GRATITUDE

Most important in life, for our own peace, and stability in thought and feeling, is to be forever in gratitude. Gratitude gives Bliss, guarantied! Start with the gift of life-and be grateful. Think of your parents, teachers, doctors and domestic help all-and be grateful. If ever resentment overpowers your feelings, try to be grateful to the very elements you were resenting, and the dark winter of your mind will turn into a colourful spring!

There was this king who lost his little finger as he was admiring a very sharp sword which his minister gifted him. At this his court jester said,"It's happened for the good of your Majesty!"The king sent him to prison. Again he repeated,"It's happened for my good really!"

Later, the king set out to go hunting in the woods, where he lost his way, and was trapped by tribals. They danced and sang around him, as they had to sacrifice a man for their ritual, and the king was a Godsend. The king feared for his life, and thought of all his courtsmen and warriors, but none were there to help him. Suddenly one of the tribesmen realised that the king's little finger was missing, which made him inappropriate for a sacrifice, and they set him free. Returning home, the king felt great gratitude for the minister, because of whose gift he had lost his little finger, so he called for him to thank him. The minister reminded the king that the jester had remarked that it would be good for the king. So they sent for the jester to be released from the prison, and meet them. The jester was grateful. The king asked him," you also said it was for your good when I sent you to prison, how do you explain that?"The jester said, "had I not been in prison, I would have been with you, and seeing you incomplete for a sacrifice, the tribals would have sacrifised me, for I have all my limbs intact. So you see what happened was for the good. We should always be grateful to God!"

From the smallest atom of oxygen in the air , to the galaxies of planets and earths ans millions of suns, all are working to a perfect system and timing, and effortlessly we are born and live in this world , and if we stop to think at any moment, we will be overpowered with gratitude to everyone in our lives. All around us create for us the life we lead, nothing is of our own creation.

All are agents of the Almighty, and we should be forever grateful to Him!

A Metaphor

Life is a Metaphor for

An ONION- you keep on peeling it, peel after peel, and find but another peel; some lighter, some darker, some rotten even, till you reach the last one-and then there's nothing!

A ROSE- the very beginning of a bud starting to develop gives excitement and anticipation, till the petals begin to peep out of the bud; the rose blooms, giving out beauty and fragrance, a proud beacon of purity and dignity, till the petals begin to dry and fall, and the rose is no more, nothing-leaving behind its seed!

AN ORANGE- You turn it round and round till the end of your patience- and you keep coming back to the same spots!

A WALK INTO THE WOODS- You enter the well trodden path, and past the trees and grass and twigs and foliage, the tweets and twitters, the scurrying of squirrels and rustling of bushes, you walk and walk; till you've lost the path, and You and Your Jungle is ONE!

A STAR- It's one in billions, if you looked and looked at one, you'd still lose it among the others-but it has its own special place in the UNIVERSE!

Words Big and Small

Words are mightier than any force in the world. Words can be effective when every other action fails.Like the day Jack was facing Julie's tirade about how harsh,careless, selfish and cruel he had been, while she had been totally sacrifising and adjusting! In between the shouting, sniffling and tears, she packed her bags, threw him the house keys, and almost banged the door on her marriage of fifteen years, when Jack jumped up, caught her squarely at her shoulders, and his face reflecting his pain and anguish, said the three magic words," but I love you so much!". Julie's volcanic fury just disappeared, and she crumpled into his arms, like the loving wife that she was.

Words convey endearments, words convey insult, also sarcasm and hatred. Witty words are a double edged sword--they can be quite funny, they can also cut you with sarcasm. When Geeta told Susan, " looking for a handsome man? find a good-looking old man, then catch his son!", Susan felt she was being sarcastic as her husband was quite plain, though he had other great qualities.

Blessings are conveyed through words, also curses. People also believe that words of blessing cause good things to happen, while curses can actually destroy! But it doesn't really work this way. I don't think God acts upon our words--we are nowhere near His Wisdom. But the connection is nevertheless true. While curses cannot change your destiny,it's the harshness of the words that doed. Harsh words kill your confidence, your self-esteem, your feel-good spirit, even your faith in fellow human beings, and when you're so dilapidated inside, tour soul crumples up, you lose heart, lose your guard, and cannot see your own strengths, leading to actions which prove to be self-destructive.

To prove it further: curses affect only human beings, for they react to harsh words-- you could curse a monkey till you were sore, and he'd still be smiling at you!

Finally, always use your words judiciously, carefully, sensitively--never use them unkindly or unnecessarily, and your words will always be treasured. After all, humans are the only creatures who have them!

Sons!

Sons are God's special gifts to us! They make us live, they make us die; they make us laugh, they make us cry; they give us love, they give us scorn, they are every cell our own; they make us strong, they make us weak; they want us quiet, they want us to speak; they want us to toil, they want us to rest; they think their parents are the best!

Sons can make you swell with pride, and glow with happiness;

A son can also put a knife through your chest and make your heart bleed,

And turn the knife around,

And we'll still thank God for His gift,

And bless our child, "may you always be happy, my son!"

Fade, don't stay; Stay,don't fade away!

One should read the writing on the wall,

One should know when to fade away;

It's not that the shrubs abhor the tree,

It's the kittens with the cat'll ne'er play;

Shrubs and bushes are linked at every branch,

But the oaken tree must stand alone;

Wrinkled and furrowed,varicose and stocky,

But the foliage worth it's weight in gold;

Existence is growth,change and oblivion,

It's better to bend, than to break and fall!

A major pilgrimage cum fun trip

This trip has been organised by one Bakshi in Delhi. Baba Narinder Singh will conduct the 'Simran' ,,or the meditation programme. Quite an intense curriculum, with 'Kirtan' followed by 'Pravachan' by Babaji,in which he explains the meanings of the Guru Granth Sahib, also how to enrol us in the directions given , and to adopt them in our life; not only verbally but in deed, perpetually. The actual programme is at 'Chail' near Simla, which is also known to have the world's highest cricket field. Interesting.The hills and valleys are perenially green, the rich green of deodars and pines, and not much habitation between the woods. After Naini Tal, I've liked this place for its peace and scenic beauty. The ideal place to sit and recite God's name.Though that is undoubtedly done when one is with oneself, but learn there, and go out and practice. Two resorts are catering to us 'religious' people , so the food should be good, for without good food in the tummy, its not easy to recite anything, and our sights are high! We're aiming to connect to God direct!

"We go up, we go down , right and left, round and round, to look for that whats right in here!"

So the fun trip caption;if you can't see God here, you'll not see him at 8000feet either.

SATBIR CHADHA