Parents are a definite proof of divinity on this earth!

There was, there is and there never ever will be, a better, living  and definite proof of divinity on this earth other than our parents. I am sure millions share this feeling with me…here’s why I feel so and wish to write about it…

       Their love, caring, sharing, thoughtfulness, kindness and dedication to their kids cannot match the feelings in sincerity as well as intensity with that of any other being, no matter how close the relation. I am fortunate to have such parents who inspire me to write this, not for the sake of writing but because of  my belief in their love for me. Though the realization of this truth was always there, it only intensified as my age and experiences multiplied.

          Both my mother and father  have strived hard to make me the person I am today, whether it is by imparting  the best education or passing on the right values through preaching and practicing both.

If it is my determination and my strong will, I owe it to my mom, if it is my spirituality and ‘my-never-say-die-spirit’, I owe it to my father.

If it is my will to go on learning and acquiring new skills, I owe it to my mom and if it is my honesty and integrity I owe it to my father.

If it is my creativity and adaptability, I owe it to both of them. These are only few of the qualities that they have helped me imbibe by nurturing me and grooming me right from my childhood to this day!

Whenever I face an audience or an interview and can manage to leave a good impression, I never fail to thank my father for his foresight six decades back, to understand the need for acquiring a good foundation for  the English language. Whether it was the acquisition of a good vocabulary or the verbal and written communication skills or even a presentable handwriting, for that matter, not to forget the significance of inculcating reading habits, by putting me and my sisters in one of the best convents, for one and through constant motivation and involvement at home on the other. 

Whenever I get appreciated for writing an article or poem, I  feel a deep sense of gratitude for my teachers who guided and goaded me to bring out this inherent talent of mine, of course I was fortunate to get such teachers only because of my parents' wish and willingness to provide me with the best education.

        When I am making a mention of my writing skills, how can I forget the innumerable quotations that my father drilled into my mind and pshyche,'Coming events caste their shadows before','Haste makes waste','Time and tide wait for no man', 'Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy,wealthy and wise', 'Try, try and try again until you succeed', 'There is no substitute for hard work','Pride hath a fall', to mention just a few.

Most of these valuable quotes ended up being the most valuable lessons of my life and  I have passed  these on, consciously to my children as well as to my students. One particular quote that left an indelible mark on my mind  needs a special mention here …

Great heights attained by great men

Were not attained by shallow flight,

While their counterparts enjoyed and slept,

They were toiling all through the night.

There is so much to share about the divine blessings that I have received  through my parents, that I could simply go on and on but I would like to conclude with some of  the most important lessons that my parents have helped me imbibe:

*Never ever give up, come what may!

*Be eternally grateful for what you have got in life, however big or small.

*Do not forget to have empathy for the less fortunate people around you.

*Share your joys and sorrows with your near and dear ones.

*Keep your faith in yourself and the divine always intact, no matter  how big or small the adversity you may be facing…through prayers…through patience…through purposefulness.

*Always be there, for your family and friends in time of need.

 It is because of these values that they helped me and my siblings imbibe through their teachings and preaching, through examples and exemplification, that  I found  endless solace and support  from them, my siblings, other family members and friends in all bad patches of my life.

I owe it to all of them, specially my parents (and parents-in-laws), to not just help me handle pain but help me emerge even stronger than before, each time.

Thank you family and friends for your tremendous support…and thank you mom and dad for being “ my proof of divinity on earth” and re-instating my faith in self and divinity and humanity as well, because 'where there is humanity, divinity cannot be far away.'

my daily doze of divine grace

Sometimes I wonder what I would have done without the daily doze of divine grace that I receive so generously in so many subtle and significant ways...these are the blessings that keep my spirit soaring...
Awakening to the fact that I am alive and kicking.
Awakening to the fact that umpteen opportunities are awaiting me to get going.
Realizing that there are so many well wishers around me.
Realizing that there is still plenty of love,hope and goodness around me.
Realizing that I can think rationally even during pain and suffering.
Realizing that God understands my needs and answers my prayers.
Having my parents and family with me and receiving their good wishes.
Receiving a warm smile from a stranger.
Being able to warm up someone's heart.
Being able to stick to my values and also being able to differentiate between good and bad.
For getting my daily food,water and fresh air.
For keeping me sane in this insane world.
These dozen odd blessings from God could well be multiplied by infinity and these He
keeps pouring in my life without being judgmental about me, showing love and care for me in an unconditional manner, not giving up on me even when my faith in self is in shambles...I am sure millions feel the way I do...today I feel that I need to ask God for yet another favour...to keep on sending me His blessings and my daily doze of divine grace till I am alive and above all help me be eternally grateful for all the blessings and not to take Him for granted!

suffering is a form of divine grace

Suffering is synonymous with divine grace.I would not say this if I would not believe this and I say this with full conviction because my belief and conviction in"suffering being a form of divine grace"comes from experience.

First and foremost,joy is not a true indicator of divine grace since joy is an intoxicating and exhilarating experience you would never know whether it is a product of divine grace or just one of those good moments in life that come and go and take you further away from reality and your real goals...whereas suffering is the true indicator for sure because... when you can smile through your tears...when you can believe in yourself and the divine in deep sorrow...when you can endure the pain and move on...when you can go on with your routines and responsibilities inspite of being completely distraught...when you can still love the one who made you suffer...when you can be in control of yourself for the sake of others... and above all,when you can hold on,let go,forgive and have your faith intact...you know for sure it is definitely divine grace.

Once my brother-in-law had said to me,"Isn't it a wonder that the oceans are kept under control, as if there is a divine hand doing it?".I had not comprehended this fact till I witnessed sunami along with millions of others.It was then that I realized the hand of the divine in controlling the rivers and oceans and preventing disasters on one hand and causing floods and sunami's on the other for mankind to realize the divine grace and not take things for granted.Another remarkable thing is that when such disasters occur how the entire humanity comes together to share the grief and offer help to those in need.Suffering brings people together and awakens mankind to the oneness of all creation.The formation of the UNO after the world war and the refraining from use of nuclear weapons after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear disaster are classic examples of suffering making people aware of the divine grace.

It is ironical but true that we do not participate as willingly and wholeheartedly in the joys of our near and dear ones as we do in their moments of grief,in fact we are ever willing to console even strangers in their grievous moments.Even if we do so due to fear of our own uncertain future and fear of suffering but it is true that in moments of death and distress people, families and nations unite and are willing to share their sorrow.Nation wide and world wide suffering has been known to have brought humanity closer and the most humane side of theirs to surface...isn,t it proof enough that it is suffering tha is a true form of divine grace!!!!

human beings vs divine creatures

    Today, the most discussed and debated topic of the common man and the environmentalist,alike is that of the terrible state of the earth that we are living on and destroying each moment. One very interesing trait of humans is to create a situation and then write,read,speak about it for years to come or atleast till the next juicy bit is created...whether it is directly created situations like war,nuclear power or indirecctly created ones like the environmental hazards,pollution etc  

    As a biologist,i am often exposed to these endless debates on" how and why a particular situation was created" and later "how and in what way can we salvage it"...after all we are humans,the most rational of all beings,isn't it???????????? Well, I beg to differ...we humans are most irrational of all...we are worse than animals...they follow more civic and civil rules during their lives than we can probably ever do...in fact we can learn from them...the jungle book is a perfect example of this and highlights the 'beyond the common observation and thinking skills" of the author as far as the animal world is concerned. If we really care to look beyond our snooty nose and high headed demeanor,every creature,however small or big,ugly or beautiful,significant or insignificant is special and if I may say so ,simply divine!

   These living creatures called animals are divine for innumerable reasons...they exhibit a rare kind of adaptability and tolerance for their fellow beings and also follow the rules of social living in a very disciplined manner,perhaps better than us humans...they also exude a very  innocent charm about them which makes them ever so endearing...I remember visiting the mysore zoo some years back and this particular incident is etched in my memory forever...there was this big chimpanzee that was lazing around but at the same time observing the onlookers intently,it refused to respond to any of the remarks or gestures of the onlookers.We stood there for a good 15 minutes during which time several individuals and groups passed by,suddenly out of the blue it stood up and started beating its chest furiously and later sped away,the onlookers obviously burst out laughing but I was not amused"Come on give him a break',was what I wanted to say and probably that is exactly what the poor animal was trying to tell everyone -"kindly leave me alone,just let me be,I am not on exhibition

   Those who watch the "Discovery channel" or "Animal planet" would vouch for the fact that these animals are so very endearing and peace loving. Moreover, they almost have a therapeutic affect on the human psyche..ask any of the dog lovers or owners and they will definitely agree to this.Another remarkable thing about these divine creatures,which I constantly tell my students is that they kill only for their survival i.e either for food or protection,they simply have no other motive unlike their human counterparts,who kill for a varity of reasons ranging from 'fashion' to 'ornamental value' to 'greed of money' to 'satisfying their egoistic needs' to 'pursuing their scientific urge'...the list is endless and perhaps more in number than the existing variety of animals on this earth.

  Having said that ,does it not seem ironical that we discuss and debate and constantly talk about teaching our future generations the meanings of the terms 'endangered species' and 'extinct species'? It looks like the human species is living with the fear of becoming instinct itself and increasing in population at such an alarming rate that are pushing these divine creatures further and further into the danger zones thereby violating the rules and rights of co-existance laid out by nature.It is definitely  the time for action and not for mindless talk!

  It is not that  we humans are not aware or not bothered about  all this,there is definitely an increasing awareness for attempting to resolve these issues,it is just that ony a handful of them are contributing in terms of taking some concrete steps to resolve some of these issues and salvage the situation to some extent. The ratio of 'concerned and caring humans' to that of 'self-centered and self-concerned humans' is alarmingly low. Isn't it therefore time to wake up and take actions rather than talking alone oterwise our future generations would only be left with paintings and pictures of these divine creatures  just as we have of the gods and goddessess.

   

  

destiny versus divinity

Both these words start with the alphabet D and end with Y
Both these terms are important for our survival.
Both teach us about trials and tribulations.
Both teach us the most important lessons in life.
Both are an inseparable part of our lives.
Both allow us to explore,experiment and experience life.
Both either rule us or allow us to rule them.
Both have infinite versions and dimensions.
Both pose innumerable challenges for us.
Both are the guiding light and the guiding force in our lives.
Our lives are definitely revolving around these two very important dimensions of life itself,there is no escaping these two realities of life,divinity affects our destiny and destiny plays an important role in the extent of divinity affecting our lives,they shape us and allow us to shape ourselves and our future,they are an inseparable duo and inseparable dimension of our life,forever trying and testing our strength and will,at the same time coaxing and cajoling us to accept the challenges and move on,simply move on with dignity.

a divine ray of hope

I had often heard that human beings possess extra ordinary powers but for occasional tales of extraordinary achievements read in the history books or mythology or those happening in day to day life did not convince me about this.
  We human beings are equipped or rather programmed to deal with ordinary day to day situations.We are too lazy or rather afraid to face challenges and love to be in our comfort zone where life situations are stereotype and we feel in control of ourselves.Alternatively,when we do come across an unusual and challenging situation,we feel at a complete loss and have no clue how to cope with the situation.The plethora of suggestions and advice coming our way through our near and dear ones only adds to the confusion.It is a tough situation indeed almost akin to walking on a razor sharp edge.One seems to drown in an emotional storm full of anger,frustration,despair,hatred,confusion and even self pity.
  BUT as they say,"there is light at the end of the tunnel",we get a strong subtle message from the universe coaxing us to rise and accept the challenges and fight our way out.During the unusually painful and conflicting moments that I faced recently in a tragic turn of events,I went through a wave of despair,hopelessness,anger and frustration,feeling that all was lost...but that " divine ray of hope"found its way into my consciousness and shook me out of my state of confusion and frustration.It made me believe that we all possess extraordinary powers to deal with extraordinary situations.This is just the beginning, the task ahead is an uphill one posed with extraordinary forces and counter forces but with belief in self,determination and help from all the positive energies of the universe,that are constantly working towards stabilizing the chaotic state of the world filled with all the negative forces and ever expanding destructive forces I am going to rise from the proverbial ashes and fight with all my might. It was and it always will be "the fight between good and the evil' or "the satan versus the spiritual'

Divinity in the air

     We are just a week away from the most divine and joyous period in the year and when you happen to be in mumbai this period transports you to unprecedented heights...the period during which the " most loved" and the "most worshipped" of all divine forms"our beloved ganesha" simply transcends into our lives...needless to say that He brings along with Him immense joy and happiness,peace and prosperity,serenity and tranquility that infuses into our lives ever so deeply... lasting throughout the year until the next ganesha festival.

     There is almost a magical and mesmerising effect that lord ganesha has on His devotees,driving each and every one into a frenzy...a phenomenon equal only to the mesmerising effect that lord Krishna had on his gopis...the way men and women,children and adults,families and communities,people from all religions and walks of life come togetherduring this festival, is truly phenomenal and overwhelming...very infectious indeed!I am sure if Bal gangadhar Tilak was to come down today even he would be touched to witness the level of enthusiasm and the feeling of brotherhood generated amongst the people of mumbai during these days,more than he had probably ever envisaged at the time he planned and proposed this great idea of 'Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav"

     I came to mumbai 14 years back and was caught in this frenzy instantly...in the first year i did wonder how the level of enthusism could be maintained over the years..today several years later i still feel myself being gripped by the same enthusiasm and excitement that i felt in my first year in mumbai and i am sure millions of mumbaikars would vouch for this...such is the infectious charm of our dear lord ganesha...in my school we have the tradition of taking our tiny tots to the ganesh idol making workshops which come up in every nook and corner of the city,few days prior to the ganesha festival...last week for the sixth consecutive we took our children to two such workshops and their excitement was so evident in their gleaming eyes and beaming faces...it is indeed a pleasure to watch these idols being made in all shapes and sizes and also to see them right from the raw stage to the final stage of completion...in fact these workshops set the mood for the coming festival.

   Another amazing and awe inspiring aspect of this festival is the huge variety in the forms, sizes and colours of lord ganesha that are witnessed in various pandals...and each year there are more and more innovative forms that are visible...it seems ganesha brings out the creativity and imaginative power of these artistsin full gusto by showering His blessings upon them...and as if the variety in the beautiful forms and colours is not enough,the various pandals come up with inspiring and thought provoking themes for the pandals to both entertain as well as educate the public...the city is ablaze with lighting and festoons and the beat of the drums sets the mood for celebration in each and every heart...such is the mood and mania and the euphoria of this festival that no amounts of words could do justice to describe it aptly...

     the fever has just begun and soon it is going to spread and reach its crescendo...let us soak in this wave of devotion and rejoice with our family and friends...jai ganesha!!!!!!!!!!

DIVINITY AROUND US...

Divinity or belief, faith, religion, spirituality, call it what you may…is the most intriguing and awe- inspiring topic for all human beings…more so if you belong to a country like India…where right from the time of birth and throughout your upbringing… right through your formal and informal learning experiences… you are exposed to the rich culture and heritage, that’s only getting richer and richer through the ages. So much is written and discussed about this that it is deeply ingrained in our psyche and becomes an integral part of our thinking process.

   Not just the Indians, every other nation has its own beliefs in divinity… the customs and traditions may vary, the principles and paths may differ, the religious deities and scriptures may be different but the common thread of “belief or faith in the divine” exists without any doubt. It is also clearly seen that this faith, irrespective of the depth or intensity, becomes far more pronounced in times of peril…and it takes up astounding proportions when a family, community or a larger chunk of humanity is involved. Is this not proof that “we believe in the divine forces around us” more than we care to admit to ourselves or the world.

 Our belief in divinity is not just strengthened when humanity is endangered but also when we look at the other living beings around us. There is so much to learn from the plants and animals, more than we can ever imagine…animals, specially, pets give unconditional love and their striking memory can put even a genius to shame! Specially when it comes to remembering acts of kindness these animals do take the cake…even after years, they instantly warm up at the sight of just about anyone who has showered love on them anytime during their life. Can we  humans ever match up to this kind of loyalty and compassion…there are innumerable examples of humans forgetting what others have done for them, almost instantly, in times of need.

 Not just that, so many of the yoga asanas are inspired by the animals…ask your yoga guru and he would rattle of names such as….garudasana (inspired by the eagle),matsyasana (inspired by the fish), gomukhasana (inspired by the cow) ,makarasana(inspired by the crocodile) and bhujangasana (inspired by the cobra) to name only a few .If we can learn the art of breathing and meditating from animals does it not reflect the divine state they are in...they are perhaps more in sync with divinity than we humans!

  Also the sixth sense of animals gives us an indication of their highly elevated state…it is said that much before a fire sets a forest ablaze, the animals start moving away to a safer area and as they do so they keep on warning their fellow animals of the impending danger in their own language. Who has not heard of the howling dogs and wailing cats before a loved one’s or even a commoner’s death and even before a tragic accident? In addition there are several examples of pet animals coming to the rescue of  their owners or taking cue from their premonition and preventing an untoward incident. It is said that we humans also possess the sixth sense, only it gets camouflaged as we move away from our divine connections and gets more pronounced with the awakening of our inner selves.

 Why only the animals, even the plants give ample proof of their being divine…as a biology teacher for so many years I always inform the students that plants are more superior than animals, including us humans…only they possess the miraculous power of combining inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide and water and producing the life supporting organic substance-glucose .Also the truly divine value of ‘give and take’ that not only helps to maintain the balance in nature but also brings to light the strong connections between all living beings- the oneness in all living forms- is displayed by these plants through their use of carbon dioxide and release of oxygen-the life sustaining gaseous form.

I could go on and on about these evidences of divinity around us, which we sometimes acknowledge and sometimes ignore but if we ponder over these little -little but definite proofs of divinity around us, we would surely understand these strong connections much better and start truly recognizing and respecting the divine forms and miracles around us .It is this recognition and realization that brings us more understanding of divinity within and around us than any of the scriptures would do. In fact much of what we have read, heard or spoken of, even remotely related to these basic and eternal truths and principles of life,  becomes far more meaningful and real on experiencing and realizing this divinity all around us.        

divine connections

We keep looking all around us for only perfections,

And keep on" hoping against hope"in all our life's situations.

Let us identify the perfections in the midst of imperfections,

And keep on hoping even in times of our "trials and tribulations"

When we go through "no gain without pain"kind of life's lessons, 

It is then that we truly learn more about God,s deeper intentions.

It is through complete faith in self and also in all our relations,

That we learn to recognize the divine signs and indications.

We also need to stop making endless and mindless calculations,

And gain firm control over all'our actions and reactions'

We need to accept all that comes our way witout any hesitation,

It is then that we would succeed in making "divine connections".

divine connections....

When you are going through life's ups and downs and surrounded with tensions...

When you are completely 'down and out' and bogged down with apprehensions...

When your life is just filled up with endless, meaningless and boring sessions...

Remember it is time to sit back and  make deeper connections!

When you simply seem to be going wrong in all you rlife's calculations...

When you simply seem to be losing all right and meaningful directions..

When you do not know how and when to give vent to your frustations...

Remember it is time to take some strong well thought of actions!

When you get the feeling that life is filled up with seemingly endless situations...

When you get the feeling of enduring the unendurable exasperations...

When you realize that life issimply devoid of any real joys and jubilations...

Remember it is definitely the call of mysterious divine connections!

                                                                             to be continued...

divine help

    As I go down memory lane and flash back 16 years...I remember the day vividly...those days kids were small and I was following the strict regime of 4am to 11pm almost non-stop working hours...frantically trying to keep pace with time and doing the balancing act of being a homemaker and a teacher...needless to say it was literally a race against time...specially in the early morning rush hours..each day was a challenge...punctuality was rubbed deep into the psyche,partly due to the strict convent schooling and partly due to the professional ethics and needs...increasing the desire to accept the challenges...

    No wonder that I was on tenterhooks that particular day, dreading being late to work...rushing through the routine I managed to tread on the road that took me to the bus stop,where I would board a bus till a certain point and literally hop into another bus,get down and take a rikshaw or hitch a ride till the sight of the school gates brought out a sigh of relief frpm me...the initial thoughts bordered on pessimism...oh i won't be able to make it in time today...then with an almost magical turn of thoughts,theses words flashed upon my memory..."God sees you through someone's eyes...hears you through someone's ears...reaches out to you through someone's heart...helps you through someone's hands and walks to you through someone's feet.."

    Lo behold... the magic of optimisim and the power of positive thoughts...barely had the frown eased out of my brow and a happy smile settled on my face...that a car stopped by...'Hey where are you heading,may I drop you somewhere?"...I muttered a reply informing this someone about my destination..."Oh I am headed right there,please hop in.."the next ten minutes of my ride in someone's car had my mind clouded with a plethora of thoughts ranging from confusion to discomfort to anxiety to relief to wonder and amazement...before i realized the schhool gates were in sight much to my relief..I got down and turned to thank the someone...the car had sped away and the someone was not in sight...i rushed in to the school...and through the day's work...and through the rest of the days...amd the months...and the years...

   Time has flown away but the memories of that "divine help" are still crystal clear in my memory..

let us ponder awhile and think of similar incidents in our lives...and we will be pleasantly surprized to find several of these instances...people may be different,names may be different,times may be different...but what remains common is the strong brush with the divine power in each of our lives"

divine moments

    There are some very special days... filled with divine moments...moments that connect you to your higher and real self and lift your spirits...as your spirits soar your belief in the divine and also you yourself is reinstated...the pain and pressures of the past are released...your hopes and aspirations acquire wings...how wonderful would it be if each day was like this special one...or in retrospect... is it not?
    Yes in such divine moments we do realize that each day dawns with new hopes and many such divine moments,some we recognize others we fail to...we live in such a self -centered,self-created,self -inflicted environment where we build walls around us which disconnect us from others and eventually with our own selves or the divine...is there any difference in the two...that's the question we need to ask ourselves?
   On one hand the truth is that each and every moment that we live...is indeed a magical moment...a moment  filled with divine interactions and interventions...on the other,there is this very basic and simple fact of life that life does not move at our will and at our pace...when it does,we are happy...when it doesn't we are sad...but how would we experience the good or be able to differentiate it from the bad...and then it is also said"nothing is good or bad,only thinking makes it so"...confusing?
   Well not really...what i am trying to convey through these reflections is that the power of being connected eternally with the divine is in our own hands and as simple as our reflexes that make our survival instincts...we only need to be aware of these connection and avoid interconnections with the negative thoughts that cloud this awareness...sounds simple and simple it is...it requires less energy than required for negative thoughts...try experiencing this and soon it will become a habit...and life would be nothing but blissfully divine...happy divine connections