Sunday, February 13, 2011

THE EVERLASTING LOVE STORY

In few hours it’s valentine’s day. A day we human designated for love. To think about a true love story on this day is our human limitation. Since for HIM, every day, every breath and every moment is full of love. For HIM, every moment, HIS love is ever flowing and evolving within us. And yet, we are humans, bound by our very own conceptions and limitations. So here on this day… living the only true love story…….




We all are looking for love. Our very own love story and forever kind of love. That endures the hardship of life and circumstances. And yet most of us are unable to find that enduring kind of love. Most amazing thing is- that we all posses that kind of love and that kind of BELOVED who always stays with us. Who never judges us, who loves us despite our so many imperfections, deceptions and so on. But we are so busy finding true love and a true , honest lover out in this world, that we never heed our BELOVED’S loving call. And go thru one heart ache and another and another. In last so many births, we have been looking for this love soo much and have shed so many tears in the name of love , a whole ocean can be created out of those bitter tears. And still haven’t been able to find that true love. RUMI ji says---



The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for u, not realising that lovers don’t finally meet each other somewhere, they are in each other all along.



What exactly is true love? We try to answer that , and yet fail to express in words. This much every one agrees on though- true love is forever. It never dies. Even if beauty fades, even if circumstances are against it. If whole world is against it. If one lover dies. If lovers are thrown far apart. No it never dies. It never sees imperfections. Love is blind. Lover’s imperfections are immaterial. Coz lover can never see them. Love stays. Thru all harshness, it gives support. Never leaving u alone to face anything. A shoulder to lean upon. And so much more….



And yet not many relations can claim to have this kind of love. Love never fails. Not once. And yet thru all our human perfections we manage to fail our loved ones. We are bound with forces of karmas. We, how hard we try , or how ever much good intentions we may have, can never completely be successful in never failing loved ones. Coz a puppet can only dance at the tunes of puppet master. And our karmas play the role of a hard puppet master. So how can we find true love here? Or be true lover to anyone?



And yet we all have our very own true love and our very own true love story. Which we neither try to live nor we try to find.



This is the only worth finding and living love story. A love story of DIVINE LOVE.



A love which is always there, fulfilling every criteria of a true and enduring love story. And we all have our very own BELOVED. A lover who is always waiting for us. To once look at HIS way. To once talk to HIM. For once notice HIM. HE is always enslaved for that love, which we try to find. Ready to give that love which we always look for.



This is one amazing love story.



And this is how it goes….



Love is a matter of experience, not of intuition, imagination or reason. But how can we love some one whom we can not see? DIVINE love. A wonderful sound to this. And yet most of us feel helpless. Coz we can not see that BELOVED let alone love HIM. Love is far more real when we have direct personal experience, human to human. How can we truly love little understud divine power thru the force of our limited imagination? We need a divine intermediary. One who is already one with divine power. One who is manifestation of that divine power at our very own level. And here comes the role of a perfect living MYSTIC.



We as a human being may not be able to understand much. But the effect a MASTER has on soul is overwhelming. Reflecting the inner dance of joy that the soul feels, when she comes into contact with a MASTER after being lost for ages in the labyrinth of creation. Deep and intense emotions can flood thru a person when they come into contact with a spiritualised being of high calibre such as a perfect MYSTIC. Deepest level inside the soul recognizes intuitively who HE really is, and this can be reflected at human level as powerful , mixed feelings- awe, bliss, weeping, sighing, guilt, unworthiness etc. and soul feels the desire to change life’s direction. And soul dances with pure joy inside that finally HE has arrived to take her back home. Finally her travel and her ordeal is over. Finally the end and eternal rest is near.



HE attaches the soul to HIS physical form only to draw the soul inside. Where the real true love story exists.



This love story starts from the very beginning. When this world never existed. This story existed even then.



Deep inside every soul knows this story and how it started.



When I was a little child,


Dwelling in my kingdom, in my Father’s house


And in wealth and the glories


Of my nurtures had my rest,


From the east, our home,


My Parents, having equipped me, sent me forth.


( Robe of Glory )



When the soul was very young and living in peace and bliss with GOD our Father. HE sends her out. Sends her out, but not away. Since GOD is every where HE can never be away from any soul. It only means sends soul to this creation. With only one motive. To bring back the pearl of spiritual enlightenment.



But the soul ( we ) after coming to this creation forgets about going back . of seeking that pearl to bring back to her Father. She is drawn against her will to the never ending desires and pleasures and births of this creation. And gradually forgets not only her home but her reason to be in this creation altogether. She is seeking something, that’s all every soul remembers. And keeps seeking it in this creation. Every soul is seeking something. Feeling that may be it’s this, may be it’s that. May be this love can finally fulfil her cravings. Never realising that she is craving for the love, peace and bliss she has known at her Father’s home. She keeps seeking that love. Her Father , an ocean of love, is not forgetful of HIS child’s predicament. And seeing HIS child in pain and in vain search of love, sends HIS divine messenger to bring her back. But she is seeking love. She can not understand that how to reach out that love. And so that divine messenger, starts to woo the soul. Make her fall in love with HIM, and seek HIM inside. And there exist the most wonderful wooing of any love story . Any earthly human being may fail in this wooing. Specially when lover never responds. Humans may give up. And start seeking love else where. But the divine BELOVED never fails. HE never gives up. Till the soul starts responding to HIS loving pulls. With every inner pull of BELOVED, however small that pull may be, the soul responds completely and with joy, keep turning towards BELOVED little by little. Till the soul admits—



The sweetness and ecstasy of your love excel all intoxications of this world.



And then the soul requests the BELOVED…



“ Though your attractions are powerful, they are not violent, since their strength lies in their gentleness. “ St Francis



And she begins to sigh as though awakening from long coma like sleep, which she actually is, asleep in this world, unaware of her origins and divinity within. She urges BELOVED..



“ draw me even against my will, and make me docile, draw me despite my indolence, and make me run “ ( towards you ) Bernard of Clairvaux



She is asking to be drawn against her will because she realises that on her own strength neither she can cut the tight bounds holding her in this world, nor she can gain purity and steadfast attention to keep walking towards BELOVED without ever slipping. The allures of this world are yet very strong. And though she intuitively realises that true love and true peace and true home lies within her reach, with the inner pulls of BELOVED. Yet the strength of wayward mind is hard to overcome on her strength alone. So she urges her BELOVED to draw her against even her will. Lest her will creates hindrance against the true love that has somehow found her, in this maze of creation.



She even tries her best to tell her BELOVED that though she may seem dirty due to all the dirt accumulated in this creation. Yet she is still lovely



Do not condemn me because I m black, for my blackness is all external. It is due to touching and bearing this image of sin ( the body ) , but it is not a blackness of soul. – Walter Hilton.



In her loneliness she even ask for mercy from BELOVED, and implores HIM to take her inside. Where she can be alone with her BELOVED and her BELOVED is not surrounded by so many sheep. A true perfect MYSTIC is always surrounded by loving disciple and many of disciples never get the chance to be close to his/ her MASTER. HE is physically far apart. And so she begs her BELOVED that she doesn’t want to live in this world any longer. Where her BELOVED is always surrounded by many souls. Inside she realises she can have BELOVED all to herself. But she also knows it’s not in her hands. It will be BELOVED’s grace and mercy that she can ever hope to meet HIS radiant form inside. This meeting and yearning for this meeting is only true yearning of love. All else fade in front of this yearning and finally meeting BELOVED inside. And HIS beauty and the feeling of peace is beyond any words or description. But that doesn’t even need words. Coz every soul, pulled by BELOVED intuitively realises the beyond description ecstasy of this meeting when ever it will take place. And this is the only pull that she keeps striving for reaching BELOVED inside.



And BELOVED is constantly with HIS soul, gazing her from inside with love. A perfect MYSTIC never leaves HIS soul, HIS disciple ever alone. HE is always with HIS dear and loving disciple. For having awakened HIS soul from deep sleep of this world, and putting inside her the yearning to be with HIM to return back home, HE is not going to leave her till HIS mission is accomplished.



This is no mere imagination but a most certain truth, for though we cannot see HIM, HE certainly looks down upon us…. So we can truly say – HE is standing on the other side of this very wall… looking in thru each window in turn, peering thru every chink.. St Francis



Feeling HIS presence within the soul silently and tearlessly cries in her longing to be with HIM,to see HIM…



She strives more lovingly in her contemplations ( Meditation ) and begs her BELOVED..



It is my wayward desires and thoughts that keep me from seeing YOU within. Control my mind for me. My heart may be full of love, but my mind still disturbs me.



Feeling disappointed with each hour of meditation passing she tells herself



Concentrated in contemplation at the single eye, I sought to meet the love of my spiritual heart, I sought HIM but HE didn’t come.



She can not find HIM for HE can be found only when HE wishes to be found. And she begs..



I am here, calling for your help,


Praying to you every morning,


Why do you reject me?


Why do u hide your face from me?


Psalm 88; 13- 14



But no one by their own will can reach inner worlds and meet BELOVED and take divine love for themselves. It is a gift of GOD which HE gives when HE sees fit.



To stay forever with the divine BELOVED, the soul must completely give up all mental attachment to the loves of her former life. She must utterly abandon her physical attachments and associations, not externally , but mentally. She must be free within herself to give all her love and every part of her being to the love of the DIVINE BELOVED . the mind must be completely pure and one pointed in its devotion and love for the LORD and HIS WORD. Nothing else should be permitted to enter the mind. For as long as soul, thru mind, entertains sensual desires of any kind, and as long as mind is still allured by thoughts of world, they will remain away and wandering far from the single eye. Where the DIVINE BELOVED waits patiently for the soul to reach HIM. To meet HIM she needs to develop one pointed love and desire for the spiritual BELOVED within. It is necessary to wait because the BELOVED only comes when HE deems fit. The soul can not demand HIS appearance as her right. HE is, after all , a DIVINE BELOVED..



She is still not pure enough. And she just might loose hope. But BELOVED with HIS inner pull and MASTER in HIS living form always keep HIS disciple from giving up. HE tells her that even though she is black but she is lovely for HE can see the light of her own very soul shining brightly under all that blackness. The soul is always encouraged to know that though she has accumulated much yet her BELOVED sees only highest good in her. HIS love for her is unconditional.



HE keeps telling HIS loving soul that—



The soul is a store of secret treasures, within herself , she is a fragrant garden. And though she may not know it, but the living water of word.. HIS light and sound flows abundantly in her.



Gradually she starts to sleep towards world. The lower tendencies of mind, which earlier used to drag her from here to there, starts to sleep.. she becomes immersed in the contemplation of BELOVED. ( meditation ) she is awake to her BELOVED , watching and praying, heart to heart with HIM.. she responds to inner pull of MASTER, becomes receptive to HIS urgings and attention starts to gather within…. Aware of HIS presence inside she recognises the flow of HIS love and HIS guiding hand in all that happens to her. The rays of her attention which is pure love starts to gather at single eye. Each ray of attention is a ray of the soul’s love, for love is the only power that exists within the soul. And till now all the power of her love, every ray was going out, seeking out.



BELOVED knows HIS aim. And that is to purify the soul of all attraction of physical world. And the soul knows that it’s all in her beloved hand. She must become pliant in her BELOVED’S hand. Forsaking and dismantling all barriers, prickles and walls. To accomplish this the MASTER knows that the fire of divine longing is very effective. As soul starts yearning desperately to see her BELOVED with a divine fire is lit inside her, that burns all her attachments, pulls down all barriers, and her separate identity, her ego is submitted to her BELOVED for just one look. For that one look of HIS radiant face within.



A MASTER’s spiritual form is said to be very beautiful.

It can not be described in words. Merely experienced with soul’s faculties. HIS physical form is an expression of great love, for those who have spiritual eyes to see can realise this. The love coming from soul to BELOVED is returned hundred fold by BELOVED to soul. Soul begins to grow and seek more and more of HIS love and attention. Her dance between two worlds… physical and one where BELOVED resides comes to end..when finally thru her longing and yearning all her impurities are burned and she comes face to face with her BELOVED and merges with HIM. In this divine intoxication the soul desires nothing more than to live in HIS love always and forever.



Your name, your memory, are all my soul desires. ( Isaiah )



And BELOVED demands nothing else from soul but to love HIM with all her being, dedicating herself completely to HIM.



HE is a jealous lover. Reality is that GOD is soul’s essence. Nothing else but GOD exists. But for a struggling soul, who is struggling to reach HIM, attraction to any other thing than GOD HIMSELF must be overcome. There is no room for impatience of mind. Only for longing of soul to respond fully to the divine call of love.



She now implores other fellow souls walking towards BELOVED who are fortunate enuf to see HIM be with HIM.



My dear friends and companions on this path, if u r fortunate enuf to see our BELOVED , tell HIM that I m consumed with love for HIM.


Her companions reply…. Where then can we find this BELOVED of your’s O soul? For we would help you seek HIM.



BELOVED on the other hand, keeps soul intrigued, some times giving her a glimpse of HIS inner spiritual form, and then moving up ahead so that she may seek HIM out and follow HIM. These glimpse serves to fuel soul’s yearning and she burns to be with HIM. This fire of yearning consumes her left imperfections. Making her fit to follow and remain with BELOVED.



From countless soul that a perfect MASTER collects HE manages to make every soul feel perfect, unique and special. And as the soul breaks into blossom, she begins to long for salvation. She begins to grow, she seeks more and more of GOD’s attention. Inwardly she is dancing with joy and love. The soul is no longer surrounded by thorns of human imperfection, it is now always protected by sweet lilies of spirituality. And at this stage remaining with BELOVED she is always at peace. And BELOVED says—



You are an island of peace in a sea of turbulence. Turbulence of this world. She is living in it, but never of it.

The soul and mind of the lover are concentrated at the single eye.

You are at peace, The BELOVED says, an inward silent observer of a world in a state of continual agitation.



As RUMI JI describes this state—



You are happy, happy, but I am a thousand times happier!


Whom have I encountered in my dream last night? I know not.


I am so happy, I cannot be contained in the world;


But like a spirit, I am hidden from the eyes of the world.


If the foot of the trees were not tied to earth, they would be pursuing me;


For I have blossomed so much, I am the envy of the gardens.


This is only true story worth living. And this is the only forever kind of love. When humans may fail, divine BELOVED never does. HE is capable of making soul fall in love and pull her within. HE is capable of taking her back with HIM. And thank GOD for that. For HE is capable enough. Coz we on our own can never reach back to Him. And neither we can find that true love. May we can experience the true ecstasy of LOVE. For we don’t even know, with all our mind and intellect what exactly LOVE and loving means. What we think of love is narrow and selfish version of actual true LOVE , which is the only truth of our existence, as MYSTICS tells us.



My soul is screaming in ecstasy


Every fiber of my being


Is in love with you.


your effulgence


has lit a fire in my heart


...and you have made radiant for me


the earth and sky.


My arrow of love has arrived right on target.


I am in the house of mercy


and my heart is a place


of prayer.


Rumi



And yet it’s HIS gift. For how many of us, realises the presence of perfect MASTER? How many soul realises the presence of true love within? And how many actually strive to reach HIM within. And how many actually manages to reach HIM within?

We are so immersed in trying to find true love in wrong direction that we on our own can never recognise the love within all of us.



So may GOD give this love to all, make us worthy of receiving and recognising this love. To live and finally merge in this true love. So that our waitings, yearnings and longing for true love may be fulfilled. May HE grant us the strength to try to reach HIM. And may we forever live in the only true eternal LOVE.



On this valentine day, may our every moment turn into permanent, eternal LOVE.



Peace and Bliss to all…















Wednesday, February 2, 2011

GRATITUDE

GRATITUDE


That feeling of thankful appreciation for favours or benefits received. That warm appreciative response to kindness.

It’s a feeling with which we r fast loosing connection. Though in our life we all more familiar with complaints, with problems, with inadequacies. We all r regular grouches.

It’s as if we didn’t know any better. It’s as if we didn’t come to the path. It’s as if we didn’t have a MASTER at all.



THE MASTER.

Just the mention of HIS name brings a stillness to our minds and to our hearts. HIS name , HIS image, HIS teachings should quiet the confusion, the worries, and the stirrings that have brought us time and again to HIS feet. We want to be in HIS presence even if HE remains silent. For it is then HE speaks to our hearts



It’s no small measure for which we must be thankful that the LORD has put us in touch with the right TEACHER. It’s not by accident or by our own effort that we came to the feet of the MASTER but rather by the lord’s mercy and grace. Indeed , when we take stock of our past before we came to this path, we cannot help but note how undeserving we were of this immense gift.



Kabir sahib says…if a leper who is bleeding from every pore in his body receives gift of initiation from a perfect master then even if he is despised by others he is still more fortunate then kings and millionaires.



Just knowing HIM is greatest gift. And to be HIS marked sheep to be added in HIS fold….is beyond comprehension. We as disciple of a perfect MASTER never quiet understand HIS loving kindness, just as drop can never fathom ocean. Our mind is just like a cup, and HIS love is like an ocean. We try to judge the ocean’s depth with the measuring instrument as small as a cup !!!



Any word of gratitude or any measure of thankfulness is not enough to ever repay HIS love and HIS kindness. And that too when we don’t even know or can never guess how much care HE gives us with our every single breath, how HE supports us, or how much HE ends our sufferings with HIS quiet, silent support. Can we ever thank HIM enough??



Once MASTER said- a MASTER takes care of HIS disciple so much. Which a disciple never knows till he goes inside. That how much support was being given by the MASTER. HE takes care of every single thing in HIS disciple’s life.



And how unaware we live our lives. Of how much HE is doing for us.



Gratitude is that feeling of music and dance in every single pore of our heart and body, when our soul dance with the realisation, how it’s never alone, how it’s being loved and taken care of every single moment . And caretaker is none else then our own ..MASTER… Think of it in this way. GOD HIMSELF is taking care of us and walking with us every single step. Gratitude is when sitting in an office waiting for our turn, or sitting in an airport waiting for flight or some one we came to receive, or going first time all alone from some where to some where, just because no family member was available to go with u, stuck in a nowhere kind of place in the middle of night, with broken down car and no help in sight, yet feeling a presence, a warmth, a cared for feeling, and all fears leaving as we feel HIS presence beside us in each and every circumstance that life choose to push on us.

Gratitude is when we see fellow humans… GOD’S souls living in pain because life becomes to hard to bear, bewildered about things happening everywhere, not being able to fathom any thing in life, not knowing where they are going , what they are doing, feeling compassion for these fellow souls, and realising that HE has made everything so much easier for us. Even though at times we ourselves are helplessly blown with whatever wind is blowing in our life at that time. And yet the feeling of HIS guiding hand never leaves. And inside we know that till HE is our shepherd nothing can go wrong. For HE is taking care. And it becomes easier to handle circumstances. When we have measuring cup as --- will HE be pleased or not? Decisions become easier to take. Gratitude is when other souls are busy trying to keep their mind happy with movies and other entertainments, never understanding spiritual travellers obsession with solitude. When we as soul realise the enormity of that knowledge that HE walks on this earth !!! HE lives and breath with us in this air. And we are the fortunate souls that HE choose to impart this enormous knowledge. Just to know HE is some where among us, walking the same earth while all others pass HIM by unaware, even this much is soooo wonderful. As if we have some secret treasure about which only we know.

And then gradually as we realise that every breath is HIS gift, every lesson is HIS gift, every step taken towards HIM is HIS gift…. Then even words fail to convey such small word as GRATITUDE….

Coz then it’s just LOVE…. HIS LOVE…..



Such a famous yet less appreciated story… less appreciated coz we read it, feel touched and talk about it, and then forget it. This is one story to be absorbed in every breath. Coz this is ultimate truth of our human life and human experience on this earth.





Footsteps on Sand---






One night i had a dream


i dreamed i was walking along the beach with god


and across the sky flashed the scenes from my life


for each scene i noticed two sets of footprints


in the sand, one belonged to me, the other to god.


When the last scene of my life flashed before us,


i looked back at the footprints in the sand.


I noticed that many times along the path of life


there was only one set of footprints,


i also noticed that it happened at the very lowest


and saddest part in my life,


this really bothered me and i questioned god about it


“god, you said that once i decided to follow you ,


you would walk with me all the way,


but i noticed that during the most troublesome time


in my life there is only one set of footprints?


I don’t understand why in times when i needed you most,


you would leave me?”


God replied “my precious – precious child i would never –never leave you during your times of suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that i carried you”.





So we just may never know when and how HE is taking care of us. And when we realise this, the feeling coming in our soul is---- Gratitude.





Think of it--- was it us who come in the way of perfect living MASTER? Or was it our own deeds that made us HIS marked sheep. We could have been met with some MASTER who doesn’t know the path to our ultimate abode and we just mite be worshipping GOD for heaven, never knowing of soul’s own home—to be with GOD. So it was HIM..who has taken us under HIS wings. Can we ever ever ever repay HIM enough for this?





We can only do so by doing one and only thing HE asks from us…meditation. Even this HE asks us for our own benefit…is there no end to HIS love, grace, and kindness?



And by being HIS good children so that next time when we went to meet HIM, there shouldn’t be tear in HIS voice when HE asks us to be good human beings .

But a smile....



oh MASTER ...just smile....



In the spirit


of HIS boundless love,


we try to thank HIM.


And to render HIM service,


but the truth is it’s HE


who serves us…..


Peace to all....