Let there be Light

Lantern Festival, China Town Singapore, September 2012

Let there be Light: Lantern Festival, China Town Singapore, September 2012

All the lanterns are made of paper and silk.  A country as small as Singapore packs in celebrations of all the major religions and ethnicities that inhabit the 4 million people country!!  

Celebrations is the best synonym for 'light'!!

LjusTid (Light Time): Pondering and Practice

A Copenhagen Sunset: April 2013

I do not know if this is the correct formation of the words.  Since Swedish is based on bringing two words together.  However, sometimes if the right words are not put together, they can have a completely different meaning…..

But it is light--time, now in Scandinavia…and so Ljus-Tid!!

The light is returning.  And for me, it is just as sad as when it is leaving.  We get used to the coziness of the darkness---there are candles everywhere even during the day.  And there is a quietness to mornings ---even after we can call them 'mornings.'

I am sorry I have not been able to write. As always I have a  million half written blogs, but I need to look at them at least a few times to start over again.  

My time since August has been very very stressful.

And so, instead of regular emails, I have started list servs. Where I send out a fun activity to friends for every week  (from the course The Best Year of Your Life---Last year it was a whole course on 'Spirituality of Relationships' and here relationships meaning any…..Friends had appreciated it so much that started another email list, that is a fun, thoughtful activity every week…..

That is my way of keeping in touch….as I am increasingly dropping emailing on a regular basis.  Even though, sometimes there is a gap of 3 weeks or more between the emails.

The last year my resolution was to reduce emailing--and stopping the clutter in my life.  Much got organized in 2012.  Also a year of great travel.

Some other things in 2013….but 2014..onward, a reevaluation of my friendships and relationships.

The good thing is that I always have people wanting to spend time with me. No matter which country I am in.

The reality is that time does not allow that.  But more importantly a realization is to focus on the relationships that will last time, the ones that are both sided, and the ones that nurture.

This morning I was just thinking--that I am one of the those lucky ones, who has friendships and relationships from every part of my life….still in touch with those I was in kindergarten with, those in high school, those in undergraduate, graduate schools, all the countries I have lived in….that is a great feat….

But, until now, much of the relationships have also been a result of my keeping in touch on a regular basis.  Except my friends from home, and several European friends.

This year, is truly a year to see everything in light.  Four of my students from Sweden have become like a family.  The best thing is that we are all on different continents…and have been for the last 2-3 years….Yet we connect at least once a month.  

These kids are much younger, but we connect to talk about life and philosophy…..--

That philosophy---the light---that is going to be my guiding light this year.  And this year is also going to be a year of balancing between 'pondering and practice'.

I woke up this morning with a resolution that this year…..has to see much more commitment ----on certain areas of my life.

And sort out wheat from chaff.  But the trick is to do it with love and grace.

Working on it---

I wish you all a new beginning…..a resolute heart…that recognizes love in everything that surrounds us….

May the light of the season, lead your thoughts and decision making!!

I am this Moment 2!!

I had written this last year as a New Year's Post.  Its still relevant. However, I am attaching a sanskrit prayer we all learnt at school, with english translation. 

It was a very easy read.  I first read it during my several visits to Barnes and Nobles.  Later I bought a used book, and shared it with friends.

Eastern philosophy chewed down, and regurgitated.  Yet, when we are in the place of ‘learning’ in the state of learning....everything becomes a clue.  These words still ring true.  I hope, I hope, I can try to live by these, this coming year.  As I hope you will consider them for at least a few days.

One of the ways of doing that is to set an alarm every hour.  And take one minute. Just one minute of meditation time and focus on this thought.

I am this moment. This moment and I are one. That was the major focus of 'Peaceful Warrior'---a very basic eastern thought---focusing on stillness. 

"Where are you?” 

"Here.” 

"What time is it?” 

"Now” 

"What are You?” 

This Moment. 

Peaceful Warrior--by Dan Millman 

Here is the sanskrit prayer.  Not a prayer for anything material, instead for 'light, knowledge, and truth' which makes us immortal. In Indian thought, there is no such thing as a 'sin' --but ignorance, absence of knowledge is sin. This prayer is so that the divine would guide our minds towards light, so that all our actions are taken in the knowledge, that there is only one soul on this planet, manifested in seven billion or more beings and (un)-manifest in all the powers that we do not see!!

asto ma sadgamaya

tamaso ma jyotirgamaya

mrtyorma amrtram gamaya

Lead me from the asat to the sat

Lead me from darkness to light

Lead me from death to immortality

(Brhadaranyaka Upanishad — I.iii.28)