'Frozen' by Madonna

Still the same haunting melody, gothic cinematography yet wonderful lyrics- featuring some mehendi and the universal OM!!

You're frozen, when your hearts not open.....

Between Freedom and Promise- when freedom itself became a promise

Read this work of fiction someplace..liked the esoterics here.

Chapter Begins

In the desert city of Nevernever, where silver dunes met a quiet sea, lived  Clara.

She was known throughout Nevernever not for beauty, but for her bold attitude and sharp mind. Plain in appearance, she carried herself with the quiet confidence of someone highly educated, her intellect more dazzling than any jewel. Some praised her fearless spirit, yet many whispered that her heart was frivolous—drawn to glitter and charm—and that behind her unassuming smile lay motives few dared to trust. Even so, she moved through the city with an ease that commanded attention, a woman who could challenge any man in wit while never bowing to convention.Her pursuit was calculated, her charm a tool—she prowled Nevernever with keen eye for a man- one who could make her future untouchable and ensure her future was as golden as her dreams.

However she use to say something that puzzled the elders of the city:

“Love without respect is only a beautiful mistake.”

It was a line she repeated not out of idealism, but a calculated strategy.

In the same city lived Johann, a traveler and mapmaker who had crossed distant deserts and hidden valleys. From all his journeys he carried one belief:

“A promise means nothing until you live it.”

They first met during the Festival of Lanterns in the central square of Nevernever. Their conversation lasted long after the lanterns dimmed. The next evening they met again. And the next.

Soon the people laughed and said, “If they continue like this, they will speak for a thousand nights.”

But their talks were not only about dreams. They spoke about the world, responsibility, loyalty, mystics of the land and beyond, celestial beings and the life that follows love.

One evening Clara said, "Love spoken in haste is hollow. Only a life lived together, with honor and devotion, reveals its truth.”

Johann nodded. “Then let us begin with the test, not the celebration.”

Before a few trusted witnesses they made a simple vow. If they shared a home, it would be openly- with loyalty and equal dignity. No secrecy. No careless promises. Only commitment.

Their rule was simple:

“Two people who share a roof must also share responsibility.”

So they began their life together.

Johann drew maps that helped traders cross the shifting dunes safely. Clara taught children to read, often reminding them, “Knowledge gives a person a voice no one can steal.”

Of course, they argued sometimes. About chores, about work, about small annoyances that appear in every home.

But each time one of them would say:

“Better an honest disagreement than a silent resentment.”

Night after night their bond deepened. The city watched closely. Some expected their promise to fail.

Instead, their home became known for something rare: a partnership where both voices mattered.

People in Nevernever began repeating Clara’s words:

“Respect first. Love grows after.”

Seasons passed. The count of evenings slowly climbed until the thousandth night arrived.

Lanterns filled the sky again, brighter than before.

Johann stepped forward and said, “For a thousand nights we shared not only dreams, but duties.”

Clara smiled and replied, “A promise tested by time is stronger than a promise spoken in haste.”

Johann took Clara’s hand beneath the lantern-lit sky. “We did not live together to obey custom,” he said. “We lived as partners, hearts pledged and hands joined. Today we marry—not to begin love, but to honor the love we have already lived.”

Clara smiled, her eyes reflecting the thousand flickering lights above. “Hearts may vow love in a moment,” she whispered, “but only honor can carry it through a thousand nights and beyond.”

And in that moment, the city of Nevernever witnessed not a ceremony of tradition, but the triumph of a love proven through trust, equality, and unwavering commitment—a love that had already endured a thousand nights.

Chapter Ends

Responsibility

 Responsibility= Response + Ability 

If you can respond to whatever is required for the moment, then it is being responsible.

Response could be for acknowledgement sake, silencing the mind, affirming, not burning bridges/building bridges , obligatory or just plain courtesysake as well !!!

A busier bee does ensure some response..actually the more one is skilled, they ensure to respond . A response need not be positive only.A negative response could also be an acknowledgement or affirmation of some limitation. 

Ability in this case is just a verb or plain willingness.

In the realm of the seen, ability to respond is of utmost importance and its importance shouldnt be discounted.

There is an embedded blockchain in nature! The supreme intelligence which is omni potent, omni present operates beyond the limited identities.

Animals dont have vices...they operate out of their basic instinct....food, sleep and need to procreate!  Humans (many devoid of any finer human qualities or lets say those qualities are in sleeping and hidden in them) instinctively act out of humanly vices- greed (always hankering and eyeing to take which doesnt belong to them), lust (fulfilled/unfulfilled), jealousy and despise.......endlessssss. Like small rivers flood fast, few cant even digest success...guess for few beings it causes indigestion and loss of human values?!!

Today with so many conflicts all around in the world, it just needs good human beings operating out of human values!! Alas...but that is too much of an ask?! 

Where are you? Will you light a new fire or douse old ones ?

May peace prevail in minds all over the world

OM NAMA SHIVAYA

Feels like listening to this song on a meaningless loop

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/l6yKp4MU2OQ

MUST HEAR this beautiful rendition of KABIR by VIKRAM HAZRA!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Z5aloNRGg

made this for dinner a few days ago...

Impromptu Short Story

Once upon a time long long ago..far far away under the depths of the crust of earth, lived the dragon king...He slept for a few months, at one go, on a huge red bed of coal which blazed and quivered with molten fury.As a pass time, he shook the earth and ocean..cried like a baby when sad; until....

He met 'The Ice Headed God' whose heart was full of compassion and eyes radiated pure unadulterated  love (love magnets).God's demeanor was warm and His presence very soothing...

He called upon the dragon and pulled his ears with a magnanimous smile.

Tears rolled down the dragon's cheek and he wept quietly, feeling the radiance in his heart and lightness in his being.God then gave the dragon 'ambrosia' to eat while again smiling His 'heart lifting' smile..once the dragon had eaten God asked, "will u stay with me ?"  .The dragon's joy knew no bounds...with a stupefied smile,dazed,he somewhat managed to nod a yes.

God asked the dragon to keep his hands busy doing good,heart full of love and a thoughtless mind(!)
And the dragon simply did so. Of course the dragon's mind did go through some turbulence...maybe  his own/other fellow-dragons' actions/inactions triggered his own latent tendencies or impressions...yet his heart was transformed and he was reformed.

Finally, the dragon achieved the most precious and desirable. Thus God redeemed and reinstated the dragon to his  'original previous' ( long forgotten by the dragon) bliss state ! 

The curtain draws and I take a bow..


Author:
Me

composed some poems

Who can deny the Sun to shine...

Who can ask the Moon to whine..

What has to be,anyways will be..

Who will now cast an 'anti-tidal' dime..

The poetic glory is mine !






Go with the flow..
Even if it is slow..
Ferry ur path thru it..
For God wants it to be so..



Yours Faithfully!

had taught a special Yes course .....feeling blessed to see that my article on it appeared on the website during the Guru Poornima week :)

here is the link to it http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yes-course/new-vision-for-the-visually-challange

A Very Happy Guru Poornima !

Just like that :-)

Things most girls do in an Exam Hall....

 Tuck hair behind ears
Answering questions ....
Change the empty refill
Thinking and writing ... then ...
Asking teacher for Extra Sheet
Again keep writing & answering questions ...

 Things most boys do in an Exam Hall

 First looking how many girls in the same Hall
Check out the young Lady supervisor
Looking at the Exam paper .............. ???!!!!!...
Counting how many doors & windows in the Hall
 Revising the Location of Chits in d Pockets !!
Little writing then ,,
Seeing the Brand Name of the Pen
 Asking teacher to explain questions
Looking at the watch ...
Regretting wasting the last night studying
Finally thinking to study well in the next Exam .

And After the Exam....... .

Girl: looking like she’s having a hard time with the Exam, saying: You know exam was a bit hard, I don’t know what I did, I am afraid to fail (that means 80+ Marks) .

Boy: looking like everything is fine, saying: It was not too bad you know.. I think I’ll pass !!

Truly Mathemagic !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuSDtM8UkzU&sns=fb

Paneer Salad

Ingredients:


For the salad:


2 apples , chopped or thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

4 medium sized tomatoes, chopped or sliced into thin rounds

1 small cucumber, chopped or sliced into thin rounds

200 gm pan-grilled paneer cubes (with a tsp of olive oil)

2 to 3 tbsp chopped walnuts, lightly toasted


For the orange-mint dressing:


1/4 cup orange juice

½ tsp garlic paste

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp mint cut into strips

salt and pepper to taste



Method:


Prepare the dressing. 
In a small glass bow, whisk the orange juice and olive oil till well emulsified. Add the mint, salt and pepper. Mix again and refrigerate till required, if not serving the salad immediately.


 Pan-grill the paneer cubes.Heat one tsp of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Turn down the heat to medium and add the paneer cubes. Toss frequently till all the paneer cubes are uniformly grilled to a light brown colour. Remove to a plate and allow to cool. 

In the meanwhile, cut the apples and toss them in the lemon juice to prevent them from changing colour. Cut the tomatoes and cucumber into desired shapes and size. 

Add the dressing and mix well so the pieces are coated with the dressing. Sprinkle the walnuts and serve immediately. Alternatively, do not add the walnuts but allow the salad to marinate in the dressing for about half an hour. Add the walnuts just before serving.

This recipe serves 4.

Note:The pic is of the one that i made at home without garlic.

Happy Eating !

Disclaimer: This recipe is not mine,but wanted to share.

Chakras and The Seven Sacred Cities

Seven cities in India corres-pond to seven centres or chakras in our body: "Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Kanchi, Avanthika, Puri drawaravati chaiva, saptaide moksha dayika". Maya or Haridwar corresponds to the mooladhar chakra situated at the base of the spine. When the jadata or lethargy goes and enthu-siasm begins, you commence your journey. Hari-dwar, the starting point, is "the door to the house of the Divine".


Kanchi corresponds to the swadhisthana chakra situa-ted behind the genitals, as the presiding deity here is Kamakshi, the goddess of kama or desire.


Ayodhya corresponds to the third chakra, the manipura, situated in the navel region, where joy, generosity, greed and jealousy manifest. All these emotions are connected to Ayodhya.


It was the jealousy and greed of Kaikai that made Rama take vanavas. Ayodhya is also known for the generosity of Rama. The joy of Rama’s return to Ayodhya is celebrated as Diwali. Joy, genero-sity, greed and jealousy meet in the nabhi pradesh, Ayodhya. Ayodhya also means where there is no fight, where it cannot hurt.


Mathura is anahata, the heart chakra. The heart is associated with three emotions: Love, fear and hatred. Mathura symbolises the love and devotion of the gopis for Krishna, as well as of the fear and hatred of Kansa, all matters of the heart.


Avanthika, also called Ujjain, is related to the vishuddha or the throat chakra. Ujjain is the city of art and literature. Poet Kalidas hailed from Ujjain. It is also the city of Vikramaditya, of grief and glory. We feel gratitude in the throat region — we get choked.


Kashi represents the ajna chakra situated between the eyebrows. Kashi has always been the seat of knowledge. That’s why the ajna chakra is also called gyana chakshu, the third eye. Kashi is the city of pundits and scholars.


Dwaraka represents the sahasrara, the crown chakra on top of the head. Dwar-ka literally means: "Where is the door?" The door is irrelevant if there are no walls. Infinity has no walls. Krishna left his body in Dwarka. Sahasrara also means thousand avenues. It means the pathless path. The path to liberation begins at Haridwar and culminates at Dwarka.


The soul is called Purusha. Pura means a town. Purusha means one who lives in the town. The Purusha is unbound and infinite. But the Purusha experiences bondage with all the negative emotions. Positive feelings with knowledge are liberating. Positive feelings without knowledge create negative emotions which are stifling, hence one experiences bondage. When you observe the prana moving through different centres associated with sensations, the negative feelings cease to exist and one is liberated from bondage.


The microcosm and the macrocosm are interlinked. Planet earth, home to many organisms, is itself a large organism. It is not just a place for living beings; it is a living organism as a whole. This is what the Gaia theory says. Materialism considers everything as objects. Spirituality, on the other hand, discovers life in everything. So do children. For them, the moon talks, the sun smiles and the mountains hear. Everything comes alive. Chicken, cows, mice — all are perceived to be in communication mode. Even cities have collective consciousness. A street where unethical people conduct their business is believed to emit heavy vibrations whereas an educational institution or a place of worship emits positive and light vibrations.


The seven sacred rivers are the Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Godavari, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri.


Together with the seven sacred cities, they are linked to the seven sacred spots within you.


- A talk by H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 

now a TWEEPLE !

 Reconnecting to the world on twitter from @katina_g

Janamashtami

Janamashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. Ashtami is significant as it indicates a perfect balance 

between the seen and the unseen aspects of reality; the visible material world and the invisible spiritual realm.

Krishna’s birth on Ashtami signifies his mastery of both the spiritual and material worlds. He is a great teacher and a spiritual inspiration as well as the consummate politician. On one hand, he is Yogeshwara (the Lord of Yogas — the state to which every yogi aspires) while on the other, he is a mischievous thief.

The unique quality of Krishna is that he is at once more pious than the saints and yet a thorough mischief-monger! His behaviour is a perfect balance of the extremes — perhaps this is why the personality of Krishna is so difficult to fathom. The avdhoot is oblivious to the world outside and a materialistic person, a politician or a king is oblivious to the spiritual world. But Krishna is both Dwarkadheesh and Yogeshwar.

Krishna’s teachings are most relevant to our times in the sense that they neither let you get lost in material pursuits nor make you completely withdrawn. They rekindle your life, from being a burnt-out and stressed personality to a more centred and dynamic one. Krishna teaches us devotion with skill. To celebrate Gokulashtami is to imbibe extremely opposite yet compatible qualities and manifest them in your own life.

Hence the most authentic way of celebrating Janamashtami is knowing that you have to play a dual role — of being a responsible human being on the planet and at the same time to realize that you are above all events, the untouched Brahman. Imbibing a bit of avadhoot and a bit of activism in your life is the real significance of celebrating Janamashtami.

- A talk by H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Let us create a wave in India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. From (chanting) Satyam Param Dhimahi (Let Truth, Divinity and Knowledge shine through me), it will move into 'Satyam eva Jayathe' (Truth alone shall prevail). Start chanting everywhere in groups - chant Satyam Param Dhimahi for 10 minutes with a few minutes of silence before and after
Online Chanting: http://www.artofliving.org/sat​yam-param-dhimahi-chants

India Against Corruption

Have taken this from Bawa's blog www.bawandinesh.name


Dhyan karna seekh liya, ab dhyan rakhna bhi seekho!” – H.H. Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar*
*India Against Corruption <http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/>*

Corruption is happening every minute and at almost every possible level of
the system in India right now. Together, we have the power to remove it from
its roots, and make India the starting point of action against corruption
across the world. But to make that possible, we need to ask ourselves the
following 3 questions…

*1. Why is corruption happening?*

It’s happening because of poor laws and policies in the government, which
keep changing according to the whims and fancies of politicians and get
mended according to what suits them best.

Guruji says, it’s happening because of lack of belongingness and the only
obvious cure is Spirituality which can bring back the Human Values.
Corruption happens because people don’t feel that they belong to each other.
“apne hi hai sab log”. No one would want a bribe from his own family member
would they? Every action arises out of our own thought, and self
purification is the cure. To feel that belongingness, Self purification is
required. Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation, Sudarshan Kriya, Seva, Satsang,
Silence and Grace can bring about that transformation in an individual and
hence in society.

*2. Is there any solution to corruption?*

Yes!

The first thing is to eliminate corruption at your own level. Say no to
bribes; join hands to fight corruption through marches, awareness campaigns
and mass vote. For the India Against Corruption movement, the solution is to
lay strict Anti Corruption rules by the formation of the *Jan Lokpal
Bill*by the citizens.
 

What is and What could be...

*3. What can I do? How do I contribute to this movement?*
a. Join the India Against Corruption movement, by giving a missed call to
022 61550789 (we need at least 25 Lakh missed calls, around 5 Lakh are done so far). We will SMS you a message from Anna and others, on what you can do today, and every day.

 

 b. Stay in touch with minute-by-minute progress, join us on
facebook.  

c. Spread this message. Write on your facebook walls, publish this article
on your blog. Print it out and stick it in your lifts and office notice
boards. Do whatever it takes to get it to the public at large. Invite people
to join Anna at the Jantar Mantar .
Do anything and everything in your capacity! Our nation needs LAKHS to join
Anna at Jantar Mantar!
For any suggestions/queries: – write to: iac.noida@gmail.com

Our Nation needs responsible, empowered people right now, so let’s help our
India, our Bharat Mata in every possible way we are capable of!

Another of Guruji’s quotes to end with: *“When you come out of your personal
comfort zone and take a higher responsibility, you will find that whatever
you want gets magically taken care of!”*

HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji: Disease free body, quiver-free breath, agitation free mind, inhibition free intellect, trauma free memory and an all encompassing ego is the birth right of every individual”

Life & Meditation

Wondering at the impermanence of life! Seeing how the mind needs ‘something’ to stick itself to?

And for this impermanent life, we want everything else to be so permanent…situations, emotions, relationships ...the works. It’s so funny that people run behind everything that their mind makes them run after!! Yet how dispassionately the spirit disassociates itself with matter, never to return with the same name and form …maybe, yes in that sense you only get ‘one‘ life.

In the broader perspective, life goes on; life is eternal…just with another name and form. Like H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji says   “you are floating in an ocean of life”.

It reminds me of the wet sand on the shore. By walking over it, we create the foots prints.

Isn’t it similar to our mind storing impressions? And then when the ocean comes in form of a wave, how it washes the shore clean. Isn’t meditation just like that wave of the ocean?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji says “Meditation is dropping the body, before it drops you”.

Though the beach is a big stretch, yet only the sand adjoining the ocean get “cleared” of the imprints!

Meditation makes you new all over again, so fresh!

The ocean is inviting…

 Asangoham Punah Punah