Tree Time Stories

What happens when 2 sitar students and a yogini go on a picnic? :) 

As we sat on one of the wooden picnic tables at the park by the lake, laid the table with the pretty tea set made in Japan (which i borrowed from mum) a basket of scones, cheese breads and some delicious rambutans, a book about history of amazing Asian gardens, a flask of hot ginger infused tea which we were just about to pour into the lovely cups when we spotted a guy nearby staring right into one of the palm trees behind us...we were wondering what he was doing standing there all alone. So we kept an eye on him while having our tea and buns. After a while we noticed that the guy was chatting away, still facing the tree and looking up at the sky and spreading his arms as though he was absorbing the energies around him...that's when my friend said "looks like he is talking to the tree...nothing to worry then, he is just one of us" And all three of us burst out laughing and said..oh yes, that's so true! 

We so love the trees that we go lie on the grass under the oldest raintrees for hours till it gets dark...just having some homemade snacks and drinks, sharing random stories and somehow, the things we chat about turns out to be the most interesting ones compared to stuff we talk  about when we meet elsewhere like restaurants or even our homes. No matter where it starts, the conversations somehow gets diverted into talking  about the universe and its magical realms, light, life, aliens, music, dance, colours, books, travelling, crystals, and so on..we usually do not realise the hours that passes till the security guards at the park come shining their torch lights on us prompting us to leave... and we would reluctantly pack our stuff only then realising how long we have been sitting there.

These picnics have reminded us of how life is as it is, before we thought everything needed to be captured in photographs or published on social media. Times when we had a meal simply by sharing the moment with a friend or family and not necessarily with the whole world to see. We wrote our experiences on our personal diaries (i mean the real ones) to be kept in a secret compartment of a drawer so our brothers will not read and make fun it! But now, we snap EVERY moment to be shared..and then forget to look at it again coz everyone is too busy snapping new pictures. To me pictures are precious...i love looking at old pictures because it contains so much stories and  those imperfect shots before digital cameras came, held the most interesting stories...one picture was enough to bring the whole atmosphere back, remembering everything we said or did on that particular day and how the chain of events led to that moment captured in the picture. One shot was enough to say it all. But now, we take hundreds of pictures and yet have no stories to tell coz everything is missed while we are staring at ourselves through those tiny lenses. The vastness of life can never be captured in a shot...it will always remain a tiny part of  the whole and yet we are deceived into believing that these glimpses could reflect the real experiences.

When you choose to arrange a pretty picnic basket and wear a lovely dress and your favourite accessory , do you do it so the pictures will look good or because you yourself should feel good. How about the friends who sit with you chatting and having tea, sharing the moment for real? Isn't that more important then to simply show the pictures to another person who wasn't even there? No matter how many pictures you shared, only you heard the bird cooing and scanned through the old cluster of bamboos to find where the sound was coming from. Only you felt the warmth in your heart when your friend brought a little card with a handwritten message which included a few lines of Irish Blessings especially for you, not because it was your birthday or any other celebration but simply coz it was a beautiful day out... only  you sat there looking at the ants crawling over blades of grass and said to your friend "These ants...will never be able to see the whole world with those tiny eyes..in fact they won't even see the whole person sitting above them coz we are too huge in its vision...if we were to explain the vastness of the universe and the planets humans have come to know ...wouldn't it be way beyond their capacity to imagine it even...would they believe you?? Isn't that how it is with human beings? We believe as much as we can see and deny that which we don't...but how small are we compared to this reality? We will never know" Now, how could a picture show this moment of truth you felt while sitting at the park? If we cant give the whole truth to another person who wasn't there...what is the point of pictures? 

I am not saying we should not take pictures...for i LOVE photography and how some shots bring the magic through it. I am only saying, we shouldn't miss the reality while trying to capture it. Enjoy the moments with all your heart and soul and you will never need photographs to keep the memories...take one picture that tells the story rather then a hundred random shots that says nothing. So that was our first picnic of the year 2019...more to come...more to share...soon :) 

ALL GREEN?

Leaves i found during jungle trekking 

Are tropical jungles all green?

When you see pictures of the mountains or even when you walk through the trails yourself, do you see all green? Not if you refocus....and look a little closer ...coz then, slowly the colours will reveal itself. These colours reflect the different stages of the living forests....from the lightest shades of green to the reds, browns and yellows and finally the transparent colourless remains of the leaves...together they make the illusion of all green tropical jungles...the colours are for those who dare walk through it risking the snakes, mosquitoes...spiders or the fallen trees and slippery muddy paths, intertwined roots...the steep climbs and dangerously descending paths... risk it all and you will see these colours...or stay out safe and see only green....choice is always ours! 

Just like that, life is about living it all...dangerous or painful...rough or smooth...being alive with every moment of it is the only way we can find the colours. If we stay safe and live on the edge of it ...we may survive by experiencing a dull one dimension view of the multi layered realms! What a miss that will be!

So this new year...begin walking into your life...into your self...bear with the darkness for a while...stay focused...listen to the throbbing life calling from within...say fewer words so you can hear more...trust the path you are on.....do not be engrossed in looking for the colours....just keep walking ...till the colours come alive...in the most unexpected moments...and be mesmerized...at your SELF!

Happy new year all!! 

Can you Promise?

I was 9 years old...in primary school, standard 3, Class A. It was the 3rd time i forgot to pack one of my maths book. The teacher got so annoyed, she asked me to pack my bag and move to class C immediately. I did as i was told. The students in class C all felt bad for me i guess, so they welcomed me with smiles and gave me a place to sit. (Some of them are still my good friends!) I sat there looking blur and in the verge of tears yet did not utter a word in protest. The class teacher walked in and sat at her table in front and she must have been already informed by my maths teacher, about me. So, she called me up to her desk and asked me kindly about what had happened and why i was there. So i told her that i forgot to pack my book. Then she said...in Malay "ok, macam ni, boleh tak Anu janji dekat cikgu, Anu tak akan lupa bawa buku lepas ni. Kalau Anu janji, Anu boleh balik ke kelas A"? (Meaning, Can you promise to me that you will not forget to pack your book in the future so i can send you back to class A?)

I thought about it for a few seconds and told her this, "Tapi saya takut nak janji, macam mana kalau saya lupa lagi?" (meaning, I dont dare to promise, coz what if i forget again?" 

I can never forget the look on the teachers face when i said that to her...and i dont remember her saying anything at all after that. But she did send me back to Class A the next day. Though i didn't think much about it at that time, when i grew up and recalled the incident, i felt quite amazed at myself!! hahahhaa...i mean, wouldn't any child go "Yes! Yes teacher i promise!!! please send me back to my class!" seriously...how many of  a 9 years old would think..how important it is to keep your promise! and what if you break it and take the risk of being moved to class C from A!?

That's how i have been...promises are that sacred..and i cant lie!! like no matter how small a lie it is....i just can't!! I can keep quiet about something...yes..and not reveal something yes...but never can i lie! If i ever tried,you will know i am lying ...as my face will show it so clear!

I sometimes wonder, how people who go on lying over and over can even sleep!! Seriously...how?? does it not bother them? 

But have people lied to me or broken their promises...YES! all the time...! It hurts whenever i find out coz to me words are so sacred...you say something only if it comes from your heart...if not...say nothing at all!

So, if you ask me, is it worth being so truthful and honest? Definitely YES! Life is made of truth and nothing but truth, lies may get you around for a while but once truth finds you out, you will have no where to run! so beware! 

Speak the truth and keep your promises, no matter how small or big it is...and of course, sleep well!! :) 

When it happens...

I am sure most of you have said these words at some point of your life....

"I dunno...It just happened" ...

Meaning something extraordinary and beautiful happens in your life and when someone asks...how did you make that happen...and you are like...I dunno...i didn't plan it...it just happened..

Ever thought about it? Why the most effortless attempts turn out beautiful while the things you fuss about just don't happen the way you expect...

Ever wondered why?

We are part of a whole mechanism that needs to maintain a certain system and reach a certain outcome, both scientifically and spiritually, its the same. In order to do that, every part needs to fall, connect, turn, rise, push, pull, twist and finally settle at a certain needed point so the system is not interrupted. While we try to connect to the wrong parts, or push the wrong buttons, and even try to stay in ONE spot adamantly refusing to let the mechanism work...we create all the distress. We think too much and miss the most obvious solutions...we worry too much and miss the simple joys...we are so careful that we forget we have one life and this is it!

When we let things happen...it doesn't mean we sit back and stare at the walls and wait for things to happen...no, we have to work for it...but with a calm heart....i say calm heart...i say heart and not mind...coz the mind is never calm...its always telling you what might go wrong ...but the heart knows! So stay with your heart, and just be in tune with everything you hear, smell, touch, see and experience...for that's where the answers or the inspirations or hints are hidden...problem is we are so messed up in between our thoughts that we keep missing these silent hints...we are so noisy we don't hear it...

People say "chase your dreams" but i find that stressful...why chase? When you can....LIVE YOUR DREAMS...every step towards the outcome is the dream itself...it becomes part of your dream...some painful, some joyful but it all becomes part of it ...

Anyone who has achieved their dreams will know...how every step brought them there....you cant separate it...the dream is a whole thing...its not an end product...coz the end product will not be as precious as the experiences you gained while getting there...The end product will be beautiful only because you will remember what got you there..so every step counts..the bad ones...the mistakes..the falls...the turnings and the rising...

The system knows...it has placed every bit of the universe in the right place...no mistakes..we may never understand it until we are able to see the whole picture...but we can always fit in and work with the energy. Every swimmer will remember the first moment they managed to float.....you can only float when you let go...and surrender to the water...you just fall back and trust the energy of the water...and you float...NO other techniques! NO need to recite one thousand mantras...no need to do any offerings to the water before you jump in...just TRUST and LET GO... 

When i say making things happen...i am talking about from the smallest of things to the biggest like from cooking a delicious meal to landing on Mars...its the same...it happens when we let it happen...it happens when we don't dream of the outcome...it happens while we enjoy the process of making it happen...it happens when we least expect it...it happens...

WHEN IT HAPPENS.....

Theres no need to understand

Most people who are in search of the truth are trying to "understand life" but my question is..."What is there to understand?" What difference would it make?? Would you laugh a little more...would you be more forgiving? Would you do what you love? Would you appreciate every moment you are breathing? If yes...then why wait to "understand life"? Why bother asking SO many questions? Why confuse yourself with a thousand contradicting answers. Why do research on neverending scriptures?? Do you need a Buddha to tell you to laugh? Didnt you laugh as a child way before you even knew who Buddha is?? Then, why cant you do it now!!!? What exactly are you waiting for? Stop wasting precious moments trying to find an answer to something you cant question! No questions ( no matter how intelligent you are) can have the RIGHT answer to LIFE. Every answer will be different when it comes from another source. Then, are you going to spend another few more lifetimes finding out which answer is right?? When exactly do you intend to LIVE your LIFE...even Hinduism only gives you 7 lifetimes to get it right. But at the rate you are going, 7 thousand lives wont get you there! so DROP IT! like right now! and get on with life as it is. Enough rituals, enough rules and regulations and systems! Be you! at least give it a try...what have you got to lose! You dont get any bonus lifetime if you spend it on doing research on it! Are you???

When you start living your life, the meaning emerges out of your being, effortless. The answers flow into you without any questions. You will know it and yet will not be able to explain it. You will not be able to put in words coz its not meant for words. It is meant to be felt, loved, lived, be amused, amazed and surrendered to! 

And what does "living" mean? Does it mean you have to do the most extraordinary things or to achieve the unachievable..or to travel the world? Or to do social service? No, its not even that. Its just to be in line with life. To embrace the moments it brings to you without a fuss. To feel the moments in the depth of your soul. To remember who you are (i dont mean your name, or your fathers name...but who you are from within!) Stop being trapped in a routine...live spontanously. Fall graciously...get up again and again! Stop fussing, ranting, complaining, being frustrated (at EVERY single thing that you see, hear or experience!) be ready for the surprises, accept changes and above all LOVE your life!

Stop trying to change the world, stop accusing and blaming others, shift your focus into your own being instead of every other thing in the world. Feel yourself, know yourself, remember where you are (i dont mean the state or the country, but where you really are!) Watch everything, judge no one (i know its easier said then done, but keep reminding yourself and it slowly becomes a habit) There are no good or bad..but just whats necessary to keep life going, in line with the whole. 

Trust the amazing nature of life, it has been going on for billions of years. Stop resisting everything that comes your way just because it is not in your "Plan" coz you have no idea what surprises life could bring if you surrender to her.

Dont fake happiness. Find that joy within and be happy for real! Cry when you have to and then let it go! Live it all. Stop running away from negativity...the whole universe is made of both negative and positive. You cant run away from it. Find a balance and keep still. Stop swinging from one extreme to the other. Look at both sides and create your own center. Watch it and live at that center. 

be light and easy....life is so amazingly mysterious...stop grumbling about traffic jams (For heavens sake!) Talk about everything else thats amazing...the skies, the stars, the galaxies, the planets, moons...the streams and oceans, bugs and butterflies, the sun and wind...the breaths we take...the feelings, the joy and the love we share! Take it all in and live it all!

Then, theres no need to understand life :) 

When joy is possible :)

Most people are looking for joy as though it is a hidden treasure and meant to be never found. They think its impossible to find joy in the world full of miseries. When you tell them joy is possible...they come up with a thousand reasons to prove you wrong...like.."you have no idea what i am going through" being the most popular respond. Yes of course..but then i too can say the same thing to you cant i? So, how is it possible for some to stay joyful while others are dragging not only themselves but everyone on their way, through hell. 

First of all stop assuming that those who stay joyful have no problems in their lives...don't be surprised if they have bigger problems then you have. 

Then, observe and learn from them, stop questioning everything and just pay attention to what they do.

Stop assuming that people who are joyful are just pretending while they are suffering alone! Not everyone is as miserable as you think they are.......some have simply transcended misery!!

JOY for real is POSSIBLE!! First you have to BELIEVE! 

Then you have to let JOY HAPPEN to you. Stop chasing after it, stop being so restless. Let life happen....give it a chance and you will be surprised at what speed it brings you JOY!

If you have no idea what i am talking about then do these:

Think of everything you love..no matter what is going on in your life at this very moment. Let it be and just day dream of everything you love....icecream..chocolates..sarees...books...lipstick....kids...music...movies...flowers....whatever it is...as long as you absolutely LOVE it! Not just like it but LOVE it to the core!! Whatever it is for you...whether or not you are having it now, just feel it and enjoy the feeling!  

Train yourself to talk about everything you love when you are having a conversation with friends or family instead of all the miseries you are going through. 

Pay attention to everything you love while you are going through your daily routine. For example If you happen to see someone wearing your favourite color at work...admire it. Love it and feel it!

If you keep doing this....after sometime it becomes a habit. And you will suddenly find everything around you cheerful. Then, suddenly something you love comes to you like magic. For those of you who have read The Secret...this is not new...but just reading isn't enough...do it! It worked for me! it will work for you! 

Just let go and trust life...

When i learnt how to let go and surrender to the moment, life brought me to places i never imagined i would reach! And i don't mean physically...but through the journey within me.  

To the realms where JOY is POSSIBLE! When nothing on the outside can touch it...where you are dancing with life! Where you could feel life breathing through you!! 

Everything i love happening at once..and leaving me breathless each time! Such joy cannot be chased after ...it happens of its own accord. Just like how you cant force a bud to bloom...nature has a way to make things happen. And it does it beautifully! If only we stop getting in its way....

 

Checkmates!

Ever been in a situation when you cant move either way!?

Well, unlike in the chess game, we cant just end it there and start over. Life simply goes on with the checkmates! Is that not interesting!?

But these checkmates made me realise something amazing and here i wish to share it with you all.

Though from the out it looks like we are trapped in a certain situation, what really happens is, we move on within. 

Every checkmate in life is a turning point within because when you cant change something on the outside...you naturally start changing within. I guess that's part of the master plan!

And when we start changing within, we find a new path and then we are free to move again...only till another checkmate happens of course! But life is fair, it puts you through a series of simpler situations first to train you to look within for the smaller paths and waits patiently to give you the ultimate checkmate where it might seem almost impossible to find a way out. But since you are a little trained by now, you don't panic and just continue looking within for some light to be shed on the path waiting for you to be discovered. 

You of course will have to grope in darkness for a little while, bump into walls and fall and rise a few times before you identify the right path. It could be scary at some points but knowing that the path is there for sure, gives you the courage to keep looking. But the trick is to keep moving, no matter how dark or scary it gets! And the signs of getting nearer to your path will be when you start seeing colours on your way, when you start feeling lighter and when you start feeling so joyous that it becomes impossible to cry over anything. Then you know you are getting there....

So, if you feel like you are trapped in any situation at any point of your life, REMEMBER to LOOK WITHIN ! Remember the other dimensions of life which most of us forget to look at. We are so absorbed with everything outside that we miss the unlimited paths running within us. 

What would you see in heaven?

I see people trying so hard to accumulate points so they would in the end be granted a place in heaven. Feed the poor....rescue a dog....plant a tree....visit the old folks and so on. While these are all good deeds which we should all do, its also important to know why we are doing it. If the idea is to book a place in heaven, we will surely not enjoy the moments of it. We are forcing ourselves to do good so we get a reward..then how can we experience the joy of doing such things. When our mind is set on a "HEAVEN" which we believe is somewhere above the clouds, beyond our imagination, would we not miss the twinkle in the eyes of a child receiving a gift from our hands? Would we not miss the magical moment when the bond between the giver and the receiver is created!? 

When you feel every moment from your heart and soul, heaven is there...When you feel your heart skip a beat whenever you hear your favourite music...heaven is there. When you taste your favourite food and feel how delicious it is ....heaven is there....when you see a stranger's baby smile at you and find yourself smiling at them...heaven is there...when you see your doggies running to you joyfully even if you only left them for an hour...heaven is there....when you watch the raindrops dripping from a flower of a plant you planted yourself ....heaven is there! When you hear the birds chirping away at dawn...heaven is there....When you see your children splashing water on each other and laughing...heaven is there....

I can go on and on forever...as there are no boundaries, limits or time for heaven...heaven is in every moment you breathe consciously. When you are no longer hypnotized by whatever the system made you to believe. When you are awake...you see heaven everywhere! You cant miss it from the moment you spot the first one! You will be overwhelmed by the heavens ....and you will laugh at yourself to have been missing it all for so long. 

Discover the heavens right here! Wherever we are...right now! Breathe consciously! Feel the moment! Feel the joy! Do whatever that brings you that joy. Cant help quoting RUMI here :-

" CLOSE YOUR EYES.

FALL IN LOVE.

STAY THERE." 

Stop chasing after heaven like its is somewhere else and just settle down to what you are doing and you will see heaven in every moment! It is ALL here! Not above...not below....simply HERE!! 

If we cant SEE it HERE...how can we SEE it at all...

WHY IS BUDDHA LAUGHING?

The Indian rishis and yogis have always mentioned that what we hear in the highest realms of meditation is a neverending laugh! And i am beginning to see why :) 

We are given ONE precious life to experience the 14 BILLION years old universe and what do we do??

We worry about the most insignificant things in life like...what my friends would think of me if i did this or that...what my family would say if i decided on this or that? I need to please EVERY other person in my life...even my neighbour who i only say "hi" to like once in a month maybe...so no...i will not try anything out of the ordinary...i will follow EVERY rule the society has set ....i will LIVE to fit into it and NEVER step out!

Then while fitting into this so called "system" we make ourselves miserable by fighting every instinct that proposes something out of the ordinary. "Go dance!" "No i am a super goody traditional wife and daughter in law...."i don't dance" "GO ON A HOLIDAY"! " NO!! I am the most responsible parent in the world who must ruin all my happiness so the rest in the family are happy! "GO PLAY IN THE RAIN! " NO every health article says....the rain water will make you sick!" GO DISCOVER YOUR PASSION" NO WAY! my society believes you must ONLY do whatever that brings you money! Passion is for another life! 

Yeah....these are the kinds of contradictory moments people go through all their lives...and then suddenly when something triggers their sleeping heads, they suddenly see that there is no "other life"....we are to experience life right NOW....and they panic!! Then they start doing the weirdest things...they run up and down chasing all the left out moments and cram it into their remaining lifetime. Seriously! why?? I don't blame most of them because our social system is such....brainwashed and so absorbed in it that its pretty hard to see life beyond it. 

Just imagine...we are merely infesting a rock floating in space...in a space SO vast beyond any measures of science! A beautiful form of life happening right before our eyes! We don't even know the end of it...too huge....too amazing...too far...infinite! And all we care about is what ...my neighbour might think of me! Now...why wouldn't Buddha laugh!? 

The universe without us...will go on! Only that there will be no one to talk about the beauty anymore! The universe without us in fact will be better off...and yet we live in a dream where we rule the world! But the amazing fact is....being so small...yet we have this consciousness that can experience the entire universe right from where we are!! Tell me, if theres a more exciting experience of life than getting to know the universe ourselves! We are now learning that it is possible for ALL human beings to experience it...and not like what most people think that only the yogis or rishis are able to see it....no! we are all capable...only problem is we don't even try!

Knowing life has got NOTHING to do with religion. We came before any religion ....life came first! So Life knows better. Dive into life. Live it! Love it! feel it! Touch it! Smell it! And above all...STAY ALIVE in it!  

Go by chapters :)

Its not the first time people have asked me, "How do you have the patience to read books that are almost a thousand pages long!" My answer has always been this "I just go chapter by chapter".

When you keep count of the pages, you would feel like you have a long way to go but when you focus on the chapters you get to the end before you know it! Thats the trick! My aim is not to get to the end of the book as quickly as possible. I just get indulged in each chapter and take in whatever that happens in those pages. I am never eager to know what happens in the end. I am more interested to know how it gets to the end page by page...chapter by chapter. 

Its quite interesting how the mind works with the same total no of pages having different effect on us just by way we approach it! Life itself is just like that! All we need to do is to be in the present and enjoy and do our best day to day...moment to moment..and one day we will get to the end feeling joyful and surprised at how beautiful the journey was. Otherwise, if we are obsessed about what comes next and how it ends ...we are going to miss life happening right now.

This is why i have NEVER approached an astrologist or bothered to follow numerology or palmistry or whatsoever! First of all it spoils the fun by telling us how our life will be! Secondly, i dont trust the accuracy of any readers. I wouldnt want my life to be misread by someone who missed certain nos or calculations! No way! I always loved to see my life unfold day by day with all the little surprises and hidden agendas that keeps me grinning all day! 

Also when it pushes me downhill and gets me rolling helplessly till i hit the bottom, at least i wasnt already expecting it!! It just happens while i am dancing through life like nothing will EVER go wrong! Then i gather my strength to climb the hill again...this time i know where i tripped! So i stay alert but i still dance my way up!

A whole life story is made of short chapters and every chapter is made of a few pages and every page is made of a few sentences...and every sentence is made of a few words! Stay focused on every word....and you will get to the end without any stress! Otherwise you will be drained by the time you get to it. Why be torn between the end and now, when you can just be in the now! Let it be! Whatever it is! And LIVE every word! In the end the chapters will be complete and the book will be done! Surely! 

So dare read books of a thousand page! Go by the chapters and enjoy the pages! And when you get to the very LAST page you will feel such satisfaction for having been through every line with ease and joy! You will never forget the experience....just like life! Live it all! 

See you in the next chapter!! :) 

  

The Master Plan

How often do we pause to wonder "how did i get to this point?" to realise that we did not plan it to be what it is currently. While we planned something else, with some idea about how we want to go about life and what we want to do, let it be work or family, something interferes here and there, blocks your route, puts the lights out, gets you groping in darkness, bump into walls till we find an outlet somewhere desperately and take the chance (mostly because there's no other choice!). 

Then on this new route we find some light again so we keep going in that route though it might seem blurry, but we are once again stopped! and the whole process repeats itself leaving us exhausted beyond our limits. We drop! and pick ourselves up even if its with the last ounce of courage that's left. Again groping in darkness to find another door, this time the light gets a little brighter. 

So we keep going almost believing that this will be the final route only to be blocked again! The interesting thing is, by now we have become immune to these obstacles that even the boulders on our path begin to look like little pebbles....we have gained that much strength with all the work out we got on the way. So, we stop calmly at the boulders, knowing that something or someone will soon remove it....for that's how its has been all the way, and we wait patiently instead of knocking our heads on it, unnecessarily. Soon enough, the boulders magically roll away, leaving the path free and bright for us to continue. This time we take the route knowing there will be more boulders, and yet we are not distressed by it as we also know that they too will be removed :)

It is at this point, we gain the presence of mind to pause and think about where we are! And we are surprised that we just love the place and couldn't have planned it ourselves to get there! And we wonder in amazement..."How did that happen?" 

Well if you could draw a map of these series of routes, diversions, obstacles and blackouts in our life, we will SEE that they fit perfectly into a MASTER PLAN.  

We are meant to get there but since we did not have the wisdom to find our path in early stages, we keep resisting and trying to adamantly stay on a less difficult route. But no one escapes the Master Plan.

LIFE is WHOLE, there are no individual life as it seems to be. The system is WHOLE. Every ant needs to be in its place for the system to work. The universe cant afford to let us choose our paths. Or it will be in total chaos. So, all we need to do is to learn how to fit into this master plan. The best way to avoid much injuries would be to let ourselves flow in with it. By being joyful despite the chaos of the moments. By making every point of our life a memorable one. By enjoying the simple pleasures. By knowing that the "bad" people in our lives are put there to divert our routes and emotions. By learning as much as we can from every situation. By not repeating the same mistakes. By trusting the Master Plan who always knows better! 

When we practice these things, life instantly gets lighter...this is what the scriptures refer to as SURRENDER. Leave it to the Master Plan. Stop resisting and hurting unnecessarily. 

LET GO! and DANCE with LIFE :) 

  

Mirror Mirror On The Wall!

Most girls grow up knowing who Snow White is and they also all know that her skin is as white as snow. But what some fail to realise is that it is not the skin that the magic mirror saw to be fairest of them all. It was Snow White from within, the gentle, loving, innocent and humble being that she was that made her fairer then the wicked and vain queen. The magic mirror is nothing but our conscience. We recognize who we are within. And whatever is reflected within shows in our appearance too. That is why sometimes people with the most perfect features could look ugly and those with very ordinary features look beautiful. Though most of us do not realise it, what we see in another person comes from within...its not the eyes, the nose or the slim figure or the skin tone. No, what we see is beyond all these. We see the person as reflected from within. 

I am sure, we have all experienced this, we meet someone for the first time and think they are absolutely gorgeous or handsome but then after getting to know the person suddenly they seem very ordinary, or even ugly! While some that we thought looked very ordinary, gradually look prettier and prettier day by day until one day you think they are the most beautiful person you have ever met. Ever wondered how that happens??

Obviously, it is the inner beauty that overpowers the outer physical appearance. The more human one is the better they look. This is why i neither believe that "Black is beautiful" nor "White is Lovely"! It has got nothing to do with colour. We need to recognize people beyond colour to see who really is good looking!  

What inspired me to write this is the recent posts on FB trying to prove that those with darker skin tone are beautiful and to be proud of it and so on. But it made me wonder....what has the skin got to do with beauty?? Dark or fair, tall or short, plump or slim doesnt capture the attention of the magic mirror for the mirror recognizes only the person inside! While we are desperately trying to improve our appearance on the outside the mirror goes on reflecting from within. And it does not only recognize us but also superimposes that image from within for everyone to see. We can never hide it! We can hide the marks on our faces maybe...but never whats inside!

This doesnt mean i dont believe in make up or dressing up. That too is necessary but we have to remember that it is just the toppings....you can make the cupcakes with the most beautiful toppings but the moment people eat it, it is the taste of cake itself that matters, right??! Toppings are only for viewing pleasure which may look good in photos too but the review will surely be based on the taste!! Just the same, we need to work on the inside more then the outside if we want to look good :)

So keep your magic mirror polished for it reflects who you really are :) 

LOVE UNLEASHED

We grow up hearing words like "family is important" "Love your neighbours" "Take care of your little brothers and sisters" "Be nice to your friends in school" " Respect your teachers" and so on. And thats exactly what we try to do....we obey these rules as much as we could and then when we become adults we say the same things to our children. So our mind is conditioned to love a certain group, care for certain people in our lives and we go on thinking we are truly a loving human being. 

Then, what happens is, we meet new people...we move to a new environment, maybe into a different culture and atmosphere. And suddenly we are lost. How do we love strangers?? how do we care for things that doesnt belong to us. How do we deal with situations? Now comes the trouble! We judge one another...we hate people...we think the world is cruel and ugly and evil. Then these feelings spreads into our daily life and it takes over all those LOVE YOUR FAMILY...LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOURS chantings! Then suddenly we are choking with emotions! We feel betrayed, lost and angry! Most of the time we cant even figure out the reasons either because theres too many or theres none at all. 

Somehow we human beings forget that we are made of love and nothing but love. Theres no need to teach a child to love. It is their natural state..until we interfere and confuse the child with all these restrictions. Let the child be...and they will love everyone and everything. 

When we grow up in love ...we can only attract more love. We can connect to everything and everyone around us because the whole universe is made of this energy called loved. Now dont ask me questions like....should we love the robbers or rapists then? Coz that is my whole point. If we let a child grow naturally they will not become a rapist or robber. When we teach them to hate, they attract people to hate ...and they dwell in hatred and their contaminated soul looks for an outlet by doing evil things. 

It is not about love something or someone...it is simply about being love itself. Then you attract love like a magnet. Be love itself, no separation between the feeling and you. You are it! It is you! Love unleashed :) Then watch what happens...

See how the music flows through every vein....watch how much brighter the flowers in your garden looks, watch how the butterflies flutter around you...watch how people even look at you in awe. They cant help recognizing themselves when they look at you. Watch how you feel like dancing whenever it rains. Watch how thankful you are for the sunshine. Watch how your world changes! Feel the joy that it brings...feel the excitement! Feel rejuvenated! above all FEEL LIFE! 

Why contain Love when it can be unleashed! let it go! and go wherever it takes you! It always knows the best routes of life :) 
BE LOVE!

Maleficent

I think this is the first time ever i decided to write about a movie! And its not because i don't watch movies but because i want to enjoy every movie i watch without over analyzing it. I think it spoils all the fun of going to the cinema and being entertained if we are constantly finding whats not right in the movie...right?? So, whenever i go to the cinema i just shut down and enjoy every moment of the movie without thinking too much about it. But this time, right after watching Maleficent with hubby and friends, i couldn't help discussing with them about the movie. It was such a simple story line with such a HUGE message! 

Almost every child in the world especially girls would have heard of Sleeping Beauty. About how the evil witch cursed her when she was born. But i was pretty surprised at myself for NEVER EVER questioning why would a witch take the trouble to come and  curse a poor little helpless baby for a mere reason of not being invited to the event??

I am not going to spoil the fun for those of you who have not watched it but intend to. So i will not get into the details of the story. But those of you who have watched already will understand what i am about to say here.

When i got home from the cinema, i wrote on my FB status a few lines which just popped up in my mind...which is this 

" Maleficent....yes we ourselves create all evil which then starts haunting us and then we fight them through our lives not realizing that all we need to overcome it is ..Love"

Isn't it true? We provoke some people to turn against us then we call them our enemies! We do that all the time...of course most of the times we don't realise it. Because we are so absorbed in satisfying our own needs that anything we do seems right to us. Ive heard about this saying which goes like this...

"theres always three sides to a story...theirs, yours and the truth".

How true is that??..everyone has their version of a story.

This happens so often within a family. For instance we misunderstand our parents or uncles and aunties or cousins and come to a conclusion before even seeing things from their point of view. Who knows ...we might react the same way if we were in their places!! But we judge them and start hating them which then creates a tension in the relationship. Then, whenever we face them, we are already sure that the other person also thinks the same way about us because we obviously see what we choose to see!! So anything the person says fits perfectly  into the wrong idea column we have created for them in our minds. For all you know, the other person may not have had any such ideas as we imagined it. So the tension grows and eventually breaks the relationship. That's how we create enemies most of the times.

  

Worst of all...by creating these enemies, we end up behaving worst then them! We become the monsters ourselves without realising it. And if only we come to our senses and think about it, we will be shocked to see that those "enemies" we created are far kinder than us!! That's when we panic!! We start thinking...oops! what the hell am i becoming here. This is not even ME! Then of course, "true love" saves us all...eventually.

But what is "true love" ?? Where do we find it?? But before that, i dont quite understand the term "True Love". How could it be love if it is NOT true...its either LOVE or NO LOVE)

..anyway...where do we find love...?

We find it in the most subtle moment when we have given up all ego and succumb to our true selves. Then...we wake up and we are also able to wake anyone up by sharing our love. Suddenly all evil seem to disappear ...and all enemies turns..errm not angels yet maybe...but at least just normal. Isn't normal good enough... I'll be bored to death if everyone around me were angels !! i mean what do you gossip about if no one does anything wrong !! :D So...just the same, we have to know we ourselves are no angels!! so its only natural that someone else might gossip a little about us of and on...well, as long as it doesn't do much damage in our lives, we might as well take it lightly and move on! Otherwise we start creating enemies again...and the cycle goes on and on. 

hmmm...so that's more or less the message i got from this movie...of course it might be different for you. I thought it was truly a beautiful movie. Do watch if you haven't :)

Yes...evil truly has a beginning! it begins with us !!

Awesome movie! 

  

Life is but a dream :)

Row row row your boat

Gently down the stream....

Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily

Life is but a dream ...

Almost all children of the world would know how to sing this rhyme ! When i was just a child, the rhyme didnt mean the same as it does when i am grown up. I realised that as a kid, i sang that song literally ...imagining myself rowing a boat down a stream....but once i grew up, i realised that the words meant something else...like to row your boat gently down the stream is to live your life simple and taking it easy while the next two lines meant , to be joyful and passionate about life with an understanding that this world isnt something permanent.

But then, i experienced another meaning to it when i actually got the chance to row my boat gently down the stream....for real !! Last year when i went to UK, we went to visit some friends in Colchester. And they took us boating at Dedham.

At the entrance to the boating place

  It was such a beautiful place that i fell in love with it the moment i got there ...absolutely peaceful, and so pretty ! 





Once we got there, i was all excited about boating. Though i have been on boats here in Malaysia and India, it wasnt the same with the kind of view and also i have never rowed the boat myself ! So it was the first time ever ! 

I always thought we need to be really strong to be able to row the boat by yourself and that its very difficult to get it going straight ...but i was going to try it for sure ! Wouldnt miss the chance here ! 

The view from where we get into our boats

Once we got into the boats, we first tried rowing two by two, my brother and i started rowing together. Then, he asked me if i want to try it myself ...i was of course happy to !! So i took over, with my aunt , brother and a friend in my boat, i rowed all by myself ! The first thing i realised was , it was not so tough as i thought or as i heard it would be ! In fact, it didnt take much effort to get the boat moving...of course in the beginning i was going a little zig zagged but then i got it within minutes!! Except when there was other boats coming the opposite way and we needed to stay on one side of the stream and when the wind was strong...the boat went a little off the centre...but otherwise i was ok ! In fact our friend was really impressed at how quickly i got the hang of it...as she has been living there for years and have been boating many times and yet she finds it a little tricky ...She asked me..." is this really your first time? " and i said " YUP !" 

                           

So...i rowed all the way ....made a u turn and rowed all the way back to the boathouse all by myself , i think we paid for half an hour :) Wow! i was so proud of myself then ...hehehe...

and all along the way, there were so many lovely ducks, and swans...even dogs running along the bank and taking a plunge in the stream ...really it was magical ! 

Thats our friends and my sister on the other boat 

So now after my boating experience, the rhyme means this ....

Life can never be understood by what we hear, read or see, no matter who explains it to us. Life depends only on how YOU yourself experience it ! We need to row our boat ourselves...well the rhyme clearly says Row YOUR boat...and not just row A boat isnt it ?? :) ...

so never mind if someone else finds it hard or boring. Never mind if someone warns you of the danger of rowing your boat. Only you know your strength. Never mind who is rowing the opposite way, you have your stream, you have your own breathtaking views along the stream. Just watch everything that comes your way but stay focused on your stream , enjoy the ride and come back joyfully ! :D 

ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT
GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM
MERRILY MERRILY MERRILY MERRILY
LIFE IS BUT A DREAM 

Seen "Shooting Clouds" ?? :)

I learnt my ABCs and 123s when i was 6 years old , many parents those days skipped sending their children to pre school. So they went to school only when they turn 7.  there were so many who didnt know their alphabets or numbers in standard ONE . So those of us who went to kindergarten were considered lucky ! We were a tiny bit further then the rest.

Children nowadays, would laugh at you if you are SEVEN years old and dont know your ABCs because parents are sending them to learn how to read as young as 4 , even 3 ! By the time they are SEVEN and go to school, they are already reading fluently both in English and Bahasa Malaysia. They can count up to 100 and do simple maths. 

But then, i cant help wandering, if this whole new way of educating is entirely doing good for the growth of a child. Because , i remember running around the garden, chasing butterflies, catching tadpoles to be kept in a bucket  of water thinking it is fish !! I also remember looking at the stars and the moon with amazement , collecting dry leaves and seeds to play "cooking" . I remember collecting the "Kerang" shells at home and arranging it on the ground to make designs. I remember a whole lot of time spent creating my own little games using broken branches or old pots and pans. And all this happened when  i was below 6 years old ! I guess i got to do all that because i was not forced to memorize alphabets and numbers or recognize pictures of animals to impress the lady next door :)

I was free to discover the world for myself and however i wished to interpret it, i remember being amazed at the shooting clouds ( hahhaa...yes thats what i thought it was ! ) when only much later i realised it was actually a plane flying through the clouds which creates a straight white line in the sky . Seriously , tell me if children below 6 nowadays have the privilege to even notice if the skies are blue ?? let alone spotting any " Shooting clouds " :)

Most parents and teachers know that the first 6 years is crucial to the development of a child. Isnt it best for a child to slowly learn their environment by touching , feeling , smelling observing and seeing for themselves. ? 

What i cant watch is when , ladies or mothers are at a function or a party with their kids and they start telling each other :

" Ohh...my kid could count up to 10 and his only 3 now !! " and the other one says..." hah ! mine too, children nowadays are just so smart, not like us those days anymore. It has to be the better living conditions and good food they get now "

And i am like...Huh? Good food !? really? Good food was from my grandpas vegetable patch and the free range chicken my grandma use to cook for the whole family. What good food do we get now that could possibly make children more intelligent ?  If yes, then how come the whole world is complaining about pollution and hazardous commercially farmed animals ?? Is that really making children more intelligent? 

I dont think children are more intelligent now...children have been children all the time, its just that those days, parents did not shove letters , numbers and images into their heads even before they could say MAMA or DADA ! I am just wandering if we are blocking the natural path to grow by doing this. How could they be interested in the flowers when they are head is full of ABCs , numbers and images of blue elephants and purple dinosaurs ! 

Is this why children are becoming more and more demanding at a very young age ? Coz they seem to have skipped that part of being just Children ! We are not even giving them the opportunity to grow into this beautiful world gracefully with the fragrance of flowers, softness of the grass, speaking with the wind, and basking under the sun ...no we are throwing them right into the mouths of life in a shocking state and i am not surprised if they are terrified of it ! They want everything NOW, they want everything their WAY ! They are running after life like its a race ! seriously what is the rush...we are going to live with alphabets , numbers and gadgets all our life...so why not let the first 6 or at least 5 years free and easy ? what could possibly go wrong if we do that...all the most important science discoveries and developments of the world has happened in times when children didnt go to school till they were SEVEN. So why all the mad rush now ?? Why all the competition ??   

Of course i am not trained in any children psychology or montessori system or whatsoever, so this is only my own observation and thoughts :)  But i do hope parents would take it easy and let kids be kids, so they would feel connected to this life and feel their souls attached before they learn the ABCs.

Alphabets doesnt guarantee happiness but a happy soul does ! Let the child recognize itself before it sees the rest. I am sure they will grow beautifully !

  

A Snowy Moon .... :)

In an instant i was transported to the moon, my eyes widened in disbelief ...my heart pounding ...i find myself standing on MOON !! i look around and see some of my friends with me , and i scream ..." WE ARE ON MOON !!!?? how did we get here in an instant ???? how is this possible..?? 

Then we walk on...and discover that there are more people standing and walking in small groups here and there...and then i realise something even stranger, my feet was so cold , almost numb, coz i was walking on snow !!! and again i scream ..."its snow !! in MOON ????  i couldnt even smile as its totally unbelievable but who cares !! you are walking on a snowy moon ...could you possible ask for anything else in your life ??! 

So i walk around still amazed , astonished and yet indulged in the beauty of it ...i remember seeing the dark and scarily neverending space against the snowy white moon and suddenly this calmness engulfs me...i am not shocked or even excited anymore, just in awe ...totally immersed in the beauty of the moon and space around me. 

So immersed that i forgot where i came from...the Earth....i wasnt looking for it...i just enjoyed every bit of the moon and then the funny moment comes where my friends and i found a secluded snowy area where there were no other people around and decided it would be the best place to snap some pictures !! hahaha...hmm i dont think i thought of uploading it on FB or Blogs...but just for myself :) 

So, we snapped a few pictures and all of a sudden we snapped ourselves back to earth...! And only then ....i realised that i did not get a glimpse of the EARTH while i was at the MOON....i regretted it, and said to my friends ..." oh no, we forgot to look at the Earth, the magnificent blue crystal which we always see on photos or videos in documentaries...how could i miss such a thing ?? i was quite upset partly coz i knew it was my once in a life time opportunity to see earth from the moon and i missed it...

Then, i woke up ...of course :):) 

It was about 6.45 am , and i just laid on my bed not wanting to open my eyes as i did not want the image of the snowy moon to go away...i imagined it again and again...recalling everything i saw , felt and experienced it as precisely as possible.

It was just then it dawned on me....how easily we are deceived by beauty , though the earth is the most beautiful thing in the universe and yet the moment we see something new , we forget to even look back ! And knowing that it was the most precious moments given to be on moon and to have a view of the earth...yet we forget ...we just take it for granted and waste time in unnecessary excitement and indulgence which blurs our vision of the most beautiful thing waiting to be discovered right before our eyes !!

It made me realise, that we are always looking at the wrong places for happiness...its not about running around and looking for happy spots, its about standing still , focused and looking beyond !! If only i stood at one place and looked...i would have seen the earth effortlessly ! And the view of Earth would have been a thousand times more amazing then the plain white moon and yet i missed it ! 

Yes , of course it was just a dream...but you dont dream such things every night ! that dream could have been my one and only chance to experience and see the earth from the moon ! and i missed it !! why...because i was too excited , puzzled , and indulged in everything that was around me!

So, lesson learnt !!!!

Stay where you are, be focused and look beyond yourself...there you will find the most amazing thing called life !! in other words....MEDITATE ! Something which ive been attempting but not getting it yet....but i will keep trying , and when i finally get to see the magnificent blue crystal ....i will share the experience with you :) 

erm...wish me luck ! please !!!!!

Anyway, it was quite an experience being on moon ! will NEVER forget this dream in my life ! Always admired the full moon , and wandered how might it be to be there ...( but i swear i nvr imagined it to be snowing !! ) 

hmmm...so, dreams do come true ! :):)

Browsed the net for a picture closest to what i saw...and here it is...this is almost like it where i was walking around.. :)

Lets begin..

So..we survived the 21st December 2012 ( are you surprised?? ). 

Isnt it strange that, we human beings could believe nature to be such a simple and fragile thing that it could be destroyed in a day ? I mean what makes us think that it is holding on for billions of years in a perfect alignment with the sun and other planets and stars...only to destroy itself in a DAY !

Last night as i was watching an interview on TV , this Indian director/actor, SJ Suria was asked " what do think about the Mayan prediction? He says , " There is no end to anything in this world...coz when something  ends it means something else begins ."  And i thought that was an interesting answer he gave....coz usually people would either explain why they believe it would end or why they dont. But he saw it differently.

If we all see it as a beginning to a new era, then thats what it will be. 

I am not sure if its just me or there are others who feel the same. I kind of feel that we human beings have passed the worst times . The world will gradually turn into a more peaceful place to live from now on. Wars will come to an end...people will learn to live in harmony. The truth of all religion will be realized to be nothing but plainly love for one another and for nature . 

I already notice this happening as more and more people are concerned about nature, to help the poor, to exercise and eat healthy food, to cook at home with traditional spices and ingredients, to plant their own vegetables. To live a simple life. More people are beginning to realise that every day and moment is precious and should be filled with as much fun as possible. More and more are talking about positive energy. Above all, more and more are beginning to understand the power of LOVE...

So...good luck all......its definitely a beginning.... :)