Stop Condemning!
It is easy to fall into the habit of condemning others, even those we love the most. We criticize the way someone eats or the manner in which one speaks. We focus on the most minute details and find fault with the smallest of issues. But what we focus grows to the extent we start feeling it to be a great problem.
Instead why not begin to respect the differences? Often, we perceive in others the weaknesses we most need to address in ourselves.
STOP BLAMING AND CONDEMNING.
- Robin Sharma, Author of Who Will Cry When You Die I thought this to be very relevant to certain things I have been observing not only amongst people around me but even with myself. It is absolutely easy and 'justified' to blame others, shout at them a couple of times to 'make them reasilze their mistake'/ prove yourself to be right, criticize/ speak ill of people in their absence (and often in their presence as well). What drains the energy out of us is the small act of appreciating all that people do for you. This I guess is mainly because we have lost our qualities of appreciating others and accepting accolades/ praises. What always comes in the way is out big fat ego. This habituated thought process and hence the bahviour is something that one cannot get rid off in a days time. You have to practice the art of appreciation to see the beauty in every small little thing one does. I can say this for myself, the days when I truly acknowledge all that I have been provided with, thank people around me for what they have done for me, congratulate them for all that they have achieved, and verbally acknowledge all the little things they do beautfully have been THE BEST days I have spent. At the same time, the days when I blame myself or the others around me, or talk ill of others even in some of the most unnoticeable situations, or talk rudely with someone are the days when I end up having a head head with total lethargy And only Kriya helps to calm the mind and settle down the irconic restlessness in the lethargic body.
I wouldn't give this way of living as 'positive thinking and positive living' where one is trying to force one's self to 'think' good about others. It's all the magical powers of awareness and mindfulness that make one think and feel good about oneself and hence others around them. When these powers strike the magical cords, one automatically develops the knack and ability to genuinely appreciate everything around them. It comes only with spiritual practices and spending enough time with yourself. But I am totally convinced that investing time in such kind of an 'activity' is truly worth every second of your time.
So, make the most of your day by smiling and making others smile!! :)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A Loving Relationship.
I had read this in the speaking tree column of The Times of India some time back. I thought of sharing it here.
With consciousness we have created very beautiful concepts, and one of them is the idea of relationships.
Whatever we create, whatever we discover is to make life more comfortable, beautiful, peaceful and happy. We invest our mental, spiritual and psychic energies in building relationships.
The first relationship has to be with you. You must have a very clear relationship with yourself, knowing why you feel the way you do, why you think in a particular way and so on. The first step is to be aware of your own self.
Second, why do we want a relationship? Is it for happiness, for security? If that is so, the best source of what we call happiness and security is the Divine. So establish a relationship with the Divine. What is Divinity? Divinity is present everywhere, also in those you consider close to you. And having a close relationship with your psyche can give you everything you need.
In daily life, how do you find divinity in your spouse or companion, for instance? Be sincere and faithful. The key is to give without expectation. These things are possible if your understanding is healthy, if your consciousness is full of light and brightness.
How are relationships established? Even hunger can create relationships: you enter into relationships with food, don’t you? Grow with relationships, and at the same time remember that all possibilities are inside, they are not coming from the outside, what you are looking for outside you is inside you.
Your body is like a television set. It displays visuals all the time. So when you display negative things, it is in your hands to change the channel.
When we do meditation we are feeding the soul, and when you feel the hunger of your soul then constant meditation begins, and it becomes effortless. When your stomach is empty, all you think of is food, all your being is looking for food, but when you are full you don’t think about food at all.
The food for the soul is the Divine. Right now we are making an effort to remember the Divine, but when we start feeling the hunger, we will not have to make any effort; it will come naturally.
Aurobindo gives this concept of Divine life: he didn’t say that life is an illusion, that we have to run away from life, or go to the Himalayas. He just said that life is beautiful, and the future of life is life divine, sooner or later, when the psychic hunger starts. And life divine means that here, in this world, with these situations we have to awaken to the hunger of our being, listen and find that hunger. When we do that we will start seeing the Divine everywhere. Then there will be no ego.
Relationships sour primarily due to ego. Use your ego. But do not allow your ego to use you. It is a tool, if you know how to use it, it will build you and give you many wonderful things.
If the ego is using you, you will see ego everywhere. Only ego sees ego. Ego is without substance: a lack of knowledge, a lack of light. Hate is too much love. You never hate someone you don’t know. We call it hate but hate has also substance of love there. It is too much connection.
(As told to Sudhamahi Regunathan. Swami Brahmdev lives in Aurovalley Ashram, Raiwalla.)
With consciousness we have created very beautiful concepts, and one of them is the idea of relationships.
Whatever we create, whatever we discover is to make life more comfortable, beautiful, peaceful and happy. We invest our mental, spiritual and psychic energies in building relationships.
The first relationship has to be with you. You must have a very clear relationship with yourself, knowing why you feel the way you do, why you think in a particular way and so on. The first step is to be aware of your own self.
Second, why do we want a relationship? Is it for happiness, for security? If that is so, the best source of what we call happiness and security is the Divine. So establish a relationship with the Divine. What is Divinity? Divinity is present everywhere, also in those you consider close to you. And having a close relationship with your psyche can give you everything you need.
In daily life, how do you find divinity in your spouse or companion, for instance? Be sincere and faithful. The key is to give without expectation. These things are possible if your understanding is healthy, if your consciousness is full of light and brightness.
How are relationships established? Even hunger can create relationships: you enter into relationships with food, don’t you? Grow with relationships, and at the same time remember that all possibilities are inside, they are not coming from the outside, what you are looking for outside you is inside you.
Your body is like a television set. It displays visuals all the time. So when you display negative things, it is in your hands to change the channel.
When we do meditation we are feeding the soul, and when you feel the hunger of your soul then constant meditation begins, and it becomes effortless. When your stomach is empty, all you think of is food, all your being is looking for food, but when you are full you don’t think about food at all.
The food for the soul is the Divine. Right now we are making an effort to remember the Divine, but when we start feeling the hunger, we will not have to make any effort; it will come naturally.
Aurobindo gives this concept of Divine life: he didn’t say that life is an illusion, that we have to run away from life, or go to the Himalayas. He just said that life is beautiful, and the future of life is life divine, sooner or later, when the psychic hunger starts. And life divine means that here, in this world, with these situations we have to awaken to the hunger of our being, listen and find that hunger. When we do that we will start seeing the Divine everywhere. Then there will be no ego.
Relationships sour primarily due to ego. Use your ego. But do not allow your ego to use you. It is a tool, if you know how to use it, it will build you and give you many wonderful things.
If the ego is using you, you will see ego everywhere. Only ego sees ego. Ego is without substance: a lack of knowledge, a lack of light. Hate is too much love. You never hate someone you don’t know. We call it hate but hate has also substance of love there. It is too much connection.
(As told to Sudhamahi Regunathan. Swami Brahmdev lives in Aurovalley Ashram, Raiwalla.)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Commitments, Praise, Acceptance and Impermanence.
Commitments, Praise, Acceptance and Impermanence. This is all that I need to see myself happy!
Sri Sri: Keep commitments alive. Don't think that I can't do it. Did you all praise yourself? Praising will lift yourself. Praising is the first step in the spiritual practice. If you can praise yourself, you can be with yourself. You also can see certain things don't change and certain things will change like curd. If it is windy it's going to change. If your friend is unhappy, he will not be unhappy always. Certain things are always changing. Accepting that and then taking things as a challenge. Roaring...roaring...
Sri Sri: Keep commitments alive. Don't think that I can't do it. Did you all praise yourself? Praising will lift yourself. Praising is the first step in the spiritual practice. If you can praise yourself, you can be with yourself. You also can see certain things don't change and certain things will change like curd. If it is windy it's going to change. If your friend is unhappy, he will not be unhappy always. Certain things are always changing. Accepting that and then taking things as a challenge. Roaring...roaring...
Holi Hai!
Happy Holi!!!
I was lucky and absolutely happy to be back in my hometown after 5 long years. I was even happier to celebrate this festival of colours, togetherness and joy with the people I love the most- my family, THE parivaar wale! :-). Indeed, it was true celebration- we played holi with natural and food colours only ( the 2 packets of chemical colours were enough to leave hints of tinge of greens and yellows), followed by the yummiest home made food (aam ras is my favourite :) !! ).
Once again the Master's blessings came to aid at the right time. I read this beautiful knowledge and story behind the celebration of the festival of colours- Holi. Like always, Gurudev had beautifully spoken about the relevance of hisotoric and mythological stories with our lives today. Take a few more mintues to read and absorb the enitre story here: Uplift your spirit with joy of colour.
I was lucky and absolutely happy to be back in my hometown after 5 long years. I was even happier to celebrate this festival of colours, togetherness and joy with the people I love the most- my family, THE parivaar wale! :-). Indeed, it was true celebration- we played holi with natural and food colours only ( the 2 packets of chemical colours were enough to leave hints of tinge of greens and yellows), followed by the yummiest home made food (aam ras is my favourite :) !! ).
Once again the Master's blessings came to aid at the right time. I read this beautiful knowledge and story behind the celebration of the festival of colours- Holi. Like always, Gurudev had beautifully spoken about the relevance of hisotoric and mythological stories with our lives today. Take a few more mintues to read and absorb the enitre story here: Uplift your spirit with joy of colour.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Talking to the self
Yesterday, I had a conversation with one of my friends from school after really long. I wouldn't call this 'crisis' but this phase, of having finished with under graduation and then 'thinking' about what next, is something what one invariably ends up prolonging unless one is clear and completely sure of what one wants to do. My friend is a medical student at Manipal and continuously fighting to buy some time to think of what she wants to do for masters. I have been in this 'what next' situation and I know how frustrating it can get when you don't find a clear answer. Or it's not something that you can take risk for and enter the trial and error period to check if this is what you really want to do (for the rest of your life probably). Or you know what you want but it's not what others around you expect as an answer to the big bad 'what next?'. In either of the situations, I feel there is a lack. Lack of real communication. By communication I do not mean, talking, or making a list of things you are good at or things you love. By communication, I mean a wordless talk with the higher Self- which I believe, undoubtedly leads to the clarity of thought, plans and actions.
I found the following 'thought for the day' somewhere on the web and found it relevant at the same time important to put up on the blog. A small advice before you begin reading it: read it slowly, gradually and with utmost patience as well as awareness. I thinking engraving such beautiful words in your life could really make a difference to the 'quality' of your life.
When you talk to yourself in your mind, which self do you address? And how? Usually people do not talk to their divinity, but to the most superficial aspects of their everyday personality. And often its a stream of fears, complaints and mindless repetition of old things. If we talked that way to another human being, we would have to apologise. Learning to talk properly to the self is a spiritual endeavour. Thoughts from the past and worries about the future do not create good conversation. Instead learn to talk to your mind as if it were a child. Talk to it with love. If you just force a child to sit down, he won't. A good mother knows how to prompt her child into doing what she wants. Be a good mother to your mind, teach it good, positive thoughts so that when you tell it to sit quietly, it will. Love your mind. Stay happy.
I found the following 'thought for the day' somewhere on the web and found it relevant at the same time important to put up on the blog. A small advice before you begin reading it: read it slowly, gradually and with utmost patience as well as awareness. I thinking engraving such beautiful words in your life could really make a difference to the 'quality' of your life.
When you talk to yourself in your mind, which self do you address? And how? Usually people do not talk to their divinity, but to the most superficial aspects of their everyday personality. And often its a stream of fears, complaints and mindless repetition of old things. If we talked that way to another human being, we would have to apologise. Learning to talk properly to the self is a spiritual endeavour. Thoughts from the past and worries about the future do not create good conversation. Instead learn to talk to your mind as if it were a child. Talk to it with love. If you just force a child to sit down, he won't. A good mother knows how to prompt her child into doing what she wants. Be a good mother to your mind, teach it good, positive thoughts so that when you tell it to sit quietly, it will. Love your mind. Stay happy.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Kala Ghoda Festival 2010.
Super excited. Super thrilled. Super motivated and inspired. After having heard an eternal list of adverbs describing the marvelous, wonderful, just awesome, total fun, colourful, vibrant, and refreshing Kala Ghoda festivals, I am finally attending the fest this year. The Kala Ghoda Festival is an annual festival organized in the Kala Ghoda, Fort ares of South Mumbai. Spreading over nine days, Kala Ghoda festival is a display and platform for the display of talent and creativity in the fields of visual arts, dance, music, theatre, cinema, and literature. Events like lectures, seminars and workshops, heritage walks, special events for children, and a vibrant street festival are also some of the attractions of the now popular and well known Kala Ghoda Festival. Have a glimpse at the Kala Ghoda Festival here:
Thursday, January 28, 2010
I am Taken Care of!
I had read this poem on one of my AOL friend's blog. Reading it instantly gave me certain amount of security. I thought of haring it here so that others, who may not be feeling so good can assure themselves that they are totally taken care of- That's how the Divine expresses His love on us continuously.
Beyond the heaven is my abode
come to me. come to me.
Don't stop, come to me.
If you get stuck in the heaven,
you will return back from there to hell.
Don't stop in the heaven, come to me, come to me.
My abode is beyond heaven, far away from here.
Come to me, come to me
All the charming faces, boys and girls, eyes and noses,
hairs and dresses, cookies and sweets and chocolates,
pass them on.
Smiling and dancing, come to me, come to me.
My abode is beyond the heaven.
come to me.
Joyfully move in this direction, a thousand blessings on the way.
walk through them, don't get stuck.
Pass through them.
come to me.
Angels are ready to serve you, and crown you with the highest.
Don't stop before that.
Come to me, come to me...
come to me. come to me.
Don't stop, come to me.
If you get stuck in the heaven,
you will return back from there to hell.
Don't stop in the heaven, come to me, come to me.
My abode is beyond heaven, far away from here.
Come to me, come to me
All the charming faces, boys and girls, eyes and noses,
hairs and dresses, cookies and sweets and chocolates,
pass them on.
Smiling and dancing, come to me, come to me.
My abode is beyond the heaven.
come to me.
Joyfully move in this direction, a thousand blessings on the way.
walk through them, don't get stuck.
Pass through them.
come to me.
Angels are ready to serve you, and crown you with the highest.
Don't stop before that.
Come to me, come to me...
Monday, January 25, 2010
The seemingly never ending road.
The journey ended, but the roads continued..
I started driving from Valsad, Gujarat at about 2:45 pm on 23rd January, 2010 and hit the Bombay Ahmedabad National Highway no.8 at about 3pm. I halted at the end of Ahmedabad- Baroda express highway at about 8:50 pm. I can say I drove for approximately 340 kms with just two halts. Well it might not be that great an achievement for most of the other passionate drivers, but I think it was a good job on my part, and although more because I thoroughly enjoyed driving all the way from Valsad to Ahmedabad in just a little over 3 hours! To add to the thrill and joy ride was the fact his was just the second time that I was driving Honda City on the highway. Plus I was driving while my parents sat back relaxed and enjoyed the music and the continuous munching, little jokes and some serious conversations.
I am pretty sure of this- my dad, papa, is an amazingly safe and good driver. And I guess the way he has guided me to feel confident (and not at all over confident) while driving, whether in the city or on the highway just makes me feel proud of myself and him!
How I wish I cloud locate the "start" and "finish" of these roads.
I started driving from Valsad, Gujarat at about 2:45 pm on 23rd January, 2010 and hit the Bombay Ahmedabad National Highway no.8 at about 3pm. I halted at the end of Ahmedabad- Baroda express highway at about 8:50 pm. I can say I drove for approximately 340 kms with just two halts. Well it might not be that great an achievement for most of the other passionate drivers, but I think it was a good job on my part, and although more because I thoroughly enjoyed driving all the way from Valsad to Ahmedabad in just a little over 3 hours! To add to the thrill and joy ride was the fact his was just the second time that I was driving Honda City on the highway. Plus I was driving while my parents sat back relaxed and enjoyed the music and the continuous munching, little jokes and some serious conversations.
I am pretty sure of this- my dad, papa, is an amazingly safe and good driver. And I guess the way he has guided me to feel confident (and not at all over confident) while driving, whether in the city or on the highway just makes me feel proud of myself and him!
How I wish I cloud locate the "start" and "finish" of these roads.
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