Enlightenment!

I have often heard people giving remarks about living a spiritual life, “I will give my whole time to God just after my retirement!” This reminds me of no one except of the foolish wealthy man in the Bible who wanted to store his harvest in a much bigger storage houses. I have also heard my dear ones telling once, I would be giving more thoughts to God and spending time for spiritual work, after I retire from my job! Ha! I don’t know what makes them say that, but I think its just the present needs of a simple human being of having a family life, a secure job and a loving family for the present time that  he/she wants to keep the divine element securely away after they have , what we call in today’s words, ‘achieved goals and targets.’

People think of salvation as something they have to get before they die. As a sort of ticket to heaven. I am not including every one, but an average person thinks like that. Or more precisely,  today’s world has changed so much that he has ‘no time’  for all kind of useless philosophical stuff!

Well, I think enlightenment is in everything that we do. I am very much familiar with the feeling of satisfaction that I get when I finish an assignment in a way that I think I have done well. That is one kind of enlightenment, knowingly or unknowingly that is definitely a part of our life! We rarely recognise it though! Finding that deep satisfaction in everything that we do, may it be an assignment like me, or anything related to work or family, enlightenment is recognising the divine help in our life and change in our attitude to do the same thing next time..

I have found a story to share the same thing with you…Enjoy the story!

Once there was a saint who lived in the Himalayan forests.

He lived in an ashram deep in a beautiful jungle where he spent his time in meditation and looking after the ashram.

Once a traveler came upon the saint and the ashram while
trekking through the Himalayas.

The young man started talking to the saint about the spiritual life. The young tourist
asked him, “What did you do before you became enlightened?”

The saint replied, “I used to chop wood and carry water from the well.” The man then asked, “What do you do now that you have become enlightened?” The answer was simple. The saint replied, “I chop wood and carry water from the well.”

The young man was puzzled. He said, “There seems to be no difference then. What was the point in going through
all those years of sadhana in order to attain enlightenment if you still spend your days doing chores and menial
tasks?”

The Master replied, “The difference is in me. The difference is not in my acts, it is in me: because I have changed,
all my acts have changed. Their significance has changed. The prose has become poetry, the stones have become sermons and matter has completely disappeared. Now there is only God and nothing else. Life now is liberation to me, it is nirvana.”

Have a nice day every one!!

May you be enlightened in every thing that you do!!

A minute for Eleven Minutes?

Have you got a minute to spare for ‘Eleven minutes’? You know what I am talking about. Yes. Its about Paulo Coelho’s book ‘Eleven Minutes’.  I am reading it now, and right from the first page I could tell it was different from all his other books.. I have still more pages to go before I finish the book, but as the Author himself says in the dedication, “Some books make us dream others bring us face to face with  reality!”

So today I am just sharing a couple of interesting thoughts which I am sure many of us would have thought about or even discussed at some points of our lives.. Enjoy the read..

I walk about streets and look at all the people and I wonder if they chose their lives? Or were they like me, ‘chosen’ by fate?  The house wife who dreamed of becoming a model, the banker who wanted to be a musician, the dentist who felt he should write a book and devote himself to literature, the girl who would loved to be a TV star, but who found herself instead working at the check out in a supermarket. 

I am not the only one, even though my fate may put me outside the law and outside society. In the search for happiness, however we are all equal: none of us is happy – not the banker/musician, the dentist/writer, the checkout girl/actress, or the wife/model. 

The roller coaster is my life; life is a fast, dizzying game; life is a parachute jump; it’s taking chances, falling over and getting up again; its mountaineering; its wanting to get  to the very top of yourself  and to feel angry and dissatisfied when you don’t manage it. 

However if I believe that the track is my destiny and that God is is in charge of the machine, then the nightmare becomes something thrilling……. 

Have a fun filled Diamond Jubilee week end everyone!!!

Summer Shower!

Two days ago I was moaning,

Oh! Its so hot! I was complaining,

Indeed I was groaning,

Though the sky looked shining!!

It came as a deafening roar,

On to the office roof, it did out pour,

As crashing waves upon the shore.

And In my mind, I felt like having more..

Oh I couldn’t just wait

To go out but straight

Leaving behind the day and date,

And play in the rain until late!

O, Summer Shower,

You indeed showed your power,

To seeds like a sower,

And like wind for a flower!!

A Dozen Kids’ Jokes…

Well, this post is purely out of my normal way..

This is dedicated to all those brilliant kids all around the  world..

For your smiles mean a lot to us! Be happy wherever you are!

Today’s Post: Kids Jokes…

1. Q:Why did King Kong climb the Empire State Building?  A: He couldn’t fit in the elevator
2. Q:Why can’t skeletons play church music? A:Because they have no organs
3. Q:Why do birds fly south in the winter? A:Because it’s too far to walk.
4. Q:What do you get when you cross a parrot and a centipede? A:A walkie-talkie!
5. Q:What’s the best way to talk to a monster? A:From a distance.
6. Q:What do you call a shoe made from banana peels? A:A slipper !
7. Q:Why did the bubblegum cross the road? A:Because it was stuck to the chicken’s foot.
8. Q:What day do chickens hate most? 
 A:Fry-days
9. Q:What has no beginning, no end, and nothing in the middle? A:A donut!
10. Q:What did the inventor of the door-knocker win? A:The no-bell prize.
11. Q:What has four wheels and flies? A:A garbage truck.
12. Q:What do ghosts use to wash their hair? A:Sham-BOO!!!

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So, there you go every one.. A dozen of kids jokes..

I myself found most of them simply subtle, and interesting too..

No wonder kids are wonders on their own!!

Have a nice day !!!

P.S. An extra one for you all….

Q:What do you get when you cross a cheetah and a burger? A:Fast food

(Courtesy: Grandparents.com)

A quickie from Paulo Coelho…

A boy was walking to buy bread when the mayor of the city crossed the street.

‘The reason he is so powerful, is because, he’s made a pact with the devil,’ a very devout woman in the street told the boy.

Some time later, when travelling to another town, the boy saw a beautiful corn field. He asked who the owner was.
‘All this land belongs to the same man. I’d say the Devil had a hand in that.’ – answered one of the villagers.

At this very moment, a beautiful woman walked past the boy. A priest also saw her and said aloud: ‘That woman is in the services of Satan!’

From then on, the boy decided to seek the Devil out. One day he managed to see him face to face.

‘They say you can make people powerful, rich, and beautiful.’

‘To be totally honest, this is not true’ replied the Devil.
‘You have just been listening to the views of those who are trying to promote me.’

(Courtesy: Paulo Coelho)

I wish I were in a Pram…

I wish I were in a pram, 

Just for old times sake.

Where I don’t say “Excuse me, Ma’am!” 

Before I any decision make! 

 

I wish I were in a pram,

Just for not having any worry.

About an email lost in spam,

Or for even a wrongly made curry! 

 

I wish I were in a pram,

For the days I have to cram

In a bus or in a tram

Where people neither move or lose a dram!

 

I wish I were in a pram,

At my increased heart beats when I skip, 

And when I never lose even a gram,

For the sacrificed fish and chip! 

 

Oh, I wish I were in a pram,

and open my mouth only for yam.

For now I fear being in a scam

With nothing but my own tears’ dam! 

 

Before the door of my life  slam,

And I’m buried in the sand like a clam,

I see my days of being in a pram,

As delicious tarts of custard and jam!!  

Have a good week every one!! 

The King & The Boulders

Once upon a time in an ancient village, one day the villagers found a large boulder in the middle of their main pathway. The busy, rich businessmen and merchants had their servants carry them around it. Others simply turned back and returned in the direction from which they’d come, realizing that to try to pass was futile. Others gathered around the site of the boulder to criticize the King of the area for not taking better care of the roads. They stood by as the boulder obstructed passage on the road, condemning the King and his ministers for their laziness! 

Finally, a peasant came by who was carrying a load of vegetables to sell in the market. He needed to pass the boulder,
and so he calmly put down his heavy load and tried to push the boulder out of the way. However, the boulder was quite heavy. The peasant, though, just kept pushing from different angles and finally the boulder rolled out of the road. As he bent down to pick up his load of vegetables, the peasant noticed something lying in the road where the boulder had been. It was a wallet filled with gold coins and a note from the king. The note said, “This reward is for he who has the commitment to move the boulder from the road.”

Life is not always a clear path. If it were, we would learn very little. Rather, to test us, to teach us, to mold us and to make us stronger God challenges us. He – as the King of kings – places obstacles on our way. And, just like the king in the above story, He watches to see who will have the courage and the commitment to overcome these difficulties.

Have  a blessed Sunday every one!

Sun Rise & Sun Set!

Hello there every one.. Another Sun rise and yet another Sun set gone.. What do you think they have to tell us?

Here is something that I found; I want to share with you…

I hope You all will like it!!

Every sunset gives us, 

 

One day less to live!

But every sunrise give us,

One day more to hope!

So,

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Always hope for the best.

Good Day & Good Luck!

 

At the Pearly Gates!

Another working week has come to a close. Many things have worked out while many others seemed to have had some improvement, not forgetting the things that hasn’t moved an inch too. Well, just remember that you will be able to do it, ,anything that may be in your way, at the right time.. So do not tarry about the work matters for your week end.. Leave it out of your head, and just relax! Well its sunny outside anyway! No better reason to be happy!! I wish you all a very happy week end!! Stay positive!

So before I leave you for the nice relaxing week end, have a bit of laugh! You deserve it! Go on.. Enjoy your read!!

Recently a teacher, a garbage collector, and a lawyer wound up together at then Pearly Gates.

St. Peter informed them that in order to get into Heaven, they would each have to answer one question.

St. Peter addressed the teacher and asked, “What was the name of the ship that crashed into the iceberg? They just made a movie about it.

” The teacher answered quickly, “That would be the Titanic.” St. Peter let him through the gate.

St. Peter turned to the garbage man and, figuring Heaven didn’t REALLY need all the odors that this guy would bring with him.

He decided to make the question a little harder: “How many people died on the ship?”

Fortunately for him, the trash man had just seen the movie and answered, “about 1,500.”

“That’s right! You may enter.”

St. Peter then finally turned to the lawyer. 

Guess what he asked the lawyer?

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“Name them !! “

Have a good week end!! 

P.S. Joke was just for a laugh!  

A Summer Afternoon Watermelon Dream…

Finally I could see today that Summer is officially here in Britain. Yay! So there is an end to the long days of chill and cold weather and also the endless days of April and May showers. I am a person who likes Summer only for the fact of less layer clothing I have to wear and feel more comfortable. Otherwise, I prefer a mild summer where its not that hot, but not cold, all the way is just enough! A perfect weather, I hope you get it, don’t you? Ha ha.. I don’t like the scorching sun burning my back and turning me to a walking Brownie! No, definitely not! Well, I have my stock of sunscreen ready for use, at hand for a really sunny day!

Me and my friend Jo talk about the sunny weather here in the UK we have experienced. Even though it is just 20 degrees unlike in India about 40s but still the intensity is really high! We feel like literally toasted! No matter how much protective lotions you have put on! Well, in terms of the long hours of sunshine that last until 9 or even 10 at night is just perfect for us to get some more working time, but not good for an early night of sleep! Its a dilemma really, good in one sense but at the same time perplexing too! Oh Dear!

Let me come to the topic now. I go to a Shopping area named Soho road to get some of the Indian ingredients for cooking. Soho road is famous for its Indian identity! It reminds me a lot of India, well, North India even though I have never been to one of North Indian states! I have seen in Bollywood movies though! With the Sikh Temples – Gurudwaras and the Indian shops for jewellery, vegetables, fruits, Boutiques, and not to mention even some of the Indian Bank branches! You feel like you have just reached a part of India. You can imagine how I felt walking along the road today and that too on a really sunny day! India -99% real! I will leave the 1% for the other states that we have back there in my country.

It was hot today. Really hot. I had my cotton clothes on and still my light, black over coat made me sweat! I was wiping off sweat from my fore head and I was feeling so thirsty that I wanted to empty an entire well of water. I was thinking of all those cool stuff to quench my thirst then. An ice cream, a lemonade, a coke, or as simple as a bottle of water. And then I saw it. Fully green on the outside, complete red with specks of black on the inside.. Some were round while the others a bit longer and cylindrical.. A watermelon! A store house of relief from the heat!

It was automatic in my head to start the imagination or dream I would call it.  The watermelons reminded me of the Summer break days back there at home where my Papa used to buy them in 3s and 4s at a time and we all having it, say all times, before it was finished. I could think at the back of my mind how they were cut in half first and then made into longer triangular slices. I would eat it simply like that, if it were my first piece. Two more slices would go in the same way.

Now when my initial eagerness to have them were finished, I would try experimenting with them. I would scoop them in to a bowl and sprinkle lots of sugar and then eat them. Or if I was a bit more patient, I would put them in the fridge for some time and enjoy it cooler! Ah! Those were the days of fun! Simple life pleasures!

Well, seeing them lined up on the fruit shelf of one shop on the Soho Road today, I was beautifully dreaming a summer afternoon watermelon dream! I went to the nearest cash point to take out some money making a note to myself to buy them on my way back. I went to other shops ticking my shopping list and I don’t know why, may be the dream was so clear that I ended up forgetting to buy one of them!

I was indeed thinking foolish by the time I reached home but You know I have that in my shopping list now that I can’t miss them the next time. Walking the way back to my home, I was thanking for such simple things in life that indeed made us happy! So there you go, don’t miss eating a Watermelon this Summer! It can be one of your 5 a day, full of water, quenching your thirst and making you feel cooler too!

Have a soft-crunchy, cool, watermelony- Sunny day every one!!

Don’t forget the sprinkle of sugar too!!