Life and Spirituality

  A view for the Silver Oaks Mountain Resort near Palampur in the Himalayas T his blog has been around for several years. Inspired by its tag line, many readers from around the world have been inspired to make a visit to the Himalayas. There are numerous destinations to choose from along the length of these scenic and majestic mountains, the tallest in the world. This blogger has had deep ties to the Himalayas since childhood. The name of one of the tallest of its peak – Sunanda Devi – has been revealed by this author a few years ago, in one of his books, due to spiritual grace of the Mother Goddess. It was earlier referred to simply as Nanda Devi East but since this revelation the new usage has become popular. A visitor from afar may choose any one or more of its numerous destinations to visit that are accessible to tourists from the happy Kingdom of Bhutan in the East to the valleys of song and dance in the west.. While some have been enthralled by the experience ...

A ll trees are beneficial for the planet and the life that dwells upon it but if there is one that is more beneficial than most others in the warmer parts of the planet where winters are not cold enough to snow, then it is the Kachnar (Bauhinia or Phanera variegata ). It also known as the orchid tree or Mountain Ebony. It is truly a blessed tree with delicious edible flowers that are a beauty to behold. Kept in a flower vase by the bedside, they promote good sleep. The flowers are scented and attract humming birds much. An earlier post in this blog had described how fruit orchards can be made healthier by mixing in bio-diversity with other trees. Kachnar is a lovely tree to choose for this mix because its roots are nitrogen fixing and that along with its fallen leaves helps to keep the orchard much healthier than it would be otherwise over its life while adding beauty and food value to it. Moreover, because it does not grow to a very large size, it shall not impose upon the...

W hile hermits and spiritual persons may choose to restrict interactions with other humans and focus on nature and the universe, most humans in their journey through life have to interact with huge number of persons - family, friends and associates. Children do not get much choice in the humans they interact with in life. It is decided for them, in the main, by fate and circumstance, from the family they inherit to others. However as we grow up, we may choose the people in our lives and the extent we deal with them. This choice has a huge impact on the way our life turns out to be. Ancient sages have pondered on the subject. Perhaps the most precise and brief recommendation on this is due to the ancient sage Patanjali, the father of yoga.   Happy, sad, pure and sinful are four types of souls. In these it is best to cultivate, friendship, sympathy, admiration and avoidance respectively.   Patanjali, On Yoga , Ch1, Vs 33 It must be noted that recommendations of...

I n an earlier post I hinted that spiritual persons acquire an intuition that permits them to predict future events at times or facts that are not available through direct information. and that is the source of some of the things I said during the American elections. I do go wrong from time to time because my life is still a far cry from that of the prophets. I am merely a humble seeker but once in a while there is Divine Grace. What I have prophesied has at times has come true against all expectations. Such knowledge comes not just facts but also from communion with the all knowing inner knowledge of the universe that never misleads unlike facts that can. It was for this reason that saints of lore were called prophets. On a lighter note my mind went to guessing what the favorite foods of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the II might be. I have no personal knowledge of the topic not having bothered to research it but here is my guess.   I suspect it is nothing as exotic...

Trump Pence Amaryllis What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.    Donald J. Trump W hen news came that Donald Trump and Mike Pence have been inaugurated as the new President and Vice President of the United States of America, I immediately tweeted that the world has just changed, there is a new POTUS in the White House. To that tweet I attached a photo of a deep red Amaryllis that grows in my garden naming it the Mike-Pence Amaryllis. The naming had been done a couple of days ago when CNN had tweeted that a new insect had been named on Donald Trump. I tweeted back with this nomenclature and picture here as a counter. The Victorians have associated Amaryllis flower with strength and determination because of its height and sturdiness and it seemed an appropriate choice among flowers for the eminent personalities. Amaryllis flowers in similar red colors are not new but to my knowl...

  W hile just plain steamed vegetables are nice in a traditional western dinner of roast, sausages or grill, these must remain side dishes on the dinner plate. However, increasingly based on new health studies or for spiritual reasons many are shunning or reducing meat in their diets. In this latter case it is possible to make a main dish out of vegetables provided one uses the right recipes for stir fried vegetables; these can make a delicious and wholesome main dish on a dinner plate. In this latter case just one or two hard boiled eggs, a salad and buttered bread on the side makes a complete and nourishing dinner that delights mind, body and soul. The following tips and spices will be helpful for any interested reader The Simple Stir fry Stir fried vegetables are prepared by heating a little butter, clarified butter or cooking oil in a pan or pot and then adding chosen seasoning and vegetables to it, followed by a little stirring and cooking with a cover in th...

S ome days back there was a tweet from Sir Richard Branson suggesting that keeping notes is a must habit. That reminded me of another good habit that I have known for long but never taken up, keeping a daily diary. Therefore, a couple of days ago I procured a large size note book and have begun making entries every evening. Wonder how long, I can keep up the habit because it has not been a part of my good habits before. However, I have decided to keep the diary and even if I skip some days I will keep it up on the days I can. It would indeed be an excellent place to record ideas one may forget otherwise. One very simple reason to keep a diary is that although I write a lot, it has been on a keyboard for several years and I was beginning to feel that my handwriting has begun to deteriorate. This would help revive it. An earlier post had mentioned that it is good to talk about or review the day’s activities in the evening. If you do not have a sympathetic companion to ta...

  T hose who reflect on flow of events through life would not have failed to notice that there are times when we set out to do something and we face hurdles and obstacles all the way through, while there are other times when everything goes smoothly. These last are the times when the universe cooperates and assists, when we make the right choices and there is confidence in our heart that all is well. These last are the times when the Lord is holding our hands and leading us to experience what is in keeping with our karma. It is our reward, opportunity, education and experience to push us along in our endless journey through the universe. The times when we face obstacles and difficulties in whatever it is that we have set out to do may not be in accordance with our destiny and there is a chance that despite pain and effort we undertake the result will be less than satisfying. Wise persons must always stop to reflect if they should give up that undertaking or change pl...

S ome modern philosophers have argued that sexual pleasures, beyond those necessary for procreation, of the appropriate kind are a useful part of the human experience and therefore worth pursuing. What exactly is considered appropriate varies with thinkers but in no case does it involve compulsion, inducement or force by one human on another. Sexual indulgence, if any, must only be between adults and from mutual interest and agreement. However, spiritual literature and saints across diverse traditions of the planet have advised humans to overcome urges of lust and described that along with two other emotions - greed and anger – it is a cause of driving humans to hell. The Bhagvat Gita, a revered scripture of the Hindus, describes these as the three gates to hell. It only lauds limited sexual desire i.e. that associated with procreation as divine. The new testament of the Christians warns not just against lustful activity but even lustful thoughts. However sexual desire w...

T oday the thought came of writing personal things from my own life while drawing inferences to the hell like conditions modern humans have created for themselves in parts of the world. It has been mentioned in many earlier posts that while some parts of Earth are heaven-like, others are hell-like. The hellish conditions are not just because of nature but also those created by humans through wars, overcrowded cities, pollution of air and water and the overwhelming greed of a few who, with the help of lawmakers they are able to influence, suck large number of humans into grinding poverty, even a homeless life on the streets, in some of the richest and most exploitative countries of our world. For the most part, my early life was spent in some of the most heaven-like parts, mostly in the Himalayas. In 1962, I came down for the first time to New Delhi where my mother had just finished building our first family home. The land had been provided by the government in exchange f...