Marag - the Path

                                                               

The path one chooses ...                                                                                                                                                         

                                                         



You might have wondered where i got lost. Well, every journey has twists and turns, ups and downs, highs and lows...its same with my journey too! 
My learning's all this time have been amazing never-the-less. 

First, if you ever have doubts or any question marks on your journey, its best to get them answered and cleared before going ahead. Like they say, "don't push the arguments and questions under the carpet, face them and deal with them".
I dealt with mine and have come back with stronger conviction and faith.

Second, for long i have been contemplating about writing my blog in my own mother tongue, Hindi. But English reaches a wider audience. So, have decided of having a good mixture of both.

Third, one needs to be very careful of Ahankara / ego, as mentioned in my last blog entry. 
RamCharit Manas says:

" अहंकार अति दुखद डमरूआ … 

                                 ( उत्तरकाण्ड II 120 II )        

 [ Egotism is the most painful disease, a type of gout.]

                  

Frankly, if we stay under the shelter of our SadGuru, there is no need to worry. He will shun and eliminate the smallest of ego sprouting out.    

Mean time, the katha at Mumbai was about marg, which simply means Path.
Our scriptures have talked about various paths - Gyan marg, karma marg, Pushti marg etc, etc. after listening and reading about all of them, the easiest seems the Bhakti marg , devotion or simply put the path of love.

" राम ही केवल प्रेम प्यारा ...
Rama sees only the love, the devotion.

 In the last saupan , it is clearly said,

 पुरुष नपुंसक नारी वा जीव चराचर कोई I
 सर्व भाव भज कपट तजि मोही परम प्रिय सोइ II
                                             ( उत्तरकाण्ड - 87 )        
[ Be it man, woman, or one lacking the characteristics of both, or any living being of the animate or inanimate world- the whole world is my creation. But the one who adores me, without being shrewd and crafty, is most dear to me.]

As for me, my own preferred marg is SadGuru Himself.

Just like Master said - " गुरु ही मार्ग हो "
                                    " let Guru be your path"

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.] 

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.

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.   

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.  
                         
   

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

Ram Katha: Jerusalem

Yes, it actually happened ! i don't think it has ever happened before, that is: Ram Katha at Jerusalem.

Master's message: Satya,Prem, Karuna!...why all this fighting when all the religions teach  LOVE.

One of the highlight; the Mayor of the old city came and spoke in her short address, welcoming all in that holy land.

katha venue; Zedekiah's Cave 

...people from all around the world  

nine day Ram katha at Jerusalem 

Hanumanji  presiding over the Vyaspeeth

 entering the cave is like entering a different era

   
see more pics:

why write-II

Didn't feel satisfied after, why write-I, had a feeling i need to say some more....!

One thing which needs little light here is: for me its writing, for you it could be singing, dancing, designing, painting, cooking, whatever; anything which gives you peace, which gives you joy and which gives you satisfaction. It could be one thing or set of things: like for me its listening to Ram katha, travelling along with it and writing.

Master has said : " certificate from others can't be our true identity. The one who loves us will exaggerate  praises and who has enmity towards us will speak not in a very favorable manner. Our true identity is what our inner-self, our conscience says !

So don't bother about these frivolous certificates (read, what others say) ;
Be what you are and what you want to be .....just keep one thing in mind. Whatever you do, do it with love, with all your heart. Coz'  love will make it come alive, will give it soul.

Read a beautiful letter written by an artist to another artist friend, a must read for all those creative people taking their baby steps on the path, this is for all of us-

"..... Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, grasping,…Stop it and just DO!…Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world. If you fear, make it work for you – draw & paint your fear and anxiety…You must practice being stupid, dumb, unthinking, empty. Then you will be able to DO!…Try to do some BAD work – the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell – you are not responsible for the world – you are only responsible for your work – so DO IT. And don’t think that your work has to conform to any preconceived form, idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be…when you work or before your work you have to empty you [sic] mind and concentrate on what you are doing. After you do something it is done and that’s that. After a while you can see some are better than others but also you can see what direction you are going. I’m sure you know all that. You also must know that you don’t have to justify your work – not even to yourself. "

:(excerpted from a letter from Sol Lewitt to Eva Hesse)