Winters are usually a big bother for me in terms of health — I’m sneezing, sniffing and wheezing most of the time. No doubt Delhi’s pollution + cold = bad time for asthmatics, but even without the asthma, I am generally down in the dumps all through. Couple of weeks ago, I was grumbling to hubby … More Take my breath away
We take a lot of things for granted, and when we do, we end up undervaluing them. Our mother’s love and attention for example. We figure it’s a given that she will take time off from work and be there in audience on an important school event. We figure it’s a given that she will … More The mother in us
“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” I came across this Tony Robbins quote and thought about how much our lives can change in just one year. In my case, lots of changes in 2014 – professionally, I went from a crappy job to a free-flowing freelance life to a suddenly challenging and supremely fulfilling new … More The change of all things
Death has a way of becoming a life force that weaves its presence into our everyday lives. So pervasive, so commonplace, so final and yet so fleeting. It hovers around me in a meaningful peekaboo these days. A lady I used to talk to rather often, M, is near death these days. Many years ago, … More Near death
So it has been a while since I have been having a good time — I gave up a nasty, silly job this summer and then went about reading, writing, editing, setting up websites, sleeping, eating, spending time with the family, not worrying about money, making enough money… in short, living my idea of a … More When you’re fragile and you know it
After I’d written this post about a discussion that had come up in my Gita class in the Aurobindo Ashram, my teacher called me on the phone a few days later (he’s just so amazing). “You must know that your questions in class were very important. Very important,” he began. “Not everyone knows that they … More Giving up on enlightenment
If I ever needed a reminder of the importance of the natural way of life, I just got one. I returned yesterday from a natural healing resort called Kairali in the old Kerala town of Palakkad. The resort is a sort of Ayurvedic hospital with rooms designed in special ways to maximise ease and healing, … More Un-gods of Google
When nothing exists but Thee, oh God, Then what is this commotion? — Mirza Ghalib
Not many people actually want ‘liberation’, my spiritual teacher said today. “Ask yourself, do you really want nirvana (liberation from the cycles of life and death)? Do you really want detachment from your hundred material pursuits and relationships? Doesn’t liberation sound boring?” His words struck a chord and I sat up in my seat. “But what is … More Do we really want liberation?
Arjun is a man who doesn’t like to think too much. He wants clear instructions on what to do. The subtle layers of meanings in Krishna’s words are getting too much for him. He is perplexed. In Verse 1 of Chapter 5 of the Bhagavad Gita, he asks Krishna, “Which is the better way – … More Yoga of works
I’m sitting for an exam these days; not because I attach any particular value to collecting certificates but because I love attending classes. This is an exam on the study of Nichiren Buddhism. I attended a lecture at someone’s home recently; they’ve converted their basement into a prayer hall (excellent way of generating good karma, … More Exam time
The past few days, I’ve been trying to live like Ronnie and Miyake. Whenever there’s a little time on my hands (which is a lot now), I take a nap with my limbs sprawled out languorously. They do the same on the floor next to me. When I get up, I take a nice deep … More A dog’s life
Last weekend, I asked my fiery young Ayurvedic masseuse, “A job like this needs much strength, doesn’t it? And you’re so slender.” She stopped in her palm tracks across my tummy. “The strength is in the wrist and hand, not in the body.” “But don’t you ever get tired massaging so many clients a day?” I insisted. “A … More Real work
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
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
100 Paths 