I am not the doer!

About a week ago, just after I had finished conducting a Sudarshan Kriya and Meditation follow up, a lady came up to me and bowed down to touch my feet. I was taken aback by her sudden gesture, and moved my feet back slightly. It was an awkward moment for me since she was quite senior in age, but at the same time, I felt my ego feel very proud and happy that someone had come to touch my feet. But before this feeling of pride could seep in deeper, a voice from deep within me arose and said - "You fool, she is not touching YOUR feet..through you she is touching the feet of the Master, whose knowledge has helped her experience this deep sense of relief. Her gratitude is meant for Him, you are just the instrument through whom the Master has reached out to her". I immediately realised my folly. This honour and respect she was offering to me was actually meant for our Master. I was just a messenger, a postman who was meant to deliver this to Him. Just as this moment of realisation happened, I closed my eyes and blessed her. As I was blessing her (using the Blessing technique we learn in the Art of Living), I passed on all her offering of gratitude to Gurudev, and prayed to Him to take care of her. That moment, I felt a deep sense of freedom from within. When I opened my eyes, my eyes met hers, and both of us smiled. Her parcel had been delivered safely. :)

It's all your fault

Whenever something goes wrong with me or my work, my first instinct is to look for someone on whom I can put the blame, instead of probing deeper into why it happened and what was my role in it. It takes a great deal of training for the mind to accept that I, and only I, am responsible for all my experiences! That's what 'walking the path' is all about, I guess!

Just do it

I know what I SHOULD do. The only problem is ACTUALLY DOING it. If I start doing what I should be doing that moment, without postponing it for future, I wonder how much more fulfilling this life will be!

It's a Wonder

I was wondering a few days back - If one compiles all the Knowledge that Gurudev has given in the last so many years - audio cds, videos, books, satsang talks, courses - it will take a lifetime to just go through that Knowledge, forget about grasping it and internalising it. And I am not even counting the innumerable unrecorded talks that He has given. I wondered - from where has all this Knowledge come to Him? It can't be from memory since it is impossible for a human mind to memorise so much knowledge. It's not that He prepares Himself beforehand, because there is no time in between His sessions, and He is surrounded by people all the time. Further, much of His knowledge is in the form of question answers, which can't be prepared beforehand. So where does all this Knowledge come to Him from? Which is this invisible source that He taps into and comes out with these pearls of wisdom? Where did Buddha, Adi Shankaracharya, Jesus, and all the Masters of the past get their knowledge from? It may be hidden, but I have experienced this unseen source in my own little way as well. When I am taking an Art of Living course, or conducting a chanting or meditation session, I sometimes end up saying things that I can never come up with normally. In that energy, such simple examples and profound wisdom come up so spontaneously. Later, when I think about it, I wonder how it happened, and how could I, of all the people, give such knowledge. This Universe is a wonder, this life is a wonder, and how I came on to this path is a wonder. Will I ever get to know how and why? I wonder! :)

A Ghazal for my Master..

Don't know how, but it just flowed through me today..

Bahut kareeb se ho kar ke laut aaya hun..
Main keh ke alvida duniya ko laut aaya hun..

Wo aaye the mujhe sacchai batane teri,
Main unhe aaina dikha kar ke laut aaya hun..

Bhatak raha tha khwahishon me na jane kab se,
Tere rehmat ki karam pake laut aaya hun..

Ab apne god ke saaye me basa le mujhko,
Tera banda hun, tere pas laut aaya hun... 

A common question beautifully answered

Sri Ramakrishna on Lust

A young man sadly asked Sri Ramakrishna: "Sir, how can I get rid of lust? I strive so hard, still I suffer from restlessness due to passion and bad thoughts.”

Sri Ramakrishna: "... Do you think I am free from it? At one time I believed that I had conquered lust. Then one day when I was seated in the Panchavati, I suddenly had such an onrush of lust that it was hard for me to maintain control! Immediately I began crying, rubbing my face in the dust, and saying to the Divine Mother: “I have made a big mistake, Mother. I shall never again think that I have conquered lust.' Only then did it subside. Do you know, you boys are now passing through a flood tide of adolescence? You can't stop it. Can an embankment or a breakwater stop a tidal wave? The overflowing water breaks through and rushes forward, and then the water stands as high as a bamboo over the paddy fields. There is a saying, 'Mental sin is not considered to be a sin in this Kaliyuga.' If a bad thought happens to arise once or twice in the mind, why should you go on brooding about it? Sometimes those feelings come and go. They are natural to the body; consider them to be physical functions like the call of nature. Do people worry when they have an urge for the call of nature? Similarly, consider those feelings to be insignificant, trifling, and worthless, and don't think of them anymore. Pray to God intensely, chant His name, and meditate on Him. Don't pay any heed to whether those feelings come or go. Gradually, they will come under control." ...

My Obituary...how I would like to be remembered :)

A good man, who was useful to others.
A wise man, who gave wisdom and knowledge, and himself lived it every moment.
A devotee, whose devotion inspired others on the path.
A pious soul who wished everyone well.
An ideal man everyone would look upto.
A loving man, whose eyes exuded love and compassion.
A successful man - rich yet humble, powerful yet serving.
One who walked like a king and served like a perfect servant.
A man who knew no fear - a free soul, free from vasanas & vrittis, free from bondage, free from fear and inhibitions.
A man who fulfilled all his relations 100%, and yet, remained above all relations.

In short, a man who lived just liked his GURU.