Without....

Picture courtesy: http://bit.ly/19HoM0U


Everyone should read children's books, especially the older and crabbier we get the more it should be mandated...Every citizen should check out 3 picture books a week and read it to somebody who can enjoy the story with them. Wouldn't be a great way to connect younger generation with the older generation. One needs attention and another needs company...3 children's book a week, is all it needs.

If anyone wants to use this idea for their story, do feel to use it. Please share the story with me ;-) I love a story.

Seriously, here is one perspective why we need to read more children's books...

It feeds our sense of whimsical and the freedom of perspective that helps us to grow.

Here is sterling example, a wonderful book

Take away the A: An Alphabeast of a book!

 Should be titled as An alphafeast of a book!

Normally, as a part of growing up, we are taught to think and live in poverty consciousness. We believe that we become poorer when we lose or give up something. We see people who seem to live the message "giving=losing."

This book give an alternate message. It speaks in yogic parlance of giving or removing to make your life richer. Don't believe me. 

Here are some examples for you to test it out--

without an A, a BEAST will become BEST
without an I, STAIRS will lead to the STARS
without an U, AUNT becomes an ANT...

So, let us try to be inclusive in our hearts and deeds and give away the Y, as the book says, 

without Y, YOURS is OURS...

Let us live in the same uplifting spirit, by giving whenever possible...

What would you rather be without? Let me know your favorite word play.

Sharing the space

Picture courtesy: http://bit.ly/17WLodw


Perhaps you had a long day. And perhaps you moved around a lot. Phone calls across continents. 
Emails across time zones. 

Words....Thoughts...Deeds...

In modern days, human beings need lot of space. We need lot of people. We need lot of claps. We need so many things... 

I thought about this today, making phone calls across timezones, emails and text messages crossing continents... my footprint is indeed global. My heart longs for another culture and space. I constantly, instantly visit these places and live vicariously. My footprint goes around the globe multiple times daily.

Today, I saw some earthworms. They were out very early in the season. May be it was because we don't have any snow on the ground. It made me think about the multiplicity of my needs. Not all the things I do are necessary.

The unexpected sight made me stop and think how I am sharing the space with thousands of creatures...a caterpillar, a leaf, a bee, and innumerable fascinating things...million raindrops, burst of sunshine, specks of dust. Each has its own space. Little space or large. And they each are content being themselves, in their space and leaf and immersed in the awareness of their life. That is the state I wish to hold and share the space of emerging friendliness towards all creatures.

How do you share your space?

Only reason to love....

On the valentine's day, I think the best thing I can do is to go deeper into my experience and ask myself-

What do I need the most?

The answer may begin with whatever immediately touches me. I dive deeper and deeper, wading through the concentric ring of experiences that life has thrown at me until I reach the very core. That tiny little spot, that is still, without any disturbance, that defies the ripples dancing in the periphery. 

The core is without ripples. Calm and strangely powerful. 

In that calm, I feel enveloped by a profound experience. It is like a symphony of calmness that plays simultaneously at many levels. An experience that cannot be spoken or shared. My search for someone, something to give me joy without any expectation or seeking something in return, ends in this tiny space. Nature has never failed to provide me with this experience. That is what I need. To be soaked and enveloped in the experience. When ripples threaten to drown me, I only need to get into that space in my mind...

Here are more reasons to love Earth...I came across a beautiful blog that lists 8 reasons be more gentle with Earth...

http://bit.ly/1A51Cdo

What are your reasons?

The ties that bind us all

Take a look at this leaf.

Now take a deeper look at the leaf. What do you see?

Thich Nhat Hanh says:

"...when we look deeply into the leaf, we see many things. We can see the plant, we can see the sunshine, we can see the clouds, we can see the earth."

A leaf is also made of numerous cells and tissues. Each of these cells needs wind, water, and soil to grow. A leaf many not be in touch with the soil, may have no direct contact with the soil, but certainly it needs all the nutrients supplied by the soil. The needs of the leaf are reflected in its color, texture, and its health. A leaf can be said to represent the soil, the air, and the water that the plant grows in.

If we remove any one of these, there can be no leaf, no plant, nothing of substance to speak. This is clear to everyone. Or is it?

I can find no explanation regarding why humans are rapidly removing the forests. As an organism, it assimilates all the best things in nature and generously offer the fruits as tangible benefits. Share your thoughts on  why the human beings cut the forests. In a way, they are endangering their own lives....

What do you see when you see a leaf?