On giving

….contd…..

Then there is the requirement of regular items like soaps, paste, hair oil, clothes. These requirements is in old age homes, orphanages, charity homes for disabled and such charity run organizations. They even take old (but wearable) clothes. You can donate your old clothes to these organizations or to street dwellers.

Our winters are very chilly and we find it unbearable in the confines of our safe houses. Imagine how kids on streets survive these winters? One rug costs just around Rs.100/150-. Donate atleast one/year. If each one of us does this, there’ll be less deaths because of cold on streets.

Those of you who’ve a group (say of friends or relatives who are ready to donate a small sum each) can donate a pair of dress to the entire class/school in a Government school or an organization like a home for disabled. I’ve seen schools in villages where total children number only around 50 and their school dress would cost just around Rs.10,000/-. Not too high for a group of 10-20. These kids get to wear good and new clothes for whole of 2-3 years. That’s good investment. Don’t you think?

Food: first and foremost requirement of survival is food. We eat 21 times /week and that makes 104 times/month. I am not counting snacks and drinks that we have in between. So, would it be a burden to give about just 10 food packets/month to ten people? If not, start atleast with 5 packets. Those of you who have an excuse ‘I don’t want my family to know I do and so can’t ask my mother/sister to cook for me. I would love to donate but because of above reason can’t’ – I’ll give a solution. Now-a-days, you get rotis for Rs.3-4/- per roti at curry points. Ask them to make 5 packets of roti+curry. Let each packet have 2 rotis + one curry. It’ll cost max of 3*2=6+4=10/packet. So, total would be Rs.50/- only. I am sure each one of you can surely afford that much. That’s much less than your internet connection or phone bill!

Before moving on to other forms of charity, I would like to share a small story that set this bug of charity in me. This story also told me that ‘only one kind of charity’ won’t do. I’ve to do every type of charity – only then it would be complete.

One lady was used to distribute /serve food to all. Someone asked her the reason and she replied “when karna (character from Mahabharath, son of Queen Kunti) died, he went to heaven. As he was a great philanthropist, he was given special quarters filled with all comforts of the heaven and also filled with the riches of heaven. He was given a guided all through the day through all the quarters where he saw abundance of riches. As evening fell, he became restless and asked the guide ‘you are showing me all types of riches since morning but haven’t served food till now. I am famished so please give me something to eat’. To this his guide replied that he was not to let Karna eat anything. Karna was surprised and asked the reason for which his guide said ‘you donated lots of riches on earth but never once gave food. Since, you didn’t donate food, you wouldn’t receive it here. You’ll receive whatever you’ve donated only’.

…contd….

what to donate?

....contd.....

I’ll answer in the order of its growing merit. That is the first that I mention would be of the least merit and the last mentioned would be the highest.

1.      Physical Needs – ontiki intiki entha chesina takkuva! (proverb in telugu language)

It means ‘However much you do for your body and house, it is never enough’.

So true! The needs of the body are never ending. But, when we look at basic needs, they can be summed up as food, clothing and shelter!

Shelter – since we may not be able to donate homes, donate for the construction of old age homes, orphanages or any building that shelters the needy.

(I am just suggesting various options – doesn’t mean you have to do donations/charity for all such activities. You decide depending upon your budget and your like or preference). In shelter, there is requirements that are of two types – one is long term benefit i.e., such items once purchased and donated give all term benefit. Eg: water filters (esp. in old age homes), cots, dining tables, fans, mixer-grinders, plates, chairs etc. by giving these items in donation, you benefit them for many more years to come. You may ask why fans, cots, dining tables etc? Are they not luxury items? For people above 70 years and with multiple health complications and frail health, these are a must. I can vouch for it as I had seen it first hand. These come under essential requirements and since they become last priority in charitable trust, there is always dearth of them. So, if you can donate one of these – a fan would mean a mere Rs.600/- not much if you decide. Going to a movie or a restaurant would cost us more than this. Once a year donating a fan is certainly not that difficult proposition. You can do it on the birthday of your near and dear one. Think about it! 

….contd…..

On Gratitude

….contd……

1.      Validate the role of your Guru in your life. The entire post is based on this. So need I say more? You know how and why now. The person who’s given you solution to your problem, whose made a better person, whose been a beacon of light in the darkness called hopelessness and desperation if you can’t thank him who else will and can you? Thank him! For he is not in need of it. He’s giving you an opportunity to be grateful. To be thankful. To validate the blessings that comes your way. It’s beneficial only to you and you alone. Be genuinely grateful for all that he has and had contributed in your life.

This attitude unless understood, practiced and lived no actual healing starts in real sense. Just practice this and see the abundance flow in your life.

2.      When you have really validated and are grateful in various ways as stated above, you’ll want to share the abundance with others. This is the sign that you have understood atleast a little of being grateful. 

At start it starts with ‘charity’. You want to give because you realize others lack most of what you take for granted in life and wish to give them a little of what you have to them. But, as you grow spiritually you understood you don’t ‘help’ others or ‘do charity’ to them. How can one blind man lead the other? You yourself are directionless and complaining of things that you lack and yet you think you can ‘help’ others. You are ever begging for things, events to happen and not happen from the Gurus and the God and how can one beggar ‘donate’ to other? So, you come to understand that you can serve only. Serve your fellow humans initially and gradually see that you are actually serving the God who is present in the form of ‘needy people’ for it is only Him –be it a star, a politician, a sinner or a beggar. So, you serve Him through these manifestations of Him. That’s why serving the poor is called as “Daridra Narayana Seva” (in Sanskrit language) in India. It is ‘daridra’ – poor though is still ‘Narayana’ i.e., the Lord Vishnu – the protector of the Universe.

So, next question would be what to give in charity?

....contd....

On being grateful

….contd……

1.      Be grateful to people who contribute to your life and are part of it – you want to be applauded publicly. You want people to praise you for your looks, tastes, your work, talent and what not. But, when it comes to praising others for what they do – why lack behind? Why do you give an excuse saying “but, that person will become arrogant”. “Praise harms a person”, “she’s good but she didn’t do this work” what she did she did. Why do you negate it with what she’s supposed to do, didn’t do? Think about it. It doesn’t talk about her. It talks about your character. Offer a word of appreciation to all who are around you. A simple thanks to your sub-ordinate, auto-driver, conductors and just about everyone. Praise them (only genuinely) if they do their job well. Just a sentence like ‘your driving is very good’, ‘your presentation is very good’, your handwriting is good’. There are so many good things that you can find if you wish to praise others. Do it on regular basis. Atleast start with ‘I’ll observe and appreciate 5 people from today’. It can be total strangers. But, thank them and appreciate them for what they do. Just 5/day. Say after 6 months or when you become comfortable you can raise the number to say 7-10 persons. But, start today. Be a ‘giver of smile’. Spread goodwill around. More you appreciate; more will come your way. Please try this and get back to me with your experience after 1 month of practice.

2.      Validate nature: yes. Look around yourself daily. Take just 10-15 mts daily without fail and look at nature – trees, animals, wind (feel this), sky anything. See their contribution in your life and then I don’t need to tell you ‘say thanks to them’ – you’ll automatically do. They bring smile on your lips without fail. By doing nothing too. Just by being themselves.

3.      Appreciate children and old people: Any child you see you can appreciate them for what they say or talk. Make them see their strengths. Encourage them to think of their possibility. For today’s children are tomorrow’s adults. And these adults will build the nation.

Whenever you come across old people in neighbourhood or in public places and if you hear them say something like ‘but we can’t walk etc’ remind them of their achievements and make them feel as role models. This is just one example. But appreciate their worth and their contribution to the society. Encourage them to share it with little ones in their colony or an NGO.

….contd……

On maintaining the body

…contd…..

So, what’s the one attitude when practiced and developed becomes instrumental and helpful in expressing our grand self?

Gratitude! This one word holds life-time of knowing and practicing. I’ll just give few areas where and how you can practice and implement it. You please think on other areas where you can practice it.

1.      Validate what you have. Be grateful for what you have.

Agreed body does have it’s complain but still it is functional. You’ve BP, sugar, acidity – still these are issues that can be addressed and kept in check with right medication, life-style changes, attitudes and finally last but not the least – sadhan i.e., reiki here.

How many of us

1.      Do pranayam? Breath is so vital for our existence and yet we don’t have time to breathe properly – atleast 15 mts for day.

2.      Do exercise daily? If not heavy exercises or going to gym, do we atleast walk 1hr/day? No expense exercise and most efficient one too/yet we don’t walk even to neighbourhood stores. And are jealous of foreigners who are fit and healthy even in 70’s or 80’s they concentrate so much on outdoor and adventurous activities. It’s part of their life and we haven’t even heard of rock climbing, hiking, cycling, wind surfing etc. Pamper your body and you’ve a sick and supple body. Push it and you get a strong body. Read autobiography of any sports personality. This hard work is key to their high fitness levels. We want to enjoy everything through body, yet are least bothered about it. Take care unfortunately this is the only body you have for this life-time.

3.      Eat healthy? Doesn’t mean only salads and go for crash diets. That’s a big no from me. But, eat at regular time – daily. Let the quantity be fixed. A little less is fine but never more, prefer home-made food to outside food as much as possible. Eat sprouts, greens, fresh fruits and vegetables and cook fresh as much as possible. Cooking hardly takes 30 mts.

4.      Do yoga? Yoga world wide is accepted norm of routine and people all over the world, come learn and go back to practice. It’s in our backyard yet don’t do it. We see it, we talk about it – but don’t do it. So start today. Read posts dt. Friday, May 7, 2010, Thursday, January 17, 2013, Monday, June 28, 2010 for detailed explanation.

Inspite of not doing much to maintain this body, it still holds us and let’s us experience the physical pleasures. So thank it for it. Be grateful for what you have. Make a list of things that you have and you don’t have (which you desire to have). The list of complaints is hardly one page long and the list of haves’ is never ending. Try it. So, be grateful for all that you have.

….contd……

Is there good soul and bad soul?

…contd….

People often ask me “if each one of us is the same soul, then why is one a saint and the other sinner. When one is the embodiment of love, the other is that of hatred and destruction. This is the answer. Pain, hurt and such negative feelings and attitudes hide the brilliance of soul in a sinner or a person whose suffering bound by his karma whereas the yogi having subdued his senses lets the brilliance of soul emit through his entire being. That’s all! Let me give you an example. Say there are three bulbs of the same wattage. But, one is totally covered with a black cloth with an aperture of just 1 mm, the second is covered by a thermo cool box and the third is in the open. When you put on these three bulbs, what do you see? From the first, there’s only a small streak of light that comes out. From the second light comes out buy a little dimmed. But, in the third, we see the actual potential of the bulb. Can you say, the difference is in the bulb or the electricity? No, certainly not. The difference is because of the covering. Like-wise in the case of soul, the brilliance of the soul is hidden by the negative attitudes, actions, thoughts and feelings. 

Every person naturally aspires to be at the top. To be the Best! To be successful! Then, should it not be so in case of soul too! Shouldn’t we live up to our potential? Shouldn’t we concentrate on expressing and experiencing our brilliance instead of what others do or don’t? I know your answer is yes. So, take the first step. That is act “as if you are that Divine soul” already. Believe in your divinity, in your capacity to love. Believe that no one has power to break or disturb you. 

A soul is one which is eternal and cannot die. It is something that sword can’t cut, fire can’t burn or wind blow away. If these elements can’t touch you as you are the soul, how can some mortal harm you in any way? Don’t give them power to hurt you! You are not sheep. You are lions. Talk as one. Behave as one. Walk as one. Think as one. Others may hurt your body – fine you can always get another one. But they can never touch you. You are the soul grand, magnificent and divine. You are eternal, omnipotent and omniscient. Express who you are. It’s high time you do it and reclaim your grandeur. Enough of crying, pleading, complaining, suffering and fearing! Be fearless – abhaya! for nothing can harm you!

…contd…..