Peace Marathon 02.01.2011

Today (02 Jan 2011) I participated in the Peace Marathon at Mulund Thane in the morning. The first ever to participate in my life. The event was held for the publicity of Guruji's visit to Mumbai, 13, 14, 15 January 2011.
Even though I was having a gala time with Anjana Gala and her team, I was observing a lot of things going on, Ouside and Inside.

Outside:
The Marathon started with few announcements from Anjana Di. The route was decided, the stops and breaks were decided. The pamphlets and Guruji's Event and Calendar were distributed among the participants. Everyone had worn the T-Shirt publisizing the Guruji's visit. By 9:30am everyone was raring to go for the Peace run. Our run started at SSRVM Mulund, and took stops at Kalidas Hall, Mulund Bus Depot, Tip Top Plaza, Hari Niwas, Gokhle Road Junction, Ram Maruti Road, Talao Pali, Central Ground, then finally at the Stadium. Everyone was exuberant despite the tiredness from running the 6.5km distance. Then Anajana di took O N S Chanting followed by couple of bhajans by Ambarish.

Evening session was with Mahesh Giri-ji at Jain Temple Hall, Thane. I was not in the state to attend it.

Inside:
I saw that every one wanted to lead the show. Suddenly so many leaders started taking charge. I too was obviously charged up! When time came to handle the crowd with the rope to get them in line everyone jumped the line! Everyone was just running helter-skelter, in one direction but not together. The very purpose of the peace marathon was not being served. Then Anjana Di had to shout that everyone had to be inside the rope. That moment I saw the finest level of ego simmer down inside me. I had to swallow my ego and had to get inside the rope. Anyway I was an insignificant lot in the entire mob. Even if I escaped the crowd and had dashed home no one would have noticed!. But then when someone is racking brains to get the whole show up then why should I use my brain. Just follow the command and the chaos is eliminated immediately. So fine, subtle is the ego that one cannot notice it if one's not aware of themselves. A small "I" factor creates an illusion that "I" am "in charge" of some operation or am "in control" of something. What are you in charge of? What is in your hand? This is a general question not pertaining solely to the marathon event. Even if I am given an important department to handle, which can't be done without me then what?? There will always be someone who can replace me. That's how corporates work, Dont they?

The moment I dropped the ego and stayed in line, that very moment I felt relieved. As if a huge burden was off loaded. I felt like returning to my natural self where everything is comfortable. As Guruji says, "Repose in self". It is always nice to take care of things with love as the results will always be wonderful and peaceful.

J G D

Swami Sharanam...

Yesterday was a very eventful day of my life. The Bank where I work was to be handled by me alone. By 'alone" I mean that I had to handle all the branch related decisions all by my self and the stakes were huge. The mind was super occupied in the work, yet I was getting calls for arranging a wonderful workshop called Math-Magikk, that dispells all the fear regarding maths. By the time the banking hours ended, I was already jittery. All I needed was a sound sleep before I could venture into any further activity.

Even an hour of sleep had not sufficed the uneasy mind. So I decided to pack my armoury needed for seva and started organising the workshop. Atleast, I could distract my mind from itelf??!!?? The results were not as expected. Unfortunately the workshop had to be postponed due to insufficient participants! Quite annoyed by the outcome, I sat for meditation. By how could I meditate?? My mind was not ready to settle down. Was it not annoyed?? (BTW, Annoyed for what?? something so small!!) Then I decided to go to a place where my disturbed mind could meet its match. Aiyappa Bhajan Mandal!! I had initially decided to attend only half hour from 9:15pm to 9:45pm. But I finally left that place after having scrumptious prasadam dinner at 11pm. All was to be taken care by Aiyappa (Read Guruji). That night gave me answers to many doubts. After meditation I had read a knowl sheet on Shaucha and Aschaucha (Vol 1, page 38 New Edition), It was the most apt topic for me!!

Later at night I was made to realise that if I live life by being emotional then my life is bound to be miserable. One must not be emotional, instead one should be devotional. That will take care of all the miseries.

I had to write this down before I could forget what I realised!!

J G D

Till now...

Since I started understanding the dynamics of Art of Living as an art, I have deep respect and admiration towards guruji.

Till now... I always wanted (wished) to be like him. I was emulating his outward expression. What is more important is the inner dynamism and truthfulness (Sincerity).

Till now... I always used to think that I will talk less. But hardly did I ever realise that it is not the quantity of talk that's important, it is the quality. If the quality is high even a single word is enough. More the time I devote to fruitful seva, less is the need to talk.

Till now... I wanted to implement many knowledge points. But I do not know how many I have really even realised. Actually, to implement one has to stop planning, and just plunge.

Till now... I used to think that only by being swami or rishi or something of those kind, I will preogess in spirituality. But as the whole story of ashtavakra goes, it was the king who got enlightened, the very king who cannot giveup his duties, that very king could get enlightened and for that he did not have to give up his kingly responsibilities.


A person asked guruji how to make one's life satisfactory. HIS answer was, for that you need three factories. ICE Factory in mind, Sweet Factory on tongue, and compassion factory in heart.

Friends for hire

Social networking sites were built with the intention of connecting people across the globe. Most of my friends who now are staying in different states of India, some are in States (US), I could connect with them through orkut and face book. What an invention these social networking sites are?!?! I used to think. But today, due to networking at lightening speed, a people are glued to the internet and computer for most of their time. The habit of going out with friends (Hang outs) are becoming a rare phenomenon these days. Recently, I read an article saying that you can have friends for hire. I had never dreamed during my adult life that humans will have to "hire" a pal or buddy. 

Human beings are social animals. Social interaction is very natural. When two or more people come together, under normal circumstances, people start interacting. They may start with a simple HI ! But today if two or more people come together there is an ice-wall between them. Due to excessive use of computers and social interaction sites, humans have forgotten to greet fellow human beings with simple hi or how are you. 

Today, you can easily search for site that offer you friends on hire. They are also priced at competitive rates! But I always wonder how will it be possible for anyone, who have lost their socializing abilities to interact with their 'hired' friend? The core problem is inability to interact socially, not inability to find friends!

More over, friends hold a special place in human world! There are few things that you can share with your parents, your siblings, your children, your spouse. But what you share with your friends you cannot share it with others mentioned above! By hiring a person, you have bought their valuable time so that the hired pal can spend some time with you but have you gained that trust and confidence? Can you share the deepest desires feelings or other personal issues? Even if you share your secrets, there is a constant fear in the subconscious that secrets confided with the hired pal could be misused

If one decided not to share his personal feelings then what is the use of hiring a buddy? True buddies share all the happiness and sorrow with you. They are there with you in the times of trouble!

In todays world what is actually needed is human values. Working and being with machines, we too have become inhuman and do inhumane deeds. Human beings are to be loved and other objects are to be used. But today we use human beings and love objects. That's where the problem creeps in!

Don't you agree??