Save our tiger

It is indeed shocking to note that the Indian tiger population has dwindled by 60%. The total number, according to a news report, is now a meagre 1411!

I found this beautiful picture that someone had forwarded in my mailbox. Are words really needed to describe the love between man and animal?

Pic taken from the web

Where are those trees?

Bangalore was once noted to be a green paradise, with gentle tree-lined roads and flowers popping out of every picket fenced garden. The green cover must surely have done something to contribute to the salubrious climate as well. It brought a song on one's lips and a happy heart to match.

I remember there was even this popular pastry called 'Dilkush' or 'Happy Heart'. It was sold in plenty by the several Iyengar's bakeries dotting the Bangalorean landscape. You could buy a wedge of 'Dilkush' for a modest price. What you got was a pastry that resembled a pie. It had an assortment of dry fruits and coconut for a filling. It was quite sweet and pumped up the energy for many a schoolkid who hovered around bakeries during the break. Of course, schoolkids now tend to frequent noisy Cafes where they tuck into a sandwich or a Black Forest pastry, with a Cappucino to go. Trees being cut to accommodate ugly Electric poles

Life has become fast track. And even jetset, if one were to allude to the swank new Bangalore Airport that's coming along in Yelahanka. So what was once a narrow tree-lined road leading from Hebbal all the way upto Highgrounds Police station (called Palace Road) has now opened up with a vengeance, leaving gaping holes where trees once stood proud.

Tree stumps on Palace Road

It's breaking my heart every time I commute across Palace road, which is practically every day. Grand old trees, some of which are surely hundreds of years old have been uprooted to make way for a wide lane. All that is left are some branches and massive tree stumps. These trees are like old sentries that guarded the city from sunshine, from rain, from fog. While all this is going on, are these tree cutters actually planting saplings elsewhere? What with the high-rise buildings being erected everywhere, where is the place to plant trees?

Last month, the Art of Living had organized an All India NGO summit and the theme of this summit was Environment. The participants raised a whole lot of concerns, ranging from the dwindling number of Indian cows, to tree felling, from soil erosion to increasing pollution. Guruji Sri Sri Ravishankar distributed the Lakshmi Taru tree saplings so that participants can cultivate it in their hometowns. One participant showed me a book that he had released which contained the rich flora of South Kanara. The pictures were simply magnificent. The conference turned out to be a very timely one.

Guruji Sri Sri Ravishankar participating in the Q&A session at the NGO summit

Looking at some of the roads in Bangalore, the alarm bells are going off to every eco-friendly individual. The way we look at it, while we're all for progress, we'd still like to maintain the green terrain. After all, these grand masters have given their life to provide shade all their lives.

Some of us like-minded folks are planning to put up green signs which we want to prop wherever trees are being felled. Through these signs, we want to advise the public to plant more trees . If we gather enough momentum, we'd like to go on a peace march on the streets of Bangalore, advising people to go green.


If you're interested, do write to me at: kandula.manjula@gmail.com

Let's form a group and paste those signs all over town. I for one, am all for the cause of Spiritualitree.

The Unseen Hand

There are some moments in your life when you are filled with gratitude for those small yet wonderful moments that come by. And then there are those moments when you only begin realize that you need to be grateful in a very big way.

Satsangh with Chayanna and RaviPrakash at Vidyaranyapura

This Sunday morning certainly brought smiles of gratitude from the six hundred odd participants gathered at Regency school, Vidyaranyapura. The occasion was a mega Sudarshan Kriya followed by a Satsangh with Swamy Suryapada (Chayanna) at the helm. It was simply mindblowing.

Apparently the late Maharshi Mahesh Yogi advocated group meditation and chants of 'Om Namah Shivaya' as a means of bringing peace to the world.

But one has to experience this to believe the effect.

And believe we did, this Sunday. The morning air around us was electrifying. Every cell in your body begins to vibrate with energy and there is a unique sense of healing. Odd pains mysteriously disappear. Any negative feeling that you might harbor, suddenly vanishes and all that is left is a sense of love and belonging.

I had more down-to-earth plans for the afternoon. I had to accompany a friend to a nearby market. She wanted to take her car and driver. As we cruised along in the car, I noticed that the driver seemed a bit amateur and he did not seem to have much control over the car.

At a corner, he took a rash turn and hit another vehicle. My neighbor was clearly shaken. The driver of other car came towards us, obviously angered by the bump on his car. My friend apologized to the other car driver in a quivering voice. After he left, she was still trembling. I managed to keep calm and soothed her. I know now for a fact that my own calm demeanor could have only been the result of the morning Sadhana (spiritual practice).

We left the car and driver in safe custody and started walking to our destination.

"Thank God the accident happened in a small lane", my neighbor commented, in a small voice. I agreed wholeheartedly.

"I shudder to think what would have happened if that driver took the car to the main road", she continued.

I nodded again.

We have ever so many reasons to be grateful for. The soulful singing and intense chanting amidst the green trees and golden sun rays makes waves of gratitude pass through the core of your being. You know what you have to be grateful for.

And yet sometimes, in a fleeting moment you are part of an event so stressful that you are almost dissociated from reality. It is then that you begin to feel the Unseen Hand...and you suddenly know what else you have to be grateful for.

A miraculous escape

This morning began just like any other for my husband. Morning walk, grab that bowl of cereal. Run to bathe. Run the shower. Run to office.

But life did a somersault even before the last 'run'.

He got into the bathroom to have his shower when the pipe connecting the water source and the geyser, burst. Frankly speaking, he was saved by his Guardian Angel. Else he'd have been scalded by the hot water; I shudder to even think of what else could have happened.

The problem was probably with the thermostat- if not controlled properly, the water gets overheated. We had an electrician replace the old thermostat a few days ago and I believe that he hadn't set the regulator properly.

This had me thinking.

A 'Made in China' Solar heater

With summer in sight, it is a good time to think of installing a solar heater. Just imagine, if every home in Bangalore had a solar heater, how much energy would we be saving?

But in the meantime, here are a few tips for safe bathing, if you still have an electric geyser:

1. Switch on the geyser for 10 minutes and get used to bathing in tepid water. It is said that bathing in cold water increases your energy level, or Prana.
2. Always switch off the geyser before you enter the bathroom.
3. It is better to open the tap so as to run a modest stream of water. Sometimes, water tends to vaporise and can scald you badly if it gushes out full stream.
4. Run the cold water tap first and then follow it with hot water.

Good luck!

The Secret

If you want to know how to be happy, contented, joyful, blissful, then just watch 'The Secret'. It takes you on an amazing journey and you simply watch, spellbound.

Scientists, doctors, psychologists and priests play their bit to tell you how to get the best out of life- if you know the secret, then health, wealth and happiness are all yours to keep. They say, that all great men and women who succeeded throughout the ages, knew about the Secret.

A must watch film.

The Cosmic mother

All of last week I was a troubled mom. When a fledgling grows wings and is all set to fly, it is hard for a mother. I was in the same situation and sympathized with the mother birds.

I watched my daughter prepare for her trip to Europe, for pursuing higher studies. She was so excited. All she seemed to do was pack, weigh her bag and repack. She fretted over the number of warm clothes I had stealthily squeezed into her bag. I smiled as she gave me a reproachful look.

On Saturday, and we had thrown a small party at home for her friends and their families. Only then did I get that all-familiar lump in my throat. I had been cleverly avoiding this feeling by getting busy with this and that.

As parents, we always want the best for our kids. We want to see a smile on their faces. We want to protect them from the bad elements in the world. We want them constantly around us to do that.

But after a point, they seem to want to learn from life by themselves, with only a little help. We often wonder whether we are being good parents by letting go, or whether we are being negligent? But then, I guess we need to trust in the Cosmic Mother and do whatever is best for the child.

So deeply entrenched in these feelings I wished I could do 'Chakra meditation'. In all my advanced courses in the Art of Living, we had guided Chakra meditation which was powerful and soothing at the same time.

I would have clearly loved to go to the ashram and do another advanced course. But I had a lot of office work to deal with.

I wondered, how could I get to do this wonderful meditation?

This morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn to start my Yoga practice. I switched on WorldSpace.

I heard Guruji's gentle voice:
Let us sit comfortably to do Chakra meditation...

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's Valentine's Day and although it's not a typical Indian festival, the cards on display have done their bit to usher in the mood in a pretty big way.

To celebrate V day, my husband bought tickets for 'The American Gangster'. Typical male choice? I think so too. I guess I'll have to hide behind my extra large popcorn packet all through.

To celebrate V day, the office decided to have a book exhibition. Nice, huh? If you love books, that is.

Yep, love is in the air. And folks seem to be enjoying it for different reasons.

There is of course the typical boy-meets-girl and the love that ensues. Celebrated with much pomp and splendor every V day. Chocolates and roses or simply riding a rickshaw. It's love that makes the wheels go round and round.

Love in a rickshaw- Hyderabad Blues

I took the WFH (work from home) option for the week and am loving every minute of it.

Love to work from home!

Guruji Sri Sri Ravishankar puts love in perspective by saying:

"To love someone whom you like is insignificant
To love someone because they love you is of no consequence
To love someone whom you do not like means you have learned a lesson in life
To love someone who blames you for no reason shows that you have learned the art of living..."

Happy Valentine's day!

The Guru strikes a love-able pose

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi passes away

"Expansion of happiness is the purpose of creation and we are all here to enjoy and radiate happiness everywhere."

-Maharishi

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the renowned Guru of TM (transcendental meditation), passed away on Tuesday, in his Netherlands home.

I never met the Maharishi, but for some odd reason, the news of his death brought a lump in my throat. I almost felt that a graceful Age had passed on. The age of Transcendental Meditation. The age of inner silence.

I browsed the newspapers, hungry for more news about the Maharishi. But the media seemed only allude to his association with the Beatles. One UK newspaper even went to the extent of writing that the Maharishi got 'lucky' because of the interest the Beatles took in his teachings.

It seems so easy for people to speculate, and they spend so much time just doing this! So that is how, any contribution of a great person, however simple, humble, great or significant, is put to the back-burner, while this odd sensationalism takes over.

Maharishi brought alive the technique of transcendental meditation, through which millions of people got some peace in their turbulent lives. A few moments of meditation brought a stillness into their mind, allowing them to function in this gross world with more focus and clarity.

Along the ages, every great guru had something so precious and unique to offer to those who are ready to accept it.

Many people are attracted to the Guru and Guru-concept because they want to rise above this mortal world and make some sense to their own existence. Yet, many Gurus are labeled with scandals and motives. Truth be told, the fact of the matter is that the mortal man tends to cling to nonsense, and forget the Truth.

A Sadguru (true Guru) is never really bothered by such talk. Through spiritual practice and devotion, the Sadguru becomes very centered. It is said that a Sadguru is connected directly to God and the Self.

In Guruji Sri Sri Ravishankar's own words: 'Maharishi laid the foundation for a new world based on the knowledge of Vedas and spirituality. There was none like him and none shall ever be again. He remains unparalleled.'

Work of such great gurus must never be reduced to mere sensational newspaper headlines. Nor can they ever be understood or fathomed through one's mind and intellect. It takes something much, much deeper to understand them...