To Men...

To Men, As you look good pumping iron with your arms, Don't forget the true strength they are capable of. As you walk down the street flashing that smile, Don't hesitate to stop and set things right. As you turn and look away avoiding a fight, Don't forget you could have helped save a life. As you try to win us over with all of your charm, Don't forget you can also keep us away from harm. As we hold your hand and give you our trust, Don't think we can't take it back if we find you unjust. Love, Women.

Love, Love, Love !!!

A few thoughts on reading 'Jaya' a retelling of Mahabharata.

Real Victory is Inner victory. That is the only real liberation. It happens only when the ego completely perishes. So it is not enough to just commit good actions and expect to be liberated on the basis of good karma. As long as we can't overcome our baser animal tendencies of greed, rage, gluttony, lust, fear etc no matter how much goodness we achieve true liberation cannot be attained.
 
Suppose we conduct a yagna just to appease some temple authorities then what is the merit gained out of that act? We might give away all our wealth in charity but if it is with the underlying desire for fame then where is the merit? The most important goal is to overcome our attachment to the world, out of which spring all ego-centric desires.

When people renounce the world and go into the mountains, it is not to seek a God who is waiting to be discovered there; but to rid themselves of bondage and attachment. Attachment is the root of all sorrow. But detachment is not an easy virtue to inculcate, so what can be the solution? How can we strive to practice detachment while still living in society? Where can we start?

What if we were to replace Attachment with Love? Then the next question that arises is how do we go about differentiating between the two?

The answer lies in simple comparisons.

Attachment will ask and need constant validation.
Love will happen on its own accord.
Attachment will make us needy, love will make us generous.
Attachment will make us insecure, love will provide security.
In Attachment there will always be 'U & I' whereas in love it will always be 'We' & 'Us'.
In one there will be bondage in the other there will be freedom.

So when we learn to 'Love' we only take ourselves closer to our inner victory - the goal of all our 'Seeking'.

He wants Heartbreak...!!!

He tells me bring me down onto my knees,
Let the burning tears roll down my cheeks,
I feel way too strong come make me weak,
I've had enough of all this loving please,
For now its only pure heartache that I need.

I am dying this moment to find out how it feels,
When bitter pain becomes unbearably sweet,
I've had enough of bruises that run  only skin deep,
It's time you gave me wounds that refuse to heal.

Come lock my heart and take away the keys,
Don't try to stay for its time for you to leave,
Enough of these spring blossoms have I seen,
Now it's time I replace them with autumn leaves.

I've been running too long evading my fate,
Trying too hard to keep you from entering my space,
Up until now it's only been the thrill of the chase,
But am tired of winning my very own race.

I've been bitten by the bug in my glory days,
But I salvaged myself before it got too late,
In the end I always made a run for the open gates,
Every pursuit was like an open and shut case.

I wish to burn in a fever that refuses to cease,
I've had enough of these little remedies,
I desire now to catch the dreaded disease,
It's only incurable heartbreak that I seek.

On 'Pi'

Just read 'Life of Pi' after been amazed by the visual treat of the Movie in 3D. It felt like a testimony to the will to survive. Also a triumph of faith over reason. As the author says reason is good. It is a necessity in so much that it is what will get you food. It will provide you the means to live. But in no way can it get you a life. Life is born out of faith. Out of Hope. The faith that each time you inhale there will be air and the hope that you won't run out of it the next time you breathe in. We don't die when we cease to breathe. Death truly kills us the moment we let Hope perish in the face of Fear. It is when we give up on hope while we encounter mortal peril that we choose our own death. The death of the body is just another event otherwise. The real survivors are those who have faced and defeated this fear. Fear that chilled them down to their bones. Fear that very nearly killed them. The people really alive are the ones who have almost died. Ones who've fought not that instant death of the body but the slow death of the spirit. Killed fear to keep hope alive. For to live in fear is to die every moment and to fight fear is to live every moment...!!

A Faraway Place...

This is me.
There are parts that are good,
There are portions that are bad.
There are bits that are awfully sad.

Then there are pieces that are so glad.
 Hard to believe moments that I've really had.
 Most of them with you I've shared.
When joy prevailed and sorrow was spared.

When I let go and you cared.
Times I could almost sniff magic in the air,
 When I could bathe in your sunlit stare.
 When Lord held me in his warm embrace,
Softly into my ears whispered words of grace.

When his vision met my every gaze,
When he walked every step at my pace,
When His open palms held my happy face,
When I was in Love in a faraway place.