Suddenly, there is time.Time to flip the papaya over so that it ripens evenly Time to put the bedsheet in the wash and hang the clothes out to dry in an orderly way (unlike the help who always dumps one on top of another) Time to take the dogs out after lunch and hold Miyake … More There is time
My cleaning lady came over this morning to say that she couldn’t work today because a little girl in their family had passed away and she’d have to go for the funeral. As she talked about the horrific tragedy, it struck me that the phrase she used in Hindi for death was, ‘Woh poori ho gayee.’ It … More Complete
My daughters are turning into wise old women already. Sample these nuggets of wisdom they’ve showered me with in just the past two days: MJ (age 17), last night, in my bedroom: Whatever is happening is because you really wanted it, mom. I’m listening to you talking on the phone to your friends and cribbing … More Not so difficult daughters
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.”
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
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
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
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
“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
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
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
“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
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
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
100 Paths 