Break ke baad!!!

Back after a rather hectic and enjoyable break.It was indeed nice to spend time with family and friends and also enjoy Pune.
Well,nothing like sitting out in the terrace with a super cup(rather ,davara tumbler) of filter coffee made in chitale cow's milk(Rao mix coffee powder from Kumaradhara),and watch the brisk morning walkers and jogger's,not to forget those walking their dog's and the hustle,bustle of kids waiting for their school buses to pick them up,and young mom's sitting with their kids,trying to see if all the homework is done and all books are in place.
I too used to be among the regular morning walkers prior to shifting base to AbuDhabi.Here in this part of the world I do for sure miss all these things specially the filter coffee,and for sure the bright and colourful morning walkers& joggers.The early morning chill breeze,and birds merrily chirping away is certainly a treat,and sure makes my day.
I did get to enjoy all this for a short period during my recent visit to Pune.My DD was here on vacation for about three weeks.After relaxing and unwinding here for about ten days we all went to Pune via mumbai,and not to miss out on the vada pav and special chai we had en route.I always wondered how they make such good tea.Mine never is that good for sure.
The main purpose of the visit was DH 's 60th birthday.
DD & myself made all the plans and how to make life easier and comfortable right from day one.We reached home around 10pm on 29th march and a very dear friend had dinner ready for us.So after a nice & homely dinner we went to the provision shop and gave him the list and he assured he would deliver them first thing in the morning.Feeling rather proud at our organisation skills we returned home and slept like babies I must say.
Sorted out a lot of things early morning itself and waited and waited and waited for the fellow to deliver the provision which he finally did only by mid day.Made lunch after that only.Evening in laws arrived and were for sure extremely happy to be with their son after a long time.Next morning my mother arrived too from Hyderabad,slowly the house was getting the festive atmosphere and I must of course thank my dear maid servant who is always there when I need her most and certainly makes life so much more easier for me.
In the midst of arranging for the big day which was 7th April we had lined up a series of visits to the doctor,but I for one had surely not imagined that out of the 11 days I was in Pune I would spend 9 days meeting doctors and running around for one test or the other,leaving my poor DD to manage the house.I am sure her vacation went for a toss from the time we landed at Pune,though I do believe taking care of grandparents is a wonderful seva, and makes them so very happy and proud of their grand daughter for sure.
7th April the function was planned as a small family function only.Ganapati homam, nakshatra homam and navagraha homam were scheduled, and were all performed very earnestly and sincerely by our very dear Vishwanatha sastrigal and enjoyed by all.
The sumptuous meal(courtsey Akhila caterers) too was enjoyed by everyone.Post lunch we had an excellent session of singing by my dear cousin's son.Some superb singing and a wonderfully melodious voice.After a rather strong cup of chai everyone dispersed and we spent a quiet evening lazing here and there.
10th April was the cake cutting birthday(the first time in 60 years) that my DH ever cut a cake.Once again we had a family get together.DD had a couple of surprises for her dad.First she bought him an excellent churidhar Kurta set,along with the stole and a diamond ring too.There was a surprise for me too,she bought me too a lovely saree. Daughters are always so dear and sweet for sure!!!The cake was egg less mango cake so that the elders could eat too,I am glad that all of them really really enjoyed the cake.We had decided on authentic maharashtrian meal for lunch which was puri, batatyachi bhaji, aamras and of course for a south Indian meal is never complete without the famous thair sadam.We had a lip smacking lunch,yum yum!!
My very dear maid was there making hot pooris for all of us,without her I am sure I could not have managed all this.So my sincere heartfelt thanks to dear dear Savitha& god bless her and her children.
Post lunch was a gossip session which was fun filled and hialrious.
After the happy times it was now time for everyone to pack bags and leave.We too had to start our packing,the holiday was over already.
So looking back I am full of gratitude to one and all who shared the happy moments with us& God Bless!!!
Jai Guru Dev!!!

Kurukshetra----Our Mind!!!!

If we sit and observe the thoughts going in our mind we will find they are mostly conflicting thoughts.The war of kurukshetra is happening at a subtle level within our minds.The characters of Mahabaharata can also be found within ourselves.The blind king Drithirashtra represents the mind which refuses to see things right.This state of mind pollutes the mind to a very great extent. Sadhana helps and guides us to recognize the righteous and unrighteous thoughts in our mind.
It is indeed impossible to remove the ego that is there in us.There is of course no use trying to remove and no need to remove ego,just let it be there in a corner.If we are aware that ego is working that itself is half the bridge crossed, I would believe.Most of the time we are unaware of our acts,our deeds,our words.
Ego is lack of right knowledge is what the Greats tell us all the time.So the right approach would be to increase our awareness,increase knowledge and most importantly to live the knowledge.Just reading or listening to lectures cannot be considered knowledge.Knowledge is when we put to use what we have read or listened to.This is also referred to as 'living the knowledge'.
When we begin to live the knowledge there is surely Love in the hearts for one and all and when we also see 'THE DIVINE' in one and all.
Enjoying the beauty of nature, the chirping of birds,the vast sky,the clouds,the rain,the sun, the clouds and every little thing that nature has to offer takes us closer to 'The Divine' and fills our hearts with love.
Let us get the Drithirashtra in us out and strive to see the Divine in All.

Jai Guru dev!!

Why War Begins!!!

The major reason for war or conflict is I believe jealousy.Conflicts and misunderstandings are a regular feature with all of us for sure.If we just sat quiet to think about the causes we would all find out that the major reason in most instances is jealousy in one form or the other.
Sage Vyasa has given this message and it is for sure relevant to all times.He illustrates this with a beautiful story:
The palace of Indraprastha was constructed by Pandavas with such an opulence so as to excite the human senses (indriyas). The architect of demons, Maya built this palace as a ‘bribe’ to Pandavas in gratitude of saving his life from the forest fire of Khandawa. The palace was built to make others mesmerized and jealous, surpassing the basic needs of a palace, a place to live.
Duryodhana came to visit this palace as an invited guest. Confused by the illusion and appearance of water on the palace floor, Duryodhana fell down flat, exposing parts of his body. At this the lady of the house, Panchali (Draupadi) instead of helping Duryodhana to get up, she laughed at him seeing his misplaced robes and partial nudity.
This moment is the seed of Mahabharatha war. Duryodhana was so angry and insulted ath this,that he decided in his mind to ridicule Panchali by disrobing her in public. It is this decision that evolved into the great war of Mahabharatha.
More often than not, we build our houses, celebrate festivals and wear special clothes all with the aim to amaze others and in the process make them jealous. The celebration of our weddings and birthday parties are all full of pomp and show just as Pandavas had their Rajasuyam. Ultimate result of such celebrations is jealousy and animosity.
Baghavad Gita has brought this out to us with such beauty and simplicity,if only all of us took a few minutes everyday to read and assimilate what has been said in the Gita we would all have such valuable and wonderful lessons for life.
Any book is usually written with the intention of imparting knowledge,once that is achieved then the book is put aside and is not of use any more. But the Baghvad Gita should not be approached with similar attitude.
Bhagavad Gita is the comprehensive summary of all scriptures, giving out the essence of 'knowledge' that is worth knowing. Gita can be imagined as a milking cow born out of all Upanishads put together. Krishna is milking the cow and Arjuna is the calf. Arjuna keeps on asking questions so that Krishna is able to milk the nectar of Gita, just as the calf would hit the mother cow’s udder to get the milk to flow. There will always be people of noble nature all over the world who will cherish the nectar of Gita just as there will be bumble bees around the Lotus flower attracted by its honey.
By properly learning Gita, a society that respects higher values can be created.
Let us resolve to read at least one shloka from the Gita everyday and develop introspection within our minds to recognise the righteous and unrighteous thoughts.

Jai Guru Dev!!!


Stay tuned for more........

What Are We Holding On To???

Yay!!yay!!!, today is a big day,completing half a century here,attempting to put down my thoughts in my own way.A sense of achievement actually.... I was feeling quite proud about myself...you know why... this will be post number 50 for me!!! So the thoughts going around in the mind were, Vow,not bad at all,in fact great,so certainly needs a bit of bragging about my scribbling skills........well alongside another thought too was present, well ,so what?? what is the big deal anyway....50 is just a number isn't it??It is no way an indication of anything other than the fact that the next post will be number 51.

Well, well, lot of conflicting and confusing thoughts in the mind as I make an attempt to write.One important and noteworthy point at this moment that comes to my mind is "what am I clinging on to'....when actually nothing belongs to me.

It is indeed funny that all the time the mind is making claims about every little thing and also wants recognition and a pat on the back all the time.More than half the life has been spent claiming ownership,being possessive about insignificant stuff and letting the mind rule and have its way,well not any more I imagine...

Had the gift of listening to a very beautiful talk on surrender last evening during the knowledge session,where offering our positives as well as negatives entirely to the divine was explained so wonderfully.When we offer our positives our positives grow more and make us stronger,and when we offer our negatives they wear off slowly and steadily and make us stronger and Rise up.I thought those were truly great words.Offering ourselves totally to the divine and making ourselves hollow and empty is surrender.In fact at one point Guruji said, well what is it that is yours anyway.. .. nothing is yours, nothing belongs to you... you are nothing....

All the great masters have been teaching this only.Buddha's teaching was "Buddham Sharanam Gacchami"!!Jesus Christ too said...."come unto me.....,Krishna in the Gita says: "Surrender to me and everything will be taken care of",in fact Krishna says "you have no option but to suurender to me",so better you do it or you will anyway have to do it.....'Manam Ekam Saranam Gacchami'....which means "I am the only way".........

So irrespective of religion,caste,creed the teachings are the same.it is important to believe there is a superior power and we need to surrender totally to that divine to be happy.

Unfortunately,we have limited the meaning of love to such trivial and mundane matters in our life,and hence the search for love and happiness is perennially on.
Love is Divine and this can be illustrated by a very beautiful example:

"The first experience as a child is pain. When we are inside the mother’s womb, we are happily floating in the water and then after some time, we have to come out through a small passage that is painful. So we cry. Little children then twist, turn and yawn as though they have done a big job. After sometime, they open their eyes and look at the mother and smile that is the first experience of love".

Be sure you have achieved real success when you have a smile and no one can take that away from you..............



Jai Guru Dev!!!!

Turning Back!!!

As I have mentioned in every other post of mine my morning walk is when I get a whole lot of ideas,memories and lots more.The last couple of weeks I have been actually wanting to jot down my good and not so good experiences of the year gone by,and looks like today is the day.


This morning the weather was wonderful,a nice cool and gentle breeze blowing and enjoyed the first half of my walk totally, admiring the beauty of mother nature and of course observing all the thoughts going through my mind.The second half was spent listening to a newly found walk acquaintance jabbering away nineteen to the dozen.On my way back,I was simply amazed at how much people love to talk and also the pride and joy when they talk about their kids.I wonder,if I have been there too in my younger days, but I'm not sure though because I can recollect my DD telling me on occasions how I am not so good on that front.Well, well, that's how I am I guess.
Anyways now back to the topic for the day.
The last year I must say has been indeed great and enriching.Have learnt a lot.After the basic course(AOL) in Feb last year there certainly is a thirst for true knowledge and have been shown so many doors that open into an absolutely stunning and mesmerising world.Listening to Baghvatha upanyasams by some really great and wonderful people.Started off with listening to Sri NV and I must say after that I am a great admirer of NV,and have had the good fortune of listening to so many of his discourses on so many subjects and of course he is responsible for creating the interest in me and DH and introducing us to the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharishi ,and I must without any doubt thank my introduction to AOL this time around, it certainly showed me direction and focus.(I did do the basic course way back in 2003 in Pune)Life has been truly inspiring ever since.Thanks to my wonderful teacher and God Bless!!

My dearest neighbour and a gem of a human being in this building taught me charcoal sketching and fabric painting,glass painting, which of course kept me engaged and also increased my interest in doing some creative work and I ended up doing quite a few of those for the home.It also gave me a true sense of satisfaction and actually I must admit I certainly felt proud about my skills.She is such a wonderful motivator and is full of ideas and ever willing to help with her valuable ideas.This has kindled my interest in Tanjore paintings which is my latest venture.

Mid year saw amma's 80th b'day celebrations which was great.My dear neighbour was the one responsible for giving me the idea about a poetry for amma. I could compile some extremely beautiful and lovely write ups, which was a major success at the birthday celebration.Needless to mention that meeting uncles, aunts, cousins after along time was lovely too.

This was the time when we were graced with Sri Krishna Premi Anna's upanyasams.We bought a whole lot of them at hyderabad.It is indeed amazing that though Sri KPA is a familiar name right from my teenage days it is only now that I actually got an opportunity to listen to his discourses,teachings.His upanyasam on Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is something I treasure,indeed amazing.Listening to all these discourses has sure changed my thought process and actually made me think and ponder about the purpose of Life.

Guruji always says Celebrate life,and I am now actually able to understand what was being said.I can feel that indeed everyday is a celebration and it is not necessary to look for occasion to celebrate.

Around this time amma took really really ill suddenly,which was sort of unbeievable because have always seen her and known her as a very very strong person and one who has survived many turbulent and stormy times in life.It was indeed very very painful for me to see amma in that state, but these are times when the teachings of the great come to our assistance and I could feel it for sure.Very often we have heard that old age is second childhood but I could actually see that in amma and even today every time I talk with her on phone I am able to feel that. But again even today it is hard to digest that the she aged so suddenly.Anyways,Thank God she is better now.

Once again was given another extremely great experience with the Advanced course happening here in Mussafah and us deciding to take that was another important milestone I imagine in my life.It was an unimaginably great experience and I am filled with gratitude for Guruji.I do firmly believe that everything happens only by the Grace of God&Guru.

At this point I must mention that only after the advanced course was I introduced to the ladies prayer group.My first day was another lovely experience.As I entered the house where the shloka was scheduled for that day I was greeted with two Life size pictures of Sai baba which like left me speechless for a moment.(I had been trying to find out about the local sai bajhan group for almost a year)Needless to mention that the Grace is always there on all of us only we need to be 'AWARE'.
I went with a happy frame of mind and there I was presented with some more joy.
Another wonderful person whom I came to know in the last year was Sri Vithaldas Maharaj,his bajhans and his rendering of Bhakta Vijayam is something that cannot be put down in words.It is certainly an excellent start for the day.

From then on life has been indeed a blessing,and everyday is a celebration in itself and full of experiences.

Thank you is I am sure a very small word for all that I have gained in this one year.......

Jai Guru Dev!!!!