Paradox

On one hand we keep telling ourselves and others too, life is so short. We all have limited time here. Do as much as you can. Don't waste time. Time is money......it never comes back....success...fame....money....so much to work for...so much to do...so run.... run.... run....


".....Miles to go before I sleep...."

On the other hand....there is something inside us that tells us...slow down....slow down.....stay in this moment...savour it...for you know, what is going will never come back....watch the smile on your child's face....feel the breeze on your skin...take slightly longer to eat that breakfast your wife has cooked so lovingly....smile more often....


"...What is this life full of care, we do not have time to stand and stare...."

Isn't it a paradox....do so much more and rush through life or enjoy each moment and not bother about how much you do? Running vs/ a leisurely stroll...

Distorted reality

It has been a gradual process of erosion of values. Collectively across the World. Not one nation is untouched or immune to this erosion. Some to a greater extent and some to a lesser extent. While religions (here I mean religious leaders) continue to claim supremacy,"....my religion is better and superior to others!", they too remain under this viral attack of moral degradation. All societies across the world are facing this acute pressure of fading moral values. Quoting myself again, in some cases slightly lesser and in many cases more.

When it comes to a society collectively, what is right and what is wrong, I am confused as much are many people around. Any fact can be twisted and presented in any way as the presenter likes. Once again I am referring to any matter/issue which is of collective importance to a society or nation or community at large. At a personal level things are more or less under control.

For example this entire campaign against corruption drive by Mr Anna Hazare. He started it with a very clean intent, however as time goes, his team members are caught in controversies, his own intent has come under the scanner and now it is a ego clash sorts between him and ruling party. Honestly as an Indian, I really don't know and under stand who is right and who is wrong. This entire thing is now more driven through sentiments rather than facts. Now this sort of blurring of the dividing line between right and wrong is what I am referring to.

Another case which made me sit and think about this subject is the recent decision of the government to allow FDI in Retail. On one hand veteran finance experts (Dr Manmohan Singh being one of the foremost) and Industry believe it is in the good of the nation; there are many (mainly traders and opposition parties) who believe it is going to harm the nation and the farmer. Once again, what is right and what is wrong is blurred.

One of the reasons this could be happening is because of too much information availability and all the information available is not accurate or complete or even factual.

In today's time, our source of information and awareness is through various electronic medium such as TV, Radio, and off-course Internet. Imagine what are the consequences? Millions of people around the world fed on inaccurate or distorted reality!!! Impressions, Opinions and views are being formed, quoted, reacted based upon information which is not 100% accurate, is manipulated!

Well honestly, no doubt that our sense of right or wrong is getting blurred day by day. If the glasses through which most of us view the world around us are foggy, reality gets distorted leaving the wearer disoriented. Thats what we are today. Lost because the reality does not seem like reality any more.

And this applies to all aspects of life. Be it religion, moral conduct, life and various aspects of life and society at large. Reality is manipulated all around....the right being presented as wrong and vice versa.

So is wearing blinkers the answer? Are we more protected by minimizing information flow as in certain nations (such as China)>>>>>> I am not sure! May be we must all learn to trust our instinct and unlearn to trust what we read/hear and see on the TV/Radio/Internet. Instinct is the best natural navigation in life. There are better chances of seeing reality as it is driven by instinct.

Form opinions/views/reactions based upon personal experiences rather what has been said/quoted/printed/shown....

Strive for this 'State'!!!!

This fight for a new 'State', one which is your own, one which has people speaking similar language, one which shares a similar culture..etc etc etc... I have grown up watching these struggles all across the nation. So have many of you out there. But the question remains. Is it all really worth it? Holding the nation ransom by stopping Trains and Buses, burning national property, stopping business and thus hampering economic progress, such nuisance!!!!

These people who are out there fighting for s separate state (now it is Telangana and earlier there have been others too- Uttarakhand, Jharkand, Gorkhaland etc etc...). Why aren't these people just happy just being Indians. In todays dynamic economic environment, individuals travel across the nation to earn a livelihood and many go abroad too. Just when the boundaries are opening up exciting opportunities, why are a handful of people wanting to confine themselves to a smaller geography? Isn't this all for some vested interest?

To me it just does not make sense. This struggle and violence all because they want a separate state which they can call it as their own! My ancestors have originated from Rajasthan, so I belong to Rajasthan and I am very proud of it. I am born and brought up in Mumbai (Maharashtra). Everything I am is because of my roots in Maharashtra. I totally identify with the Marathi culture. I am married into a Benagali family from Kolkatta and I am very proud of that. I love the rich culture and amazing cuisine of Bengal. Last but not the least, we are now living in Karnataka (Bangalore) since my husband has taken up a job here!

I am connected closely with four states of India and I like all of them and I am proud of all of them. So where do I belong or do I belong anywhere at all? And does it matter? No to me atleast. Well I simply belong to India. Having experienced so many different states, I have realized that the only 'State' which matters....is a 'Happy State' of MIND! So work hard and strive for this 'State'. Spread happiness and peace and bring more and more people into this 'State'...no other 'State' matters. Think about it.

True meaning of death

1. Every moment of time that passes away when we are alive, is a death of sorts. The second, that life and that experience dies. Never to come back again. So in a way we die each second. Little by little.

2. Is this life true life or is it a dream? So when we die, we just wake up into our true life and being. That to me is life after death. And not re-birth.

3. Death takes us away into a 4th dimension of existence. Away from life, time and space. Where and which? No idea.

4. The beauty of life is death. It is a glorious ending to a glorious life. All the life's hard work and rewards come to us when we die. For the kind of death is a reflection of the kind of life we have lived. Infact we all work hard and save hard. Not for our old age, but for a decent death. No one wants to die of illness and as a destitute on the streets!

5. All good things come to an end. They are good because they end. So it is with life. Imagine a life that went on and on and on untill eternity. The world would be a dead house and life would be infinite times more miserable than when it is after some near or dear one dies. Coping with death is far easier than it would have been coping with being immortal and living for ever and ever.

6. Death is the gate that leads you to God. It is the only point where we can be one with God. So be happy and excited and look forward to this appointment with God the creator. When it happens? Only he knows what date and time he has blocked in his diary for each one of us. But this appointment is confirmed and certain.

7. Last thought- kind of fear to talk about death. Bad luck befalls those who talk about death. Rubbish. It is only the courageous and fearless who have a clean soul and heart who talk about death.

8. So. Live happy, live healthy. live long.

9. You have only one life. So cherish it.

Harmony with outside world

I have realized that when ever I am disturbed/unhappy; it is usually after an argument/fight/difference with someone. It could be just any one. A stranger on the road, a waiter in the Hotel, my husband or simply anyone. After the flow of angry words, instead of feeling good and satisfied that I gave him/her back, I end up feeling miserable. Those angry words hurt me as much later as they probably hurt the other person. Makes me realize that it is important for me to have a harmonious relationship with those around me, in order to be happy with myself. Cultivating harmony around oneself is as important as having peace within. To illustrate my realization, a person who picks up fights and arguments with others at the drop of hat, or uses harsh words to make others unhappy; usually ends up being unhappy from inside. It is a cause and effect relationship.

Internal peace is difficult to attain when there is dislike and anger around. So it matters that we create harmony around us too. With Nature, God, fellow beings and animals too.   

On the other had, people who make others comfortable, try to hard to create peace and harmony around them and in their relationships are more satisfied inside. When I make up with some one after a fight or an argument; the peacemaking process first happens within myself and then extends to the outside world.

It works in reverse too. People who are at peace within self usually have harmony around them.  The choice is yours to make. Peace within self and then extend it outside or create harmony outside and then come to peace within yourself. But it is easier to manage self first and then attempt to manage many people outside. So may be it makes more sense to find peace and be at peace with self and then gradually extend it to the outside world.

Who is the Hero and who is the Villain?

This was almost like a scene straight out of a Hindi Movie. The Big, strong, all good  American Army chases a bad bad villain Osama Bin Laden and then kills him. All is well that ends well. But is it? Is all well post Osama Bin Laden Killing at the hands of America? Not really. Whom are we fooling. In the first place what I fail to understand is the so strong motivation that America has shown in finding and killing Bin laden. Ten years of hard work, focus and more than 3 trillion dollars in cost. Why was America soooo keen to find him and kill him? Why was the mighty America scared of Osama Bin Laden? Despite boosting of the strongest Military in the World, Osama Bin Laden had shaken America's confidence in their safety and security standards. By striking right in the heartland of America and causing panic amongst the American's, Bin Laden had proven to the World and more so to America; your citizens are as vulnerable to death as people in a poor nation like Pakistan. Osama's terrorist attacks on America was a big big dent in the American pride. The pride had to be restored. And so Bin Laden had to be killed by the heroic American Military. To prove to the world, look no one else could have done it. We are America. The mighty super power in the World. Only we could do it! Well that's all there is to this chase and kill story. And so dear O (b) ama.....I am not impressed with the heroics of America. Guys, the world would have appreciated you more had this 3 trillion dollar been spent on research for cancer, Aids and other killer diseases striking the developing nations. Honestly other than you Mr. O (b) ama, no one cares a damn if Mr. O (s) ama is dead or alive!!!!!!

My relationship with God

"Does God exist?". Someone recently started a discussion this 'Times Of India' site called www.speakingree.in

Just reading the question angered me and amused me. In this quest of God and his existence, a common man became Buddha, years of hunger and meditation, people became mystics and took upto the Himalayas never to come back again. Someone out there hopes to find God/ ascertain his existence by an internet discussion!!!!! It is a silly question and deserves not to be talked about. It is like asking me, does your mother exist? How could I have possibly come into this world without my mother giving birth to me. How can mankind/all beings on this earth take birth and come into existence without our supreme mother/father-God.

More important than discussing "Does god exist?", it is important to introspect and ask yourself. "What does god mean to me?". And the answer lies in that. Each of our experience of god varies. It is as unique as a finger print. Just as no 2 human beings carry the same design of a finger print, so is the case with our belief of god. If I believe in God truly and devoutly, than it just does not matter to me whether rest of the world does or not. From my belief perspective this discussion is not worth of an involvement. Now coming to the question of his existence, if someone (who does not believe in God/or a divine power beyond human comprehension) can answer my few simple questions, I too will agree and start believing that god does not exist.

1) How and when was the universe created?
2) What is the dimension of this universe? You know the length, depth etc.
3) How many celestial bodies are there in the universe?
4) How do these celestial bodies (which are actually huge and weigh many many trillions of tons) remain freely suspended in the universal vacuum or space as we call it?

If someone can answer all these questions for me, I salute his/belief and agree there is no god and all this is just plain western science.

But if no one on this earth can answer my questions, than kindly retract the question. GOD IS THE SUPREME POWER/AUTHORITY/Beyond our limited human acquired knowledge. You man choose to call this authority by any name/gender/ alpha/beta.It does not matter! Don't debate his existence and ruin your chances of finding true divine happiness. Believe and let him guide you towards him.

God is my silent friend and well wisher. I speak to him about everything that is there inside me, I seek his guidance when I am at crossroads in life, I ask him for his for help when everything else fails, I ask him for his love and solace when unhappy and sad and so much more. My relationship with God is very special and unique. It defines me the person.

Further, people often engage God and his existence in trivia. My sorrow, my karma, my happiness or sadness, my plight or success...and as a result start thinking of/ about God in a human context, at a human scale and in the known human dimensions.

Only a soul in the dark, unawakened can ask this question, "Does God exist?". For the light of God has not yet touched his soul. In a dark room, when we light a candle, initially nothing is visible. But as the light increases all the objects become clearer. The light is self knowledge and awareness is required for God to be visible.

Living in this moment.

Other than the metabolic functions, the only other ever changing, living being inside us is our thoughts. Life is a manifestation of our thoughts. Thoughts change every moment. From one thought to another. Just the way the time goes, from one to another. We have no control on the moment we live. How many, no one knows. Similar, we have no control on the thought that comes in our mind. We can only live and experience one moment a time. Similarly, there can be only one thought at a time in our life. At this moment I am thinking of food. Or at this moment I am planning my next act. Or I am very happy at this moment......Cherish the moment for it only goes never to come back again. Cherish the thought, for it is fleeting. Won't come back again.Live the moment. Live the thought.

Glass is half full or half empty

This is my personal theory. No scientific backing please! They way people look at a glass of water which is half full and half empty, reflects on the way they look at their own life and what they have in life. Something so simple, yet has vast ramifications on our thought process.

When someone looks at a glass of water, a wave of though comes to his/her mind is, "Oh! It is half empty." Such people usually tend to think more about the emptiness of their own life. They spend more time thinking about things which are not there in their life. Things which they want but are missing from their life. Emptiness. You see emptiness, you think emptiness, you feel emptiness and you live emptiness.

While on the other hand, when a person looks at a glass of water and the first reaction is, "Ah! the Glass is almost have full." Such people tend to think more about what they have in their life and the overall fullness of their life.You see fullness, you think fullness, you feel fullness and you live fullness.

Most of us tend to think more about emptiness. What is not there but could have been there. And in the process forget to enjoy the half full glass as well......the joy that awaits us in the half full glass.

P.S: On a lighter note this theory is not applicable when the Glass in question is filled with Beer/Alcohol/Spirits/Wine etc....then the only outlook to life is Cheers!!!!

What my baby has taught me...

They say, "A child is the father of mankind", and it is so true. Contrary to what I believed earlier, it is my little son who is teaching me so many new things about life, and the process is on going. Like he has taught me how to smile carefree. And how anger has no meaning in a child's world. He learns things so easily with such enthusiasm. My son has taught me how innocent and pure a babies love is for his mother. To him it simply does not matter if I am old or young, beautiful or ugly, fat or thin, good or evil, educated or illiterate. My little baby accepts me and loves me just for what I am....My most profound and wonderful realizations and learning have not come from books or school and college...but from little baby...my baby has taken me back in time to the origin of life....when god creates life, it is all very uncomplicated. Like we buy a new computer and it comes with some basic applications to run smoothly. The wise men then down load many many more applications on the computer and clutter it and make the machine slower to work on......as we grow we complicate god's machinery, making life miserable for ourselves and for those around us...I wish we all could retain our child like qualities as we grow. The innocence, the purity, the energy and enthusiasm, the unconditional love...True. A child is god's most precious gift to mankind. To be valued and cherished.