और प्यार हो गया ...

वो भी था तनाह सा,
वो भी थी तनाह सी,
दोनों का रास्ता था खोया सा,
और ज़िन्दगी एक पहेली सी /

एक के आँखों मैं थे आंसू,
उसकी ऑंखें भी थी नम,
दोनों की अधूरी आरजू,
टूटे सपने और एक जैसा गम /

दोनों खड़े थे एक ही मोड़ पर
पुरानी जंजीरों से जकड़े थे,
तनाह राह के किसी छोर पर,
गुज़रे सायों को अब भी पकडे थे /

दोस्ती ने दस्तक दी,
मुस्कराहट ने आवाज़ लगायी,
आँखों मैं हलकी सी चमक आई,
और चुपके से ख़ुशी वापस आई /

दिल तो थे प्यार से भरे,
कब तक तनाह तरसते,
दोनों थे दर्द से जुड़े,
चल पड़े एक ही रास्ते /

कहानी है और भी,
मोड़ आया बड़ा हसीं,
धीरे धीरे प्यार ने सांस ली,
गम का साया छूता कहीं

.............. और प्यार हो गया ..... !!

Saying Goodbye to Ganesha - The Speaking Tree

We were making garlands of grass for Ganesha at the temple. Why grass? Grass is what we walk, run, trample on. Yes, it's the humble grass that adorns Ganesha. However, the grass is first washed clean of mud before it goes to make up the garland.

Ganesha accepts the meek, the humble and the poor without reservations. Ganesha also accepts the little mouse that runs and hides in nooks and corners and is despised by all. With his fat belly this God seems to be telling us that none should mock the fat or ugly. Anyone who is egoistic and ridicules the appearance of others incurs Ganesha’s displeasure. He’d cursed the moon that had dared to mock at the fat Ganesha riding a small mouse and falling all over.

Do not ridicule the modest, the timid, the unfortunate and the unappealing is his advice and he holds a hook and noose for those who ignore this warning. The noose is to goad the unwilling and the hook is to draw him towards himself. Shiva and Parvati remind us their son is the Lord of all Ganas. Ganas are those who controlled by the five elements – earth, water, fire, space and air. Ganas cover all beings, right from insects, animals and hmans to subtle and celestial beings. So when we bow to Ganpati we honour all the ganas and get blessings from all.

Ganesha’s elephant head stands for universal consciousness and knowledge. A small person is one with ego who thinks only of “ I , me and mine”. But when the ego is superseded by the Brahmin or Supreme Consciousness, then it becomes universal. In this state you begin to work selflessly for others considering them to be part of one big family. You expand in knowledge and love all. The ego dies and you get a new life just as Ganesha got a new life.

Devotees bring coconuts to Ganesha and the priest breaks the coconut in front of the deity, showing that the ego has been broken and we are ready for higher knowledge. Devotees tap their forehead with their knuckles as if reminding themselves to be humble and pull their ear lobes as if atoning for their sins.

Gana or Ganapati, everyone leaves the same way, absorbed in the five elements. Ganesha images, howsoever grand, are submerged in one and a half years, three, five, seven, 10 days or on Anant Chaturdashi. A devotee asked the young guru Kanchan Didi, “ Isn’t it sad and senseless ? We make images, decorate them and then submerge them. It’s funny ! “
Kanchan replied, “ sad for wohm? Have you seen a Ganesha or Durga crying because the same devotees who worshipped them lovingly have not only removed their expensive ornaments and clothes but are also pushing them into the water ? They undergo this ritual to put sense in us. This is Mrityuloka, where everyone has a time limit, so why should one get attached to things, people and situations ? If an image obstinately floats, it is pushed down. “ Go, Go,” the devotees chant, for the one who clings get tossed about like flotsam and jetsam. Year after year this ritual is repeated so that you understand that the only source of happiness and sense is God. You are sad because you claim ownership over what is not yours. You think it’s senseless because you waste time in meaningless things. You think it’s funny because despite getting hurt you cling to people and things desparately….”

Walking in the rain

Walking in the rain

washes away my tears,

numbs me of the pain,

and drives away the fears.

as raindrops fall on my face,

as my eyes close in surrender,

my arms open in an embrace,

my mind quietens in the thunder,

Memories rush to engulf me,

each moment,breath and sound,

an aura of love all around me

my soul blocks out all sound.

walking in the rain,

washes away my tears

Life is short !

Life is very short,

moments are few,

mind muddled with thoughts,

feelings are true.

Goes on a tug of war,

between mind and heart,

love seems so far,

yet felt in each part.

Memories of loved ones,

support of close friends,

makes the journey more fun,

more prepared for the end.

Let distance not be there,

in spirit and in soul,

of our ego, pain takes care,

and love makes us whole !!!

सोचा नहीं था कभी यूँ मिलोगे तुम, 

ज़िन्दगी होगी तुम्हारे साथ, 

दूर होंगे तनाह हम 

वो गुज़रे हुए हसीं पल 

कितने गिले कितने गम 

याद आता है जब वोह समाः

हो जाती है आँखें नम.

वो हर एक छोटी बात, 

वो हमारा रूठना मनाना 

बस सिर्फ तुम्हारा ही साथ .

ज़िन्दगी जीने का बहाना 

कब यह मोड़ आ गया 

कैसे हो गए इतने फासले 

यह सैलाब रोके न रुका 

हो गया हर सपना चूर 

सोचा नहीं था कभी यूँ मीलोगे 

तूम ज़िन्दगी होगी तुम्हारे साथ दूर होंगे तनाह हम

Its now or never !!

Its now or never 

 Take a relaxing breath, 

smile from the depth, 

let your heart throw all fear, 

cause its now or never. 

 Hold out a helping hand, 

Hug a close friend, 

Feel free to shed a tear,

 cause its now or never. 

 Enjoy a walk in the night,

 stare at the lovely twilight, 

Feel the breeze so clear, 

cause its now or never. 

 Feel the rains on your face, 

warm urself with the sun's rays, 

Feel as light as a feather, 

cause its now or never. 

 Love to the fullest,

 know no bounds in it,

 Enjoy the chance to err, 

Forgive yourself and another, 

 Hey guys .... its life its now or never !!!

Complexities in Simple Relationships

Relationship -- encompasses so many ! Each relationship on a different plane. Each having its own place, its own rights, its own expectations and its own failures.

Started wondering recently why do relationships fail at all ? when they are so full of love to begin with? Does the love go away ? Are our feelings that weak ? What is it that makes a strong relationship weak ?

Got a few answers and then got a few more questions too :)
Each relationship begins with the fundamental principle of Oneness and then moves ahead in different directions -- different branches of the same root i.e oneness.
Oneness - as the name suggests -- is " being one". and obviously in being one with someone - there are no conditions, no strings attaches as u r simply one with that person. The comfort zone is endless. Each moment is accepted with no qualms.
Then comes the minds play and we start defining and categorizing this oneness..into various forms... various forms of love.
The love stays as it is -- the form changes and each definition comes with its own baggage.
The baggage has some good stuff too -- which is generally not seen or valued... as it gets weighed down with the heavier stuff. What we all forget is the lighter, more beautiful, more precious -- lies at the bottom and once we throw the heavier stuff out - the baggage itself is beautiful

Our ego being the heaviest :) makes the most use of a given situation. It acts well according to its nature. It creates limitations in ones mind. It creates differences in the oneness causing the rifts wide and huge. it gives rise to expectations -- which at one point had no place.
In the entire chaos of ego and expectations playing in our minds ... something starts to slip away.

Having expectation is not the only harmful thing though -- in our love and our wish to safeguard the love/ keep the other happy -- we many a times start changing ourselves in bits and pieces, to get into the mould of the other ..... the bits and pieces soon join and become a big picture which at the end of making , leaves us to be a totally different person - one that we most often dont like as it is not US !!! And one is just not happy in another skin !
Of course as offshoots to the ego and expectations -- come in anger, jealousy, suffocation, bitterness,judgements, so on and so forth.

The lighter things which get bogged down are so easy to hold on to -- there is love - which was the basis in the first place, then there is faith too -- faith can move mountains they say, there is then hope - just like pandora's box .. hope comes last, light as a feather but the strongest -- applying a salve to the wounds of the broken.

These thoughts are not unique -- neither are they special -- they are those that come across endless minds in each passing moment !
and the questions that come along too are : If one knows the root cause of all our misery, if one knows why a relationship shakes, or breaks ... if one knows what makes a strong tree fall with the slightest of the wind ... if one knows that love conquers all ... If one knows all this then why is the human mind not able to realize it ? Why does it let the feeling oneness dissolve away ? Why is the mind stronger than the heart which knows all ?
Why can't be one the branch that bends rather that one that breaks ?

When I thot about it more ... the desire for perfection ! The desire for perfection in the partner, in ourselves and in the relationship !! It starts eroding the relationship like slow poison.... n then the entire tree stands on the roots .... time length depending on the strength of the roots !

Written everywhere - there is no right/ wrong ... and we all keep saying that in our daily life ... making us seem very aware of life .. but do we follow that ?? NO -- all we think of in any relationship is who is right and who is wrong ? There goes our awareness - of ourselves, our souls ... all of it just goes down the drain !! It just requires one difference of thinking and it turns into an ugly war of right/wrong ... forgetting that there is no such thing and all is good !! we can simply agree to disagree on things in life .. maybe a few ... maybe all !! How does that take the love away ?? more important question -- why does it have that effect ??

to be contd...