Funny Family!

Catching up with relatives is a herculean task for me. Whenver I get the news of being with them for a few hours, I have to prepare myself to be smiling, polite and not take their garbage into my head.

No offence meant, family is definitely imoprtant in one's life - provided they are understanding, give you space and above it, don't give unnecesaary gyaan.

Yeterday there was a keertan in the evening at my Mama's place. Like an obedient daughter, I had no choice but to go. Ok, so I went. Till the time I reached, I'd consoled and convinced myself to be there till the end and not to lose my smile.

I entered and see all the aunties and couins wearing their best clothes, all dressed up, with make up, jewellery etc etc. I stood and recollected- " I was told its a keertan, is there some engagement happening too?"

This was the first shock.Then I see he whole lot of singers and music walas coming in and the moment the sound was put on, I panicked - is this the volume I'm gonna tolerate for 3 hours? It was way too loud! And worst of it, I didn't have cotton to put in my ears!

I loved the Krishan murti placed there. That was the only solace :) It seemed I've been put in such a plight to test my patience and smiling abilities :)

Its been 12  years I've attened any keertan.  I'm regular at Art of Living's Satsang and really enjoy them. I respect people who do and attend keertan but I personally don't enjoy them. Any satsang or keertan is a time when you just sit and relax and be with yourself and with the divinity in you. You sing, you clap , you dance! You aren't bothered about what others would be thinking of you nor does you mind oscillates b/w past and the future.

That is what I found missing yesterday. Very few people stood up to dance, while the keertan was going on, people were moving in and out going back to have snacks. The organizers, were bothered about the settings, the food, the people! They had no time to sit and pray, THE primary task :D

At the end of it, it merely seemed to be a get together, where people came in their best dresses, got gifts, took some back , had food and sat for few hours. I'm doubtful if they would have gone back more relaxed, happy and peaceful - the essence of any keertan, satsang

But this event was a good realization - Opposites are complementary! B'coz I sat unwillingly for few hours, rarely enjoying the bhajans, not dancing inspite being coerced - I realized I'm so blessed to have found Art of Living satsangs which I enjoy so much. There, time flies like anything, I'm completely lost in the divinity and soaked in bliss. I dance like crazy!!

Yet again makes the faith stronger - the Grace is there 24*7 and whatever is happening in your life IS with HIS consent only.

There is so much to learn, so much to grow :-) :-)

Jai Guru Dev!

Keep Smiling :)

Q&A

I'd planned to write a post today but when I read a reallyy nice and heart touching post, I cannot BUT share it.

It's by my first YES!+ course teacher - Saleel Pulekar (Bhaiya) from his blog http://saleelpulekar.blogspot.com/

 

The crisp Q&A is amazing and as you will reach the end, observe your smile ..:) :)

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Q&A

Bhaiya...i have so many questions coming up in my mind these days........

i knw u'll answer all the sensible ones..


Q. how to tackle all type of distractions(worldly) which come up while walking this path??

A: by being more firmly rooted in your center and knowing that all distractions are not only temporary but also unreal.


Q. is it ok to be firm about certain things in ur lyf i.e. "either ONLY THIS or NOTHING else.." Is it not like resisting??

A: your conscience will tell you whether it is right or wrong. Do those things which are rewarding in the long term, though unpleasant to begin with.


Q. why the Guruji who comes in my dreams is more intimate than the actual wale Guruji...

A: fantasies are always sweeter and sexier than reality :-) Your desires are coming up as your dreams.


Q: and why Guru's ways of expressing have to be subtle...??

A: bcz the voltage of his words and actions are very high, so just a little is also enough.


Q. what is the secret of being the Best Devotee..??

A: I cannot tell you the secret bcz I am the best devotee ;-). Well, Guruji often says, " jo tu hai so mai hu, jo mai hu so tu hai!"


Q. While being on the path, when u r in love with someone..does this worldly love happen to be a big big hindrance in the Divine love..?dats y Guruji didnt marry and so many teachers(including u),volunteers dont marry??

A: not if the focus is on the Guru.


Q. Is the Divine possessive about the devotee..??Does the Divine feel hurt if he has to share the devotee's love with some other person????

A: for the divine there is no other, no two, its advait. But I am sure Guruji shows himself to be possessive at times, its just a 'leela', divine play, to add spice to the divine romance.

Q. I keep thinking about Guruji all time these days..i cant do anything else..I just want to be with him..How,when,where...i dont knw..wat to do??

A: Krishna told Arjuna in the Gita, "I am the strength in the strong, the beauty in the beautiful, the fragrance in the flower and the sweetness in the sugar." Just like that, the smile on your face is HIM, the longing in your heart is HIM and the wow that's happening in your mind now and the tickle you are feeling in your heart now is also HIM!

:-)


Keep Smiling :)

Jaane kyun :)

I've Never seen your Face
But I've Fallen in Love with you

I've Not heard your Name
But my Heart Beats your Name

I've Never Touched you
...But you are in every cell of my being

I've never met you
But you are me

When I dissolve
You exist 

All I want to know
Is to dissolve

All I want to be
Is One

- Sri Sri

A Note to the Intellectuals

Yes you've got it right. I dedicate this post to all the intellectuals out there, ready to swank their opinions, getting into arguments at the drop of a hat!

Intellect, in itself, is not a bad thing. It help us understand things and use our talents BUT it's a danger mark when used to form dogmatic opinions and stick to judgments. I personally know people who have a tendency of finding negativities in things and people.

This post is in the context of how they perceive Art of Living and its activities, in particular.

But let me clarify - I have no issues with that. My idea is just to let them know my side of the story, may be their perception changes ;) I'd written a post on it earlier too, which you can find here

Que : Why are the courses so expensive? If they are meant for social welfare, they should be priced minimally

My Take : Well dear, you are absolutely right.They ARE meant for social welfare. The AOL Life Skills courses  are already priced minimally, just have a close look.

With all due respect, if you search for any of the Personality Development Workshops, take Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) for instance, check out the price and make a Comparative Analysis for yourself. In most of the workshops, you get a set of material as take away, which one hardly refers to. Further more, life skills are something which can only get better each day so one tends to repeat the courses.

NOW, look at the situation - are AOL courses expensive? You get the best gift to take home - Sudarshan Kriya which you can practice by yourself and can repeat the course free of cost!

Please understand - our human mind is such that we tend to associate NGOs with something FREE or CHARITABLE.

But I ask you a question -When we go to buy clothes or eat at a good location, do you ever question " Why do they charge so much?"

The clothes that we buy, the food that we eat, the places that we visit - all give joy and relaxation which is very much welcomed but one has to accept that they are short lived:) So it isn't a BIG deal to spend some money to get happiness which is eternal:)

Que : Art of Living is too much into publicity.

My Take: We don't market, we just promote :)

Take an example - If you like something, don't you tell others about it and recommend it? Like a particular Movie, novel or any eating joint?

Similar is the case. The so-called publicity is the experiences that we share, the joy that we came in contact with. And when a person says "Thanks" with a smile after doing the course, the pleasure is beyond words :)

Nobody promotes without money. But still if people share it voluntarily, there's got to be something.Its simply word of mouth that AOL has become so known:)

Que : Yes, the course is good but people seem to be going mad and ga ga over "Guruji". He's good but he isn't GOD!

My Take : Well, for many, he is the manifestation of God :).  In the ancient scriptures and traditions, GURU has been mentioned as an embodiment. Some feel the connection, some respect him, some do nothing. All is ok:)

You've got to read His Biography. I think its a personal choice as to who you respect, love or treat as God. Some see God in their parents, some in idols and some in a Guru.

The reason why such a question arises is because the EGO obstructs surrendering to a human. It thinks how can one be so weak and melt in front of someone. We prefer sticking to our identities in the name of self reliance and confidence.

BUT , think about it, don't you ever feel a force thats guiding you? Giving courage and helping out.THAT force is the Guru Grace.

You've got to see the magic! How light and joyful you feel. An unconditional faith comes that you are taken care of.

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It really feels good to showcase your take, in written 'coz in front of intellects, you hardly get a chance to speak, only have the choice of listening.:)

Keep Smiling:)