sukh aur dukh: insights from Sarvasar Upnisad and Japuji Sahib

Sukh bhi wohi deta hai, dukh bhi wohi deta hai. Jab MAIN hai, to sab sukh aur dukh hai, jab MAIN hi nahi, to Dukh kya Sukh kya, kyonki, ye dono wahin hotey hain, jahan MAIN hota hai. Kyonki, mujhe lagta hai aisa hona chahiye- jab aisa ho jaye, to sukh, nahi to dukh. 
Agar sab parmatma hi ka khel hai, (nirankar, onkar) tab sab ek samaan. Jeet bhi uski , maat bhi uski. aasha bhi uski, niraasha bhi uski.

Is Pain important?

Pain is important.
Till the time it hurts when someone says something, ego is still
alive. Its ego that has the capacity to get hurt. Because getting hurt
must have happened because of - i am something else, and this person
says i am not that (how dare he?). So my belief is hurt. Having
beliefs is a 'quality' and 'quality' is that of an object. It means
whatever happened was in the realms of ego only, the object. The
moment apperception happens- perception without a quality, only that
is me. and the moment i say - 'that', its again not me.
So its good to be with difficult (appears to me like -different cult)
people ("difficult" people means people who do not fit into your mind
made beliefs, which is nothing but Ego) because only there can your
ego not survive. Ego will get hurt again and again, and you will get
sick of it. ab aur nahi.
If you remain with lovely conforming people all the time, then ego is
always there, lurking. Whenever a difficult situation happens, it
comes to the limelight. The demons and the devils of me, and demons
and devils again can only be of the ego (my mind made self)..
For the objects to manifest, IT has to be no-thing.. only when IT is
no-thing, can there be things. As they need space to be. On the same
hand, precisely because IT is there, the objects ARE. proof (who needs
a proof?)

The crap there and here ..

There is crap outside,
there is crap inside,
the inside crap creates nothing but the outside crap..
Until I understand and clear up the inside crap,
the outside crap is never going to vanish..
it will remain, in myriad forms, in disguises.. it will lurk behind the most trivial walls,
the moment I accumulate some crap again, it will attack and prevail again..

I vow there by, to WATCH and be awake every moment,
not let the guilt come in, or her cousin, Pride..
never will I collect any crap, or any diamond (a disguise),
and then only,
all the crap will cease to exist..

as, In this moment..

Learning from every experience

I have been interacting with a person far more experienced in age and life. Owing to the person I am, I have this tendency to become very familiar from the first instant itself. And this could lead to treading into forbidden places, I had never known this before.
So, as I was working and interacting with this being, I had a few suggestions or comments in my mind that I very plainly and informally presented. The response was shocking and I have to say it shook the base of the life I am living. I came to realize through the person's response that my suggestions had treaded into a very personal space. And all the more that my intentions were highly prejudiced with me having a secret reformist agenda in my mind, coming from my prejudices and notions.

Now as I usually do.. I introspected. It took me 3-4 days and nights to find out that I did actually have this secret reformist agenda in mind or not??
Finally, as I geared up my clarified self again, I told to myself that YES, it was indeed somewhere hidden in my subconscious and that rather unpleasant experience, in disguise, helped to un-earth the motive and thereby cleansed my actions for now and future.
The lesson I learned is : every reaction, response I get from life, says something about my own self. Its in my hands to blame it onto others and escape the situation thereby preserving the Ego. And its in my hands too, to rather expand my consciousness and understand my limitations, which by understanding, just melt away.

As Swami Sukhbodhananda says : The result you get from your actions is not what you on a gross level wished.. Rather what was being thought, or feared of on the subtlest level of your consciousness..
I felt thankful to the person who by giving this shock had awaken me up from  a dream, when I never knew I had been sleeping...

Let the children be ..

Being interested in children and holistic ways of nurturing and educating kids invites me to explore very many authors, for self -education purposes.

Lately, have been reading a very gripping book by Gopika Kapoor on Spiritual Parenting. In the process of reading and understanding I have realized how parents can scar their children for life, and be oblivious to it. This book is a MUST for to-be parents in this and coming generations. I would like to share a modified excerpt of a beautiful chapter - LET THEM BE.

"What are you doing? yelled Sonya at her 3 year old daughter Ria. Ria looked up startled, her crayon frozen in her hand.

Can't you see you have to color within the lines? Silly girl! I 'll do it for you."

Ria watched her as her mother carefully filled in the outline of the picture with neat, deliberate strokes unlike the bold vibrant lines she had colored. 

Later at lunch Ria concentrated hard as she tried to bring a rice-laden spoon to her mouth without dropping any. But a few grains fell onto her frock and unfortunately for her, Sonya saw this. 

Can't you eat properly? You're always dropping things. Give it to me, I will feed you."

 Sonya filled the spoon and began shoving the rice into Ria's mouth. "There, now you won't get messy," she said. "I can't wait for her to start eating herself," she turned and said to her friend who had come over for lunch. 

But that was what I was trying to do, Mummy, thought Ria. Only you don't let me.

As parents all we do is wait. Waiting for the baby to pop out, to walk, to smile... and the waiting continues. And with waiting comes impatience. 

Children with their developing motor skills and growing minds, take their own time. And they should. Their brains are like sponge, absorbing everything they see and hear and are taught. 

And yet because we also want our children to be perfect we do things for them instead of letting them explore the world for themselves. 

Why can't we just let our children be children and enjoy their childhood? 

Childhood is one of those magical times with no responsibilities, no fears, no limitations, where creativity and imagination run riot and you can be anything you want to be. As adults we try so hard to relive this magical time. There are workshops being conducted to get in touch with your inner child, yet we are denying our children the feeling of being children. 

Let us learn to let our children - with all their spills, mistakes, and messes- BE.

kuch panktiyaan

अगरबत्ती के धुंए की तरह, कुछ यादें...

मेरे नज़दीक यूँ आयीं, और यूँ 

हवा में समा सी गयीं, के जैसे...

बस एक खुशबु सी है अभी भी यहाँ, जो एहसास दिला रही है, 

उनसे  मुखातिब होने का..

~~~

खुद से बडबडाते हुए, सालों से, 

एक चुप्पी सी सध गयी है सीने में,

अँधेरे सी तीखी, रौशनी सी तेज़, 

ना चुप रहने देती है, और ना लफ्ज़ आ पातें है कम्बखत जुबां पे,

उफ़ ये हाल-ए- तन्हाई...

~~~

चायपत्ती, इलाईची, और चीनी की मंद मंद खुशबु, 

और गुनगुनाती सर्दियों की ये धुंध भरी सुबह..

चलो कहीं तो कोई किसी अपने के लिए चाय बना रहा, लगता है..

I did not die..

Beautiful one..


Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.

- Anonymous