~Humble~

"Humble"- even pronouncing the word gives a soft touch feel. Though there may be many many situations to refer and reconnect to this humbleness, one such incident leaves me speechless and comes instantly to my memory whenever i happen to think. So just sharing that moment of insight here.

We were on a spiritual camp and as volunteers, some of us were assigned to serve the Master in various ways. Myself along with another volunteer were asked to take care of the kitchen services.The lunch kit used to serve the master was taken by me but was kept in another volunteer's room who was taking care of serving the master. After the camp, i forgot to collect the kit and on our way back, the moment i noticed had informed the camp site where some of them were still there.

Next morning, i get a call from my kitchen partner(volunteer) saying, "let me apologise for not reminding you to take the master's kit". For a moment i became speechless, firstly for that humbleness and secondly, the sincerity with which it take came from the heart. Though a very brief conversation followed that sentence, it triggered into contemplation.

Most of us generally would have said,"you forgot to take the kit and i have taken and sent it".

Some of us might say," did you forget anything? ohk, now its taken and sent".

Some more," I noticed master's kit and thought you may have forgotten. So took and sent it".

Yet another few,"I knew she would forget to take. see it happened exactly". (invariably, such comments can be heard at the back of the actual person). But, it could be the really least of the lot like my fellow volunteer who may come up with such touching words that arise from the heart and thats what humbleness is all about, i felt.

Ofcourse the various other options that emerge instantly from each one of us is only an indication to the state and connectivity of the mind. Its wonderful to expand on each reply to just to know the nuances of the mind. Numb to the Being, the mind can express in its utmost gross and disconnected levels.

Whereas when awareness is bestowed, the clarity shines in its expression and would never let the mind reside in its ego and explode. Instead rooted in one's own self, the way it unfolds whether in words or in action is a beauty to watch and be grateful not just with one's own self but even with others blossoming. The portal of unfoldment is one and the same source, just that, expressions may differ.

May i remain eternally grateful to my beloved Master to realize such happenings within me and around me. May i also thank him for letting me come into contact with such wonderful beings like my fellow volunteer.

~Blossoming~

Have you ever thought or observed this process called "blossoming". let us ponder a little deeper into that beyondness of the expression, beauty!

A beautiful flower, indeed when its all open and emanating fragrances all around or just simply being there. But, neither the tree knows of a potential bud nor the bud knows about its own blossoming. Yet its all happening.

One may choose to observe a bud as closely as possible and yet may fail to pin point the exact time of every petal unfolding into its open space. Simply it is beyond the time. Its there simply available to existence, just that its not aware of it.

what can possibly happen when awareness is bestowed in this process? Do we get to unfold each petal and plan it and place it as you wish? that would be probably the most kiddish idea. we can possibly have a world of game with tons and tons of ideas but wonder if any of them could ever take us anywhere near to what it is.

Techniques and theories can help us to a certain extent in just enabling to touch the platform. But from thereon, unless the same is dropped, the very same becomes the biggest trap ever possible. Thats when we come across people struggling and holding their heads, not knowing what to do . The mind is so used and finds it easy to do something or follow something but to remain simply available becomes the huge task. The bud is simply available.

Its that simple availability that opens the door for grace to enter and let the blossoming happen.

A tree unlike a human being is not moving around with a mind. Existence has made it remain in one place with no mind. Unfortunately, we the human beings , firstly need to come to that stillness of the mind and therefore the techniques have been compassionately deviced by our great sages.

Remain truly grateful to all thats happening to you with out any discrimination. Personally speaking, the ultimate blessing for a disciple is to come into contact with a Master and from thereon, simply remain available to him. The bud is bound to blossom.

Instead, if one keeps accumulating ideas and information even after coming into contact with the Master, it only reflects the kiddish idea of executing the unfolding of petals. Transformation happens when we remain simply as a bud and keep ourselves available to Him. Mysteries are not for the logical minds. Connectivity happens, it can not be dissected to find the two points . There is no plug, there is no socket yet it happens. Thats His grace.

Blow away the ideas, drop the some, remain the being!

~ Master The Mirror ~

No stranger you were

Stood as a spotless mirror

Existence placed me

Simply infront of you

Stylish it may appear

To wear the shades and stand

In this world of polarities

naked truth blinded

Outside as a mirror

Inside as a pointer

Both in and out

You are there silently

Working miracles of mystery

Simply letting the shades drop

The rest to unfold

To my ownself

Now, here i am

Naked as ever

Naturally beautiful

Nothing, it is....

~ Are You Available ~

T’was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer

Thought it scarcely worth his while

To waste much time on the old violin,

But held it up with a smile.

"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,

"Who’ll start the bidding for me?"

"A dollar, a dollar," then, two! Only two?

"Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?

"Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;

Going for three . . . "But no,

From the room, far back, a grey haired man

Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,

And tightening the loose strings,

He played a melody pure and sweet

As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,

With a voice that was quiet and low,

Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?"

And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?

Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?

Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;

And going and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,

"We do not quite understand

What changed its worth?"Swift came the reply:

"The touch of a master’s hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,

And battered and scarred with sin,

Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,

Much like the old violin.

A "mess of potage," a glass of wine;

A game, and he travels on.

He is "going" once, and "going" twice,

He’s "going" and almost "gone."

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd

Never can quite understand

The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought

By the touch of the Master’s hand. --

Poem by Myra Brooks Welch

Let the foolish crowd choose to be as what they want to be. May we as disciples remain to be available to the Touch of The Master!

~ Freedom ~

Neither a victim of your

own ignorance

Nor a victim of

someone else's ignorance

Clarity that clears the path

paves the way to just be

letting the unfolding happen

as its meant to be

Responding in awareness

to the needs of the moment

Rejecting none, accepting none

simply being available to the One!

Oh!! what a freedom

Indeed it is....

~ Unveiling ~

A beautiful story that i heard and i would like to share it here.

A lady walks into the market and was astonished to see a man carving a fish out of a huge log of wood. She just could not believe her eyes and stops to strike a conversation with him. She asks him if its ok to talk to him and the man says its perfectly fine. So, she asks him,"how is it you are able to carve this fish without even a picture or a model infront of you". The man replies," I am a fisherman and i am only removing that which is not the fish. The fish unveils on its own."

Oh, My!! what a simple pointer yet so powerful !

All that one needs to do is to be aware of who you are and just keep removing that which you are not. Rest reveals by its ownself. You do nothing. Adi Sankara keeps reminding the same process with "Neti, neti".(not this, not this)

~ Shiva ~

Beyond the beauty of that statue

Exists the stillness

that's here and now..

May be its the sculptor's skill

That captures the eyes at first

But not for long,

Its the same eyes

simply choose to close gently

to slip and slide within

the depths of silence...

Amidst the bhajans and devotees

the all pervading serenity

lets you know

who you are!

may you experience

The Shivam, you are

before you lay down

as shavam!