Come fly with me...

When I was on my luchtime walk today, I saw a little boy about three dressed in a Superman costume, complete with boots and even a red cape, but sitting in a stroller that was being pushed by his mother. It was so cute it brought a smile to my face, and so incongrous too. Here was a Superman who wasn't even walking let alone flying, I couldn't help thinking.

Then later on it occurred to me that so much like that we are too. Here we are limitless, flying spirits but once we don our physical bodies, we forget all about our boundless nature. Our bodies understandably are bound by gravity but we let our minds too get fettered with convention, dogma, rigidity, 'can't-dos', impossibilites. We don't realise that there is a realm of infinite possibility that we have access to. That anything is possible. We need to get hold of a mental Superman costume and wear it so that we can relearn to fly :)

Anyone interested in flying lessons ?

why?

if God can create the whole universe, can he not take care of my needs? then why do I feel insecure about tomorrow? why do I hoard and hoard for the future, even more than I might ever need? when I let go of these fears, I feel free. I feel like I am floatling weightless in a void. a void filled with love...

A Moroccan story

----- Another gem of a story from the book "Like the Flowing River" by Paulo Coelho. -----

A visitor arrives from Morocco and tells me a curious story about how certain desert tribes perceive original sin.

Eve was walking in the Garden of Eden when the serpent slithered over to her.

”Eat this apple,” said the serpent.

Eve, who had been properly instructed by God, refused.

”Eat this apple,” insisted the serpent. “You need to look more beautiful for your man.”

”No, I don’t,” replied Eve. “He has no other woman but me.”

The serpent laughed.

”Of course he has.”

And when Eve did not believe him, he led her up to a well on top of a hill.

”She’s in that cave. Adam hid her in there.”

Eve leaned over and, reflected in the water of the well, she saw a lovely woman. She immediately ate the apple the serpent was holding out to her.

According to this same Moroccan tribe, a return to paradise is guaranteed to anyone who recognizes his or her reflection in the water and feels no fear.

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If you think you're too small..

“If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito.”

- Anita Roddick

What can I say about her, her life says it all ! http://www.anitaroddick.com/

Sita in the forest

A long time ago when Doordarshan was the only channel on television, they used to telecast these wonderful dance programmes. There is one I haven’t forgotten even after all these years and which I keep remembering very often these days.

It was a lecture-performance and the story being depicted was of Sita and her twins living in the forest. One day, the dancer explains, they set out to collect firewood. They come to this tree and before chopping it down they bow down in obeisance and ask the tree spirit for its permission and forgiveness. Humble and contrite they realize that they are not owners but guests and the rules of hospitality must not be violated. The bowed Sita image comes to mind very often these days.

There are reams and reams of words written and spoken, miles of footage telecast and broadcast on the apocalypse that is coming. Lamentations on the world consuming itself to destruction like a parasite consuming its own host. We are all following the 10, 20, 50 ways to save the planet. And I’m pretty sure it’s all making a difference. But in my opinion unless we establish a connection with Nature, with the Earth, like the ancients did, all these efforts are going to be just superficial. That applies to all of us, rich nations, developing ones, poor countries.

We all have myriads of problems, excruciating job schedules, sick relatives, money troubles, but we don’t forget to eat, do we? Most ofus are strapped for time, but we still make space for love and laughter, don’t we? This connection with the Earth Mother and the spirit that underlies all things is just as existential. Then why do we put it aside? Without it we flounder about lost in the maze of the senses, in a world created by the ego, moving towards artificial goals.

Surrounded by comforts and noise, by mindless activity, we have lost that connection with the elements, we’ve forgotten that we are made up the elements ourselves. We tend to think of ourselves as executives and professionals and powerful. As rich and well-informed and doing better than the neighbours. As having fun and being financially secure. But is that our true nature? We cannot see beyond the labels. We have lost the connection with the source of all things and until we regain that connection all other journeys are going to be futile. That is the only journey worth taking. And we must do it not for our children, not for the planet, but for ourselves.

How can we put our external world in order when our inner world is in shambles? How can we rebuild the planet when our own house is in need of fixing? How can we save the world when we haven’t saved ourselves?

Therefore, I remember Sita in the forest.