The Seeker

And we dream when young... The world is ours and there are no worries. As age passes by dreams have lesser or no meaning. Life loses its thrills and excitement. There is little left to aspire for. Its getting so tough, need to keep the mind sane and the body in shape. The seasons dont matter at all, as everything is a struggle.

Is this why we are here..? To realise at the end that it was just to die...to leave everything and go whatever we had desired most.

And we die with the mysteries unsolved...what is life and what is death?

Some say we care less to know, why waste time on this...just live :)

I am a seeker, I search for the knowledge...find lots around, makes sense for a while but I dont get the Truth.

For certain is death for the born
And certain is birth for the dead;
Therefore over the inevitable
Thou shouldst not grieve.
Bhagavad Gita (250 BC - 250 AD), Chapter 2

This gives me solace for a while...! :)

Ghazals I listen to lately...

Enjoying the Mehdi Hassan collection! These are the ones I am listening to:

बात करनी मुझे मुश्किल
भूली बिसरी चंद
देख तो दिल के जान से
जब तेरे नैन
पत्ता पत्ता बूटा बूटा
रंजिश ही सही

दिल की चिंगारियां

To the husband, soulmate and meaning of my life:

आप से अलेहदा होके प्यार को जाना है
आपके करीब होके खुदा को छुहा है

वह पागल समंदर की लहरें
पास बुलाती है गिर्दाब में

दिल की गहराइयां को किसने देखा
मगर मेरी किस्सों को आपने सुना

मेरे हमनाफास ये ज़माने से दूर
हमने पाया सुकून आपके इलफ़त में

Who is crazy?

This world is crazy
and I am crazier
I am laughing
when its time to cry
I am loving
when I need to kill

Today Im funky
tmrw is cranky
and I am lanky
I lost my key

Nothing makes sense
all is non-sense
u dont look at me
like I am ur baby
Im here with a motive
atleast I need to
look like that :)


Today Im funky
tmrw is cranky
and I am lanky
I lost my key

Men or women
friends or sweethearts
lovers or idiots
how does it matter
a bunch of cartoons
in my closet


Today Im funky
tmrw is cranky
and I am lanky
I lost my key

When I die
I will stop the lies
or maybe u can continue
and save this
beautiful empire!! :)

Bhaja Govindam!!

Morning times I wake up listening to the following:

• Suprabhatam
• Bhaja Govindam
• Lingashatkam

Its like the morning coffee and breaks my sleepiness.

Sridhar shared this linked with me as I got curious to understand the meaning of Bhaja Govindam(composed by Adi Shankracharya):

http://www.geocities.com/malibutemple/bhajagovind.htm

Picked from this site, let me share the meaning of Bhaja Govindam:

SANSKRIT VERSE bhaja govindam bhaja govindam govindam bhaja mUDhamate samprApte sannihite kAle nahi nahi rakShati dukrunjkaraNe mUDha jahihi dhanAgamatrshNAm kuru sadbuddhim manasi vitrshNam yallabhase nija karmopAttam vittam tena vinodaya cittam yavadvittopArjana saktah: tAvannija parivAro raktah: pashcAt jIvati jarjara dehe vArtAm kopi na prcchati gehe mA kuru dhana jana youvana garvam harati nimeShAt kala: sarvam mAyAmayam idam akhilam hitvA brahma padam tvam pravisha vidhitvA sura mandira taru mUla nivAsa: shayyA bhUtalam ajinam vAsa: sarva parigraha bhoga tyAga: kasya sukham na karoti virAga: bhagavat gIta kincitadhItA gangAjalalava kaNikApitA sahrdapi yena murAri samarca kriyate tasya yamena na carcA punarapi jananam punarapi maraNam punarapi jananI jaTare shayanam iha samsAre bahudustAre krpayA pAre pAhi murAre artham anartham bhavaya nityam nAstitata: sukhalesha: satyam putrAdapi dhana bhArjAm bhItih: sarvatraiShA vihitA rIti: geyam gItA nAma sahasram dhyeyam shrIpati rUpamajashram neyam sajjana sange cittam deyam dInajanAya ca vittam gurucharaNambuja nirbhara bhakta: samsAradacIradbhava mukta: sendriyamAnasa niyAmAdevam drakShyasi nija hrdayastam devam

TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH Adore the lord, adore the lord, Adore the lord O fool, When the appointed time (for departure) comes, the repetition of grammatical rules will not indeed save you. O fool, leave off the desire of wealth; create in the mind thoughts about reality, devoid of passion. what you get -i.e., what you have achieved through your past deeds -with that, satisfy your mind. As long as you have the ability to earn money, so long will your dependents be attached to you. After that, when you live with an infirm body, no one will even speak to you a word. Do not be proud of wealth, kindred and youth; Time takes away all these in a moment. Leaving aside this entire (world) which is of the nature of an illusion, and knowing the state of brahman, enter into it. Living in temples or at the foot of the trees, sleeping on the ground, wearing deer-skin, renouncing all possession and thier enjoyment - to whom will not dispassion bring happiness? For him, who has studied the Bhagavatgita, even a little, who has drunk a drop of the Gangawater, and who has performed the worship of the destroyer of the demon Mura (viz Srikrishna) at least once, there is no tiff with Yama Repeated birth, repeated death and repeated lying in mother's womb - this transmigratory process is extensive and difficult to cross; save me, O destroyer of Mura, through your grace. Wealth is no good: thus reflect always; there is not the least happiness there from; this is the truth. For the wealthy there is fear even from a son; everywhere this is the regular mode. The Bhagavatgita and the Sahasranama should be sung; the form of the lord of Lakshmi ( Vishnu) should be always meditated on; the mind should be led to the company of the good; and wealth should be distributed among the indigent. Being devoted completely to the lotus-feet of the Master, become released soon from the transmigratory process. Thus, through the discipline of sense and mind-control, you will behold the deity that resides in your heart.

After reading the meaning one may wonder why Adi Shankracharya compose these verses...check the wikepedia for it :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhaja_Govindam

Listen to it:

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Another honour :)

I got a great news today morning that thrilled me totally, "Truth" blog has been selected the sticky site of the moment:

http://www.internetbumperstickers.com/sticky.html

If you are late in seeing this post, you can check the Sticky Site Archive.

I liked the following lines used to introduce this blog :)

"You've been looking for the truth all your life, right? Just like all of us. How about that, it was in Bangalore the whole time."

Hahaahaa....:)

Don't change the world...

...Change yourself. A good one I found on a photoblog

(http://www.photoblog.com/Maxine/2007/11/07/)

Protect the Body only!!

This was an awakening for me!!! I was attending Sadhguru's satsang in Bangalore and these words from him was a breakthrough. He says we all have to only be concerned about protecting our physical bodies and not beyond that. Though we spend a lot of time protecting our opinions, thoughts, religion, ideas, beliefs. I realised how much of it I do and cause misery to myself and people around me :)

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...

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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.