Me at 'Gangotri' where Ganga descends
Read about it:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/articles/Ganga.htm



Mantra while taking a bath
I remember whenever my mother-in-law would bathe she would be calling out the names of all rivers. So after the shower one would come out not only physically cleansed but feeling cleansed of all sins (remember a dip in the Ganga is meant to do that!

Gange cha Yamune chaiva Godaavari Saraswati
Narmade Sindhu Kaaveri jalesmin sannidhim kuru

I was watching the movie 'The day the earth stood still'
It is about aliens invading the earth to save the planet...
Good no?
No! To save the planet from us, who are destroying it!

Then I heard a lecture about 2012 in which it is claimed that the destruction will happen because earth enters the photon belt...
A quote:
Even the suffering that results from entering the Photon belt is not caused by the Photon belt itself but by our resistance to positive change!

Pls click on article to enlarge it.

I replied:
Thanks, I feel blessed.
... to the following note:

Dear Mrs. Shakun,

Warm Greetings!

Your article on Rev. Dada was published in 'The Indian' (scans attached). It has come out great and we are sure the readers would have loved your writing.

Once again, please accept our gratitude filled with blessings of the Master's Birthday Blessings,

Best Regards,

Naresh Singhani

For Sadhu Vaswani Mission

Today is Gur poornima and I wanted to go to Pune. A few friends decided to join me by car. Because of the heavy rains decided to cancel the trip...Since I could not go, I have decided to spend the day introspecting.
Would you like to share my journey with my Guru? Am sending you 2 links. Maybe we could make this journey together this Gur poornima.

http://www.dalsabzi.com/books/rem_ma/remembering__ma_intro.htm


Also
Why a Guru? When a Guru? Is having a Guru essential? Answers...Click:
http://www.dalsabzi.com/Articles/guru.htm

Ek zindagi nikal gayee between my 1st and 2nd photograph. It is said that life is an illusion. We are a witness...A saakshi...A consciousness that remains...Only Love is real...The rest is Maya. If I think all that happened between my 1st photo and second...It does not take me more than a few minutes and yet I could write volumes...

The photograph is taken Ma's Harekrishna Mandir in Pune.
Rajkumar is my Gurubhai. I think he is brilliant, not only as a Doctor but spiritually...His faith in our Guru Ma Indira Devi is contagious. He is not married and so far does not want to. I love his spiritually pregnant 'talks' I love when he quotes from what Ma used to say: 'Marriage and Religion will become off colour'.
Rajkumar says about Ma: "Ma was a set of responses based on truth for individual requirements"
Why do people have to don orange robes? Why make pratigyaas? Why not flow with life? like Rajkumar does...

We take so many 'janams' because we need to learn...but I have heard that if you learn from others experiences we may not need to go through the chakkar of life and death. That is the reason why I like to read and watch good movies, specially real stories. "Unthinkable' made me think hard and 'Red Alert' gave me an insight into minds that I would not have access to otherwise...In one sentence: It is hard to judge...in fact impossible

Do you suffer from JATC syndrome?
Do you believe that happiness is Just Around the Corner?
Swami Rama Tirtha said: "If you are not happy as you are, where you are, you will never be happy.
Jaya Row says:
...When the mind is tranquil you are happy...
Press the delete button for desires that are not in line with your life's goal.
...Develop your spirituality by which your dependence in the world reduces...
I, shakun believe that we must replace old beliefs with new ones...Re-enforce them until they become a part of your sub-conscious.
Learn that 'what other people think of you is none of your business'
I have read that in our next janams we take along with us, our 'beliefs' our samskaras much like having the same account in a computer , but with a new password.

Dear Friends
My cousin sister Lavina CM telephoned me.
She is very committed to the Brahmakumari teachings.
She was telling me about an interesting concept. That of creating an account of peace in which each one commits to pray for some minutes and puts it into the account of 'peace for the world' (I hope I understood it right)

Much love always,
Shakun

My cousin sister replied:
Dear Shakun,i must say i've not seen anyone so prompt as u,knowing how busy u are.I did'nt have to remind you also.

I did'nt send you the matter for BILLION MINUTES OF PEACE as they have website which you can browse on. Its www.goodwishesbank.org

Pls go through the photos & video.....v interesting

Thanks
Lavina Mahbubani

Rohini Gupta with her just released book 'Mantramala'
I have known Rohini for many years...I have attended her classes and learned Tarot from her. What particularly changed my life was what she taught me about Belief systems...I shall always be grateful to her for the latter, so imagine my surprise when I learned that she has acknowledged me in her book...
She writes:
...To Ram Maheshwary of the Times of India who encouraged me to conduct five years of Sunday morning mantra workshops at the Times building, Mumbai in which I was able to test my methods with large groups of people. Thanks also to Shakun Narian of Times Foundation...

'Mantras are a tool of the mind which can, with the appropriate effort and belief, influence your life. Associated as they are, with the distant past it is often assumed that they are not of much relevance today. Rohini Gupta has spent years questioning this assumption. In 'Mantramala' she presents mantras with an easy elegance that bridges the gap between the traditional ethos and the technological world of the twentyfirst century'

Her book is really wonderful and easy to read and learn and apply the mantras...
Follows a paragraph:

"The name Sanskrit' means 'perfectly put together': 'krita' means 'crafted' and 'sam' means 'perfect'. so 'sam-krita', well crafted'...If you could see the higher levels of consciousness, for example, you could see the form of Shiva manifest when 'Om namah Shivaya' is recited. The rishis who gave us the mantras, saw the forms on higher levels of consciousness and described what they saw. Their description became the form of the deities, an attempt to depict the formless vibrations from a much subtler realm.

...'Sanskrit is considered the most perfect language as it was created to translate the divine vibration in the only way we can comprehend it, which is through words in the form of mantras...Sanskrit was mantric vibration which later solidified into language' ...Sanskrit is called 'dev-vani' the speech of the gods, and the script is called 'dev-nagari' the city of the gods'...

Read about prayers click:

http://www.dalsabzi.com/Song_of_life/about_prayers.htm

This cobra found in Bangalore.When men say with a twinkle in their eye that they should also dance with 'gopis' I tell them to dance on a five fanged cobra first the way Krishna did. What we say is mythology, can be real. Never doubt the word of the ancients.

Shaina, Nana Chudasama's daughter on the mike.
On the 17th of June 2010 I was invited to the University of Bombay for the release of the book: History on a Banner.
Firstly I was hugely impressed by the Convocation Hall. It was beautiful.
Secondly those who have visited Mumbai should be familiar with the banner at Marine Drive. The restaurant close to the banner has changed many times, but the banner has remained 'The talk of the Town' (That is what one of the earlier restaurants was called). The book was released by L K Advani. Some of the esteemed guests were Mukesh Ambani. Shobha De...Some of the interesting points mentioned about the BANNER.

They are not a message, they are an awakening.

Nana seems to have invented the twitter

Nana is a traffic stopper

Nana voices what the majority of people might be thinking

Nana writes fearlessly

If at all he can be compared to someone it may be 'You said it' by Laxman

History on a banner? Sure it is

What a novel interesting way to read history!

My beautiful cousin sister (more sister than cousin) Manju Uttam





This last saturday July the 3rd 2010, I attended a 'Page 3 personalities studded show' with a heart.
There was a huge turnout even of very important people despite the heavy rains.
Ms Indu Shahani, Sheriff of Mumbai, who I have also had the privilege of knowing since we were children, showed me once again that she has a heart. She was there at the dot of 6 to inaugurate the show.
The walls were a creation of handicapped students from the Society for Education of the Crippled aptly called 'From the Shadows to the Limelight'
For pictures see (also on internet) Today July 5 Bombay Times pg 3, and DNA After hours Today July 5 pg VI
Manju tells me that many paintings were sold and artists, one of whom painted with his foot is invited to foreign countries to be felicitated.


One of the main people who put this event together is my Manju (Project co-ordinator for SEC)...My cousin sister who I have loved dearly since i saw her as an infant. I still remember how her cherubic smile would make my heart smile and her 'dragging foot' would make my heart ache.
But today, she is a huge success. She is beautiful inside out. She has found her 'sweet spot' despite various odds. We share the same Guru and I am sure she will also smile as she reads this from her spot in heaven.
What more can I say. This is a life well lived!

I saw the movie 'Book of Eli' it is what happens when the world kind of ends. survivors fight over preserving the holy book. Some want it to get 'power' over others, and others to preserve sanity. ironically the holy books had been burnt because the wars happened due to it. Provoking Thought

Dal Sabzi- Spiritual Treasure During this time of instant coffee. Instant soups…I shall provide you with instant up-lifters, which have worked for me. Click: http://www.dalsabzi.com/Articles/instant_uplifters.htm

Why do mantras at all? Why do we need mantras? Mantras are connectors. They connect us to the divine energy that is within us. Though it is our own energy, we are so blocked that we are unable to call upon it. Mantras can help us open that channel to our own selves, to our ATMA, OUR DIVINE BEING
Mantramala by Rohini Gupta
Learn this Mantra Prayer to Planets, say it anytime all the time but preferably in the morning:
Brahmaa Murarihi tripurantakari
bhanuhu shashi bhumisuto buddhascha
Guruscha shukraha shani raahu ketavaha
kurvantu sarve mama suprabhatam

Which means:
May Brahma, Murari, (Vishnu) and Shiva, the sun (Bhanu) , the Moon (Shashi), Mercury (Buddh), Jupiter (Guru), Venus (Shukra), Saturn (Shani), and Rahu Ketu may they all make this a very good morning for me.

How to Pray With God's Way
by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown


Please teach me, Lord ...
I want to know exactly how to pray.

I need some words
Which ones are right?
Please tell me what to say.

I've bowed my head
I have knelt down,
But ...should I be upright?

I've closed my eyes,
I've raised my hands,
Or ...should I fold them tight?

Do I stand up?
Should I sit down?
Dear Lord ... what do you like?

Are lights turned on
Or are they off?
Maybe ...candle light?

Wear my glasses?
Take them off?
Be at my desk or table?

Should I whisper?
Speak out loud?
Do I quote the Bible?

What do you think about the time?
Do You prefer the dawn?

Should I pray fast,
Or keep it slow?

Better short ... or long?
I'm new at this

What are the rules?
I want to do it right.

How do I know
You'll even hear
That I am in Your sight?

And while I sat there quietly
Waiting for some sign,
I heard a gentle voice say,

"Oh, dearest child of mine ...
Do you think I really care
About the time of day,
Or whether you are standing up,
Or kneeling when you pray?"

"I don't care about your posture,
Or about the place you choose;

Just open up your soul to me,
I have no other rules.

Tell me what is in your heart,
And tell me what you seek;

Tell me of your sorrows,
And of those things that made you weak."

"Speak to me in private
About what concerns you most

My child, you don't need lessons,
Just talk to me each day;

Tell me anything you want, dear child,
Anyone can pray."