I brought flowers for my birthday...

It was my birthday and I brought myself a bunch of beautiful flowers... Wondering? why would anyone get flowers for his own self... Flowers are generally always brought for others.. friends, beloved, family...any one, least likely by someone for himself...
Speaking about myself, I love flowers... they make me alive. Truly they light up my face...Like a rainbow, a sweet smile flashes on my face on the sight of flowers. I keep hoping someone will give me a flower.. on friendship's day, birthday, valentine's day...deep down in the recesses of mind there lies a secret wish, a hope that... wish I get a flower today...
It is a trivial wish, which, even if not fulfilled doesn't harm me in any way...However, why do I expect others to fulfill that one wish of mine, when I myself can do so... Thats why I brought flowers for myself on my birthday. To make me happy.

Friends,this is one basic reason why we lead an unhappy life... We expect lot from others, from the people around us, from friends and loved ones, but we expect least from us. We ignore that it is "I" who is responsible for my happiness. It is "ME" who can ultimately make a difference in my life. "ME" who has the power to bring sunshine to my life.

The incident which I narrated was a mundane one..however, the learning is deep. The more we limit our expectations from others and from life, the happier we become. You know why? It is because we become liberated, limitless and free. We are free from the worry.."What if this doesnt happen", "What if he doesnt respond in that way".
Soar high into the sky on the wings of imagination, dream and hope and a confidence on yourself, a believe that you are your best and most reliable friend.. That is life, my friend...

Another thing, which I wanted to share...Imagine you have a huge garden in front of you.. beautiful flowers dancing in the breeze. Red roses, gladiolus, gerbera, cosmos, daffodils... as far as your eyes can travel, a host of bright, beautiful flowers stretch before you. Now, I ask, pluck flowers for yourself. Make a bouquet for yourself. Believe me, it is much more difficult to choose the flowers and make a bouquet for yourself than it would be to make a collection for others.. Funny right... However, thats exactly what I felt when I was at the florist, trying to pick my favorite flowers...Sometimes, we know ourselves very little. In an effort to please the world and in an endless pursuit of happiness and joy, we tend to ignore that the true way to joy,peace and fulfillment is to know ourselves as best as we can, to continuously strive towards becoming a better person. The journey of self actualization,realization and liberation is the path which leads us to the the ultimate final destination: an abode of happiness, serenity and peace. A state in which the soul breaks from the bondage of worldly emotions and materialistic pursuits.

Now, I see a beautiful bouquet in front of my eyes... the bright flowers promising hope, joy and love even in life's winter. The bright yellow gerbera which promises me that though it might be cloudy today, tomorrow is yet to come, a tomorrow full of sunshine...the red rose, which reminds of of the numerous people whose love is the driving force of my life... the togetherness and support of near and dear ones, which has and will give me the power to cross every bridge of my life. The sweet smell of the "Rajnigandha" which silently speaks to me, though tomorrow someone precious may not be there in my life, the memories will still remain. The fragrance of beautiful moments will continue to adorn my life till eternity. The thorns which depict that life is not a bed of roses, each of us have our share of problems and worries... however, we have to make our way through.. and the green leaves which make my mind fly on the wings of imagination to witness the beauty of Mother Earth, the nature, which continues to teach us something new, every moment we care to listen.

Thats my collection, My bouquet of life.. which wishes me "Happy Birthday" and whisper "
Limitless mind... lets soar higher and higher..."

People are like stained-glass windows......

People are like stained-glass windows.....They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within....

I remember coming across this quote several times.... however, today it made me pause and think...my mind wanted to seek the meaning of this true and beautiful quote...
One thing which I realized was, how blind we actually are to the world around us.. We keep moving in quest of money, fame , riches... in search of life and happiness and fail to take a look deep inside us, fail to realize our inner self, fail to liberate our souls from the chains of materialistic possessions, we fail to realize that all this will be left behind that one day, when we start the journey to our heavenly abode.

As we grow we get more and more entangled in the chains of materialism, drawn as a magnet towards worldly attractions and start moving further and further away from spiritualism and the Almighty. We become like the musk deer, who searches for 'Kasturi', madly, rooming here and there; failing to realize that it is actually within himself. And when the journey of life finally ends... at the purple altar of death, I suppose, we realize the futility of our materialistic endeavors... Anyways, coming back to the original point, I decided to keep my eyes open, keep my mind receptive and my senses alert to the world and learn from Universe, the greatest University. Be willing to learn, think, take an inward journey of self realization and self actualization and to finally work towards liberating my soul.. We are humans, so we cant expect ourselves to completely de-attach ourselves from materialistic possessions, name and fame. However, we must always keep in mind that nothing lasts forever....nothing is permanent.. nothing really belongs to us... as we come alone and leave alone... that's the truth and we will have to except it and live with it..

The quote beautifully reflects that what lies before us and what lies behind us is immaterial when compared to what lies within us. I remember my early school days at Carmel, Durgapur and recall how our motto was "Let your light shine". If there is light within no matter what happens there will always be a halo of light around us. If we do not have that light, when the clouds of distress tend to darken our lives, it will be difficult for us to sail through.
The world bears witness to the fact that for liberated souls their is no stoppage. They are liberated.. meaning they are free from the bondage of fear and loss... The light within may not mean living the life of a saint.. its ultimately our mindset... cultivating the virtues of mankind within is the "LIGHT". Then whether you are saint or a normal human being - a family person, it doesn't matter. We are the torchbearers in the journey of life... Lets make our virtues and base so strong that we are able to meet each and every challenge that life throws at our face.
Also the world is made of we- the people... If each one of us works towards the betterment of our inner self, the world would be more peaceful and better place to live in.

Buddha says:
“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.”

Beauty without virtue is like a rose without smell. I urge myself to take a step towards cultivating virtues as a part of my character, as I choose not to be a tainted glass.

The RAINBOW

As I child I loved the rainbow... I associated it with the fairy land. On one end,I imagined, there are huge and dangerous giants and on the other end pretty and lovely fairies, who could make any of your wishes come true...Major part of this imagination was triggered by Enid Blyton's novels which used to set my mind free from the bounds of the real world and travel as far as I wanted.

As I grew up, my perception and thoughts about the Rainbow changed, however, I never stopped loving the Rainbow. Even now, I feel so thrilled and joyous after seeing the rainbow. Love to stare at it in awe and wonder, while my thoughts associated with the "Rainbow" create turmoil in the inner recesses of my mind.

I feel the rainbow is nature's way of expressing that after rough times better days are definitely on their way. Hardships are surely followed by path of roses. How the bright rainbow magically appears on the canvas of the blue sky, after even the worst possible showers. The seven colors symbolizing the beauty and brightness associated with life. The "VIBGYOR" where each color holds its own special meaning .

V: Violet, symbolizes peace and harmony. The harmony of my mind and soul. The inner peace within, which is my most precious possession. Talking about harmony and peace, I remember reading: As per Chinese culture, violet symbolizes peace as it is the combination of red(known as yang) and blue (known as yin)

I: Indigo, symbolizes mystical borderland of wisdom, self-mastery and spiritual realization. Indigo is the color of the deep midnight sky.While blue is the color of communication with others, indigo turns the blue inward, to increase personal thought, profound insights, and instant understandings.

B: Blue is the coolest color, a color which soothes the eyes... the color of the ocean, the blue sky, a color I deeply associated with imagination and dreams.A color associated with my own calm and sweet little world. Yes, it is my favorite color. As I paint a picture, and my brush moves on the rhythm of blue... my thoughts travel to beautiful but sometimes unknown destinations... I sore high on the wings of imagination. Yes, that is the land of my dreams.

G: Green indicates live and vivacity. Green is the color of nature. I associate it with youth and liveliness. I attribute it to growth and prosperity. Here, comes the luxuries we dream about. Money, name and fame. Green : an integral part of life.

Y: Yellow symbolizes purity. Thinking of yellow, a picture of a beautiful, warm, bright and sunny day dawns upon the canvas of my mind.As pure and essential as the life giving sunlight. To me it means sunny days are always on their way. It may be cloudy today, but it can never be cloudy always.

O: Orange is a dynamic color. To me it symbolizes curiosity. Life is an adventure, live it and enjoy it. Explore the world around, explore yourself. There are so many questions answered. Lets take a plunge into the ocean of knowledge. Lets keep exploring, keep moving and keep living. Orange adds fuel to my creativity and imagination.

R: Red is color of passion, the fire within us. The spark which keeps us alive. I deeply associate with love of near and dear ones, which is one of the most integral fuel for our lives. It brings focus to the essence of life and living with emphasis on survival.

That is what the beautiful colors of the rainbow mean to me. May our lives be full of all the colors of the rainbow. Also, I deeply wish; may the rainbow continue to inspire you each time when you see it, as it continues to inspire me till day. Do take the time to spare some time to this beauty of nature, which though common, is one of the most soothing and wonderful natural phenomenon.

As for me, the rainbow will always continue to strengthen my belief on one my favorite proverbs: 'Every cloud has a silver lining'.

With love... to the Rainbow