Awareness

Often we discuss this, my husband and myself. People who steal, people who cheat, people who harm others, basically people who live bad deeds. Don't they have a conscience? Doesn't it bother them.....talk to them...ask them....what are you doing? They definitely must have a conscience. But the way the choose to deal with it might vary.

People simply have their ways of dealing with the good and the bad in terms of their own actions. 

Many out there, do wrong deeds. They know very well what they are doing and yet they are not worried about the consequences.

Some others do wrong deeds knowing very well what they doing, but they do it because there is no choice or atleast thats what they feel at that time. Victim to life's circumstances.

And then there are some who do wrong things, unfortunately not knowing what they are doing and now worrying about the consequences or not concerned about the consequences. 

My spouse and myself, we often discuss this in context of our own actions. Taking ownership. The good and bad, the good makes us happy. The bad (yes, we are all human beings and some times do things which we feel guilty about later) we discuss and make the required corrections. Often we think....atleast we are aware of our actions. We take time out to talk about them and rectify them.....many people don't. Because they think that time is too precious to be wasted thinking about actions. Time has to be utilized to make money, become successful, enjoy life eat good food, drink good wine....travel....do everything, but not waste time owning one's own actions. Good luck to them too! 

Awareness is like a ray of light in a dark room. It illuminates things around you and makes you see everything clearly. The beautiful and the ugly. Those who are aware, are fortunate. Few are blessed with awareness. Awareness is conscience. It is your connect with god. Awareness is god's will working through you.  

God, Life and Death

God

Each one of us has a very personal impression/feeling/understanding and connect with God. No two people have the same image of God. Based on our life and learning, we customize our impression of God giving him qualities, shape and form. Each one of us has our own personal God. When it comes to talking about God and his existence, we human beings are like the Seven blind men, touching and feeling an Elephant. Nothing is reality, everything is almost a perception. This is quite contradictory. If God is present everywhere, how can one capture his impression and store him in our memory? This is because human being experience life through our sense organs. And everything has to be captured through the sense organs in stored in our brain/memory. And it is a common fact that different people store images differently in their brain. Hence my idea of a personalized God.
 
Excuse me saying so, but there are many who have no connect with God and would care less about his existence. God bless them too!!

For me God is very important and integral part of my existence and what I am. Like I have stated about, God is one side of the Triangle of my life. How do I relate with God? Does God have a Shape, a Form, a Colour, a Dimension? May be. May be not. I don't know. And care less about. The most important aspect of my relationship with God is that God is someone I talk to very often and share all my thoughts with. Challenges and issues of my life which I might not want to share with anyone else. In a way I talk to God and discuss with him what is happening in my life and seek solutions from him. I often talk to God. And yes, the beauty of this relationship is such that God talks back to me. God listens to me patiently and answers all my queries and concerns.  So in a way God is my Friend/Brother and confider.

During turbulent times when things are not going right and I am low, worried and have given up, I seek motivation, wisdom and support from God. Till date he has never failed me. God guides me and ensures I get all the required resources and support. So In a way God is like my Parents (Father/Mother). Always there for me and encouraging me. Looking at me but not interfering until I seek help. His hand is always there on me. To hold me anytime that I may fall. Like my Parents.

There are times when I feel alienated, unloved and lonely. This mainly happens due to my own attitude and negativity. When I hurt those around me and they turn against me, I feel lonely and unhappy. These are the times when I love God the most and he in turn loves me and forgives me. So I share a loving relationship with God. I love God and he in turn loves me. Just the way I love my Husband and my Son.

There are times when I want to connect with my inner self. Such as this time when I am penning my blog. He glides me through and helps me find my higher self. My inner self. He guides me to himself. To God. God helps me find the God within myself. So in a way God is my Teacher/Guru. He helps me find the purpose of my existence. He helps me tune in with nature. God helps me find God! God helps me find God in others.

For me, God is all around me and his reflection I see in all my relationships. This way there is no special occasion when I look for God. There is no special ritual required to be performed to meet him and see him and feel him. There is no special place I have to visit to feel God and sense his presence. My relationship with God/ Experiencing God is Free of/Independent of Festivals/Rituals/Offerings/Days/Months.

All through my life and various stages of life, my relationship with God keeps changing. In turn God too keeps changing his shapes and forms. I see him as my Parents when I am sick and down, I see him as my Husband/Son when I seek love, I see him as a Friend when I seek caring and advice, I see him as a Teacher/Guru when I want to find myself.

God is within me/us, So God is like me/us as he created me/us in his image. But we are his image only when we shed our negative attributes which harm other beings and think about the good of the World and all the beings in the World. Of which we are capable. 

My learning through my faith in God has been and I am sharing it here....don't wait to be told when to reach out to God, where to reach out to God and how to reach out to God. Where anger and hatred ends, where selfishness and materialism ends, where lies and dishonesty ends, where human knowledge ends...God is that starting point. From there on till infinity. 
 
Like I had read somewhere and strongly believe in it, " At the end of life and in death, it is between me and God."

Violence in Kashmir, what an Indian is feeling right now.

Kashmir is fast becoming a state of concern not only for the Government and security forces, but for the common Indian too. When there is disturbance in a house, all the members in the family get affected. What one sees on the Television, images of angry people in the valley out on the streets, shouting anti-India slogans is disturbing. Why have people in valley given up their day to day life, livelihood and are so methodically singing this tune of "Freedom"?

Kashmiri's were always known for their friendly and gentle nature. Mainly because for a long time tourism has been the main source of income for these beautiful and friendly people. Images of the beautiful Dal Lake and Shikara's, Flowers and Apples, Snow covered mountains, hot Kahwa, and beautiful women singing folk songs, where has all that beauty gone? Kashmir and its beauty has been immortalized in the Hindi Cinema so often. Where has the heaven on earth called Kashmir gone? How did we loose that state?

Suddenly when I see anger and hatred on the faces of people in the valley, it comes as a surprise and angers me too. Why are they doing this? The degree of damage the Kashmiri's are causing to their state (yes, they are a state and a part of Indian Republic how much ever they dare to deny or what so ever name Pakistan/China/US wants to name them) will take many many years of hard work to undo.  Yes, may be people who are not living in Kashmir don't understand their problems. But then there is always scope for a dialogue.

To Indians living outside Kashmir it is very evident, that the people of Kashmir are innocent and gullible. They are being mislead by their own local self proclaimed leaders and those across the border.

War and anger has caused the collapse of so many nations worldwide. Afghanistan is struggling, Nepal is struggling, Sri Lank is at an internal war. What will the Kashmiri's gain from this bloodshed and freedom? Freedom from what? From your motherland? freedom to do what? And become what? Who knows Kashmir and what will happen to an independent Kashmir. It will be a matter of time before it is gobbled up by the Dragon or taken over by the Afghan Taliban. Kashmir is safe as long as it is under the protection of the vast Indian state and a strong capable Indian army. Why don't the people of Kashmir understand this. Or is it that they have been completely blinded and brain washed to the extent that they cant see the danger in independence?

Also, all this bloodshed and fighting. Who is benefiting if any one. None. Indian government is loosing out huge sum of money each year in peace keeping. And the people who are loosing out the most are the Kashmiri's themselves. They are loosing their lives, near and dear one's, they are loosing their reputation, they are loosing their livelihood and most important they are loosing trust and respect as a state from rest of India.Give it some more time and if they continue this anti-India campaign, Rest of India too will loose its patience with Kashmir.

It is but evident that Kashmir is a political issue (If anyone knows what are the issues) which needs a political solution. What are the issues and what is the solution, only the ruling government can decide. Common man in the valley must/should stay out of this and concentrate on getting his life back to normal.  People of Kashmir must revert back to their true nature, which is friendly and gentle. Please stop throwing stones and shouting anti-national slogans. Cooperate with the security forces to bring peace back to the valley instead of competing and fighting with the armed forces. Your victory lies in peace and amicable relationship with India.Indian/ Indian government/Indian security forces does not wish to kill Kashmiri youth. A nation that practices the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, opening fore on its own brethren does not happen easy. Keeping peace in Kashmir is fast becoming a head ace for the armed forces. Their Jawans too are getting killed. And for what? Protecting a state which is Indian and belongs to India.

Kashmir is India and will always remain so. Dialogue can happen in this periphery. Leave the neighbors out of this. It is our internal matter and others have NO say in this.

God created heaven on this earth and gifted it to the people of Kashmir. Please, if you have faith in god and respect for god, preserve his heaven and don't turn it into hell. People of Kashmir, keep peace and be happy. God bless you all.

People steal from God and yet they get away.

One piece of News which caught my attention recently was a huge scandal at the Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh. Something to do with Lord's Ornaments. The Gold one's have been replaced with artificial Ornaments is what the News claims. All those who heard the new were surprised. So am I. Stealing from or cheating another Human being, accepted. But stealing from God. Cheating god! How can a man's conscience permit this?

Interestingly, stealing from Temples' or thefts in Temple/Other Holy places is nothing new to mankind. In the past too there have been many cases of thefts in Temple/Church/Other Holy Places. Precious jewelry/Ornaments/Cash and sometimes Lord's Idol's too have been stolen. Corrutpion is rampant in many of these Religious institutions. 

But the question is, how do these people get away? Why doesn't God appear before them and stop them from doing so?
 
Actually the answer too is very simple.

From times unkown thousands of Saints/Rishi's have spent like years in Sadhana/ doing Hath Yoga for glimpse of God.....no success. And here we expect God to appear before and punish some culprits for say 1/2 kg of Gold or some thousands of Rupees?

All the Wealth, Precious Metals/Stones/ all are his creation.....this Earth is his creation which he has gifted to mankind. His creation might change hands....from one man to another. They Gold/Stones/ Wealth might change hands...but the ownership does not change. He is the supreme Lord of all the Wealth in the World. He is the supreme owner of all the Wealth in the Universe....God knows this...and so he is generous...Honestly what do a few thousand Rupees or some Gold matter to God?

God is not possessive.....God is not vindictive.....God does not punish.....and so God lets them get away with the theft.....

How do we define progress?

Mani Mahesh Temple, Chaurasi Mandir, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh

My recent trip to Himachal Pradesh was indeed a soul refreshing experience. Living near the Sea, is one kind of an experience. And living on the mountains a totally different experience. Mumbai is a coastal city and I have lived here all my life. Mumbai as all know, is a densely populated city. The city is choking with traffic. Speed is the essence of life in this city. There are advantages too I must say. It is a very convenient city, most amenities are simply a stone's throw away from where I live. Shopping, Entertainment, Medical facilities and Banking services which are essential for city life. With more and more services reaching my door step, almost everything is just a phone call away. Grocery, food, medicine, laundry almost everything reaches my house without much effort and off-course at a price.

During one of our sight seeing expeditions in Himachal Pradesh, we happen to visit a place called Bharmour. It is a quaint little village up the mountains known for its Temple Complex called "Chaurasi Mandir" (84 Temple complex). 
 

Road to Bharmour from Chamba runs parallel to River Beas.

The road to Bharmour is very tricky and difficult. It is narrow, rough and there is just enough space for just one vehicle to pass at a time. In case a vehicle comes from the opposite side, the driver uses all his skills and backs untill he finds a little cove in the rocks to side the car. Flanked by high rocky mountains on one side and swiftly flowing River Beas on the other side, death is sometimes just 3-4 inches away from the Car. Smallest error on part of the driver can cause a serious accident. The road is mostly isolated except for an occasisonal house up the mountains. Very few and far.

Sitting in an Air Conditioned imported Car, driven by a highly skilled and trained driver, as a city person not used to the mountain roads, we feared the road.

After a drive of about 5 hours from Chamba city, we reached Bharmour at about 4.00 pm. It is a small town, high up the mountains at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet. Life at the Chaurasi Temple Complex went about as usual, unmoved and unaffected by the altitude or long distance from any of the so called city. There is a local school in the Temple complex and small children were doing PT in an open air class. In the back drop of Himalayas, their teacher sat on a wooden table busy reading a newspaper!

Objects of my envy...simple villagers at the Mani Mahesh Temple

One of the sights which caught my attention and stayed in my mind was a group of 5-6 middle aged/old men. they were sitting in a small circle, casually talking to each other.

Those men were local villagers, apparently passing time since there wasn't much to do around. It was a rainy day and the weather was pleasant. High mountains surrounding the village were partially covered with dense clouds reducing visibility. Everything around was covered in the monsoon greenery....there was a pleasant cool breeze....

At that moment I envied those men more than anyone else.....such serene life....fresh air and ample greenery....high up the Himalaya's.....they sat....busy in their own small talk....discussing the outside world.....

Made me reflect back at city life, my own life and that of my near and dear one's and millions of people living in these cement and concrete jungles...is this progress....the filth and the crowd.....diseases and pollution....work pressure and materialism....no time for peace and quite..tranquility...spirituality....Is this what the modern man calls progress?

Dhauladhar Range.

They say a trip to Himalayas' is a spiritual journey. I agree with this thought. Himalayas is a humbling experience. It is as much a journey within yourslef as much a trip to the divine mountains.

Life back in the city feels dull and wasted. Envy those villagers living up the Himalayas....agreed life for them is tough and very harsh...and yet they are very fortunate...to be living so close to nature....nature is a part of their life.....lucky lucky people...untouched by progress...makes me think once again...what is progress? and what have we gained as a result of this progress?

Living on the edge

Aeroplanes, Cars, Bikes, Trains....all are getting faster and faster....covering greater distances in shorter times. Communication is getting faster....internet....mobile devices...television....news travels faster.....nations want to grow faster...more production...more revenues...individuals want to grow faster..career...money...."faster"....is the modern day mantra driving humanity and all its goals!

Thoughts are getting faster....quicker decisions...quicker....solutions....faster technology....faster production....

As a result faster global warming...animals...plants....birds and fishes also getting extinct faster! Glaciers melting down faster...rivers drying up faster...forest fires spreading faster...

Well now if mankind wants things to happen faster, why are we surprised if nature is cooperating!!!!

Humanity wants to cover more and more in the short life span....with everything happening faster...somewhere life too is getting shorter.....while statistics claim that life expectancy is increasing....we all feel the pressure that life is passing by too soon and time is passing by too fast.

Any guess why we are living on the edge? Driving ourselves towards extinction....

River

River's inspire me....though I have never lived near a River. For that matter being a city (Mumbai) born and brought up person, I haven't even seen or experienced a River at close. Herman Hesse (who is one of my favorite authors) in "Siddhartha" draws life's parallels from a River. Many writers and poets have been inspired by Rivers having repeatedly captured various moods of a River through prose and poetry.

What does the River teach us......that the true nature of life is to move on...move forward....and only forward...a River never goes back....it travels only in the forward direction... thats what makes it a River and different from a Lake/Pond/Sea/Ocean.

Each day I ask this question to myself...."Am I where I was yesterday or have I moved forward in life today?"

And trust me...in this simple question I find the solution/answers to all my life's challenges. Answering this simple question has made me more decisive and as a result more happy person. Not for me to get stuck in one place in life. Move forward decisively....Be it illness, health wealth issues, relationship or career....life is about moving forward. Imagine if the River one day feels that .."oh!!! this Mountain base is lovey and I am very comfortable here...so let me not move forward. I want to stay here till eternity because I am happy here....."

Old saying....stagnant water stinks. And so it is with life.....staying in one place...life gets into a rut. By staying in one place I dont necessarily mean physically living in one place. It could be staying stuck with a thought, a problem, a moment of anger or hatred.....Don't linger too long in happy moments...similarly don't carry on unhappiness for too long...move on......moving on.....like the flow of a River....joyful....clean and cool.....bubbly....fresh....surmounting and crossing all blocks and challenges happily....eagerly awaiting to meet its end....the Ocean. Not loosing its true character...the character of a River....That is life.

Moving forward each day......covering some distance!How much distance is covered does not matter...but moving forward matters.