Love - The dictionary meaning to this word is "A strong positive emotion of regard and affection, Any object of warm affection or devotion, A beloved person; used as terms of endearment, A deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction". Come to think of it, when we think of love, we don't run to the dictionary to know what it really means. These are the inborn qualities that the Almighty has bestowed upon us without, we asking for it. We live our lifetime with these wonderful traits without truly utilizing them at the right moment and in the right amount.

Love is not just a strong feeling it’s a way of life, it’s the basic layer of life, which is not just underlined by all religions but by each individual on the face of earth. Love is bonding, believing, trusting, and the one trait, which comes so very easily to each one of us. Why just human beings, this is amongst all the living beings of the world. Love is not just going weak in the knees or your heart thumping at speed faster than light. It’s the feeling u get for every being around you. A proportion of this feeling varies with people. Our first priorities are our parents, for they are the reason why we are in the world, these are the people who form the center of our universe. Then come family, friends, people whose company we enjoy. People who just make us smile, laugh, who brighten our day. Such strong is this trait that we can fight the entire world with just the support of one person who would just believe in what we say.

If u are wondering why this sudden topic, well, I have not been bitten by the love bug, just that while brooding over life, I was reminded of this one quality, which we always tend to over see. Guess it’s rightly said that we say “Love u” to people who mean to us. So what if their contribution to us is not the size of the pin. What I understand about love is, Loving is giving and receiving as well…Love is letting the people u like lead their life, Love is just thinking of the people who mean to you. Love is the smile u find on the person’s face when they see you. Love is people encouraging u, criticizing u, listening to you, and pointing the wrong from the right for you. It’s a very strong assets, utilization of which is in our control. And we should not be meager in distributing it to the world.

As a poet rightly said “ Ishq ne kiya humme nikama, warna humbhi admi the kaam ke “ (its love which made me useless, else I was also a person of worth)

"Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time." Mark Twain

"There are two ways to slide easily through life; to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking." - Alfred Korzybski

There is this longing in me to go to a far off place, sit alone and brood over the life i have spent and what i would like to do laters. I am in the kind of "Mein aur meri tanhaiyan" (me and my lonliness) kinda moods...and come to think of a place to wind off...this is not a bad place to venture out ...

Times of India has a beautiful column called the Speaking Tree. It my not be missed reads in the newspaper along with the cartoons section. A sample read for u...read on

Look for the Mandir That's Within You
Satya Vedant

One morning a poor man approached a priest standing at the door of his temple and asked him permission to enter. The priest said: "My friend, what would you do in a temple? So long as your mind is impure or restless, what good will it do getting in?" In times past, the priest would have been very curt. But times had changed and so he too, had changed his tone. However, his heart had not changed. He still managed to keep those he considered undesirable out. So he continued: ''How will the likes of you understand God? Go and purify your mind first."

The innocent man immediately withdrew from the temple precincts. The priest heaved a sigh of relief. He thought he had effectively gotten rid of the man as he would never attain peace of mind so easily — and so would never come back again. A year passed and one day the priest saw the same man walking down the street in front of the temple. He looked totally different. He radiated a divine glory. The priest thought he was going to try to come into the temple again, and the idea upset him greatly. But his fears were groundless. The man continued walking down the street without so much as a glance towards the temple. The priest could not contain himself. He ran after him and asked: "Where have you been? I have not seen you around here for quite some time."

The simple man laughed and said: "My friend, thank you. I followed your advice. For the past year I have been trying to attain peace of mind so that I might come to the temple. But last night God himself appeared in my dream and said: 'Why do you want to go to the temple? To see me? Let me tell you, I have been trying to get in myself for the past ten years. If the priest hasn't let me in, he'll never allow you to enter!'"

Osho often pointed out that no church or temple built by man can be greater than man. And man-made churches and temples are so small and insignificant there isn't enough room for God! A temple built by someone whose mind is not a temple itself is of no use.One who has never experienced God within will never find Him outside. God makes his first appearance to a man within the man himself. And that first appearance is total. There is no outer way to reach the totality; the inner is the only route. One's self is the closest thing to God; instead of searching for him far and wide, one has to discover him within. If a man cannot find something so close, how can he expect to find anything that is far away? All along, sages have told us God is not experienced in the temples; God is experienced within.

Teachers like Osho have maintained that there is a real temple of God, but it cannot be built from bricks and mortar. A temple built of stone can be Hindu, Christian, Jain or Buddhist, but it cannot belong to God. Something that is the private property of a particular organisation cannot belong to God as well. God cannot be confined in a temple — God is omnipresent, He is whole, total. God's temple can only be the temple of consciousness. It is not in the sky or on earth, it is in the soul itself. And it does not have to be built. God's temple is already there. It needs only be unveiled. Love is both a temple and a sacred scripture. "The man who has had a smattering of love's language," says Kabir, "is a scholar." Nothing remains to be learned if one has learned to love. Mastery of love implies mastery of all learning. He who hasn't learned the art of loving is ignorant of everything. No knowledge, no sensation, no experience is superior to love.

U don't need a reason to make a cartoon, not atleast with Dubya man.



Yet another one

It is rightly said that two things drive this nation crazy, Cricket and Movies. Walk into a group and you will find them talking on one of this topic. Everyone has grandson plans for the match to be played on the 1st of March 2003. The not to be missed India-Pak match. Take our office for instance, all training,’s which happen on sat have been postponed. All releases lined for Friday, all parties cancelled. No one wants to come close to office also that day. Today, everyone had an early lunch and by 1:30 the office wore a deserted look, where are all of them? Oh! They have gone to the closest home to watch the toss...A huge bunch of people are in today with the Cheer for India T-shirts. PM appeals to people to keep calm and the MP's show their support to the team (possibly they know how it is when u have no support at all....;-))

A nation bite by Cricket mania..Or the world, which is a cricket crazy...,am yet to decipher?

Am back and this story somehow has caught my imagination today.... So very relevant to my state of mind...

Every morning in Africa, When the Sun rises, A deer awakens, Knowing, it has to outrun the fastest Lion, OR, be hunted to death....
Every morning in Africa, When the Sun rises, A Lion awakens, Knowing, it has to outrun the slowest deer, OR, be starved to death....
It does not matter whether you are a deer or Lion, When the Sun rises, Better be running at your best.

In middle of difficulties, lies an opportunity

Failures, difficulties, Obstacles, Winning, loosing, come what may life has to go on....

From many a days I have been contemplating putting this post and since I procrastinate loads of work, this job as well went to the last point on my todo list.

Guys to put it in simple and straight words, I am Sorry, offlate neither have I been visiting your blogs regularly, and even if I do am not leaving my comments...also am lazy at putting up my blog as well...Life has not been easy from the past few weeks, I am just not able to concentrate or get my mind to do stuff I used to do earlier.
I promise, I will be there first thing in the morning at ur blog and leave my comment as well.

For now, herez wishing all of u a very Happy Valentine's day...May all ur dreams come true...and May Almighty bestow his Mercy on u!

I am on a short break of 5 days, will be back very soon.... Till then .. Au revoir!!!!

“Big dreams jostle with bigger nightmares, but stop breathing before you stop dreaming. Life without dreams has no meaning!”

The New Pleasure

Last night I invented a new pleasure, and as I was giving it the first trial an angel and a devil came rushing towards my house. They met at my door and fought with each other over my newly creatured pleasure; the one crying, "It is a sin!"-the other, "It is a virtue!".

Khalil Gibran's A Treasury of Wisdom.
A must read for all Khalil Gibran fans...

Ye Zindagi ke mele

ye zi.ndagii ke mele, duniyaa me.n kam na ho.nge afasos ham na ho.nge

ik din pa.Degaa jaanaa, kyaa vaqt, kyaa zamaanaa
koii na saath degaa, sab kuchh yahii.n rahegaa
jaae.nge ham akele, ye zi.ndagii ke mele, duniyaa me.n kam na ho.nge afasos ham na ho.nge

duniyaa hai mauj\-e\-dariyaa, qatare kii zi.ndagii kyaa
paanii me.n mil ke paanii, a.njaam ye ke paanii
dam bhar ko saa.ns le le, ye zi.ndagii ke mele...

ho.ngii yahii bahaare.n, ulfat kii yaadagaare.n
biga.Degii aur chalegii, duniyaa yahii rahegii
ho.nge yahii jhamele, ye zi.ndagii ke mele

A legendary song and so meaningful....no wonder it was Dad's favourite...

Translations welcome :)

Sarah celebrated her birthday yesterday. Many Many Happy Returns of Yesterday :)

This afternoon, i got into an conversation with a person i know, it started on a low note, but ended on a very high boiling point of blood...Read on

X: I am planning to start a foster home for the aged,
Me: But there are already so many, every been to one? U will never ever go there again,
X: yes, collecting details, There are so many hitech ones...pretty good once, they charge pretty good too
Me: Actually a crazy idea, I would never leave my parent in an old age home, come what may
X: that is you, but not all people are like you
Me: I can get so many people to vouch for letting their parents live in misery
X: seriously!! It won’t be free
Me: nothing comes free in this world...except advice
X: But seriously, we are planning a good one, state of the art as they call
Me: What will be state of the art? Old aged people are like kids, they need company of their family which u cannot give at this foster homes, Every old age home has all facility, but cannot beat that of their home, the look on their faces, tells u that they feel neglected
X: but the reality is children, doesn’t need then anymore, or can’t take care of them
Me: come-on ya, how can u say that to ur parents, Its the duty of every child to take care of their parents, I believe that u r answerable to god to take care of them
X: I am sure we wont, as I said, why are they 60 + foster homes all doing good business
Me: They are luring people, there should be a rule made that no such place should be there in this world
X: not really!!
Me: I know 90% people will not buy my idea, but I think it’s a crazy idea to have such homes,
X: This looks like we are going into an argument again
Me: all these foster homes, babycare centers should be banned
X: absolutely, you sound like talibani now
Me: taliban...I may...because we are taught in our religion that it’s imperative on us to take care of our parents...

One topic which really ticks me off is leaving ur parents in the care of others...I know what it is to have a parent and lose one too...
I just hope that everyone takes care of their parents and these so called "Foster" homes close for ever...

Commander Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, Ilan Ramon...the 7 people who did their nation proud, will go down in history as another classic example of "so near yet so far"...Imagine 16 minutes to land and they go to land of no return. May their soul rest in peace.