What's on your mind?

"What's on your mind?"...I have always been tempted to reply to this question which one would normally see on almost all social sites these days, sites such as Facebook, Twitter etc. It does give you a feeling as if some one is keenly waiting for you to log on, and ask you whats going on in your life! And you would see people replying also...their revelations, their anger on some event, their love for loved ones, major events in their lives, their visits to places etc etc. Facebook is full of such 'personal' information.

Facebook..another blog on Facebook! There isn't any like or dislike for this site, its just that Facebook played an important role for the learning that I am trying to post. 

While I was cautious not to share much of personal stuff on Facebook, I couldn't resist the temptation to answer this very question "What's on your mind?". I felt as if I would be impolite to the Facebook designers if I don't answer this very question each time I login into Facebook. So I would reply...always with a quote.

It so happened that one day I was falling short of quotes that I could share. Lakshmi was sitting next to me, I casually asked her to tell me a quote which I could share on Facebook profile. It must have been stupid of me to ask that from her...but I did ask. Quite surprisingly she answered, "Sunil Ji, roz quote badalne se kya hoga...baat to tab banegi agar ham ek hi quote ko poori zindagi nibha lein". Thereby she cautioned me not to fall in trap of sharing more and more because mere sharing will not bring any changes in us. For bringing change in us, we'd have to follow those. Even if we stick to one quote, and follow it religiously...it would do miracles in our lives. A single quote that is followed can do what all the quotes which are just shared collectively also cannot do.  

Very profound thoughts Mrs Sethi has - I must admit. 

Since that day, I have tried to consciously remind myself not to fall in the same trap again. Now whenever I login into Facebook, and see that question again...I smile and answer "Same as it was on the last time!!".  

 And to go bit deeper on the learning, this is much of the problem that we see around...we often rush to speak, but rarely pause to listen. That reminds me of this riddle....'The moment you name it, it is gone...what is it?' "Silence".  

Wish we could pause, and ponder...ponder deeper to realize that even single thought is sufficient to bring a change in our lives.

Hmm...Itna effort maara likhne ke liye but...

I boarded the train from Swindon for Birmingham which is around 2.5 - 3 hours run including the change time. I was quite thirsty at Swindon Station but wasn’t happy to spend some pounds on water, water which is offered free in Indian stations. I missed India.
Reached Birmingham, was waiting for some friend to arrive when I saw people using vending machines to grab pet of coke. I too had a thirst for 3 hrs then, so somehow I managed and with courage took 1.3 pounds out of my wallet. I put coins in the machine and waited for a sprite bottle to come out. However, there was some problem with the machine; Sprite bottle got struck in middle. I bashed the machine but could not make path for the bottle to come down.
It seemed that God wanted to teach me that don’t miss to enjoy the creations. Anyways, I looked for someone to help but no one was around. Somehow I convinced myself that Sunil, it was for you to spend money but probably the cake wasn’t for you today. You had to pay for some else’s benefit. I moved with a heavy heart trying to digest the learning. After some time came back to same vending machine where a fellow was looking for sprite’s owner. He had managed to take out the bottle somehow. I talked to the person and grabbed my own sprite bottle. Learning came at that moment, don’t worry Sunil what is in your name shall come to you at any cost.
Well these small teachings still have to be imbibed. I often come across virtues that so many saints shared and lived also. However when I analyze I find myself standing nowhere. I do think at times, will reading all those virtues do me a good? It’s good to quote from great books, but am I actually living up to those words. The bliss that is shared in those great books was lived and then scribbled there. And I tend to mention those virtues and get satisfied with my spiritual growth…Scope still is there to grow and feel what is mentioned in those texts.
Sharing from this small incident only, when I will get what’s in store for me, then why does someone else’s growth hurt me? If I want to grow let me make more efforts and excel, why I want to overshadow someone and then say I won. Spiritual life and practical life are one and the same. If feelings inside don’t change, what good would the outer clothes do? A colleague too is thy neighbor whom one needs to love if one thinks of being spiritual. One very beautiful quote I read was,
Pyar inse nafratein unse, yu to sajda adaa nahi hota.
To become a spiritual being, I need to love one and all. Be it in office, be it in house, a soul is a soul and it needs to live with the same virtues. Spiritual living is too simple, and comes in daily living. But then... I need to be open to actually hear who’s trying to call me.