bagpipers
feminine, Love, Nature, poetry, woman

Swaying To Notes of Thousand

Swaying to the 

notes of thousand 

bagpipers…

dropping all shames

twirling round round,

like darvesh in 

wild wild forest.

Whatever happens 

will happen!

It’s all god’s will

why interfere

why despair?

Some days are bad

like today,

I am rollin rollin

going spiral down 

free falling..

Thought to bounce

swaying just pounce

dropping shames…

Whatever happens

will happen.

It’s all God’s will

why interfere?

why despair? 

All I can do

is to just brew

drink or flew

some champagne

bubbles …

You can hold

my hands behold

catch me when I am

free-falling..

kiss me or

miss me…

When swaying

with me swaying

to the notes of

thousand bagpipers

moon through trees
Inspiration, Literature, Love, Nature, poetry, Spirtual

Moonlight

As I sat bathed in random thoughts

At the edge of a vintage window

In the eerie stillness of one August night

I glanced upon a sight so astral

A celestial vision draped in pale 

A white heavenly silhouette peeking

At me through the darker ghostly leaves 

Emanating a softer radiance gently immersing

My entire physical form in an absolute

Glow so divine, I simply sat drenched

 In the ethereal luminosity, wondering 

At the miracles of mother nature.

 

Humanity, Kindness, Compassion, Love, Nature, poetry, Spirtual, Uncategorized

Grace

Her passing an irreparable loss, I knew

She will be gone before I will stand on my feet

Like a short-lived spring, she flowered and blossomed

And moved on to far lands, behind those tall mountains

Becoming some legend in a fabled, mythical distant land

Her angelic crisscross face echoing tales of a very hard life

Heavenly appearance that illuminated my whole being

The wrinkled shaky arms that embraced my grim childhood

She had already left while I hid behind one dark oak tree

I stood longing for some heavenly grace and sobriety

As I searched through slender caverns and hollow barks

Worn-out I fell into a deep slumber of a prophetic dream

A vision wrapped in bright topaz light floating above huge

Black thundering clouds of rain, “seek me in your heart”

Were the words, I awoke and simply carried on my path.

 

( This poem is dedicated my beloved grandmother, whose grace touched my life like no other)

 

Spirtual

Finding Purpose in Small Things

Since centuries great sages and individuals have tried to discover the purpose of human life. We human beings indulge ourselves in different vacations in life to seek meaning. Some of us see our purpose in the family and its responsibilities, some in their professions while some wander in the forests to seek answers. Purpose drives us on the path of determination and grit. Whether its to help those in need or to make money, there is no one out there who doesn’t have a purpose. Different people have a different take on the true purpose of life. But does it mean we will have to wander directionless in dark woods or cross seven seas to find our true calling in life, or we can find purpose here in our daily mundane chores? In my opinion, there is so much that we can do in our day to day lives which can greatly make a difference.

Seeking Contentment In Small Things

Life is an odd mixture of responsibilities and expectations. We earn degrees in universities to ensure a better career, get married and have children. Some will question this is what we came into this world for? Is getting a decent job or an attractive partner enough to lead a satisfying life? Some might argue that there is more to our heavenly lives while others like me believe that one can find meaning in smaller acts in life. There is nothing extraordinary in landing a job, but if the same ordinary job is done with full dedication and sincerity, it can become our calling.  Lending a helping hand to our co-workers when they need or an ear when someone in despair can be our small contribution in someone’s lives. One can draw contentment in small acts of generosity and find the purpose of life. There is no mythical or existential calling for most of us, no lofty ideals to catch but that doesn’t mean that we are leading a purposeless life. Everything that we do with good intention has a purpose in it whether we realize or not. One doesn’t have to go to the depths of Earth or travel to the far-flung parts to discover the meaning of life, even those who did, came back appreciating what they left.

Heart’s Longing

We all have a faint voice within us which propels us on an internal journey. I call this voice a heart’s longing a persistent idea or a thought which always stay with us no matter what. When I was in college, the thought of traveling around the world never left me. In hindsight, I feel that was my purpose than to experience the thrill of traveling. So it was that faint voice which took me to several destinations, from the Middle East to Europe to America. Eighteen years later my purpose in life revolves around my young daughter. The sole meaning of my life is to cater to the needs and whims of my child. But that faint voice is still there somewhere tempting me to embark on a journey but this time inwards.

Everyone out there is seeking a purpose knowingly or unknowingly. Some of us seek through families, in successful careers, fine gourmet foods, arts or academia. There are thousands of small ordinary activities in our lives that comprise our unending quest for purpose.

“The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.”

Richard Leider

Uncategorized

The Hermit

Once a man from mountains
Prayed in a little cave, carved
By the mighty slopes, in his
Dark little den, the hermit
Sought the benevolent god
Twenty-eight days and nights
Storms howled, giant trees
Uprooted, jackals growled
But the denizen without
Flinching sat still, on the
Twenty-eight day of the ninth
Month, a vision bright as thousand
Suns appeared before him
Midst topaz light, copperish
Radiant wings visible,
What seeks though? Asked
The spirit replied to the humble
Hermit, I only seek god
A loud laughter, a roar
You seek lord in hollow caves
In empty graves, for god
Rests where humanity dwells.

Uncategorized

Strength In Silence

“Those who are quiet value the words. When their task is completed, people will say: We did it ourselves.”

 -Lao Tzu

In our culture, we are taught the value of speaking our minds. I have never been afraid to utter what I feel. Hailing from a culture where women are denied a voice and looked down when they share an opinion, for me the most courageous act was to speak up. I did speak a lot much to the annoyance of others. I was always quick to react and respond, that was the mantra I lived by. But lately, I’ve realized that speaking your mind always doesn’t work. Sometimes maintaining silence is the best policy. Peace never comes from speaking but only from silence. But to many habitual speakers like me out there, silence doesn’t come easy. The temptation to talk, give back, respond, and react is intense. So why is silence important?

Why is Silence Important?

There is enormous strength in silence. When we maintain a pure silence, everyone around starts taking notice. Words never draw people towards you, its always the stillness. When I say silence, I don’t mean indifference or any form of passive aggressive behavior but a serene calmness. The peaceful tranquility of soul attracts the whole cosmos, try it for yourself. Take out some time from your busy day, sit under a tree or by the lake or a river, practice any meditation technique and sit silently. Once you sit still and your mind is calmer you will discover that trees, birds, river everyone is trying to say something. Nature will reveal to you its most sacred wisdom in the fluttering of leaves, the cooing of birds, in the howling of winds. When the speaker in you dies, the listener in you takes birth.

Don’t Reveal the Secrets of Your Heart

Every heart has secrets; every soul has mysteries, when we start taking pleasure in non-stop chatters we risk revealing what’s most precious to us. Of course, I don’t wish that you should become an unfathomable enigma but a little mystery is always good.

If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.

-Khalil Gibran

When you become an open book for the world to read, you lose your treasured privacy. Allow others to decipher you, let them take their time. Keep some secrets and mysteries to yourself. Let them be with you in your heart and carry them like companions when you embark on a journey from this world to another.

Conflict Resolution

History has been a witness that most of the battles were fought over words. One can avoid unnecessary complexities by simply staying silent. Don’t drain your energy by getting into mindless gossips and arguments. The fact is endless talking leads to gossiping and bitching, which is simply a waste of time. Every time we talk no matter how careful we are, we unconsciously end up saying hurtful words. It’s more rewarding to be a compassionate listener than a mindless speaker. In the heat of the moment try to stay calm and collected, your cool demeanor is enough to resolve any conflict.

Keeping A Silence Fast

The million-dollar question is how to maintain silence? Talking is an addiction to many of us, I’ve had times when I’ve literally chocked with words sometimes out of indignation and others out of mere impatience. One technique that has really worked for me is keeping a silence fast. It’s a very simple and age-old practice, taking a vow to be silent. The vow can be taken in your mind or if that doesn’t work you can be more dramatic or ritualistic. I have a small temple in my room, where I take my vow of silence (often when I have an argument with my husband) The duration of the fast is completely your discretion. A twenty-four hour fast is the most effective but if it’s not for you feasible chose any time of the day and be quiet. You can let your family and friends know about your fast.

Take your fast seriously please don’t talk in sign languages or write stuff on a piece of paper. I once had a friend who would religiously keep the fast but always had a pen and paper near him to jot down stuff. It’s a sacred vow so please don’t cheat (although we all cheat, it’s tempting). As time will pass you will get better in it and the temptation to speak will wither away.  Silence will open a world of enormous joy and pleasure, you will not seek any human company.

“Silence is the language of God, all else is poor in translation.”

 – Rumi

 

Uncategorized

Why You Should Shun Your Ego

“Ego is just like the dust in the eyes without clearing the dust we can’t see anything clearly, so clear the ego and see the world.”

Buddha

We dwell in our tiny selfish world of me and myself.  A world where self-centeredness and egotism prevails, where we consider ourselves as the sole makers of our own destiny.   This focus on self and only self-leads to a confused version of oneself. In simpler words, it gives birth to the ego. What is an ego? Ego is a person’s sense of self-esteem or image. Our egos make us feel important, desired, wanted… It’s a concocted self, based on our false belief and faith. Ego is not who we are in reality but how we want to be. Ego is not the voice of our true self rather it is the voice of our insecurities. It’s an illusion of self largely crafted out of fear.

 Freud and Buddha

According to Freud, the human personality is composed of three interacting agents, Ego, Super-Ego and Id. Id is wild and instinctual, Ego is organized and realistic and superego plays the role of moral custodian. The Ego oscillates between Id and super-ego, which results in complex human behavior.  In Buddhism, Ego is considered the root cause of all suffering. The constant sense of disappointment and pain spring out of a fragile ego. Ego along with anger and hate is considered a vice, an enemy within the soul which needs to be conquered. Gautum Buddha emphasized that for the soul to be awakened, ego must die. Human life is transitory and much of our suffering comes from clinging to the ego. Ego is a false psychological construct, its an illusion or ‘maya’. The role of maya is to seduce humans by luring them into the complexities of worldliness.

Ego Root Cause Of Suffering

I must confess that I’ve spent many sleepless nights burning in the inferno of anger. I’ve fanaticised taking supreme vengeance on my foes, tried to soothe my battered ego by feeding it with more venom. And the result had been more pain and heartache. The more I boosted my ego more anxious I became. I couldn’t liberate my mind of all the negative comments, incidents and people. It was a constant struggle until I started practicing meditation. What I realized was shocking, situations and people were not always as bad as I perceived it to be. It was my frail ego which propelled me in the direction of further negativity. Suddenly I could understand the real cause of my restlessness and feelings of constant dejection and despair. My biggest foe lies within me, it was my own concocted self-image. There was this unpenetrable shield between me and the world, which didn’t allow me to experience life in its full glory. My own false vanity and pride alienated me from the truth.  I realized what Buddha said thousands of centuries ago sitting under the Bodhi tree,

“The death of the ego will be the beginning of your real self”