Traveling towards sacred domain -LOVE

 Entering sacred zone of  LOVE 

Illuminating zone of Love.
LOVE usually refers to inter-personal relationship, an experience felt by a person for another person. It often involves caring or identifying with a person or a thing. Some called it an abstract and complex emotion; some describe love as of an absolute value. 

I would stick myself to only interpersonal relationship between the two human beings, which can be labeled as the ‘real love’. It does not come alone, with it comes multitude of emotions, desire, passion, lust, expectations, disappointments, envy and pain. Everyone falls in love and it is a solely desired emotion especially at a certain age. Some by peer pressure, some by their own choice, but we all do it, I mean fall in love, and savor its magic.

Magic of love

Psychologist argued that real love has three different dimensions: intimacy, commitment, and passion. Intimacy is a form in which two people share confidences and various details of their personal lives, as usually shown in friendships and in romantic love affairs. Commitment, on the other hand, is the expectation that the relationship is permanent, as usually witness in marriage. The last and most common form of love is the sexual attraction and passion.  Unconditional love is so different from the kind of love most of us have experienced in our lives that it deserves both a name of ‘Real Love’ and definition of its own: we all get glimpses of this

Beauty of unconditional love

 unconditional love in our parent’s eyes, but here also ‘time’ takes its toll and once a self less love loses its shine to resentment and grievance. 

 It would also be very wrong to mistook real love with attraction and passion, as both are physical desires borne out of sex, and could be labeled as only ‘impression’ of love.

The beauty of ‘Real Love’ is that it is fulfilling and eliminates our anger, confusion, and pain and got the capacity to take us to the pinnacle of contentment. But one never gets this real unconditional love in life as expectations seeps in relationships, and that would eventually gave birth to anger, confusion and frustration.

Then who has got the capacity to give such 'sublime' love?

Only God can give us an unconditional love or sublime love.

GOD is pure love.                    

Sublime love

Glitters of love.

There is one more type of love, between a writer and his/her readers. I exist only because you acknowledge my writings.

So dear I LOVE YOU ALL.





Pics from web.

HALCYON HOUSTON

TRAVELER BECAME SEEKER - 2

When I say TRAVELER BECAME SEEKER...I am comparing traveling with seeking, Isn't it same?

In my opinion both are same, only the mode of traveling is different and so are their methods and destination.

Internal journey or journey towards light

Physical body surrounded by astral and spiritual body.

In one case you are moving with your physical body, and experiencing outside world with your five senses.
And in another case you are traveling with your subtle body and experiencing inner world. Instead of going out in the physical world and roaming there, you are moving with your subtle body and experiencing world that is beyond the reach of five senses. It is like going inside to the very core of your being and opening new vistas.
But this type of traveling is not easy as there is lots and lots of preparation involved. If the mode of traveling is different so are their methods.
Instead of packing your essentials, here you have to unpack at your emotional level and offload all the hatred, greed, jealousy and arrogance you are carrying with you over the years or I can say past lives.

This is not an easy pathway. During the course of this journey, one has to fight the demons of doubts, resistance from outside and inside forces, which can sometimes culminates into utter loneliness. However on this spiritual path, once the choice is made, there is no going back. However one is not sure that whether he/she has chosen this path or the path has chosen them.

     This path is an alluring, progressive passage and takes one to the pinnacle of their life journey. The beauty of this up heal task lies in the merits of each step taken, which is filled with immense satisfaction that he/she is on the right track, and if one will lose his way, God will save them as HE IS THE ULTIMATE SAVIOR.

different colors auras emitted by specific chakras

 We have to conquer many hurdles on this pathway like ego represented by -“I and Me”, one might get forged by -“Entity You”, and misled by- “Pure Love”. Or one might become too skeptical to take this difficult task of self- improvement or -“ to Better self”. To take this task one just has to plunge into the ocean of improvisation of- “Auras and Chakras”. Which happens to be gigantic task, as how much one achieves, more is left. Immensity of improvisation also include fighting the demons of past lives, or our accumulative karmas of past lives. This proves to be biggest pitfall.  

It is all easily said than done. To cross this treacherous juncture one should be prudent enough to come under “GURU’S” patronage like a “True student” to acquire prized - “Spiritual knowledge”, which can take you to the pinnacle of your this life cycle-“GOD” or BRAHMAN.

7 chakras in human body.

traveling with subtle body

Swami Vivekananda said, “God is merciful to those whom He sees with struggling heart and soul for realization. But if remain idle, without any struggle, you will see that His grace will never come”.

Therefore worship Him through knowledge, love, and renunciation.

Spiritual awakening



pic. from web

Paying tribute to Swami Vivekananda in chilly chilly Chicago.

Isn't it strange that CHICAGO is the city from where I started my recent USA visit and I am writing about it in the very end of my travelogue.
Well! the answer is that this chilly windy city brought  plethora of questions  with its high velocity winds, or persistent thunderstorms. Whatever, I am not sure about the right term. But one thing is for sure that I am still finding answers, even after so many days.
See, as you must have guessed from my blog, that I am an unpretentious woman visiting USA second time from THIRD WORLD (India). I have noticed that India, once a revered country of intellectuals and saints and recent ones VIVEKANANDA and Mahatma Gandhi has now stooped so low (excuse me for saying this), that its inhabitants should be ashamed of  their MOTHER LAND.

polar bear in Lincoln zoo

And strangely even after knowing about the present situation of India, still
I AM NOT ASHAMED TO BE CALLED INDIAN.

 The interesting places I visited in Chicago was Lincoln Zoo situated in downtown.
When I passed the famous Art Institute of Chicago, where Swamiji delivered his historical speech in 1893. How I wished if there could be such a window from where I could peep and witness the whole event today even after 123 years. It was not possible, so I moved on with heavy heart. But I found rendition of that historical speech on youtube and that I have duly shared with you guys.

People trapped during snow storm in downtown.

Wills Tower. It reminds me of my favorite book "Fountain Head."

Michigan Lake in winters

This view of Michigan lake is in winter reminds one of extreme cold weather of Chicago.

Art Museum of Chicago. Swamiji made his historic
speech here in 1893.

Now about questions, I will be taking up one by one, and the foremost comes in my mind is "Whether the city makes people like it or other way round, I mean people who maketh the city

Millennium Park downtown Chicago
It is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the West, Columbus Drive to the East, Randolph Street to the North, and Monroe Street to the South

Swami Vivekanada Famous speech. 
You can call me naive but my heart swell with pride when I listened this.

 Whichever is more relevant I do not know, all I know is that I can still feel the "shiver down in my spine.

.
                 This is clipping from a youtube.
 
 An animated film on Swami Vivekanand's famous Chicago address in 11/9/1893. Since there was no original audio and video recording of that historic speech in the convocation of world religion. So this is rendition of Swamiji's speech. He spoke so well that everybody was spell bounded.


Thank you everybody, who made this visit to chilly chilly city Chicago possible. Otherwise I would have missed a few truths of life.

pics. web file.

MESMERIZING MUSSOORIE

scenic beauty 

Mesmerizing Mussoorie

I have very special memories of this place. My elder son was visiting us from USA, and he wanted to gift us a nice holiday in hills and we short listed this place. This hill station is so beautiful that it is nicknamed as “Queen of hill stations”, and more over very well connected with Delhi. Its Foot hill town Dehradun is considered as base as from here it is only 21 km by road. The moment we reached Mussoorie, I was taken backed by its sheer beauty. This place is situated geographically in such a way and though not at very high altitude, clouds get trapped in these hills, giving it a fairy tale like view. And more over my cherished author “Ruskin Bond” lives here. All those stories told by this great author comes alive in my mind, and I hoped that I might came across him on much famed “Mall Road”, (no confusion every hill station in India has its specific Mall Road).

cloth shop in a market & I love to bargain 

Night view of Dehradun from Mussoorie

  

the hotel where we stayed

 As I said everything was taken cared by my son, from train booking to Dehradun to taxi till Mussorrie, including finding good hotel. He had set priorities in his mind that it should be clean and well connected with mall road. And luckily he found one, and food served there was also very good.

Once we were got settled in room, I started inquiring about temple in nearby place. I do not know if somebody has noticed or not most of hill stations have small old temples just a small room with low roof. And I get allured by them. (May be my past life connection). And fortunately I found one, so next morning I started my day with visiting that temple. We strolled down the Bazaar and we bought a few presents and after that had sumptuous south Indian  food. We had nice stay there, but strangely both of my kids were very quiet, when asked for the reason, a weird answer came. They were embarrassed that as this place was thronged by honeymooners, and my presence was making them uncomfortable. I was pretty disappointed that our week long stay had been cutoff to mere two days.

Sky walking



This hill station has plenty of adventurous games to lure tourists.
Sky walking, trekking, mountain climbing are named few.

Kempty Falls

Camel back natural rock



pics from web.

But I was more satisfied with the fact that how  my kids, who once used to tag along me, now exude an aura of authority and self confidence.
(God Bless Them.)  

JAIPUR GALORE -A TREAT FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.

Amer Palace

From Spiritual Glory to Jaipur Galore.

I am using 'spiritual glory' phrase because that's what I felt in Mount Abu. As if the whole universe is working at your whims. A visit to materialistic abundance, "Jaipur Galore", proved a huge contrast. Here people are working at whims of rich and powerful.

 Jaipur is the city that stands for opulent palaces. And whose grandeur is written all over from their intricately designed doors, their paintings, to their living. It was so splendid that I just could not take my eyes away from it. The very next day, I took city tour and saw Lake Palace, HAWA MAHAL, Jaweri Market and all the tourist spots. But I could not make it to now ‘world heritage’ Jantar Mantar.

Jal Mahal

Hawa Mahal

Jaipur is very popular tourist place and I was visiting it on the pretext of shopping. First thing I did next day was to visit "Amer Palace", which stood camouflaging with the mustard color hills.  It was just a splendid view. Palace stood atop small hills as if further proving its supremacy over rest of city. All the superlatives’ terms fell short in Jaipur. Their intricately designed stone studded jewelry, their colorful clothes and their art paintings were too good to resist. Anybody could have been spell bounded. I could not resist buying couple of things.

Amer palace's inside view

Amer palace

Amer Palace boast of nice restaurant inside the premises’ and royal family is still living in one portion of the palace. One could see wealth all around, OMG! My eyes started to blurred, I just could not register more of it. I just wanted to be out of that place, tourist guide showed women quarters’, around a open veranda, small cubicle rooms and balconies, just to peek little of outside world.
Were those women suffocated, lonely and sad? All of them stack together in the vicinity of main palace waiting eternally to be called by their Lord (king of Jaipur).These sad thoughts started bombarding my mind. I think there was something in the aura of that place, as even after  500 years, it made me very sad for their hopeless situation.  And do not forget all the jealousy amongst them. They must have been very beautiful, as I read from some history books, that king had many wives. He married beautiful young girls, whosoever fancied him. I was overwhelmed with sadness for all those women, who once lived there. These royals must have belonged to rich glorified past but I cherish my independence.

colorful clothes

KUNDAN JEWELERY of Jaipur is very famous. 

*Just an after thought

All the views are mine, to demean any place or anyone is not my desire.

famous lac bangle

 It appeared as if Jaipur city though proud of its valiant Rajput Kings and its magnificent past is now pushing itself towards modernism, riding on famous Jaipur Metro.

Jaipur Metro




pic. courtesy web.

TRAVELER BECAME SEEKER

Meditation on Brahman

QUEST FOR TRUTH

It became my intense drive after visiting Mount Abu. I was totally changed after staying in Ashram for three days. I felt as if I had stayed with God. My 'eternally' disturbed mind was relaxed and desires for material things appeared too flimsy. I was totally at peace with myself and situations. I was ashamed of my 'reasons of sadness'. 

There was some magic in that place. First time I felt that whatever knowledge I have acquired is all second hand. As it was from the books, based on somebody else experiences. So it is their truth and not mine. In my heart I knew that I have to find out my truth, my goal and my purpose of life. Eating, gossiping and maybe (earning) can not be the goal of this precious life. Guruji opened new vista for me. My spiritual master (Guruji)  opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.” Guruji told me to read 'Bhagwat Gita', Which I dutifully did. But I was too naive to understand this noble treatise. But I understood that to start journey towards God, I must have some particular relationship with HIM. 

Meditation on eternal truth

1.One may be a devotee in a passive state;

first sound of universe.

2.One may be a devotee in an active state.
3.One may be a devotee as a friend;

4.One may be a devotee as a parent; 

5.One may be a devotee as a conjugal lover.

 If we talk about 'Realization of self' the name of Lord Buddha comes foremost in our mind, who got enlightenment while in meditation. He laid certain rules for seeker.
If I have to explain crux of Buddhism then I would say it like this :
1) to lead a moral life,
(2) to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and
(3) to develop wisdom and understanding.
Their religion is broadly based on "Four Nobel Truth", 

What is the First Noble Truth?

The first truth is that life is suffering i.e., life includes pain, getting old, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger. This is an irrefutable fact that cannot be denied.  

 What is the Second Noble Truth?

The second truth is that suffering is caused by craving and aversion. We will suffer if we expect other people to conform to our expectation.

Our lifetime is of wanting and craving, creates a powerful energy which cause us to reborn.

What is the Third Noble Truth?

The third truth is that suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained; that true happiness and contentment are possible. 

What is the Fourth Noble Truth?

The fourth truth is that the Noble 8-fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering.

 What is the Noble 8-Fold Path?

In summary, the Noble 8-fold Path is being moral and abstain from misconduct and sensual overindulgence, to refrain from untrue speech.

What I found out that Buddhism is very close to teachings of Lord Krishna in Shrimat Bhagwat Gita in the battle field of Kurukshetra. I will elaborate more on this in my next post. I only want to add, as we have seen that there is one 'constant battle' going on inside us between Right and Wrong.

And I believe that we also need Teacher Or Guru to show us the light. And help us to conquer our battle.

Meditation on chakras.
There are ways to purify ourselves and yogic meditation is mandatory to cleanse our chakras.









pic courtesy web.