Measuring Love...

Reading Paulo Coelho's "The Witch of Portobello", liked these lines:

"But time, as well as healing all wounds, taught me something strange too: that its possible to love more than one person in a lifetime. I remarried. I'm very happy with my new wife, and I can't imagine living without her. This, however, doesn't mean that I have to renounce all my past experiences, as long as I'm careful not to compare my two lives. You can't measure love the way you can the length of a road or the height of a building."

फिराक

हमारे मकान का इक मंज़र है
जहाँ इक ख़लिश है और नूर गुम है

मंज़र: Aspect, ख़लिश: Pain
नूर: लाइट, गुम: Missing

आप आये और अपना साया पहचाने
वही सियाही भरी रात के है नुमाएने

साया: Shadow, सियाही: Darkness
नुमाएने: Evidence

क्या दीदार करेंगे जो आप आगये
आंखें नाबीना हूईं है मुद्दत से

दीदार: Sight, नाबीना: Blind
मुद्दत: Awhile

Jaane Kya....

Haven't seen the movie "Pyaar ka side effects" but when I listened to this song...loved the lyrics and music

Jaane kya chahe mann baawra…
jaane kya chaahe mann baanwra
aankhiyan mere saawan chalaa

saghan aanchal sada hor hove
sajan ansuvan mein kya jor hove
kya jor hove, apne jiya pe
mann to mara ye manchala

jaane kya chaahe mann baanwra
aankhiyan mere saawan chalaa

pawan purva mein yun udta jaave
badra chanda se mann judta jaave
aave hawa ka, jhonka phir aisa
toote patang ki dor sa

jaane kya chaahe mann baanwra
aankhiyan mere saawan chalaa

- Jaane kya from ‘Pyaar ke side-effects’

Jaane Kya - Zubin....

Gloomy days

There are these days when I get completely exasperated with life in general. Every day goes by smoothly and comfortably but there are these days like the "speed-breakers" on the roads that discomposes me.

Undoubtedly, its just the family that endures it. My daughter is uncertain about my irrationality (imbibing some good family values ;-)) and husband who concludes that his fortitude has no bounds by putting up with my nonsensical rantings :) (he fails to register that I reciprocate similarly on his low days ;-))

"Reading, listening to Gurus, attending courses, yoga and meditation...huh!!..nothing has helped you.." is what Sridhar would declare(he has this crooked smile on his face) upon which I te-hee. I have a wide grin now as I type this out. Its just that when either of us are in the low or we are in combat to vilify each other the humor is even more heightened that results in good punch lines. When in solitude I often wonder if we look forward to these "not so smooth" days. Later, when I am telling Srid that I am very apologetic about my behaviour and not sure of how I happened to be so. He soothes my worries in his honeyed words "Oh whats fun without our little bickerings and squabbles" and I promptly accede. :)

"Gloomy days dont last for long
Life is nectared all along
All is frolic and Love is a song
Now I recognize where I belong"

Popeye and Spinach

Today after Nidhi finished her lunch and I was having mine I showed her spinach on my plate. Told her that this is what the Popeye character eats. My intention was more for information and not to entice her into eating. To my surprise though she began eating from my plate. I asked her if she liked it I will get her another bowl. She enjoyed lots of the cooked spinach to my amazement. She would often exclaim how strong she is getting and would show off her non-existent biceps :)

Learning for me: Cartoons make such a great impression on children and all my lecture and tricks dont help ;-)

I surfed the internet on Popeye and spinach and chose this link for you, check it out:

Eat Your Spinach

A break from the virtual world...

I am currently enjoying the disconnection from the virtual world. It aint a total cut off but the usage is moderate now.

There were some months of this year where I was so much part of this online world that most of my time, heart and life was spent on the internet.

The flip side is that I have got back to blogging strongly now. I dont want to leave writing on the blog. It helps me throw the crap in my head/heart out to the world. :)

I was sharing with my friend, we already live in this world called 'Maya', dont want to create lot of these smaller 'mayas' ;-)

Any change is good fun for me...so people who miss me on orkut, hold on...I will be back .....:)

[There is so much about me in this post...hmmm....its my blog guys ;-)]

Munh ki baat...

Get this widget Share Track details

Artist: Jagjit Singh
Album: Insight


muuNh kii baatein sune har koii, dil ke dard ko jaane kaun
aavaazon ke baazaaron mein Khaamoshii pahachaane kaun

sadiyon sadiyon vahii tamaashaa rastaa rastaa lambii khoj
lekin jab ham mil jaate hain, kho jaataa hai jaane kaun

vo meraa aaiinaa hai main us kii parachhaaii huuN
mere hii ghar men rahataa hai, mujh jaisaa hii jaane kaun

kiran kiran alsata suuraj, palak palak khulatii niinden
dheeme dheeme bhikhar raha hai, zarraa zarraa jaane kaun


[Blog ka writings padeh har koi, dil ka dard na jaane kaun ;-)]

Terrorism...

Call me an emotional fool but a tragedy like the blasts in Hyderabad moved me to tears. Whenever I read about the victims, their families my heart reaches out to them. I kept wondering 'why terrorism?'. What makes these people terrorize the world by killing?

Maybe we need a God to come down to earth who can take in all the hatred, all the pain that mankind goes through so that it doesnt have to hurt a hapless victim who was not part of this.

In a big way we are responsible for what the terrorists are going through and what the victims are facing. One may ask 'why me?' "The terrorists are a bunch of lunatics and what control do I have"

We all are to blame for creating the hatred within them. Reasons being: ignored, sidelined, hated, poverty etc...
As a society we have collective responsibility and nothing can start unless one begins to realise this as an individual.

I have a great tool in my hand, a prayer everyday for "peace in the world"

[The prayer thing is an inspiration from the Isha Yoga group who pray at 6:30pm everyday for peace in the world]

Here comes weekend....

I am looking forward to the weekend not because I am happy that I dont have to work. Weekend has a different set of activities for me: Its about outings, movies, some relaxed family time, completing pending work at home, community service activities, catching up with friends...:)
The list is endless and the fun too....:)

Hiatus in blogging

For a person like me boredom gets me pretty fast...but here in my blog from past 2 years I have been boring people with the same topics: spirituality, philosophy and love. Frankly I can write more on these, especially a lot on 'love' :). I have decided to spare my readers...!!!

I was thinking of writing on my 'job' but dunno how to put it down in bloggy style ;-)

Contemplating on writing on a topic I havent delved on...

Right now nothing angers me, nothing hurts me, nothing confuses me...life is in a state of bliss..:)...so I am out of ideas friends :)

You can check my photoblog though...lots happening there :)

Thats only for now, gimme a few days and I am back with some new material!

Choices!

Life is about choices, the ones we make with full awareness and the ones that happen to us :) We fail to take responsiblity for the ones that happen to us(I cant forget the Landmark game of chosing icecream played on me by Puri :)) and some of us dont want to take responsibility for anything in life.

As a mere mortal we dont have any control over the choice of life and death (yes if we were expanded souls we could understand that it does extend to life and death but let me leave it at just the time between birth and death). We do have control over choices as we live each day of our life. The past is gone (not for most of us, ask me :)). The present actions we take, as an outcome of choices we make every moment...is where we can see consequences as desired.

(Friends from Landmark and Isha, guess you would be able to relate to some of this :))

Easier said...!

Life is so simple, its rules simpler but we have really made it so complicated and complex. I sometimes feel I am so creative in making things tough and difficult for myself. Confusion is a more comfortable state we love to be in :)

Today while reading the book "The Tibetan book of living and dying", I got inspired by this simple rule of life.

"Shantideva said:
Whatever joy there is in this world
All comes from desiring others to be happy
And whatever suffering there is in this world
All comes from desiring myself to be happy"

Well easier said then followed...!
Its very much a possibility though.

Tears of Gratitude

Today while commuting to work I pondered about the way I am living life. What I reflected was the times I experienced tears was in times of pain and only immense pain can touch me. As life proceeds I get accustomed to some kinds of pain and I am now immune and totally numbed.

As my mind kept leading me into different realms of knowledge available in the universe I asked myself this question "Do I have gratitude? Gratitude for anything in this world?" The answer to this question was in the form of tears in my eyes. When we think of gratitude there is sudden love for the entire creation.

This reminded me of what Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says about tears:

Tears have got nothing to do with sadness and pain. Whenever any experience becomes very intense, tears flow.

If tears of love, joy, and ecstasy have not washed your cheeks, you are yet to taste life.

I remember reading an article written by Sadhguru which I am not able to trace now, where he mentions that the only deep emotion most of us have understood is pain and thats the reason we express tears then. We all are yet to experience tears of love, joy and ecstasy.

I am the reason

Saturday night, Nidhi and I were in the auto going towards MG Road to meet friends for dinner. We stopped at a traffic signal. When we got the green signal and started moving, abruptly the vehicles' movement slowed down. As we were edging, I looked out to see what was slowing us down and saw a person wearing a jacket "I am the reason" struggling with his bike which wouldn't start, he then had to push it to the side of the road. I was amused "Oh this is the guy who interrupted the traffic movement, and he is pretty sure that he is the reason" :)

Drunk...

On Sunday night returning from the Isha Yoga class at around 9pm, I stop at a signal near the end of inner ring road. On the left of me I see a less crowded road merging at the junction. A scooter with a young man and woman is slowing down to stop and nearby a cyclist is slowing down too. The cyclist gets close to the young couple and starts talking. He point to the rear of his cycle and then a fight ensues. The cyclist looks like a man nearing his 60s and the youth around 25. Initially the scooterist is perplexed and not sure whats happening. The old man though continues his blabber and looks like some words have angered the young man as he starts arguing back animatedly.

I get the green signal and start moving. As I go past the two I can see the youth raise his fist on the old man to show anger and threaten him...

This old man had just come out from the bar which was behind where the cyclist stood and fought. One could see that he was drunk but the youth didnt seem to realise that else he wouldnt have bothered to fight with the drunkard.

How many times in life we get into fights with people who are drunk with pride, power, ego, ignorance and hatred. We get carried away and get into a serious altercation. If we knew these people were drunk we wouldnt have wasted our time...:)

...And then there are times when we are in this drunk state and provoke fights with people around!!

Broken Promises

Pledges and vows are made
Hearts filled with love & purity
The joy and the moment lived
Promises of undying love
With caresses and embraces

Transgressing the land of love
To leave behind bleeding souls
Snubbing and mocking lovers
Walking the long but chosen path
Alone & cold towards the light

Its penance but no remorse
Painted pictures of time gone by
Immaculate love and divine lovers
But now apathetic and cold-blooded
One is deemed to be condemned

Kneeling down, head bent low
Entreating the divine souls to
Safeguard the shattered hearts
Liberating the incarcerated spirit
To preserve a timeless souvenir

More from 'The Pilgrimage'

I do most of my reading in the auto, yeah once I start driving the car I wont be able to do that :)
Anyway today I completed reading 'The Pilgrimage' written by Paulo Coelho. It was walking the path of learning along with Paulo on his pilgrimage on the Road to Santiago.

Sharing some more excerpts from the book:

"In the same way, a disciple such as you can never imitate his guide's steps. You have your own way of living your life, of dealing with problems, and of winning. Teaching is only demonstrating that it is possible. Learning is making it possible for yourself"
======================================================

"Didn't I tell you? Once a problem is solved, its simplicity is amazing."
======================================================

"I began to feel great pain, because now I knew that I was only one step from success; this is the moment when one's strength begins to flag, and one loses confidence in oneself. On a few occasions in my life I had lost in the last minute - swum across the ocean and drowned in the surf of regret. But I was on the Road to Santiago, and that old experience must not be allowed to repeat itself - I had to win.
======================================================

"But there are problems in our lives that require us to choose between one way and another. Everyday problems, like a business decision, the breakup of a relationship, a social obligation. Each of these small decisions we have to make, throughout our lives, might represent a choice between life and death. When you leave the house in the morning on your way to work, you might choose one means of transportation that will drop you safe and sound or another that is going to crash and kill its passengers. This is a radical example how a simple decision may affect us for the rest of our lives."
======================================================

"The only way to make the right decision is to know what the wrong decision is," he said after I had mentioned my concern. "You have to examine the other path, without fear and without being morbid, and then decide"
======================================================

"Life always teaches us more than the Road to Santiago does," he answered. "But we don't have much faith in what life teaches us."
======================================================

"We are not smart enough to be able to listen to the silence! We are just human beings, and we don't even know how to listen to our ramblings..."
======================================================

"Everything is contained in sounds - the past, the present, and the future. The person who does not know how to listen will never hear the advice that life offers us all the time. And only the person who listens to the sound of the moment is able to make the right decisions."
======================================================

"And when I think about it, I guess it is true that people always arrive at the right moment at the place where someone awaits them."
======================================================

Naam Ada Likhna...

Srid on the flight heading again on his official trips and singing this for him today...:)

Song: Naam Ada Likhna
Movie: Yahaan
Play song:

Naam Ada Likhna.mp...

Lyrics:

Poochein jo koi meri nishaani rang heena likhna
Gore badan pe ungli se mera naam aada likhna
Kabhi kabhi aas paas chand rehta hain
Kabhi kabhi aas paas shaam rehti hain

Aao na aao na
jhelum mein behlenge
waadi ke mausam bhi ek din toh badlenge
kabhi kabhi aas paas chand rehta hain
kabhi kabhi aas paas shaam rehti hain

aau toh subaha jaau toh mera naam sabah likhna
barf pade toh barf pe mera naam dua likhna
zara zara aag waag pass rehti hain
zara zara kaangdi ki aanch rehti hain
kabhi kabhi aas paas chand rehta hain
kabhi kabhi aas paas shaam rehti hain
(shaamein bujhane aati hain raatein
raatein bujhane tum aa gaye ho)

jab tum haste ho din ho jaata hain
tum gale lago toh din so jaata hain
doli uthane aayega din toh
pass bitha lena
kal jo miley toh
mathe pe mere suraj uga dena
(zara zara aas paas dhup rahegi
zara zara aas paas rang rahenge) - 2

Love or Friendship?

You are always in this buoyant mood when you visit me. You knock on the door but when I look into the peephole you place your finger to block the view and well I know for sure it is you. And there you are with your boyish charm.

I welcome you in and you have lots to say about your day. I tell you to settle down and ask if you need coffee. You tell you dont like too much of it and so I make half a cup for you and a full one for myself.

We settle down and chat....I think we could chat for ages. I feel so comfortable with you, like a childhood friend.

I get a call from my Mom on my mobile. You start your pranks again...tickling me in my ribs...my Mom asks why I am breaking into laughter and I tell her it’s nothing I am just happy.

We decide to go out for dinner and as I go out to lock the door, you walk stealthily behind me and when I turn around, you make funny faces in the dark room. I wait for you to come out threatening you that I will lock you in and you are out with a wide smile on your face. Remembering it today still makes me laugh so much...

We head for dinner, searching for eating places around, you keep cursing me about not eating non-vegetarian food, as that makes the options lesser around being a foreign land.

Back from dinner and it is time for you to go home. I walk with you to the station. It looks like another day ended, feels so normal but when I look back today I miss the friend, the boy and the fun that was stuck in fleeting moments. The love, which hit upon me when it was time for us to go our ways.

सामुदायिक प्रार्थना

I love this prayer, enjoy listening it on the Sanskar Channel. If you are keen switch on your TV at 6am :), here you go:



है प्रार्थना गुरुदेव से यह स्वर्ग्सम संसार हो
अति उच्चतम जीवन बने पर्मातमय व्यवहार हो
ना हम रहे अपने लिए हमको सभी से गरज़ है
गुरुदेव यह आशीश दे जो सोचने का फ़र्ज़ है

हम हो पुजारी तत्व के, गुरुदेव के आदेश के
सच प्रेम के नित नेम के, सत्धर्म के सत्कर्म के
हो चिढ झूठी राह की, अन्याय की अभिमान की
सेवा कारन को दास की, परवाह नहीं हो जान की

छोटे ना हो हम बुद्धी से, हो विश्व्मय से ईश्मय
हो राममय और कृष्न्मय, जगदेव में जगदीश्मय
हर ईन्द्रीयों पर ताव कर, हम वीर हो अति धीर हो
उज्जवल रहे सरस सदा, निज धरमरथ समबीर हो

अत्तिशुध हो आचार से, तन मन हमारा सर्वदा
आध्यात्मा कि शक्ति हमें, पल भी नहीं कर दे जुदा
इस अमर आत्मा का हमें, हर श्वास भर में गम रहें
गर मौत भी आ गयी, सुख दुःख में हम सम रहें

हे गुरुदेव हम सबको सद्बुद्धि दे
सतकर्त्व्य करने की परवर्ती दे
सच बोलने का अभ्यास दे
सतस्वरूप का ज्ञान दे

ॐ नमः शिवायः ! ॐ नमः शिवायः ! ॐ नमः शिवायः !