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… 

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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. 

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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.

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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||
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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||
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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॥
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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॥
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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.