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!

9 days Ram Katha

9 days of katha !  “And you try to go to as many as you can?” someone asked me. Yes, I replied.  

It’s very difficult to make people understand ‘why’, about the things which are close to our heart. Especially, when there is no monetary benefit coming out of it. Most of us do not understand the point of “following one’s heart”. Seeing someone actually doing it always brings skepticism and speculations. 

                                      

I call it a Big Blessing, to be able to do what I love- travel with  katha.

I state few perceivable rewards below (the incomprehensible ones can't be put in words):-

 A katha rejuvenates me: in the same way as a walk, a spa, a yoga session or a short holiday break works for others. I get the benefit of all the above in one katha. I get to see new places. Sitting for 3-4 hours, squatting down on the floor (in typical Indian style) gives me what a yoga session does to others. Does one stop, after one yoga class or after couple of days of morning walk? No, it becomes a part of life. 
Katha is part of my life now. 

Katha shows me the real India: having grown up in a cosmopolitan city, I would have  never seen places like Hastinapur, Buxar, Gorakhpur, Umreth, besides many others. I certainly take more pride in my own country and culture now. Of course, we need to do lots of improvement. However, that’s another topic.

katha  has taught me tolerance: towards people & situations / conditions. Traveling in the remote corners of India I have learnt to accept varied living conditions. My fussiness has been replaced by gratitude,for the smallest  things. A clean bed and bath is now a reason enough to thank God!

Katha changes the outlook towards life totally: the next job promotion, the  next pay hike, the new car… etc, does not remain the top priority. I feel like a gypsy or a wandering Sadhu, in the caravan of this world. I am learning to cherish each day    as it comes.

In Buddhism, they say - Buddham sharanam gachami…. 

For me its:     Sri Ramchandram sharanam prapadhe; 

                   Sri Ramdutam sharanam prapadhe; 

                 Sri Ramkatha sharanam prapadhe.

                                                      ۩

Master puts it in a beautiful manner. He quotes a small incidence: 

A vegetable vendor is sprinkling water over his vegetables. When asked about it he replies, “I am sprinkling water to keep my veggies fresh.”

Katha does the same for us- it’s a sprinkle on our being, to keeps us fresh, day after day.

Master also calls it a mirror. Don’t we all look in the mirror from time to time, to see ourselves?

He says katha acts like a mirror. We go to katha, to see if we’re doing fine. Ram Katha is a mirror to look into our own self.