Question is undoubtedly the most powerful tool in the quiver of an inquisitive person. It is like a shovel using which we dig the dirt of ignorance and try to understand reality. It is also the torch we point towards the pit to better see in the darkness of falsehood. It is the chisel we use to carve our own personality. The way we question reality, nature and anything around, shapes our complete being. Buddha asked if sickness, old age and death would reach him? Newton asked why the apple fell down from the tree? A child asked why the star shines and how is there water inside the coconut? ...

While you climb the mountain, I tread the beach. While you pick the flower, I clear the weed. While you protect me from the cold, I fight the heat. While you shower the love, I make the ends meet. While you see the stars, I like to sleep. While you touch my arms, I kiss your lips. While you push me forward, I don’t let you fall deep. While you snap at me, I sound the bleep. While you clean the house, I clear utensils. While you sing the prayer, I turn the beads. While you go to work, I stay amiss, While you suffer the pain, I feel trist. While you instil discipline, I spoil the kids. While you play the music, I do the leads. While you do your hairs, I find the clips. While you fight the tears, I kill the pricks. While you’re with me, I’ll always be me! :) ...

My life was marching on its comfortable path every day when some kittens showed up in my balcony. I would give milk to their mother, try to touch the kittens only when the mom was not there and keep smiling. The kittens grew fast and now they run and play. Only one thing hasn’t changed their mission to not come near me and my desire to hold the soft fur balls. It’s been almost perfect but perfect doesn’t last long. Things seem so perfect at times but then again in this world only change is permanent. ...

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. ...