Digital Banjara

The River of Life

The River of Life

Life is like a river. The river of Life.

It was a quiet evening. The birds had just stopped chirping their noisy good nights. Little stars struggled to twinkle through the fading twilight as a gentle breeze started blowing over the river.

I continued to stare in silence, lost in contemplation, seated on one of the few undamaged benches on the Strand. For the uninitiated, the Strand is one of the relics from an era gone by, a strip of a paved walkway, facing the Hooghly river, one of the many tributaries of the river Ganga.

Built by French settlers who colonized Chandannagar, the Strand is where one strolls lazily, to bide time, enjoying jhal-muri, chana-sing and a lovely view of the river, as it lazily inches forward, on the final step in its journey from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.

Chandannagar. Home to my heritage. My parents. And my roots.

I had lost my father a few months back, and had decided to visit to find solace and peace for him and myself, reliving his experiences as he grew up.

As I sat there, in deep thought, I heard a gentle step treading softly up to where I was seated.

I looked up to perceive an old man, uncannily similar in appearance to my father, except that he sported flowing white hair and an equally white unkempt beard, looking at me with kind, soulful eyes.

I immediately stood up, to offer him the seat. But he gestured toward me to remain seated and instead asked me if I would mind sharing the bench with him.

I had no objections and soon we got talking.

‘Why are you here?’ he asked.

I told him that I was contemplating the meaning of life, about how it is so unpredictable, about how loss is so difficult to come to terms with, about how there is so much sadness in our existence, about how joy, when present, is so short lived.

‘Life is a river and the river is life’ he said as he stared at the stretch of water in front of him.

This puzzled me. So I asked him to explain.

He continued ‘You see, life is like a river. One day you are born high in the mountains and some day you will reach the end… merge back into where you came from.

What you have in between is your life.

You are a boatman on this river. You hold the rudder, but the funny thing is this boat cannot be steered by you. You think you can, but it is controlled by a force greater than any human alive.

At the source of the river, the water flows and gushes with ferocity. You are young, inexperienced and enthusiastic in your false belief that the path taken by the boat is determined by you. So you fight the rudder. You push the oars with all your might. You struggle to gain control. Before you know it, you have crossed the rapids and descended to the plains.

This is your youth. In the belief that you control your destiny, you have missed some of the most beautiful parts of your journey. You have failed to see the breathtaking vistas or smell the fresh unpolluted air in your obsession to steer the boat, which has at the end of the day, reached the very same position it was meant to.

By the time you realized it, it was too late. Your youth was over. And you were left only with regret. Regret at not having done more. Regret at what could have been, but wasn’t. Regret at the fact that those days will never come back.

As you proceed further down the river, you cross more and more towns, each distinct in its identity. All these towns have two banks. A developed bank, bustling with activity, people, life and an undeveloped one dominated by marshy land, overgrown with weeds. You perceive the town to be good or bad, positive or negative, depending on which side you look at.

These towns represent incidents that you experience in your life. The banks are your perspective on them. What comes your way in the journey of life are only incidents, happenings without any inherent attributes. It is only the bank you look at which defines your experience of these. Positive or negative, it depends on your perception. You cannot control the next town you will float by, but you can control which bank you want to look at. And that will define whether the incident you experienced is positive or negative.

Eventually you reach the mouth of the river. Where everything has slowed down and you have slowly, but surely accepted your destiny, that of making peace with the world and meeting the maker.

As you move slowly towards the mouth of the river, you reflect on your journey, the sights, the views, the experience.

And this is where your focus will define your life for you. Have you lived it to the full?

The River of Life

The River of Life

Remember… every incident that affects you, is an opportunity for you to accept it and make the choice. Choose to be happy and you will. Choose to be unhappy and you will. You have no control over the journey, but you have control over how you perceive it. And this perception will be the bank of memories which will accompany you in the last steps you take.

Happiness and Sorrow are all in the mind. If your attitude is correct you will find happiness in the most sorrowful of situations and if not, you will find a reason to be unhappy in the most positive of situations.’

As I reflected on these words a weight lifted from over my shoulder. I was focusing only on the negatives. I was unhappy because I chose to be. After all, misery loves company. I had a lot to be thankful for, a lot to be happy about, a lot to celebrate, yet I spent my time wishing for things to be different. Things I had no control over. Things that were external to me.

That’s when the realization dawned on me that looking for happiness in the external, was akin to looking for sunlight in the middle of the night. One can never find it, because one is looking in the wrong place. Happiness has been inside me all the while. I just chose to ignore it earlier.

As my mind cleared I looked up to see that the old man had disappeared. I was alone under a clear starlit night.

But I wasn’t lonely. I wasn’t sad.

I was peaceful and happy.

Because I chose to be.

photo credit: Joanbrebo Vacances_0084 via photopin (license)

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Digital Banjara

My Journey to find God

My Journey to find God

Reflections on my journey to find God.

‘Why can’t I find You?’ I asked of God, in frustration. ‘I have visited every house of worship, said every prayer, performed every rite to find You. And yet, Your presence eludes me’.

To my surprise, an apparition of Him floated before my eyes, beckoning me… urging me… to embark on a journey to find Him. ‘Look in the right place, and you shall find Me’ He said.

And so I stepped out… from my home, my fortress, my comfort zone, to search for His presence.

I traveled far. I traveled wide. I traveled long.

I visited the highest peaks, but I did not find Him. ‘The mountains are beautiful, but not beautiful enough for me to reside in’ He said.

I visited the rivers in every corner of my motherland, but He was still elusive. ‘The rivers overflow with my love’, He said, ‘carrying hope and subsistence to millions… and yet they cannot flow fast or wide enough to suffice my presence’

I visited the oceans, but He still wasn’t to be found. ‘The waters of all the oceans in the world are not enough to contain my love.’ He mentioned.

I looked up to the skies, searching millions of twinkling celestial bodies for a sign. But there was none. ‘The light of a million stars cannot match my brilliance’ He said.

I visited caves and caverns, but he did not appear. ‘I am light’, He said with a smile ‘yet you search for me in the dark’

I looked to the scriptures. But I was only confused further. ‘The scriptures can only show you the way’, He said ‘it is for you to find the destination, for words cannot describe me’.

Disappointed, dejected, defeated and tired, I headed back home. Sadness overwhelmed me, as I wondered where I should look, to find Him.

My Journey to find God

My Journey to find God

‘God is nowhere!’ I exclaimed in despair.

Almost as an answer to my blasphemy, His apparition was with me again…

‘I am nowhere, yet I am everywhere. I am nothing, yet I am everything. You may spend your life searching high and low, but the only place you will truly find me, is where you will look the least. You may feel I elude you. But are you searching in the right place?’

And that is when it dawned upon me. I was looking for light in darkness. Looking for day in the night. Searching in a dimension, where He did not exist.

‘Look inward’ He continued, with a benevolent smile.

‘For the reality you live, is an unending illusion… of needs and wants. Of greed and materialism. Of inconsequential tokens of perceived happiness.

Look inward and realize, that I made you in my own image. That I am you. And you are me.

Look inward and realize, that the journey you need to make, does not require you to move an inch from where you are presently.

For, while you spend your life searching for me in the external, I have been right here all along, arms outstretched, waiting for you to come back home.’

I was enlightened. I was happy. I was complete. I was with Him.

And then, suddenly, ‘God is nowhere’, read ‘God is now, here.’

photo credit: NA.dir via photopin cc

 

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Nandita Kaushik

Experiences with occult modalities

Occult Modalities

Occult Modalities: Is one better than the other?

In my journey of self-discovery, I sought out many Occult Modalities.  My first step was to seek the help of astrology. This diagnostic modality made me understand the blueprint of my life – the years gone by, the assets I have, the challenges that have faced and will face, my good years and not great ones. The arrangement of planets at the time of birth created a map of my life which uncannily rang true when diagnosed and explained a lot of mishaps. It also showed me what paths would suit me and how I can leverage my strengths.

However, most of the wise astrologers that I had the good fortune of meeting,  always said that prediction is just a set of probabilities – ultimately it’s your own karmic thoughts and actions that can enhance or reduce the possibilities ahead. The decision making for actions was left to me, for my own free will to create and manifest.

This is when I found spiritual or occult modalities – Tarot, Reiki, Hypnotherapy, SRT  – all extremely useful in diagnosing and helping you better understand yourself. There are many more spiritual modalities like Pranic healing etc. that I have yet to experience and many that I do not know about so will not venture to write about them.

The spiritual methods empower us with reasons and explanations – what actions, thoughts and beliefs are self-limiting or hindering progresses and why have these been formed. Addressing issues from the root of the problem – in other words, explain the whys’ behind what was evident in the astrological charts.

Occult Modalities

Occult Modalities: Is one better than the other?

Tarot was and continues to be my personal favourite as it reflects our daily life,  helps us reach decisions and can be used for very mundane issues or for very deep issues as well – karmic debts, soul’s journey, our present and past life connections, our mission in life etc. Drawing on your own subconscious energy and that of the universe, it shows us possibilities and trends. As the case in astrology, wise practitioners do not like to make firm predictions as that would mean interfering with your free will and soul’s path. However, Tarot can guide on our present circumstances and how it can impact the immediate future.

Reiki acts like a catalyst, when we get attuned, we ‘’shake’’ our ever-present but inert life-force (Pranam) so that it starts acting on our blocks and gaps, created by years of emotional suppression. Reiki not only heals but also unearths hidden talents and skills and re-acquaints us with our inner self. For example, it set free my intuitive abilities and almost honed them to psychic levels, it broke open my block about writing and freed me to imagine again. Reiki is a continual process as we build blocks almost daily with our reactions and thoughts – inevitable in the stressful times we live.  As an advanced Reiki practitioner once told me, ‘’Reiki can be expressed through eyes, words, feelings…you don’t know how and where this intelligent energy will go and act in your body’’. It may even create some tumultuous feelings while opening up blocks we have guarded so zealously – cleansing toxicity does not happen overnight but if you are aware, it takes less time.  For a few others, Reiki healing is so subtle and directed at the tired soul, that the person may say, ‘’nothing is happening.’’ Real healing takes time to manifest and also depends on how toxicity has been accumulated over the years.

Modalities like SRT heal our soul through its present and past lives clearing but again you may just experience an uplifted and light feeling as an outcome. However, the kinds of blocks it diagnoses and cleanses are very significant. Energy healing and inner child healing leads to empowerment as you discover the source of your conditioning and restricting beliefs. Just the knowledge is enough to create calm and self- containment.

Of course,  in the end none of the modalities will stay or sustain if you do not believe, if you are spiritual in theory but not so in practice. For in the end it is all about how you treat and respond to your fellow human beings and how you moderate your day-to-day emotions

photo credit: october high day omen via photopin (license)

 

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Nandita Kaushik

Escaping and Perspective

Escaping and Perspective

Finding the right balance between Escaping and Perspective.

Two of the most important ingredients for an everyday, stress-free life I believe are the abilities to ’Escape’ and to gain ‘Perspective’.  Create shorts bursts of ‘healthy’ escapism and create a 30,000 feet perspective to situations/emotions and see how smooth the day is.

Healthy and balanced doses of both these behaviours allow us to detach for some time from the tiring humdrum of daily life. Most of us, particularly the older generation, sometimes manage a level of perspective, so can remain calm and steady in the face of storms but we lack, I feel, a healthy respect for escapism as a form of therapy. So we do not permit ourselves to escape and even less serious past-times need to be productive in some way – add to the talents, knowledge, cultural experience etc. So any forms of indulgences in the form of ‘doing-nothing’, day-dreaming or drifting is frowned upon. Only if the past-time leads to the attainment of an outcome is it allowed by us – money, development of personality, flaunt factor etc.

So filling up reams of pages with creative, maybe even random, writing; sketches; songs; doodling – none of which may see the light of day – is not really encouraged with the question – what will it all achieve? The ability to cope with the realities and practicalities of life is how maturity is measured and encouraged – escapism amongst adults is not mature!

Not that there is anything wrong with this perception but escapism for a few minutes-hours a day is actually very productive too. We all know how well and easily children cope, adjust and solve problems in their environment – it is only because they allow themselves to escape and drift periodically so they can bounce back more resilient and adaptable.

Escaping and Perspective

Escaping and Perspective

Escaping is not necessarily doing anything – it could be as mindless as watching clouds drifting in the sky, absent-mindedly watching people from your window/balcony, thinking 10,000 thoughts without staying on any, sipping coffee/tea and just losing yourself in its flavour…..the list is endless and very personal. The danger, however, is ensuring that you do not stay with it for too long because it is very addictive!

Needless to say, escapism is not using any unhealthy substances! In fact who knows if we spend more time shutting down our brain periodically through harmless escaping, the need for more unhealthy routes may even vanish.

Here is where perspective comes in…I define it as a way of detaching yourself from a situation or emotion, viewing it from 30,000 feet above and gaining a macro understanding – the proverbial fly-on-the-wall approach  view it from a distance as if it is happening to a third person and not you. The question that will inevitably form after this act of wisdom is… ‘’is it really worth it, is it worth wasting so much of my time or effort or will it matter a couple of months/years down the line’’…. If not, let it go; if yes, channelize it in a more healthy, ‘win-win’ manner for all concerned. In case perspective is hard to come by start with meditation – just a simple watching of breath and observe how quickly wisdom and perspective make their presence.

So really escapism is easy and perspective is a little hard but both will enable you to become a more easy-going, harmonious person and develop compassion. Feed a little escape time and keep your perspective hat on when needed and watch how well you manage yourself and your situations.

 

photo credit: Clouds From Above via photopin (license)

 

/by
Nandita Kaushik

Moksha: A Definition

Moksha

A personal definition of Moksha

I define Moksha as the Shiva/Buddha/Christ/Mohammad/Nanak in all of us. And what is it that all these divine entities extolled – an undoubted faith in the ability to evolve guided by compassion, knowledge, strength and empathy. Yet these are still means to an end. Recently during my meditation a had a vision of two paths – one a path of a road, greenery, human beings, family – the human existence. And then the other path the ‘’parallel universe’’ that traverses alongside – the path of the soul’s journey and evolution. This path in my mind was moving swiftly with many spirits (white, ethereal) in motion, facing the human path but traveling fast from the left to right direction.

The human existence seemed more slow, strolling along amiably and sedate in comparison. They are parallel as one (human existence) will not live but its ethereal journey will continue. How is this related to my earlier statement – that compassion, knowledge etc. are means to an end?

It is through these learnings and its manifestations that the soul evolves as it continues its ethereal journey. When these qualities are firmly entrenched and becomes a part of its very definition, the soul reaches its destination – Moksha. So what is Moksha – nothing but BALANCE. Balance that becomes so intrinsic that the soul cannot ‘’live’’ without it – as necessary as breathing is to living. It is this final destination that the soul aims for and lives through many lives to reach. Hence while we learn to balance emotions, situations, people in fits and starts in our lives, the soul will continue to evolve till balance becomes the only way to exist.

Moksha

Moksha: A definition

The state of Balance is not detachment or equanimity or equilibrium – it is a long-standing, robust and unchanging state in itself. Balance is what keeps Nature together as a cohesive whole working in tandem and not against each other. A very delicate state to achieve yet cast in stone else it would not be so unchanging (human intervention is of course another story!). It is a commitment to stay in a never-changing state of Balance. Balance in thought, action, emotion, energy in a consistent way lifetimes after lifetimes – that is the highest level of attainment. It is a state of Doing that may even call for extreme action or energy to bring things back to order. Hence through a mix of masculine and feminine energies, which we all carry irrespective of our gender, the perfect mix of elemental energies that we carry in our bodies – water, air, fire and earth –  when conducted in perfect balance over time – leads us to Moksh. Fire energy gives us action, earth gives us resilience or strength, air gives is wisdom and intelligence and water governs our emotions. When the delicately held balance of any of these energies is disturbed, we fall behind in our quest for moksh. When this misbalance continues for long in a lifetime, the soul suffers as it knows another lifetime is needed to correct the imbalance and create new experiences.

Most of the divine masters (Gods) carried a permanent state of balance in them – feminine (nurturing) and masculine (action) energies, have a balance of all the elemental energies and hence are the souls that have not only reached Moksh but can guide others as well. In some religions like Hinduism, in my layman interpretation, these energies are defined in terms of different Gods and Goddesses but come to rest finally with the Mahadev – Shiva – the one who is a ultimate definition of Moksh by the sheer quantum of energies he balances. In other religions, my educated guess is that one divine master carries these energies within them as a cohesive whole.

If we can work with the Shiva/Buddha/Christ/Mohammad/Nanak within us – defined as the consistency of balance as a permanent state – the journey towards Moksh, I suspect, might get a little shorter.

 

photo credit: SWEET SOLITUDE via photopin (license)

 

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Nandita Kaushik

The Mirror: A reflection of you?

The Mirror

Does a mirror reflect you? Or what you want to see?

Think for a minute about the simple mirror and its role. When you are a mirror, you are simply reflecting the energies of others in front of you, you are not them and they are not you but who you are remains hidden behind the mirror. Maybe you are not meant to be anybody, just a physical body that keeps reflecting different energies and manifestations off emotions at different points of time. You are an infinite being living a finite experience.

Know that till something/someone comes in front of the mirror, it remains clear, opaque yet transparent. Nothing can and should penetrate it; its role is just to reflect or radiate. It doesn’t absorb, it doesn’t interfere, and it just shows things as is. It’s up to us to accept or deny the image it shows.

Why I like the mirror is that it is completely non-judgmental – it does not show you the way, it does not advise and it does not pretend to save you – the task is just to show you your truth – whether you accept it or deny it, is up to you.

On a lighter side, we use the mirror as a reflection of our physical body – what we wear, how we look, what is happening to our skin outside etc. What if there was a mirror that could actually show you your soul. Its colours, its messages so you could know what to do and think. Oh well, till such a mirror is invented, we just have to rely on our feelings/intuition to make us hear if not see our soul.

What if Existence or Life is that mirror. If you are unhappy with the image that is getting reflected, you take external help. You introspect, seek help, change, or ask for spiritual help – whatever be the path but the end destination is the same – change the way you look and feel. The only difference is that Life as a mirror would also seek to change you from the inside so it can reflect on the outside as well.

The Mirror

The Mirror: A reflection of you?

Contrary to what religion would have us believe, Life, given as a gift to us from God/universe, is not something to be afraid of or live fearfully and with cautious treads. Neither God nor Existence is waiting to condemn you or punish you – very peacefully and accurately it will keep reflecting you in your entirety. It’s your own soul/higher soul that will prod you into action.

Our soul encourages us to experiment, fail, falter, succeed, change, as that is the only way that you will see a different you in the mirror. The mirror or Life will not come in your way, it is a sum total of what all you go through in this journey. Life or the mirror can’t speak to you but it will very effectively show you the truth – whether you wince when you see the truth or smile is again your decision.

So the next time you face a mirror, don’t just see the wrinkles, the blackheads and age spots – pay attention to the image it shows, the journeys it reflects on your face and the shine that comes only from within. So the question – ‘’mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all’’….and the answer ‘’ not you my lady, not you…but you are the most lived of them all’’

 

photo credit: Cherry Tree Through the Looking Glass via photopin (license)

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Mahasweta Mitra

Samyama… the expansion of stillness.

Samyama... expansion of stillness

Samyama is the outward manifestation of stillness within.

If you are on the spiritual path, there is one practice I highly recommend incorporating into your daily practice routine… Samyama.

The last three limbs of Patanjali’s 8 limbs of  yoga –  Dhayna,  Dharana,  Samadhi – are combined to make the practice of samyama.  It is by far the most powerful and useful practice I have ever experienced. In the beginning, it works the best when practiced right after meditation.

Please note:  I use the words inner silence, stillness and intuition interchangeably… I know people have many definitions for each word… but to me, they mean the same thing, the place from where the divine speaks to me.

In meditation we use a mantra (if we practice mantra meditation that is), and the mantra should not have a meaning…  more a sound (vibration) that we use to bring our mind back to stillness. Samyama is a practice where we now take the stillness we cultivated in meditation and expand it outward.

In samyama we work with a word or words that has some meaning to us…  like love, health, abundance, peace.  So, initially after meditation,

  1. we pick a word (like “Love”) – bringing the word into our awareness – Dhayna;
  2. we hold the word in our mind for a few seconds – focus on the word – Dharana;
  3. then, we drop it into stillness –  and be in stillness for a few seconds – Samadhi.

We will know it’s time to pick the word again when the mind starts wandering. We do this twice with each word.  So we can pick a set of words like Love, health, abundance. Pick one of the words, say it in our mind (in your mother tongue if the word holds a deeper meaning to you in that language).  We don’t focus on the feeling the word brings up or the meaning we know and define it or add boundaries to the word with our ideas,  we pick the word in our mind and hold it for a few seconds (how long do we hold it? as long as it will be the only word in our mind, when we feel the mind is wandering off the word we drop the word) and drop it (dropping it is as simple as not thinking the word any more) and be in silence for a bit (how long? when the mind starts wandering away from silence).

Inner silence amplifies…  So the word we picked and dropped into inner silence will get amplified in our lives. So if we work with “Love”, the love we give and the love we receive and the meaning (ideas and definitions that we have of the word) will change… become more open and allow us to give and receive and experience love at a whole new level.

This is an amazing practice to learn to let go…  Anytime something is bothering us, we pick the thought or feeling, hold it for a few seconds and drop it into stillness with the intention of letting it go…  An intention is a slight knowing on inside we want a solution to it. We don’t define the solution; we allow the solution to come to us. It can come to us in many forms, an insight, an inner knowing, something we read, hear, or an experience we encounter… this is inner silence (intuition) speaking to us.  The more we are in touch with our inner silence,  the more powerful this practice gets, that’s why meditation is recommended before doing this practice, at least in the beginning.  The best part of this practice is you can’t do it wrong and you can do no wrong/hurt anyone with it, because you are working with pure inner silence /stillness…  From There you cannot hurt, Samyama will not work if you are sending negative intentions.

Prayers, healing, self-inquiry are very powerful when done this way… Not the long prayers, but a short prayer…  Say it, drop it and let it expand in stillness…  This is a practice of surrendering to “thy” will…  Not “my” will…  And so it will take a bit of time to “see” the blessings, because we are so caught up in our ideas we don’t see the subtle blessings,  like I say, if God says I will visit you and you wait for God to show up in the form you think God should be in,  you will miss him when he brushes your face as a butterfly.

Of course this practice is also used to cultivate siddhis, I have never tried it for siddhis, as the Patanjali also warns that seeking siddhis can become a block in our path… but more than that really, I am lazy.. I will take what is sent my way (thy will) rather than focus on siddhis (my will).

 

Samyama... expansion of stillness

Stillness Dancing

My painting Stillness Dancing … it is the movement of stillness into manifestation.

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Nandita Kaushik

Are you spiritual?

Are you spiritual?

Who is a spiritual person?

In all the many debates around spirituality and, sad to admit, artificial creation of spiritual divides and arrogance – spiritual have’s and have not’s – I would want to declare that we are all spiritual beings. We are just at different classroom levels in this education but all of us are ultimately students.

That also brings me to another point – everyone is born with intuition and good instincts – what converts some into healers is how much they focus on honing this ability to bring insights and empowerment to others’ lives.

It still does not make them more spiritual than others, just maybe more helpful and insightful persons…this, in turn, makes them more receptive to spirituality and easier to understand its definition.

It also enables them to control their less spiritual responses and feelings a little faster than others but does not ensure that they do not suffer from the same pangs and miseries as another person lower down the ladder

Are you spiritual?

Are you spiritual?

So how do we define the spiritual being in all of us…?

1. One who understands and appreciates that there is a part of God in all of us – that we have been created from the same source so none of us are really unequal in his eyes. This is very easy to understand but very difficult to implement. Do we really see others as equals, do we really treat them as equals…something to think about.

2. One who stays with another (friend, spouse, lover, family member etc.) out of love and respect, not guilt, pity, duty, insecurity or dependence. Sooner or later the cracks will show and you may need to decide if you want to change the relationship in some way or leave it gracefully and peacefully.

3. One who recognises that spirituality is about self-mastery – go faster into the acceptance from reaction mode. Acceptance is not the same as fatalism – it may entail continuing with the same sad/angry/frustrated emotions but realising that life and other people cannot be controlled and making peace by stepping into the others’ shoes. The triggers will keep coming till you stop reacting, when you surrender and allow yourself to look within, gain mastery over your reactions and outbursts, the external triggers will reduce too.

4. To whom inner peace is more important than winning or ego satisfaction. Giving away a victory or walking away from strife is not the act of a coward but admitting that it is just not important enough. That is not to say that you give up something if it’s truly important but bid your time, wait for pieces to fall into place and then try again. Another way is to ensure that there are no losers and everyone wins, including you.

5. One who calmly accepts that money is a form of energy and needs to be respected as much as any other need. Spirituality and financial abundance are not enemies, in fact it is difficult to become spiritual in our daily lives unless our stomachs and those of our loved ones are filled. Our cups have to flow before we can share with others. The only thing to restrain is greed and prioritising the ‘money-energy’ on top of any other forms of energy. As with everything else in Nature, the ‘money-energy’ needs to be balanced with other emotional energies and needs within us.

 

photo credit: ANNAPURNA YATRA Himalayas mountain NEPAL Artmif.lv via photopin (license)

 

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Digital Banjara

Living without expectations

Living without expectations

Can you survive living without expectations?

Ever since I was a kid, we were taught to ‘do’ without expecting, to perform our duties, without focusing on the outcome, to fulfill our destinies without expectation of a reward.

These are words that have stayed with me since then. Words without meaning. Scriptures quoted out of context. Hanging in the air without any significance.

It is only now that I have realized the meaning behind these words.

Living without expectations

Living without expectations

Since I have started a journey down the path toward self-realization, these words have come back to mean so much more.

The last year has been a revelation of sorts for me, as I realized the futility of frustration and exasperation in not being able to control a situation.

The anger in not being able to dictate the path.

The anguish at being let down by others.

The sadness at being ignored, misunderstood and overlooked.

Then I realized that life ‘happens’. Situations unfold as they must. It is up to you to how to react to them.

If you choose to be miffed… you are.

If you choose to ignore it… it will be swept under the carpet and away from your attention.

If you choose to hold a grudge… you will.

If you choose to be at peace with whatever happens… you will be.

The only person who gets affected by your decisions is you. The only one who suffers is you. And the only one who can control how you feel is you.

So I chose to let go. And realized true happiness. Being in a position where I am not bogged down by my own expectations, has made life simpler and more enjoyable.

I spend less time worrying about situations, stressing about the outcomes of my efforts and actions. I do not waste time in trying to second guess a person’s opinion about me or my work.

As a result, my focus has shifted to pouring my heart into everything I do, giving it my best shot and then leaving it for destiny to decide the outcome.

The funny thing is, since then, my perception of the outcome has only been positive. When you approach a situation with absolutely no expectations, you are happy with whatever transpires.

Living without expectations, is a freedom that you have to experience to believe.

Letting go is tough. And yet, let go we must, if we wish to evolve. For if we do not shut one door, others can never open.

 

This article first appeared on http://digital-banjara.com Reproduced with permission.

 

photo credit: Pannonius♛ via photopin cc

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Mahasweta Mitra

Shani. Curse or Blessing?

MaYa

The effect of Shani.

Shoud we fear it? Or embrace it?

The other day I read this line: Shani is the lord of dominance, distress, depression, disease, and disaster. The post below was triggered by that line.

I am not much into astrology, but have a mild curiosity on this topic and so read things and enjoy comparing what astrologers say with experiences that I have had, in my life.

Saturn or Shani is a planet feared by many. However I have a different perspective on Saturn and would like to share it here.

We are all spiritual beings, even if we don’t know it… we have taken birth to wade through the muck of conditioning and attachments, to break through the mask we hide behind, to get in touch with our true self; the self that is beautiful and created in the image of the divine.

The process of letting this mask drop is not easy, because we have to let go of all the things we believe we are… and like it or not, we judge ourselves more harshly than anyone else. We’d rather hide behind a mask than face ourselves.

This fear of facing ourselves keeps us bound. Over years the fears and the mask grow, entangling us in a web of lies and deception, moving us further and further away from our beautiful self.

Shani/Saturn in our first house serves to wake us up.  When we are comfortable with the way our life is progressing, we don’t go searching for the path to inner peace, as we are happy within our comfort zones, content with the outer world, hiding behind our masks.

The first house in astrology is about “you”, who you are. When Shani is in your first house it forces you to see who you are.

It’s not pleasant because it will bring out the worst we can be and none of us want to see that, we have worked so hard to create a beautiful mask and hide behind it… we are comfortable there, safe from our true self.

Shani is there to remove that mask. It will break down all the false sense of security, control, attachments and beliefs and force us to see through them.

That’s why it has a bad reputation.

However, in reality it is a positive destruction, a destruction that will reveal our true self so we can see how close to the divine we truly are. Shani is like Shiva, he destroys, but his destruction is not the end, it is a destruction that makes room for something new.

Accepting Shani’s presence in our first house as a blessing rather than a curse, knowing “this too shall pass and will only make me stronger”, makes our journey that much easier.

 

MaYa - Shani destroys the mask.

MaYa – Destroy the mask

I created this painting, called MaYa, of the beautiful mask we hide behind… the one that the Divine will destroy with the help of Shani in our first house.

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