Click on the picture and you will be able to read in short what it means to live in a state of surrender...
My way of putting it is 'Do your best and leave the rest'
Then 'flow'
If you do not like a chipped tile in your room, you have 3 choices:
Replace it
Ignore it or
accept it...but joyfully
After you have taken responsibility for your life and decisions...Go your way rejoicing...

Jyoti Nagda is my young friend, She is participating in a “Dream Run”to raise funds for Organ Transplantation of Mr. Gangaram Mallana.

Few months back 33 years old patient Gangaram Mallana was diagnosed with end stage kidney failure. He is the sole bread earner in his family with his wife and three children to look after. Working as a peon, he hardly earns enough money to run his house and now due to financial constraint, even undergoing dialysis every week is becoming unfeasible.
Pls reply to:
jyotsnagda@gmail.com

My other young friend's husband has been diagnosed with blood cancer...My friend has sold her jewelery and is ready to sell her house to pay for her husband's treatment...


My third friend to add cheer, is starting dance classes with steps of Michael Jackson...You may reply to me and I shall fwd your and participation...

I attended the programme 'We Remember' hosted by PCGT (Public Concern for Governance Trust) and NCPA (National Centre for Performing Arts)
at Tata Theatre, NCPA Nariman Point on Wed 25.11.2009
The program in brief included
Prayers by Blind Students
Bhajans by Shri Jalota
Recognising Children of Victims of 26.11.2008 carnage
Memorial Concert to REMEMBER victims of the tragedy of 26.11.2008 by Symphony Orchestra of India

The programme was inspiring, remembering, touching and sensitively put together...the speeches of Mr Narayan Varma, Sivanandhan, Deshmukh, Rahul Bose...were short, crisp,and to the point and reached their target: Our intellect and heart!

Before one reads what Bella Jaisinghani wrote about the DAY...I would like to say that WE NEED TO REMEMBER...and we as citizens need to show our solidarity...to some of the politicians who may have done something in the past year, but need to do so much much more...

Mumbai: A year to the day since the multi-pronged terror attacks targeted Mumbai but impacted the world, its citizens made a brave show of oneness as they remembered their martyrs. For a city that has come to view its vast shoreline as a threat, where the thousands who pass through each entry and exit are vetted by man and machine, its people made an effort to show they may have been bent — but not broken — by the enemy.
On Wednesday, a few children wearing traditional Indian costumes lit candles at CST railway station. At the NCPA, blind schoolboys reached out a prayer for the souls of the martyrs even as the orphans of the terror attack watched from the front rows. When the young victims rose to speak, the audience comprising police commissioner D Sivanandhan and former chief Julio Ribeiro listened as the children recounted their stories of horror.
Ribeiro, whose Public Concern for Governance Trust had organised the event, made a case for police reform, saying public pressure was the only way to stop political interference in postings.
Apart from the indigenous think-tank, the international community has also stepped in to express solidarity at this time, pointing out how terrorism is a global menace that has engulfed all religions and countries...
Bella Jaisinghani | TNN

Look at the photograph of the earth taken out from space!
It is blue, green and stunning!
What are we doing to our greenery?
We are killing trees to make place for a bigger concrete jungle...
Sunita Godbole, a trustee of WMPP is doing her bit to save the trees...I am doing my bit trying to inspire you...What are you doing?
There may be less time than we believe there is...Let's please wake up!
Mother earth is unhappy and if we procrastinate, she may have no other option but to react...

RUHANIYAT

Yesterday, Saturday the 21st of November I attended a Sufi and Mystic Music Festival...I did experience a world 'replete with universal love, peace, harmony...
Last year I heard Parvathi Baul, she reminded me of Meerabai...She carried her orchestra with her, on one hand her ektara and her drum in the other...The picture is of Kachra Khan. The children of his parents would not survive until a sage prophesied that a son would be born to them who would enthrall with his music...but they must call him Kachra Khan...Kachra means 'garbage' with a name like that you had no choice but to remain humble even if you touched peaks of glory...
More about Kachra Khan:
Kachra Khan is one of the most renowned traditional singers of the Managniar community of western Rajasthan. The Manganiar is the largest heredity musician caste whose music has been supported by wealthy landlords and aristocrats for generations. Kachra Khan was born in Khanayani Village, in the Barmer district of Western Rajasthan. He is now 47 years old yet his voice thrills world music audiences in every part of world. He learned from his father and started singing from a very early age. He sings a variety of songs related to local folklore as well as the sufi repertoire of Rajasthan. He also sings "Sufi Kalams" of famous sufi poets of the Sindh Area. He is a master of "Dohas and Allap" (High Pitch Recitation). He sings hundreds of traditional Rajasthani songs with themes around weddings, child birth, love and bravery

I have always maintained that nothing like a family...Yes, sometimes you may have disputes that last a long time...but I do believe that blood is thicker than water...and such karmas are time bound!
Sabina, Didi Janki's daughter initiated this dinner as a birthday party for her mother at the Spaghetti restaurant at Inox Bombay...and it was lovely to interact over a meal on the happy occassion...

A couple of months ago was invited to a fascinating programme hosted by 'Illuminations' and a young Sindhi lady named Sonia Punjabi from Dubai, at the Dargon Fly, Express Towers.
The speaker was brilliant. His name: Yuvraj Kapadia and he spoke about...yes brace yourselves 'the disaster expected on 2012...'
Reason: The enire human race has lost its track...It needs to review where it is headed...
The alignement of the sun, earth and centre of Milky Way which is happening on 21/12/09 comes every 225 million years...Sun is the Father Energy, Milky Way is the Mother Energy and the Earth is coming in the Centre...
The 3rd movement of the Earth's axis which is normally 7,8 cycles per second is now 12 cycles per second...

He believes that there is a possibility of averting the disaster unless we become a peaceful, mature unified society...the crystalline dna experiences the same pain that we inflict on others...There is however a remedy...Love!
Yuvraj explained the process but the bottom line is that the Centre of the Milky Way is emitting an energy equivalent to Love and responds to it!
So here is a hug coming your way...

Just before you panic because you are incapable of peace within...a lot of scholars do not believe the above theory and some also believe that it is a gimmick to promote the films on the subject...but what do you lose if you spread peace and love...you actually benefit because 'mehndi lagaane wale ke haath automatically range jaate hain, na?

Melodious and Beautiful Singing Group




We have been meeting for over 30 years...We have new young entrants who have infused energy into our Singing Group. This picture was taken during Diwali!

Sacrifice
R. Sridhar writes;
The concept of sacrifice is woven into the Hindu way of life...But sacrifice as written in the scriptures is about the sacrifice of the ego. The concept of giving up and letting go was paramount. According to the Vedic Scriptures, the simplest sacrifice was to abstain from food once a week. This was not only seen as a sacrifice but was also meant to purify the body. Less food means less production of blood. An empty stomach also aids in meditation...Unfortunately, over a period of time, it came to be interpreted as 'sacrifice of blood' Man's ingenuity led him to find ways to sacrifice blood instead of him sacrificing a meal! This led to animal sacrifice and then unfortunately to human sacrifices as well...Adi Shankara, the spiritual guru par excellence was instrumental in ensuring that this undesirable practice was discontinued at many spiritual centres...the coconut was chosen as a suitable substitute by people who did not want to give up the practice of 'bali' or sacrifice of animals and humans...

Why was the coconut chosen?
The coconut resembles the human head in many ways. The coir outside resembles the human tuft of hair. The hard nut, the skull, the water inside the blood and the kernel is akin to the mental space. Another interpretation equated the outer shell to the human being’s gross physical body and the kernel to the subtle body…A coconut is quite like the human womb. The inner kernel is protected from outside influences and chances of getting polluted are very minimal...

Laxmi and Saraswati
Devdutt Pattanaik

It is said that Vishnu keeps Saraswati on his tongue. This makes Laxmi jealous. She rushes towards him and plants herself in his heart. Vishnu knows that the fickle Laxmi will leave as soon as Saraswati leaves his tongue. Thus to sustain Laxmi, he needs Saraswati. Good leaders know that to sustain their business they constantly need to inspire, motivate people and at the same time innovate new products and services that will delight the customer. Laxmi will come into the company where Saraswati thrives.

Sonal Sheth is a Trustee of Women's Movement for Peace and Prosperity (WMPP) She is connected to 'Women Graduate's Union' which was started in 1915.
I was invited by her to a Session they were conducting on 'Productive Ageing'

Amita Lavekar said:
We are moving from elderly to well dearly

You lead a 'productive life' when you 'contribute'
Maintain an active interest in life
Ageing does not happen at 60...It happens right from the moment that you are conceived in the womb...(so why make a big deal of it?)

Few age uniformly in the following 6 fields, so what we are trying to say is that many skills remain as one ages...

The 6 Fields that very few age uniformly in:
chronological, Biological, Social, Functional, Performance, Cognitive...

Whatever strengths you have should be strengthened further...

Indifference of the Soul is what we need to worry about more than the ageing of the body...

To get attached to the past is dangerous...

A bored adult can be dangerous for the community...

Help your Society and Community...

Ms Naini Setalwad (Nutrition and Ageing Dietician said:

Cook the way you cook...but add:
Garlic (it prevents knee pain)
Also add:
Onion, bananas, olive oil, turmeric, nuts, prunes...

Then I just got this email:

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning.Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7.. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips.Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares? But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

For the Group 21 of October, we celebrated Diwali...As such we had to package the gifts and interchange them. This gift has an environment message...Some of the notes urge you to:
Save Water, Shower with a friend...
Recycle paper, it comes from trees
Save electricity, Light a diya
Love your neighbour, not HER HUSBAND!
This gift packaged by 'Yours Truly'
There were other gorgeously packaged gifts, which won admiration and prizes!




We played 'Sach ka Saamna' Enjoyed it thoroughly and learned so much more about our friends of over 30 years! Most were sporting enough to disclose their heart kept secrets...and I am sure that we will keep those secrets safe in our hearts! What say u?
The party was hosted by Poonam Asha Mulchandani, Ms Rani Daswani and Ms Sharmila Dadlani

It is Guru Nanak's Janam Day on the 2nd of November, 2009
Please read about Him,
Click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/message/gurunanak1.htm