For my friends who are amazing ghazalists!

Spring Cleaning

Make it a Daily Routine

Create                More                  Space

At home                              

In your heart

Unburden your shoulders          

Your mind

Let go of that thing in the back of the storeroom

In the recesses of your brain

That old thing you put away

Thinking you will use it some day

That grudge you bore

Thinking you will make them repay

That thing will remain in the dark corner

But the thought that you didn’t let go

Will fester unhealing

Let it go let it go let it go

Create            More                Space

 

 

 

 

Unplugged

I applaud myself for unplugging during at least a few of my waking hours daily, and not checking emails and messages between 9am-9pm, but some folks are fortunate to take it to the next level. I discovered that a sweetest couple I know are the most unplugged couple I met so far.  A few days ago I helped them set up an account on a website as they wanted to give away stuff. They did not remember their email id! Very trustingly he was about to tell me the password for his computer! After logging in, I was zapped to see 1000s of unread emails. What I would give to not to have to read emails daily. Sigh. An occupational hazard for me. Unavoidable. How do they spend their day, each day? Not jabbing away on the computer like I do most working hours, but creating beautiful things, useful things, with artistry and love, to give away to those that need it. 

When I retire, I wish I can go back to the pre-television, pre-electronic era where I spent my childhood. 

EVERYTHING IS A MIRACLE

                                                             EVERYTHING IS A MIRACLE

Every day is a miracle. Miracles don't just happen. Rather see miracles. In everything you do. Every morning that the sun rises. When you can still see stars in the sky. Every day that you wake up without disease. Or the strength to accept it is what it is. Enjoy every morsel of your meal. And appreciate art. Or create your own. Take a leisurely walk. Sleep soundly even if a few hours. Every day is a miracle. See it in everything you do.

 

Flow

Flow is when
you wake up early with lucid dreams 
about your favorite project
On waking up you continue where
you left off from the dream
translate visuals and visions
to words, phrases, paragraphs, pages.

Flow is when
it is past dinner time
you are watching a maestro perform
and compelled to try
A humble attempt yet
a feat he could accomplish
through persistence, practice, practice, practice.

Flow is when
the night is young no more
but you attempt heroically
what he played with such elegance
you begin humbly and mindfully
just repeating the notes a hundred times
till your hand moves without volition

and finally strikes the right chord
on the instrument, and in YOU.

Human Development

I was hiking at a local park this morning and the temperature was18 degrees F. I had to cut short my walk after about .6 miles, even though I was well covered in warm clothes. My fingers, in 2 layers of gloves, were burning, and I was afraid I would get frost bite. I was fascinated however, at the flock of ducks, geese and a pair of ring-billed gulls who had congregated at a water hole in the midst of a frozen pond. They were obviously having great fun, luxuriating in the refreshingly cold waters, and basking in the warmth of the sun. Unlike me, they needed no artificial protection against the elements. Over the course of evolution, we have lost the ability to survive without the comforts that modernity offers [barring a few rishis/yogis who can live in extreme conditions].  

Human development...a myth? 

Watch the beautiful birds here:

Ducks, Geese and Ring-billed Gulls Meet

Hard-Earned Fruits Are Sweeter

When I started to take formal lessons in the Saraswati Veena, my music teacher Late Sri PRK Murthy told me, "Play the same notes in a scale a thousand times." Practice doesn't always make perfect, but repeated and persistent practice over a length of time has manifold benefits-automaticity, refinement, fluency, competency, mastery of the skill, and maturity.

In this Q and A session, the popular Carnatic music singers Ranjani and Gayatri also reaffirm, if you want to be a true artist and pursue art for art's sake, realize the path is long and hard. 
https://youtu.be/VDeuFMPUzdU











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