Subh Dhanteras

On the thirteenth lunar day,

Of the waning moon(Trayodashi),

In the month of Kartik,

Lets all welcome wealth, 

Into our lives.

Subh Dhanteras . . .

To mark the start of Diwali,

we celebrate sacred festival,

inviting wealth & prosperity, 

as goddess Laksmi & lord Kubera,

blesses home and businesses, 

with good fortunes & stability.

We bow to lord Dhanvantari,

revered physician of gods,

to bestow upon us divine knowledge, 

for protecting health & well-being,

as we clean and decorate homes,

lighting clay diya for illumination.

Many purchase precious metals,

newer utensils and kitchenware,

to bring good luck to families,

as if embarking on fresh ventures,

to refresh, renew our energy,

for health, wealth and prosperity. 

Subh Dhanteras . . .

May this auspicious day,

brings good health & opportunities, 

And we have a wonderful time,

celebrating with friends & families. 

Mudita

It's a conscious practice,

to find genuine happiness, 

in other's success & well-being. 

Mudita...

In dharmic philosophies, 

there's a virtue for human values, 

of cultivating gladness & joy,

towards fortunes, other experiences. 

It's not easy to overcome, 

psychological hurdles of our mind,

feeling jealous or envy inside,

when compared to our life.

Be it the virtues of Yoga Sutra,

or Brahmaviharas of Buddhist philosophy, 

our ancients shared this wisdom,

to attain serenity of our soul.

Mudita..

A joy unadulterated by personal gain,

it helps us become grounded to reality,

while developing cordial relations,

growing together with community.

P.S.

So, to the ones, I have known,

I am happy that you found your happiness :) 

Master of animal

A thought crossed my mind,

as I watched Konkan petroglyph, 

being discussed & shared. 

A motif too familiar, 

recurring in ancient traditions, 

shared across the globe.

Master of animals . . .

A central human figure,

gripping or being flanked,

by large feline creature.

Be it Mesopotamia or Greeks,

Pashupati of Indus seals,

all pointing common origin.

From Mesolithic age,

they survived to modern age,

a memory passed down generations.

And I wonder if a common deity,

revered by human ancestors,

shared between distant civilizations.

We might know them as Pashupati,

precursor to Rudra, our lord Shiva, 

who knows what name they had.

Still, it could be something else, 

a universal symbol of human courage,

of survival & dominance over nature. 

 

Petulant

She wants to be heard,

of her wishes and concerns,

suddenly acting annoyed, 

when demands not met,

sulking & throwing tantrums.

Petulant . . .

Refusing to cooperate,

expecting others to submit, 

she was completely out of touch,

of how people perceive her acts,

taking serious notes of behaviors. 

For, it showed in her expressions,

small snaps, and brooding silences,

in the foot taps, pouting cross arms,

wanting to spread message across,

when things don't go as she desired.

She might take pride in her personality, 

oblivious of these character flaws,

exposing brittle ego that easily cracks,

under the weight of minor inconveniences,

revealing the vulnerable, impatient child . . .

Beneath the surface of adult visage. 

Duality of human experiences

We can be victim in our story,

but perpetrators in someone's else,

where our actions, or lack of,

hurt ourselves, cause other pain,

no matter the choices made,

there's a duality in human experiences. 

We tend to look at our lives,

from a subjective lens,

our hardships, our wounds,

things we have gone through, 

which seems unjust & unfair,

stealing our joy & happiness. 

Yet, when we step outside,

and listen their point of view,

we will find contradictions, 

in the narratives we built,

for, they too were hurt by us,

by conscious & unconscious acts.

It's not the malicious intents,

when we act in good faith,

devoting self for our dreams,

makes us unavailable for others,

when they need our presence,

attend to concerns & vulnerabilities. 

Duality of human experiences . . .

We fiercely pursue our survival,

but trample on feelings of others,

no one is purely a hero or a villain,

in this grand tapestry of relations,

recognizing it, is a sign of maturity, 

for, it deepens capacity for empathy. 

So, let's look beyond ourselves, 

to understand, & extend our grace,

to ones tangled in the mess,

of wounding & being wounded.

Casual racism

'Are you going to Chinese restaurant with them?'

I said nonchalantly,

she paused for a moment, 

objected vehemently, 

'You know it's racist to say,

mentioning a specific place,

when they belong to same region'

I was taken aback,

never thought deeply enough, 

just because of her Chinese friends,

I made a casual remark,

and in return, received lesson,

of inherent racist bias.

Casual racism . . .

Masked as harmless observation,

they are part of cultural conditioning, 

where people absorb stereotypes, 

manifesting as default reflexes,

but didn't carry malicious intent,

having normalized in the community. 

It might be influenced by our brain,

categorizing world for easier understanding, 

forming lazy mental shortcuts, 

by making sweeping assumptions, 

where groups were more noticeable, 

than engaging with individuals. 

Casual racism . . .

Even if we make such mistakes,

being defensive is counterproductive, 

for, intent may be absent,

but impact is real, pervasive, 

so, we need to be discreet,

let our act not cause discrimination.

Iconography

I have always wondered,

which thoughts have played,

when they conceptualized, 

traditional symbols & images.

Iconography . . .

The more ancient a tradition,

we could see diverse symbols,

in sculptures & representations, 

as narratives in the paintings.

They could have made effigies, 

personified elements, energies,

but they never limit imagination, 

took inspiration from nature.

Mountain, rivers, and oceans,

trees, animals and universe,

they became sacred threads, 

to bind religious & spiritual realms.

Sometimes they take strange form,

which seems irrational to revere,

displaying ranges of emotions, 

being benevolent, fierce, neutral.

Iconography . . .

Our ancestors had reasons,

embedded messages & wisdoms,

which couldn't be contained, 

within natural human forms.

I am tired of this game

I am tired, of this game,

of the fights, of the blames,

putting thousand of hurdles,

before some sweet moments. 

When did it become a show,

put conditions before we disclose,

tender feelings that gently flow,

like rivers towards the ocean.

We don't need barriers, or deviations,

when heart made the decisions, 

our efforts should compliment, 

not find faults or make excuses.

Every concern needs to be addressed,

still our pride overshadows interests,

making us hesitate, lie, even avoid,

when we want to be sincere & honest.

When did it become Herculean task?

Of simple greetings, meets & chats,

testing patience, adding distance, 

creating divergence in our paths.

We have idealized a beautiful life,

where our wishes are prioritized,

but forgot that it demands price,

which we seldom pay . . .

And I am tired of this game,

of walking in an expanding maze,

expending energy in the process,

which should have been reserved,

and time, doesn't wait.

 

Be mindful of words spoken

Be mindful of words spoken,

For, they decide the course of life,

If one embraces goodness of life,

They will find true joy & happiness, 

If one seek, or demand freedom,

They will achieve independence,

Those who work to be busy,

Soon find themselves in own company,

And ones, offended from small things,

Will find it hard to sustain conversations,

So, rather than criticizing others,

Or questioning the fate,

One must look within,

To observe & reflect,

About how one behaves,

And to realize,

No one else is responsible, 

For one's own actions,

That's the true path,

Towards a mature self.

When slogans contradicts

We are proud to proclaim, 

personal ideals, regional phrases, 

to promote virtues we retain.

Yet, ground realities change,

every person is not the same,

putting dent on the image.

People taunts, and they blame,

words ring hollow, meaningless,

making us doubt, feeling ashamed. 

Acts of few, pollutes surroundings, 

breaking the illusion, of familiarity, 

and we pause, dwindling confidence. 

We had faith in the institutions,

trusting the grandeur of the vision,

still lacking in proper implementation.

When values not shared in communities, 

every failure highlights the hypocrisy, 

overshadowing countless believers.

When slogans contradicts . . .

We comment on the futility, 

trivialize the very essence, 

and put it under scrutiny. 

But, deep down we know,

such principles are needed,

to be pursued without noise.

Where emptiness lies

I didn't know,

when it arrived,

I tried to evade, 

but it crept inside.

From school days,

to college times,

springtime of life, 

only hastened the divide.

I got engrossed, 

I was absorbed,

enduring disappointments,

preying on the mind.

A dreamer in real world,

still being stubborn to admit,

holding to the fears & pride,

of the flaws, things lacking.

Averting the gaze,

I couldn't stagnate,

with passage of time,

got rudely awakened. 

Now it whispers, 

once in a while,

when there's rain,

or rays of sunshine.

I let out a sigh,

putting a polite smile,

changing directions,

closing my eyes.

To not let them reach,

Where emptiness lies . . .

Silence & connections

Silence is a dangerous thing,

It could be armor of the strong-willed,

But becomes refuge of liar & weaks,

So, I would respect the ones,

Who are clear on their goals, 

If our paths converge, 

Bringing certainty & consistency, 

I would pursue such connections, 

Or else maintain distance, 

From the ones, 

Playing with silence. 

Accommodation trap

It begins in a place of virtue,

having empathy & open-mindedness, 

welcoming others into our fold,

regardless of cultures & creeds.

But when we over-extended, 

to hostile individuals & ideologies, 

it ceases to be a bridge that connect,

becoming a crack that breaks,

steps taken in good faith.

Accommodation trap . . .

They were not obvious betrayals,

but happens through micro-concessions,

entering like a Trojan horse,

create havoc in surroundings.

For, our tolerance is tested,

when encountering inflexibility, 

as they seize the opportunity, 

by encroaching our boundaries. 

Accommodation trap . . .

They exploit our psychological wiring,

when we desperately cling to values,

of being kind, compassionate & caring,

to the ones being discriminated.

Yet, the true sign of maturity, 

is being graceful & discerning,

being true to inner convictions,

while facing social frictions.

So, draw the line at foundation, 

as we accommodate preferences, 

that might cause minor discomfort,

or create major disagreements. 

When core value remain intact,

acting as foundations & pillars,

we can withstand inconveniences,

while retaining our integrity.