11 Expressions of Love :)

"Love is incomplete. And it will have to remain incomplete. If something is complete, it means that you have marked the boundaries; found its limitations. For love to be infinite, it has to be incomplete. Love is infinite and it finds expression in infinite ways. They can be categorised as eleven ways of expressing love, or eleven ways in which love finds its expression.

1. The first one is Gunamahatmyasakti, imbibing the qualities of the Divine,

appreciating the qualities of the Divine. When you love somebody, what is that in him or her that you love? You'll find some qualities. So‐and‐so is kind, so‐and‐so is caring... Qualities do not have form. Loving God in this sense means imbibing all the qualities that God represents. Normally one picks all the negative qualities in a person. Even in God, you will pick some negativity! The moment your mind is not in love, it behaves thus. When you are living Divine love, you will enhance and rejoice in Divine qualities wherever you find them.

2. The second is Rupasakti. Some may not be able to appreciate the qualities, because they don't see the qualities as qualities. And qualities cannot be seen without a form. When you're unable to appreciate the subtle qualities, you can definitely appreciate the form that is in the form of you. And forms are everywhere! When you appreciate a flower, you appreciate the form. When you see truth in the form as a quality and glorify it, it takes you beyond the qualities. In the same way, if you love a flower, and deeply appreciate it, you will see that it dissolves into the formless. You will see the space which is hiding deep inside that flower.

3. The third is Pujasakti, the interest in worshipping, honouring. Love can find its expression in the form of puja, form of honouring. And one who has done this will know the taste of it. As the state of your wholeness, your mind says, ''I want nothing. I just want to be worshipping like this all my life.'' Pujasakti is a sign of love. If you love someone, something, and whenever there is love you'll see that you start worshipping that which you love.

4. The fourth is Smaranasakti, which means remembering. That something which stays constantly on your mind. Have you noticed that when you love something, and have a desire, that desire lingers on in your mind? Sometimes, as soon as you get up, the same thing rolls on in your mind. When there is strong desire for something, that thought pours in all the time. In the same way, when you hate something, it runs through your mind all the time. This is called smarana. How wonderful it will be if the Divine just rolls in your mind like that?

5. Dasyasakti is the fifth. It means being a servant of God. It means saying, ''I am just the servant of the Divine; He's taking care of me. I do whatever I have been asked to do. My life is here not to get something out of here — I have come to this world to serve Him. Service is expecting nothing in return. Whatever service He wants from me, I'll do it. Whomsoever He will send in front of me, I will be useful to them, I'll help them.'' This is dasyasakti.

6. The sixth is Sakhyasakti, companion of God. A feeling of companionship with the Divine. Many may not like being a servant. Sakhyasakti is a feeling that I am the beloved of my Lord. He is my beloved. I'll do whatever I can to please Him. It is wherein you are able to share fearlessly with the Divine. And this will have to come from you. It's not that one is superior to the other. Gita was taught to Arjuna, and Arjuna made Krishna his friend, sakha, companion. That's why Krishna was called Jagad‐guru, the teacher of the whole universe. He was both a master and a companion.

7. The seventh is Vatsalyasakti. Vastsalya means affection, being affectionate. Can we treat the Divine as a child, as a naughty person? In vatsalyasakti, devotion can take the form of the care you have for a child, or mothering the Divine. The devotee then orders God. There's such a sweet feeling behind it. The devotee tells God, ''See, if You do like that, I'll be angry with you. If You don't make Your presence felt today, I'm not going to talk to You tomorrow.'' So just like a mother deals with a child, a devotee deals with God. Feeling that closeness is vatsalyasakti.

8. Kantasakti is the eighth form. It is the beloved husband‐wife, relationship. Feeling that the Divine is part of you, and, ''He cares for me so much that He cannot exist without me! How can He exist without me?''

9. The ninth form is Atmanivedanasakti, offering one's very self. That is a great form of love that, ''my very breath, my very existence is Yours. Every particle of my existence is offered to You. Every breath I breathe in is Yours. I am Yours.''. That total surrender, letting go. ''You do whatever You want with this life! It is Yours!''. This flavour, of not even keeping any bit of ''me, I'' inside, is atmanivedanasakti.

10. Tanmayatasakti is the tenth form. This is seeing everything as You. That everything belongs to You. The totality of prana, the flow of prana, finding itself everywhere is tanmayatasakti. Being soaked in the Divine love is called tanmaya, tanmayatasakti. Anyway, everything is already soaked in Him! It only has to be recognised!

11. Paramavirahasakti is the eleventh form. Viraha means extreme agony and the pain of longing, of separation. This also a sign of Divine love. Love can never be complete because there is longing. It's the longing that makes love incomplete and infinite! So the pain of longing itself is Divine love. In that painful longing, prayer dawns. Blessed are those who go through that pain.

Usually, when people love something and there is a longing for it, they try to get rid of it because it's painful. The more you try to run away from it, you are destroying not only the longing but also the love. But if you can accept the pain of longing, that brings you the recognition of infinity."

Sri Sri

Compassion

Read this recently -
"Upanishad", sitting at the feet of the master."

"The Master's presence is like that of the sun, the rays of which simply penetrate the surroundings. If a cube of ice is put in the sun, it melts in no time. Just like that, our samskaras simply dissolve in the intense energy field of the Master.

The sun does not think about who is coming near it and then decide whether to shine or not. It shines no matter what. Master's compassion does not have logic. There is no calculation involved or an ulterior motive when the Master radiates his love and compassion.

It is whether we want to allow ourselves to melt or we choose to hold back. It does not matter what He talks, every word is like an arrow hitting our inner space and killing the demons of ego and conditionings. ...

Master wants our transformation, our growth, our joy. Why should he be so bothered about our growth? For no logical reason. This is called compassion."

Happiness, Love and Knowledge

The first post of the year and these are the only words that come into my mind, ‘Happiness, Love and Knowledge’

Are we ‘Happy’
The only prominent ‘question’ that Guruji often asks is: ‘Are you happy?’ At that time, being in front of the master, completely in bliss, there isn’t any need of any answer. But back in the grind of life, huh, perhaps it’s not always so..
At the same time, wanting to be ‘always’ happy is well, the best way to stay unhappy.
To add,
The surest way to get depressed is to think - 'What About Me!'
The surest way to happiness is the - 'What can I do for you attitude!' Then the focus in life shifts from what about me and what makes me happy to what I can do to make someone else happy. If one looks closely at people and talks to them, one would discover that everyone needs someone to share their experiences. People like to be with a good listener… Can we give some of our time to be with people who need us?

Wanting is Pain, Giving is Joy :) Do we still ‘want’!!
What happens inside us when we want something? Can we feel good, happy, joyful, if we want something? It simply means we don’t have it..Lack! That’s the signal we begin sending to the Universe, and it responds by giving us more of it..
What happens when we are in a position to give? Well! We can only give what we have. So giving means Abundance!
Love, happiness – To spread them, we have to know that we already have them.

Give but don’t expect to get back from the same person. Because that is not in your hands - never was, and never will be. Understanding this simple and yet very difficult fact is wisdom. Love is the greatest energy and love is all about giving….
People, often our loved ones, behave just the way they want to. Sometimes their behavior is so erratic and unexplainable that one is left wondering, ‘What did I do?’ :) That is the time I remember Rishiji’s words. He says – “How you behave is your 'Karma,' how other people behave is their 'Karma.' Let people carry their own cross that should not stop you from doing your work.” And at the same time bless them to behave better. :)

Love is inclusive and not exclusive
In our life, some people are, and will always be ‘special.’ These are people we want to spend a part of our lives with. But that should not prevent us from being able to share our love with the rest of the world. There are people waiting for us to bring some smile n cheer into their lives.

When we miss someone, it’s not the person, it’s the feeling, the presence that that person brings in our life, that we miss. To add, I feel life is about finding the one who loves you unconditionally, who’s with you always…the eternal quest, I guess :) And that special one is never away from us, the ultimate soul mate, the ‘soul itself’…

I say a little 'Prayer'
Let the tears that flow from our eyes not be of pain, let them be those of gratitude,

Let the lamp of knowledge be lit in everyone around us,

Let our thoughts for others be simply love and blessings…

‘Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu’

‘The Art of Living’: Keeping the Faith

I was 12 or 13 years old when I was gifted a book called ' The Art of Living' on Vipassana Meditation by William Hart. I had already done the Transcendental Meditation course and as children my age would do, never practiced it again, though I still remember the mantra I was given!! :)

I must say, that all through this journey called life, spiritual books have found their way into my life.. :) All this talk these days, about attracting things into life, going by that philosophy, maybe I must have wanted them in some previous birth :)))) I have a story for each one entering my life in very interesting and sometimes, not so happy, circumstances. Always making me realize the presence of the divine around, taking care of me! :)

Coming back to the book 'The Art of Living'! It's a beautiful book on Vipassana Meditation with an outline of the basics of Buddhism, short stories and an ‘Intellectual Commentary on Experiential Wisdom.’ I loved reading that book, especially the short stories, every now and then. Must have read it 30-40 times but I never understood parts of the ‘Intellectual Commentary,’ and I wished I could find someone who would explain the meaning of quite a few things the book mentions. In vain!! I found no one near me who could understand it, or for that matter, was willing to read ‘SUCH BOOKS’ at my age :))) Definitely none of my friends, classmates or even elders.

Though I enjoyed the book immensely, I could not relate to all the experiences narrated in the book. However, I did not associate that with any form of disbelief on the writer, or Vipassana or Buddhism, nor did I ever doubt any of the experiences. I always felt there was truth behind those words. I knew that somewhere something in my own experience was lacking that prevented me from understanding the book completely. I always thought I would go to a Vipassana centre someday to experience it myself…

However, instead of Vipassana, something else happened!!! “The BEST thing that could have ever happened”!! After I began practicing meditation regularly, that ‘Intellectual Commentary’ has become an ‘Experiential Reality.’ (An everyday affair) Transformed my life, attitude, thinking and continues to do so.. And now when I read that book, or other books on spiritual experiences, I comprehend a lot more of what they imply.

The Limitation of Words
Words sometimes (or maybe most of the times) fail to reflect experiences. (Try explaining the pain in your head, to someone who has never experienced any pain. Can you find words to express it.....We all want easy answers, but nothing can ever satisfy our highest quest, if it is genuine, except our own experiences. To add, Meditation is not a one day affair, although I have seen and continue to see hundreds of first time phenomena and miracles all around me.

The Cure for Restlessness
Most people say they are unable to close their eyes and relax even for a few moments. The absence of a person or thing that we love or want can definitely make us restless and feel lonely, but imagine, if that’s the restlessness in and around us, where we cannot sit with ourselves for some time, why would people want to be with restless people like us?
We are all energy transmitters, so it’s very important to see what kind of energy we are emitting.. :)

Not to say, that there are no restless moments, but mindfulness, the very awareness that we are restless, works to bring us out of it. The very moment we become aware of it, we begin to break the cycle and understand that ‘being alone’ and ‘being lonely’ are two completely different perspectives. In simple words, just a conversion!! The ability to experience the difference, may come after a period of practicing mindfulness or meditation, or can happen in a fraction of a second. :)

All is ‘Energy’
The quantum physicist and the saint say the same thing – All is ‘Energy.’ The former talks from a scientific and experimental perspective and the latter from an experiential perspective! Feeling the vibrations, electricity and energy in and around him! While there is no change in the temperament of the quantum physicist when he makes this proclamation, a true saint’s mere presence reflects the bliss, radiance and resplendence that comes from experiencing reality as it is!

Remembering Celine Dion’s song –
‘….When you wanted the most, there’s no easy way out,
When you’re ready to go, and your heart’s left in doubt,
Don’t give up on your faith,
Love (I call it the highest possible manifestation of energy) comes to those who believe it,
And ‘That’s the way it is’!! :)

Head or Heart :)

Head is obsessed, Heart is free
Head desires, Heart longs
Head expects, Heart fulfills
Head demands, Heart is grateful
Head blames, Heart forgives
Head argues, Heart feels
Head divides, Heart unites
Head competes, Heart cooperates
Head reasons, Heart loves

And the whole journey is from the 'Head' to the 'Heart' :) coz all that everyone wants is a little more 'love'....

My first Bal Chetna Shibir :)

'Love moves the world'
With Guruji's grace, finally my first Bal chetna shibir at Visamo Kids, Ahmedabad,with Chetna di.. Amazing experience.. Once again experiencing the power of intentions and the grace of the master.
And all that the kids wanted to hear towards the end of the shibir were more and more Guru stories..:) To be able to give Mantra diksha to around 60 lovely n loving children on Sharad Poornima '3rd October', what more could I want...Tears not stopping since then.
Love you Guruji for everything....
"Tum mile to jadoo cha gaya, tum mile to jeena aa gaya, tum mile to maine paya hai khuda ":)
In Gratitude.... :)

Learning: A two way Process

Being at school, I get to observe kids, and a whole lot of them, very closely. My decision to volunteer to teach primary kids at SSRVM was simply based on one fact - There was no one else at the time to do that job, and if I did not take the responsibility, the children would suffer. And though I went as a teacher, the past few months have been so enriching and full of learning that I wonder ‘who is learning more’!! :)

The most amazing part about kids I feel is their grasping ability coupled with their innocence.
Apart from information, kids are great at picking out how parents, teachers and their peers behave in different situations. When I interact with parents, I am immediately able to recognize what aspect of the parent the child has imbibed, It’s so apparent. (Not to mention, that I can read people easily) 

Also, apart from what we tell them consciously, a lot of things that we may say or do, in an almost unconscious manner, also gets deeply ingrained in their psyche. As parents and teachers, I guess it’s a big responsibility and extremely important to see what kind of information and surroundings we are giving our children. Their whole future depends a lot on the value system, habits and knowledge they imbibe by seeing people around them in their initial formative years. To add, their needs of security, feeling loved and being taken care of, attended to when they need it, are the most important aspects in their upbringing.

A small gesture like a pat on the cheek, a hug when they do something creative and appreciation of their talents can go a long way in boosting their self confidence.

Just this morning we took the kids for an outing to Crossword (the bookstore) and after around 15 minutes I found a lady coming up to me and saying, I want my child to be admitted in a school that has lovable kids like these, who also speak such good English, pointing to two of my ‘lil ones.’ Can’t describe how proud and amazing I felt. In just a few minutes, my two brats had spoken to the lady about our school and our teaching methodology and convinced her to explore it for her children.  (Future marketing gurus;))

Their innocent smiles, unending enthusiasm, openness to new things, love for challenges, ability to forget and forgive easily (one moment one may hit the other and the next moment you will find them swinging arms n smiling) and the respect and love they give you, is simply beautiful.

And when I hear them saying, "Cut the past, shut the future - be in the present," "Give your 100%," "Smile" at the age of 10-12, I can't help but be sure, they have a great present and so a great future. :)))

Radiate Love and Peace: Be the Change you want to see in the World :)

A journey into my experiences with this jig called ‘LIFE’

Things that I would often ‘WONDER’ about - Not questions :)
· Why was the increase in financial independence and growth not accompanied by a simultaneous increase in happiness around! On the contrary there was more stress.
· When we blame someone for ruining our peace and happiness, do we reflect on seeing how much responsibility we have taken!!
· At work and in achieving professional goals, we stress on being creators of opportunities and being the ‘Centre of the Universe.’ Then why does the same rule not apply when we think about world peace and bringing change in society!
· Where does the thought to kill, rob, rape originate! And from where do compassion, love, peace and belongingness spring up!!
· Though not denying the fact that terrible incidents are happening around the world, what help are we doing to the world by being angry, frustrated, guilty, and feeling victimized!!
· What is the idiot box really doing these days: The relevance( or irrelevance) of endless talks and discussions on different channels, a futile exercise, which perhaps stemmed from the need of news channels to raise TRPs and revenues than to focus on bringing about some real solutions. Amazing news reporting including ‘kaali billi ne safed bacche diye’ …:D. The terrible agonies of saas n bahus (endless sagas ), Ah!

· And most importantly the recurring thought: What am I doing here!!

In looking at these things and more, I realized that deep within was this quest for ‘meaning in life.’ Financial independence, successful career, these were words that probably ‘NEVER’ had any meaning for me (though I understand how important they are for some) if I was not enjoying myself. When I began focusing on what would give me happiness, I realized that I had so many talents that could be put to different uses, and to help people in my own special ways. ‘BEING USEFUL’, helping to bring a positive change in society perhaps to make one more person smile….:)

Time for the next step:
‘We can't go put out fire around the world, if our own house is on fire.’
Before I went all out to expect peace and happiness and bring some change in the world, the reality check was --- "Am I peaceful! Am I happy!" Then came work on gaining that peace, that stability in the mind, that happiness and enthusiasm!

How to kindle that feeling of love and peace:
Connect with the source within, the SELF!! Meditate and understand your own innermost nature. Not some high funda philosophy, but the discovery of the fact that simple practical ways and breathing techniques can bring about marvelous changes in attitude, thinking and our perspective of life, besides having health benefits.

Realization again!
Peace in the world will come when every individual is peaceful. Once we are at peace, avenues to contribute open up...on their own. The peace within, will automatically flow outwards. - 'We can only give what we have' - Everything originates within us…
And yet the fact that the surest way of coming out of our own inadequacies and frustrations is to go out and help others! The beautiful cycle continues….

Experience:
Anger and frustration bring forth reactions and not actions. Constructive and creative actions and the ability to understand and accept people around us, needs the backing of a clear, peaceful mind. Focusing on being peaceful and loving ‘OURSELVES’ is the first step to making the world a more beautiful place :).
When we come from a space of giving, contributing, there is never any dearth of things that we can do. Sometimes skepticism and our own judgments prevent us from trying and experiencing new things. Who is at loss ultimately?

My learning and unlearning:
Be open to explore new things without bias. Experience it fully and see what benefit it brings to life. ‘If it does, live up to it and share it, if it doesn’t, chuck it!’ Biased and judgmental opinions, without experiencing are simply useless. To add, on the path to self discovery, the first thing one needs to get rid of is ‘guilt.’ When we give our best, there can never be any regrets. Regret is simply a reflection that we haven't done our best in the given circumstances.

“Learning to appreciate people and my own self,” “Faith in the divine,” and the “What can I do for you” attitude - My biggest learnings…

The Future perspective:
I now understand that a very important aspect in life is a mix of ‘do what you enjoy’ and ‘enjoy what you get’ :). The fact that I am able to bring some positive change in the lives of people around me, make them smile, motivates me to do more. Not with the feverishness of achieving or creating something to show the world, but because it helps ‘ME’ grow into a better person day by day. Fills up my life with more joy, love n peace.
What I give, I receive..

Heard this recently:
"All the problems in the world are because fools are too sure of themselves and the wise are still in doubt over what they can do."
“Jaisi Drishti Vaisi Srishti. As is the vision, so is the world.”
Radiate that love, peace and belongingness that you expect from others :)
Think beautiful!!

Loving Thoughts

Read this somewhere....Felt it many times so sharing it:)

"There is no force on earth more powerful than a loving thought.When we think of anything specifically something special occurs. If for example we think loving thoughts about someone even so far away a magnetic rapport is immediately established, because thought transcends space and time. If the one we think about is at all sensitive, it will cause the person to think of us. Thought is very powerful and as we evolve the thought becomes more n more powerful."

Wherz the focus

The difference between being material or spiritual, in whatever you do is only that of your "INTENTION":)

The same thing we are doing, just by a change of intention, the underlying thought process behind the act, becomes a means to uplift ourselves as well as others….from mere selfish gain, to a means of contributing…

In helping people around us we find that ultimately the beneficiary is only our own self..and that there is no other..

Coming from a space of simply loving and giving, you feel the whole world around you also resonates with the same frequency… “Love”

When the inward focus shifts to the ‘ Who am I’, and the outward focus shifts from the ‘I’ and ‘me’ to the ‘we’ and ‘us’, everything around us begins to change :) for the better......

Unending Questions....

Questions and more questions and I found all the answers myself:)

Q. Sometimes I wonder where these thoughts come from?
Now I understand they just come, n we can be aware of them as a witness n decide whether to act on them or not..

Q. The pressure of doing sometimes is so nerve wracking that you wonder why someone else’s opinion is so important in our lives?
It isn’t. Sabse bada rog, kya kahenge log..

Q. What makes some people important and others not?
Just in the mind:)……

Q. Why are some solitary moments so lonely and others so fulfilling and rich?
Convert the loneliness into bliss..

Q. What makes life worth living?
Loving n giving.

Q. Why sometimes in the most insignificant tasks do we find so much happiness?
Coz its straight from the heart…

Q. Why sometimes high paying jobs make you want to run away and activities where you have to spend without any returns give so much satisfaction?
Just love flowing through as seva. Give way …..