MY JOURNEY

I WAS WALKING UNDER THE SCORCHING SUN

MY FEET WERE BURNING 

MY THROAT WAS PARCHED WITH THIRST 

I SAW A RESERVOIR 

I RAN AFTER IT 

CUPPED MY HANDS TO DRINK WATER 

BUT THERE WAS NO WATER 

AGAIN I SAW A STREAM 

AGAIN I RAN AFTER IT 

GOT NOTHING BUT FRUSTRATION 

MY LIFE WAS GOING LIKE THIS.

THEN CAME A TURNING IN MY WAY 

I DIVERTED MY WAY 

AND FOUND MY- SELF IN A VALLEY 

IT WAS TEEMING WITH FLOWERS 

THE COOL BREEZE BRUSHED ME 

THE DEW ON THE GRASS HEALED MY SOLES 

I DRANK FROM THE STREAM RUNNING FROM ETERNITY 

IT WAS SOOTHING FOR MY SOUL.

DEVOTION

IN THE MEDIEVAL AGES WHEN AGE OLD CASTE SYSTEM HAD BECOME STAGNANT AND EXPLOITATIVE AND PEOPLE BORN IN LOW CASTE HAD NO SOLUTION THEY WERE CONVERTING TO ISLAM IN LARGE NUMBER.. THEN THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT CAME LIKE  SOLUTION. IN BHAKTI [DEVOTION] NOTHING COMES BETWEEN GOD AND HIS DEVOTEE. A DEVOTEE HAS NO CASTE, RELIGION, NATIONALITY. HE/SHE HAS ONLY ONE IDENTITY THAT HE/SHE IS A DEVOTEE OF GOD.

BHAKTI [DEVOTION] MEANS TO SERVE GOD. IT IS A FEELING THAT WE BELONG TO GOD AND HE IS OUR ONLY WELL WISHER. BHAKTI [DEVOTION] IS UNFLINCHING FAITH, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE SHOWN TOWARDS GOD. A BHAKTA [DEVOTEE] SEES GOD IN EVERY BEING. HE/SHE LOVES ALL HATES NONE.

THE  BHAKTI  MOVEMENT ORIGINATED I N ANCIENT TAMILNADU. THE NAYANMARS AND ALVARS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN BHAKTI MOVEMENTS. IT BEGAN TO SPREAD TO NORTH DURING LATE MEDIEVAL AGES.

UNLIKE SOUTH WHERE BHAKTI WAS CENTERED ON BOTH SHIVA AND VISHNU THE NORTHERN BHAKTI MOVEMENT WAS CENTERED ON RAMA AND KRISHNA. BHAKTI MOVEMENT CO-EXISTED PEACEFULLY WITH OTHER MOVEMENTS.

BHAKTI MOVEMENT REBELLED AGAINST CASTE DISTINCTION AND OPPOSED BRAHMANIC RITUALS. BHAKTI SAINTS STRESSED UPON EQUALITY OF ALL BEINGS. THEY TAUGHT THAT PEOPLE SHOULD CAST ASIDE THE HEAVY BURDEN OF CASTE, RITUALS AND SUBTLE COMPLEXITIES OF PHILOSOPHY AND EXPRESS THEIR OVERWHELMING LOVE FOR GOD.

THE SAINTS OF BHAKTI MOVEMENTS WHO LEADED THIS MOVEMENT ARE RAMANDA, RAVIDAS, SRIMANT SANKARDEV,CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU, VALLABHACHARYA, SURDAS, TULASIDAS, KABIRDAS, NAMDEV, TUKARAM, MIRABAI. MANY OF THESE SAINNTS BELONGED TO LOW CASTE.

BHAKTI MOVEMENT HAD FAR-REACHING EFFECT ON COMMON PEOPLE.

1.  IT FREED PEOPLE FROM HOLLOW RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES AND RITUALS
2. IT REMOVED BITTERNESS BETWEEN HINDUS AND MUSLIMS.
3. THE SAINTS PREACHED IN LANGUAGE OF COMMON PEOPLE WHICH HELPED THEM TO UNDERSTAND.

COMPLETE SURRENDER IS ACCEPTANCE

TO BE HAPPY COMPLETE SURRENDER IS NEEDED.

WHAT IS COMPLETE SURRENDER?

DOES IT COMES FROM RENOUNCING THIS WORLD?

 THE JIVA {BEING} WHO IS SO DEEPLY ATTACHED TO THIS WORLD IS IT EASY FOR HIM TO ABANDON EVERYTHING??

IN THE PROCESS OF ABANDONMENT THERE IS A SENSE OF PRIDE THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP SOMETHING WHICH BELONGED TO ME.

THIS IS EGO. WHICH IS THE CAUSE OF ATTACHMENT.

COMPLETE SURRENDER WILL COME WHEN THIS EGO IS GONE.

THEN ONE IS COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON GOD FOR EVERYTHING.

THEN HE CAN ACCEPT EVERYTHING AS GOD'S GIFT WITHOUT ANY COMPLAINT AND FEAR.

DON'T ENGAGE YOURSELF IN INACTION.

IN THE SILENCE OF NIGHT I HEARD THE TIC-TIC-TIC OF WALL CLOCK. SUDDENLY I REALIZED THAT THIS TIC-TIC IS AN INDICATION OF TIME WHICH IS SLIPPING OUT. THE MOMENT WHICH HAS PASSED IS NOT GOING TO COME AGAIN. I ASKED MYSELF

• WHAT I HAVE DONE IN THAT MOMENT

• WHAT I HAVE GAINED FROM IT   

THIS MADE ME TO REALIZE HOW PRECIOUS TIME IS. WE WASTE SO MUCH OF OUR TIME WITHOUT ANY CONSIDERATION.

THE MOMENTS WHICH COME TO US ARE PREGNANT WITH SO MANY POSSIBILITIES. WE CAN SQUEEZE OUT SO MUCH FROM THEM. THEY CAN BE USED IN SELF IMPROVEMENT, IN MAKING OTHER PEOPLE HAPPY.

THE MOMENTS WHICH ARE USED IN SELF IMPROVEMENT ARE LIKE GOOD INVESTMENTS. WHICH ARE GOING TO GIVE GOOD RETURNS IN FUTURE.

THE MOMENTS WHICH ARE USED IN SERVICE OF OTHER PERSONS GOING TO MAKE YOU A BETTER HUMAN BEING.


WHY TIME IS SO PRECIOUS

THE MOMENTS WHICH COME TO US ARE NOT GOING IT STAY FOREVER. WE DON'T HAVE POWER TO HOLD THEM. LIKE OTHER PRECIOUS THINGS THEY CAN NOT BE PUT IN A SAFE DEPOSIT. THEY ARE GOING TO SLIP OUT OF OUR HANDS. SO THE ONLY OPTION IS TO UTILIZE THEM.

THE MOMENTS ARE GIVEN TO US TO INDULGE OURSELVES IN SOME ACTION. WASTAGE OF TIME SHOWS OUR INACTION. ONLY ACTIONS CAN LEAD US IN LIFE. WHILE INACTION LEAVES US AT THE SAME POINT WHERE WE ARE.


HOW TO UTILIZE OUR TIME


WE DON'T NEED TO DO ONLY BIG THINGS OR GET MATERIAL SUCCESS TO UTILIZE OUR TIME.  ANYTHING WHICH IS DONE WITH POSITIVE SET OF MIND WITH THE INTENTION TO MAKE OUR  SURROUNDINGS PLEASANT FOR US AND FOR OTHER PEOPLE IS UTILIZATION OF TIME.

SO DOING YOUR ROUTINE WORK IN THIS MANNER IS ALSO A UTILIZATION OF TIME.

FOR EXAMPLE IF SOMEONE HAS TO WATER THE PLANTS IN HIS GARDEN

IF HE DOES SO WITH FEELING DAMN IT........I HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN.

IT IS A WASTAGE OF HIS TIME AND ENERGY. BECAUSE HE DOES SO WITH ANNOYANCE. HIS EFFORT IS NOT GOING TO MAKE HIM A BETTER PERSON.

BUT IF HE WATERS THE PLANTS WITH FEELING THAT DOING SO WILL HELP PLANTS TO STAY ALIVE. PLANTS WILL MAKE LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFUL AND WILL GIVE PLEASURE TO OTHER PERSON. THIS FEELING WILL HELP HIM TO GROW AS A HUMAN BEING. THIS IS AN UTILIZATION OF TIME.


DO NOT WASTE TIME

LEARN TO RESPECT TIME. TRY TO KEEP YOURSELF BUSY IN SOME CREATIVE WORK. DO WHATEVER YOU CAN FOR YOUR OWN BETTERMENT AND FOR BETTERMENT OF  PEOPLE AROUND YOU. READ, WRITE, PAINT OR TRY TO MAKE SOMEONE FEEL HAPPY. EVEN SITTING IN SILENCE TO FIND SOLUTIONS OF PROBLEMS COUNT AS UTILIZATION OF TIME.

BUT IN ANY CASE DON'T ENGAGE YOURSELF IN INACTION.





 .

DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE. AN WHOLE HEARTED  LAUGH CAN KEEP YOU AWAY FROM TENSIONS AND WORRIES. A SMILING FACE IS MORE SOOTHING TO THE EYES OF BEHOLDER.

GOD HAS GIVEN THE POWER TO LAUGH ONLY TO HUMAN BEINGS. THEN WHY WE HESITATE TO LAUGH. WHY WE PREFER A SERIOUS LOOK. WHY WE KEEP OURSELVES AWAY FROM PLEASURE OF LAUGHING. WHY WE TRY TO HIDE OUR REAL EMOTIONS.

HAVE YOU EVER OBSERVED HOW OPENLY A CHILD SHOWS HIS HAPPINESS. HE LAUGHS OPENLY, DANCES CLAPS TO SHOW HIS JOY. HOW A CHILD  CAN EXPRESS HIS JOY SO OPENLY. BECAUSE IT COMES DIRECTLY FROM HIS HEART.

HE FEELS THE JOY WITHIN. HE DOESN'T NEED REASON TO BE HAPPY. HE DOESN'T WANT TO HIDE HIS EXPRESSION.

WE CAN'T LAUGH LIKE A CHILD BECAUSE MOST OF US GROW UP AS AN ADULT WITH MANY MYTHS AND PREJUDICES ABOUT SHOWING OUR EXPRESSIONS AND LIVING A LIFE.

BEING SERIOUS WILL EARN YOU RESPECTABILITY

MOST OF US WEAR A SERIOUS EXPRESSION BECAUSE WE FEEL IT IS A SIGN OF MATURITY. PEOPLE WILL GIVE US MORE RESPECT IF WE ARE SERIOUS BUT THE FACT IS THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE CHEERFUL AND MEET OTHER PEOPLE WITH A SMILE CAN ATTRACT MANY PEOPLE. THEY CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OTHER PERSONS AND CAN GET MUCH RESPECT.

LIFE IS FULL OF PROBLEMS

YES IT IS TRUE THAT WE FACE SO MANY PROBLEMS IN LIFE BUT THE FACT IS TO SOLVE A PROBLEM A PERSON  MUST BE IN A POSITIVE SET OF MIND. ONLY A PERSON WHO CAN SMILE IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS CAN KEEP HIS HEAD COOL AND FIND THE SOLUTION OF HIS PROBLEM.

THERE IS SO MUCH TO ACHIEVE

FOR MOST OF US LIFE IS A RACE WHICH WE HAVE TO WIN AT ANY COST. THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO. WHEN WE HAVE TIME TO LAUGH. LIFE IS NOT A COMPETITION TO WIN BUT IT IS A PERIOD GIVEN TO US TO LIVE. TO BE HAPPY AND MAKE OTHER PEOPLE HAPPY.

SUCCESS DOES NOT MEAN TO REACH TO A CERTAIN LEVEL. IT IS TO FIND UNIQUENESS WITHIN YOU. TO BECOME A BETTER PERSON EACH DAY.

EVEN TO GET MATERIAL SUCCESS WE NEED ENTHUSIASM. ONLY ONE WHO IS CHEERFUL CAN FEEL ENTHUSIASM. 


THERE MUST BE A REASON TO SMILE

MOST OF US NEED REASON TO BE HAPPY. I WILL BE HAPPY IF I GET A PROMOTION OR WHEN I WILL PURCHASE NEW CAR. WHY WE NEED REASON TO BE HAPPY. BECAUSE WE THINK THAT HAPPINESS CAN BE DERIVED THROUGH EXTERNAL SOURCES. THE FACT IS IT COMES FROM WITHIN US. UNTIL WE CAN NOT FEEL IT FROM INSIDE NOTHING CAN MAKE US FEEL HAPPY.  ONLY ONE WHO DOES NOT DEPENDS UPON THINGS FOR HAPPINESS CAN FEEL IT.


TO BE HAPPY IS AN ART. EVERYONE SHOULD LEARN THIS ART. A PERSON WHO CAN FEEL HAPPINESS LIVE LIFE IN FULL. HE NOT ONLY CAN IMPROVE HIS CONDITION BUT ALSO CAN HELP OTHER TO LIVE A MEANINGFUL LIFE.


WELCOME LIFE WITH OPEN ARMS AND A SMILE ON YOUR FACE.

EVOLUTION PROCESS

FIRST BORN ' I ' 
THEN CAME ' MY '
' I ' AND ' MY ' CREATED A WORLD AROUND THEM.
THEN THEY DREW A LINE TO PROTECT THEIR WORLD.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS LINE THEY SAW ' YOU ' AND 'YOUR '.
SOMETIME PASSED ' I ' AND ' MY ' JOINED HANDS WITH 'YOU ' AND ' YOUR '.
THEY BECAME ' WE ' AND ' OUR '.
' WE ' AND ' OUR ' SPENT FEW YEARS TOGETHER.
THEY BECAME MATURE.
THEY FELT THE PRESENCE OF A COMMON ENERGY IN EVERYTHING.
THEY CONTEMPLATED ON THIS ENERGY.
SLOWLY SLOWLY THEY MERGED IN EACH OTHER AND BECAME
' ONE '.