Remembrance

This is one topic I don't talk about much, and seldom publicly. Maybe, discuss it with a very select few, and that too, in a measured manner. Why? I believe spiritual journeys are immensely personal in nature. Everyone has a different journey chartered for them, and no two paths are same. It could have similar features, and sometimes, two people do walk the same path for some time, but at the end of it, it is an individual's journey.  I get a little jittered whenever someone talks about spirituality. Often these people sound so condescending or pompous, making the other person uncomfortable. I usually act dumb with such people and let them carry on with their long-speeches filled with jargons, theories and opinions that they think are right, and that everyone should follow them. I had a particular mentor who wanted me to follow some daily practice that he was hell-bent on teaching me. I was not comfortable and hence avoided him altogether.  Not saying that there aren't any ...

There was a time when I searched for answers in various religious places and spiritual centers. I travelled all over the country to understand if I could gain some insights that could soothe my soul, make me calm and less disoriented. Whenever I visited any of these places, I felt peaceful, calm. I was grounded. There wasn’t any confusion, noise or anxiety. Each place had a different energy, and at each place I reacted in a different manner. I cried and shed some silent tears at Golden Temple . The energy was as cool as the sharovar (lake). I could not feel Krishna when I went to Badrinath Temple . Yet, I could sense his energy higher up in the Himalayas – someone else, who dabbles in energy, confirmed this. I knew I could wish for something at Manikaran Gurudwara , but didn’t feel like it. I felt overwhelming sadness as I listened to the live qawwalis at Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah . Then there was a time when I dabbled in Buddhism. Not that I could imbibe everything, there were...

He:  I am an atheist. She:  Should that concern me? He:  Only if you are the religious types. She:  W hat if I am? He:  Too bad, we could have been friends. She:  So you make friends based on their belief in God? He:  Not really, it is just convenient to have friends who would not blame God for their miseries, for their inefficiencies and luckless lives. She:  Are you a believer of  karma  then? He:  No, I just believe in myself. I only know me. She:  Really, who are you? He:  That’s not hard to define. Besides the usual stuff that my resume states, I am someone who is completely focused on my goal. She:  What is your goal? He:  You ask too many questions, but I don’t mind answering this one. My goal is to build a log cabin high up on a lonely mountain. She:  You don’t want to be disturbed, is it? He:  Yes, besides that’s the only way to move away from this din of human exist...

Do you believe in Karma ? Do you often wonder how you are punished for your not-so-good intentions in a moment’s notice? How your good deeds are always rewarded? Now, what if we take this concept a bit further and apply it to the theory of past lives. Often, we go through terrible problems and issues in our lives without any idea about why we are going through those things. We have always done good for others, yet we go through pain, why so? Would then the past life theory become applicable. Maybe, for the sake of hypothesis, you had committed some sin or misdeeds in your past life, and that is why you are undergoing issues in this life to balance your karma. So, the big question is what is Karma? Is it a kind of balance sheet for our souls or a spanking rod that keeps us in check? It is actually a learning platform. Karma is not there for punishing you, but to let you know your mistakes and gives you a chance to rectify them or learn from them. However, some Karmas ar...