Showing posts with label Characters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Characters. Show all posts
Monday, 27 April 2020
Wednesday, 15 April 2020
Monday, 24 September 2018
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
Monday, 25 June 2018
Wednesday, 2 May 2018
Sunday, 18 March 2018
Valuable Thoughts
“I have to accept that I am never going to
be the old version of myself again”. Words all of us say to ourselves at least
once. But the thoughts behind these words are often of regret. Almost as if we
lost something valuable, something we could have or should have retained. The
fact that we keep reminiscing about the past is indicative of the fact that
there are many happy memories lodged there. This also demonstrates that there
is something within our present reality that is not a happy one. Or, maybe, something
of value has gone out and we regret it.
It is also true that we are unable to look
at our present moment and evaluate it. And this is because we live either
within past memories or worry about the future. After all, the conscious mind
is where we live. And this mind is a busy bee, planning and plotting,
sharpening the ego, even immersed full time in the rat race to power and what not
or timid and resigning, unmotivated and lethargic.
On the flip side, the statement can be a
positive one if the old version of you was not really a great one depends! This
can be a matter of great relief and joy and a moment of upgrading yourself.
Feels really good!
So, what does the statement stand for, for
each of us? Looking for a thinking cap?
Surekha Kothari
surekhakothari.wordpress.com
Thursday, 18 January 2018
Thursday, 19 October 2017
Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Conversions
The current debate...conversions! We are so
hung up on religious identities and intolerance of other religions that there
are dedicated groups actively engaged in conversions. To what gain? Power? Controlling
minds?
Isn't it strange that no one thinks of
conversion of their thoughts, destructive emotions, speech and actions? Even if
we gloss over the conversion part, I don't understand what kind of believers of
a religion would want to convert others. Because enlightened people would live
and let live.
Recently, there has been a picture of a
temple in Dubai making rounds on whatsapp which shows a Hindu priest conducting
a pooja and a Sheikh holding the pooja tray next to him. How beautiful and
truly spiritual is this!
Conversions are so superficial. The soul
has no religion. We just need reasons to ignite fires to control the masses. If
you really mean business, why don't you convert yourself, first from prejudices
and hatred and second, from any kind of emotional negativity?
If this happens, conversions
will be a thing of the past.
Surekha Kothari
surekhakothari.wordpress.com
Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Thursday, 6 July 2017
Progressive
Common
sense says one must do what is progressive. What hinders progress is obviously
our inability to THINK progressive. India being such an ancient country, it is
steeped in various traditions. Each state has its own culture and traditions,
almost as if it were a different country.
As
a nation, we evolved. We tried to learn from other countries as did others from
us. But somewhere, we started thinking that the definition of progress is more
money, more power. The race is to become a power center. In every field.
This
power center is like the honey that bees get attracted to and swarm around. And
then, we develop a mob mentality ruled by these power centers. Basically, a mob
mentality is mindless and can often become a dangerous trend.
Any
belief that begins to border on fanaticism loses its core of origin. Every
belief starts with an experience and gets strengthened as a stereotype which is
then very hard to let go or change.
We
must remember that stereotypes are valid for a period of time. And there valid
reasons for their development and existence, too. But they are not all
timeless.
We
have heard ad nauseum that change is a constant. So, some truths also change
with time. To move on and adapt ourselves would certainly be progress if the
consequences all around would be win all around.
But
if we try and hang onto some stereotypes which lost their value in an evolving
world or within a changing context, we could end up in a regressive situation
instead of a progressive one. And every phase is chronicled in history as the
wisdom or the madness of men. We look back in judgment but what we need is to
be vigilant and aware in every phase so that wisdom prevails and we need not
look back with regret, small or big.
Surekha
Kothari
surekhakothari.wordpress.com
Thursday, 29 June 2017
Sunday, 30 April 2017
Tuesday, 21 February 2017
Fragility of life
The fragility of life! The desire to live and the illusion
of being immortal keep us going. When there is a death, it only comes to the
next door neighbor. Such is our mental makeup.
But life is fragile and a shock could be awaiting us round
the corner. So, never take your health for granted as you grow older. Now a
day, things just fester inside and by the time we can take stock, things are
way worse than we dreamt.
I see people shying away from seeing doctors, fearful of
what they might diagnose. We talk about "mind over matter" so easily
but when it comes to us that are not always easy.
Just as being forewarned is being forearmed, being careful
and balanced in everything would be wisdom.
And even then, we have to pass on when our time is up.
Someone said live everyday as if it were your last. That everyday would be the
best day every day. A great attitude even to nullify many a karma....
Wishing us all the dawn of this
attitude...
Surekha Kothari
surekhakothari.wordpress.com
Tuesday, 7 February 2017
Experience
I have been reading "Narada Bhakti
Sutras". One of the "sutras" had me deeply involved in
introspection. It talks about "bhakti" and the grace of God being
showered through intense hate as much as intense love. There is a story in the
book about hating God and every mention of God. And hate is the reverse side of
love. The fact also is then, that it is directly proportionate to love. One
hates only because one has also loved with equal intensity.
It is a matter of single minded emotion with a
sharp focus only on this and nothing else. It is like the sharpness of the
sun's rays that can burn paper. It is like complete meditation where, in a
flash, one can get liberated. This is subject only to experience. Words would
always fall short of the experience.
Surekha Kothari
surekhakothari.wordpress.com
Tuesday, 24 January 2017
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