For who ? For ourselves. Did we do something, some ritual that affirmed our faith today ? In what ? In ourselves. Our ability to connect with our inner selves. For if we do not, who is this person that is working, loving, talking etc. It’s certainly not you.
It’s an everyday search for me. For that something that can put me in touch with myself. My connection to consciousness. My connection to loving nature.
Of course many people have faith. Which is a wonderful ability. I don’t have blind faith. I am more of a searcher. Questioner. Good, bad ? I don’t know. No value judgements on any faith or the question of faith. Or on myself.
Some people do it with meditation first thing in the morning. I have never been able to do that. I have to connect to something, however small, however little, to loose my sense of individuality. That’s the daily struggle. Against my own exaggarated sense of myself. I am so used to it. I have relied on it for so many years. So tough to let go now. Not that I have never questioned it before. But now, it is really important for me to be truly ‘active’ rather than ‘reactive’, which is what I have done most of my life. And how do I know what that ‘true’ action is ? Unless I am constantly in touch with something larger, more immense, more universal than myself ?
Yes I know. By letting go. By allowing yourself not to be addicted to the result of your action. By allowing chaos to invade your life. Yes, I agree. All of that. I do allow chaos to prevade in my life. I am impeteous (spelling). But then the individual in me fights back hard.
It’s an everyday battle. This battle to let go of one’s addiction to one’s sense of individuality.
Yet, the smallest of things can provoke the sensing of my flowing into something much much larger. Something infinite.
This morning it was my 5 year old daughter waking me up with a loud ‘Peekaboo’ and the tinkling of an early morning laugh.
Sometimes it;s just getting up early enough to watch the first shades of dark blue brush across the sky. Something deeply stirring about that.
Sometimes it’s unexpected gestures of affection that were not sought. Or given so instinctually that you were not aware of them.
Sometimes, it’s writing a poem. But only if the words are coming from somewhere else. As if something is flowing through you, a river of emotion you can physically feel that flows through your being.
But it is always so unexpected. So much that I am constantly aware now. My senses hightened. Waiting for that unexpected moment.
When something deeper will reach out and engulf me, and give my life, and all my actions, however small, a deeper and all encompassing context. On a daily basis.
So say a prayer for me. And for yourself.
Shekhar
seems like we are all behind the scenes…
here’s to
‘The Witnessing of Passing’
as
all things pass, every moment, every thought, every experience, there is no holding on to anything, just a reviewing of sorts, one can be in reply for years, but still, no two moments will line up 100%, I feel, because, it is all passing, as we are like the bystanders in a tunnel where the walls are moving and we are witnessing the footage go by, and we are also connected to the footage, complex and simply, all at once, we are sometimes witnesses to this grand story, ‘life’, there is no now, only a passing
being present . . .
paying attention to the message
not the messenger
when the chips are down
one can lead, while being a victim
when the chips are up
one can lead, while being a leader or follower
followers have a place, as do victims,
otherwise leaders would have no one to lead
ultimately, we lead ourselves, no matter from where on the sailboat we navigate
aum Asvini aum shanti
so hard to describe, but what i find is happening, is that someone who totally didn’t bother to take the time to acknowledge or be interested in depression, or any other illness etc., will suddenly find it interesting becasue it is someone who they actually care about, or someone famous etc.
perhaps, i do that same too, i hope not often.
i’ll have to check in with myself more often to see how this is unfolding
tired
Narendra Modi
aum
Hi Past,
Hi Present
how are you?
how i was then
how are you?
how i am now
what about future?
future doesn’t know how it is
why do people keep telling me to stay where i am and move on?
they don’t understand you, and are afraid what they might find if they were to look
oh, i see
you see?
yea, i see how that can be scary for most
why?
because it has to do with facing yourself, and who wants to do that?
right, i get that now
that’s why people would rather think, moving on us a solution
i honour you Present.
why?
because everything about you, is about me
really?
yea
how do you think you got to where you are now?
oh, right!
see you later, im tired, need to rest
ok, see you
mama
Ode to Aaravinda Raphael Dev
aum shanti shanti shanti aum
listening, a skill on the decline
how do we rebuild this, with all that is happening
around us?
feelings
Lessons of Life : These walls you are building around yourself. Walls meant to protect you from the world outside. But maybe these walls are being built to protect you from yourself? – Shekhar Kapur
or
the walls you build is to protect others from yourself?
what is not measurable?
love
kindness
caring
devotion
integrity
joy
peace
anger
hate
despair
pain
faith
hope
compassion
…more
Amma
aum shanti shanti shanti aum
Amma
aum shanti shanti shanti aum
Thank you for coming to Toronto and sharing your beautiful hugs to everyone!
love and prayers to all people around the world who are in need
of a better life, shelter, food, and safety…and a feeling of belonging and being loved.
aum
balance,
even in the extreme the opposite holds true for
creation of balance,
no matter what we do,
some energy will find its balance
momentum, and swing the other way
ubuntu
until One has sailed on the ship on which the storm was so great, not even the ship
had a say in which way it sailed, the storm decided, the decision was not to be made by
anyone on board, but rather, by an outside source,
unreachable by ship and sailors,
until then,
does One come to feel the distance between an
opinion, and an actual expereince
it is spring…
the birds are singing
squirrels are jumping around
we are smelling the flowers
and taking in more sunshine than before
drawing,
someone said it is like medicine
what is the medicine in the act?
perhaps, it is the act of doing, that which you love
Gam
Dear Kaveri,
All the best to you on your journey!
Cinda
India Independence Day…long road
many sacrifices, many died, so many could live,
a country, a vessel that carries the essence of
‘self’ and finding out what this existence is
aum Gam Ram Lam aum
kitten
walking a labyrinth first time,
is it a map of a slice of the brain?
Isn’t it natural and nature, to feel joy and sorrow,
and all the other feelings and emotions that come to us?
Who’s to say, we are less if we feel sad, despair, suffering?
Did we cry when we arrived? Why shouldn’t people cry,
when we depart? Seems natural.
No one told a baby to cry, babies just do, because it is a natural state of being!
Lessons of Life : We celebrate birth and mourn death. Yet one would not exist without the other. Should we not celebrate both, then ? ~ Shekhar Kapur
Perhaps, celebrate and mourn both.
Mourning could be a form of expression to celebrate the bond and connection one has with a person or thing.
Isn’t it time we value all aspects of ‘self’?
to love …another,
be it
person
object
concept
existence
whatever form thoughts leap to embrace
or simply feel towards another
or naturally connected,
who are we to say
the act of loving is anything but that, loving?
we are ignorant to think that a person should just ‘get over’
their depression, and move on, and appreciate what they have in life.
depression is a complex and challenging condition, for the people
experiencing it, and for the people who are dealing with the ones who have it.
if we continue to think that it is a simple ‘shake it off’ solution,
we are most likely setting up the person with depression to just hide it
so they do not draw attention to themselves.
how is this a form of truly caring for someone?
humility, compassion, kindness, empathy, etc.
perhaps, all learned from imparted examples, not taught, but inspired and imparted by example.
…to be once again like a child and express freely (S.K),
this is assuming, a person was allowed to express their self freely as a child.
Those ho demand creativity and free expression, perhaps, do not
realize, it is not something that comes about by demand.
A pet might perhaps, come to a person while they are crying and offer
their presence, not to stop the person from experiencing sadness, but maybe to
just be with them, so they are not alone. I feel, most times, that is what is needed,
just to be cared for, and you do not have to experience it by yourself.
Same goes for experiencing, joy, the pet won’t come up to you jumping all over you
to stop you from being joyous, they are just sharing in the experience, so you know
you are not alone, in your joy, or your sadness, one being just as natural as the other, and the pet knows this, how is it humans still have difficulty accepting this? Why do we push away what is natural?
Sometimes we choose the road, and sometimes
the road chooses us ~ Samvel Y.
WiFi Exposure
It felt like the sea parted, when I saw this video, because it is hard to explain a
condition that is fairly rare and new to society, and I have been put down, made fun of,
and looked upon as if I was making it up, because I have no scientific way of
proving it, being unqualified as I am. So, here is a video to support what I
suffer from, EMF exposure. Perhaps, it would bring some relief to anyone else who
suffers from this, and not think it’s all in their imagination. If you have supported me and believed me when I talk about this, thank you so much with deep gratitude. It helps to have at least one person who believes in you, it can make the biggest difference in a person’s life.
Love you all,
cinda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0NEaPTu9oI
it is okay to make a mistake,
it is okay to say sorry, for making the mistake,
it is not okay to take advantage of others
Deep gratitude for keeping ‘Zen Thoughts’ on the newly designed site.
Aum Shanti
cinda
Shekhar Kapur
Oct 11
Lessons of Life : People will always mistake your humility for your weakness, your passion for your need, and try take advantage of your sense of commitment. But don’t let that kill the force inside you. It’s who you are and what makes you different .. just move on passionately..
perhaps, this is the mantra, coming here and typing letters, words, sentences, stories, emotions, poems, feelings, deep down scum at the bottom of the barrel sludge, elation of moments in joy and bliss, whatever it turns up turns down doesn’t turn at all, perhaps, this is the practice that has evolved over time,as a part of what come through this one named…cinda, perhaps?
“Nobody ever does it alone,” civil rights icon Maya Angelou recognized, years after being raped at the age of 8. Resilience is always a team effort. Moving forward after a crisis depends not only on the individual’s resources and their genetic makeup or upbringing, but also on their connections to the people around them and the quality of support. The best kind of support encourages survivors to focus on their strength but doesn’t gloss over their wounds. Nothing is as powerful as knowing we are not alone.
Michaela Haas
Shekhar Kapur ~
Lessons of Life : Your reason to be is not based on what you have achieved. Or what others think of you. Nor on what is expected of you. Your reason to be cannot be based a need to prove yourself to the world. If these things are driving you, you still have to discover your self.
water colours…
it moves on the pages like a lifeful body, reaching
and spreading,
coming to a halt, as it dries
leaving behind
a stain of shapes and impressions
bonded with the page
until some more water comes along
and gives it movement again
until the evaporation of the wetness
leaves the page and once again
a new picture is formed
Today would have been my Mama’s birthday, 82.
She is my example of sacrifice, compassion, and unconditional love.
Thank you Mama, I love you, always!
judgement, what is this?
There is such a thing as WiFi, electromagnetic sensitivities, as there is to perfumes/colognes etc.
How does one navigate through an invisible energy that brings harm to the body, mind etc. ?
Radiation on subliminal levels cannot be traced to one source, in a city full of cell towers, cell phones, WiFi stations in homes, shopping malls, etc.
Love and prayers for all of us on this earth
aum
November 28, 2005, this thread began weaving stories and sharings.
Pranaam to Shekhar Kapur, for asking
“So did we say a prayer today?
For who ? For ourselves. Did we do something, some ritual that affirmed our faith today ? In what ? In ourselves. Our ability to connect with our inner selves. For if we do not, who is this person that is working, loving, talking etc. It’s certainly not you.
The tapestry was allowed to continue, and many times the weaving is done in a quiet place.
Deep gratitude and appreciation for this space of compassion, trust, hope, and love.
cinda
how true …