are super-humans! No, seriously, they do!! They keep ignoring signals that their system sends out. All along you keep suggesting them to be alert. And then when things go out of control, they toss and turn restlessly. Finally you call your friend, the good Samaritan – the doc, and cry out! Some bizarre names fly around and of course your creators don’t have a choice but to resort to them. Well, one creator still thinks he can deal with his troubles himself! Nothing has happened to me – standard sentence! I am sick of hearing it, but he is not sick of telling me that he is not sick! Well, I don’t give up! The complaint has already reached the good Samaritan and we should see him soon. In the meantime it is just the prayer that it’s just the change of weather that has caused this turmoil.. hope it all settles down.

Why am I writing all this? Rambling is my middle name or my writing’s middle name? No! It is not! I sometimes like to write in loops and scribble my thoughts. At least there is one space that belongs to me and my mind. Yes, we share it! Writing sometimes is cathartic. Am I letting out all to the world outside? Maybe I am, maybe I am not! Either ways if I am rambling, it will leave you confused.. right? So happy confusion! No, I am not answering any questions! If I am left to deal with it myself anyways, I’d rather just do that! After all no one can live my life for me, right? I alone have to do that.. just as one comes alone into this world and has to return the same way too.. life is a circumstance!

gifting?

Buy baby diapers n blah blah.. 51% off! Ok. So?

Sometimes these ads that come on your emails, baffle you. Really, what do they have in their mind when they send you these mails? No, I don’t want my baby to use a diaper.. I am traditional, I believe in using old soft cotton cloth. Common, tell me, now what do you want to do?

Woah woah! U say.. haha.. no, I don’t know no kids of my own! ;)

I am just plainly amused by what I see 'n' what I get :D

But, with the number of baby births and the number of friends about to deliver, I wonder if such offers would come in handy. It is confusing to buy gifts for two kinds of people: guys and babies :P yeah right!! :D

After a point, I fall short of ideas of what to gift a guy friend on his birthday or wedding anniversary or whatever! Ok, Watch – he has more than one! Perfume – what if he doesn’t like the smell! Belt – he already has one! N plus, I don’t know his waist size! Blah! Shirt – I just gifted him one last year! Pen – how many really use the pen these days! Book – ditto as the perfume, maybe the smell included :D Gift voucher – oh! That would tell him my budget too! N so on n so forth!

Similarly, for babies.. new born – buy a rug.. ok, they have many.. buy toys – which probably parents would admire more than the kids.. buy some baby soap n powder n all.. ok…what else? Sweater – what if the quality is not up to the mark n the kid is sensitive! Clothes – ok.. not bad, but the kid would out-grow it in no time.. n so on n so forth.. :)

N then when I saw this diaper ad – I was wondering how many of my friends would be okay if I got them diapers for their babies.. would that be a good ‘gift’? Common, it is as useful as you can think!

So, mommies to be.. or mommies already… let me know.. tell me if that would make your life a lil easier :) else suggest something… will you! Puhleeezz!!

Love you mommies.. n love you lil bundles! :)

Ghost Writer

image courtesy: http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/ICT%20Overdose_30104  

when you at your office desk, open ur diary, and jot down something.. and suddenly turn around to look into your computer screen and park your cursor on any type-able space.. and the system is automatically typing a singular bizarre looking character.. 
what comes to your mind?! damn! is it some virus?? dear lord, am i going to lose something? 
the system is typing this by itself in the URL text box, in a word document.. hell! anywhere, absolutely anywhere you park and you see a non-stop stream of the same character...one, two, three, four.....hundred, two hundred... thousand, three thousand... and you haven't stopped counting... your mind screams STOP! 
whats going wrong with my computer?! Alarm rings the mind.. (poetic license? no! that's not a wrong structure; neither per grammar nor per meaning.. ask me ;))
and then you look around.. only to notice that the edge of your diary is pressing a key! so that's the 'ghost writer'?! yes yes.. no virus! phew! thank god! :D