Shirdi- The mystical soil

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A human being with a drained intrinsic worth is as useless as the gadget with a drained battery inside it. Travel is related to new beginnings, new learning, a transformation, and memories that last a lifetime. Life is all about reviving from the point of enervation.

Spirituality is about energizing life positively. I have always been blessed to first alight at the Khandoba Mandir (Temple) every time I have visited Shirdi. Khandoba is an incarnation of Lord Shiv and is commonly known as the house deity of many in Maharashtra. The Fakir, who is known as Satguru Shirdi Sai Baba today, had decided to make the town as his center for discourse on human values which have immense potential to help individuals progress in their life. The Fakir was instantaneously addressed as “Sai” for the first time at this temple by the temple’s priest Mahalsapati & it is believed that it was Khandoba himself who spoke through the priest’s mouth. One can celebrate this place and feel emotionally energized and rejuvenated the moment they step down on this soil. The experience is devout.

Next, I head straight to Dwarkamayi to offer some wood for the Dhuni. People in the 19th century visited Dwarkamayi to listen to Baba's discourse. The Dhuni/firewood was lit by Baba at Dwarkamayi with the amalgamated fire from the lamps of Peace, Love, Truth, and Righteousness, founded underground beneath the holy Neem tree where the Fakir (Saint/Baba) sat for his penance as a young lad. The Fakir's divine feet enriched the Shirdi soil. The Dhuni wood bears resemblance to the perishable & a sinful human body which turns to ashes and returns to mother earth someday. The powerful Dhuni blesses our physical status or body to gracefully perish by the end of the lifetime.

The next important place I visit after Dwarkamayi is the Gurusthan. Baba attained spiritual powers from his Guru here; hence the name Gurusthan- The Gurus abode. Baba's Guru was lost in penance for twelve years underground beneath the Neem tree where the four lamps of peace, truth, love, & righteousness were discovered only before Baba decided to light the Dhuni/Firewood in Dwarkamayi. One can attain the blessings to love their Guru unconditionally and eternally, & learn to have unshakable faith in him and win his ceaseless guidance at this place. One’s life can become miraculously sweet as the leaves of the Neem tree in the Gurusthan. Prayers offered by devotees here are never turned down by Baba.

The Samadhis (tomb) of all Baba's beloved devotees from the 19th century have been constructed close to the Lendi Bagh & the Gurusthan. The tombs bless each one of us today and pave the path for us to reach Baba’s feet.

The next on the Agenda is the Nanda Deep which is an extension of the Lendi Bagh. At Nanda Deep, one can be blessed with the spirit to protect nature, & to spread its significance worldwide. One can walk towards the well in Lendi Bagh which Baba had excavated to protect Shirdi from water scarcity, and pray at this well for the world to be water sufficient. The beautiful Lendi Bagh speaks volumes about Baba's message to this world to plant trees and protect the environment. 

Each of Baba’s beloved devotee’s house is a mini temple by itself. One must visit Abdul Baba’s dargah (mosque) next to Dwarkamayi, Hanuman Mandir, Baba’s Chavadi- Prayer Assembly point), Mahalsapati, Shyama, & Lakshmi Bai’s house which is now all converted into mini lodges. These devotees bless us to be virtuous in our actions to family and society during our lifespan.

By the evening, I head towards the Prasadalay (A system where food is offered to all devotees who go to visit Baba). The Prasadalay system was started by Baba to bring people from all religions, classes, and beliefs together as one. It was the best platform where he served and spread the message of love and unity.

After the meal, I wait for the next day, when I visit his Samadhi Mandir. Baba’s idol in the Samadhi Mandir is a carbon copy of how he looked before his Mahasamadhi. Late Shri Balaji Talim had disclosed how his prayer was answered, & Baba manifested to help him complete the marble statue of Baba. After greeting Baba, one can set out to offer peda prasad (sweets) to the speechless animals, the helpless and the poor. Baba had emphasized on feeding the hungry as the highest form of spirituality.

In Baba’s museum, one can witness the evidence of his lifestyle. I was ecstatic to learn, that he enjoyed poetry & Ghazals immensely. I only yearn to know which ones he liked, as there is a possibility that I may have missed reading that information in the museum.

Each of my experiences has a deeper explanation to it. There is more to understand than what is understood, & more to know than what is known. My blog is just a droplet from the Ocean of the Fakir’s tales.

A Guru is like the light that shows you the path in the darkness. Walk on this path, & you will certainly relish emancipation.

This piece of my work is an ardent effort to acquaint anyone who has not had an opportunity to experience Baba & Shirdi, and to bring them one step closer to understanding their life better through him.

Sairam

Deepthi

My Woof Mate

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Words cannot always express Love, friendship, and bonding. They are sometimes cloaked in a Lick, a wag, and a woof. Those who have a woof mate will surely agree with me on this. My mate continues to stay with me as Love, Hope, and Strength, even after several years of leaving his physical dwelling.

One Cold October morning when I went to inspect our house construction site, I was surprised to find a plump, cuddly furball whining in a corner. I looked around to see if I could find his mother, but there was no trace of her. I lifted him up in my arms and caressed him. I could sense he was trembling with cold and was sniffing to find his mother’s nipple for milk. He looked handsome and Misty in the fog!

I decided to pedal back home with the little puppy & made a choice to escape school for a good cause and mentally prepared myself for some yelling that evening from my mother.

I was so excited to bring him home. I quickly boiled some milk for my special guest, and later served it diluted & tepid. Something he did a few minutes after he drank the milk, clearly demonstrated his lack of toilet etiquettes. My annoyance could barely last when I looked into his innocent eyes. Later I made a cozy corner for him in my room where he fell asleep for a while after completing his chores.

The evening soon approached, and my heart was racing. I kept thinking to myself, that I would collapse if the doorbell rang. The universe attracts what you fear! The doorbell rang, and it was my mother at the door. Very unusually, I offered her some tea and cookies that evening before I could strike a conversation.

All mothers a blessed with antennae that detect unexpected courtesies developed by their children. I was not aware of my mother’s superpower, until that day.

The "Mommy sensor" detected a species behind the shut door of my room, where I had hidden the puppy. She had learned from Radha Aunty, my neighbour, that I was home all day.

I had to spill the beans. My mother patiently listened to me, & I was extremely happy that I was allowed to keep the puppy as my pet on a condition, that I compromised with my mother's choice for his name. But calling him Doggy was better than losing him.

Six months down the lane it was time for us to move to our New House. Doggy was now a fine-looking lad. We were a Happy family. Mom, Dad, Doggy and Me. Doggy was My Mate, and my sibling”.

Doggy, got a new home too. Dad got a lovely kennel constructed for him by the Gate side. Every morning Doggy and I would go for a walk. He would guard the house until I returned home from school, and then we would spend some great time together. We would eat our evening snacks together, and he would sit by my table side until I finished my homework. He would go out with Dad for an evening walk, and return to his kennel after we finished supper.

Happiness and joy multiplied for us with every passing day. And even before we realized, it was one year since we had moved to our new house.

One evening I returned home from school with some wonderful plans in my mind. I opened the gate to greet Doggy, and I was devastated looking at his condition.

Doggy laid still in the garden. His beautiful off-white body had turned green in the span of eight hours. His body mass had vanished into thin air making him look like a breathing skeleton.

I carefully shook him, & he gently opened his eyes. He tried standing up with the leftover energy in his body the moment he saw me, but fell down with a loud thud. He began to whine for help. I rushed inside the house to call the Vet and my parents & urged them to come soon.

I hurried back to the garden, & carefully put his head on my lap. He was trembling and was turning cold. I wept desperately, as his gentle eyes looked at me. He wagged his tail and licked my hand. And Woof he was gone.

He decided to take back the joy he had brought into my life. He once came home trembling with cold and hunger, and he abandoned me in the same fashion.

The Vet came and diagnosed that he was either bit by a snake or a poisonous insect.

Life has a bitter side to it. But my Mate’s memories dwell in my heart as Love, Hope, and Strength, even today…

Love

Deepthi

  

Protecting Public Property is Every Citizen’s Responsibility

A Barbaric action, lack of thoughtfulness, no sense of belongingness, has nothing to do with “illiteracy. In every sense, a good citizen of any nation is the representative of his or her upbringing. Every citizen is the torchbearer of his or her culture…

A country’s dignity lies in the way, the citizens treat its heritage, children, and women. No country in the world which lacks diverse mutual respect or elementary civic sense is ever reputed.

The nations’ environment has been invariably progressing at a rapid speed, and it is today breeding more intelligent beings than ever before. The key concern now is; why can’t 74% of the literate population avoid maltreatment to/in its own surroundings, and stop the damage to its heritage before occurrence or while vandalism is in progress?

A home is to a family, as is the nation to its citizens… The former is more often followed and the latter is ignored like it’s no one’s affair.

We have since childhood encountered several defacement acts by our fellow countrymen. We see defacements range from littered parks to filthy roads, from horribly redesigned sculptures in the museum to disastrous work of arts done on pavement walls, from streets used as lavatories, to corners on the roads used as garbage factories, and now alteration of content on websites and publicly editable repositories to include nonsensical references, to destruction of public amenities and infrastructure.

“One for All, and All for One”, until this thought does not get ingrained in the minds of every individual.., & citizens do not strongly develop the structure of “Emotional Intelligence”, & until the mentality does not change from (“I”) to (“We, us, & our”) the struggle of ratios (Interested in country’s wellbeing : interested in only my wellbeing) will continue to grow.

I had this wonderful opportunity about 10 years ago to experience, and probably see just about clearly, the paintings that depict the many lives of Buddha inside the beautiful Ajanta caves near Aurangabad. The tiring but yet, an amazing two kilometers of a steep stretch that I walked during a pleasant October morning, to witness the finest arts from the 1^st & 2^nd century BCE, had brilliant tales to tell, about the eye for detail the sculptors of that era had for Life & Art. The basalt rocks on which the various births of Buddha were carved looked like a motion cinema to the eyes of those who loved art. All the torches that were lit up by the tourists inside each of the 30 dark caves I visited, was alarming, and it sensitized us to the presence of life in the carved sculptures.

This was one of the most magnificent and striking experiences of my life. I had almost forgotten that I was living in the 20^th century only until my ears heard something very disturbing, and my eyes wanted to track something horrid amidst the lucid world I thought I was in…..

A group of disinterested young voices about the art and sculptures inside the cave were whispering about giving wings to an atrocious motive…

To listen to something so heinous, was like being kicked by an angry horse in the middle of a blissful dream in one’s sleep. I instantly wanted to turn around and give that voice a spanking which he would remember for life…..

Ajanta is one of India’s most cherished heritage, and it was disheartening to listen to something so ridiculous from a generation, which is expected to become a respectable representative of its nation to the world.

The voice that spoke, was clearly of a teenager more on the latter side of teens. Inside the dark cave voices were very difficult to be traced by their face. This voice was certainly with a group of other voices that chuckled in whispers at what he had silently uttered. The group slyly tried to head out from the cave, and I quietly followed them in the light of my knowledge and my torch, to ensure I stopped them and defeated their wicked objective.

The brightness outside the cave distressed my eyes a little before they adjusted themselves to the environment outside.

I very fuzzily saw four young boys, probably the locals, dressed not so modestly, looking very flashy in bright shirts and tight resident jeans, with thickly greased hair heading close towards the wall that took a turn towards the cave’s entrance. As I increased my walking pace and got closer to them, I saw one of them take out a small piece of chalk from his pocket.

I stood behind to watch what they did, without their knowledge of my presence.

A few tourists who passed by looked at them with a lot of discomfort. The guy with the chalk in his hand first drew a line on the wall with an arrow marking towards the cave’s entrance and wrote just below it

“Shauchalya” (meaning public lavatory) in Hindi. I got outraged at this point. My rage was followed by some fear as well. Instantly, I told myself; “do not react! These guys may be local goons, and it may turn out to be a costly affair for you Deepthi”.

The fear acted in the space between my stimulus and response, and I changed my approach instantly.

I walked towards them with poise and conviction, and spoke to them in Hindi inquiring… if they all were residents of the same place? After learning, that they were from the same place and that they weren’t as threatening as I thought they could be, I took a slightly bolder step on a humorous note.

I told them, that I wished to go to their home. One of them immediately exclaimed, “Why?”

I told them it would be great fun to draw an arrow with the white chalk on the wall outside their house and write “Shauchalya”

In a matter of few seconds, I had put their monster minds to think like humans should!!

I believe, when you want to bring about a good change, the universe supports your thoughts & actions. Goodness manifests in the form of the change you anticipate.

I watched them feel hopeless and ashamed of their action. While their awkward silence prevailed, I continued to educate them by telling… “A country’s heritage is the finest dream of a traveller. Something disturbing like this cannot be a part of the traveller's experience, especially if the tourist is from a foreign land. It is our duty to respect our public property and not let down our culture” There was an acute silence after I had finished saying all this.

As I was talking, I realized that I was drawing the undue attention of the few tourists passing by and that I should stop. Just when I did that, a voice erupted in the middle of the awkward silence. One of the boys said. ”Didi maaf karna” (Please forgive me in Hindi)

I smiled and told them... “Care for the national property, just the way you care for your home”

The next moment I saw this guy rigorously trying to erase & get rid of the rubbish he had written on the rock wall using his handkerchief.

I was happy to see someone getting better than their own self in a span of few minutes, and I realized the importance of being a good citizen, and the importance of getting another citizen acquainted to the goodness inside them.

Like I said earlier “One for all and all for one…”

I am proud to say, that I was a reason for eradicating an act of defacement to my country’s heritage. I wish there was something I could do about the past damages… but in vain!

To be a good citizen, one must be naturally inclined towards protecting their country’s valuable heritage, & property.

The fear of facing legal implications is a reason; why only hypocrites respect their nation…..

Jai Hind!

Deepthi Musley

Deepthi Musley FB Page

Spectrum of Two Worlds

                                           

Spectrum

Its phenomenal to know, that one among the many factes of God's creation is "YOU". And there is another special someone created by God for you, who helps you find yourself in this lost world..The understanding, is sometimes just as simple as knowing that someone with color blindness would see shades of Pink as Gray, and yet at other times it is as horrendous as accusing a child with color blindness to be reckless about learning something as simple as colors. Here is a tale of friendship and bonding shared between an 11 year old little lad and his neighbour.We were neither coeval, nor was there a strong need for us to know each other deeply. A reasonable Acquaintance is stimulating enough for someone to live in a neighbourhood… It’s what I thought, until! Things turned out to be the other way round.Destiny manifests itself as a relationship, at different stages of life, and you are ordained to accept it without prior consent, as though things were predefined!How was I to know, that Pokémon does not fancy Tarzan cordially. This had nothing to do with my limited exposure to the world of animation, and neither was it the fact. So what was it….?!It was a night of celebration, children who attended my son’s 3^rd year Birthday party, looked at their bundle of joy with eager eyes, as they waited for their turn while standing in the line to receive their return gifts before they could leave the party. While they waited for their turn, their arguments ranged from; “Mine is going to be the best gift”, to “I will open my gift only when I reach home”. The evening slowly melted in a glass of their sweet voices…The next two mornings after the party, brought my life back to the drab. Three days after the birthday party, I spotted Krish, as I drove my car out from the basement. He was as usual waving good bye to his dad, as he was leaving for office. Krish would wave at Mr. Iyer’s car, until it turned towards the main road at the end of the street.I drove a little closer to Krish to say a Hello and Good bye that day, as I had gotten to know him at the party we had hosted. His reciprocation left me numb…….Words he uttered struck me like lightning. Looking at my face, & speaking to himself he said… “Look at this Idiot.., who ever told this wicked witch to speak to me?” Even before I could say a word he ran inside the gate banging it hard on my face…..Speechless at his behaviour, I continued to drive. On my way, I was thinking to myself, that during the last 3 months after we had moved to our new apartment, I had never seen Krish go to school. I suddenly realized, that his family despite of the warm invitation, had not attended our house warming ceremony.As I reached my office gates, I told myself that I should meet Mrs. Iyer that evening once I reached home after work.Mrs. Iyer was someone who rendered herself beyond her age. My mother at 60 looked more youthful than Mrs. Iyer at 42. Mrs. Iyer’s Gray head laid still on her wise shoulders.Determined to meet her, I stepped into my house that evening after work. Little did I know that destiny had other plans for me…? As I freshened up and was getting into something more comfortable to wear, my mother asked me, “what fascinated you to dab the laundry with mud”. With a frown on my face, I rushed to the balcony, only for my wrath to get the better of me…I rushed right back inside the house and charged towards the intercom, and called my security guard to come immediately to the passage behind by balcony. The moment he appeared in the passage, I asked him, what had caused the mess? How does something like this go unnoticed by him? I demanded for an explanation. It was evident that this was somebody’s rotten action. His response fumbled, and I could smell something fishy about the whole situation. Just then I saw Mr. Iyer’s Gardner appear in their back yard, & hoping to get some insight, I clarified with him as well. The response did not differ much….. It was now evident, that facts were not disclosed. Later I called my security inside, and got to know that, Krish in the afternoon was uncontrollable, and kept throwing mud on my clothes, and that he had to be tied up literally before he was taken inside his home.My mother told me that I should immediately go meet Mrs. Iyer, and ensure this doesn’t happen again. I thought it was not appropriate, and that I should put this off for some time later, until Mrs. Iyer made the first move. Intuitively I knew, there was something wrong.  I told my mother to be alert when my husband & I were out at work, & to ensure that no harm came to her & my son Sai, when they went out to play in the balcony, I then somehow calmed my mother’s nerves down.A week later on a Sunday afternoon, when my husband was seated in the balcony watching my son playing on his rocking horse, a host of tiny sharp stones entered the balcony hurting my son, luckily not so badly. I heard my husband scream “Hey you! stop that nonsense”. I rushed out from the kitchen, and called Mrs. Iyer to come out, upon learning what had happened.Mrs. Iyer came out yelling, “Why the hell are you screaming out my name Deepthi”. I was surprised at her behaviour, & wrath at no fault of mine. This only had to get worse, with my mother charging in like a body guard who protects the VIP. I was about to start a conversation, but my mother made sure she started the war. “Don’t you dare speak like that to my daughter? Raise your compound wall and not your voice” she told Mrs. Iyer. My husband & I completely failed to control the situation. Mrs. Iyer too out did my mother...“You better sell your apartment and go elsewhere to live. My compound wall will not be altered”. While the two warriors were fighting the battle, my eyes stayed fixed upon Krish, who was standing behind his mother laughing, & giggling, completely unaffected.

In a few moments I realized, Mrs. Iyer continued to fight without any real intention to fight. She would constantly reconfirm with an eye contact with her son, that he was happy about the fact that she was protecting him. Things sometimes are never exactly the way we see it. What is projected is not what reality is… The moment this thought ended in my head, I dragged my mom inside the house, determined to meet Mrs. Iyer when she came out for her morning walk the next morning.Sharp at 6:30 am the next morning I headed towards the Booth Grounds Community Park behind my apartment. I saw Mrs. Iyer and smiled, she turned her face away and started walking faster. I ran and held her hand, and when she looked into my eyes, I could see a little anguish, & a little embarrassment, in her eyes. They were brimming with tears. She blurted: "I am sorry Deepthi, but I was just being a mother. My son is hypersensitive, short tempered, and self-obsessed. Autism is painful and sometimes shameful". “Krish found his dreams shattered, inside the wrapped return gift box on the night of your son’s birthday. He feels the world is supposed to know what he likes and dislikes. He was sure you had given him a Pokémon, but when he found a printed Tarzan mug, he smashed it to pieces on the ground.”

“We as his parents during his growing years had to sacrifice a lot to establish our relationship with him as our child. His idea about love and affection is that, his demands should be immediately met, and his likes and dislikes should be understood even without he disclosing them. He accompanied us to your party that night because, I accidentally told him you were gifting him a Pokémon. We could not leave him at home alone, and were caught awkwardly as we could not ignore your second invitation after the house warming. It is difficult for us to explain to the society, why we don’t attend social gatherings.” “Deepthi can you do me a kind favour…. Would you kindly apologize to Krish and bring him a Pokémon? We have promised him, that you would do this.”I was choked, I promised Mrs. Iyer to come later in the day and establish a fresh relationship with Krish.I met Krish that day, apologized, and bought him a Pokémon. Krish was very happy. I learnt from the Iyers that Love is all about giving, and spreading, and not expecting anything in return.Krish after four years from the day of this incident, is gradually changing, and growing up with all of us in a loving atmosphere, and is my best buddy!Those who do not understand the spectrum of his world, continue to accuse him of being reckless about not learning something as simple as names of the colours.As for all of us, who know Krish… We know that Pink is Gray….

Love… 

deepthi

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