Godly Offering...

I was heading into the kitchen to prepare Karah Parshad when my 4 year young daughter Kaynaat said she wanted to learn the way it is made. So I took her along and made her sit on the kitchen counter whilst I started to set things up. Alongside explaining recipe, I added the requisite amount of Desi Ghee in the pan. And as it started to melt, the following conversation ensued: 

Kaynaat: Uh Oh! Papa, why is this Ghee looking different from the Ghee you showed me in the jar? 

Lokesh: Nah, it is the same Ghee. See, earlier it was thick whitish, on heating it has become yellowish in colour and has become more fluid. Gullo, everything changes its properties on heating. Some change mass, some change colour; some others have a change in their quantity. 

Kaynaat: Everything?

Lokesh: Well, yeah. For example, this Dairy Milk Chocolate you bought last evening, if we are to heat this chocolate now, it will change shape and mass. On melting, this chocolate will become fluid rather than the solid it is now, and maybe there will be a slight change in the colour as well. 

Kaynaat: Does water changes colour too on heating?

Lokesh: No, it doesn’t. But it evaporates.

Kaynaat: Evaporates? What’s that?

Lokesh: Baby, you will understand the evaporation phenomenon once you grow up but for now let me explain it to you in a converse way. Have you seen ice cubes in the freezer? It is water too, but solidified. If we heat it, the ice will melt and become water again. On freezing, the water will expand again. We can refreeze it, again melt it, this can go on and on. Like a game… 

Kaynaat: Ha Ha Ha… Kool… :-)

Lokesh: Got it?

Kaynaat: Haan Ji, Yes…

Lokesh: Good job… Muaaaah… 

___________________________________________

Human relationships, much alike the water, are imperative for healthy living. At times every relationship will have its heated arguments which in turn will lead us into the freeze mode, but this process is reversible. Alike water, the relationships too change their density and reflection every time this now warm, now cold process is repeated but the volume remains the same. As long as it is a constructive natural process, no-one loses. But just as the water will evaporate on boiling point and even on cooling will not retain the same volume, similar is the fate of our relationships too. And repeated boiling simply evaporates all that was once there. Then it is not reversible for humans, only nature decides when, where and why the evaporated vapours will drop in the form of rain. 

___________________________________________

P.S. Evaporation is an essential part of the water cycle. The sun or the solar energy drives evaporation of water from oceans, lakes, moisture in the soil, and other sources of water, allowing molecules to escape and form water vapour; these vapour then rise up and form clouds which in turn bring bliss to the parched lands in the form of rains. Kapish! 

And since nothing in The Universe happens without reason, the evaporation process in relationships happens for a reason too.  It is an essential part of our learning cycle and is much needed for our soul to travel until it finally reaches out to its parched soul twin. 

Happy journey…  

Your soul job and sole job is to find approval of God, not from people...

Understand that what you do is your karma, how others respond is their karma. Don't seek approval from without but only from within. A king doesn't becomes pauper just because someone says so and a pauper doesn't becomes a king merely by others saying so. Only God decides it. Don't surrender to the opinions of people but only surrender to God's will. The only thing that you need to pay heed is God's voice, the conscience, the inner voice. Always look at the bigger picture. Always aspire to do what takes you closer to God, not what people approve of. Your soul job and sole job is to find approval of God, not from people. Everyone responds to their own inner voice, so do your karma, that is the dharma, and then let go and let God.

__________________________________

The Lord's humble servant sings the Glorious Praises of the Lord's Name. Even if someone slanders the Lord's humble servant, he does not give up his own goodness. Whatever the Lord and Master does, He does by Himself; the Lord Himself does the deeds. The Lord and Master Himself imparts understanding; the Lord Himself inspires us to speak. The Lord Himself directs the evolution of the world of the five elements; He Himself infuses the five senses into it. O servant Nanak, the Lord Himself unites us with the True Guru; He Himself resolves the conflicts.

Har jan rām nām gun gāvai.
Je ko▫ī ninḏ kare har jan kī apunā gun na gavāvai.
Jo kicẖẖ kare so āpe su▫āmī har āpe kār kamāvai.
Har āpe hī maṯ ḏevai su▫āmī har āpe bol bulāvai.
Har āpe pancẖ ṯaṯ bisthārā vicẖ ḏẖāṯū pancẖ āp pāvai.
Jan Nānak saṯgur mele āpe har āpe jẖagar cẖukẖāvai.

हरि जनु राम नाम गुन गावै
जे कोई निंद करे हरि जन की अपुना गुनु न गवावै
जो किछु करे सु आपे सुआमी हरि आपे कार कमावै
हरि आपे ही मति देवै सुआमी हरि आपे बोलि बुलावै
हरि आपे पंच ततु बिसथारा विचि धातू पंच आपि पावै
जन नानक सतिगुरु मेले आपे हरि आपे झगरु चुकावै

ਹਰਿ ਜਨੁ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਵੈ
ਜੇ ਕੋਈ ਨਿੰਦ ਕਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਕੀ ਅਪੁਨਾ ਗੁਨੁ ਨ ਗਵਾਵੈ
ਜੋ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਰੇ ਸੁ ਆਪੇ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਕਾਰ ਕਮਾਵੈ
ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਮਤਿ ਦੇਵੈ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਬੋਲਿ ਬੁਲਾਵੈ
ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਪੰਚ ਤਤੁ ਬਿਸਥਾਰਾ ਵਿਚਿ ਧਾਤੂ ਪੰਚ ਆਪਿ ਪਾਵੈ
ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮੇਲੇ ਆਪੇ ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਝਗਰੁ ਚੁਕਾਵੈ

~Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji~

The idea is to live and let live, not die and make die…

Is being in a bad marriage and spending a lifetime on working things out better than a divorce? Or is divorce better than bad marriage?

Isn’t is too obvious that bad marriages creates even worse family environment for children as compared to the family environment created by divorced parents. Isn’t it better for the kids to see happy parents rather than fighting parents. Besides, world needs happy individuals and happy marriages, not marriages for the sake of marriages. 

Kids are way much smarter than the adults give them credit. They learn more from what they see than what they are told. Unfortunately the only thing kids unconsciously learn seeing their parents sticking in a pretentious relationship is pretentiousness. 

Is it really a dream of any parent, to see a child be anything but real, to self and to world?

Even for the couple, isn’t is pointless living a life sans any understanding, sans any passion. The idea is to live and let live, not die and make die. The purpose of life is to feel alive as long as you live, not to be dead until you die. Understand that sacrifice isn’t necessarily a virtue and happiness isn’t a sin.

Dear God, Dear Universe, Bless one and all, that everyone lives their life fully, passionately, and with an intensity of purpose. Amen.

And in the end...

Jaise uthta hai juaari haar ke sab kuch leke jebein khaali...
Vaise hi milne jaayenge Khuda se hum bann ke sawaali...

Alike a gambler who leaves the casino empty handed on losing everything, we will depart from this world with nothing except the name of God.

Ŧū ṯẖākur ṯum pėh arḏās.

You are our Lord and Master; to You, I offer this prayer.
This body and soul are all Your property.
You are our mother and father; we are Your children.
In Your Grace, there are so many joys!
No one knows Your limits.
O Highest of the High, Most Generous God,
the whole creation is strung on Your thread.
That which has come from You is under Your Command.
You alone know Your state and extent.
Nanak, Your slave, is forever a sacrifice. ||8||4||
__________________________

Ŧū ṯẖākur ṯum pėh arḏās.
Jī▫o pind sabẖ ṯerī rās.
Ŧum māṯ piṯā ham bārik ṯere.
Ŧumrī kirpā mėh sūkẖ gẖanere.
Ko▫e na jānai ṯumrā anṯ.
Ūcẖe ṯe ūcẖā bẖagvanṯ.
Sagal samagrī ṯumrai suṯir ḏẖārī.
Ŧum ṯe ho▫e so āgi▫ākārī.
Ŧumrī gaṯ miṯ ṯum hī jānī.
Nānak ḏās saḏā kurbānī. ||8||4||
__________________________

ਤੂ ਠਾਕੁਰੁ ਤੁਮ ਪਹਿ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ॥
ਜੀਉ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਸਭੁ ਤੇਰੀ ਰਾਸਿ ॥
ਤੁਮ ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਹਮ ਬਾਰਿਕ ਤੇਰੇ ॥
ਤੁਮਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਮਹਿ ਸੂਖ ਘਨੇਰੇ ॥
ਕੋਇ ਨ ਜਾਨੈ ਤੁਮਰਾ ਅੰਤੁ ॥
ਊਚੇ ਤੇ ਊਚਾ ਭਗਵੰਤ ॥
ਸਗਲ ਸਮਗ੍ਰੀ ਤੁਮਰੈ ਸੂਤ੍ਰਿ ਧਾਰੀ ॥
ਤੁਮ ਤੇ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਆਗਿਆਕਾਰੀ ॥
ਤੁਮਰੀ ਗਤਿ ਮਿਤਿ ਤੁਮ ਹੀ ਜਾਨੀ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਦਾਸ ਸਦਾ ਕੁਰਬਾਨੀ ॥੮॥੪॥
__________________________

तू ठाकुरु तुम पहि अरदासि ॥
जीउ पिंडु सभु तेरी रासि ॥
तुम मात पिता हम बारिक तेरे ॥
तुमरी क्रिपा महि सूख घनेरे ॥
कोइ न जानै तुमरा अंतु ॥
ऊचे ते ऊचा भगवंत ॥
सगल समग्री तुमरै सूत्रि धारी ॥
तुम ते होइ सु आगिआकारी ॥
तुमरी गति मिति तुम ही जानी ॥
नानक दास सदा कुरबानी ॥८॥४॥
__________________________

This sacred prayer is a part of Sukhmani Sahib and appears on the page
number 268 of Guru Granth Sahib Ji
The complete Sukhmani Sahib spans 35 pages from page 262 to page 296
of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji
http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?S=y

The Loophole...

Lokesh: Boss, there's got to be a loophole...


God: Huh! Where?


Lokesh: In the Karmic Guidebook of the Final Accounting. 


God: Sure the popular opinion on you is that you are obnoxious, yet you don't have to prove it right by constantly being silliness personified. Tell me, how in The Universe can anyone ever outmanoeuvre ME?


Lokesh: I don't know how, I really don’t. But all around me I see several, in fact most of the self-proclaimed wise, incessantly seeking and ceaselessly procuring assets, fame, money, property. So believe you me, maybe there is a sly route functioning without your knowledge that from where all which has been accumulated in the earthen sphere is getting smuggled out of this world...


God: Are you on dope?


Lokesh: Nah, you know I don't do drugs, and the high is only because of your grace. But I am giving you an insider dope, I comprehend that you are omnipresent yet believe you me, maybe without your explicit consent there is an escape route which has escaped your scrutiny. I mean if not all of the billions amassed, certainly a percentage of wealth from this mass, say 1%, must be getting transferred with the accumulator in the final journey...


God: Don't be nonsensical. Not even an iota goes along with you when you die. Humans have misconstrued wealth as paper money, or silver, or gold, but it is an absolute false notion. The actual riches are those that I sent along with your soul to this earth. Were you able to lay bare your soul and make those riches grow? Forget about flaunting your materialistic possessions; were you able to illuminate someone’s darkness with your light? Health is the real wealth, were you able to stay fit, be it emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually? The only riches you take along is the amount of good you did for others, not the amount of balance you left in your domestic and overseas bank accounts. All that The Universe is interested in is your intent and deeds, not how much money you made. We settle the Karmic balance-sheet and not the Karmic balance-shit.


Lokesh: OK, so you say no to banks, and I get it, but what about the land-banks? Surely you are bound to offer me a better accommodation up in the Cosmos if I die with more properties in my name. 


God: Ha Ha... Whoa… I am bound to offer... Hahahaha... So apparently you have forgotten that I am boundless...


Lokesh: Oops, sincerest apologies my Lord. Please forgive me for all those times that knowingly or unknowingly I erroneously have undermined your authority. One last question though, what is your frame on fame? I mean is there a VIP or a VVIP treatment reserved for those who are popular than someone like me who's merely a signpost without a PR?


God: LMUO (for the uninitiated, LMUO is an acronym for Laughing My Universe Off). Son, this isn’t a TV channel and I didn’t design you to play a trivial part in some retrograding regressive afternoon soap opera. The Universe is not bothered by your popularity or the lack of it. Only your honesty or lack of it is a bother for the Cosmos. If you have the balls to be and stay real without falling into the traps of sycophancy, Universe will accept it as highest score on popularity. 


Lokesh: Alright!


God: Now wake up, will you? It’s morning already.


Lokesh: I am absolutely awake, thanks for the awakening.

~Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild~

I'd like to repeat the advice that I gave you before, in that I think you really should make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt.

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future.

The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.

If you want to get more out of life, Ron, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty. And so, Ron, in short, get out of Salton City and hit the Road. I guarantee you will be very glad you did.

But I fear that you will ignore my advice.

You think that I am stubborn, but you are even more stubborn than me. You had a wonderful chance on your drive back to see one of the greatest sights on earth, the Grand Canyon, something every American should see at least once in his life. But for some reason incomprehensible to me you wanted nothing but to bolt for home as quickly as possible, right back to the same situation which you see day after day after day. I fear you will follow this same inclination in the future and thus fail to discover all the wonderful things that God has placed around us to discover.

Don't settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon. You are still going to live a long time, Ron, and it would be a shame if you did not take the opportunity to revolutionize your life and move into an entirely new realm of experience.

You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience. We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional living.

My point is that you do not need me or anyone else around to bring this new kind of light in your life. It is simply waiting out there for you to grasp it, and all you have to do is reach for it.

The only person you are fighting is yourself and your stubbornness to engage in new circumstances.

~Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild~

Sitaron se aage jahan aur bhi hain... Allama Iqbal...

Sitaron se aage jahan aur bhi hain 

Abhi ishq ke imtehan aur bhi hain 

Tahi zindagi se nahin ye fizayen

Yahan siakdon karwaan aur bhi hain

Khana’at na kar aalam-e-rang-o-bu par

Chaman aur bhi aashiyaan aur bhi hain

Agar kho gaya ek nasheman to kya ghum

Maqmat-e-aah-o-fughaan aur bhi hain

Tu shaheen hai parvwaaz hai kaam tera 

Tere saamne aasmaan aur bhi hain 

Isi roz-o-shab main ulajh kar na rah ja 

Ke tere zameen par makaan aur bhi hain 

Gaye din ke tanha tha main anjuman mein 

Yahaan ab mere raazdaan aur bhi hain  

~Allama Iqbal~

________________________________________

Translation:

Beyond the stars there are worlds more

Our quest yet has more tests to pass

This existence alone does not matter

There are boundless journeys more

Do not rest on what you have

There are paradises more to explore

Why worry if you have lost one abode

There are a million addresses to claim

You are the falcon, your passion is flight

And you have skies more to transcend

Lose not yourself in the cycle of days and nights

Within your reach are feats even more

Gone is the day when I was lonesome in the crowd

Today those who resonate my thoughts are more

Bothersome... Bother some...

☐ Your account has been compromised.

☐ Your life has been compromised.

Which of the two is more bothersome?

When someone hacks into an email account, we immediately rush to run an anti-virus, change the password, and make every possible effort to get back the control of the account. Yet we go in stupor when someone hacks into the happiness, in life per se? Why?

Don't let the inertia get the better of you, take control of your life. Do whatever is needed, no matter how hard, how disagreeable it may appear, in order to gain, or re-gain equilibrium in life.

Good luck... Rabb rakha...

I, Me, Myself... No apology offered...

deewane ke nakab yahan sayaane libaaso se kuch kam hai...
na taareef ka ghulam hoon, na mujhe gaali ka gham hai...

I insanely sport infinite masks yet only too few...
Masquerading the sanity, some sane here are too...
Success doesn't rules me 'n failure doesn't deter...
Neither do I seek the praise, nor the abuses can hurt...

___________________________________

You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one.

~John Wooden~

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to your courage. ~Anais Nin~

My 4 year young angel Kaynaat's first day in her new class 'n several of her classmates, including Kayu, seemed trifle overwhelmed and tearful. This despite continuing with the same circle of friends but in a new classroom and with new teachers.

Truly, new atmosphere appears intimidating not just for kids but even for adults and that's the single biggest reason why most people prefer to stick in familiarity however mundane it may be and not aspire for the undiscovered treasure.

And this is where these kids inspire the biggest lesson for all adults, that although it may take a day, two or even more but surely one finds their own groove, because in order to grow, you must outgrow the fears and be willing to move to the next level.

God bless 'em.
Lokesh Grover
Pin: 21E6AD5B
+919910192828
+919810192828
facebook.com/lokesh.grover
(Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel)

Chinese Bamboo... ~Aleph, Paulo Coelho~

I start by telling her a story.

"A man stumbles and falls into a deep hole. He asks a passing priest to help him out. The priest blesses him and walks on. Hours later, a doctor comes by. The man asks for help, but the doctor merely studies his injuries from afar, writes him a prescription and tells him to buy the medicine from the nearest pharmacy. Finally, a complete stranger appears. Again the man asks for help, and the stranger jumps in the hole. "Now what are we going to do?" says the man. "Now both of us are trapped down here." To which the stranger replies: " No we're not. I am from around here and I know how to get out.""

"Meaning", asks Monica.

"That I need strangers like that," I explain. "My roots are ready, but I will only manage to grow with the help of others. Not just you or J or my wife, but people I have never met. I am sure of that."

~Aleph; Paulo Coelho explaining the Chinese Bamboo to Monica, his agent. Apparently the Chinese Bamboo spends five years as a little shoot, using that time to develop its root system. And, then from one moment to the next, it puts on a spurt and grows up to twenty five meters high.~
Lokesh Grover
Pin: 21E6AD5B
+919910192828
+919810192828
facebook.com/lokesh.grover
(Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel)

50 Ways To Make Yourself Miserable

50 Ways To Make Yourself Miserable

What Not To Do/be

Most of the articles in HealthMoneySuccess.com are how to articles that teaches you how to set things right but today I will be writing on things that you should avoid instead of doing.

http://www.healthmoneysuccess.com/892/50-ways-to-make-yourself-miserable/

So here goes the 50 ways to make yourself miserable.

1. Compare yourself frequently with others.
2. Belittle yourself.
3. Don’t believe in dreams.  You believe dreams will only happen when you are sleeping.
4. Say yes to everybody and everything.
5. Work in a job you hate.
6. Complain about everything.
7. Complain about everything to your friends.
8. Suspicious of everything.
9. Counting your troubles.
10. Harbor negative thoughts.
11. Trying to please everyone and let everyone walk all over you.
12. Constantly thinking about the past.
13. Constantly thinking about the future.
14. Focusing on what you lack.
15. Focusing on what you don’t want.
16. Need others to validate you constantly.
17. Think of everything that can possibly go wrong in your life. 
18. Get jealous easily.
19. Envious of others and is never grateful of what you have instead.
20. Imitating others due to lack of self confidence.
21. Lacking self esteem and cause others to dislike you.
22. Think the world revolves around you.
23. Judging others.
24. Absorbing all the bad news in the papers daily.
25. Eating junk food.
26. Exercising is your worst nightmare.
27. Believe that things can only go your way.
28. Do not accept others opinion.
29. Lack of sleep.
30. Lack of goals.
31. Worry consistently about the sky is falling.
32. Plan but never take action.
33. Fail to plan.
34. Feel that people around you are all jerks.
35. Thinking there is no purpose in living.
36. Being the “If Man”. If my father is  the president, then I will be successful. If ____ then I will be _____. (fill in the blanks)
37. Lottery is the only way to success.
38. Trying to control everything that you can’t control.
39. Expect to be appreciated.
40. Expect others to be grateful to you.
41. Never forget about criticism.
42. Hate people around you to be successful.
43. Shirk responsibilities.
44. Receive and never give.
45. Do things that are easy.
46. Overworking.
47. Never forgive.
48. Never give your best effort in things you do.
49. Perfectionism.
50. Choosing to be miserable.

Parting Words

These are 50 ways that can definitely make ourselves miserable and are you committing any mistakes in the list above?

Vincent

Personal Development Blogger

http://www.healthmoneysuccess.com/892/50-ways-to-make-yourself-miserable/

To pee, or not to pee...

So on April Fools’ Day, which according to the opinionated wise and their biases, may they live long, can also be my claim to fame as an alternate birthdate, Star World celebrated by airing "The Big Bang Theory" for 12 nonstop hours.

In an episode aired that day, Sheldon is frantically knocking on the bathroom door whilst Leonard is already in the shower with Priya. Asked by Leonard the reason for this emergency, Sheldon responds, “Mathematical emergency, 32 ounce banana smoothie, 16 ounce bladder”. And the roommate agreement to which both Leonard and Sheldon are a party must be suspended in an event of force majeure since Sheldon was facing a very majeure force building in.

As I laughed my dumb numb ass off, I wholeheartedly agreed with Sheldon’s math, and also with his need, both were fair enough. After all, a man gotta pee when he has to pee.

Thankfully, Priya agreed too, “Oh Leonard, let the man pee!” Epic, I say!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x85FVkxzy-M

The next morning as I was reading an online article on Alfred Hitchcock, I found a gem of his advisory, “The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.”

Yes sire, absolutely and truly so. Either the story be captivating enough for the patron to gladly and wilfully hold on to his pee staying glued where he is lest he misses an important twist, or if it isn’t, then with all due respect, no-one with an urge to pee will wait for an intermission or the end. After all, the call of nature takes precedence over everything else.

Well said Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock. Bravo!

This got me thinking.

To pee, or not to pee!

*Yeah, I do comprehend that according to the wise men, “thinking for me” is an absolutely blasphemous notion, why et all must I ever indulge in it, but you see, thinking too is alike pee, ab aa gayi toh aa gayi bhaiya, kya karein, control hi nahin hota! And over this gustakhi of twisting Hamlet, I must seek pardon from thou Sir William Shakespeare tau. And the standard disclaimer as always about no pun ever intended. As always, all puns are “unintentional”.*  

So as I was saying, yes indeed, if the muscles that control the bladder get weak, Doctors advise bladder control exercises or Kegel exercises as they are known, to strengthen the pelvic muscles that support the bladder, and in turn assisting in making them strong again.

Or if the pace, place and protocol so demand it, for example in the middle of a prayer, a man can hold onto the urge to pee as long as he can endure with his freewill and wait for the right break to take the leak-break.

But under no circumstances can someone be asked to withhold the pee forever. I mean, just because one can hold it for half hour doesn’t necessarily imply that he can hold it for another minute more. No sire, absolutely no way! Beyond a certain point every attempt to go against nature can even become life threatening.

Take a hike kegal, it is a right, and rightfully legal, lest hypertension from the stress to hold on and the retention in the kidneys leads to an eventual fatality. The man has no choice, you see. Either he wets his pants in public or takes a leak in the privacy of a loo, but after a while, to pee is imminent. Kapish!

This is same with anything toxic in life, be it anger, hatred, jealously, negativity, or whatever. If one doesn’t let go, it can result in an instant or slow death. If I strive to be to be in good balanced health by keeping fit, be it emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually, it then is absolutely imperative for me to let go of all that is toxic from my life.

But my call of nature isn’t a call to any of you too; let’s not crowd the bathroom for no reason other than a genuine reason. No two situations are same and one shoe size doesn’t fit all, everyone has to find out on their own if there’s anything toxic within or without that needs to let go. And if there is, then let it go.

My life, my decision, and your life, your decisions. As simple and profound as that.

Believe you me; there is no machoism in holding on to pee, only masochism. Save yourself, hold the pee when the need be but learn to let go after a while.

Good luck and God bless.

Kahlil Gibran on Love...

Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) was born to a Maronite Catholic family on January 6, 1883 in Besharri, Lebanon, a scenic town nestled in the mountains near the Cedars of Lebanon. He began writing in Lebanon, and spent many years of his life in the United States. Following his death on April 10, 1931, his body was buried in his hometown of Besharri, where a museum preserves his writings and paintings.

His most famous book of poetry is The Prophet, published by AA Knopf of New York in 1923. Other writings include The Forerunner (1920), Sand and Foam (1926), Jesus The Son of Man (1928), and the Wanderer (1932). The Prophet has sold nearly ten million copies through the years, has been reprinted over 100 times, and has been translated into twenty languages. Kahlil Gibran has captured the human spirit in this exceptional work. This selection from the Prophet is on Love.

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When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

---------------------------------------

It's exactly how it is, isn't it?

'Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love.'

Beautiful...

Drink... And Drive...

Forget what the law states, I say that you drink and drive. Stop rubbing your eyes in glee, you read that correct, go ahead, drink and drive.

Drink water, that is.

Drink plenty. And I mean plenty. It is absolutely lawful (which incidentally rhymes with awful and that certainly is a misnomer here), and is 100% safe.

Water not only replenishes the oxygen supply to your body cells (which BTW, not same as the AA or AAA cells, you aren't a remote control, are you?), but also that the more water you drink, the more it purifies the skin (just as positive thinking purifies the soul, but spiritual talk some other day, one journey at a time), giving you a much healthier and younger looking skin.

FYI, do not wait until you feel thirsty before you drink water; as you age you become less sensitive to your body's craving for water and more sensitive at the mere mention of aging per se (now don't flare your nostrils, I know I am absolutely incorrigible, but I am what I am, and this ain't about me but about you). Kapish.

Statistically speaking, your body, sexy as it is, is made up of about 70% water. And when you drink water, you replenish the very stuff of which you are made of, by putting more of the most important substance back into your body. So whether it is the blood, or the brain (yup, water wahan bhi hai, tabhi toh chemical locha hota hai :-|, elementary, ain't it?) or the muscles in your body, all of them have and need a lot of water. Sirf aapka dil hi nahin, aapka blood, brain and muscles bhi maange more.

Understand that water not only regulates your body temperature (yes, you are hot, please stop drifting, I do not refer to your oomph quotient), but also helps to remove the waste (crap, am needlessly drawing a picture, you are already privy to this leaked info, aren't you?), and thus keeps the body functional and moving. Get moving. Go get a glass of water rightaway. I kid you not about kidney matters. Never ever.

It is vital to comprehend that water is vital to retain the vital nutrients (yup, grammatical harakiri, repeated vital thrice in the same sentence, but what the heck, meri marzi!), and effectively the body works more efficiently.

But that's not all, here is the new and improved (ah! the cliché) buy 1 get 1 free wala offer that you desperately seek. Drinking water will help you loose weight too. Because you eat less as your cutu petu is already filled up. And not only loose weight, but it also help in keeping your body slightly alkaline in its chemistry. This is really important, because according to the science journals, all cancers are caused by internal inflammation, and that inflammation is sparked and fueled by an acidic internal environment. Pray, please bring this healthier change into your internal environment even if you are or aren't much bothered about the changes in the external environment. Promise?

Hope by now you have realized that water is the miraculous energy drink that you have been having daily. Alas, yet some of you don't believe in the miracles per se! But what to do, c'est la vie, such is life.

Like I goaded you in the beginning, please drink and drive (towards good health). Cheers!

Good luck and God bless.

*And I fade in the background singing "paani paani re, yeh thi teri kahaani re", Adieu!*

~The Laughing Heart; Charles Bukowski~

Your life is your life.

Don't let it be clubbed into dank submission. Be on the watch, there are ways out, there is a light somewhere.

It may not be much light but it beats the darkness.

Be on the watch.

The gods will offer you chances. Know them. Take them.

You can't beat death but you can beat death in life, sometimes, and the more often you learn to do it, the more light there will be.

Your life is your life.

Know it while you have it.

You are marvelous, the Gods wait to delight in you.

~The Laughing Heart; Charles Bukowski~

~Kahlil Gibran; On Good and Evil~

You are good when you strive to give of yourself.
Yet you are not evil when you seek gain for yourself.
For when you strive for gain you are but a root that clings to the earth and sucks at her breast.
Surely the fruit cannot say to the root, "Be like me, ripe and full and ever giving of your abundance."
For to the fruit giving is a need, as receiving is a need to the root.

You are good when you are fully awake in your speech,
Yet you are not evil when you sleep while your tongue staggers without purpose.
And even stumbling speech may strengthen a weak tongue.

You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps.
Yet you are not evil when you go thither limping. Even those who limp go not backward.
But you who are strong and swift, see that you do not limp before the lame, deeming it kindness.

You are good in countless ways, and you are not evil when you are not good,
You are only loitering and sluggard.
Pity that the stags cannot teach swiftness to the turtles.

In your longing for your giant self lies your goodness: and that longing is in all of you.
But in some of you that longing is a torrent rushing with might to the sea, carrying the secrets of the hillsides and the songs of the forest. And in others it is a flat stream that loses itself in angles and bends and lingers before it reaches the shore.
But let not him who longs much say to him who longs little, "Wherefore are you slow and halting?"
For the truly good ask not the naked, "Where is your garment?" nor the houseless, "What has befallen your house?"

~Kahlil Gibran; On Good and Evil~

Soul mate...

A soul mate is someone with who you experience a deep intimate spiritual connection, a profound synchronicity. 

Upon your first meeting you feel as if you have known each other for years, and there's a feeling of being able to relax and fully be yourself. You feel like you can share with your soul mate what your life is about without editing your words in any way. 

There are many people on the planet who can be your soul mate, who may fit you like a glove and you can have this deeper profound loving connection with them. 

However, if you carry any wounds from the past intimate relationships, they will block the manifestion for that loving person you want to be with. The negative experiences from the past penetrate our heart deeper than we realize and reveal. And in turn create a shield of defense that doesn't allow in any pain or feelings of being loved, blocking both the positive and negative experiences from happening, leaving you completely numb and lacking personal intimate relationships. 

The melting and healing of these walls is an imperative key to healing your life and reconnecting with your soul mate. And on melting, it will drench even an impermeable gone stone cold heart.

But first, you have to vibrate what you want to attract. When the soul is ready, the soul mate will appear.

Good luck and God bless.

Insanity is an antidote to the mad world...

Harr shakhs deewana, harr insaan yahan majnoon,
Mukhtalif deewangi, zehan mein alag hai janoon,
Aakhri manzil ke rah-guzaar, raah par hai judaa,
Koi zar, koi zarre mein dhoondta hai apna khuda...

When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.

~Mark Twain~

Promises to The Soul...

Promises to soul...

Feel the fear and just do it. There's always a way when there is a will. Life is too short for an unlived and unloved life and too long to die carrying the cross of distress.

Forgive others and forgive yourself. And then move on. Forgiveness doesn't means making yourself vulnerable again, use freewill and move away from all anguish, hurt and other low energies. Forgiveness is to let go of all negativity and make space empty only for positivity. Remember you don't find what you don't seek.

Give no excuses and take no excuses. Always be clear cut with the truth and let people handle it on its face value.

Good enough is never ever good enough. Don't compromise on life. It's all you have got. Every time you fail, is actually one step closer to the success.

Happiness stems from within. Always look within. Don't seek it without.

Keep walking. Keep walking. Keep walking.

Let go of pretense; both to self and to the world, and similarly stay away from all those who are pretentious. The world is huge and can accommodate everyone without having the need to needlessly run into each other. They are on a different karmic journey, and you on a different, don't try to change the world, change yourself.

Trust your instincts. Trust yourself. And most of all, implicitly trust God. The accountability starts and ends with God and lies not with the humans.

Tea, Coffee, or Me...

OK, let's get this straight...

Persistence pays, but persistence sans common sense takes you nowhere... It is more bane than boon...

Lemme explain... If it is your dream to someday make world's best cup of tea, and in pursuit of that, day in and day out you continuously experiment with the amount of water, tea leaves and flavors, so as to develop the right formulation, I'd say that you are right on course, keep up the hard work and one day it will reap the result that will satisfy you...

But if you have coffee beans instead of the tea leaves and yet you believe by continuously experimenting with the quantity, your persistence will pay off in creating the formulation of world's best tea, then my friend your persistence is actually leading you to nowhere...

Not doubting your skills but to make a cup of tea, world's best or not, you need tea leaves and not coffee beans...

Hereby I raise a toast, may you have an undiluted common sense and an unending persistence, and may you create worlds finest cup of tea...

Cheers...

Good luck and God bless...

Gratitude Universe...

Dear God, Dear Universe, Please crack everything that has grown too brittle in my life. My focus ain't on the breaking of the egg; it is on the emerging little chick. I release all that's not for my higher good, I let go of all apprehensions, I surrender to your will, I relax in your grace. I no longer try to repair the irreparable and instead I am absolutely focused on the possibilities I will have once the shell is no longer holding me back. Gratitude.

Common sense. Come'on sense.

There's a reason why even before you fly, the airline crew will guide you towards all emergency exits and in case of loss in the cabin pressure, advise you to first help yourself with an oxygen mask before attempting to help someone seated next to you.

Because by helping yourself first, you empower yourself to eventually help not just one, but maybe several others.

Unless you help yourself, you are never in a viable position to help anyone else.

Common sense. Come'on sense.

________________________________

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

~Buddha~

Common sense. Come'on sense.

There's a reason why even before you fly, the airline crew will guide you towards all emergency exits and in case of loss in the cabin pressure, advise you to first help yourself with an oxygen mask before attempting to help someone seated next to you.

Because by helping yourself first, you empower yourself to eventually help not just one, but maybe several others.

Unless you help yourself, you are never in a viable position to help anyone else.

Common sense. Come'on sense.

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.

~Buddha~

The Journey...

Prologue:

Wow… So you are heading to Goa… Rocking… Have a joyously safe journey.

Hope you are taking everything that you would need… Woollens, Jackets, Gloves, and lest I forget Brandy to keep you warm!

Wait a second, do you suspect it is weird to take warm clothing to Goa; it is not as if you are heading to Ladakh? Shouldn’t it be cotton casuals, swimwear, and sun-screen etcetera?

Oops, seems just alike the way I live life, I forgot to hold my horses and have rushed through.

I am sorry, my bad.

(BTW, I am sorry and my bad are similar in nature unless you say it one instead of the other at someone’s funeral. However this is the frivolous part, better to stick to the main story.)

Rewind…

Wow… So you are heading to Goa… Rocking… Have a joyously safe journey.

Hope you are taking everything that you would need… shorts, tees, swimwear et all?

Now it makes sense, does it? It isn’t as if the woollens are in any way less or more important than the casual summer wear but that it is not what one needs on the beaches.

OK, now to the next level but this time let me start with the basics.

A for Apple, B for Boy…

Journey:

Just as you primarily need shorts, tees, swimwear instead of the woollen jackets to Goa, and vice versa in Ladakh for that matter, similarly you need to identify the purpose of your soul, why you are here on earth, where are you going, and what is of the optimum need of the soul in its journey. Understand that you are a soul with a body and not a body with a soul; and the soul is here on a journey or a lifetime if you may please, which is a part of several journeys that you make within your karmic itinerary or blueprint, designed by The Almighty, The Creator, The God, and The Universe.

Your soul, like all other souls, is different from the others. It is unique in every way just as its creator intended it to be. It has its own divine purpose to be on earth. And your soul, like all other souls, has a different life path, travelling here to learn what it couldn’t in some previous lifetime. The soul travels again and again, until it make amends, grows, and is ready to reach the next level. And though the soul travels alone, yet the soul is never alone. Surrounded by the borrowers/lenders of its karmic balance sheet, the soul repeatedly meets its other counterparts in all the lifetimes, giving and taking, guiding and be guided, learning and teaching, until the karmic account is balanced and outstanding is settled to nil. And once the karmic account is settled, some souls move to the next level and some others who still have business pending with other must stay on. But because each soul has been assigned a different role, different purpose, different lessons, and there’s only as much as you can take along so it is imperative to take along whatever makes your journey comfortable and complete.

The lessons that soul needs to learn are easy to know. At every bend of life, all that you learn is a part of that entire of what The Almighty wants you to learn.

The challenges for soul, its amends, and thereby the growth are relatively easy to identify too as whatever is your weakness, you have to overcome that. Whether it is anger, or jealously, or greed for money, or lust for power, or whatever it may be, that is what is chaining your soul in the karmic cycle and you need to overcome it in order to grow. If the soul remained fearful in its previous lifetime or is meek this life, the resolve should be to turn bold and fearless. If the soul is abusive, the requisite change is to become gentle and polite. And so on. Hope you get the drift.

But here comes the difficult part.

To identify the life purpose, how to go about it, what to take along and what to let go.

This is where your intuitiveness plays a major role. The signs and the dreams that repeat time and again. Listen to what your gut tells you. Pay attention to your hearts calling. See but have a vision too.

Once you sort this, you are ready for the next level. Good luck.

Epilogue:

Suppose the airline misplaced your bag, and that what was yours to begin with landed up in an alien land because of an error whilst tagging. And believing it is forever going to be untraceable, you made peace and moved on with your journey. However one day by the stroke of luck, the bag is found, and you can identify that it belongs to you. If you get an opportunity, go ahead and claim it. Obviously the paperwork is extensive but if it is worth the gain, then surely it is worth the pain.

(P.S.: Replace airline with destiny and bag with soul-mate in the above and read again.)

And lest I forget, have a happy journey. 

God bless.

The Master Horoscope...

"What is the difference between this Master horoscope and the usual one that astrologers make on earth?"

"They both are as alike as light and darkness. The master horoscope is like a fantastic maze of combinations and mathematical possibilities and permutations. At each step, the individual has the right to exercise freewill and thus with the freewill component, every step has multiple choices and multiple paths and each path has its own combinations and each combination has its own ramifications. Thus the individual's destiny will place the individual at a crossroad and in the end freewill reigns, and that freewill, opens new possibilities and new karmas... If everything is destined, then how does one makes new karmas and new destinies? Also nowadays, so many children are born through medical intervention. One can choose the date and time of your child's birth by caesarean operations. That means, you can go to an astrologer, tell him to give you the best time for your child's birth and lo and behold, the child is born at that exact time. Does that means you can manipulate the child's destiny too? No. The Master horoscope is made at conception and not at birth. Thus each individual is his or her own master of his or her own destiny. It's all about the freewill."

~The Fakir, The Journey Continues...~

It's a matter of perspective.

It's a matter of perspective. 

A man may be honest, kind, considerate, loving, helpful, a virtual saint but he may have many lovers or may be homosexual or have a fetish for pornography or whatever.

Another man may be mean, vicious, violent, self-centered, inconsiderate but faithful to his wife.

Do you really think the Master is going to weigh an individual over one particular weakness and discount all the others?

Who do you think hurts more people each day?

The former who has many lovers or the latter who is so self-centered and doesn't care a farthing for anybody and abuses all with his intent, words, actions and thoughts?

~The Fakir, The Journey Continues...~

The sixth sense...

God gave you eyes so that not only you have the sight but also the vision for tomorrow...

God gave you ears so that you don't just hear the noises but also listen to the unsaid...

God wants you to feel the touch not only on the skin but also on the heart and the soul...

God gave you a nose not only to smell but also to distinguish between an aroma and a stink...

God gave you a tongue not only to taste the sweetness but also to spit when it gets bitter...

God gave you the five senses and made you a complete person.

Why, pray why, would you wait for the sixth sense... 

Start living now...

If you get a chance TAKE IT... If it changes your life LET IT...

If the winds are unfavorable, adjust the sail. All you need is a change in perspective to change the directions.

Free Will... Will you...

Every single event, every single person you meet is a catalyst in helping you become who you are, assisting you to become what you want to... some teach you love, some teach you patience, some teach you forgiveness and yet some are there to teach you the biggest lesson of all, that is to let go... In all scenarios everyone is there for a reason, and when the soul lesson is complete, the karmic equilibrium is at par, at that point God leaves it to the Free Will of people, now with the lesson learnt, what do you want to do of it... Will it be a season, reason or for life, God leaves it to each individual... Our journey is a mix of destiny and Free Will...

Confronting the slumber...

An awakening within, and the truth is revealed,
If with care 'n nurturing, all the wounds get healed,
And with passage of time, the scars too turn light,
No other fears then, shall fight for all that is right.

Gratitude Universe...

There's a karmic reason why we perceive something as good or bad, or some people as good or bad.

When we see something good in others, Universe extends an opportunity for us to incorporate that good in ourselves.

When we see something bad in others, Universe extends an advisory to us to bring the change in our conduct, and to abstain from an alike behavior.

In both scenarios when we use the Free Will to bring the change within, the karmic cycle is complete.