Zahir

who makes us unhappy

2011-06-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

each unhappy moment or disappointment we look around finding so many things to blame.. never once 'trying' to get out of it.. somehow the 'pain' granting us a unique import to our 'SELF' and we get so high on it..

is it such a simple thing.. is this unhappiness from without, welcomed so embracingly.. the hand held so tight.. why can't we let go.. and refuse to accept that hand.. if darkness overwhelms, don't we switch on the light.. that 'light' within.. why do we forget.. and never try to find..

again and again I ask.. who makes me unhappy.. someone else.. or myself....

hopeful negation

2011-06-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

life gives us second chances sometimes...

and we are grateful too..

till time weaves its spell..

yet again..

and all the resolves.. all the promises

made to the self

fade into oblivious clouds of hopeful negation

and shifting eyes that avoid their own reflection..

these eyes that compulsively blink

and a heart that never forgets to beat

this step forward leaving one behind

this fist that opens emptying air unseen..

what do I say to convince myself

for every thought lies veiled in words

I take a broom to sweep in vain

for just an iota of pure peaceful space..

recriminations

2011-06-14T03:43:00.000-07:00

if life is in its moments, then what are all these recriminations for..

do i hold a handful of regrets and recriminations
or the dew of emotions felt

do we look in those chapters of history
mummified quietly in the folds of our heart
or feel the still gurgle through its silent murmur
as you walk past

moments saturated fraught pure........... felt..
why mourn.. recapture.. or rejoice

who scorns the changing hues of sunrise
or mourns the stars embraced by moonshine.......

Franz Kafka

2011-06-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

reading Kafka is like the night sky lit up with myriad winking stars or rays of sunshine igniting the sea with shards of light.. the mundane.. the bizarre.. moving hand in hand to unveil the ironic eccentricities of life.. with a feather-touch or whiff of fresh air..

'Metamorphosis' is a story of a man turning into a giant beetle.. maybe speaking of the import of the sole 'bread-winner' in any family.. and how everyone is affected in case he is not able to take care of them anymore.. how he becomes a burden to everyone.. almost like a pest to be swat away.. an encumberance.. bringing out the best in others towards pursuing their potential.. but an exquisite selfishness where he is concerned..

'The Great Wall of China" is the building of the wall piecemeal.. maybe speaking of the world and how it has been divided in small and yet smaller portions..

'Investigations of a Dog' speaks of a dog and his life.. maybe speaking of humanity and enlightenment..

'In the penal settlement' is about a death penalty without any formal sentence with a torturous method.. maybe trying to work out the whole 'judgement' issue.. for the officer in charge comes across as a cruel fanatic.. but in his mind his belief is so essentially strong that he puts himself proudly on the same torture contraption without any sign of fear or pain.. trying to prove his pride in this 'work of art' by his commandant..

'the giant mole' is about the discovery of a mole by a teacher.. maybe mocking all such presumptive import each grants to himself.. and the kind of time effort and energy that goes to waste..

'the burrow' he speaks of a building a burrow trying to make it secure.. which could be about our immune system and illness..

let go

2011-06-04T00:44:00.000-07:00

every experience holds regret or pride or contentment or joy..
no matter.. let go..
in the lesson the next step resides..

Viewpoint

2011-06-04T00:25:00.000-07:00

someone just asked me if reading isn't akin to 'voyeurism'.. and if so then why not 'write' our own experiences.. but I wonder at this relationship between the inner and outer world.. how original are our experiences.. whether reading, talking, looking.. no matter what we are doing, everything is interpreted differently by each one of us.. so we all end up writing the same stories differently.. depending on every moment of our lives moulding us into that particular interpretation..

despite these minute inscrutable changes in our lives, sometimes subtle sometimes overt.. we still fight so vehemently.. with phenomenal pride and urgency.. about our own 'viewpoint'.. missing entirely the irony behind the word itself..

does that make every judgement obsolete!

If!

2011-05-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

if the true meaning of life is in experiencing the given moment, why are we rushing through each one of them..

if we need solitude to realize ourselves, why the infinite relationships we compulsively form around us..

if our thoughts are the ones that plague or please, why do we blame the whole world instead of learning to master them..

if we all hold divinity within, why do we sanctify the unseen..

if Buddha could only show the way for we are all meant to tread our own path, why are we still towing the line..

the other self

2011-04-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

if we can't see divinity in 'others'.. how can we feel it in ourselves
who do we judge, when there is no 'other'..
whatever the achievement, position, status.. every path leads to a singular whole
we obsess about the 'I' without realizing it's true meaning and identity
we cling to life but escape it's moments impatiently..
we carry forth our thoughts and memories, that's all we need to enrich..
everyone has become 'weight' conscious, but the true burden is in our mind..

The Museum of Innocence

2011-04-09T04:53:00.000-07:00

Reading Mr.Orhan Pamuk's Novel, The Museum of Innocence, one can't help but realize how much our world revolves around ourselves.. no matter how trivial, every moment is phenomenally crucial, to ourself.. our life.. and we wonder how the world can just move on right beside us so nonchalantly.. obsession, in whatever way, is a part of our lives, somehow giving meaning to it.. and we need the 'recognition' and 'acknowledgement' of the same desperately.. but, is it as momentous to others.. or as ludicrous and trivial as the 'museum' is to readers not sharing the same 'obsession'.. we all have these limitless stores of memorabilia, stored in pockets of memories, captured in the museum of our mind.. and though they don't lack import, others still write their own story.. and care about their own collection.. finding it equally ludicrous all around..

Education System, Parenting and Children

2010-12-06T23:25:00.000-08:00

There are so many things we expect of ourselves, and others, as Adults.. there is a major need for awareness and a lifestyle change because of the serious threat to our Environment.. so many Social Evils.. diet.. exercise.. and most of all - Stress.. and the list goes on.. doesnt it make you wonder what is lacking in our Education System, that teaches us so many subjects, except how to cope with life.. with failure.. with stress.. with adversity.. Some would say, these are things we need to learn for ourselves.. granted, we should.. but don't we enhance these very things so much at school level, that the stigma remains sometimes as overt scars sometimes hidden.. and sometimes submerged..

We seriously need to take a closer look at our Education System.. School Curriculum.. Teaching System.. and Parenting, which should itself be a compulsory course connected with Pregnancy.. Most of the problems of the adult world don't just crop up from nowhere.. each having their root in some childhood experience.. and we still don't want to attempt at least some change..

It isn't just the education system that is to blame.. just having children does not make one an expert at bringing them up.. and there should be compulsory parenting classes.. for kids are often exposed to whimsical shouting, abuse or beating.. parental discord too takes its toll.. and in the race for making your child the best.. most forget what it does to the child.. where is the 'childhood' anymore.. children dancing in the rain.. or simply playing outdoors..

Things like Gardening.. Cooking.. First-Aid.. Basic Survival Skills.. Sports.. Music.. Art.. the Environment.. keeping our Surroundings clean.. respect for life and Humanity.. can easily be an intrinsic part of our schools.. instead of teaching subjects by rote.. marking failures.. stamping them as such.. throwing them out or making their admission impossible..

what message are we giving here.. would life ever be the same without a farmer.. a carpenter.. a singer.. a musician.. a cricketer.. a cook etc.. then why and how do we mark 'FAILURE'.. we call Lata Mangeshkar ji Bharat Ratna.. people almost revere Mr.Amitabh Bachhan.. idolise Mr. Sachin Tendulkar.. rave about Mr.A.R.Rehman's music.. the point being.. Lataji cannot be Amitji.. nor Mr.Sachin Mr.A.R.Rehman.. but they are all people with uniquely amazing talents..

iota of life

2010-11-20T00:51:00.000-08:00

where most of us have become inured to pain, you can celebrate this iota of life, that can still feel.. stepping away enough to see the reality of those tiny chinks of gaping holes.. and the beauty of the light streaming through.. and though the 'I' in us determines our universe.. it still holds unmatched beauty as the miracle of a unique truth.. essential to that path and the lessons therein.. who are we to judge or question or criticize.. when each drop of divinity patiently waits to be recognized.. to be freed.. to merge with the sea..

carefree innocence is the essential nature of a child.. one we try our best to protect.. but still one that never ceases to surprise too.. if only we could see the world through their eyes.. instead of trying to help them see it through ours..

Certain things in the world appeal to us. Certain things don't. We have our considered opinions about different issues. We may believe there is a benign power somewhere that cares for us or that it's a chaotic world without any rhyme or reason. How we perceive the world not only tells about the world, but it is also a reflection of how our mind works. Seeing our own mind in how the world appears to us is to come full circle. Zen Philosophy

sanctity

2010-11-20T00:46:00.000-08:00

every festival celebrates the sanctity within.. hope we feel this divinity embracing each person we wish..

let us clear our hearts enough to share the steady flame of life within.. and help connect myriad wicks lighting a singular humanity..

shifting hues

2010-11-20T00:42:00.000-08:00

it's rare to speak with carefree and candid exuberance.. our minds rule over lifetimes.. keeping our maths and accounts in order.. but it is our hearts that fill life with tiny joyflowers.. a familiar melody.. a fragrance.. a heartbeat.. a smile.. compelling.. strengthening.. fleeting.. permeating.. with shifting hues of us..

writers who can weave stories that breathe with rhythmic wonder.. the lure of the mystique showers as shimmering raindrops riveting changing hues of sunshine before quietly merging into the sea..

this sense of mystic mystique are silent notes finding the hidden lyrics within.. but in awe we hear the unheard strings of our heart..

reality and dreams

2010-11-20T00:38:00.000-08:00

what an irradiatingly compelling image.. the 'weaving of reality & dreams'.. a picture I read about recently comes to mind.. of an androgynous human figure.. standing up,hands clasped in prayer, but with four legs and no head.. only ferns and flowers instead.. with a small smiling face drawn over the heart..

according to the image, to find the balance between worldly pleasures and spirituality this is what one must become.. with feet grounded so firmly on earth as if one has four legs.. that way we can be a part of this world.. but we must stop looking at it through our head.. but look through our heart instead.. in a perfect weaving of reality and dreams..

pulse of life

2010-11-20T00:33:00.000-08:00

'Being' is the only word truly synonymous with life.

congratulations!! for this glimpse into 'divinity' in some form.. all you need is a look within.. to complete the introductions.. one can't help but celebrate moments like these.. meeting God in every moment that touches our heart.. ethereal notes unbidden stringing the rhythmic pulse of life..

more beautiful than the music in words is the glimpse of sheer joy pulsing through a heart.. radiant.. irrespressible.. free.. a shower of sparkling shards of sunshine.. dancing to the rhythm of every pore..

regret and remorse

2010-11-20T00:29:00.000-08:00

dealing with pain and remorse is never easy nor is there any singular antidote that helps.. our minds torment us in unique and personal ways that none can comprehend.. regret and remorse can have two paths in front of them.. one in which we hold on to them weighing us heavily down.. burning our very soul for lifetimes.. but neither helping us nor the incident that caused them.. till we learn to 'let go'

and the second path realizes the impossibility of going back in time to undo all that's already happened.. understanding the necessary 'lesson' needed to be learnt.. as the only good that can result from moments already past.. in that lesson is our forgiveness.. for every moment is meant to teach.. and only our 'vanity' thinks we are unique to our mistakes.. everyone is treading the same path

every experience is unique to that moment.. determining the next step of our life.. though the way might be the same.. our perceptions define the range we see..

untouched melody

2010-11-20T00:26:00.000-08:00

music is in the cosmos.. and only a true sentient raptures to it's divine rhythm.. in this miasma of words.. our perceptions string an untouched melody.. where letters fade into unrecognizable rhythmic patterns.. and the heart dawns to moving perceptions

isn't our interactive presence itself a miracle.. maybe for notes that none other can recognize..

don't rue not being able to talk.. how many conversations can transport or transcend.. touch or heal.. refresh or energize.. teach or educate.. celebrate or rejoice.. the seamlessness of the natural and divine..

lotus flower

2010-11-20T00:23:00.000-08:00

the beauty of internet.. God's solution to the rising population with karmic confluence.. each a perpetual student.. and master.. at the same time..

our interactions are like a lotus flower.. as for the master and disciple argument.. let's just say one is impossible without the other.. elevation, mist and light.. ethereal choice of words for lightening the way.. each one of us seeks..

don't know about the 'transformation'.. but life's subtle nuances and fleeting tangencies determine the imprints of our tread.. that need simply to meld into the sand..

addiction

2010-11-20T00:19:00.000-08:00

life-banks

2010-11-20T00:18:00.000-08:00

theories are all we have.. I often wonder about the enlightened souls of past.. and what changed for them.. and all I can understand is.. their 'vision' opened to the oneness of all beings into a singular divinity.. and the resultant peace and joy of this 'awakening'.. non-judgmental and forgiving the people of this world for none is separate.. free from the cycle of karma.. knowing each of us sleep-walks their way through lifetimes..

none different from another except in the 'meanings' each puts into their respective life-banks.. thus determining the path each takes..

who knows if the environment evolves or the subject.. in a universe determined by our own 'collective' consciousness..

catharsis

2010-11-20T00:10:00.000-08:00

a parent's lap is the most heavenly secure cocoon one can ever have.. we all need a catharsis to help cleanse our soul.. that nevertheless aches sometimes for the silent touch of profound empathy.. the beauty of life is in the thought that we are all one.. separation a mirage.. life impermanent.. unreal..

Reality Bites!

2010-11-19T23:46:00.001-08:00

Multifaceted!!

2010-11-19T23:45:00.000-08:00

asides

2010-11-08T03:15:00.000-08:00

do we want to make mistakes a burden of regrets or stepping stones to a qualified tread..

if learning something new brings the child in us alive, let us continue to refresh our souls..

every festival celebrates the sanctity within..

words help us meet and silence compels to stay..

'Social Network' - a driven resolution.. one who has no time for social niceties, gives the world the most amazingly Brobdingnagian social network.. really worth a watch..

imagine the heady touch of a single moment suffused in the 'present'..

The 'I' in us determines our world!

any opinion remains just that.. as it is our own minds make it difficult to hear our heart above their constant din.. we can do without more noise..

we are like the sea.. holding depths untold.. reflecting hues unique to that person, moment or relationship..

whatever the provocation, pleasantness works.. in a natural requisite to 'look good' people invariably respond in kind..

if sound vibrations affect our Universe, then hope we find the right decibels of joy..

what makes us constantly criticize family and friends, when no one knows their nature better than us, and we are the ones keeping them in our lives..

life is held in it's moments, but with our minds cavorting in the past or future, it sometimes escapes unnoticed..

relish and embrace the diversity in your soul!

any outside criticism or approval somehow colors the assurance in our soul..

people living in myriad hearts don't even know how many places they have visited..

after a few years of marriage individuals metamorphose into a couple.. and each time you turn to each other.. you stop seeing a person separate from yourself.. just, a spouse.. a sharing so elemental.. that interactions and nature surpass the physical..

most of our heart-ache stems from our reactions being swifter than our reason..

words can be lethally used for arming or disarming..

amidst rhythmic cadences dishing food for the soul, I touched the spirit of friendship.. and felt it smile..

friendships reflect in treasured enchantment.. a real heady and potent celebration, lighting myriad wicks of beaming memories..

if the color of death remains the same for all.. why does life hold such distinguishable shades..

why fixate on the 'pots of gold' when rainbows personify the 'richness' of life..

these memories become our treasure troves, where our hearts hug our loved ones and are refreshed.. hope we find the strength to hold on with a smile..

this world needs more people with a rummy 'spirit'.. an irreverent mix of sobering and heady all at once..

everything holds many facets and no singular truth, because truth remains a perception in individual hearts.. and our progress becomes a necessary step towards science to prove them..

in lighting our homes do we forget to ignite a candle in our own hearts.. for the flame of divinity needs but a spark..

let us clear our hearts enough to share the steady flame of life within.. and help connect myriad wicks celebrating a singular humanity..

poetic wanderings

2010-10-18T00:22:00.000-07:00

why does love embarrass us more than hate..

maybe because our emotions need to validate and hate finds easy reciprocation..

in this essential need to do something all the time, we miss an introduction to ourselves..

let us in ourselves, create an idyllic environment for romancing the myriad hues of unfolding life nestled in the lap of Nature..

the lure of the mystique showers as shimmering raindrops, riveting changing hues of sunshine, before quietly merging into the sea of our selves..

Dussehra is celebrated by burning effigies that personify the victory of good over evil.. but everyday we struggle to confront, expose and wither our own negativism, silencing the mayhem of myriad voices within.. making life itself a celebration..

whether Ram or Ravan or entire islands.. the struggle.. the fight.. the victory.. still remains singularly universal or apathetic.. as we choose..

countless moments metamorphose in our hearts holding varying hues of sanctity.. as simple things.. gestures.. and people affect our lives..

all our celebrations mingle with myriad embracing smiles..

does the phrase 'jump to conclusions' mean we skip the listening part..

even though most of us are the same.. some might even recognize their mistake but very few would acknowledge, accept or declare..

maybe we should accept both negative and positive as an integral part of us and help transform the same instead of resistance and denial..

Sena off Color

2010-10-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

What is the purpose behind blocking the Colors channel because of Pakistani participation in some attempt of tit for tat.. does it mean they condone what the other country did by doing the same thing.. or do they protest what the other country did by doing the same thing.. in a city that breathes the spirit of Cosmopolitan Benevolence, are they retaining or destroying it.. if they protest as Indian Citizens here, then how do they forget that while saturating the spirit of Mumbai into a singular caste and lingo.. are they losing that unique Power and Respect earned over time.. what is tarnishing that fervor.. that belief.. that fearless grit.. People who can stand up for their Country, should not be dividing it in such trifling ways..

food for thought

2010-10-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

adversity exposes our true nature..

The rescued miners from Chile represent a celebration of our fight for survival at any cost.. let's hope they are able to bounce back to normalcy with the same aplomb..

every emotion whether negative or positive, passes through us first.. invariably missing its mark..

it's impossible to encapsulate any emotion into a singular truth.. emotions negative or positive aimed outwards at any person or thing.. first impact us.. affecting our psyche.. whether making a difference to the outward or not.. they always boomerang back.. so good or bad the person most affected is ourselves..

whether pandora's box or treasure chest.. history embalms both.. we can either live entombed or lay them to rest in peace..

we strive all our lives to shade a handful of relationships but get blinded by the color of money instead..

lounging amidst a peaceful hush in the lap of the sky, over shimmering hues of the horizon.. we meet a colorful individualist who harmonizes a meal romancing every taste bud.. what a sensorial feast of magical moments..

words form a maze that leads us to silence..

We can't help how others think and feel.. but in our reactions we blur the reflections that could help them see..

short movie, 'Validation' - so beautiful on so many different levels.. it's our most basic need.. 'validation'.. an appreciation and acknowledgment of our existence.. yet so starved of that single 'I see you'.. we can recognize the hurt.. but only in ourselves..

short movie, 'The Door' - an unnerving depiction of the universal tragedy of Chernobyl.. a door symbolizing the swinging joys and sorrows.. unhinged into a last desperate wisp of dignity..

the beauty of friends is a pure reflection..

We are the interpreters of the meanings in our lives..

we see, hear and feel things as per our own mindset..

we all make our worlds ugly or beautiful as per our thoughts and beliefs.. the people remain the same only changing as per our sight.. and only we have the power to change that..

some thoughts

2010-10-01T02:09:00.000-07:00

shades of obsessivity constantly overshadow every other joy in life..

atrocities in any garb remain the same.. putting them in 'boundaries' of classifications like country, class, or culture we grant immunity to shame..

totally embroiled in our lives the whole world prays for peace against a small faction.. and lets fanaticism wreak its wrath with increasing darkness as more and more hit out blindly..

Daughters are a gift to parents who needed a handful of divinity in their lives.

it is difficult to comprehend the seamless connections linking everything to a similar fate..

sometimes life can be an ethereally cohesive delineation of Man and Nature.. and we've numbered the wonders of the world

criticism is but a point of view

a troubled heart enhances all our senses towards unhappiness..

'SILK' by Alessandro Baricco - mesmeric wings of gossamer light amidst peaceful hues of intense moments, enhanced within a fluid hush.. like poetry in moving exposure..

teasers

2010-09-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

shifting focus is all it takes to handle the essential nuances of life..

prayer and faith help manifest our belief in ourselves..

forgiving others is like forgiving something in ourselves that holds them back in our lives..

in all our classifications why does Humanity count the least..

there can be no 'excuses' for atrocities..

why mar the continuously evolving 'present' with reactions seeped in history..

how can laws written in black and white determine the gray areas of life..

self-seeking blinkers seem to enhance emotional and ethical myopia in man..

everything has many facets, that's why we each have an experientially unique perspective..

are all love-hate-love-hate relationships situational or personal..

if we can love or hate the same person with equal vehemence.. does that mean that every declaration in life panders to our essential 'self'..

did we make rules and customs to make life simpler or more complicated!

the 'present' generation has been the' miserable' lot for centuries now.. and we are still blaming our ancestors:

when the universe itself is in perpetual flux.. and truth a matter of perspective.. then rules and customs remaining rigid and uniform, sometimes make you wonder if law was ever about justice.. and religion spirituality.. defying the cohesive substance of Human and Divine..

Throughout the year we celebrate some or the other festival.. it's not important whether we follow it or not.. the 'spirit' touches everyone.. extending wishes, touching lives.. in minute ways that say.. you care..

some meld the symphony in nature and life.. some make a lot of noise to feel alive

prayer, whether by rote, or earnest wishes, forms our connection with ourselves and the Universe..

a heart though silent speaks louder than words..

we all want a better future and good health for our kids, then how can environmental issues not be our problem..

fluid rendezvous

2010-09-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

even though we say we can't find the place where thoughts are fluid.. our words can flow in synchronicity.. like light notes strummed softly.. giving the feel of the music to come.. a rendezvous with the heart.. where you can feel the 'touch' of your thoughts as real.. as alive.. as special.. shorn of all the pointers to your self.. except this.. a recognition at once starved and fulfilling.. as the inane melts away.. and you can feel your smile..

Let me hear your soul
Whisper through your words
Streaming in waves of thoughts
Even you cannot perceive....

the last song of dusk

2010-09-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

pain is there.. in all of us.. somehow we focus more on it than the joys.. if only we let each moment of happiness leave the same impact as moments of sadness.. we might not hurt that bad..

'expectations' - every past moment has molded us into who we are today.. and will continue to do so.. no matter where we are.. the 'shifting' within us as we raise more and more barriers with each disillusionment.. each disappointment..

had read a book sometime back, very controversial in it's acclaim.. 'The Last Song of Dusk'
.. the author, Mr.Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi, a very young guy.. was able to bring out this fact so beautifully in his two characters.. a couple who lost their child.. and how each coped with the same grief.. and how it molded them into who they became because of it.. really subtle and brilliant portrayal of human nature and how everything that happens in our lives molds us into who we are at a given point in time.. sometimes unrecognizable to people who knew us so well..

it's uncanny how, in "Shantaram", Mr.Gregory David Roberts and in 'Holy Cow', Ms.Sarah MacDonald, have been able to grasp the sheer sense of 'freedom' touching the soul of India.. but more than anything, they somehow speak to the 'seeker' in each.. both very diverse journeys into India, both applauding, respecting, celebrating its unique pervasive spirit, that embraces and acknowledges 'life' for itself.. not chaffing the husk but the disdain..

alluring artist

2010-09-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

love the early hours.. when sometimes.. the pearly light of the moon.. bewitched.. welcomes the rose of dawn.. a divine beauty in each.. The sky still lit up with moonlight.. the moon glowing as never before.. Full of love.. Just before it merges.. Dazzled.. Losing itself.. Uniting with the sun.. I see the pale Shimmering Rose in the Sea.. Dancing enticingly.. Can feel the reflection within me.. Special moments playing a dance of their own.. A wondrous beauty.. Repetitive.. Yet awesome.. Fresh.. New.. Never getting enough.. Never escaping the magic.. Always.. Always bathed.. in this Rose and pearl..

Feel lucky to be able to see the sunrise.. and sunset both.. from my bedroom windows.. one facing east.. another west.. even the moon glows right outside.. struggling up there.. with the clouds.. so many are there.. unendingly.. and yet.. impossible to resist those fleeting glimpses full of smiles.. can’t help falling in love.. the joy reflected so pervasively.. basking in that ethereal glow.. mesmerized.. unable to contain.. to hold.. when the 'ache' merges shimmeringly in this dance of shadows and light.. as 'divinity' softly enters my heart.. bathed in a magical hush.. yes the need is there.. to hold this 'tiny' miracle that glows in my eyes.. that settles in my heart.. that makes me forget everything.. as involuntarily I stretch out my palm as if to hold something beyond.. way beyond.. and it smiles reflectively.. as I shake my head in wonder at this irresistible bond that pulls me despite all comprehension.........

The sounds of the birds.. the lapping of the sea and the ‘fiery’ sky.. both at Dawn and Dusk.. there is nothing like it.. words could never capture that beauty.. awesome.. free.. fresh.. yet.. ‘unseen’.. we’d rather stand in line for tickets to sight-see.. go to art galleries.. yet this ‘wonder’ always escapes.. always.. a plane fascinates.. but the flight of a bird.. have you ever seen the pure ‘symphony’ in it.. the ecstasy of frolicking with the winds.. an ethereal dance in the sky.. nature teaches us so much.. poetry in motion.. the artist in every creation.. every stroke.. laughingly giving us all the answers we seek..

like tiny shells in sea, each soul thirsts.. droplets of water evaporating.. a cyclic miracle of 'life and death'.. leaving the 'salt' behind each time.. to pour as the 'breath' of life.. again.. yet again..

metamorphosis

2010-08-06T23:56:00.000-07:00

Hi.. your request for Rumi.. First I'd like to say what a personal pleasure it was talking to you.. recognizing that echoing 'silence' in your voice.. that speaks of various chains unshackling inside.. as we move towards that quiet space within our hearts.. ready to hear it speak..

"Come to the orchard in Spring.
There is light and wine, and sweethearts
in the pomegranate flowers,

If you do not come, these do not matter.
If you do come, these do not matter".

so so beautiful, isn't it.. when people touch on emotions, so simply.. say so much.. with so little.. that it remains with you forever.. and you can feel that soft beautiful center.. so long shrouded in shadows.. flower and smile.. This is my 'meeting' with Rumi.. we go to art galleries to see all those paintings.. of nature captured on canvas.. we even frame them on our walls.. eternally admiring each time we look at them.. but none inspires us enough.. to just once look up.. and outside.. each shade unique.. the changing colours of the sky.. a miracle happening.. an artist incomparable.. using different strokes each time.. belonging to 'us'.. free.. incomparable.. seeking it's frame.. in our eyes.. this is what Rumi's poetry breathes.. not mere words captured within pages.. but joy finding it's echo in so many hearts..

Sufism as I have felt through Rumi's words.. is love beyond the self.. an ecstasy.. a passion.. dancing and whirling in joyous freedom, embracing creation, uniting with one and all, recognizing the God within.. nearly impossible to communicate in words.. for as Rumi said..

"If you could get rid
of yourself just once
the secret of secrets
would be open to you"

but we go on seeking in life.. looking outside.. getting tangled in words and books.. scriptures.. preconceived notions.. truths.. until at some point.. something.. makes us turn inwards.. and we realize we all find our own truth.. for we all live in a world of our own making.. like two people looking out of the prison bars.. one could see mud.. the other stars.. for Rumi it was Shams of Tabriz who brought him back to himself.. helped him see the light inside.. and Rumi feeling that gratitude.. as if his whole life had moved towards this moment.. this person.. this truth.. deeply moved, said..

"What I had thought of before as God, I met today in a human being"

In our life we tend to focus our energies in the 'physical'.. for that is what we recognize.. and Rumi too moved in his journey from wisdom.. to soul recognition.. love.. silence.. worship.. devastation.. and ecstasy.. Rumi was a scholar and teacher himself.. until his path crossed with Shams of Tabriz.. who searched and prayed for someone who could 'endure my company'.. Rumi was so affected by this meeting.. that they became inseparable.. how difficult it is to realize who is getting more pleasure here.. even as we speak only of Rumi's ecstasy.. when Shams disappears from Rumi's life for some time.. is really the moment when Rumi first became a poet.. dancing and whirling for hours.. an involuntary transformation.. in a slow unraveling of the self.. again Shams came into his life.. and a mutual quietness settled inside.. until Shams disappeared forever, even as Rumi searched in vain this time.. and realized..

"Why should I seek? I am the same as
he. His essence speaks through me.
I have been looking for myself!"

Such a beautiful merging of the self.. and letting go.. opening outwards.. like the outstretched hands of the dervishes.. as if embracing, celebrating life and divinity.. both within and without.. till nothing remains.. transforming into pure ecstatic light..

The seminar on Rumi's poetry was really illuminating.. though I found the lectures insipid topically.. how can poetry that speaks of abandoned love.. be covered by academics giving an account of his life and works.. (necessary, I admit).. still.. so grossly failing to capture the ‘essence’ of love beyond oneself.. within oneself.. gravitating towards another holding the mirror.. and we see the ‘hand’.. and we see the ‘image’.. till all sense of ‘separateness’ blurs.. merges into one cohesive whole.. the seminar defeated the whole 'meaning'.. sometimes conformity confounds to the point of vacuity..

none could bring out the ecstasy.. the elevation.. the surrender.. in his words.. no one would even touch the subject of his relation with shams.. the one person who could make him realize that the meaning of life and self.. wasn't in his books.. which only spoke of others truth.. how can one.. who puts you in touch with yourself.. not cause you to feel that ecstasy.. in yourself.. in him.. and in each thing around.. that eternal search for divinity just a breath away..

In our metamorphosis
let us look past the chrysalis
and greet each day
on colorful wings of joy
fragile..
beguilingly flitting over this
garden of our heart
drinking honey from all those
flowering perceptions
dancing in recognition
of our own divinity
laughing in the face
of time....

noesis

2010-07-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

why are we cursing Destiny, or blaming Divinity for all our mishaps.. there does seem to be a 'time-keeper' charting each and every thought, word and action.. and with our minds able to detail incidents from myriad past lives under hypnosis.. maybe that makes us an essential iota, like a drop in the ocean, of a single Divine entity.. does that leave us pointing a finger at none other than ourselves.. are we determining our own life before Birth.. and does that leave us with a singular choice to follow our heart, that silently recognizes that path.. or a contrary bullheaded struggle, desperately rowing against the tide.. all it takes is a single 'shift' in pscyche.. for our world to shift and change..

Bhagavad Gita - summarized contents

2010-07-03T01:42:00.000-07:00

Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.

Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.

As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.

the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.

the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation.

Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent there is no endurance, and of the existent there is no cessation. This seers have concluded by studying the nature of both.

Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.

Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is subject to destruction;

He who thinks that the living entity is the slayer or that he is slain, does not understand. One who is in knowledge knows that the self slays not nor is slain.

For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

How can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, unborn, eternal and immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?

As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.

The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.

This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.

It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.

If, however, you think that the soul is perpetually born and always dies, you still have no reason to lament.

For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.

All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when they are annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?

Some look at the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.

He who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature.

Considering your specific duty as a ksatriya, you should know that there is no better engagement for you than fighting on religious principles; and so there is no need for hesitation.

Happy are the ksatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets.

If, however, you do not fight this religious war, then you will certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties and thus lose your reputation as a fighter.

People will always speak of your infamy, and for one who has been honored, dishonor is worse than death.

The great generals who have highly esteemed your name and fame will think that you have left the battlefield out of fear only, and thus they will consider you a coward.

Your enemies will describe you in many unkind words and scorn your ability. What could be more painful for you?

Either you will be killed on the battlefield and attain the heavenly planets, or you will conquer and enjoy the earthly kingdom. Therefore get up and fight with determination.

Do you fight for the sake of fighting, without considering happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat--and, by so doing, you shall never incur sin.

Thus far I have declared to you the analytical knowledge of sankhya philosophy. Now listen to the knowledge of yoga whereby one works without fruitive result. When you act by such intelligence, you can free yourself from the bondage of works.

In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. The intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.

Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this.

In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.

The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self.

All purposes that are served by the small pond can at once be served by the great reservoirs of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.

You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

Be steadfast in yoga. Perform your duty and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.

Rid yourself of all fruitive activities by devotional service, and surrender fully to that consciousness. Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers.

A man engaged in devotional service rids himself of both good and bad actions even in this life. Therefore strive for yoga, which is the art of all work.

The wise, engaged in devotional service, take refuge in the Lord, and free themselves from the cycle of birth and death by renouncing the fruits of action in the material world. In this way they can attain that state beyond all miseries.

When your intelligence has passed out of the dense forest of delusion, you shall become indifferent to all that has been heard and all that is to be heard.

When your mind is no longer disturbed by the flowery language of the Vedas, and when it remains fixed in the trance of self-realization, then you will have attained the divine consciousness.

when a man gives up all varieties of sense desire which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.

One who is not disturbed in spite of the threefold miseries, who is not elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.

He who is without attachment, who does not rejoice when he obtains good, nor lament when he obtains evil, is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge.

One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is to be understood as truly situated in knowledge.

The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.

The senses are so strong and impetuous, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them.

One who restrains his senses and fixes his consciousness upon Me, is known as a man of steady intelligence.

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.

From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.

One who can control his senses by practicing the regulated principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord and thus become free from all attachment and aversion.

For one who is so situated in the Divine consciousness, the threefold miseries of material existence exist no longer; in such a happy state, one's intelligence soon becomes steady.

One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?

As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence.

One whose senses are restrained from their objects is certainly of steady intelligence.

What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.

A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires--that enter like rivers into the ocean which is ever being filled but is always still--can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.

A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego--he alone can attain real peace.

That is the way of the spiritual and godly life, after attaining which a man is not bewildered. Being so situated, even at the hour of death, one can enter into the kingdom of God.

the easy way out

2010-06-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On that day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck. Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and small shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle.

every life-lesson is unique to every soul.. so easy to 'cripple' with helpful norms

'intro'spection

2010-06-23T00:46:00.000-07:00

Once, a man pulled up into a gas station in the country, and asked the gas station attendant, "What are the people like in the next town up ahead?" The attendant said, "What were the people like in the town you just came from?" "Awful people," the man responded. "Rude, cold, hostile, abrupt, unfriendly. They wouldn't give me the time of day." "Well," said the attendant, "I'm sorry to say it, but you're going to find exactly the same sort of people in the next town up ahead."

A bit later, another driver pulled in, heading in the same direction as the first. "What are the people like in the next town up ahead?" the second man asked. The attendant said, "What were the people like in the town you just came from?" "Wonderful people," the second man responded. "Friendly, warm, helpful, patient, kind. They went out of their way to help a stranger." "Well," said the attendant, "I'm happy to tell you that you're going to find exactly the same kind of people in the next town up ahead."

A man who lost his axe suspected his neighbour's son of stealing it. To him, as he observed the boy, the way the lad walked, the expression on his face, the manner of his speech - in fact everything about his appearance and behaviour betrayed that he had stolen the axe. Not long afterwards the man found his axe while digging in his cellar. When he saw his neighbour's son again, nothing about the boy's behaviour nor appearance seemed to suggest that he had stolen the axe.

we only react to what 'we' see..

Ravana

2010-06-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

it is so easy to shrug off or dismiss something away from the norm.. and 'Ravana' is one such film.. visually stupendous and vibrantly alive, this movie attempts to illustrate the 'Ramayana' of today..

with humanity as the norm, how values twist and stand on their head.. blurring the lines between good and evil, chiding those very 'stamps'....

Mr.Abhishek Bachchan and Mrs.Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, powerful actors in their own right, try to capture these 'changing' emotions on screen within a span of this short time.. celebrating the latent 'divinity' of every human being, so intrinsically enmeshed with the sublime..

compelling us to look in that mirror we can no longer avoid.. the swiftly changing faces of good and evil.. and their blurred defining lines..

like quicksilver these defining attempts of mankind.. can we find it in our heart, to accept.. to forgive.. to understand..

freedom

2010-06-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

freedom is not the unshackling of 'relationships' and 'duties' to follow our own heart.. but to free our heart from the 'shackles' that exist only in the mind..

the pure truth of a drop and the ocean is it's cyclic inevitability..

if experience is a series of lessons unique to us, then let us teach to educate and learn..

revel in the symphony that nature brings forth afresh.. for the heart holds a song, if only we could stop to hear..

every custom and ritual are just that.. divinity still resides within and without..

if everything is prone to change, why are we so set in our ways..

the mysteries of life remain unsolved, yet we are so sure of our way as the only one..

Eat Pray Love

2010-06-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

just finished the book 'Eat Pray Love', one woman's journey around the world, for a single step into her own heart.. though every experience is unique to that one person.. and we all need to step into our own light.. be it night or day.. we are grateful to Ms Elizabeth Gilbert, for this account of human 'possibility'.. that comes with no guarantees.. that needs constant work.. that isn't earth-shaking, but definitely 'moving' enough to embrace ourselves..

each one of us seeks a hand.. a guide.. a guru.. who miraculously makes everything okay.. but they can show us how to climb a mountain.. the grit is in our own hands.. loved the specifics in prayer, attested by as much of the universe as we can bring in.. love the thought of forgiving ourselves.. accepting.. and loving the good and the bad.. for how can we shadow the residing divinity within and yet seek to embrace the whole.. and that goes for the whole Universe too..

tiny little pockets of hope amidst an almost heroic saga.. a fairy tale odyssey of the heart..

blink of an eye

2010-06-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

why do we continue to shun.. rue.. the darkness.. the negatives.. the losses.. in life.. if we could only accept them as a real part of life.. as real and true as the positives.. to let ourselves weep openly.. to empathize with another's loss without making it a spectacular catastrophe.. a topic of conversational gossip.. the struggle to 'look good' would lessen.. lightening our societal burdens tremendously.. if we are all one.. part of the same divine light.. who are we looking down on.. who are we looking up to.. where do we truly stand..

existentialism

2010-06-15T23:52:00.001-07:00

even though it might be 'pandora's box' it IS a fact that we cannot deny.. Truth is experiential not a Belief System.. in this world where everything is prone to change.. including our 'selves'.. how can our 'truth' be the same.. something that takes us on paths untraversed.. compelling.. like a maze that feels fresh and new at every turn.. and we try to 'walk' our way through an 'answer' that we ourselves seek.. yes, everything in the PHYSICAL world is prone to change.. and yet in the SPIRITUAL most 'truths' should remain constant.. but if 'truth' is 'personal' and each one of us belongs to the physical plane.. then does that make the spiritual truths 'experiential' too.. if there had to be a constant, then I wonder sometimes.. why any Saint could not leave a specific 'answer' for the masses.. only pointers and directions.. and myriad paths..

maybe true Saints are unable to express the 'essence' of their Enlightenment.. or 'Truth' behind the mysteries of the Universe.. because it is inexpressible.. can only be experienced by each soul as and when he or she is ready for it.. but it remains a 'hidden' wisdom.. enabling singular power and authority into few hands.. delineating 'truths' as personal decrees.. translating simplicity into a gamut of customs and rituals weighed on the scales of damnation and redemption.. I'm going off at tangents here.. but don't you find it ironical.. that we 'defined' the rules only to have rules 'defining' us..

to get back at truth being experiential and not a belief system.. maybe this chariness of the masses against the 'beliefs' enforced by a handful of religious despots has metamorphosed into the 'new age' thinking of today.. where each tries to find their own truth.. in their own way.. spiritually cautious.. scared.. wary.. defiant.. yet desperately eroding the 'belief system' even for a fleeting glimpse of some truth hidden there..

ephemera

2010-06-15T02:26:00.000-07:00

sometimes I wonder if we see us..
in moments when we can't take that one step..
in moments when we perceive that strangeness..
in moments when we say.. you.. and me..
and I wonder at the ephemera of us..
that could not attain reality..
even in our perceptions..

divinity

2010-06-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

can feel this beautiful kaleidoscope of wishes unfurling in my heart
will keep knocking till you open the window..
where abandoned joy resides..
maybe you leave it.. just a bit ajar..
as our heart feels..
years of chains crumbling bit by bit..
today let there be a blatant dawn..
unmasked.. in a heartfelt smile..

true definition

2010-06-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

spoken words strum on thought vibrations, throb in our pores accordingly.. forming ripples and whirlpools.. forming bands of mindsets.. fads.. norms.. groupies.. frenzies.. even natural disasters..

the word 'truth' matters so much to each one of us.. but how do we define it.. for though truths might differ from culture to culture.. person to person.. don't they change within our comprehensions too.. as per our changing circumstances.. so what does truth really mean.. and why are we fighting about so many 'truths' all the time.. all over the world..

strangely some things are followed blindly as the norm.. like blowing off candles on b'days and lighting them at funerals.. and none wonders why.. and we shed blood in the name of religion.. caste.. status.. possessions.. every possible mundane issue that crosses our path.. none able to perceive the yawning 'emptiness' within it's folds.. sucking us into a dark oblivion.. we shun light.. we shun life.. we make our own choice..

memory banks

2010-06-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

our minds rule over lifetimes.. keeping our maths and accounts in order.. but it is our hearts that fill life with tiny joyflowers.. a familiar melody.. a fragrance.. a heartbeat.. a smile.. compelling.. strengthening.. fleeting.. permeating.. with shifting hues of us..

yes, there is so much joy around.. yes, there is so much grief too.. and we curse and rue, sometimes ourselves.. sometimes fate.. strangers.. people in our lives.. everything and everyone around.. but isn't it our own minds.. those tiny memory banks.. that hold every tear.. every smile.. every judgement.. every guilt.. every emotion possible.. setting our own 'fate' between lifetimes.. hoping our hearts could and would find the right path.. in the myriad choices left to take.. with none to blame.. for the people affecting our lives.. are the ones we chose.. for some lesson.. some path.. some strength..

Rann and the Times

2010-05-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

why does the media enhance any fatality or mishap, by every possible similar news item.. whether it's about the police, AI, Railways, even Kasab(what was Kasab doing on a page full of film stars!!).. anything at all.. to enhance one story in the newspaper, there would be myriad others, filling the page, all pointing fingers at the police at some point or another.. if Noetic Science proves the power of collective thought, then maybe the media has a bigger responsibility here.. to promote peace, to promote trust, instead of suspicion, disquiet, and an increasing loss of faith in the system..

Mr.Amitabh Bachan had starred in a movie recently, 'Rann', enhancing such issues, that disgust, people inking 'corruption' in black OR white, depending on the decor of their interiors..

DID versus Chak Dhoom Dhoom

2010-05-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

what a pleasure it is to see the dance show 'Chak Dhoom Dhoom' on Colors.. a heartstoppingly fragrant bouquet of exceptional dancing.. stunning choreography.. like a galaxy of stars.. tiny twinkling sparkling joyous stars shining brightly in the benevolent and gentle glow of their masters strength.. this show has surpassed every other, with it's singular warmth and attention on the children.. just seeing the expressions of Mrs.Saroj Khan and the panel of masters, tugs at our heartstrings.. and lights up the kids eyes..

on the other hand, another show on Zee, 'DID', a dance show that was a pleasure to watch, because of Mr.Mithun Chakraborty, his sincerity, and his sheer love for dance and the participants, seems to have faded in comparison, compelling me to write here.. is it unfair to the little ones, to be choreographed by budding aspirants.. or is it a platform for those aspirants to prove themselves.. but the show is about the little ones.. and they deserve a better platform.. after all they have gone through..

US - nature and nurture

2010-05-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

US has its pulse on a stabilized,balanced and wholesome future with its venture to have preschools in the forest.. humanity today is starved of it's roots.. each stressed, unable to cope.. and our education system only enhances that stress from a very small age.. if children connect with 'nature'.. they would be better equipped to cope with life itself.. we stuff them with 'subjects' pushing them into a rat race where relaxation means 'unaffordable' holidays, both materially and timewise.. and we scream our head off about global warming.. when all we need to change is a lifestyle and a mindset at the roots.. nurturing respect and love for the gift of nature.. schools should necessarily have basic training where each learns how to work with their hands.. ready to cope with any situation practically.. not just in theory.. we all need a better world.. and it has always been as simple as a 'shift' in our education system, one that surpasses present day conditioning, for we all feel choked already.. and it's time to let our kids breathe..

A Course in Miracles - Lesson reviews 1-5

2010-05-09T02:31:00.000-07:00

(1) Nothing I see means anything.

The reason this is so is that I see nothing, and nothing has no meaning. It is necessary that I recognize this, that I may learn to see. What I think I see now is taking the place of vision. I must let it go by realizing it has no meaning, so that vision may take its place.

(2) I have given what I see all the meaning it has for me.

I have judged everything I look upon, and it is this and only this I see. This is not vision. It is merely an illusion of reality, because my judgments have been made quite apart from reality. I am willing to recognize the lack of validity in my judgments, because I want to see. My judgments have hurt me, and I do not want to see according to them.

(3) I do not understand anything I see.

How could I understand what I see when I have judged it amiss? What I see is the projection of my own errors of thought. I do not understand what I see because it is not understandable. There is no sense in trying to understand it. But there is every reason to let it go, and make room for what can be seen and understood and loved. I can exchange what I see now for this merely by being willing to do so. Is not this a better choice than the one I made before?

(4) These thoughts do not mean anything.

The thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything because I am trying to think without God. What I call "my" thoughts are not my real thoughts. My real thoughts are the thoughts I think with God. I am not aware of them because I have made my thoughts to take their place. I am willing to recognize that my thoughts do not mean anything, and to let them go. I choose to have them be replaced by what they were intended to replace. My thoughts are meaningless, but all creation lies in the thoughts I think with God.

(5) I am never upset for the reason I think.

I am never upset for the reason I think because I am constantly trying to justify my thoughts. I am constantly trying to make them true. I make all things my enemies, so that my anger is justified and my attacks are warranted. I have not realized how much I have misused everything I see by assigning this role to it. I have done this to defend a thought system that has hurt me, and that I no longer want. I am willing to let it go.

A Course in MIracles, Lesson Review 6-10

2010-05-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

(6) I am upset because I see what is not there.

Reality is never frightening. It is impossible that it could upset me. Reality brings only perfect peace. When I am upset, it is always because I have replaced reality with illusions I made up. The illusions are upsetting because I have given them reality, and thus regard reality as an illusion. Nothing in God's creation is affected in any way by this confusion of mine. I am always upset by nothing.

(7) I see only the past.

As I look about, I condemn the world I look upon. I call this seeing. I hold the past against everyone and everything, making them my enemies. When I have forgiven myself and remembered Who I am, I will bless everyone and everything I see. There will be no past, and therefore no enemies. And I will look with love on all that I failed to see before.

(8) My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.

I see only my own thoughts, and my mind is preoccupied with the past. What, then, can I see as it is? Let me remember that I look on the past to prevent the present from dawning on my mind. Let me understand that I am trying to use time against God. Let me learn to give the past away, realizing that in so doing I am giving up nothing.

(9) I see nothing as it is now.

If I see nothing as it is now, it can truly be said that I see nothing. I can see only what is now. The choice is not whether to see the past or the present; the choice is merely whether to see or not. What I have chosen to see has cost me vision. Now I would choose again, that I may see.

(10) My thoughts do not mean anything.

I have no private thoughts. Yet it is only private thoughts of which I am aware. What can these thoughts mean? They do not exist, and so they mean nothing. Yet my mind is part of creation and part of its Creator. Would I not rather join the thinking of the universe than to obscure all that is really mine with my pitiful and meaningless "private" thoughts?

A Course in Miracles, Lesson 11-15

2010-05-09T02:29:00.000-07:00

(11) My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world.

Since the thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything, the world that pictures them can have no meaning. What is producing this world is insane, and so is what it produces. Reality is not insane, and I have real thoughts as well as insane ones. I can therefore see a real world, if I look to my real thoughts as my guide for seeing.

(12) I am upset because I see a meaningless world.

Insane thoughts are upsetting. They produce a world in which there is no order anywhere. Only chaos rules a world that represents chaotic thinking, and chaos has no laws. I cannot live in peace in such a world. I am grateful that this world is not real, and that I need not see it at all unless I choose to value it. And I do not choose to value what is totally insane and has no meaning.

(13) A meaningless world engenders fear.

The totally insane engenders fear because it is completely undependable, and offers no grounds for trust. Nothing in madness is dependable. It holds out no safety and no hope. But such a world is not real. I have given it the illusion of reality, and have suffered from my belief in it. Now I choose to withdraw this belief, and place my trust in reality. In choosing this, I will escape all the effects of the world of fear, because I am acknowledging that it does not exist.

(14) God did not create a meaningless world.

How can a meaningless world exist if God did not create it? He is the Source of all meaning, and everything that is real is in His Mind. It is in my mind too, because He created it with me. Why should I continue to suffer from the effects of my own insane thoughts, when the perfection of creation is my home? Let me remember the power of my decision, and recognize where I really abide.

(15) My thoughts are images that I have made.

Whatever I see reflects my thoughts. It is my thoughts that tell me where I am and what I am. The fact that I see a world in which there is suffering and loss and death shows me that I am seeing only the representation of my insane thoughts, and am not allowing my real thoughts to cast their beneficent light on what I see. Yet God's way is sure. The images I have made cannot prevail against Him because it is not my will that they do so. My will is His, and I will place no other gods before Him.

A Course in Miracles, Lesson 16-20

2010-05-09T02:27:00.000-07:00

(16) I have no neutral thoughts.

Neutral thoughts are impossible because all thoughts have power. They will either make a false world or lead me to the real one. But thoughts cannot be without effects. As the world I see arises from my thinking errors, so will the real world rise before my eyes as I let my errors be corrected. My thoughts cannot be neither true nor false. They must be one or the other. What I see shows me which they are.

(17) I see no neutral things.

What I see witnesses to what I think. If I did not think I would not exist, because life is thought. Let me look on the world I see as the representation of my own state of mind. I know that my state of mind can change. And so I also know the world I see can change as well.

(18) I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing.

If I have no private thoughts, I cannot see a private world. Even the mad idea of separation had to be shared before it could form the basis of the world I see. Yet that sharing was a sharing of nothing. I can also call upon my real thoughts, which share everything with everyone. As my thoughts of separation call to the separation thoughts of others, so my real thoughts awaken the real thoughts in them. And the world my real thoughts show me will dawn on their sight as well as mine.

(19) I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts.

I am alone in nothing. Everything I think or say or do teaches all the universe. A Son of God cannot think or speak or act in vain. He cannot be alone in anything. It is therefore in my power to change every mind along with mine, for mine is the power of God.

(20) I am determined to see.

Recognizing the shared nature of my thoughts, I am determined to see. I would look upon the witnesses that show me the thinking of the world has been changed. I would behold the proof that what has been done through me has enabled love to replace fear, laughter to replace tears, and abundance to replace loss. I would look upon the real world, and let it teach me that my will and the Will of God are one.

A Course in Miracles, Lesson 21-25

2010-05-09T02:26:00.000-07:00

(21) I am determined to see things differently.

What I see now are but signs of disease, disaster and death. This cannot be what God created for His beloved Son. The very fact that I see such things is proof that I do not understand God. Therefore I also do not understand His Son. What I see tells me that I do not know who I am. I am determined to see the witnesses to the truth in me, rather than those which show me an illusion of myself.

(22) What I see is a form of vengeance.

The world I see is hardly the representation of loving thoughts. It is a picture of attack on everything by everything. It is anything but a reflection of the Love of God and the Love of His Son. It is my own attack thoughts that give rise to this picture. My loving thoughts will save me from this perception of the world, and give me the peace God intended me to have.

(23) I can escape from this world by giving up attack thoughts.

Herein lies salvation, and nowhere else. Without attack thoughts I could not see a world of attack. As forgiveness allows love to return to my awareness, I will see a world of peace and safety and joy. And it is this I choose to see, in place of what I look on now.

(24) I do not perceive my own best interests.

How could I recognize my own best interests when I do not know who I am? What I think are my best interests would merely bind me closer to the world of illusions. I am willing to follow the Guide God has given me to find out what my own best interests are, recognizing that I cannot perceive them by myself.

(25) I do not know what anything is for.

To me, the purpose of everything is to prove that my illusions about myself are real. It is for this purpose that I attempt to use everyone and everything. It is for this that I believe the world is for. Therefore I do not recognize its real purpose. The purpose I have given the world has led to a frightening picture of it. Let me open my mind to the world's real purpose by withdrawing the one I have given it, and learning the truth about it.

A Course in Miracles, Lesson 26-30

2010-05-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

(26) My attack thoughts are attacking my invulnerability.

How can I know who I am when I see myself as under constant attack? Pain, illness, loss, age and death seem to threaten me. All my hopes and wishes and plans appear to be at the mercy of a world I cannot control. Yet perfect security and complete fulfillment are my inheritance. I have tried to give my inheritance away in exchange for the world I see. But God has kept my inheritance safe for me. My own real thoughts will teach me what it is.

(27) Above all else I want to see.

Recognizing that what I see reflects what I think I am, I realize that vision is my greatest need. The world I see attests to the fearful nature of the self-image I have made. If I would remember who I am, it is essential that I let this image of myself go. As it is replaced by truth, vision will surely be given me. And with this vision, I will look upon the world and on myself with charity and love.

(28) Above all else I want to see differently.

The world I see holds my fearful self-image in place, and guarantees its continuance. While I see the world as I see it now, truth cannot enter my awareness. I would let the door behind this world be opened for me, that I may look past it to the world that reflects the Love of God.

(29) God is in everything I see.

Behind every image I have made, the truth remains unchanged. Behind every veil I have drawn across the face of love, its light remains undimmed. Beyond all my insane wishes is my will, united with the Will of my Father. God is still everywhere and in everything forever. And we who are part of Him will yet look past all appearances, and recognize the truth beyond them all.

(30) God is in everything I see because God is in my mind.

In my own mind, behind all my insane thoughts of separation and attack, is the knowledge that all is one forever. I have not lost the knowledge of Who I am because I have forgotten it. It has been kept for me in the Mind of God, Who has not left His Thoughts. And I, who am among them, am one with them and one with Him.

A Course in Miracles, Lesson 31-35

2010-05-09T02:23:00.000-07:00

(31) I am not the victim of the world I see.

How can I be the victim of a world that can be completely undone if I so choose? My chains are loosened. I can drop them off merely by desiring to do so. The prison door is open. I can leave simply by walking out. Nothing holds me in this world. Only my wish to stay keeps me a prisoner. I would give up my insane wishes and walk into the sunlight at last.

(32) I have invented the world I see.

I made up the prison in which I see myself. All I need do is recognize this and I am free. I have deluded myself into believing it is possible to imprison the Son of God. I was bitterly mistaken in this belief, which I no longer want. The Son of God must be forever free. He is as God created him, and not what I would make of him. He is where God would have him be, and not where I thought to hold him prisoner.

(33) There is another way of looking at the world.

Since the purpose of the world is not the one I ascribed to it, there must be another way of looking at it. I see everything upside down, and my thoughts are the opposite of truth. I see the world as a prison for God's Son. It must be, then, that the world is really a place where he can be set free. I would look upon the world as it is, and see it as a place where the Son of God finds his freedom.

(34) I could see peace instead of this.

When I see the world as a place of freedom, I realize that it reflects the laws of God instead of the rules I made up for it to obey. I will understand that peace, not war, abides in it. And I will perceive that peace also abides in the hearts of all who share this place with me.

(35) My mind is part of God's. I am very holy.

As I share the peace of the world with my brothers, I begin to understand that this peace comes from deep within myself. The world I look upon has taken on the light of my forgiveness, and shines forgiveness back at me. In this light I begin to see what my illusions about myself kept hidden. I begin to understand the holiness of all living things, including myself, and their oneness with me.

A Course in Miracles, Lesson 36-40

2010-05-09T02:22:00.000-07:00

(36) My holiness envelops everything I see.

From my holiness does the perception of the real world come. Having forgiven, I no longer see myself as guilty. I can accept the innocence that is the truth about me. Seen through understanding eyes, the holiness of the world is all I see, for I can picture only the thoughts I hold about myself.

(37) My holiness blesses the world.

The perception of my holiness does not bless me alone. Everyone and everything I see in its light shares in the joy it brings to me. There is nothing that is apart from this joy, because there is nothing that does not share my holiness. As I recognize my holiness, so does the holiness of the world shine forth for everyone to see.

(38) There is nothing my holiness cannot do.

My holiness is unlimited in its power to heal, because it is unlimited in its power to save. What is there to be saved from except illusions? And what are all illusions except false ideas about myself? My holiness undoes them all by asserting the truth about me. In the presence of my holiness, which I share with God Himself, all idols vanish.

(39) My holiness is my salvation.

Since my holiness saves me from all guilt, recognizing my holiness is recognizing my salvation. It is also recognizing the salvation of the world. Once I have accepted my holiness, nothing can make me afraid. And because I am unafraid, everyone must share in my understanding, which is the gift of God to me and to the world.

(40) I am blessed as a Son of God.

Herein lies my claim to all good and only good. I am blessed as a Son of God. All good things are mine, because God intended them for me. I cannot suffer any loss or deprivation or pain because of Who I am. My Father supports me, protects me, and directs me in all things. His care for me is infinite, and is with me forever. I am eternally blessed as His Son.

A Course in Miracles, Lesson 41-45

2010-05-09T02:21:00.000-07:00

(41) God goes with me wherever I go.

How can I be alone when God always goes with me? How can I be doubtful and unsure of myself when perfect certainty abides in Him? How can I be disturbed by anything when He rests in me in absolute peace? How can I suffer when love and joy surround me through Him? Let me not cherish illusions about myself. I am perfect because God goes with me wherever I go.

(42) God is my strength. Vision is His gift.

Let me not look to my own eyes to see today. Let me be willing to exchange my pitiful illusion of seeing for the vision that is given by God. Christ's vision is His gift, and He has given it to me. Let me call upon this gift today, so that this day may help me to understand eternity.

(43) God is my Source. I cannot see apart from Him.

I can see what God wants me to see. I cannot see anything else. Beyond His Will lie only illusions. It is these I choose when I think I can see apart from Him. It is these I choose when I try to see through the body's eyes. Yet the vision of Christ has been given me to replace them. It is through this vision that I choose to see.

(44) God is the light in which I see.

I cannot see in darkness. God is the only light. Therefore, if I am to see, it must be through Him. I have tried to define what seeing is, and I have been wrong. Now it is given me to understand that God is the light in which I see. Let me welcome vision and the happy world it will show me.

(45) God is the Mind with which I think.

I have no thoughts I do not share with God. I have no thoughts apart from Him, because I have no mind apart from His. As part of His Mind, my thoughts are His and His Thoughts are mine.

A Course in Miracles, Lesson 46-50

2010-05-09T02:14:00.000-07:00

(46) God is the Love in which I forgive.

God does not forgive because He has never condemned. The blameless cannot blame, and those who have accepted their innocence see nothing to forgive. Yet forgiveness is the means by which I will recognize my innocence. It is the reflection of God's Love on earth. It will bring me near enough to Heaven that the Love of God can reach down to me and raise me up to Him.

(47) God is the strength in which I trust.

It is not my own strength through which I forgive. It is through the strength of God in me, which I am remembering as I forgive. As I begin to see, I recognize His reflection on earth. I forgive all things because I feel the stirring of His strength in me. And I begin to remember the Love I chose to forget, but which has not forgotten me.

(48) There is nothing to fear.

How safe the world will look to me when I can see it! It will not look anything like what I imagine I see now. Everyone and everything I see will lean toward me to bless me. I will recognize in everyone my dearest Friend. What could there be to fear in a world that I have forgiven, and that has forgiven me?

(49) God's Voice speaks to me all through the day.

There is not a moment in which God's Voice ceases to call on my forgiveness to save me. There is not a moment in which His Voice fails to direct my thoughts, guide my actions and lead my feet. I am walking steadily on toward truth. There is nowhere else I can go, because God's Voice is the only Voice and the only Guide that has been given to His Son.

(50) I am sustained by the Love of God.

As I listen to God's Voice, I am sustained by His Love. As I open my eyes, His Love lights up the world for me to see. As I forgive, His Love reminds me that His Son is sinless. And as I look upon the world with the vision He has given me, I remember that I am His Son.

ACIM, Lesson 61-62

2010-05-09T01:59:00.001-07:00

(61) I am the light of the world.

How holy am I, who have been given the function of lighting up the world! Let me be still before my holiness. In its calm light let all my conflicts disappear. In its peace let me remember Who I am.

Some specific forms for applying this idea when special difficulties seem to arise might be:

Let me not obscure the light of the world in me.
Let the light of the world shine through this appearance.
This shadow will vanish before the light.

(62) Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world.

It is through accepting my function that I will see the light in me. And in this light will my function stand clear and perfectly unambiguous before my sight. My acceptance does not depend on my recognizing what my function is, for I do not yet understand forgiveness. Yet I will trust that, in the light, I will see it as it is.

Specific forms for using this idea might include:

Let this help me learn what forgiveness means.
Let me not separate my function from my will.
I will not use this for an alien purpose.

ACIM, Lesson Review 63-64

2010-05-09T01:59:00.000-07:00

(63) The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness.

My forgiveness is the means by which the light of the world finds expression through me. My forgiveness is the means by which I become aware of the light of the world in me. My forgiveness is the means by which the world is healed, together with myself. Let me, then, forgive the world, that it may be healed along with me.

Suggestions for specific forms for applying this idea are:

Let peace extend from my mind to yours, [name].
I share the light of the world with you, [name].
Through my forgiveness I can see this as it is.

(64) Let me not forget my function.

I would not forget my function, because I would remember my Self. I cannot fulfill my function if I forget it. And unless I fulfill my function, I will not experience the joy that God intends for me.

Suitable specific forms of this idea include:

Let me not use this to hide my function from me.
I would use this as an opportunity to fulfill my function.
This may threaten my ego, but cannot change my function in any way.

ACIM, Lesson Review 65-66

2010-05-09T01:57:00.000-07:00

(65) My only function is the one God gave me.

I have no function but the one God gave me. This recognition releases me from all conflict, because it means I cannot have conflicting goals. With one purpose only, I am always certain what to do, what to say and what to think. All doubt must disappear as I acknowledge that my only function is the one God gave me.

More specific applications of this idea might take these forms:

My perception of this does not change my function.
This does not give me a function other than the one God gave me.
Let me not use this to justify a function God did not give me.

(66) My happiness and my function are one.

All things that come from God are one. They come from Oneness, and must be received as one. Fulfilling my function is my happiness because both come from the same Source. And I must learn to recognize what makes me happy, if I would find happiness.

Some useful forms for specific applications of this idea are:

This cannot separate my happiness from my function.
The oneness of my happiness and my function remains wholly unaffected by this.
Nothing, including this, can justify the illusion of happiness apart from my function.

ACIM, Lesson Review 67-68

2010-05-09T01:55:00.000-07:00

(67) Love created me like itself.

I am in the likeness of my Creator. I cannot suffer, I cannot experience loss and I cannot die. I am not a body. I would recognize my reality today. I will worship no idols, nor raise my own self-concept to replace my Self. I am in the likeness of my Creator. Love created me like itself.

You might find these specific forms helpful in applying the idea:

Let me not see an illusion of myself in this.
As I look on this, let me remember my Creator.
My Creator did not create this as I see it.

(68) Love holds no grievances.

Grievances are completely alien to love. Grievances attack love and keep its light obscure. If I hold grievances I am attacking love, and therefore attacking my Self. My Self thus becomes alien to me. I am determined not to attack my Self today, so that I can remember Who I am.

These specific forms for applying this idea would be helpful:

This is no justification for denying my Self.
I will not use this to attack love.
Let this not tempt me to attack myself.

ACIM, Lesson Review 69-70

2010-05-09T01:54:00.000-07:00

(69) My grievances hide the light of the world in me.

My grievances show me what is not there, and hide from me what I would see. Recognizing this, what do I want my grievances for? They keep me in darkness and hide the light. Grievances and light cannot go together, but light and vision must be joined for me to see. To see, I must lay grievances aside. I want to see, and this will be the means by which I will succeed.

Specific applications for this idea might be made in these forms:

Let me not use this as a block to sight.
The light of the world will shine all this away.
I have no need for this. I want to see.

(70) My salvation comes from me.

Today I will recognize where my salvation is. It is in me because its Source is there. It has not left its Source, and so it cannot have left my mind. I will not look for it outside myself. It is not found outside and then brought in. But from within me it will reach beyond, and everything I see will but reflect the light that shines in me and in itself.

These forms of the idea are suitable for more specific applications:

Let this not tempt me to look away from me for my salvation.
I will not let this interfere with my awareness of the Source of my salvation.
This has no power to remove salvation from me.

ACIM, Lesson Review 71-72

2010-05-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

(71) Only God's plan for salvation will work.

It is senseless for me to search wildly about for salvation. I have seen it in many people and in many things, but when I reached for it, it was not there. I was mistaken about where it is. I was mistaken about what it is. I will undertake no more idle seeking. Only God's plan for salvation will work. And I will rejoice because His plan can never fail.

These are some suggested forms for applying this idea specifically:

God's plan for salvation will save me from my perception of this.
This is no exception in God's plan for my salvation.
Let me perceive this only in the light of God's plan for salvation.

(72) Holding grievances is an attack on God's plan for salvation.

Holding grievances is an attempt to prove that God's plan for salvation will not work. Yet only His plan will work. By holding grievances, I am therefore excluding my only hope of salvation from my awareness. I would no longer defeat my own best interests in this insane way. I would accept God's plan for salvation, and be happy.

Specific applications for this idea might be in these forms:

I am choosing between misperception and salvation as I look on this.
If I see grounds for grievances in this, I will not see the grounds for my salvation.
This calls for salvation, not attack.

ACIM, Lesson Review 73-74

2010-05-09T01:52:00.000-07:00

(73) I will there be light.

I will use the power of my will today. It is not my will to grope about in darkness, fearful of shadows and afraid of things unseen and unreal. Light shall be my guide today. I will follow it where it leads me, and I will look only on what it shows me. This day I will experience the peace of true perception.

These forms of this idea would be helpful for specific applications:

This cannot hide the light I will to see.
You stand with me in light, [name].
In the light this will look different.

(74) There is no will but God's.

I am safe today because there is no will but God's. I can become afraid only when I believe there is another will. I try to attack only when I am afraid, and only when I try to attack can I believe that my eternal safety is threatened. Today I will recognize that all this has not occurred. I am safe because there is no will but God's.

These are some useful forms of this idea for specific applications:

Let me perceive this in accordance with the Will of God.
It is God's Will you are His Son, [name], and mine as well.
This is part of God's Will for me, however I may see it.

ACIM, Lesson 75-76

2010-05-09T01:50:00.000-07:00

(75) The light has come.

In choosing salvation rather than attack, I merely choose to recognize what is already there. Salvation is a decision made already. Attack and grievances are not there to choose. That is why I always choose between truth and illusion; between what is there and what is not. The light has come. I can but choose the light, for it has no alternative. It has replaced the darkness, and the darkness has gone.

These would prove useful forms for specific applications of this idea:

This cannot show me darkness, for the light has come.
The light in you is all that I would see, [name].
I would see in this only what is there.

(76) I am under no laws but God's.

Here is the perfect statement of my freedom. I am under no laws but God's. I am constantly tempted to make up other laws and give them power over me. I suffer only because of my belief in them. They have no real effect on me at all. I am perfectly free of the effects of all laws save God's. And His are the laws of freedom.

For specific forms in applying this idea, these would be useful:

My perception of this shows me I believe in laws that do not exist.
I see only the laws of God at work in this.
Let me allow God's laws to work in this, and not my own.

ACIM, Lesson 77-78

2010-05-09T01:49:00.000-07:00

(77) I am entitled to miracles.

I am entitled to miracles because I am under no laws but God's. His laws release me from all grievances, and replace them with miracles. And I would accept the miracles in place of the grievances, which are but illusions that hide the miracles beyond. Now I would accept only what the laws of God entitle me to have, that I may use it on behalf of the function He has given me.

You might use these suggestions for specific applications of this idea:

Behind this is a miracle to which I am entitled.
Let me not hold a grievance against you, [name],
but offer you the miracle that belongs to you instead. S
een truly, this offers me a miracle.

(78) Let miracles replace all grievances.

By this idea do I unite my will with the Holy Spirit's, and perceive them as one. By this idea do I accept my release from hell. By this idea do I express my willingness to have all my illusions be replaced with truth, according to God's plan for my salvation. I would make no exceptions and no substitutes. I want all of Heaven and only Heaven, as God wills me to have.

Useful specific forms for applying this idea would be:

I would not hold this grievance apart from my salvation.
Let our grievances be replaced by miracles, [name].
Beyond this is the miracle by which all my grievances are replaced.

ACIM, Lesson 79-80

2010-05-09T01:46:00.000-07:00

(79) Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved.

Let me realize today that the problem is always some form of grievance that I would cherish. Let me also understand that the solution is always a miracle with which I let the grievance be replaced. Today I would remember the simplicity of salvation by reinforcing the lesson that there is one problem and one solution. The problem is a grievance; the solution is a miracle. And I invite the solution to come to me through my forgiveness of the grievance, and my welcome of the miracle that takes its place.

Specific applications of this idea might be in these forms:

This presents a problem to me which I would have resolved.
The miracle behind this grievance will resolve it for me.
The answer to this problem is the miracle that it conceals.

(80) Let me recognize my problems have been solved.

I seem to have problems only because I am misusing time. I believe that the problem comes first, and time must elapse before it can be worked out. I do not see the problem and the answer as simultaneous in their occurrence. That is because I do not yet realize that God has placed the answer together with the problem, so that they cannot be separated by time. The Holy Spirit will teach me this, if I will let Him. And I will understand it is impossible that I could have a problem which has not been solved already.

These forms of the idea will be useful for specific applications:

I need not wait for this to be resolved.
The answer to this problem is already given me, if I will accept it.
Time cannot separate this problem from its solution.

kinks

2010-03-08T23:18:00.000-08:00

literature is pictorial art limned in people's minds.. one of life's irradiating blessings..

let there be spaces in your togetherness so it's easier to cover the 'distance'..

don't put down people or give up on them.. even dust motes shine like gold in the presence of sunshine..

we are so busy criticizing people when this life is all about us..

spiritsong

2010-02-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

an emotion.. unmatched.. a blessing.. involuntary.. for that touch that makes me meet myself.. like a new born.. wondrous.. at this fresh journey of the soul.. and glimpsing God.. needing to merge with him, as slowly the veils fall.. and ecstasy and thirst unite high on this soul intoxication.. a satiation.. unmatched..
indescribable.. unfelt.. who heard it.. who glimpsed it.. the darkness.. the light..
refracting.. making heads turn in wonder.. at this glow.. like the blushing dawn.. so soft.. unobtrusive.. what moved.. only my soul.. forever lost on the flute of this spiritsong.. that holds us in it's spell..

abstracts

2010-02-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

it is too late to go back and change the past.. but not to move on and change the future..

if criticism can destroy wonder what approval can do

every person seeks approval of the people around in some way or the other.. you have to sift through dirt to find gold.. approval sifts.. and criticism buries it deeper..

If our mind holds our truth, why are we covering it with so much trivia

don't be embarrassed by any situation in your life.. everyone burps, farts and craps..

love the Theyyam ritual.. beautiful personification of God in each one of us.. mocking all man-made 'distinctions' and discrimination..

There are no weak kids, only weak teachers.. Blindside - an awesome depiction of blind faith and trust within family members alongwith their unswerving support. the fragility of a child's life, easily nurtured or destroyed.

every day nature imbues spectacular hues to refresh our soul.. that our perceptions need a holiday or a painting to see..

self worth transforms into a handful of external opinions.. changing accordingly.. even though we don't agree.

any disquiet within impacts all that we say and do..

life is like a prism.. degrees of shifting 'angles' reflecting a unique vision.. enjoy the differences of opinion.. it's someone else's perspective.. with you the chief guest..

it is only when we detach the 'self' from the solution, we realize where the problem lies..

our gestures extend as treasured gifts..

most groups form a 'wave' of awareness and support.. a silent force in itself..

we always say, "people" have a problem.. 'they' have a problem.. problem 'they' perceive.. then 'they' should be worried.. not you.. 'perceptions' change like quicksilver.. it'd be crazy trying to match up or keep pace with them..

'The Great Indian Novel' - brilliantly written.. a phenomenal amalgamation of an Epic story with India's Independence.. not a historic tale but a satire mirroring characters centuries apart with ironic panache.. interspersed with edifying rays of philosophical insight..

with all our senses contributing to our perceptions, can we still understand things completely, or like the four blind men describing an elephant, return with only 'parts' of the truth..

the color of expectation tinges impressions with unhappy hues..

if sound vibrations impact our universe.. be it as thoughts.. chanted mantras.. prayers and wishes.. spoken or sung words.. hope we ride the right 'wave'..

'Nuclear' War!!

2010-01-22T23:54:00.000-08:00

The world is contracting into smaller and smaller units.. The Universe.. The Earth.. The Continents.. The Countries.. The Cities.. The Towns.. The Villages.. Religions.. Castes.. Tribes.. Joint Families.. Nuclear Family.. Single Person.. and if each is all about that ONE single person.. then why do we need the rest..

stochastic

2010-01-22T01:18:00.000-08:00

with a handful of moments to his name, man selflessly continues to squander them on the mundane trivia of another's life..

For true care one needs to be both a fan and a critic..

a sense of humor with just the right dash of 'tang' to it - saves on identity crisis at least you can always be sure you've come knocking at the right door..

pleasure or pain.. neither remains constant.. revolving totally around perceptions and shifting focus..

Is it the journey or the destination!! life can rush past unfelt.. leaving us looking back in empty reminiscence..

every moment in life IS felt by us.. but in the mad rush towards various targets we set for ourselves.. we feel the joy or pain of reaching that crest.. but forget entirely that we were meant to enjoy what we are doing.. and instead of excelling at it by giving it our best shot.. our entire focus changes to fretting over outer 'results'.. mostly at the expense of every other aspect of our life.. whether family.. friends or ourselves..

If Recognition, Acceptance and love are few of the most basic Human Needs.. then why do we still ignore ourselves..

Avatar

2010-01-09T01:13:00.002-08:00

IMAGE SOURCE
'AVATAR' ethereally personified mystique!! an amazing impression.. really palpable.. a potent personality statement.. like the greeting 'I see you'.. really precious..
one of the most sensorially beautiful movies I have ever seen.. one that quietly sits in your heart and you want to hold on.. to that image of 'life'.. the name 'Avatar' itself means manifestation of the sacred.. this movie is a 'spiritual' experience visualized for one and all.. the uniquely insightful glimpse into 'reality' via 'pandora', another name holding such mystique.. the personification of astral travel after falling asleep.. everything pointing towards life as it should be.. humanity as it should be.. beliefs as they should be.. and the glaring contrast with 'humans' as a rule.. fills you with a sense of deep loss.. at the treasures.. the peace.. we forsake.. race against.. every moment.. the greeting 'I see you'.. such a beautiful way of acknowledging someone's presence.. not just with mere words.. but a presence as a whole.. the interconnectedness of everything.. the respect for every life-form.. the non-necessity of personal possessions.. for nature provides for one and all.. and if it's a singular thought.. singular energy.. singular life.. then where's the need for 'walls'.. it's an alien world.. made alien by us.. which though we move away from further and further.. since life comes full circle.. we in fact move towards it.. for everyone needs to reach 'home'.. the move meshes with buddhist beliefs.. soft touches of symbolism.. like the tree of souls or life.. and you wish for that 'transition' the 'hero' makes..

Simone

2010-01-08T23:08:00.000-08:00

Al Pacino's movie 'Simone' proclaims that people blindly buy whatever 'sells'.. maybe this proves the theory of 'interconnectedness' of thoughts determining 'trends' and 'fads'.. such a dichotomy between 'virtual' and 'real'.. everything being 'created' by someone.. and as the movie unfolds one can't help but feel the similarity between Man's own virtual 'creation' by God.. and the dreamworld 'realities' therein.. despite realizing the truth of the dream.. unable to unravel the enmeshed web.. enough to 'wake up'..

retrospects

2010-01-05T00:02:00.000-08:00

though we pooh-pooh the idea of labeling, whether by caste, upbringing, nationality, status etc.. still each one of them determine who we are.. and are judged accordingly..

true freedom has nothing to do with 'rules'.. they are a necessary part of our role as elders to help kids grow in a secure environment.. true freedom is all about being secure in that love.. enough to be who you are.. or want to be..

maybe that's how the saying it takes one to know one started.. every one of us seems to have 'tunnel vision' where we only see what we want to.. and though we label people within boundaries.. this is just another 'human' trait.. that itself defies any 'boundary'.. the lines blur so easily.. the effect so unobtrusive.. that none realizes the change therein..

conformity and conditioning go hand in hand.. very few can 'get dirty in the mud' without looking around..

experience and the uniqueness of nature necessitate the import of personal input.. and that's the essential gift we imbibe.. imbue.. and impart..

we need that essential 'joy'.. that feels the ticklish part of life.. and laughs freely 'with' it..

It's the you's and I's that 'weigh' it down.. where love is meant to set us free..

Hopes and Wishes

2010-01-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

The Present can rectify the Past and redeem the Future.. hope all of us savor many such 'gifts' every moment of 2010.. Happy New Year!

The white Globe in 'Paa' - such a simple rendition of fading boundaries
and symbolic oneness.. 3 Idiots showing our minds hold the key to 'All
is well'.. 'educating' a child not children.. these visions of a
'smiling' year.. what an ingenuous leap into 2010..

This festive season don't forget to ignite the wick.. in your own heart.. protect it.. pamper it.. cherish it.. and basking in that fresh radiant sanctity.. feel the glow in everything you touch..

let us decorate the trees of our loved ones lives.. with hues of colorful memories holding sparkling smiles.. leaping into hearts with a sackful of warmth.. let's celebrate christmas giving Santa a five..:) Merry Xmas to one and all!!

Raves

2010-01-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

Disappearance of the universe - don't read it for how it's written.. or what it says.. because every moment every word is 'interpreted' by our selves uniquely.. eastern beliefs sparkling through western facets.. just like the constancy of the sun.. let us recognize darkness as simply our own perception

Under the Tuscan Sun - cute movie.. about 'hopelessly' in love..

the TV show Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka on hypnotic regression both intrigues and disappoints.. but maybe now more and more of us will realize the import of 'memorable impressions'.. 'completion' and 'moving on'.. the serious 'reservation' being.. brazenly feeding the fears and misconceptions of people.. and the worst is the timing.. can be really scary for impressionable kids who can barely understand the whole concept..

The movie 2012 celebrates the human spirit amidst utter destruction.. and tenuous fragility of life and possessions..

The Last Lecture - a great attitude.. and the beauty of the book is it's minimalistic simplicity enmeshed with refreshing innocence.. analytical observance mingled with avid curiosity and wondrous awareness.. and this tiny package is a gift to every parent.. teacher.. and child.. each valuing it movingly..

mentations

2010-01-04T20:56:00.000-08:00

Is Meditation like dusting away the collected cobwebs of our mind.. or watchful dodging of the 'mindfield' within.. or minding a garden by weeding out negative emotions.. or simply a walk.. not through a maze but hand-in-hand with a single thought!

every reverse side also has a reverse side

We can be hurt by nothing but our thoughts.

Which is more embarrassing - hate or love..

Shifting focus is all it takes.. for perceptions not situations determine the pendulum of our life..

What is our fight with.. the person or an issue.. so punch the issue man!

most of us are angry at our loved ones.. but none able to care enough to help the change possible that we expect..

we hold a lot of grudges against people around us.. unaware of the 'destruction' we are wreaking within.. while the other moves on unaware.. carefree..

we make rules to make life easy for us.. and become their slaves instead..

if we have a disagreement about something.. we fight with the person.. and not his point-of-view..

how can we not rejoice.. how can we not be shamed.. by the seamless cohesion of a thought.. defying man's audacious boundaries..

life's subtle nuances and fleeting tangencies determine the imprints of our tread.. that need simply to meld into the sand..

every experience is unique to that moment.. determining the next step of our life.. though the way might be the same.. our perceptions define the range we see..

ethereal notes unbidden string the rhythmic pulse of life..

In a recent fire, Two women refused to abandon their invalid in-laws, stoically watching everyone else vacate the building.. if history teaches by example why no one regales moments like these to the stigma attached to this relationship.. our lives are filled with moments that somehow get overshadowed by momentary grievances..

if our faith makes miracles happen.. let us shift focus to the 'positives' of life..

our minds hold an iota of divinity in our memory.. and that's what makes us yearn for something more..

nothing could be more ethereally sacred than renewing our vows blessed purely by the cosmos..

Humor! the only secret ingredient unburdening the woes of life..

some people fill our Heart with joy and hope frolics on it's strings..

if through hypnotic regression we can return to any past life, does that mean our own mind is the author of our story.. making all these worlds 'real' for us, becoming both victim and judge.. until we learn to center it enough to truly 'live' a single moment..

it's not about how life treats you.. but how YOU treat life!!

music enraptures.. entrances.. transcends.. transports.. all we need is to find the song in our soul that beats to the music of the spheres..

if most inter-personal conversations get 'lost in translation'.. sign-language might be a better option - at least it will help retain our sense of humor..

CHANGE is the only constant.. laughing in the face of joys and woes..

people are terrified of change until the right incentive.. not realizing the imperceptible 'changes' life wreaks on our beliefs.. reactions.. natures.. everything.. determining our present.. 'changing' our future..

sometimes expression comes straight from the heart involuntarily..

a delightful combo this insightful acceptance of life's frailties.. with the right tinge of humor and child-like joy in it's simple pleasures imbuing magic in them..

some moments assure it's not the occasion but the people who symbolize joy..

the color of joy more riveting than all the brightness around..

we can only be who we are and react accordingly.. no point fretting or judging.. for as each changes with time.. so do opinions and reactions.. we all pass these tiny 'life lessons' strewn across the path of our lives..

as a middle person it's mostly better to show each 'the other side'.. though it might not make an overt difference.. but definitely helps everyone in the long run..

the unabashed love reflected in words can make someone so happy.. because some people are so readily there for everyone.. without any expectations.. that most people forget to realize they need to thank them once in a while.. there's this lovely song 'you are my... sunshine' tailor-made for such expression..

just hold on to the beautiful core that people cherish.. for it is what keeps them going..

lighting up lives comes naturally to those whom each time you think of - a smile comes to mind..

a friend of mine says if cats are gonna decide our fate then we're in serious trouble!! if life is all about the right choices and paths.. imagine one in 'black and white'

illness takes its toll in unobtrusive ways.. hope we find the reserves of strength needed to be there.. for them.. and to deal with it ourselves..

make someone's dreams possible.. the ultimate dream gift package.. a trip to paradise..!!

worries neither solve nor change anything at all.. our presence and our care will help all around.. including ourselves..

lack of 'attachment' is what frees us from our karmic cycle..

we can make our loved one's days really 'warm' and to hell with the met department..

let us heed the 'safe' wake up calls of life to shrug off our apathy..

all we can truly do with ailing parents is BE strong enough to look beyond the ailment.. we knew they will not let us fall.. hope we can give them the same assurance..

Historic tales become adventurously wondrous paths that 'reach home' to all.. hiding tiny impressions that help us enjoy the 'way'.. subtly honing awareness towards the 'choices' we make..

whether love or war, each holds the other within it's fist..

let talks crystallize into wishes to realize them..

confiding one's problems translates into 'weakness' or 'trust'.. most everyone can fight their own 'wars'.. but we all need someone to 'understand'..

if our thoughts determine the world as we see it.. let us become the change we expect.. very few let themselves be who they are.. each too busy 'looking good'.. 'heartspeak' always touches..

the stories we make up in our minds become the biggest hurdle to whatever we need to do in life..

some have an intuitive insight into life's idiosyncrasies.. an exact and amazing elaboration.. easily expressed..

keep your heart and mind open.. for all we know is meshed with someone Else's experience.. let us enjoy a few discoveries of our own..

'still' in flux..

2009-12-28T23:44:00.000-08:00

IMAGE SOURCE
we wove the webs..
and hung by their threads..
we need to break free..
keep tugging at it's tattered mess..
couldn't resist this one.. what a ticklish representation of the struggle between the material and spiritual.. and the fading lines in between..

The 3 Idiots - Mr.Abhijat and Mr.Aamir

2009-12-27T23:52:00.000-08:00

IDIOTS literally translated - Impish Dreamers Impetuously Opposing The System!

the movie brought out very valid issues regarding the pressures of education by rote and percentages becoming the yardstick of self worth.. herd mentality used to determine the 'future' of mankind!!.. hope this movie wakes all parents and educationists to the unique talents of every child.. what could be more tragic than this fractured faith of our youth in the adult world..

Rarely you find yourself intrigued enough to know more about the people in and behind a movie.. and Mr.Abhijat Joshi and Mr.Aamir Khan, are two such exceptional people, who compellingly invite every person to enter their realm.. join hands and celebrate.. the miracle and magic of life.. asking the right questions with the backdrop of humor that would easily reach out to the masses and create a storm.. realizations that no school seems able to give.. and one hearteningly rejoices in that single attempt.. that unique insight.. made possible within easy reach of the common man.. speaking his language.. lightening the heart in learning and following.. a phenomenal job in itself..

whether natural frailty of 'human' character.. or words like 'duty' becoming bigger than life itself.. or the fragility of life and love faced with fanatical beliefs.. or forgiveness and acceptance as the truest karmic solution.. or now their latest movie 'the three idiots'.. pointing out the most phenomenal need of today.. to create an educational system that 'enlightens'.. that lets our future generations 'think' instead of 'killing' their natural curiosity.. teaching by rote.. burdening tiny shoulders to the extent that they break or barely stand straight.. and if they do.. only mechanically.. professing to know exactly what a child or student needs.. like a herd of sheep.. who would blindly follow the one in front.. and not individuals with unique minds.. parents unburdening their dreams on their children.. forgetting completely whose happiness is at stake.. theirs or their child's.. why don't we stop and think about the rising stress levels and inability to cope with them.. and inculcate that into our education system.. so that our children grow into confident assured human beings.. and not a confused.. insecure.. worried and burdened generation.. with conditioned lifestyle.. thinking.. and behavior..

Two of Mr.Aamir Khan's movies, 'Taare zameen par' and '3 Idiots', gently try to shake us out of our apathy towards our 'future'.. the message more intense because of his 'sincerity' in the role.. two of Mr.Abhijat Joshi's screenplays, 'lagey raho munna bhai' and '3 Idiots' also attempt to show us the way.. Hats off to these Talent Gurus.. who prove that whatever the profession.. we can help mankind by being ourselves.. we all have something to give back.. and one should never give up trying to do so.. sincere thanks from a really grateful heart..

Buddha's Wheel of Life

2009-12-26T00:45:00.000-08:00

Heavenly Beings

Humans

Asuras

Animals

Hungry ghosts

Hell-beings

This Wheel of Life is mostly construed as one between lifetimes, but maybe it is the life we choose for ourselves.. whether divine.. humane.. demonic.. beastly.. obsessive.. or tormenting.. stages that traverse lifetimes.. till we see the way..

Buddha's 5 Precepts

2009-12-26T00:32:00.000-08:00

1. No killing

2. No stealing

3. No sexual misconduct

4. No lying

5. No intoxicants

Respect all life-forms.. the earth.. our environment.. for to kill anything is to destroy ourselves.. to steal is to deprive ourselves.. sexual misconduct undermines the belief in our own pure nature.. lying takes us away from our own truth.. and intoxicants lead us further astray from the clarity of our paths..

Buddha's Triple Jewel

2009-12-26T00:14:00.000-08:00

or the Three Refuges are Buddha, Dharma and Sangha..

Buddha is one of us who attained enlightenment, and if we are all one, then there is a 'Buddha' within us all.. he too went through lifetimes and life lessons to finally be able to look within himself deeply enough to see the way.. but even though we have all the answers within ourselves.. we need someone to guide us onto the right path.. so the first Refuge is a Master or Guru or guide..

Dharma is probably the most misunderstood word by the entire universe.. yes it means religion.. but as a means.. a path for each to follow.. so the second Refuge is the path or means or way..

Sangha are all the people who enter our lives to enable our life lessons.. so the third Refuge is every Individual in our lives.. whether friend.. teacher.. or relative..

Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path

2009-12-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

1. Right View. To see life through fresh eyes.. unbiased.. looking inwards.. perceiving the whole universe and divinity itself there..

2. Right Thought. To be able to channelize our thoughts enough to sieve through the maze.. watchful.. aware.. alert.. respecting the unique 'connection' like relay signals reaching far and wide.. affecting each one of us..

3. Right Speech. To understand how every syllable or note uttered in this universe reverberates with the music of the spheres.. affecting us all with the minutest discordant note..

4. Right Conduct. To understand no one is out there passing judgment on us except ourselves.. and no one being affected by the way we behave, except ourselves.. for if this life is our dream.. then we are the only 'reality' that getting affected by our conduct..

5. Right Livelihood. To know that whatever we do affects us.. and our livelihood determines how we feel about ourselves.. to be able to create not destroy.. for that's the path we choose for ourselves..

6. Right Effort. To understand how our Actions affect us.. to be able to help not harm.. for either way we do it to ourselves..

7. Right Mindfulness. To know how everything we do makes a difference to 'our' universe.. whether good or bad.. the total 'connected' oneness of all..

8. Right Concentration. To be able to look at our thoughts and actions.. and go deep enough to see their maze.. their fog.. their truth..

The Noble Eightfold Path is like nurturing our wisdom.. our Thoughts sown as seeds on the ground of mind.. our actions and love determining it's beauty and landscape.. weeding away our faults.. enlightenment the harvest we reap..

Buddha's Four Noble Truths

2009-12-25T22:58:00.000-08:00

1. There is Suffering Suffering here is related to life itself, and common to one and all.

2. Cause of Suffering . Since our world is in our mind.. Our own minds are the only cause of our suffering, and all it takes is the minutest shift in our thoughts and beliefs to affect our experience of it..

3. End of Suffering We need to settle our minds enough for peaceful clarity..

4. Path to end Suffering Once we are able to settle our minds enough to see.. we can 'wake up' from this dream.. without being scared anymore.. feeling the 'strength' of singular divinity absorbing the universe within us..

The Three Universal Truths

2009-12-25T22:24:00.000-08:00

1.NOTHING IS LOST IN THE UNIVERSE.

In this 'hoarding' 'grasping' race wish we could understand this inter-dependence of everything.. and how our thoughts and actions are so intrinsically enmeshed with everything around.. whether destruction, cheating, or creating, mending.. whatever we do to others, it affects us equally..

2.EVERYTHING CHANGES.

Change is the only 'constant' in our lives. So why cling.. why cry.. nothing remains the same.. neither sorrows nor joy.. neither rich nor poor.. everything lives and dies.. and lives and dies.. until we 'wake up' from this illusive reality of birth and death..

3.LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT.

The dreaded karmic cycle.. which each knows in vain.. and continue to get so tangled in conditioned lifestyles.. bickering.. boundaries.. attachments.. suffering, judging, sentencing ourselves..

According to Buddha, these are the 3 Universal Truths. 2500 years ago, one man attained enlightenment and tried to show others the way.. for each has to walk his own path.. his 'mind' determining the way.. 2500 years, and still we are clueless as to what we are doing here.. where we are going.. not even trying to even minutely change the rules of our 'conditioning'.. which just enhances the confusion more and more..

if 'attachment' is the creator of all our problems.. our societal precepts themselves need to crumble first..

catharsis

2009-11-15T04:57:00.000-08:00

every experience is unique to that moment.. determining the next step of our life.. though the way might be the same.. our perceptions define the range we see..

This is an excerpt on 'forgiveness', from a book called 'Disappearance of the Universe' based on 'A Course in Miracles'.. "The guilt I thought was in you isn't in you; it's really in me, because there's really only one of us, and you are just a figure I made up for my dream. I can forgive myself by forgiving you, and only by forgiving you, because you're symbolic of what's in my unconscious mind. If you're guilty then I'm guilty, but if you're innocent then I'm innocent'..

dealing with pain and remorse is never easy nor is there any singular antidote that helps.. our minds torment us in unique and personal ways that none can comprehend.. regret and remorse can leave twp paths in front of us.. one in which we hold on to them weighing us heavily down.. burning our very soul for lifetimes.. but neither helping us nor the incident that caused them.. till we learn to 'let go'.. and the second path realizes the impossibility of going back in time to undo all that's already happened.. understanding the necessary 'lesson' needed to be learnt.. as the only good that can result from moments already past.. in that lesson is our forgiveness.. for every moment is meant to teach.. and only our 'vanity' thinks we are unique to our mistakes.. for everyone treads the same path..

rhythmic notes

2009-11-11T04:48:00.000-08:00

isn't life another form of addiction demanding a constant 'fix' .. out
of control.. with its heady and tormenting highs and lows..waiting for
us to find the reserves of strength held within.. equipped to deal with
the painful withdrawal symptoms..

how can we not rejoice.. how can we not be shamed.. with the seamless cohesion of a thought.. defying man's audacious boundaries..

life is like a flame.. fragile.. buffeted.. secure.. protected.. fleeting and capricious....

the beauty of internet.. God's solution to the rising population with karmic confluence.. each a perpetual student.. and master.. at the same time..

music is in the 'cosmos'.. and only a 'true sentient' raptures to it's divine rhythm.. in this miasma of words.. our thoughts string an untouched melody.. where letters fade into unrecognizable rhythmic patterns.. and the heart dawns to moving perceptions

isn't our interactive presence itself a miracle.. maybe for notes that none other can recognize..

Mr.Amitabh Bachchan

2009-11-11T04:25:00.000-08:00

a long-held-back compulsion to reach out to the man within the actor.. a man who diffident joined the film industry, not just conquering it but reaching the pinnacle of stardom.. one who has seen extreme highs and lows in one lifetime.. one who held heartfelt prayers of infinite fans through his ailment.. but the most important lesson he taught us is.. the spirit with which he took every phase of life.. we did not see a broken bitter man coming back to life.. but a regally mature dignified person.. a real-life alchemist.. So Sir, I wouldn't say I am a fan of yours as only an actor.. that leaves none untouched.. but definitely admire and respect you as an exceptional human-being..

after reading your latest entry on pain and 'fronts', I could not help writing here.. can deeply empathize with your frustration with a body that could not keep up with the vigor of heart and mind.. the compulsive fronts needed guided by quicksilver norms.. and I only wished for you to know you are truly loved and admired as Mr.Amitabh Bachchan the person shining unequivocally through the star..

as for acting and fronts.. in this life aren't we all mere actors trying to 'look good' all the time.. masters of our own Destiny we still let others pull our strings.. hope you feel better soon.. please don't rue the body.. a mirage within a mirage.. celebrate the enduring spirit within.. for you Sir, have truly realized your role in this lifetime.. a treasure-chest of invaluable lessons pervading your soul.. and by example, many more..

Karmic wheel

2009-10-23T01:31:00.000-07:00

Myriad realities unsettling swim through our minds.. burdening our children with our legacy of vengeance.. molding their natures and thus lives as per our response to them.. love translating to the 'self' and thus leaving 'less' as a residual wake.. the import of 'I' in pre-written paths blinding enough to lose our sight, easily buffeted through winds of time.. a moment.. the present moment.. our only truth.. the truest choice we can make.. unburdenend by woes of the past and worries of the the future.. an exquisite freedom to live.. erasing all the 'meanings' we have put there ourselves.. for it is those meaning that move the karmic wheel of our lives..

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's Palace of Illusions

2009-10-23T01:29:00.000-07:00

Historic tales become adventurously wondrous paths that 'reach home' to all.. hiding tiny impressions that help us enjoy the 'way'.. subtly honing awareness towards the 'choices' we make.. Ms.Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions is one such sensitive and insightful attempt to capture the hidden nuances of karmic cycles unfolding in fatalistic ways towards paths of our choices.. we are indeed grateful to her for bringing alive the major characters of Mahabharata, an epic tale hard to understand or decipher.. mostly remembered for it's 'Gita' Path or the 'War of Kurukshetra'.. yet through just one character Draupadi.. that too a woman from a story that focuses on 100 Kauravas and 5 Pandava sons.. she helps us empathize with life and humanity.. enmeshing her tale on the canvas of reality..

Unique & Interesting Links

2009-09-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

These are some of the Links I Stumbled Upon.. intriguing.. fun.. informative.. intensive.. happy clicking..

The Virtual Numerologist

New Movie Previews

The Book Seer

Time Zone Map

Are you Prepared

A Course in Miracles

2009-09-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

For a long time I have waited for just one person who would believe in truth enough not just to write and sell.. but to actually let it reach the masses for free too.. believed enough to do so.. A Course in Miracles

Forgiveness - the new 'F'word

2009-09-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

at present am reading The Disappearance of the Universe by Gary Renard.. too early to start a discussion yet.. all I can say right now is the world today, with technology.. education.. easy connectivity.. logical reasoning and questioning.. etc.. needs and in some cases desperately seeks answers to a world.. life.. seemingly gone meaningless.. unable to justify pain.. murders.. wars.. a God turning to stone maybe.. replays of life holding such deep fervor only to turn to dust.. so at such a time when our scriptures.. with their myriad translations losing the pure essence of meaning.. difficult to access.. decipher or understand.. for the masses.. it becomes imperative that alternative thought processes.. belief systems.. or ideologies crop up to furnish that need.. and this is an attempt towards that..

Is the world a universal dream of collective consciousness.. with God waiting patiently for us to wake up..

If God made man with a mind capable of forming this world.. like a computer processing everything and only giving back all that's fed in.. and a heart that seeks to hear him.. feel him.. re-unite with him.. then only we can feed in the right data to make our world a better place.. and only we can have enough faith to recognize our own divinity..

strangely striving to build the very universe we need to recognize as a mirage.. parched.. disillusioned.. scared.. daring.. hopeful.. seeking.. the oasis that is 'US' all along..

Is the moment of 'prayer' the truest expression of ourselves.. the only time we 'believe'.. recognize.. reach.. touch.. our own truth.. the deeper the faith.. the easier the outcome..

Who were Jesus.. Buddha.. Mahavira.. Sai baba.. if not one of us.. and what message did they leave behind.. was it a 'mantra' or 'key' unlocking all the mysteries of the Universe.. or peace.. understanding and forgiveness.. towards all of humanity.. does that make us all equal.. divine.. our visions impaired in differing ways..

face-off

2009-09-07T00:51:00.000-07:00

In the televised 'face off' between Mr.Salman Khan and TOI.. one thing that came out real strong was the pain media could cause to our families.. even though the journalistic panel would not accept the onus towards the outcome of their articles, Mr.Khan aired very valid constraints towards the responsibilities of the media.. and the power of the pen..

Yes, they need to 'report'.. yes we can't do without them because they are the ones that bring the world home to us.. Mr.Khan raised a question seriously pertinent to the media of today.. is it a personal vendetta.. no, of course not.. is it about perks per article.. no of course it isn't.. is it about internal competition.. (hesitant) nothing like that.. then what is it.. external competition.. targets.. a legal destruction.. an eye-opener that has turned into a wink..

One lady journalist did accept the feeling of satisfaction at 'nailing' someone.. that was honest.. and nothing wrong with it.. for we all need work-satisfaction.. and we all have our jobs to do.. whether it is at a hanging or electric chair.. sweeping toilets or cleaning drains.. but what of the 'responsibility' for our actions.. where we CAN make a difference..

My name is Khan

2009-08-19T03:55:00.000-07:00

what a huge story.. Mr.Shahrukh Khan detained at Newark Airport.. but what is this hue and cry all about.. because Mr.Shahrukh Khan was detained? and what does that say.. how many actors and actresses are travelling to the U.S for some or the other film shoot from all over the world.. and only one is detained.. because 'this' name happened to come up on their computer alert list.. for a person who is about to release a movie about racial discrimination, I think we should let the movie speak for itself.. rather than 'fan' all this reactive backlash..

If the Authorities are doing their job well who benefits.. and if they don't.. who does.. the very people with the 'loudest' voice against anything seem to be profiting with that particular 'note'.. every issue gains weight in someone's pocket.. even something like the swine flu.. the very papers reporting about the laws against brands advertising their sales continued to print both side by side.. if one begs on the side of monetary gain.. then what of moral duty at some point.. do the lines blur or erase completely.. by the time you elevate enough to be seen and heard..

The Catcher in the Rye

2009-08-06T22:54:00.000-07:00

what a sad world it would be if our children 'missed' the innocence of life.. needing to become a 'catcher in the rye'..

An unsettling view of the adult world through the eyes of a teenager.. a classic example of the chaotic confusion in the mind of children who are expected to blindly accept and follow the norms of their time.. children who are expected to 'think' for themselves, and yet taught by rote.. children who excel at curricular and co-curricular activities winning a 'slot' of acceptance and commendation, but children who don't - feeling the 'alienation' of being 'different'..

giving vivid incidents Mr.Salinger, author of the book The Catcher in the Rye brilliantly portrays the traumatic impact of pigeonholing beliefs and singular judgmental treatment imprinted on children, who should be treated as individuals as per their own unique needs and perceptions.. the vivid curiosity of a child who flunks in four subjects, feels alienated from the rest of the world.. confused and unwilling to understand anything deeply, scared to find nothing there.. he would rather escape into a limbo..

A child who can be stamped as a 'loser' because he is a failure who has been expelled from school and on the verge of running away from home.. portrays deep underlying respect for his teachers.. who lecture him on his 'future' and all he can see is a sick old man, barely able to take care of himself.. and a 'closet gay'..

feeling his own 'uniqueness' and thus the resultant 'alienation'.. he keeps asking people where the ducks go in winter when the lake freezes over.. an answer that none seems to be able to provide.. reflective of all the 'simple' things around us that remain a mystery even as we are taught the mysteries of the universe..

as Salinger shows in the visit to the Museum where the child loves the unchanging figures there.. as if freeze-framed for eternity.. portraying his essential need to 'trust' in the elders in his life.. in their recognizable 'constancy'.. as against his younger sister, who is refreshingly and utterly 'honest' in her reactions..

maybe now it is easier to understand why we all yearn for the innocence of childhood.. mostly without exception.. most of us unable or unwilling to touch life at a deeper level.. cynical.. confused.. lonely.. needing to find ourselves.. is this about innocence.. or life.. waiting to be unveiled..

in this chiaroscuro of a child.. honest.. respectful.. intelligent.. curious.. friendly.. loving.. or failing his exams.. wish more of us could perceive all the necessary hues.. and not just the darkest shades..

Ashok Banker's Epic Undertaking

2009-07-28T00:42:00.000-07:00

It IS an Epic Undertaking, one that demands keen insight sieving through the herculean task of accessing.. grasping.. sifting.. breathing fresh life into mythical tales that few get to read.. yet retaining their 'soul'.. their essential values unobtrusively enmeshed as a 'lifestyle' within the folds of time.. aspects of characteristics coming alive in quiet reflections of ourselves..

Thank you MR.ASHOK BANKER.. for this thought.. for this effort.. for this medium.. to be able to coalesce differing versions over time into a concise coherent creation.. comprehensive.. inriguing.. a seamless confluence of culture and language.. the unsurpassable hurdle between every religious book in any civilization and the masses..