Blogs

Yesterday I visited Nandi Hill, a very beautiful place with clouds below your eyes. Small hills rising above the clouds as if cutting through them. If not for those hills the sky feels like another sea of white foam and water. I love to travel and I love it even more so for the insights and observations we make when travelling. This time the wisdom is about forgiveness. It’s even stranger when I think what made me think about forgiveness and it was rudeness. Have you ever wondered why Jesus never confronted Judas even when he was well aware of what was going to happen? Or why Ram never had any hard feeling for Kaikeyi when she sends him to exile for no wrong? Or why Yusuf even as a king forgave his brothers for the years of suffering they brought upon him? ...

When I look back to the things I’ve done I feel so selfish. I know there has to be a line between not doing anything to giving away your everything but now that I see I wish I could have done a little more. We are all born alone and we are destined to die that way. The only time we can be with someone is in between these two stations. I want to stop being so concerned and know that the journey is short and people will depart for their destination and we will not be together sometime very soon. This sense of ending brings so much gratitude in me which I want to express. This is for all the people who walk in that extra mile just be with me and help me. There is no one as important as you in my life. ...

Who doesn’t like the day when we are all high and happy? It is in such moments we feel complete and so satisfied. I’m glad that I’ve had those days in my life. But there is something else which follows just after this high and it’s the desire to hold it. We just want to stay in the same state and hold on to it and never let it go. Do we really think that we can do that? Just let things be. When it’s sunshine bath yourself in sun and when it’s rainy bath yourself in rain. ...

I ask this question so frequently to myself and the answers vary between I don’t know and I’ve everything. Just take a brief moment to think how blessed that moment is when you are able to say that you are happy with what you have? I firmly believe that I’m very lucky and I’ve a lot that many people don’t. But you can also say that I don’t have so much that other people have? I don’t care though, really. I do care sometimes but then I know it’s ok as I’ve more than I need. ...

A dog when he comes to you despite that fact that he has been hurt by hundreds of other human beings is trust. I have a notion of perfect trust where the slate is clean with no scratches and existing chalk dust. In the real world which is not possible. We all have scars and scratches in the form of heartbreak and broken trust. Does this mean we stop trusting? ...

I have asked this question so many times. At times I feel that I understand what it is and at other, I don’t. This time I planned to write down what I understand about meditation and maintain a record and refer back to this in future. We have a monkey mind, as Mingyur Rinpoche calls it. It likes to talk and gossip and keep suggesting things based on its likes and dislikes. When we forget that we are not our thoughts and become the slave to whatever we think bad things can happen. Only when we realize that thoughts are just a form of suggestions, mostly based on past experiences and survival needs, we can free ourself from the slavery. When you know that you are not the thought you avoid being influenced by it and let it be. Our monkey mind has one very bad habit that it loves to work and solve hard problems. When we don’t have any real problem in our life it will try to exaggerate the small ones and try to solve them. Mingyur suggests that we need to make friends with our monkey mind and give him work. He has to do some work, the question is either we give him or he chooses what to work on. When we decide to employ the monkey mind and give him work we are his boss and things start to fall in place. And the best work to give to our monkey mind is meditation. ...

A relationship should be one where you’re not afraid and have the courage to speak the truth. Not with an intention to hurt but with an understanding that it’s ok to be wrong. With a confidence that the person will accept you and understand. You acknowledge how bad it can feel when you speak your heart out but you know you’re appreciated. You feel the depth of hurt it will cause and you make sure not to ease any of the pain. The only resolve that you make is not to cause such a suffering again, for in speaking truth the pain is more yours than theirs. The only thing you expect from them is faith that’ll you improve. ...

I shared my side of the story. How I feel the pain and cheated but I know mistakes were made from my side as well. I might not be able to do all the justice to her feelings but trying to say everything that she made me known. I don’t want to write much concrete details here but the lines below should be enough to tell you my flaws. You told them everything, And called me names, But did you forget about your games? ...

I’m not hurt, not most of the times or so I say to myself but when I hurt it hurts real bad. There are very few things and very few people who can hurt me. I’m also aware that it’s I who is giving them this heart-shattering power, yet I do. Some of them know to value and keep my heart safe while others juggle is down every alley. Today I’m hurting again and this is a hurt of a long lost love. I guess I’m over her but only my heart knows what’s the truth. The problem I guess here is with my expectations and I forgot that if you love someone that doesn’t mean that the other person will love you the same. If you remember from your experience you will also know this. In your school days when the person, you called your best friend named someone else as their best friend. It felt bad, but that’s how reality works. Today if someone wise would have to say the same thing he would say, “If you are a vegetarian and won’t eat a lion, that doesn’t mean the lion won’t eat you as well.” ...

This was the first book by Murakami which I read. There are certain characteristics of his writing that I would like to bring up. This will help us appreciate and understand his work better. Firstly, Murakami is a great observer. He talks about daily affairs in such light and detail that you will wonder whether you are living life in the right way. His stories don’t need any fancy setting or place. All he uses is an old rusty car or a simple bedroom with a perfectly common ceiling. Secondly, you can find him using vivid dreams and imagery. His dreams are very real and you will find him using different creatures like cat, fish and snakes to add some tinge to the story. Thirdly, there is a sense of enigma in his writing he makes you ask questions and then takes you on an incomplete journey to find the answers. I personally love this as he gives us enough context about the riddle we are trying to solve but no more. We are all free to come to our own conclusions as we see fit. ...