SadGuru

           SadGuru is a Blazing Fire. As you advance, you burn. 
           Slowly and slowly he finishes you. 
           All the false ego, अहंकार gets burnt in this amazing fire.

Fire purifies everything

                                                                                               

                            सुनहार का काम वो करता है
                            धीरे धीरे हमको निखारता है
                            सोना तो चमक जाता है
                            बाक़ी सारा भस्म हो जाता है
                            हमारे विकार वो जलाता है
                            हां, हमें वो पकाता है

Master says: There are many types of doctors. But Tulsidasji in RamCharit Manas speak of one most capable and that is SadGuru.  
     


               

     

The truth wins once again

Jai Sri Ram!  Jai Sri Ram!  Jai Sri Ram...! 

The whole environment is echoing with this sound.

Yes, this is the day of Dussehra, when the effigies of Ravana are burnt to signify the end of evil and the victory of Truth.

The place I live, I could see two pandals right from my own room window. One of " Durga Puja ", the main event of Bengalis and the other of " Ram Lila ", where every day from 9pm -12pm, events from RamCharit Manas were enacted. 

Dussehra , also called Vijayadashmi

Today is the finale! One side, Murti of Ma is been taken for visarjan after her victory and on the other end Ravana is burnt along with his evil brothers .

A festive symbolization of the whole play

                                              

The main part is of course, the music, the loud kind, which came all these nine days, from morning until late at night.  It’s  festival, a gala season. All over India, these days are full of fun, along with all the pujas, kirtans and bhajans; the atmosphere is filled with joy and festivities.

Ma killing Mahishasur

Amazing, every time Ram kills Ravana, Truth is established and Good overtakes the evil, I feel a sense of thrill ! This has been happening for centuries in our country.  

Goddess of victory of good over evil

No matter how many invaders came or how long foreign power held our country under its rule; these festivals couldn't be eliminated nor the Sanatana spirit subdued.

Well, this is just the preliminary, the main event will be after 20 days, the day Ram returns home with his wife Sita.

Light eliminates the darkness 

                                  

Diwali ! 

Yes, excited as a kid. Waiting once again to light up the diyas in celebration of Ram’s homecoming.

Master says: On the path of bhakti one requires two things - courage and patience. 

learning through ƒũŊ

                                     
It's the season of good cinema!
Master took the name of the movie Barfi at Manas-Satya, and we all rushed to watch it at the first given opportunity. Then followed OMG (oh my God) and English Vinglish.

Master says, take the good from everywhere and anywhere. Pick the positive & good and leave the rest.  

So i learn the positive from these fantastic,  fabulously made movies...

'Barfi'

- love one and all
- be true to yourself
- stay happy no matter what
- even if the world is going up side down, smile and light up a smile on others face

Master says - प्रेम के बिना जीवन में पूर्णता नहीं  आती . 
                     [Life gets fulfillment only through love] 

                                                                                 
'OMG'

- God exists, whatever name we call him, that's immaterial.
- we need to be God loving not God fearing.
- God wants us to be good human beings. period!
- He is seeing each action of ours

Master says - जो डराये वो धर्म नहीं, अभय करे वो धर्म है .
                    [ Religion should make one fearless not fearful ]  


                                                   
                                                                   
'English Vinglish' 

- nothing can come close to your own language, even English, the now world language can't.
- respect home makers, respect your elders,  respect your parents.
- often the close family misses to appreciate one's talent and potential
- have confidence in our own self  

Master says - अंग्रेज़ी भाषा बोलो , ठीक  है  पर अंग्रेज़ी मानसिकता मत बनाओ .
                     अपना मूल मत भूलो - माँ, मात्रभाषा और मात्रभूमि को कभी मत भूलो .

                      [ Its fine to speak in English but don't acquire a English mentality. 
                        Remember your roots- Mother, Mother tongue and Mother land.] 

Dev Bhumi

Few pictures from the Dev Bhumi; Dharmshala, Himachal Pradesh.
On one side the wonderful wise words of Master and on the other side, the serene beauty of the Himalayas.


 Instead of whisking away to some foreign destination, its worth to take some time out, to visit the beauty in our own country. 

Skyline from the katha Pandal

India is a country where every element of nature is revered and worshiped.

Giant Peepal tree in a police station compound 

Religion is not confined to any place or time, its part of everyday life.

Small Shiv temple; familiar sight all over the place.

Unknown Sadhus, roam around quietly without pretensions, come and sit in the katha.

Sadhus at the katha 

Many unknown faces sit right behind doing their thing and listening to the katha.

Sitting behind, undisturbed.

Master says never forget your roots. Give respect to all but have firm faith in your own.

dharkan

सूफ़ीवाद - परमात्मा से महोब्बत करने का नाम है उसे ही प्रिय और प्रियसी मानते है उसे का जिक्र होता है उनके क़लाम में....   
       

ना पैसा ना  प्रतिष्ठा ना झूटा गर्व शिष्ट का
ये सहज पुकार दिल की है
सुन तू  भी सुन मेरी  धड़कन की धुन

उगते सूरज में तुझे ही देखा
ढलते  दिन में तुझे ही पाया
चाँद के चेहरे में तू  मुस्कराया
सितारों की झिलमिल में तू ही नज़र आया
सुन तू भी सुन

ये हव़ा तेरा पैगाम लाती है
दीये की रोशनी तेरा सलाम देती है
बारिश का पानी तेरा नगमा सुनाता है
फूलों की रंगत में तू ही नजर आता है
सुन तू भी सुन

मेरे नगमों में तेरा ही ज़िक्र है
मेरे गीतों में तू ही छिपा है
मेरी बंदगी तेरा ख़याल है
मेरी पूज़ा तेरा प्यार है
सुन तू भी सुन मेरी धड़कन की धुन

                                       
                                                 : नीना

 

Love

The flavour of the month is ' Love '

With the memories of Manas- Prem at Nathdwara, Rajasthan, still lingering around , i share few of my favorite quotes on this beautiful word called Love. But just as Master warns - this love should not be limited to the mere physical but something which transcends to a much higher sphere.


Master says:  Love is God.


Meerabai - If only i knew that it would beget so much pain, i would announce in the whole city, warning everyone from falling in love.

Vivekananda - All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, who is selfish is dying. Therefore, love for love's sake, because it is law of life, just as you breath to live.

Lao Tzu - Being deeply loved by someone gives you strenght, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.




Osho - Love is the nourishment for the soul. Just as food is to the body, so love is to the soul. Without food the body is weak, without love the soul is weak. And no state, no church, no vested interest, has ever wanted people to have strong souls, because a person with spiritual energy is bound to be rebellious. 


Vimlananda - All sadhana is just the preliminaries for falling in love with your deity.




Anonymous - Every time we fall in love, we ascend to heaven. Every time we hate, envy or fight , we tumble straight into the fires of hell.




Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation.

Karma

Master says: 

कर्म किये बिना चित्त शुद्धि नहीं होती  

Doing work is essential to purify our Chitta (Consciousness)

Master gives a beautiful illustration- while washing clothes, we use soap but the hard work put in, the effort, that’s karma . Without this, we can’t get rid of the dirt. This karma, work is an important and integral part of life.

This is one reason many Mahapurush keep working till the end, eg. Kabir was a weaver, he kept weaving till the very end. 

Its work not job:

So often, we confuse the two. Job is where one gets paid remuneration in exchange of the work put in. On the other hand ‘ work ’ is what we do in our respective lives. So for a child studying and going to school, is his work. A women looking after her house and family is doing her work.  A man doing his sadhana or studying the Shastra is doing his work. 

None of  the above may be getting money for the hard work they put in.

In today’s modern world, ironically the importance of work is seen in proportion to the money it brings in return. This is so unfortunate. 

When this question about work was put to Raman Maharishi, he replied, " my self-realization is my work; it’s my contribution towards society.”

Master says: हरी नाम का आश्रय  प्रमाद नहीं , समस्या के समाधान का  महा प्रयतन है 

                 Taking God's name is not laziness but the best way to find solution to the   persisting problems.

My Kahna

kahna

Master says: To reach Krishna one has to use stairs made of tears.

A Laghu katha:

I’m a girl, who has been crying for kahna, for his darshan, for his glance. He comes in my dream, he plays in my thoughts, and he resides in my heart.

With God’s grace, I go to Nathdwara, where my kahna, my Krishna lives. I’m on top of the world. I know my prayers have been heard and granted.

Finally, I reach his abode. There he is, in all his fineries. Decked up, magnificently.

I make my way in, quietly, and manage to go right in front.

I look at him, his beautiful face and get lost in his deep eyes. He smiles at me. His eyes speak to me.

The moment seems like eternity.

Suddenly I become aware of my surroundings. The crowd is pushing and pulling to get closer to my kahna.

My kahna?

Is he mine, only mine?

No!

Reality strikes.

Kahna is looking at everyone, smiling at all around him. His beautiful face is welcoming the whole Universe. He has no preferences, no differences. 

His arms are open to gather all in grace.

No, he does not belong to me alone. I can’t put that claim on him.

Nevertheless, I can proclaim my truth.

I belong to Him and Him alone. 

SadGuru

सत्य की राह दिखा रहा है
प्रेम की सुधा पिला रहा है
करुणा का पाठ पढ़ा रहा है
जीवन का मतलब समझा रहा है

जल की तरह सब को भरता है
आश्रितों का जीवन सफ़ल करता है
सुनहार की तरह तराशता है
हौले हौले हमको निखारता है

ना ईर्शा ना द्वेष ना निंदा ना मत्सर
हरसू  यही अभ्यान चलाता यहाँ पर
हर रोग की नवज पकड़ता है
धीरे धीरे इलाज वो करता है

कोई डॉक्टर भी नहीं कर पायेगा
कड़वी से कड़वी दवा वो प्यार से पिलायेगा
अपने जैसा हमको बना छोड़ेगा
बिन किये ये वो मूह ना मोड़ेगा

लगता है फ़ना कर रहा है
मुझसे नया व्यक्त्तित्व उभर रहा है
झीगे को मरना ही होता है
तितली का प्रकटन य़ू ही होता है

सदगुरु की करुणा क़हा तक ग़ाऊ
शब्द कम पड़ेगे सच बतलाऊ
सहजो का मत दिल को भाने लगा है
गुरु का चुनाव समझ आने लगा है
गुरु का चुनाव समझ आने लगा  है

                                            : नीना 

It's their love, their life, their religion

Have you ever come across Soccer fans, the die hard ones?
I happened to stay in one of the lodges frequented by such fans during the World Cup, in S. Africa.

Soccer is their religion, their love, their life, their passion. 

They live the love of their life. They follow it insistently. Then and there. Most can't afford hotels and prefer hostels and lodges. Nevertheless, they follow all the matches live and do not postponed doing so for some later time or day in life. Everything else becomes secondary- like accommodation, luxury, conveyance, comfort and any thing else that requires money- which of course is in short supply.

But they have bags full of:
> force of their love
> backing of strong conviction
> power of their soul to follow its chosen path

Staying in this Lodge- Rosebank Bag packers,  i had few revelations. I share them below-

When your heart wants to follow something, let money not be the deterrent.

Have a goal in life- a desire, a passion, a religion and stick to it.

Tulsi chose Ram, Meera chose Krishna, Paramahansa chose kali. 
For Gandhi it was freedom, for Morari Bapu it is Ram katha, for Micheal Jordan it is basketball. The list goes on and on. Look around , there are plenty who took up one dream, one desire, one path.
     
They stuck to their chosen path no matter what. Through thick and thin; joy and sorrows; trials and tribulation.

 Master says: Nothing can be an obstacle for the real seeker. Nothing and Nobody. All the barriers are within oneself- the wavering mind, logic asking intellect and our inner tendencies which keep changing.   

RAMAYANA

Celebrating Independence day of our beloved country.
On this special day, remembering one which is synonymous not only with Indian religion but also its culture.

When one thinks of India, one automatically thinks of its great  Shastras and Epics - Ramayana, Mahabarata, RamCharit Manas  -Valkmiki, VedVayas, Tulsidas. These names are interwoven with Indian life, religion and culture as light is with Sun, fragrance is with flower and fiber is with cloth. 

National Conference on Ramayana

People listen with apt attention, at the Conference 

The three day conference held at Mahuva was an amazing experience. Scholars and intellectuals from all over the country gathered together to put forward their views and understanding on Ramayana written by Rishi Valmiki in Sanskrit.

Despite the fact that after him, over 300 Ramayana have been authored by others, the importance and significance of Valmiki's Ramayana has neither diminished nor forgothen. If anything it has only increased. He is anonymously held as the first poet – Adi Kavi.

Of significance was the fact that all view points were heard and given chance. Even the views which were apprehensive and doubtful about Shri Ram were heard.

It reminded me of our Vedic times, when, during the spiritual discussions, everyone was welcomed. Even atheist were heard. This is the greatness of Sanatan Dharma- it welcomes all. It does not force one viewpoint , nor annihilates others with different thoughts and views.

Overall, it was an amazing experience just sitting and listening to all the learned men and women of our country, speaking of my favorite hero- RAM.    

Master says: Always remember 3 M's : Mother, Mother tongue, Mother land.

66th Independence Day

As we celebrate our freedom , i'm instantly reminded of beautiful lines of a Hindi song which goes something like this...

हम लाए है तूफान से कश्ती निकाल के इस देश को रखना मेरे बच्चों सम्भाल के ...

RAM

साधन सिद्धि राम पग नेहू I मोहि लखि परत भरत मत एहू II 

                                                                                    (Ayodhya-kand;289)
   Love and Devotion in Shri Rama feet is both the means and end for Bharat. Love was his sadhana as well as sadhya.

                                  He is my Ram,
                       He is my Krishna,
                       He is Allah for me.

                                  He is my Deva,
                       He is my Ishta,
                       He is Shiva for me.

                                   He is the fruit of my penances.
                       He is the source of my existence.

                                   He is the way, He is the goal
                       He is the answer to my soul.  
                         
   

Sunrise

As I sit on my terrace, holding a hot cup of sweet tea in my hands, early one morning, I’m mesmerized by the beauty of the sun, just peeping out in the horizon. 

Wanted to pen down a poem, a couplet, that very moment. Instead I just jot down my feelings; in my limited vocabulary and try to capture the beauty of the moment in prose.

Sunrise; Beautiful, Serene, Breath taking, New day, New hope, Vast potential, God’s blessings, Nature’s delight- all these and much more. A giant ball of pure energy ; making its way to a new beginning,  still so unpretentious, so calm and so very quiet. If I was one of those late risers I would not even notice it making its way in and showering its rays equally on everything.  Equality for all seems to be its motto! From the east to west, that’s been its route since millenniums, no detour or shortcuts. 

Master says: Take the good from anywhere and everywhere.

Diligent and sincere, a Janani; one on the Gyan marg would thus describe the Sun. A bhakti margi would say, because of its love, it burns itself but gives light to all. A karm yogi would easily learn the art of nishkam karma; work without thinking about its fruit. Is  it a surprise that in Sanatana Dharma we offer our pranam to the Surya every morning. 

A sunrise symbolizes ‘Life’, a new beginning! It’s a call to the whole wide world to begin once again, to rejoice, and celebrate being alive.

I wish to be all that a sunrise denotes and stands for, in this very wish lies the seed of my metamorphoses. ‘What you think, so you become’, goes the saying!

Gratitude

               शुक्रिया

आप माने न माने काम है यह आप का 

मुझे नीद से उठाने वाले, होश में फिर लाने वाले 

पानी का छीटा ड़ाल ड़ाल, ताज़ा तरोज़ा बनाने वाले 

यह इंतजाम है आप का 

मै तो भटकी हुई थी जिंदगी की अँधेरी राहों में 

जो अपना न था, उसे ही समा बैठी थी अपनी बाहों में  

सुबह की ताज़ी किरणों की, रोशनी अब नज़र जो आई   

यह कमाल है आप का  

अपने अस्तित्व पर फक्र करने लगी हू  

पश्चिम के बदले पूर्व पर नज़र धरने लगी हू 

मूल का महत्व बतला, मुझे राह दिखलाने वाले 

बस, शुक्रिया है आप का 

                    

                             

                                                                  : नीना 

hey..watch those words

Earlier this year I saw this advertisement on the T.V, featuring one of our leading cricketers. It was for an insurance company. Here he was talking about his uncertain future as a sportsman. The whole ad. was him worrying about how he was not sure, until when his bat would work for him. 

Just a couple of months later, I read in the national daily, this same batsman, undergoing treatment for cancer in the U.S.A. For a minute, I went numb. While saying a little prayer for him and wishing a speedy recovery, what stuck me was the power of our spoken words.

The power of Speech:

There is a story about the man sitting under a kalpatru (wish fulfilling tree). He happened to say to himself “wish I could get a nice hot lunch” and lo, a thali filled with delicious and hot food appeared before him. He was flabbergasted but ate the food. Next, he said, “How nice it would be, if a car was here to drive me back home.” He had just uttered those words and a big car stood right in front.

As he was driving, he said in his mind “instead of my small house, if I had a big palatial bungalow with servants and all the luxuries”. As he thought he got. When he was lying on his bed at night, fear gripped him into thinking, “what if robbers come at night, break open and kill me.” Swoosh…as he expected, thieves did break open that night, looted the house and killed him before leaving.

Often our negative thinking is our worst enemy. Moreover, when we put it in words, we give it power to materialize, sooner or later.

Master says, “Goddess Saraswati comes and sits on the tip of our tongue, once during the day. At that time, the words, which we utter, come to pass. So watch those words and the thoughts behind them.Speaking without thinking is a defect of the speech.” 

Thoughts are creative:                             

My thoughts today will be my future tomorrow. My yester thoughts make my present. 
As you think so you become. 

Everything, before materializing takes shape in the subtle or thought world. 

That's one reason pregnant women are advised to have good positive thoughts. Not only them, the unborn baby is also affected by the mother's thinking!




We often say: Dream for dreams come true.
Its time to change it a bit - Dream positive for it will come true.


Way to positive thinking:


So the question arises, how to gain positive understanding and thinking? 
The way we think is under the faculty of understanding and discretion, in our own language we call it - विवेक 


Our thoughts follow our power of discretion. Hence in the root is this Vivek, and it goes something like -


         विवेक - विचार - वचन - वर्तन 


:its sort of spiral process, one leading into another. Right understanding- provides right thoughts- gives positive speech- visible in right actions. 
The method of gaining vivek; power of discretion / understanding is through Satsang. 
RamCharit Manas put lots of emphasis on this-

 बिनु सत्संग विवेक न होई I राम कृपा बिनु सुलभ न सोई II   

                                                                         (Balkand-3)

Hence, the importance of Satsang - the company of Truth 
Master advises: the way we take out time for family, friends and work, same way we must take out specific time for Satsang. 

love

Love , a complex emotion
               or is it a state of being
does one fall in love 
                or soar up the sky

true, love makes the world go round...   
still truer, love makes its own little world.

i love coz' he is the best
               or he is the best coz' of my love

true, love slowly transforms a person...
still truer, love transmutes man to messiah.

my love, a burning fire of desire
               or a fire that consumes all desires.

true, God is love...
still truer, Love is God !

                                   -neena

Acceptance

Master says:  Acceptance is very important. Accepting, ‘what is ', willing and happily!

A story-

There was a rat couple. They had a beautiful daughter. When she came of age, they wanted to find her a suitable match. 

The rat managed to find a young rat for his daughter.

However the mother rat was distraught, “what, my beautiful daughter will not marry a rat. We must find her someone who is worthy of her beauty.”

One day, they looked up, saw the sun and exclaimed- that is it! The sun is the perfect match for her. They immediately went with their proposal. Sun replied, “Thanks for all the praise but I must let you know that a cloud comes and overshadows me. In front of the clouds I’m helpless.”

my travels

   

                                                      

Traveling has always been therapeutic for me
        I see the world, the people and myself 
                      - one among many... 



Stories arise, the most original always unique
  The wait for the destination, the goal, the purpose
           Euphoria of reaching, arriving , attaining
                            for days, months, years, lifetimes...


Until a new dream, a want , a thirst
                                 takes root in the being
          And the self starts preparing 
                             - a new path, a journey, a calling... 


                                                                        : neena

Katha at Jo'burg

Ram katha reaches Johannesburg, South Africa.

The venue-Constitutional Hill. Originally this was a prison. M.K.Gandhi spent months in this very place behind bars,at cell no: 4

The katha was named Manas- Panchvati.

Master lovingly called it 'Gandhi Hill' and paid a homage to Mahatma Gandhi and all other men like him who dedicated their lives to create a society which was free of discrimination; where none is considered small and out caste; where all have a right to freedom.

This is the place where Nelson Mandela and others were also held for raising their voices against the injustices done on humanity.

The jail premises at Constitutional Hill

Inside view 

Cell no:4 as been preserved and converted into a museum. 

The jail has been demolished and Constitutional court built on its site.

Mahatma Gandhi's cell  no: 4 

    More pics and some more on what freedom means to me......

Laughter

(courtesy: Speaking Tree) 

Master says: Dharm (religion) should be smiling not gloomy.


This one is for laughs:


A nun who works for a local home health care agency was out making her rounds when she ran out of gas. As luck would have it, there was  a station just down the street. She walked to the station to borrow a can of gas.


But bad luck, the only can at the station was already loaned out. 


As the nun was on the way to see a patient, she decided to think out of box.; walked back to her car, after looking thoroughly in the car, manged to find a bedpan.


She carried that to the station, filled it with gasoline and came back to her car.
As she was pouring the gas in the tank of the car, two men walked by. 


One looked to the other and said: "Now that is what i call Faith!"

Adaptation: a key for Happiness

Its amazing how my body adapts to the weather change around me.

Delhi, where I live reaches 45˚c- 48˚c in summers and 1˚c- 4˚c in winters. In between, the temperature fluctuates according to other seasons: autumn, spring and the monsoons. There are times its dreadful to go out without fully covered with woolens; other times even the mention of word jacket/coat is intolerable. There are days when, winds of spring are the most lovable guests; whereas at times the dry autumn current, baring the trees of all there leaves seems like uncalled for invitee at the doorstep. 

My body adapts to these seasons smoothly without much fuss.

It was just three or four months before when I was having around 4 -5 cups of hot masala tea everyday. Along with it there were interspersed breaks of steaming soups or rasam (Indian soup made of spices). In contrast, in this scorching June, the idea of tea is kept far, almost totally out of mind. Its place has been taken by fruits juices, fresh cold drinks ranging from sugarcane juice, aamras (mango drink) and nibu pani.

However, my mind is not easy to comply with the changes life brings. Unlike my body, my emotions and heart lingers after things long after they are nowhere around. Why do I brood when somebody (relation) or something (job) changes? Is it my attachment to people and things or simply my ego?

It is time for some rational thinking. Something has to go for something new to come. For one, i know through experience that change is the rule of existence. As I accept the changing seasons, I need to accept every other change without much brooding. There is no point fretting over things, which are not in my hand. The body adapts to the new circumstances and moves on. It’s no rocket science! The body knows- by drinking a cold lemon drink in the scorching Sun, it will feel good - so it does that; instead of crying ooh,… why is the Sun was sooo hot? or why its raining non stop? Just a few changes in the eating habit and Wallaha, I am quite equipped to face the next few months of heat.

Master says: “ कबूल करना ही है तो रोते- रोते क्यों, हँसते -हँसते क्यों नहीं  ”

 If we have to accept & tolerate, then why not do it happily.

By being happy, I'm contributing. If I just as easily take every change in my stride instead of asking why, what, when and how, I would be a much happier person.

If someone were to ask, how would that help the world or the society?

Well, a happy person emits positive vibrations, which have direct effect on the environment around. As simple as that!

Being happy is my contribution for a better world.

If all of us were to be happy, we would make the WWW (whole wide world) happier and much fun to live in.

to be myself

i hate to write under pressure
i declare: I'm not a writer i.e  not a professional ( at least not yet), but i love to write.
although like any other art form, i enjoy audience and appreciation, its a heavy burden.
i suddenly feel multitude of eyes on my words, this includes my family and loved ones.
and believe you in me, that's a lot of pressure; the want and need to
 'BE RIGHT'.
but how can i be right all the time, when I'm still a student! I'm still LEARNING.


Read the following , somewhere-

if you are not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original and beautiful...... 

Hence, decision made- 
I'm ready to make mistakes..., but more importantly, I am under oath to try to create nothing but Beautiful, through my WRITINGS


just like Master says: विश्राम सहजता के बिना कोई नहीं देगा [ Be who you are; be yourself, if you want peace and rest] 

Faith

Master says: we have done so many experiments, why not experiment with 'Faith ' for some time!
He believes; Faith is Worship

My Father- a story 
A small boy is sitting by the window seat of the jumbo 777. The flight took off on time, after about an hour the airplane hits the bad weather. Severe turbulence grips the flight. Along with the seat belt signs, the flight attendants tell everyone to take to their respective seats.

(image courtesy weatherclipart.net)

The boy, looks out from his window seat, gives a glance around, sees all the commotion and  goes back to playing with his toys. 


There is no worry nor any sign of fear on his face. Its as if he couldn't be bothered!


The man sitting next to the kid sees this peculiar kid who is totally happy with his toys, not bothered about the bad weather condition.


Forty minutes or so later, things get back to normal.


The man can't retain his curiosity," hey kiddo, you put all us adults to shame,how come? weren't you scared at all? ", he finally asked the boy.


The boy smiled," the man who is flying the plane is my father. Why should i be scared. I know he'll take care of things!".


Master: God was aware, the new baby will not have teeth. It was of this reason, the mother's body had already started lactating, as soon as the birth took place.


There is somebody somewhere, who is keeping a watch and taking care. What i need is, have a little FAITH.

Truth

     
                                         
                                                             

An affirmation – Truth has different levels and hence not easily understood.

               On one hand, a verse from Taittiriya Upanishad says,

              " Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava

               Acharya Devo Bhava, Attiti Devo Bhava.."

               It means Regard mother, father, teacher and guest as God.

On the other hand, Saint Goswami Tulsidasji tells Meerabai to give up all relations. Giving advice to Meerabai, who was in a dilemma, and replying to her question, Tulsi advised her in a verse which meant:

"...Abandon those who cannot understand you and who do not worship Rama or Shyama, even though they are your dearest relatives. Prahlada abandoned his father; Vibhishana left his brother Ravana; Bharata deserted his mother; Bali forsook even his Guru; the women of Vraja, disowned their husbands to get to their Krishna. Their lives were all the happier for having done so. The relation with God and the love of God are the only elements that are true and eternal; all other relationships are unreal and temporary…"

One might wonder at this apparent contradiction. A layman might get confused and wonder what the right thing to do is. So drastically different the two messages are. Then what is the truth?

Master says, " there are two things; one is gross truth (स्थूल ) - something which can be seen and comprehended by limited human eyes. The other is subtle truth (सूक्ष्म )- which is not visible through naked eyes, but that doesn’t deem it from being so.” 

Let me make it simple by giving a simile-

If you were to ask me, what exactly I’m doing right now. I would say,” right now, I’m sitting on my chair, typing on the computer.”

Now, nothing can be more honest than the above sentence. But in the same breath if I was to say, " Right now I’m also going round and round in circles...” how many of you would believe me?

Whether you believe or not but that’s the fact. I am rotating at this moment. How is that possible? Well, I can scientifically prove it.

The Earth is never still! Got the idea, a school student knows this.....

Earth's rotation: the rotation of the solid Earth around its own axis. 
Earth spins steadily – and moves at a constant rate in orbit around the sun – we as an earthly passengers move right along with it.

we are rotating along with Earth

The circumference of the Earth at the equator is 25,000 miles. The Earth rotates in about 24 hours. Therefore, if you were to hang above the surface of the Earth at the equator without moving, you would see 25,000 miles pass by in 24 hours, at a speed of 25000/24 or just over 1000 miles per hour. 

Earth is also moving around the Sun at about 67,000 miles per hour.
[the above figures taken from the net]

This was a simple example to prove that something which can't be seen by physical eyes (except by astronomer) or grasped easily, is still the 'Truth'.

Human life is to progress

Let's go back to the main affirmation, by presenting the view of Swami Vivekananda, a great soul of our times.  He who spread Vedanta in the west says:

“ this world is good as far as it is a means to perfect ourselves, and as soon as it has ceased to do that it is evil, nothing but evil. So wife, children, husband, money, dollars or learning are good, as long as they help us forward; but as soon as they have ceased to do that they are nothing but evil”.

In the Manas it is given rather vehemently : Perish that property, house, happiness, friend, mother, father, or brother, who does not gladly help one turn towards Lord Rama. 

   जरउ सो संपति सदन  सुखु सुह्रद मातु पितु  भाइ I 

             सनमुख होत जो राम पद  करै न सहस सहाइ II
                                                               (AYODHYA-KANDA,185)

Here Rama also means the one ultimate Truth.

The Vedas deem the highest Truth as progression; evolution and this Human life is the best place (and only place) for achieving this. Everything else becomes subservient to this highest truth, although they are right at their own level. Sometimes to see the subtle truth we need a minuscule view, something that our normal eyesight might miss.

or like Master says: to understand the scriptures ( शास्त्रा ) we need to sit at somebodies feet.