I join my palms in prayer to Ma Prithvi and ask for forgiveness and blessings. I promise from the bottom of my heart; I will take care of you. I will try not to harm you by denuding the forests, adulterating the waters and making the environment toxic. I have done many things, without being aware of the damage caused to the flora and fauna.
I am aware dear ones that today is International Women’s Day. All kinds of attributes are given to womankind. Sages are writing that we must create a world where women are celebrated not just as their roles as mothers, wives or daughters but also as creators, leaders and spiritual beings who shape the essence of life. Continue reading
Happiness according to the Bhagwad Gita is not just a fleeting emotion or a result of external factors, but a state of being that arises from spiritual connection, inner peace, contentment and living a life aligned with one’s true purpose.
First of all, let us define rudeness. Rudeness is described as a weak imitation of strength. So many of us practice rudeness. It is also described as behavior which is inappropriate. It is being insolent, discourteous, impertinent and impolite. Continue reading
Dear ones, the tarsier is an animal, which is halfway between lemurs and monkeys. It measures only about 9-16 centimeters. Its tail is double its length. It is found in the Philippines and various islands of Southeast Asia. Continue reading
I had gone in a tuktuk on a coastal tour in Siquijor which is a verdant and beautiful island. A tuktuk is a three-wheel scooter, which has powerful shock absorbers and so it is not bouncy. They are in bright colors, and one sees them everywhere. Siquijor is considered a magical island as there are many healing plants growing there. It is renowned for its traditional healing practices. Continue reading
Life is not so short, but that there is always time enough for courtesy. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Civility costs nothing and buys everything. – Montagu
A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve. – Joseph Joubert
A tree is known by its fruit, a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship and he who plants kindness gathers love. – Saint Basil
Those who collect strings of attachment
With mother, father, relations, sons, wife,
Body, wealth, house, friends and family,
Make a rope out of them and tie it to my feet,
Those who are impartial, having no desires,
In whose heart there is no place
For happiness and sorrows, courage and fear.
Such bhaktas reside in my heart,
In the same manner as riches
Reside in the heart of a greedy man. – Ramacharitamanas
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever you practice as austerity, O Arjuna, do it as an offering unto Me! – Bhagavad Gita, 9:27
Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land
So, the little minutes,
Humble they be
Make the mighty ages
Of Eternity. – Julia Fletcher Carney Continue reading
In the first of his ten incarnations, Vishnu took the form of Matsya (a fish) to save primeval man from the deluge that consumed the world. He is depicted as half fish and half God. When I saw the whale sharks I thought of Vishnu in his Matsya Avatar. Continue reading
Dear ones, we are in the Philippines. Three times our vacation was cancelled. First time, I had to have an emergency surgery. Second time there was a hurricane and so much rain that the places we wanted to visit were flooded with water and mud and Mount Mayon erupted. Third time the dates were too close to my application for a Schengen visa. Continue reading
Every child is pure; every child is untainted and innocent
You do not really remember your childhood,
But if you did, you would remember that at that time
You had the awareness of yourself. – ‘High on Waves’ by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Rage is an intense emotional state of displeasure with someone or something. Tranquility is a state of freedom from storm or disturbance. How does one keep a balance? There is only one way, which is being aware of one’s breath. What does this do for one? Does it banish one’s rage, one’s turmoil in one’s mind? It does. Continue reading
Look deep into nature, then you will understand everything better. – Albert Einstein
The earth has music for those who listen. – William Shakespeare Continue reading