The Veil

What’s the purpose of life?
Is there God?
Why did creation come into being?
……..and all such questions with regards to God, creation and religion can afford to wait.

Let’s address the immediate issues first. And the first and foremost would certainly be my own pains and pleasures. Why I should suffer this pain and how to increase the quota of pleasures and happiness in my life? This is the only question sensible enough to be addressed now. So, our journey has been all through about knowing the Self. Self that is assumed first needs to be understood, transformed and transcended to experience the real Self – The Absolute Truth!

The first and foremost requisite to know our life’s journey, purpose and ultimately God, is knowing the Absolute Truth about ourselves.

Now, What do I identify with?
a) My body
b) My thoughts
c) My feelings
d) My emotions – pain, hurt, frustration, attachment, anger, worry etc.
e) My name and fame
f) My possessions
….and the list goes on…

The identification that I make anything apart from the Truth is what is classically terms as ‘aham’ – ego.

The veil that separates me from my realization or knowing of my true nature constitutes of my ego – all that I identify myself with. It is with what I identify with that determines my actions and state of mind.

a) Suppose, I consider myself beautiful then my ego identification is with my beauty. So, my confidence and happiness rests on the level of beauty that I possess. One day, I develop a skin disease and lose the look then, I am a totally withdrawn, broken person. No more is there the cheerfulness in me. No more am I confident or arrogant as before.
b) If my ego identification is with my dancing abilities and I lose a limb or can’t dance for what so ever reason, the same fate follows.
c) So and so forth for every ego identification. Be it body, vocation, post, achievements, relationships, finance, assets etc.

But, I exist even when they are gone or they diminish. So, my identification with the Real Me that IS in spite of ups and downs in life will bring a major transformation in my attitude towards myself and my life. Remember the “Kingdom regained!” story.

My journey for few days to come would be just to come to terms with the fact that I am not all that I presume as MINE! I welcome you too to embark on this journey. Trust me, even a little understanding on our misunderstanding of self would help us to live with much lesser pain than what we are experiencing today.

में तनहा ही निकल पड़ा था मंजिल की तलब में
लोग मिलते गए और कारवां बंता गया..

I embarked on this journey all alone though
I kept meeting people and slowly I found a caravan making this journey.

revathi

Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh and too self-full to seek other than itself.

I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.

When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.

revathi

Truth Condensed

Miniature Truths!
I MISS the meaning of my own part in the play of life because I know not of the parts that others play.

We READ the world wrong and say that it deceives us.

I AM ABLE to love my God because He gives me freedom to deny Him.

revathi

Some Home Truths!

If you do not understand your friend under all conditions you will never understand him.

It takes two of us to discover the Truth; one to utter it and the other to understand it.

Every seed is a longing of a possibility.

Half of what I say is meaningless; but I say it so that the other half may reach you.

There is a space between man’s imagination and man’s attainment that may only be traversed by his longing.

Knowledge and Half-knowledge

Four frogs sat upon a log that lay floating on the edge of a river. Suddenly the log was caught by the current and swept slowly down the stream. The frogs were delighted and absorbed, for never before had they sailed.

At length the first frog spoke and said “This is indeed a most marvelous log. It moves as if alive. No such log was every known before.”

Then the second frog spoke and said, “Nay, my friend, the log is like other logs, and does not move. It is the river that is walking to the sea and carries us and the log with it.”

And the third frog spoke and said, “It is neither the log nor the river that moves. The moving is in our thinking. For without thought nothing moves.”

And the three frogs began to wrangle about what was really moving. The quarrel grew hotter and louder but they could not agree.

Then they turned to the fourth frog who up to this time had been listening attentively but holding his peace and they asked his opinion.

And the fourth frog said “Each of you is right and none of you is wrong. The moving is in the log and the water and our thinking also.”

And the three frogs became very angry for none of them was willing to admit that his was not the whole truth and that the other two were not wholly wrong.

Then the strange thing happened. The three frogs got together and pushed the fourth frog off the log into the river.

And I for sure know how the fourth frog felt. In the country of blind, one eyed man is always assumed to be a mad man.

No person who is defensive even before listening to the answer, no person who is not open to newer and fresh perspectives, no person who is not open to listening anything which is contradictory to his/her belief system or expectations can ever learn. A really growing person is only one who is open to “doubting his doubts" and one who is ready to outgrow his limitations.

Till the mind is open to breaking its own shackles it’ll mislead us through anger towards the Truth disclosed and the person who talks about knowing the Truth. It also comes out as a statement “this is fine for sages and such people but for Ordinary people like us, this is not applicable” so on and so forth.

Be aware of this mind game. Just learn to look at your own thoughts, feelings (without stopping them or judging them). Just be aware!

I’ll go through my journey of self-enquiry from today with an open mind. Only those of you who are interested in experiencing the Truth need follow it. Each is given a choice to make. You have right to make yours.

revathi

The Veil

To sum up ego’s (or that which doesn’t exists) plight would simply mean :

Obstinate are the trammels, but my heart aches when I try to break them.
Freedom is all I want, but to hope for it I feel ashamed.
I am certain that priceless wealth is in thee, and that thou art my best friend, but I have not the heart to sweep away the tinsel that fills my room.
The shroud that covers me is a shroud of dust and death; I hate it, yet hug it in love.
My debts are large; my failures great, my shame secret and heavy; yet when I come to ask for my good, I quake in fear lest my prayer be granted.
- Tagore
To know the game area of ego, various manifestations of ego and to ultimately beat it in its own game is all that we need to know........bye the way, why don't you try to jot them down?
as you come up with your posts, i go to write mine,
revathi

Paradigm Shift!

BISCUIT STORY

A young lady was waiting for her flight in the boarding room of a Hyderabad airport.

As she had to wait for an hour, she decided to buy a book and to spend her time reading. She also brought a packet of biscuits.

She sat down on an armchair and started reading her book. Beside the armchair was a packet of biscuits. A man sat down in the next chair, opened a magazine and started reading.

When, she ate the first biscuit, the man took one too! She felt very angry but didn’t say a word. She just thought, “What a nerve! No manners for this fellow at all.”

For every biscuit she ate, she found the man reading one. She was burning with anger but didn’t react. When only one biscuit was left, she thought, “ah…what will this man do now?”

The man looked at her, smiled and divided the last biscuit through the middle and gave her one half! This was it! She just caught her book, took her things and headed to the boarding place.

When she sat down on her seat inside the plane, she opened her purse to put her eyeglasses. To her surprise, she found her packet of biscuits unopened and untouched.

Now, she understood. All the while that man was actually sharing his biscuits without remorse, anger or hurt and that she was the wrong one. But, there was no chance to apologize or explain now!

Because she assumed that the man was eating her biscuits, she was angry all through. When she realized the Truth, she had high regard for the same man. This is called as “Paradigm Shift”. Tolerating someone is not Paradigm Shift.

I am used to seeing and understanding people with the tainted glasses called ‘past experiences’ and ‘past psychic impressions’. So, I am not able to see ‘clearly’. But, when I see the moment for what it has to offer without the past psychic impression coming to the forte, then I am actually seeing what is. I am not seeing people and situations for what they ought to be, or what they ought not to be. I see them for what they are. This shift is called as ‘paradigm shift’.

In the similar fashion, when I understand my own fears and ignorance and the game my mind plays, I’ll see people for what they are – not as what they are not or not as what should be as. I see them for just what they are and like them for themselves!

Not clear….forget it…..will deal in detail later……..

Till then, be aware of your thoughts, feelings – just be aware! To know thyself you need to know your mind……….

Till you follow your mind, let me go to follow mine
Revathi

Know Thyself!

Kingdom regained!

Once, the king of Devanagar came on a visit to Bhagyanagar. During his visit, he lost his only son – the heir apparent to Devanagar throne in Bhagyanagar. The search was thorough, but to no avail.

The boy aged just around three found his way to a busy market place. A beggar woman took a liking for the boy and started raising him as her own. The boy grew up as a beggar boy.

He was well into teens and the woman died. The boy went around begging as he was since his childhood. He found people reacting to his presence in various ways. Some used foul language and called him good for nothing. Some asked him to work hard to earn his bread. Some would silently give few coins to him. Some ordered him not to come from next day. The boy would feel dejected, unwanted, hurt and pain whenever he was not treated well and would be happy when ever someone talked sweetly to him. His feelings were solely dependent on the peoples’ reactions to him.

One day, he felt frustrated that he was so unwanted and went to Musi River to end his life. He was standing on the banks of Musi river and musing through his life. There suddenly came a group of people who were surrounded by the armed guards. The Minister of Devanagar had come to visit the city of Bhagyanagar and he also wanted to see Musi river. As he was standing on the bank, his eyes fell on the boy and on the bracelet that he was wearing. He asked his guards to bring the boy near him.

He checked with the boy his details and took him to his hotel room. There, he checked the bracelet and then at the tattoo on the boys arm. He knew the boy was their heir apparent. He silently took the boy to their kingdom.

The boy was given formal education and trained to be a king. He was crowned when the right time came. One day, it so happened he had to visit the city of Bhagyanagar on an official trip. After his official duties were fulfilled, his heart longed to go on the streets where he had grown up begging.

His minister ruled out that possibility. Then, an idea came over to him and he disguised as a beggar, went to his street. Just to get the feel of it, he started to beg.

Same people – same reactions. Now, both good words like “thank god, you are safe”, “where have you been all these years?”, etc and bad reactions from the people like “Oh no, you are back again” and such statements were met by the King of Devanagar with poise and calm. He was enjoying both affections and hatred with equipoise. He was not affected by the peoples’ reactions anymore – because he knew He Was the King! And that made all the difference!
Without the knowledge that we are divine beings who have come for human experiences, we’ll lead our lives as:

लाई  हयात आए,कज़हा  ले चली चले
अपनी ख़ुशी न आए न अपनी ख़ुशी चले.

Life brought me here, death takes me away
It wasn’t my will to come, it’s not my will to go.

But, when we know we are the kings of the kingdom of happiness and bliss, we’ll still choose to live the same routine but out of joy and satisfaction.

It’s not the situation which will make a difference in us – Ever.

It’s the understanding of who we are and what the situations in life actually wish to teach us. It’s the understanding of our deep seated fears and all issues related with our identity crisis. Life may still go on the same way, but the way we relate with it would undergo a transformation, which is called as a paradigm shift.

How a paradigm shift can make or break my stand and belief system is what I’ll understand tomorrow….

Tell then, I sleep on today’s piece of Truth!

revathi

Seriously Speaking!

Sing the song of Life!

Come to think of it, we started this journey to be happy and peaceful…..where did we pick up this seriousness enroute to finding happiness? Happiness is not a station to be reached. It is in the journey. The journey towards knowing the Self. And happiness is in just being…

When we get connected to ourselves, we develop sense of humour. We are amused at not so perfect things in the world. We are able to see the funnier and lighter side of situations. We stop being obsessed about perfection because we have outgrown our belief system which was set by our mind that said, “I can’t stand anything less than perfect. We keep striving towards perfection but along with it also are amused by the imperfections in characters around us and take it in our stride. Let me give a reason to amuse you today.

A letter from a Punjabi mother to her son.

My dear Jagjit,

I am in a well here and hoping you are also in a well there.
I'm writing this letter slowly, because I know you cannot read fast. We don't live where we did when you left home. Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happen 20 miles from home, so we moved 20 miles.

I won't be able to send the address as the last Sardar who stayed here took the house numbers with them for their new house so they wouldn’t have to change their address. Hopefully by next week we will be able to take our earlier address plate here, and that our address will remain same too.
This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine, situated right above the toilet I'm not sure it works too well. Last week I put in 3shirts, pulled the chain and haven't seen them since. The weather here isn't too bad. It rained only twice last week. The first time it rained or 3 days and second time for 4 days. The coat you wanted me to send you, your Aunt said it would be a little too heavy to send in the mail with all the metal buttons, so we cut them off and put them in the pocket.
Your father has another job. He has 500 men under him. He is cutting thegrass at the cemetery. By the way I took Bahu to our club's poolside. The manager is Badmash. He told her that two piece swimming suit is not allowed in his club. We were confused as to which piece should we remove? Your sister had a baby this morning. I haven't found out whether it is a girl or a boy, so I don't know whether you are an Aunt or Uncle. Your uncle, Jetinder fell in the nearby well. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off bravely and drowned... We cremated him and he burned for three days.
There isn't much more news this time. Nothing much has happened.
Love
Mom. P.S. Jagjit, I was going to send you some money but by the time I realized, I had already sealed off this letter

Smile your way through life – Always Remember, Life is all about learning and experiencing!

And as well said, life is not worth taking so seriously! – Checkov.
ज़िन्दगी जिंदा दिल्लो का नाम है,
क्या मुर्दे भी खाक जिया करते है.
Smile all the way to knowing…

revathi

On Giving ................

Dear descendents of Karna!

Yes, each one of US is the rightful descendent of Karna! Who thinks and says that they can’t give unconditionally? That they feel enough of giving?

Don’t give me that “I and giving unconditionally?” look. See, you have been giving, giving and giving and still not done with it. You always feel you haven’t given enough!

Don’t think so? That’s why, I stress, “Know Thyself!” and to know yourself you need to “Look within”. And “Look within” starts with Being Aware. If only, you were “Aware” of yourself, you would be sure of the fact that you know only giving and that you have been giving all through your life. It’s just that you are so much into that that the thought also didn’t cross your mind!

Want me to explain how?
a) When X in your life called you “stupid”, remember how many names apart from stupid, you gave her/him? The list is incomplete even today….. don’t you believe in woh ek paisa degaa tum dus lakh doge? And you wish to keep giving her more for rest of your life too…..right?
b) When your dear ones tell you that you did not do a job well, you give them examples of so many jobs not done well by them. You give them their sweet memories that they are trying to forget back to them. And you say you can’t give without thinking?
c) Taana maarna koi humse seekhe. We never leave a chance to cut the person to size. He did it once and we are still giving him and phir bhi dil nahi bhara! Not to forget our vocabulary bhi kam nahi hua….
d) Regarding complaints that we have against someone….how many issues we prop up against them that too in record time….they did this, they said this, they didn’t say this or they didn’t do this and so on and so forth….Even God can’t save the person we don’t like! How many reasons we can find to hate them? Surely it can last for next seven janmas….na…still think you don’t give…

No dear, you know only to give. Never for once did the thought come to you saying “Enough of giving. I’ll stop giving from now-onwards.” Each one of us is expert in giving and giving even without a second thought. It’s just that we are used to giving complaints, anger, hatred, taunts, swearings and like. Never say you don’t know to give from today.

Then, where is the problem? We all expect only to receive love, respect and peace from others. Unfortunately, nature’s law is odd. It gives back only those of things that you give to the world – multi-folded. No doubt, inspite of giving so much hatred and pain we end up not receiving love and respect. If you want money, do charity. If you want understanding, be understanding. If you want love and respect, you need to give only love and respect.

हर बात पे कहते हो के तू क्या है
तुम्ही कहो के एह अंदाजे गुफ्तगू क्या है!

On the turn of every phrase you doubt my entity
Tell me after what fashion have you chiseled this tete-e-tete!

Now the shift towards giving Love only and that too beyond a thought –well, that’s difficult. Right? So, you know you can give love. Good for a start. Next what? I said, you CAN give without a thought crossing your mind that I am giving. I didn’t say you SHOULD give without thinking.

That means you can get a thought while giving. But, I am talking of a POSSIBILITY that goes beyond this State of Awareness. A state of just Being where awareness also drops. At that stage, even giving doesn’t realize it’s giving.

Giving, giver and the receiver all merge into one. This is the Ultimate State of Being and Bliss. You can CHOOSE to experience giving and receiving from any platform of Consciousness. After all, it’s your choice (and no pun intended here for sure!) and you have the choice to experience giving with its various facets. But, ultimate would be “Not knowing state of Being and Giving”.

After all, as an old kannada saying goes “viraha koti koti taraha” means viraha i.e., separation can be tasted in a crore and more no. of ways.

Didn’t we all come to experience emotions at various degrees? If it be true of viraham, so it would be for all the emotions.

We can choose to experience each and every shade of the navarasas in a crore and more no. of ways!

No questions asked what so ever! But, do so with awareness so that what you choose to experience, ultimately benefits you only if you enjoy it. So, develop taste buds to enjoy all the emotions. Learn to say and live, “I am enjoying the pain that I wished to experience.”

And ultimately, when you outgrow the joy you get by experiencing them, then when you crave for unlimited source of joy of giving, then you have no choice but to give at the state where you don’t even remember or aware that you are giving.

किसी ने क्या खूब कहा है –

में लाख जन्नत के नजारे दिखाऊँ तुझे लेकिन
फिर भी तेरे ही कूचे की तरफ़ तेरी नज़र जाती है.

I may show so many glimpses of heaven but still
your eyes would search for your hut and dwelling only.

Leaving you to make your choices of experiences that you wish to enjoy, I go to mine.

Revathi

And the First Flip happened....

PS: This is a bit longer post. You can copy it on to the desktop and read it as post for two days.....there will be no post tomorrow....

The How?

We are all Spiritual beings who have come to experience human experiences. But, unfortunately or fortunately we have come to believe that we are human beings who have to work to have spiritual experiences.

Now, exactly what caused this shift? And the reasons mainly are three:

1. Our forgetfulness that we are Divine who have come to learn a lesson through an experience. This is what is classically called as “Maya”.
2. Our sense of false separateness. The wrong belief system that says we are all different from one another and we need to fight with and against each other and also to win over others to prove to ourselves that we are successful and powerful.
3. The identification that we develop with the role we don to play and learn our lesson which is termed as ego.
   
   Our forgetfulness that we are Divine was mainly necessary to make us learn our lesson correctly and to experience it to the most. Like any seasoned actor would tell you that when the character goes under their skin, they live, breathe and sleep the character till they complete playing that role. Only such performances are remembered as classics. During that shot the actor becomes the role. This blending gives the validity to the role that the actor plays.
   
   But, at the same time the actor should remember that He is not the character he is playing for him not to be disturbed by the role he/she is playing. Sometimes, this forgetfulness plays havoc. The actor comes to think himself to be larger than real and behaves so in the public too. That’s when they start messing up their lives. Such of actors who know the fame, love and the hatred for the character is for the character they played only and not to them develop a sense of balance both in their work and life. Their outlook of themselves and their profession is totally different.
   
   This identification with the character that we play is what is called as Ego. The Truth is everyone and everything is the manifestation of the same Divine. But the name and form create an illusion that we are all different from one another. Ego is not arrogance. Identification of my self with anything apart from my Divine nature is ego. The day is remember “Aham Brahmasmi” “I am that I am” I shall identify with one and all as myself. Till then, I presume I a different from others.
   
   And the feel, thought and belief of separatedness comes from ignorance – because we don’t know The Truth! And the Truth is :
   
   When he Himself reveals, Himself, Brahma brings into manifestation That which can never be seen.
   As the seed is in the plant, as the shade is in the tree, as the void is in the sky, as infinite forms are in the void –
   So from beyond the Infinite, the Infinite comes; and from the Infinite the finite extends.
   The creature is in Brahma, and Brahma is in the creature; they are every distinct yet ever united.
   He Himself is the tree, the seed and the germ.
   He Himself is the flower, the fruit and the shade.
   He Himself is the sun, the light and the lighted.
   He Himself is the Brahma, creature and Maya.
   He is the breath, the word and the meaning.
   He Himself is the limit and the limiteless and beyond both the limited and the unlimited
   The Supreme Soul is seen within the soul,
   The Point is seen within the Supreme Soul,
   And within the point, the reflection is seen again.
   - Kabir
   
   The identification that I make anything apart from the Truth is what is classically terms as ‘aham’ – ego. What all do I identify with?
   a) My body
   b) My thoughts
   c) My feelings
   d) My emotions – pain, hurt, frustration, attachment, anger, worry etc.
   e) My name and fame
   f) My possessions
   ….and the list goes on…
   
   But, are these not mine? Of course! They are. As you yourself said now ‘They are yours. You are not Them.’
   Body is yours but you are not the body.
   Mind is yours but you are not the mind.
   Thoughts are yours but you are not the thought.
   Feelings are yours but you are not the feelings.
   Not clear yet. Donkey is yours but you are not the donkey! Just the way, they are yours but you are not them. You possess them. You can experience them. You can experience through them. No problem till then.
   
   But the problem starts when you are possessed by them. You are used by them. You become them. Where is you? This shift happens gradually with every experience that we have and the impression we chose to carry through such of experiences..
   
   Every time, I have an experience I more or less carry an impression from that experience which is termed as psychic impressions.
   
   Suppose I plan to drink hot milk at 9 pm on Tuesday. I let the milk boil on the gas and start watching TV. At 9.30pm I remember that the milk is boiling. I rush, put if off and pour some into the glass. Phone rings and I take the call. I am lost in the talk I had over phone. I just sip the hot milk and burn my tongue. I’ll carry a psychic impression from that experience that :
   Ø Hot milk doesn’t suit me or will always burn me (So, my dislike for Hot Milk starts. I end up saying, I don’t like hot milk)
   Ø Night time I always get burnt.
   Ø Tuesdays I shouldn’t start any work.
   Ø Whenever I talk to that person over phone, immediately after that I hurt myself. I am sure that person is not good for me and my health.
   Ø So and so forth….when the fact was just that because it was hot and I didn’t blow it to become cold I burnt my tongue.
   
   These psychic impressions over the period of time when happens repeatedly, I develop a belief system. Belief system becomes my habit. Habits are the basis of character. Character determines the Fate and where did the Fate start? All with the psychic impression which is nothing but a thought which has left behind an impression. And we presumed all along that the Fate is written by some Old man sitting high up in the sky in the language unknown to us! So, I am the creator of my fate. Ke sera sera. As you think, you shall be, shall be! What you think is what is going to come back as an event tomorrow in your life.
   
   World is nothing but the figment of your imagination! And what an imagination we have!
   
   How the ego uses the mind game to create this world within and outside is very important for us to know. Or May I say only thing worth knowing! And this knowing happens by Looking within. Know thyself. First, let’s start by looking at our thoughts. Not by identifying with them. Just by looking at them. Just by being aware of them. This is what is starting point of looking within.
   
   With this Awareness start looking within from now onwards…
   
   Will get back by the time you get to practice it a bit……
   
   revathi
   
   
   
   

At the Beginning was....

The When and How?

With not much response from all of you I thought I would drop writing in the blog. Just when I told Vijyalakshmi the other day I am going to stop writing blog, I get wonderful feedbacks and beautiful and meaningful questions posed. Well, I suppose that could keep me going for some more time …..

Padmaja had written “happiness and peace may be within our reach and yet unattainable…..”. Yesterday’s blog must have answered the statement partially….
Regarding Mona’s query with regards to “Soul laughing and enjoying the moment God say’s cut etc”, “I have always emphasized that we can be happy inspite of situations. And here I meant the soul we.” We would be dealing with the entire subject for the next few days to come…….in detail. So hang on…..
Ravi’s e-mail ……. Well, even that’ll be addressed in the days to come………

If I answer these questions, we’ll be addressing the topic topically. But, it is better to address this issue from the root cause onwards. So, let’s understand how and when the whole game started…….

Aap khud ko dekhne ke waasthe hum ko aaina banaya yaar ne…
To look as Himself, Lord made me a mirror of Himself.

It was just one more day like this one in the council of God where all souls were just sitting. A wise Old Soul got up and said, “Lo! How beautiful, divine and complete are we! We are but Love personified!.” There was a small soul who was recently born who asked with eyes wide and questioning, “But, how do we experience it? Knowing, yes we do. But wouldn’t it be nice to experience it too?”

God smiled, “So be it! May all that you wish come true!” he said with a knowing smile.

All the souls became busy choosing what they wished to experience. They chose to be artists, players, nature and all. The small soul started to cry. The wise old soul came near it and asked, “Why are you crying?”

The little soul replied “I want to experience Being and giving unconditional Love. But, since none is choosing to be bad, how can I experience to give unconditional love?”

The old soul thought for a while and said with the smile on his lips, “Don’t cry. I’ll choose to be a very mean, selfish and a crooked person in your life. Then, you can forgive me for what I am and yet love me in spite of me being so bad. This way you can BE and experience giving unconditional love.”

The little soul jumped out of joy. He clapped his hands and started to dance. The wise soul stopped it and said, “But, remember one thing. I am doing this out of love for you. Will you remember this when I am cruel, mean and bad to you.”

The little soul said “Of course, I’ll.” But, does it?

This of course is a story…but, the fact is we are where we are out of our own choice. We chose to be someone to experience a quality of the soul – say love, empathy etc.

Now, presume I have chosen to experience love. How do I know that I am a person who can love unconditionally? Ideally, I should be surrounded by people who are taking, taking and still taking from me – physically, mentally, financially and spiritually. I should be with all these and still giving without experiencing the pain of giving. I should enjoy giving to the hilt. Giving should be at a level where a thought that “I am giving” also should not be registered. I should have ideally given up a thought that I am giving also to experience Being Unconditional Love. With all mean and selfish people around, now I can’t complain of their nature. Can I? They are playing their roles correctly and beautifully, but it’s me who’s forgotten my part of choice and commitment towards learning this lesson – completely. No doubt, I come again and again to learn this lesson.

Jab ke tujh bin nahin koi moujood
Phir ye hangama aye khuda kya hai?
When there is no one but you present everywhere
Then what is this cry all about of separateness?

Just as the same Sun is reflected in muddy water, pool, lake, river, pot, glass, land and everywhere differently, so too it’s the same consciousness that is pervading everywhere.

Earth bears trees and thereby sustains life and the needs of life. It also takes the shape of pot, jug and other utensils. It also manifests as an artifact. Earth has a transmutation quality that converts the physical wastes into manure. It takes the dead body in its cover and releases the five elements which constitute the body.

Just as the material being same, it’s the positioning of this material which gives it the quality that it exhibits, so too the soul manifests in various forms to experience life in all ways.

If it’s the same soul, how can I don’t remember and feel divine? Where and when did I lose myself in the character that I was playing is what we’ll address tomorrow….patience my friend, as they say is virtue…so wait…and as you do the waiting do a little peeping within to find the Real You……

Leaving you to silence to go within in search of your sweet self is
revathi

PS: Few of you wanted posts to be small but couldn't shorten this topic...sorry.

So near yet so far........

So near yet so far........

It is so simple to be happy but so difficult to be simple!

So very right!!!

But how is it so simple to be happy? It is very simple to be happy because, to be happy we have only one reason to be so. And that is JUST BE.

JUST BE is all there is to be! And yet it looks unattainable. So it is so difficult to be happy.

Peace and happiness are our very nature. It is our natural state of Being.

To experience it, we need not work to become something. We need not attain anything. We just have to BE. Like silence is natural. It need not be worked for. To create sound, we make an effort. Likewise, not to be happy we are making an effort. And boy! How successful we are in this effort!

Trust me, we are very creative and innovative in making new and limitless efforts to be unhappy. We are ever in the struggle to keep ourselves unhappy and to be in pain. We do work really hard for it – physically, mentally and intellectually.

Just as the bed of the lake can’t be viewed if it is muddy on the surface, so too we can’t see our real nature – The Truth for what it is because of our acquired nature.

बड़े बेजार होके फिर रहे थे हम इस मकान में
आइना जो देखा आज थो लगा चलो कोई थो है जो हमें पहचानता है इस घर में.

I was going around this house very confused and frustrated
I felt little relieved today when I saw myself in the mirror and felt good that there is atleast someone in this house who knows me!

He whom I enclose with my name (we call it our ego) is weeping in this dungeon. I am ever busy building this wall all around; and as this wall goes up into the sky day by day I lose sight of my true being in its dark shadow.

I take pride in this great wall and work very hard to plaster it and strengthen it lest it should have some hole left out…but I find that at the end of the day with all the hard work I have made myself a prisoner of my own doing and in my own home built so lovingly and carefully by me..….

What prompts us to acquire this self which blinds us or takes us away from The Truth and how to drop this acquired self is all we need to know to realize our real basic nature – that of divine, complete and a blissful self – sat chit ananda.

Till then, I once again say “Look within”

*********** 

Look within, karma, sat chit ananda, soul, soul's agenda, soul journey, ego, are we liberating our soul or pushing it into hell called ego through the journey called life?, liberation of soul, freedom, peace, 

Questions addressed:

• What is the purpose of life?
• Is the life for enjoyment?
• What is the purpose of soul journey?

Points to be understood:

• We are enslaving ourselves in our own prison called ego.
• We build it every time we live our life through our senses.
• Bring awareness to life and its actions and situations - get liberated through life!
• Freedom is never IN ACTION but through action!

The Journey Within!

The Search…

कस्तुरी कुंडल बसे, मृग ढूंढे बन मा ही
Musk-deer carries a perfume in its body but tries to search for it in the forest…….

Similarly,
I RUN as A musk-deer runs in the shadow of the forest mad with his own perfume.
I lose my way and I wander.
I seek what I cannot get, I get what I do not seek.
From my heart comes out and dances the image of my own desire.
I try to clasp it firmly, it eludes me and leads me astray.
I seek what I cannot get, I get what I do not seek.

Day after day I work so hard to get what I presume would keep me happy and satisfied only to find I feel empty inspite of being filled with things that I worked so hard to get!

Am I working for such of things that I don’t need? If so, why am I working so hard for these things? Because every other person seems to be….. and the majority has got to be right! (Belief system that needs to be worked on..) or is it because I haven’t taken time to look within and know myself. Only when I know myself will I be able to know what I want and why. As long as I don’t know where to go, it doesn’t matter where I go and for how long. I end up going nowhere inspite of taking pains to be on the go…..


No doubt MAN is considered a fool for wanting it cold when it is hot,
And hot when it is cold! He wants anything except what he has!

Take time to Look within……..trust me, it’s worth the try…..

revathi

The Indian Hell!

Well, the name does make a difference!

Once an Indian died and went to Hell and found out that every country had different hell for its people. First he went to a German hell and peeped in. He asked the devil as to how people are punished here. The devil answered, “For one hour, people are made to sit on an electric chair and then made to sleep on the bed of iron-nails. Later a German devil comes and beats them for the rest of the day.” Our hero did not like what he saw and heard. So, he moved on to check out the other hells.

Next, he saw more or less the same treatments being meted out in all other hells.

Lastly, he came to the Indian hell and found a long line of people waiting to enter it. He asked the people waiting as to why Indian hell had so much of people anxious to enter it. The person standing there told, “For one hour, people are made to sit on an electric chair and then made to sleep on the bed of iron-nails. Later an Indian devil comes and beats them for the rest of the day.”

Our hero was confused. It was same as others. So he asked, “It is same as other hells, then how come there is such a long queue for Indian hell?”. The person answered, “True! But the maintenance is so bad that electric chair does not work, somebody has stolen the iron nails and the Indian devil was an Indian Government servant. So, he comes, signs the register and goes off.”

Hell is hell everywhere. But, it’s the personnel who make the difference.

Marriage is marriage everywhere. But, it’s the personnel who make the difference in this institution.

Situation is more or less same everywhere. But it’s the person involved who makes a difference in the situation.

Mirror is a mirror everywhere. But the reflection depends on who stands in front of it.

Just the same. Life is life all along. It’s what you make out of it that makes it beautiful or otherwise.

“मिलो थो ऐसे मिलो के लोग करे आरजू और
जियो थो ऐसे जियो के दुनिया मिसाल दे”.

“If you meet someone, meet them so that they look forward to meeting you again,
and if you live, live life such that people set you as an example to live.”

Wishing you to make a difference in your life

revathi

In the post "Is it the same God who created both good and bad?" I had written that father of Cain and Abel was Abraham. I am sorry for the mistake. The father of Cain and Abel was Adam.

On Pain

Who is the cause of suffering in my life?

“आप गैरों की बात करते है, हमने अपनों को आजमाया है!”

you talk of others, but I’ve always been hurt by my own.

Whenever we hear this couplet or something akin to this, the immediate “my people who’ve hurt me” is connected to pain and anguish caused by near and dear ones!

But in actuality the talk here was not of the people in my life but all those that I cherish as my own and I call as “MINE”. The “MINE” that causes me pain are:
· Ego
· Memories
· Emotions
· My body
· My mind
These prized possessions of MINE have been the causative factors of pain and all through, I was made to believe that my pain was because of :
a. People not living upto my expectations
b. Situations not being conducive to me

No suffering be it anger, pain, frustrations, tension, worry etc are not caused by the people in our Lives. Yes, I repeat – No pain and suffering is caused by “The people” in our “Lives”. No person can be the cause of pain in my life. A person can be the catalyst at the max to create a situation that doesn’t befit my taste, but he cannot inflict pain on me. SITUATION IS REAL BUT SUFFERING IS PURELY OPTIONAL – OUR OPTION AND CHOICE ONLY!

We USE PEOPLE to inflict pain in ourselves. Yes, I repeat – we on our own USE people to suffer in life. People, however they are cannot be the cause of suffering or pain in my life. They can just give me an excuse to suffer. But that excuse is purely my own personal choice. Still confused? Well, this is how it goes…..

This is all the game of the Ego. To survive, it needs emotions. It grows faster with negative emotions. Negative emotions are the best shield for an Ego to survive. And to survive, it uses the body as the feeding machine. Pain when experienced, releases certain chemicals in the body. The body gets a high during such releases.

It is the same as in the case of a drug, alcohol or any other addiction. Everything is just a chemical addiction fundamentally speaking.

So, at the appointed time our system longs for that chemical and to release that chemical, ego logs on to the memory bank and comes out with people and situations which can help me to produce that chemical in my system.

Thanks to my “good memory” I very easily log on to not one but many situations that can produce the required emotion – say pain here immediately. The necessary chemical is produced. I suffer because of it. My Mind tells me it is because of “That Person” or “Situation” I am suffering.

This branding acts as “tags” and makes it easy to access when I need to produce these chemicals the next time.

The body in the mean time gets used to these chemicals and longs for it more often. Same as in the case of any addiction, we end up increasing the dosage of pain at period intervals.

My Ego fools my Mind into believing that “People” and “Situations” have caused this pain in my life. As the blame is on others, we expect them to heal it which never happens. Because, it was never them in the first place.

Healing not happening is what Ego wants. And our suffering continues and our Ego becomes bigger and bigger as our suffering and pain become more and more.

This shift of the reality is what is classically called as “Maya”.

So, when you are talking and assuming your suffering to be caused by the People in your life, it is your OWN i.e., ego, body, mind, memory and emotions which are the real culprits.

So, I said “आप काँटों से दामन बच्चाके चलते है
हमने फूलों से ज़ख्म खाए है”

“You try to save yourself from thorns, but I have been hurt by flowers”.

Beware of “Mine” and all that constitutes “Mine”.

Wishing you a happy and peaceful living

revathi

Love and anger

Make a right choice!



How can i love someone whom i am angry at?

If your heart is a volcano how shall you expect flowers to bloom in your hands?

You may judge others only according to your knowledge of yourself. And how much of ourselves do we actually know?


A strange form of self-indulgence! There are times when I would be wronged and cheated, that I may laugh at the expense of those who think I do no know I am being wronged and cheated.


You are truly a forgiver when you forgive murderers who never spill blood, thieves who never steal and liars who utter no falsehood.

Let him who wipes his soiled hands with your garment take your garment. He may need it again; surely you would not.


I always had choice between Love and Hate. And I chose Love and I am here -AR Rehman. Option is yours. Choice is yours. If you want success both internally and externally you have but no choice but to choose love. And when you choose Love, you just can't be angry. Love and anger can't go together. Come to think of it, even anger is a form of Love.


And You’ll be quite friendly with your enemy when you both die.


"आप घेरों की बात करते है, हमने अपनों को आजमाया है,
आप काँटों से दामन बचके चलते है,
हमने फूलों से ज़क्म खाए है."

you talk of others, I have been hurt by my Own
you try to save yourself from the thorns,
i have been pricked by the flowers.

what is the thorn and flower i am speaking about?

revathi

The Curse

The Curse!

An old man of the sea once said to me, “It was thirty years ago that a sailor ran away with my daughter. And I cursed them both in my heart, for daughter was all I had in the entire world.”

“Not long after that, the sailor youth went down with his ship to the bottom of the sea, and with him my lovely daughter was lost unto me.”

And now on my way to the grave, I seek God’s forgiveness.”

To this day, there is a tone of bragging in his words and it seems that he is still proud of the power of his curse!

When we talk of ill-fate of others, is there a tone of satisfaction that justice is atlast met? Are we rejoicing in others suffering in the name of justice? Are we celebrating with the statement “उसके घर में ढेर है अंधेर नहीं”?

Let’s understand this wholly that it is always between Him and them. We are no one to comment or talk of justice. We can only look within and work on to make ourselves a better human being than before. And that goodness of ours is not in relation to others in our lives.

Let’s stop being judgemental! Love is knowing all about the other and still loving them for what they are!

Learning to learn the art of love is a life long process! Let’s get hooked to this learning!

revathi

Honesty !

Excellence is the key word to honesty ...


A German once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?"

"No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage."

The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked.

"There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?" The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar seventy feet high.

"If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked.

The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not.

"Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency...giving your best is not enough. Giving that you cannot better even if given a second chance is Honesty to the core. Honesty should not be varying depending on the situation. It is giving your 100% every time. It should be something that you give when no one is watching or noticing too!

We usually think ourselves to be honest people!

But the question is, are we? Honesty shouldn’t be relative. Honesty is with the self. Where ever you are, what ever you do, are you honest? This should be the question that drives you to perfection in everything that you do.

The simple rule would be to be Aware of the energy that we are generating with every thought, word, feel and deed every minute of our lives. The sum total of all these energies if is negative, then we are not ‘good’ people though we may term ourselves to be so. Check it out every minute. Then, we’ll understand that since we are generating something negative, we are experiencing and living negative situations in life.

We are not ‘good people’ suffering because of some X,Y,Z’s ‘nazar’ or ‘curse’. We are just suffering because of our own creations!

It’s time we honestly revamp our creations (by thought, feel, word and deed) to be living a life that we have dreamt about. BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT. STOP talking about the change you wish to have in your life.


Those of US who have been complaining of the situations in life, if you are happy with it stop here and carry on your life as it is. But if you ‘honestly’ don’t want these situations in life, if you ‘honestly’ want happiness and satisfaction in life and then let us take a pledge that we’ll become more aware of our thoughts and ‘honestly’ give only the best to ourselves.

So, just for TODAY WE’LL LIVE HONESTLY AND EARN HONESTLY is an understanding that I wish to include in my learning and application in life,

As I learn to do so,

I take leave, for now

revathi

spirituality

Why Spirituality?


Spirituality and materialism – do they go together?

One common doubt that everyone seems to have is : What would I get by practicing spirituality? I don’t want to leave everything and go away? I am a householder who is responsible towards my family and society. So, why spirituality? I am anyhow religious. Spirituality doesn’t bind you. It frees you from within and helps you to don your role in life effortlessly and happily not to forget your commitment to your role. Spirituality and powers don’t necessarily go together. Spirituality only deals with dropping off the ego which is the pain giver and which stops us from experiencing life for what it is. Simply put in Tagore’s words it takes you to -

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where the knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert and of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into the ever-widening thought and action-
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Read every sentence again and again. Don’t say ‘oh, but I know this poem.’ ‘I have read it already’. These and such related statements will stop you from experiencing and living life of abundance. If you honestly – I repeat honestly, not just verbally want to walk this talk then do it. Stop verbalizing and arguing. T

Towards this end of freedom we will be working for in the days to come and then experience the fullness of life and ourselves in the process.

Working towards freedom is

revathi

Homam

Jai shree Gajanand Maharaj ki!

Along with the creation of the universe the Almighty Father revealed the ultimate knowledge to the mankind in the form of the Vedas. The word Veda originates from the Sanskrit Verbal root ‘Vid” meaning to know. ‘Vedas’ mean pure knowledge. This revelations was made in a very subtle manner in the hearts of pure and pious minded Rishis. Rishi means seer. Vedas are not composed. Vedas is the knowledge of the Divine. It does not belong to any particular religion or faith.

The five fold path of the Sanathana Dharma (Eternal Religion) is the essence of Vedas.

· Yagnya (Agnihotra) – for the purification of atmosphere
· Daan-sharing of assets in the spirit of humility
· Tapa (Self Discipline)
· Karma (Right Action)
· Swadhyaya (Self Study) for liberation

You may follow any religion under the sun. You may choose to be an atheist too! But to become a perfect member of your own society you should first be a good human being with pure and peaceful mind. That is inculcated in you by the Agnihotra.

It is just not one more of the ritual. It’s main purpose is to develop the surrendrance to the ultimate knowledge and to drop our greatest enemy – ego.

While practicing Agnihotra we chant ‘Idam Na Mama’ that is ‘Not Mine, Thy will be done’. This slowly helps you to drop your greatest foe ego and prepares you for liberation.

Few Benefits of performing Agnihotra in every house would be:
· Agnihotra is performed at sunset and sunrise which is referred to as ‘Transitional Moments’. Vedas describe this particular period of Time as the ‘Passage of Liberation’. When we cross a river, we look for a shallow place. This is called as ‘Tirtha Sthan’. Similarly, the fathomless unending ocean of miserable worldly life is shallow at the transitional moments of Sunrise and Sunset. Every man follows a particular pattern of breathing during the period of sunrise to sunset to sunrise. Exactly at the time of transition, they too are in a the process of transition during which short time the ‘Sushumna’ nadi is active. We are performing Agnihotra at this time to get maximum benefits.
· It creates pure, clean and medicinal atmosphere.
· It cleanses the negative effects of pollution.
· It spreads the vibrations of peace and love and cleanses the Prana.
· Medicinal properties in the Agnihotra atmosphere restrict the growth and spread to pathogenic bacteria.
· The sacred ash from Agnihotra has beneficial effects on Agriculture. Many farms in and outside India have benefited from their use. Fertilizers and pesticides have been done away with.
· The unending ‘healing cycle’ and the protection cycle is formed in the house and the areas where it is regularly performed.

And the benefits are more…I request all those of you who are practicing Agnihotra to come out with your experiences (don’t label them as big or small). Experience is an experience. Share with one and all here on the blog too!

Suggest Agnihotra to non-Reiki channels too! Even they will be benefited hugely. Reiki channels have an added advantage of awareness and can feel the vibratory shifts happening around during and after the Homam.

For detailed know-how log on to www.agnihotraindia.com

Agnihotra House in Hyderabad
Malkajgiri - 27052812
Badichowdi – 87564798,27622035
Kalikabar – 24415969
L.b. Nagar – 23098640

The telephone nos. are 10 years old. I am not sure if they are still functioning. And PLEASE call them between 9.00 AM – 10.30 AM and 4.00-6.00 PM only. PLEASE don’t disturb them at odd hours. They are doing a huge SEVA to the society. Respect their timings and their work. Log on to their website or email :shivpuri@pn3.vsnl.net.in for further queries.

This information has been given on Ms.Padmaja’s request. Hope it serves the purpose for which she wanted it!

Those of you who are not yet practicing, I hope will buck up, stop giving any further excuses and start doing Agnihotra right from today…

Wishing to see Agnihotra bestow its “Abhuyudaya” and mental peace to you,

thank you guruji Ganjanand Swamiji and thank you all the Rishis

revathi

Is God the only Creator?

Who’s the Creator of bad in the world?


Shivoham!

Feedbacks and comments give me an insight into your understandings and also into your doubts. They are ever so welcome!

One question I received was “Did the same God create both good and bad people in the world?”

· VIBGYOR – Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red – all are just the rays of the same While Light. Ultra-violet rays are good whereas Infra-red rays harm.

· Both Ravana and Vibhishana had the same father!

· Hiranyakashyap and Prahlad – both had same forefathers!

· Both Cain and Abel had the same father – Abraham!

· It’s the same Mother who nourishes the world as Parvathi and the same Mother is also Mother Kali.

· It’s the same God who created Mother Earth who sustains all life forms. Again it’s the same God who created Thunderbolt to put to flames the whole of forests at one go.

· God is not only the Creator but also the destroyer. He is the sustainer too!

· Like-wise, it’s the same God who created Doe created Tiger too!


Now, the next question would be “How can the same God create both good and bad?”

Well, just as the same story-teller or writer creates both the victim and the person who assaults.

Just as the same director directs both the hero and the anti-hero.

As you get lost in these statements and the basic truths of Creation, 

I go to admire the beauty in creation,

Till you come up with next query, I remain lost in bliss

revathi

A Ready Reckner

Inspite of following preventive measures, we end up having a flat tyre. Then instead of analyzing and shouting or resorting to blame game, we need to fix the tyre immediately. This is called as Break down Maintenance. When the problem is right in front of you, just fix it. Don’t sit and contemplate on it. Later we can dig at the cause and fix it for long term benefit. But for now just fix it! This is the concept of Break down maintenance.

The difference between PM and BDM is that BDM is resorted to when the damage is already done. It is about fixing the immediate issue at hand. Whereas PM is to work at the cause which cause break down even before Break down happens. It helps in avoiding delays, break-downs, accidents happening out of negligence.

PM in spiritual life helps one to –
- lead a stress free life
- charting out events from such that breakdowns are minimized or totally done away with
- avoid accidents from happening or if so then to minimize the effect it has on the person

As all of you are pretty clear about Maintenance Free, Prevention Maintenance and Break down Maintenance, let me give a ready reckoner for the same.



For Breakdown Maintenance :

with Issues related to Physical/ Health :

· start doing pranayamam
· hands on
· send an SMS seeking other Reiki channels help
· check the diet & preferably go on a fast or go easy on your diet
· revamp your attitudes


with Issues related to Relationship :

· Emotional healing
· homam
· vaasthu healing
· Forgive and move on

with Issues related with Finance :

· pay your debts
· charity
· financial healing

with Issues related with spirituality :

· Meditate
· Be aware
· Hands on, hands on and more hands on


For Preventive Maintenance :

with Issues related to Physical /Health :

· exercises / yogasanas
· pranayamam
· Reg. hands on
· draw shield first thing in the Morning
· programme your entire day
· prog. Your every event of day
· reiki box
· work on your attitudes
· exchange healing experiences with other healers

for Issues related with Relationship :

· doing E.H. for better relationship even if things are in control
· homan
· Vasthu healing
· hands on to all
· forgiveness meditation

for Issues related with Financial :

· charity
· save
· pay your debts
· financial healing

for Issues related to Spirituality :

· Meditate
· Be more aware
· hands on
· be non-judgemental
· work on your belief systems
· let go and move on
· forgive and be free


Please feel free to ask any doubts reg. these three maintenance types, techniques.

As you start working on these aspects,
I sign off for today,

With love
revathi