I have recently become obsessed, to put it lightly, with a few..ahem.. areas: CAT prep, travel, Tibetian Buddism, finance and markets.. and I have also managed to get back to my shutter-crazy mood, preferring to experiment with angles and twilight! *Click- Click, and all the better if you are a drop of water or cheese-my latest muse!*

Speaking of muses, Tibetian Buddhism is a treasure-trove of inspiration. I came across the concept of Dakini, energy perceived in the feminine form, each with its unique essence and spiritual character. And to channel my peaceful vibrations further, I found this- contemplative poetry describing each Dakini and Buddha first as a spiritual personality, their role in Vajrayana Buddhism and lastly, their role as a spiritual guru of sorts. 

The Blue Dakini inspired me the most…

I am the sapphire dakini, the dancer on ocean and sky 
In my sky form, I appear in the middle of a shining blue lotus, 
against a mother of pearl sky at sunrise 
I am seated with smiling face, and two hands 
One holds a bell, and the other a book 
One leg descends from the lotus.

I am the sky dancer of infinite mind 
The purity of a bright blue sky, 
without clouds or smoke 
And the deep blue evening sky, 
shining with stars 
I draw out the seeker’s awareness 
from the grasping hands of matter 
I am the clear music which awakens the mind 
and causes the body to slumber.

I am also the ocean dancer of infinite perception 
The clear water which washes away the mud and dust of desire 
Which cleanses the heart of passion 
In the midst of the turquoise waters, my lotus is royal blue 
I am smiling with three eyes 
My four arms hold knife, bell, mala, and mirror 
I wear black veils, which float gracefully in the ocean 
My lotus’ petals are blue, but its center is black and gold 
In this form, I am revelatory 
I show the true path through the oceans of feeling.

My sky form is peaceful and compassionate, 
giving love and help 
My skin is pale blue, 
and I wear white pearls, sapphires, and emeralds 
My robes are gold and white, and my halo is deep blue 
In this form, I bring the gift of silence to disordered minds

My ocean form is active and creative, influencing the worlds 
I am dark, for my actions include both creation and destruction 
I create the pathways which seekers may travel to silence 
And I destroy the distractions which hold them like chains.

From the third eye of my active form comes my destructive form 
The wrathful blue dakini 
In this form, I am invoked during danger 
To protect the soul from destructive influences 
Bondage comes in many forms, 
as desire, as passion, as obsession, and interest 
I cut the bonds of attachment and darken the skies 
to show the true status of embodiment 
I am the formless light who takes on formed darkness 
to free those who are bound and blinded.

I am the blue lightning which shatters locks and chains 
The bolt of liberating insight out of the blue 
The blue notes of sorrow and regret over the past, 
the beginning of renunciation 
The path into the blue depths of eternity.

I am ordered and disciplined, yet spontaneous and free 
I come to practitioners who are worthy 
I am the initiating dakini 
for those seeking a pure heart and an infinite mind.

And so.. armed with the Mantra of le grande et tres belle Muse, this wave of wo(a)nder is off to surf sundry turfs.. 

Rêve pour toujours! Dream forever!

Happy Teacher’s Day! I am forever in sincere gratitude to my Teachers for opening avenues to the universe..and believing and awakening the phoenix in me..

No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge.

The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.

If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.

-Khalil Gibran

Why should I seek? I am the same as he.
His essence speaks through me.
I have been searching for myself
-Rumi

Contemplate the workings of this world, listen to the words of the wise, take all that is good as your own. With this as your base, open your won door to truth. Do not overlook the truth that is right before you. Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks. Also learn from holy books and wise people. Everything—even mountains, rivers, plants, and trees—should be your teacher.

-Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido (Japanese martial art)

Sufi music.. mesmerizing to the core.

The song Bandeya Ho from Khuda Ke Liye strikes one chord too many today… It speaks about the society’s reaction to Bulleh Shah’s association with his spiritual guru, the eminent Sufi saint, Shah Inayat Qadri. The raised eyebrows were due to Bulleh Shah’s direct descendance from Prophet Muhammad (and hence the honorofic title Sayyid) and his teacher’s Arain agricultural caste.

Bulleh Shah counters by indicating that he would rather denounce his clan than defame his guru. The barriers of clan and caste are man-made and self-destructive indeed…

The KKL version performed by Khawar Jawad and Faiza Mujahid… sung in Saraiki with fusion undertones.

Bullay Noun Samjhawan Ayaan
Bhenaan Tay Bherjaayaan
(Bullay’s sisters and sisters-in-law came to advise him)
Man Lay Bullaya Sada Kaina
Chad Day Pala Araiyaan
(“Listen to us and stop associating with that man of the Araain community”)
Aal Nabi Ulad Nabi Noun
Tu Kyoun Leeka Layaan
(“Why do you insult our tribe the descendants of the Prophet Mohammed”)
Jera Saanoun Syed Saday
Dozakh Milay Sazaiyaan
(Bullay replies: Those that call me a Syed (the tribe of the descendants of the Prophet) will be punished in Hell)
Bandeya ho, Bandeya
Araain Saain Sabi Thaain
(People of Araain and Saain clans are everywhere)
Rab Deeyaan Bay Perwaayaan
(God doesn’t care (about placing them together in this world))
Soniya Paray Hatayaan tay
Khoojiyaan Nay Gal Layaan
(Those that are beautiful (in heart and soul) do not find such differences (in castes), only ugly people do)
Jay Tu Looray Baagh Baharaan
Chakar Ho Ja Araiyaan
(If you desire paradise in the afterlife, become a servant of the Araiyan) (Indicating ‘serve the poor and downtrodden, if you seek heaven’)
Bullay Shah De Zaat Ke Puchni
Shakar Ho ya Razayaan
(Ask not what caste Bullay Shah comes from)

More on Sufism and New Age Spiritualism in posts to come.. I leave you with one of my favorite Bulleh Shah quotes..

I am free, my mind is free,
I am neither a sick person nor a physician
Neither a believer nor an infidel
Nor a mullah or syed
In the fourteen spheres I walk in freedom
I can be imprisoned nowhere.

Popularly known as Bhaja Govinda Stotra, this poem is also known as the Moham Mudhgarah – a hammer to crush delusion.  Bhaja Govindam seems like a devotional song, but it also contains, within the simplest of Sanskrit verses, the very essence of Indian Advaita philosophy. As a poetic work, it is a devotional song par excellence, and as a philosophical treatise, there are few that can compare.

Some of the stanzas most meaningful to me follow…

má kuru dhanajanayauvanagarvam
harati nimeúát kalaç sarvam,
máyámayam idam akhilam hitvá,
brahmapadam tvam praviùa viditvá.

Do not be proud of wealth, kindred, and youth;
Time takes away all these in a moment.
Leaving aside this entire (world) which is of the nature of an illusion,
and knowing the state of Brahman,
enter into it.

suramandiratarumülanivásaç
shayyá bhütalam ajinam vásaç
sarvaparigrahabhogatyágaç
kasya sukham na karoti virágaç.

Living in temples or at the foot of trees, sleeping on the ground, wearing deer-skin,
renouncing all possessions and their enjoyment -
to whom will not dispassion bring happiness?

Satsañgatve nissañgatvam
nissañgatve nèrmohatvam
nirmohatve niùcalitatvam
niùcalitatve jèvanmuktiç.

Through the company of the good, there arises non-attachment;
through non-attachment, there arises freedom from delution;
through delusionless-ness, there arises steadfastness;
through steadfastness, there arises liberation in life

For the full text and translation, visit Kamakoti’s Bhaja Govindam page.

Trio of Omneity- I

I stand in front of Myself
Gazing at You
Why are You there, imprisoned and listless?
Your eyes speak..the ones of melancholy hue…

Of fallen stars and lost dreams
Of battles lost and stiffled screams

Of heat and dust
Of frost and rust

Of veiled intentions
Of make-believe jubiliations

Of parchments smeared with red
Of life-giving oaths left unsaid

Of a night sky sans the moon
Of a bent violin dismally out of tune

Of promises unkept
Of arms left bereft

Of torn rose petals
Of perfunctory precious metals

Of the person you were
Will be and are

With walls of frosted glass
A backyard of silver
And a ceiling of oxymoronic choices en masse

Rise up, step out with Me, Your Maker
Twist, twirl, tap to the lively medley
Voyage to complete our Trio of Omneity
My Reflection, My Shadow and Me.

Who am I?

Am I the pseudo-simplicity of an atom
The seemingly innocuous dots on a line
The rapturous curves of a mountain
Or frozen snow on a pine?

Am I the gurgling rivulet
Splashing by the sleeping valley
Or the mighty ocean
With moody tides that seldom tally?

Or am I a fiery little candle
That self-fulfilling prophecy of death
Am I the air, or am I oxygen
Bestowing life with every breath?

I am the water, I am the fire
The holy Ganges, the burning pyre
I am the leaves, I am the bark
I am the flowers made for the lark

I am music, eternity supreme
Taal, Raga, Sargam in my team
I am milk, I am honey
I am the joy gained without money

I am an illusion
I am contemplation
I am plenum
I am vaccum

I am You.
And You are the Universe.

Have you explored the online realm of tests? The kinds in which you know what your preference of the color olive green means by answering three dozen questions!

Sarcasm apart, some of these sites are my favorite haunts. There was a time, rather long ago, when Tickle ruled the roost in my schedule on the net!  While prowling some time ago, I discovered Blogthings and tried some quizzes..

You are a Model Citizen of the World

You care deeply about the world, and you do everything you can to help.You feel like the injustices in the world are your injustices, and you fight to fix them.You have a deep appreciation for the differences that make up the world.You feel like you have something to gain from every culture and country.

Your Thinking is Abstract and Random

You are flexible, adaptable, and creative.There’s many ways that you can learn - and you’re up for any of them.You relate well to other people, and you do well working in groups.You can help people communicate together and work with each others strengths.You don’t work well with people who are competitive or adversarial.You prefer to work toward a common goal… not toward conflicting goals.

You Are a Natural Entrepreneur

You’re creative, driven, and full of great ideas.You could be the next Richard Branson, Warren Buffet, or Oprah.Keep with your dreams, even if people don’t understand or respect them.Someday you’ll have too much money to care what they think!

Your Element Is Water

A bit of a contradiction, you can seem both lighthearted and serious.That’s because you’re good at going with the flow - but you also are deep.Highly intuitive, you tune in to people’s emotions and moods easily.You are able to tap into deep emotional connections and connect with others.You prefer a smooth, harmonious life - but you can navigate your way around waves.You have a knack for getting people to get along and making life a little more peaceful.

Your Mind is Purple

Of all the mind types, yours is the most idealistic.You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense.Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries.You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself.

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read.Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few

Accurate or not- leave a comment and let me know!

Music.. eternity in a nutshell.

These have been tingling my thoughts today..

Javeda Zindagi from Anwar..

Soul-stirring music. Reminds me of bazaars teeming with hawkers selling their colorful wares. Bangles and ribbons for the doe-eyed young lass clinging to her mother’s arm, eager to fly to her destiny. Peanuts for the energetic boy kicking stones with strategic skill. Antiques and cloth sold under shady canopies of dried leaves with the rays of the sun inspiring the dust on the ground to rise into asymmetric patterns. The wind wafting mesmerizing tunes and the aroma of corriander to the camels resting near make-shift tents.

Languid excitement.

Shamaa ko pighalane kaa armaan kyun hai, (why does a candle have the desire to melt)
Patangeko jalane kaa aramaan kyun hai, (why does a moth have the desire to burn)
Isi shauk kaa imtihaan jindagi hai (life is the test of these desires)

Kaise jiyaa jaaye … ishq bin (how can one live… without love)
Nahi koi insaan muhobbat se khaali (there is no human being who is empty of love)
Har ek ruh pyaasi har ek dil savaani (every soul is thirsty for it, every heart goes mad for it)
Muhobbat jahaan hai wahaa jindagi hai (wherever there is love, there is life)
Muhobbat naa ho to kahaa jindagi hai (without love there is no life)

Yuhin Chala from Swades..

Freedom. The vast skies. The magnificient blue oceans. The divine scent of the Earth seasoned with rain beckons to this Child of the Universe. To dream on clouds of stardust, desire the unknown, dare the unthinkable.

The past melts into the present which gifts wings to the future. Choices. Responsibility. Feathers in my flight to freedom. Feathers I embrace.

The winds are calling. Listen. Listen wherever you are. In the midst of people. Alone in your den. In the wilderness. Travelling underground. Listen.

har sapna sach lage jo pagan jale (every dream comes true when the fires of love are lit)
jo raah tu chale apne man kii (the path you choose of your heart)
har pal kii siip se motii hii tuu chune (you will find pearls in every oyster of time)
jo tuu sada sune apne man kii (when you listen to your heart)
yuun hii chala chal raahii… (keep roaming thus oh traveler)
 
man apne ko kuch aise halka paaye (the heart feels lightened)
jaise kandhon pe rakha bojh haT jaaye (like a burden lifted from the shoulders)
jaise bhola sa bachpan phir se aaye (like the innocent childhood has come back)
jaise barson men koii ganga nahaaye (like bathing in the ganges after a long time)
dhul sa gaya hai yeh man (my heart feels pure)
khul sa gaya har bandhan (now bonds are strengthened)
jiivan ab lagta hai paavan mujhko (now life feels fresh and new)
jiivan men priit hai honTHon pe giit hai (life is filled with love and the lips have a song at its tips)

bas yeh hii jiit hai sun le raahii (this is your victory oh traveler)
tuu jis disha bhii jaa tuu pyaar hii luTa (wherever you go may you always find love)
tuu diip hii jala sun le raahii (and blaze a path oh traveler)
yuu.n hii chala chal raahii (keep roaming thus oh traveler)

Listen to the wind. And listen to it seep into your blood. Feel it tingling your senses. Become one with the Universe.

Go on, go forth- live that dream.

(Thanks to Bollywhat and Mr Nair’s Blog for the English translations)

“Sensation tells us a thing is.
Thinking tells us what this thing is.
Feeling tells us what this thing is to us.”
- Carl Jung, Father of Analytical Psychology

Do you think Psychology is just for students, academics and therapists? Then think again! Psychology is both a theoretical and applied science, and its everyday implications are many in number. In fact, every aspect of inter-personal relationships is grounded on the subconscious use of psychology.

How many times have you intuitively felt that the other person is lying simply based on their body language? Or thought of a decision from multiple points of view, including rational, emotional, intuitive, creative,

Unlock the Mind

positive and negative perspectives? The wide realm of psychology has conducted research and derived conclusions about human and social behavior which can be utilized to make our lives brighter. Let’s examine how.

1. Get motivated
Whether it’s your goal to quit smoking or lose those extra kilos, psychology offers interesting ways to keep yourself motivated enough to achieve your ends. Introducing new ways to accomplish the goal, stepping out of routine, having your ends and positive results clearly in sight, and rewarding yourself on your good work are some steps you could take to keep your motivational levels high. Remember, the light from one candle can brighten up an entire room-so your positive energy might spread cheer to people in your circle of influence as well!

2. Learn to understand others better
The ability to understand yourself and others better plays a very important role in your life. Your Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) measures this ability, and recent research places a higher value on EQ than on IQ in this era of communication. Try being more empathetic and humane-we tend to have a rather rigid mind-set if we alienate ourselves from emotions. At the same time, learn to analyze situations from a neutral perspective and keep unwarranted bias away. Don’t jump to conclusions about the root causes of the other person’s actions- open channels of communications are vital to keep a relationship in the pink of health.

3. Productivity
Have you felt overwhelmed by the amount of work or studies you have at hand? Does time seem to whiz past, and that important exam or conference meets you too soon for your liking? Mental organization is the key, as is time management. Try to focus on the task at hand, and eliminate distractions. Research in psychology has found that trying to perform more than one task at the same time seriously impairs speed, accuracy, and productivity-the reason you subconsciously write the lyrics of the song you’re listening to instead of meeting minutes!     Time management needn’t necessarily involve routine, but you need to have a specific time frame for every activity. This will ensure that you spend time at your books, as well as get time to catch that game on television, and also leave you an evening out. Sounds good? Get to that planner pronto!

4.  Improve your memory
Youngsters and working professionals are fast becoming victims to those frequent patches of memory lapse. Research on how we form new memories as well as how and why we forget has led to a number of findings that can be applied directly in your daily life. Pay complete attention to your work and relate new concepts to familiar ones. Organize your study material, and try using mnemonics. A mnemonic is simply a way to remember information, like the mnemonic VIBGYOR for the colors of the rainbow. Educators and psychologists have also discovered that having students actually teach new concepts to others enhances understanding and recall, so a study group wouldn’t be a bad idea!

5. Be healthier!
From ways to encourage exercise and better nutrition to new treatments for depression, the field of health psychology offers a wealth of beneficial strategies that can help you to be healthier and happier. Research has demonstrated that exercise can be an effective treatment for depression as well as other mental disorders. It has also been found that if you understand the ways the pill you take works in your body, you’re more likely to take it regularly; as opposed to the old practice of one-sided doctor-patient interaction. Stress is a major cause of many psychosomatic disorders, ranging from asthma to hypertension. Acceptance of the situation and a determination to stand ground and face the music will go a long way in reducing stress.
Above all, understanding the everyday implications of psychology leads to a healthy dose of inspiration-for an uncluttered, focused mind is the most fertile ground for creativity and innovation. The next time you see a kid laughing at a comic in the library, marvel at his innocent pleasure instead of snapping at him. Spend time with your family outdoors instead of in a theatre- research shows that even a brief exposure to light substantially increased alertness and cognitive ability. And get inspired, let your creativity run wild! After all:

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

*green jhanda flying high*

Again..and again..and again..!

Greenophilia!

On a serious note, the most impressive part of the Confidence Motion debate in the Lok Sabha was Omar Abdullah’s fiery speech.

Excerpts from Zee News:

New Delhi, July 22: On a day of high-voltage drama in Parliament, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah spoke passionately during the trust vote debate and accused the BJP of trying to silence parties like his by bringing up the issue of money being paid to buy MPs.

“It’s a great misfortune for parties like mine. I don’t know whether the claim of crores being paid to MPs was genuine, but I certainly believe the issue was raised to silence parties like mine,” a visibly angry Omar Abdullah said, adding that in his 10 years as a member of the House he had never interrupted the House.

Refuting claims of the nuclear deal being anti-Muslim, Omar said, “I’m an Indian, I’m a Muslim. I don’t know why I should fear the nuke deal.”

“Enemies of Indian Muslims are not America or deals like these, but poverty, hunger, lack of development and absence of voice.”

Omar also took a shot at the Left parties, saying they are nobody to judge who’s secular and who’s not.

“I’m not member of the UPA and don’t aspire to be one. I made a mistake to be with the NDA, especially after Gujarat riots happened. My conscience had asked me to quit NDA, but I didn’t. My conscience has still not forgiven me.”
“Left is telling me all secular parties must unite to bring down this UPA government. The same Left had termed me communal when I was in NDA.”

Commenting on the Amarnath land transfer controversy, Omar said the issue was not over the Amarnath yatra but over our right to that piece of land and we will continue to fight for it.

“Never has a Kashmiri ever disrupted the yatra and in all times to come, they never will,” he said.

“We don’t demolish mandirs, masjids like communal BJP. We don’t switch sides like the Left. And we support this secular UPA government in the confidence motion,” Omar concluded.

He also said that as long as even one Muslim resides in Kashmir, the Amarnath yatra would go on. Also- ‘I’m an Muslim, I’m an Indian- I don’t see the difference.’

Video soon.

Of all the gentlemanly behavior at the Lok Sabha as well.

Ah..