Maryada Purushottaman Rama

The other day I was watching a youtube video and the subject of matter striked me, straight.

The conversation was about the life of Lord Rama. It was about his life, which seemed to be a series of problems strewn throughout his lifetime. It was a perspective which was known by me but never thought upon via this angle.

Of course, conversation was not about the problems but on the supreme deity himself. The reason for which we call him Maryada Purush Ram - one who abides and follows righteousness, despite hardships around.

Imagine being outcast because of political gimmicks in his home kingdom, imagine 14 years exile in a forest and for sure it must have been very hard, imagine Ravana creating havoc in his life and the war that followed - and so many  incidents highlighted in Ramayana.

Still this man stood his ground, had the perfect calmness and demeanour, unwavering from the position of right whatever was the situation in front. It's not easy, it's definitely not easy to maintain a composure of a lotus in a pond. The way his mind would have not allowed any weed of wrong, useless and impure thoughts to dwell on.

We often say as he was Lord, he must have had the strength and power to sustain, but was the epic out there only to revere the supremeness or something else ?

Does the scripture we read in schools only about teaching our children as stories or is it something more ? Does it  also tell us to learn, compare, understand and act the way an example was set eons ago by one man, in our own life.Even if we imbibe an iota of what our religious scriptures says via a story, it should do wonders.

The irony is we all know in our mind space about the lessons but using it in our own lives seems a distant cry as it is sometimes seemingly impractical. No one can teach us how for its our own journey. Even to arrive at whether we can or whether we can't is upon us.

Not sure if it helps, when we are in a situation, try to think for a minute how Lord Rama would have acted. Leave aside the God factor and think in terms of a perfect man. What would he do, how would he act, how would he think - then if possible and if we believe, let's act the same.

In this way, if we can find Him inside us more often, I believe he will guide us with the right actions always in divine order.

Knowing the Importance

We know the importance of fan
When it stops revolving
We know the importance of light
When power goes off

We know the importance of sun
When it rains hard
We know the importance of rain
When it is scorchingly hot

We know the importance of birds
When there is eerie silence
We know the importance of trees
When we need a shade

We know the importance of food
When we are hungry
We know the importance of water
When we feel thirsty

We know the importance of money
When we have scarcity
We know the importance of time
When we have none to spend

We know the importance of love
When the heart is united
We know the importance of giving
When the receiver has happy eyes

We know the importance of smile
When we see a newborn
We know the importance of ordinary
When we see the extra behind

If we know the importance
Without knowing the importance
Everything would be One for us
Intrinsic would be the ultimate universe !!

Don't and Do's

Don't satisfy your ego
Satisfy your soul !!
Don't just earn money
Spend money to grow !!

Don't think too much
Think only what is required !!
Don't wait for being ready
Start doing now !!

Don't make yourself dry
Ensure you are inside moist !!
Don't be for some one else
For you yourself is an original !!

Don't wait for the right time,
For Time is always right !!
Don't just go to a temple,
Feel the temple inside !!

Don't just read a book
Absorb the gist within !!
Don't just watch nature
Learn its language instead !!

Don't just remember moments
Good and bad is for our say !!
Don't search for happiness
Put on the switch inside, if you can !!

In and Out

The other day I was visiting a new shopping mall and thought about a simple fact. For any shopping mall, Main gate would be the entry - we come inside the paradise of garments and wanders across floors admiring the beautiful and new fashion apparels. There would be a sense of wonder and excitement on the expectation of something new of less price destined for us.

After the selection and billing, we often search for the exit. And this is the time, when we search for the right way to come out. This is the time when we frantically search for a sign, to guide us in the right direction. Often we end up taking longer to come out, provided the mall has better sign boards, placed at the right places.

If we categorize the in and out saga, isn't it a simile to our daily situations as well. We start (enter) a moment,  live (traverse through)a moment and then come out of the moment. Moments can span from seconds to years.

Situations, as well, has an In and an Out.
And there are sign boards in the form of cue or hunch that tells us the right way to be out. Its about learning how to find them for only a true seeker can find them. Its about how to view them for only inner eyes can see them, only if we allow that freedom to our selves - our inner selves, to guide and lead us.

Looking at Traffic Signals

Traffic snarls are a cup of tea, which no one wants to take. The 3 colours has the means to evoke varied responses from us. How would it look like if we compare them with our lives.

Red signifies to stop. In life, it may mean to stop driving wrong thoughts like fear, worry, anxiety through our minds. It may mean to stop entertaining impure thoughts like jealousy, selfishness. It may mean to not carry useless thoughts like what ifs and procrastination.

Yellow signifies to go slow. In life, it may mean to go slow, at par with our internal rhythm. It may mean to give attention to small things which carry more importance. It may mean to listen to yourself every now and then to look left, right, back and forth, for every matter has some thing to show and teach.

Green represents to proceed, to move on. In life, it may mean to go at our natural speed, keeping body, mind and spiritual gears in control. It may mean to give aid and hold on to right, useful and pure thoughts always, propelling us to reach our dream destination - God Speed !!

Is it God or is it You !!

Is it a moment in Life,
Or is it life in Moments !!
Is it one Day,
Or is it Day One !!

Is it nature of Mind,
Or is it mind in Nature !!
Is it a drop in Ocean,
Or is it an ocean in Drop !!

Is it a Trend,
Or is it a Blend !!
Is it a Stop,
Or is it a Start !!

Is it an A,
Or is it a The !!
Is it a Cue,
Or is it a Hue !!

Is it Innate,
Or is it Born !!
Is it God,
Or is it You !!

Story about a Cave and Light

There once lived a cave, deep down under. Once a voice called upon it and said - Come up into the light and enjoy the sunlight. The cave said, I do not know what is light, all my life I know only darkness.

The cave, however with sincere effort, reached the ground, where there was light everywhere. It was so amazed to see  how life thrives with peace, love and joy above.

The cave asked the light to come to its home now. The light agreed and when it came, it asked where is the darkness, for the darkness was nowhere to be found.

The Light dispelled the darkness - where there is light - peace, clarity, understanding, joy, calmness in Us -- there cannot be darkness near or around.

Let us sincerely strive to come above our caves, or bring light to our caves within. In both cases, the light will shove away the darkness.

That Time Can Still Be Now

There was a Time
When we Smiled without any Reason,
When we Heard without any Noise,
When we Saw without any Cloud,
Remember that Time can still be Now !!

There was a Time
When we Played without getting Tired,
When we Sang without any Music,
When we Sensed without any Touch,
Remember that Time can still be Now !!

There was a Time
When we Helped without any Return,
When we Grew without getting Old,
When we Won without getting Lost,
And Lose without getting Hurt,
Remember that Time can still be Now !!

There was a Time
When we were We, and not Else,
When we were WithIn, and not WithOut,
When we Understood, and just not Learn,
Remember that Time can still be Now !!

Understanding Faith and Devotion

Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, the great seer once narrated a story to his disciples. There was a priest who asked a milk maid to deliver milk daily, at early morning hours. The lady had to cross a river for which she used to take a ferry boat. One day, the milk maid got late - the priest was very angry on her, as he could not perform religious rituals on time.

The lady enquired what she could have done, as it was the situation that made her delayed. Out of anger, the priest said, "Say the name of God and you can travel any terrain or landscape, without fail - Have faith in Him".

Next day, lady was quite earlier than usual. Priest jokingly enquired how did she made it early. She said "I kept unconditional and complete faith in Him, I came walking on the water". He saw from his own eyes that she was literally doing it. He tried enacting the same, but his mind was more on his clothes getting wet and hence, could not do so. Of all the years he chanted verses for God and performed rituals, he never really believed. The lady did and miracle happened.

Of course, the point here is not to walk on water thinking that God will ensure that we dont get drowned.

The real point here is to keep that wholesome, unwavering and complete faith, devotion and belief in Him (the one who is Omnipresent, the Omniscient, the Omnipotent) with such a strong conviction that even an iota of doubt won't flutter and delude our minds.

I believe that a person who can keep and maintain that kind of heart, mind and body state continuously & with that kind of devotion & faith, he can, should and will definitely go on to make his dreams, a reality.

Slowing Down To Be At Par

In the midst of keeping up and constant rigmarole of gaining momentum ahead of situations and circumstances, we sometimes move faster than needed. 

We ignore the pause buttons in our lives to ponder and understand the situations and possibilities around us and most importantly to live the moment.

This is a fact of the matter, where every one of us, unknowingly and sometimes unfortunately knowingly, go into the fast lane, driving at full speed. 

The wear and tear of our physical and emotional realms slowly produces its after effects sooner or later - sometimes taking us far from whom we really are and aspire to be. 

If we are in sync and harmony with our inner dimensions, the inner voice of our souls would hold our hands and guide us to move forward in life's endeavours with the right pace and tempo. 

This would allow us to hit pause and resume at just the right moments, making each and every moment, cherishable.

Let's slow down the reasoning logics and just feel the things around. It can be as trifle as an ant moving on ground or a baby laughing, or swooshing of trees, or listening to birds songs, or spending quality time with your family or calling your old friends and catching up, or re-igniting your passion or hobby, or going to a place of worship, or taking a vacation or just making someone smile, selflessly or just express your love to near and dears. There are so many things out there to do.

Sometimes, one moment is enough to live a life and sometimes whole life is not enough to live a moment !! Let's make the choice and slow down !! It is indeed a wise advice, "To go fast, row slowly".