Kolam Of Life !

-
A traditional hindu ritual that adorns every door step is kolam. Simple beautiful art that keeps the entrance bright and beautiful. The first thing done on waking up is to clean the entrance, sweep and mop, then draw this simple art form with rice powder called kolam. It is said that the reason why rice powder is used is to feed the ants which may visit. The significance of kolam brings in auspiciousness and therefore from simple to much elaborated, kolams find place in festivals, marriages and any occasion.

Basically kolam consists of both dots and a line that connects them. Filling up the drawn patterns with various colours or flowers is done on special occasions to make it more brighter and beautiful. Everyday ritual consists usually of a simple dots kolam.



Take a look at this kolam. If you keenly observe, you would notice the dots. First the dots are placed and then the line is connected.

Let us assume if one stops with just placing the dots, then it would remain as some scattered dots and never would get that feel of completeness and beauty. But when connected with a line, one would see the emergence of kolam in all its splendour.

Relating to life, it is so similar. Seen just as dots -people, incidents etc, it leaves one confused and puzzled. But when benediction is bestowed to see the unseen chord of consciousness connecting all the dots, wow!! Kolam of life shines in the heart of your shrine.

Every kolam is complete by itself however small it may be, like every incident or every moment. But the beauty is every tiny kolam has the potential possibility to be expanded into unknown yet another kolam. So is it with every moment, complete by itself yet ever expanding with the uninterrupted connectivity.

Exploring into that unknown kolam of life as it gets expanded is all about living. Flowing with the life line chord called consciousness, uninterrupted it goes on and never it would miss a moment of this colourful Kolam of life. Combination of both the dark and lighter shades only make it even more colourful, similar to the dark and lighter side of life events. Imagine one singular colour and what a dull look it may be.



                                                                                                                     
Our rich culture has never failed to impart the beauty of reality. Its always fresh and new kolam that adorns the doorstep every day. This goes to show how important it is to be in the present. However beautiful it may be, the old one is cleared to give way for the new. Yet another moment to explore the expanded connectivity of divinity.

Not necessarily only a monk in a monastery in a meditative way has to perform a "Mandala". Every individual has a choice to begin his day in the most meditative way if only one does not confine oneself to just rituals but becomes aware of the essence of it and rises beyond the monotony.

Whether a conch or a lotus in kolam, the kolam of life would remain silently shining.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

~ "Adapt Tune" ~

-
An insight into a dance competition show. Unlike the regular performance where a participant proves his dancing skills to a song selected and well trained for it, here he is expected to dance to the unexpected tunes. The DJ on the set is the creator of the tunes for that moment. The participant on the floor is evaluated as to how well his performance is tuned in to the unexpected rhythms. "Expect the unexpected" and tune in to be your own self. Thats when the best of performance is unfolded. You dont perform but you just tune in to the rhythms. There is a subtle and yet a vital difference that distinguishes you from the rest. The sense organ, ear, lets the listening happen. The mind accepts the tune and the body adapts to the tune and thats what is called the dance. Firstly, one needs to be well equipped with the skills and thats what is called confidence. Without a proper knowledge and practice of the skill, one would only turn out to be a laughing stock on the floor. Once t...
Read more

~ Intellect~

-
Let us a take a look at the transformation of a simple metal plate into a knife. The metal plate when processed through various stages gets shaped into a sharp instrument used primarily for cutting etc. Have you noticed, the process doesn't get completed in just sharpening the blade. It takes a complete shape only when a wooden handle is provided on one end. The one edge of the sharpened blade gets fixed into the wooden case, thereby, providing strong and comfortable access to the usage of the instrument. Left without a wooden case to hold, the blade still remains a sharpened tool but dangerous even to the user. Try holding a sharpened blade and make use of it. May be, your hands would bleed first even before making use of it. When looking at the mind, intellect and its connectivity to the Self, i felt it is easier to understand and relate it with the example of the knife. Intellect, as a sharpened blade is essential to discriminate, execute. It becomes a dangerous tool only when i...
Read more

~ Levels of Awareness ~

-
Beware of Ignorance Be Aware of Self! That which begins as a practice Becomes a part of the whole Nothing new that never existed is going to be introduced for practicing. Yet, there comes a moment when each of us are introduced to discover our own self through various means. Body exists from the time of birth, yet the real feel of that first moment is experiential. Same with breath too. Breathing has been happening but when we enter into its realm with that touch of awareness then on the Real living begins. Ignorance in a way acts as the backdrop for awareness. In life, when we begin to learn some art or anything, we tend to have a total focus on the job. Like when we first begin to cut vegetables, the eyes, the hands and the mind are in total focus. Its the practice which eventually leads to evolution. Perfection sounds more like a finite one. But with subtleness, it just expands to nowhere. The taste of the self which begins as a practice eventually grows to expand in awareness. Focu...
Read more