Mumbai Meri Jaan

There are coincidences, and they happen to each one of us.
I had just finished watching the movie Mumbai Meri Jaan (Mumbai my love), and after a little while I hear about the seige that took place in Mumbai. It happened during Thanksgiving 2008. What is it that we should be thankful for? Should we be thankful that we weren't in those hotels when the attacks occurred? Yes, we should be. But what about the families of those who lost their loved ones? What about the ones who are severely injured, and fear a long and painful journey to recovery?
What has the world come to? All the people who were killed in the attack, what was worth more than their lives- money, power, or victory? It is said, jaan hai tho jahan hai (you have your life, you have the world). What happens to those who lost their lives- men, women and children, old, young, and the pregnant. I fail to fathom the motive behind such occurences. What has anyone gained out of these? Whoever planned this assault, what has he/ she gained from it? Can anyone make me see the whole point of it?
There is no safe haven anymore, anywhere. Man is his worst enemy, he is setting up a grandiose stage with all splendor, but this stage is going to crumble, very soon. We are not setting a secure future for our next generations, what they have in store is more bloodshed, pollution, uncertainity, and......
Each of us can make a difference, provided each of us believe that we can, and act to pitch in. It's never too late, isn't it? Or, is it?

Anxiety disorder, a state, not a disease

Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state, the sources of which are less readily identified. It is frequently accompanied by physiological symptoms that may lead to fatigue or even exhaustion. Because fear of recognized threats causes similar unpleasant mental and physical changes, patients sometimes use the terms fear and anxiety interchangeably. Distinguishing among different anxiety disorders is important, since accurate diagnosis is more likely to result in effective treatment and a better prognosis.

Anxiety disorders are often debilitating chronic conditions, which can be present from an early age or begin suddenly after a triggering event. They are prone to flare up at times of high stress.A good assessment is essential for the initial diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, preferably using a standardized interview or questionnaire procedure alongside expert evaluation and the views of the affected person. There should be a medical examination in order to identify possible medical conditions that can cause the symptoms of anxiety. A family history of anxiety disorders is often suggestive of the possibility of an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety can be accompanied by headache, sweating, palpitations, and hypertension.

It is important to note that a patient with an anxiety disorder will often exhibit symptoms of Clinical Depression and vice-versa. Rarely does a patient exhibit symptoms of only one or the other.

There are different kinds of anxiety disorders- generalized, panic, agoraphobia, phobias, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety etc.Look up on the internet to see if you think you have one of these.The right treatment may depend very much on the individual's genetics and environmental factors. Therefore it is important to work closely with a psychiatrist, therapist or counselor who is familiar with anxiety disorders and current treatments.

Anxiety disorder is not a disease, it's just a state that sums up from various possible reasons, could be broken families, broken marriages or relationships, sexual abuse, physical abuse etc. Love and support of near and dear ones definitely helps a great deal. Meditation can also help relax your fears. For all those who think you have anxiety disorder, remember- "do not feel guilty", don't care if people do not understand your fears, it's not worth it. Try meditation, take up a hobby, keep yourself occupied. Talk to someone who you think would understand you. If there is no one around, talk to a doctor as to what would be best to subside your fears.

Also, feel free to write to me. Maybe I can help.

Sleep and blankets, blankets and sleep

I wondered that if our body is wrapped up in just clothes while we are awake (except of course when we leave our mother's secure womb, and while we take a shower :)), so why do we feel the need for clothes "and" a blanket while we are in slumber.

The answer... is body temperature... the link between body temperature and our body.

Not everybody realizes that our body temperature works and ticks like an internal clock controlling our sleeping cycles. Body temperature also controls the metabolism, circulation and other involuntary activities our body undertakes. Whenever you put big physical demands on your body your body temperature will rise above the norm. As a response to any intensive physical activity, the body temperature drops for a while as soon as you stop the activity. This is when you feel sleepy, and you feel the need for a blanket since your body temperature is below your regular body temperature during the day.

Though it might not be a neccessity, but most of definitely use a sheet during sleep time. I definitely do :)

Flesh and bones and what?

I would love to know what the world would be like a 100 years from now, 500 years from now, a 1000 years from now. But.. how would I know? I probably will have kids, and then grandkids, and maybe I can ask my grandkids, and then have them ask their grandkids, to send me pictures and videos of what the world is like "then". They will obviously have immensely advanced technology then... Well... whatever the technology is, my grandkids use it, and take snapshots of the future world, and put them in an envelope, or attach them in an email, ready to send them to me.
But... where will I be? What kind of a mailing address can they use? Where can they send it to? And though my email account would be active (no chance huh...), who will actually see those emails. What will happen to this entity called "me"? I know I will be dead, is there something after that?
The farthest I can go, is my grandkids, and then I will be forgotten. Just like that!
Check out the Bodies Museum, will give you an insight into how complex your body is, yet so fragile....

Innocence.. lost

The other day I was watching Forrest Gump, and I heard this person within me that wanted to come out, live and express freely. Maybe it was my soul.
In this hustle bustle of life, we don't realize when we are drained off the very essence of our being- innocence. A heart break, a humiliation, each passing year, bullies, take our our innocence in one form or the other, and then remains what is called "you" or "me".
Remember when we loved unconditionally, lived freely, laughed vivaciously, cried openly... Where did all that go?
Can we love unconditionally now? Not without the fear of getting hurt, not without expecting...
Can we cry openly now? Not without the thought of being judged, not without the fear of being labelled vulnerable....
What Forrest gave was love, what we give.. what is it?
So, is the world depriving us of innocence, or is it us?
Given a choice, would we want our innocence back in the same life, in the same world?

One of those days....

Yet another day...... where in my brain is bombarding me with questions, and my heart has no answers. I wander aimlessly, in search of the missing pieces of this enigma called life.
What is it that my heart craves for, what is it that my senses long for, what is it that's within me that is yearning to feel complete?
What is it that I want to do- get married? have kids? Or what is it that I am sceptical of doing- getting married? having kids?
It's been a while now, since these questions kept erupting within me, now and then, like dormant volcanoes, seemingly harmless, but who knows what lies beneath.
Now where is it that I can find answers for these- friend, mother, shrink?
Nowhere, except someday it should strike me like a bolt of lightning, maybe that will be my enlightenment.
But... what if it's too late?
The fear of dying with my dreams unrealized, sends shivers down my spine. What if I fail to realize what I want. As the last breath in me waits to get out, deep within, my core would feel incomplete, for a life not lived, for the dreams that remain unfulfilled, for the energy that is wasted, for the time that is lost....

Aum...

Om is not a word but rather an intonation, which, like music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and even species. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or Om. It is believed to be the basic sound of the world and to contain all other sounds. It is a mantra or prayer in itself. If repeated with the correct intonation, it can resonate throughout the body so that the sound penetrates to the centre of one's being, the atman or soul.
There is harmony, peace and bliss in this simple but deeply philosophical sound. By vibrating the sacred syllable Om, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Ultimate Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the highest state of "stateless" eternity, states the Bhagavad Gita.

Urdu

Urdu... one of the most musical languages that my ears encountered, ever since I started understanding words. To an extent, the beauty of a language is irrespective of us comprehending what's in it. The real beauty though, lies in each word of the language, transcending mere mortal comprehension.
Urdu is such a language, that leaves footprints on my soul, every time it walks into my ears.

Urdu, historically spelled Ordu, is an Indo-Aryan language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. They form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, which consists of three other language groups: the Iranian, Nuristani, and Dardic. It developed under Persian and to a lesser degree Arabic and Turkic influence on apabhramshas (is a term used by Sanskrit grammarians since Patanjali to refer to dialects of North India that deviate from the norm of Sanskrit grammar) during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire (1526–1858 AD) in South Asia. Urdu is a standardised register of the standard dialect Khari boli. Khariboli has four varieties, Standard Hindi, Urdu, Dakhini and Rekhta. Each of these is a standard in its own right. Standard Hindi (also High Hindi, Nagari Hindi) is used as the lingua franca of Northern India (the Hindi belt), Urdu is the lingua franca of Pakistan, Dakhini is the historical literary dialect of the Deccan region and Rekhta is a highly Persianized register of Urdu used in poetry.

Urdu is often contrasted with Hindi, another standardised form of Hindustani. The main differences between the two are that Standard Urdu is conventionally written in Nastaliq calligraphy style (one of the main genres of Islamic calligraphy) of the Perso-Arabic script (writing system that is based on Arabic alphabet) and draws vocabulary more heavily from Persian and Arabic than Hindi, while Standard Hindi is conventionally written in Devanāgarī and draws vocabulary from Sanskrit comparatively more heavily. Linguists nonetheless consider Urdu and Hindi to be two standardized forms of the same language.

Urdu has been playing a major role in Bollywood since time immemorial. The latest in the rat race is Jodha Akbar, a page from the book of the life of Mughal Emperor Akbar. The film contains immense dialogs in Urdu. So all Urdu lovers, don't waste another minute :)

Come unto me.....

None of us know whether God exists or not. But belief does. And that's what makes us strong. This song is for all the broken hearts, do not give up, hope is around the corner, keep searching, and you will find a purpose; And for the strong hearts, for hope is always yours. Are you looking for someone to be gentle With your broken heart Your shattered dreams Are you searching for someone who’ll be faithful To you no matter what life brings Well I know the Maker of the storm, the sunrise He is both the Lion and the Lamb He is strong enough to shake all earth and heaven Yet meek enough to take me as I am He says Come unto me all who are weary And I will give you rest Bring what hurts, bring your scars, Bring the load that you carry And I will give you rest Are the clouds above your head oh so heavy Bursting with showers of despair Do you struggle under more than you can carry? Has life given more than you can bear? Would you like to trade your failures in for victories? Like piles of ashes in for piles of gold Can you fall down like a child who is helpless So He can pick you up and make you whole Sung by- Nicole C Mullen Listen to the song- http://youtube.com/watch?v=gVwVXlMEHaI

Kehne ko saath apne ek duniya chalthi hain, Par chupke is dil mein tanhai palthi hain

As I go through the everyday process of living life...

I also go through moments of thought

Wandering thoughts....about life,

the course of life, and death...

all of which are inevitable

This vicious circle of life....

where does it lead u to

from here, where next?

questions unanswered

journey incomplete

where do I go from here?

What is it that I would want to accomplish?

What is it that my heart craves for?

What is it that my Self longs?

forWill it ever dawn on me?

I do not pursue it,for I know...that enlightment doesn't come out of pursuit
If life is a journey, is death it's destination?

What is the purpose of this journey,and what does death imply?

The world that ought to be....

Have you ever thought about-
a world filled with happy souls, all floating around, like free birds in the bosom of mother earth, where everyone smiles at the other, no hard feelings, no jealousy, no competition for power, no greed for money; a world where each of us had what we required for a simple and sweet life, all in equal amounts for every purified soul.
a world where animals hopped around in joy, no fear of being slaughtered or separated from the mother; where cows were milked as a means of luv, not to make money; where hens laid eggs in their own natural way; where there's no artificial insemination, or hormones.

where the air remained pure, and calm
where luv sustained in it's natural form.

Well- if there was a perfect world, we wouldn't know what pain is
But, did we really have to know what pain is?
In a world where each one is happy, is there a need for pain?

If you haven't thought about it so far, do take a few moments to sit back and introspect, what's your role as a thoughtful human being, towards other humans, towards animals.
Maybe you will discover things about yourself that were long hidden deep inside you.
Try to touch the deep core of you that has probably been lying dormant for ages. You will be amazed to know what you would find!

-archana

Yeh honsla kaise juke.....

Yeh Hosla Kaise Juke
Yeh Aarzoo Kaise Ruke
Manzil Mushkil To Kya
Dhundla Saahil To Kya
Tanha Ye Dil To Kya

Raah Pe Kante Bikhre Agar
Uspe To Phir Bhi Chalna Hi Hai
Shaam Chhupale Suraj Magar
Raat Ko Ek Din Dhalana Hi Hai
Rut Ye Tal Jayegi
Himmat Rang Layegi
Subha Phir Aayegi

Hogi Hame To Rehmat Ada
Dhup Kategi Saaye Tale
Apni Khuda Se Hai Ye Dua
Manzil Lagale Humko Gale

Zurrat So Baar Rahe
Uncha Ikraar Rahe
Zinda Har Pyar Rahe

Why should we do sadhana* regularly?

In your brain, you have your brain cells…and certain cells are functioning now, certain other cells will function the next day. So the cells which are functioning today, don't get a chance to "come back" for may be another ten-twelve months. There are billions of cells in your mind, but only a few are active at a time, and they take turns-they "work" in rotation. Now when you are doing your practice, what are you doing?
You do the practice today-these cells are cultured, you do the practice tomorrow-those cells are cultured, and you do the practice, the next day-and again, those other cells are cultured….So, what happens, when you do the practice over a period of time?
All the cells-all the brain cells-are educated. Each and every cell is educated, is cultured. Then you find, "Oh everyone is educated" Now if you don't do your practice for say four days or five days, they remain uneducated, they remain illiterate…and its these "cell" who create problems! A little later, they will come, they will wag their tails, they will cry, they will make you go up and down, they will make you depressed-then all these things come up.
That's why do regular practice, for at least that period of time, till all the cells have been totally cultured and educated-well educated! Then, anywhere you move, you are in a calm, serene space! Do you see that?

* sadhana- meditation

mohabbat tho ek javeda zindagi hain

the soul doesn't wither, the body does
love doesn't die, the heart does

What is the feeling that is, which the mortals call love. Each of us has a different meaning for love, but we do know that love is further away from even the abstract. There is no meaning for what it is. It goes beyond what the small mind can comprehend, and what the sweet heart can feel. It's the language of the soul, which longs for the feeling unknown, and is fulfilled without knowing. Love is the feeling that is unknown, undefined to the human mind. The deepest part of us, and only it, can see what love is, for in the depths of us, lies the power to know the unknown. The Self is unknown, constantly trying to be explored, and only the unknown can reach for the unknown, touch it, and feel it....

ek mukammal kashmakash hain zindagi.....

Could I have done more...
said less...
been kinder...
forgiven more...
helped...
dug a little deeper...
reached out, touched, held,
spoken more gently,
at any given time, in my life, to someone?

jaankh le aankhon mein meri, deewangee abaad hain....

mein ek fard hoon ya ek ehsaas hoon, mein ek jism hoon ya rooh ki pyaas hoon
kabhi mein aml hoon kabhi beaml hoon, jo tujh mein hoon nahin tho phir bemehl hoon
ki sach ki talaash hain door aakash hain, manzil paas nahin kya tu mere paas hain?

ab kabhi bichde tho khwaboh mein mile, jaise sookhe hue patte kitabon mein mile

ashq bhi muskuraaye, tum jo mile mil gayi hain zindagi
sard the pedon ke saaye, bejaan thi bin tere yeh zindagi
aisa kabhi bhi ho payega tu rubaru lehrayega?

Thoughts

"......that which is born of infinity can take you to infinity."

Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind the stronger the trees.

I wish to see people for who they really are, not for who they're trying to be or trying to impress. I feel a person's true self is revealed when he is at his weakest.

The mark of your Ignorance
is the depth of your belief
in Injustice and Tragedy.
What the caterpillar calls
the end of the world;
The master calls a butterfly.

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.

"One does nothing who tries to console a despondent person with word. A friend is one who aids with deeds at a critical time when deeds are called for."

“It's not always about how you feel, but also about how you can make the other person feel.”

A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.

"You may forget the one with whom you have laughed, but never the one with whom you have wept."

In the end, we should not feel like the conqueror who wins the battle at the cost of things for which the battle is fought for...

Life is weaker than death, and death is weaker than love.

"A good friend will come bail you out of jail....But a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying "... WE screwed up! BUT WASN'T IT FUN!!!"

Don't sacrifice your life to work and ideals. The most important things in life are human relations. I found that out too late.
--Katharinde Susannah Prichard

When I can look Life in the eyes,
Grown calm and very coldly wise,
Life will have given me the Truth,
And taken in exchange - my youth.

Enjoy your religions, honor them, learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor, and learn from your parents. But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents are better than theirs?
Never trust a written word more than your own living heart.

Enlightment is:
Innocence with intellect
Unconditional smile
Being natural anywhere

A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror.

"He who conquers others is strong. He who conquers himself is mighty."

Brave is a man who overcomes his desire than his enemy; victory over the Self is the hardest victory

The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time.

Not in the plaudits of the throng or the clambor of the street but it is in ourselfs that lies victory and defeat.

The history of free men is never written by chance, but by choice - their choice."

There is no way to peace, peace is the way.

"The fruit of Silence is Prayer. The fruit of Prayer is Faith. The fruit of Faith is Love. The fruit of Love is Service. The fruit of Service is Peace"

To move freely you must be deeply rooted.

Age wrinkles the body, quitting wrinkles the soul.

One good thing about music, when it hits- you feel no pain

Every man loves two women, the one is the creation of his imagination and the other is not yet born.

“But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.”

Heaven or hell- Who decides?

With people fighting for diamonds and money, property and all...... sometimes these are acheived at the cost of someone's happiness, love, or sometimes the life itself.
With all this going on, and people suffering for no cause- who actually decides whether we go to heaven or hell?
Do we even know if there is a heaven or hell?

What is the justification for tsunami hitting one part of the world, or for that matter airplanes colliding into the 2 twin towers? Who replaces the loss of the lost ones?
People die, the pain doesn't..........

One who is born, has to suffer
Greed, desire, and anger are the seeds of suffering

What the heck? The world is not going to change......... why should I?
Be the change you want to see in the world- there has to be a beginning, to prevent a sorrowful end................

Watch Blood Diamond- a story that will touch your heart

From reality to a dream

I came back from Egypt last evening, but the memory of it still lingers in my thoughts, like fresh mountain dew on 'don't want to let go leaves'
It feels as parts of me have been left behind, some in the pyramids, some in the haunting tombs, few in the local streets of the cities......

Memories, irrespective of time and events, remain untouched and unstained.

With me here, my soul still hangs on to history-
the history of ancient Egypt...

Random picks.......

Bina tere na ek pal ho, na bin tere kabhi kal ho
Yeh dil ban jaaye pathar ka, na isme koi hulchul ho

Saagar ki, gehraai se gehra hain apna pyaar
Sehraaon ki, in hawaaon mein kaise aayegi bahaar