The choice

We were all sitting in the living room when we heard a glass object smash broken in the kitchen.

I had an immediate urge to ask "क्या टूटा?" (What's the new thing that broke?) in a very slanderous tone - making fun of the situation and also in effect belittling the other person for an accident that no one wanted to happen. I stopped because Amit, whose house we were in, rushed to the kitchen and asked Alpana "कहीं लगी तो नहीं?". (I hope you did not get hurt!)

I felt ashamed of myself.

Throughout my growing years, this was possibly the first time I had encountered such an emotionally intelligent response to an accident like this. I realized that I now have a choice - between the regular response that I had been used to and the new response that I just experienced... Now I consistently choose the latter...

A realization also dawned. That at times people who we work with don't even know that they have choices available - because they are never exposed to the alternate responses. So, when we are not happy about the way someone is 'reacting' in a situation, we would do a lot of good by simply 'proacting' in the same situation and demonstrating a response that a 'transition person' would give. Others will automatically accept the new way to respond sooner or later and be thankful to you :-).

The Bird that flew after sunset

We were going to the Gurudwara a few days back and we saw a bird flying pretty low in the trees around the park...

Birds usually don't fly in the dark. They rest at home after sunset. But this one was flying in circles close to a lamp-post.

I felt concerned. It was strange. I had never seen a bird flying in that pattern earlier... It was brownish in colour - from what I could see in the yellow sodium light. So, it wasn't a crow or a pigeon or a mynah and was big enough to rule out a home sparrow also, but small to be an eagle... These are the birds that I am used to seeing in our local park.

I called out to the bird. I knew it would not understand what I said, but I felt that a kind voice would still be registered different from an aggressive tone and the bird may calm down a bit. It would let me come close and see if there as something I could do... However, the bird flew away when it heard me calling out.

The concern remained, but there was little I could do about it...

Just day before yesterday, I went to the park to see if moon has risen on the horizon... And there it was, sitting on the park bench... I saw it at such close quarters for the first time and a realization dawned. This bird did not need my help in the dark... It was an owl...

At times we feel concerned about others because we don't know them well and we attribute our / or generic weaknesses to them also...

They may not always need our help... They might be adept to find their ways through the dark...

Eagle's nest

The king of the skies - the eagle - also has to finally build its own nest...

In the kingdom of God, the kings also have to make a place for themselves by their right action...

The Obstacles on the Sidelines

We were going to Gurudwara yesterday and Aarushi would want to walk all the way from home to the Gurudwara.

While walking, she noticed that there was a patchy pavement on the side of the road. It was a challenge for her to walk on that pavement. It was made at different levels and was also fraught with pits and was dirty.

She enjoyed the challenge of walking on the ups and downs... We would guide her away from the pits, but she was happy that she was going up and down and exercising herself... She would squeak with excitement at every change of level she would successfully manage...

I realized that sometimes we also do it the same way... The road to our destination may be straight, but we enjoy the ups and downs life offers... We are happy about just managing those obstacles, while on the road there would have been a smooth walk...

We are not aware that we can get hurt... We are upset and cry loud when that happens, but we should realize, that if we focus on the final destination and walk on the path that God has built for us, we will face lesser obstacles...

The path will be smooth if we focus on the final destination... Little distractions and challenges may come on the sidelines, its our free will to either enjoy the ups and downs associated with them OR reach God faster... He has no problems in waiting :-)

Presence

I had to visit France for official purposes for about a week.

Aarushi was very upset when I was leaving. She is too small to realize the duration of my absence, just the very fact that I was leaving her side pained her and she was almost inconsolable.

However, from what I understand, 5 minutes, and she was playing with lemon trees and banana groves. She felt that I had gone to office and would return after some time...

We do it similarly... When we are blessed in the presence of God, say in meditation, or in the sense of self-realization, we feel bad initially... But pretty soon, we forget about the loss of contact... And in the back of our minds, we know that He is around and will be with us when we need...

However this separation was longer, and from what Surya tells me, Aarushi did not play tantrums when I was away and behaved like a good child :-)... She demanded less... Similarly, while in God's presence, we would demand anything - realizing that we are divine beings and that Everything is Possible, in His absence, we become more human and end up limiting our expectations and demands with physical limitations of a human being and a materialistic world...

When I returned, Aarushi was sleeping... However, when she got up, she could not contain her excitement and happiness for having met me again... She was very loving and would not leave my side through the day... I think that the same happens with us when we get back the same divine experience again... We want the experience of Presence to continue... But the daily routines take their toll again...

And I am not sure... But would it be right to say that God has given us distractions so that He can also get opportunities to explore new things and grow...

Forced rest

Sometimes He wants us to rest now so that we can do what He desires of us later...

Power of Love

Power of God's love can do anything for God also... It can

1. help one come out of stuck situations
2. heal someone
3. help someone grow
4. improve relationships
5. create joy
6. create alternate futures
7. ... the list is endless :-) ...
   

Lets appreciate it and live in the realization of its abundance...

Change is easy

When one accepts the new reality and conciously decides to accept it, then change is easy...

In fact, it takes less than a minute to change the frame of mind and then move in the new direction... Yes, less than a minute - once one has decided...

Clocks and Change

At times, we are so averse to change that in place of consciously changing the time we rise, we prefer to set the clock faster...

The change still happens within us...

Eagles learn to fly

I subscribe to a daily motivational email - http://www.mountainwings.com

A few days back there was an issue titled "Baby Pigeons?". Its available at http://www.mountainwings.com/past/1021.htm

It talks about how pigeons protect their babies and hence their babies prefer to walk than fly even when they grow up into pigeons. 

There is an eagle nest in a park outside our home. The baby eagles are learning flying these days. 

I once noticed that one of the baby eagles was lying just outside our house - just next to the door. It must have got tired flying OR missed the target of sitting on the fence or the wall OR something of the sort and had fallen. I checked it out from a distance to see if it was still alive. It was blinking its eyes - proof enough that it was alive. I thought of helping. As I approached it, one of the parent eagles swooped low at me to stop me from touching it. It feared that I will do harm. I looked around and found that the other parent was also keeping a close eye.  I stopped short of doing anything and let the baby be.

Soon enough, the baby was gone. 

And I noticed today that it flies high enough already :)

I realized that Eagles fly high because they learn by falling. And then by rising with the power within. And the parents keep a close watch so that no harm comes.

Same applies to us too... God keeps a close watch that no harm reaches us even when we fall... He also prevents any external help to reach us - because He wants us to fly "high". The help may prevent us from learning to rise ourselves.

So, when we have fallen and feel helpless, then we should remember that we too are learning to fly. God is not sending us help just yet because he wants us to rise with the power within and procure resources and strength to start flying again. He wants us to fly "high"

Insights from a child

A list of insights given to me by Aarushi (in addition to the smaller posts that I will continue to keep)

• Let yourself free in the arms of God and He will take care of you
• You will be able to enjoy the ups and downs if you focus on Him and not on the changing surroundings
• Smile with all your heart
• Share your happiness and achievements with Him
• He has brought you to this world to help you grow and grow you will - the final will is with you
• Some stages of growth have to follow others. One can't walk before one crawls.
• Growth may be uncomfortable for you, and God does realize that and wants to help you. But you have to go through the pain of teething finally.
• God feels exhilirated when you follow the path He tread.
• At times God lets you make mistakes and get hurt. He wants you to learn some lessons.
• He loves it when you express your love for Him. He will give all for the child who smiles for Him and craves for Him

Thorns and weeds

It is difficult to remove weeds from the base of those plants that have thorns...

Lets remove the thorns so that others can help remove the weeds...

Words of my Sensei

Some words of Lt Sh. Vijay Bansal - my reiki sensei

• Humility is greatest asset
• Joy of life is purpose of life
• The road to good of others involves "action"

check out the google cached version of my website for his in-depth interview - http://72.14.235.132/search?q=cache:zpiTzcgZ8l8J:www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Facility/2182/holistic/Interview.html+vijay+bansal+reiki+sensei&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in

God likes it... (3)

when I take good care of my health and the gifts that He has nurtured for me

God doesn't like it

when I hit out at someone who He loves...

God loves me... (2)

1. come whatever may
2. even when I spoil things He has set up for me
3. even when I play a spoil-sport on non-issues
4. even when I over-reach my authority

God loves me most... (1)

1. when I smile - no matter what...
2. when I kiss Him - however dirty He may look...
3. when I value His presence - and simply stick around Him...
   
4. when I do as He guides...
   

Rising above माया

Rising above माया was what श्री कृष्ण always preached... And he walked the talk too...

That never meant that he would not love his children or his wife or his friends... I only now understood that it meant that he was talking about "principle centered" way of life... To not be bogged down by the symptomatic problems or be elated by the temporary happiness - the माया - but to be above it... To rely on the pervasive - always... That is, to understand the principles that govern each and every one of us and be aware of them and align with them...

That is the only way to find मोक्ष - to be eternally happy and in bliss...