Ghalib says
June 18, 2014
So saying Ghalib broke the prayer beads apart: “Why should I count how many times I take His name, He who gives without keeping count.”
Author: Aekta Kapoor
Founder of eShe magazine (eshe.in) and the peacebuilding initiative South Asia Union (southasiaunion.com). Features in and as 'The Unsuitable Girl', in episode 1 of 'Love Storiyaan' on Amazon Prime. Email: aekta@eshe.in
Application of knowledge
June 15, 2014
Decades ago, when my dad had just completed his engineering degree — the highest level of education that anyone had ever achieved in his family back then — he used to be a chubby young man. One afternoon, at home in Delhi after years away in hostel, he was lying side by side chatting with … More Application of knowledge
Acceptance and change
June 12, 2014
The opposite of every profound truth is often another profound truth, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the context of acceptance versus change. Lao Tzu said, “A man is born gentle and weak; at his death he is hard and stiff. All things, including the grass and trees, are soft and pliable in life; … More Acceptance and change
Three lessons
May 3, 2014
Last weekend, I found myself in not one but three different spiritual study classes. Here are selected notes: Divinity 24/7: The first one I attended was a satsang at an amazing place in the middle of nowhere called the Temple of Inspiration. Peopled by smiling, silent, everyday folks with halos around their heads, the prayers, … More Three lessons
Battlefield body
April 13, 2014
Two nights ago, I sat in bed sniffing, sick of my allergies, seeking an answer and relief from it all. “What is an allergy essentially,” I mused out loud to a skeptical husband. “It’s the body on overdrive, hyper-alert, always fighting invisible monsters in the environment. I sleep so light that even a whisper wakes … More Battlefield body
Love to love me baby
April 2, 2014
The girl was having boy problems. “I have already told him I like him. So now he has hope that we’re taking it to the next level and going official about it. But the truth is, I don’t find him good-looking at all. I am in this only because he loves me so much.” “They … More Love to love me baby
My meaty dilemma
March 22, 2014
This month, I celebrated the 14th anniversary of my turning vegetarian — a decision taken after returning from a pilgrimage. To cut a long story short, it was a voice in my head that said: ““Living out the effects of negative karma is so hard, let me not create any more negative karma knowingly.” My … More My meaty dilemma
On happiness duty
March 10, 2014
“It’s your duty to be happy,” I coaxed my best friend after she shared that she’d tried to commit suicide, the last resort and cry for attention in a doomed marriage. (Thankfully, the thought of her baby kept her from going all the way.) That’s been a refrain for me in the past many years: … More On happiness duty
God at home
February 11, 2014
It doesn’t take much, really. Doesn’t take much to find happiness or joy or God in everyday life. Just caught the daughter’s eyes: she’s watching Keeping up with the Kardashians on her laptop on the sofa, and she looks up at me just as I look up from mine. My eyes are full of love, … More God at home
Gate to heaven
February 6, 2014
The gate to the driveway of my home is designed to slide open on metal channels. For the past many months, however, the ball bearings that support its weight have broken off and fallen away, and to add insult to injury, rain has rusted the metal channels on the floor. And so one has to … More Gate to heaven
Choosing courage
February 1, 2014
“If you had to choose between courage and patience, I’d say, choose courage. With courage, the patience will come too but with just patience, you’ll never have the courage to live your life your own way and be happy.” Wise words from a 26-year-old firebrand of a masseuse I’ve recently been associated with. We meet … More Choosing courage
Drive-through motivation
January 16, 2014
Our challenges, in retrospect—even a day later—turn out to be interesting opportunities, don’t they? My new job requires me to drive approximately 30 km every day, but I’ve made the most of it by listening to motivational talks on the USB drive on my journeys. Yesterday, the speaker asked us to press ‘pause’ and list … More Drive-through motivation
Stop, take a breath, respond
December 28, 2013
It was a crazy morning. We’d had no water for nearly 18 hours, and at 4.30 am, a little voice woke me up to go check. When I realised that there was not a drop for even flushing the toilet or washing hands, I woke up the kids and told them we’d have to go … More Stop, take a breath, respond
The God in grooming
December 14, 2013
Today morning, I chanced upon an endearing sight, once again from my laundry area that overlooks the service lane behind our building. A young woman (in her late teens, and most likely the wife of a labourer working at the new construction there) had laid out a charpoy in the winter sun, right there in … More The God in grooming
Lessons in domesticity 2
December 7, 2013
Continued from the previous post… Here’s more of what I’ve learnt in the past few months. 4. Your circumstances reflect your thoughts. My fears, which as mentioned earlier revolve around domestic drudgery, manifested in my environment. So the more I worried, the more acute crises I had to face. My dream help, who lived with us 24/7, … More Lessons in domesticity 2
100 Paths 