Around the World with Love 💕

It all started on that beautiful Sunday morning, the 14th of January 2018. Looking back, our meeting was divinely ordained.
I shouldn’t have been in Mumbai that day. And if yes, certainly not in Gordon House Hotel in South Mumbai.
And Clau and Blanca told me, when I met them in Guatemala a year later, that they too had made the change of the hotel at the last moment.
And again it was a coincidence, that we were at the same long table at the same time for our breakfast.

Clau is a shy young lady, not like the extrovert Blanca! And when we met, a year after our first contact in that boutique hotel in Mumbai, Clau told me that she had heard a voice in her head telling her to talk to me!! She had said hello and told me that I had very peaceful aura about me! And then she asked me what do I do? And I told her about our YSS (Yogoda Satsanga Society of India) cruise the previous evening, my Guru – Paramahansa Yogananda, and the Autobiography of a Yogi. And that was the beginning of a beautiful and loving friendship, which eventually led to my visiting Guatemala a year later.

First and last I had heard of Guatemala, before this, was in my childhood when I used to collect stamps, about 55 years ago!! I love traveling but visiting this country wasn’t even at the bottom of my wish list. It just wasn’t there! But it happened. And I am so glad that it did.

It was such a beautiful and enriching trip around the world. Pune->Mumbai->Los Angeles->Guatemala->Los Angeles-Brisbane->Mumbai->Pune. Three very long flights and a very long stop over in Auckland. Every place I visited and every person I met was so different from the other. Australia and Guatemala are poles apart! 180 degrees!! And Los Angeles another story of divine love and friendship altogether!! But this trip strengthened the world view I have had for many years now. And that is:

People, at the core of their hearts, are same all over the world. Everyone wants some love, some respect, some appreciation…..every one wants to be happy …..they have similar fears, worries and insecurities…… However different people may look and whatever language they may speak; and whatever may be their food habits and lifestyles; essentially they are all same.

WE ARE IN THE SAME STORM

Whether it came from South China Sea or Indian Ocean, we are in the same storm.

We are navigating the same storm, but we are in different boats.

The waves may capsize yours while gently rocking mine, or just the other way around.

For some, quarantine is a moment of reflection and for others a complete dejection.

For some it is a time of re-connection with family and the self, while for some it is a tragic separation.

Some are happy to go within, while others are sad and depressed.

Some are at peace – even though alone, others are restless even amongst their own.

Some are drowning their sorrows in a drink, while others are out there helping the sick.

Some lament the absence of fine dining and gourmet meals, while others are concerned about bread for their next meal.

For many Home has become their Office and some have lost their home as well as the office.

Some lives are completely shattered by the virus and there are some for whom this is no big deal.

Some believe it is man made, and others say it is all in the stars.

Either way this too shall pass…

And when the storm passes, each of us will emerge different.

Some stronger, some unscathed, some scarred, some on a stretcher, and some may not make it at all.

It is wise to see beyond our own conditioning and perceptions.

To see beyond our politics, beyond religion, beyond race, beyond the nose on our face.

Let us remember we are on different boats, but we are in it together.

Let us navigate through the storm gently, with respect, with empathy, with love.

I wish and pray that you and your dear ones come out of the pandemic safe and strong — physically, mentally and spiritually. Love and hugs 🤗 💖🤗

May 12, 2021 174

Oh my Mother Divine

Hindus worship the Divine as a Mother too. That is so befitting. A mother is the closest human being to God. Her love is unconditional. I have seen that in my mother – she was pure love! And so was my dear wife 💖

To all mothers out there:

I salute you

I respect you

I appreciate you

I honour you

I love you

Happy Mothers Day 💖😊💖

Paramahansa Yogananda has written and composed so many chants too on God as Divine Mother

Divine Mother as the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. Picture courtesy SRF

Thank you so much for your love and support.

May 9, 2021 78

We are One 💖

We have different mountains and rivers

But we share the same sun, moon, sky and the stars!

We speak different languages

But we share the same love in our hearts!

We have different religions

But we share the same God, who is Love

And the same One Love is enshrined in all our hearts!

So let us pray together whatever colour, creed or cast:

Forgive us our Lord, we are your children

However ignorant and however lost!

We promise we shall love each other more

And shall take better care of Mother Earth

With all the love in our hearts!

Forgive us our Lord, we are your children

However ignorant and however lost!

Pics are on my iPhone from my trip around the world in 2019 – Istanbul, Guatemala, Kathmandu, Pokhara, Brisbane, Montreal, Toronto and Niagara Falls.

One thing I have learned from my travels around the world over years is that — people are same all over the world. Everyone wants some love, some respect, some appreciation; irrespective of the clothes they wear, languages they speak and the gods they worship. We are all same — ONLY LOVE ❤️

Thank you so much for your love, your likes and comments 💖🤗 Please keep praying for India and the whole world 🙏🙏

May 7, 2021 210

MAY

May is here!

May it bring you healing

May it bring you peace

May it bring you joy

May it bring you bliss

May it bring you love

May it bring you hope

May it bring you courage

May it bring you faith

Pic of today morning the 1st of May 6.38 am

Stay safe, blessed and loved my dear friends. Thank you so much for your love and support 👏

May 1, 2021 177

This too shall pass….

Whole of life is cyclic

Nothing lasts

This too shall pass!

As day follows night

Spring follows winter

Ebbs must follow every tide!

Whole of life is cyclic

Nothing lasts

This too shall pass!

Night is the coldest

And is the darkest

Just before dawn!

Whole of life is cyclic

Nothing lasts

This too shall pass!

Like the sea becomes still

After every storm

So shall our life!

For it is cyclic

Nothing lasts

This too shall pass!

Never lose hope

Have no fear

Love shall always prevail!

Let this mantra be

Engraved in our heart

Whole of life is cyclic

Nothing lasts

This too shall pass!

All pics on my iPhone

PS: Covid situation in my dear country is really grim. And sadly it is due to utter lack of empathy and foresight of our government. Our PM and Home Minister are more concerned about defeating Mamta (Didi) in West Bengal than the millions suffering due to lack of basic facilities ☺️

My only solace is : This too shall pass. Let us keep praying for the suffering masses and wisdom for our leaders 🙏

Thank you so much for your understanding, love and support 👏

April 23, 2021 270

What is your pain?

What is your suffering, what is your pain?

That you haven’t gone out

For months

For that rare steak

That you haven’t been

To your favourite Cafè

For the coffee you love and

That your date

Was ten minutes late!!

What is your suffering, what is your pain?

That it has been ages

You haven’t hung

Out with your friends

That you haven’t danced

That you haven’t

Been to a theatre

And a cinema hall

Or even a Mall!!

What is your suffering, what is your pain?

That you didn’t get

The ten percent raise

And that you haven’t

Gone to your favourite

Beach resort of late!!

Take a small break

And look at my friend Jain

Who spent fifteen plus years

On one big bed

But never did complain

When he was served

The same food

Time and again.

He was ever grateful

And ever joyful

Even when he was in pain

He found pleasure

In talking to his friends

On phone

Of days long gone

But still fresh in his mind

Which was stuck on

That old time zone

And he loved

Watching on TV

Favourite movies of yore

And the news of the day

To explore

But he never complained

And he never whined

For the decades he spent

On that big bed of his

Alone

My brave and grateful friend

Has now left that hard bed

For a bed of roses

Which I have no doubt awaits

His arrival in the heavens above!!

What is your suffering, what is your pain?

And above all

What is your attitude

To your suffering, to your pain??

*********

PS: S K Jain passed away on Monday the 19th of April 2021

To know more about him, Happiness and Gratitude do look at my debut book: 4 Pillars of Abundant Life

*******

Thank you so much for your continued love and support 👏

April 21, 2021 158

Λόγος #2: 4 Pillars of abundant life part two – Happiness

Before we start, here the link for the previous posts: https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/mdmnasblog.wordpress.com/1004 https://wordpress.com/…
Λόγος #2: 4 Pillars of abundant life part two – Happiness

April 20, 2021 24

Dada Vaswani – Only Love ❤️

When I had moved to Pune in 1993 I had the good fortune to pick up a mini book from Manney’s Book store – 108 quotes of Dada Vaswani (like so many other book stores all over the world, this iconic book store is now closed ☺️). I used to carry this mini book in my pocket all the time – traveling in a chauffeur driven car or a public bus!

This was the time I had started to seek spiritual wisdom and guidance. I used to love listening to Dada’s discourses in the early morning TV telecasts. Then I came in touch with my Gurudeva, Paramahansa Yogananda, and got immersed in his teachings, and lost touch with Dada.

I had left Pune in 1996 and came back to this city in 2015. My relationship manager at HSBC knew of my spiritual inclination and in August 2017 gave me a VIP pass for the 99th birthday celebration of Dada, at the Vaswani Mission in Pune (Thank you so much Jogen).

I was so thrilled to receive this invite as I used to be so fond of Dada. I used to love him but didn’t know that he was Love. That day in August of 2017 I heard him live from close quarters. And had the immense pleasure and privilege of meeting him after the discourse.

He was so humble and childlike. He was pure love. I have been so lucky and blessed that in our line of Gurus we have Paramahansa Yogananda, who was love incarnate, and Mahavatar Babaji whose nature itself was love. But the only such saint I have had the privilege of meeting on the physical plane is Dada.

I have met a few other popular gurus too, but none of them have the humility and loving heart of Dada.

The likes of Paramahansa Yogananda, Sadhu Vaswani and Dada come on the earth plane rarely. It is such a blessing to be in their presence.

Dada left his earthly existence a few weeks short of his 100th birthday (2nd August 1918- 12th July 2018) I have no doubt he is showering his love and blessings on mankind from whichever dimension he is in now.

A few quotes of Dada:

Happiness, true happiness, is an inner quality.
True success, true happiness lies in freedom and fulfillment.
People need to know that they are not alone, that they have not been abandoned; but that there is One Who loves them for what they are, Who cares about them.
True love bears all, endures all and triumphs!

God is Love. Love is God. Love is all there is!

Thank you so much for your continued love and support 👏

April 18, 2021 61

There is no God

A few days back I had read a post by Sara, of Life is not an Immune, in which she was saying there is no God. If He was there He would have seen her pain, her suffering. I do understand from where she is coming, and my heart goes out to her. May God ease her pain and give her peace and understanding. And there are so many like her in pain all around. And I keep praying for all.

In my post – My First Love, I had talked of my love for the stars and the sky, and my awe and wonder at the humongous bigness of the universe. I was even more awed or completely bowled when, still in my youth, I learned that ours is an ever expanding universe. My question was : expanding into what? What was there before the universe occupied that space? Nobody could give me any satisfactory answer for decades.

As I matured and started to delve into metaphysics I began to get glimpses of truth. Our rational, thinking mind is too small to understand the infinitude of creation, of God. We can understand it intuitively only. No one can explain God. God can only be experienced.

I believe two opposing forces are continually at work in our universe. One is the attractive power of God, which is Love; and the other is Satan or Maya/Illusion or Iblis. Both these forces came into being at the same time, when creation happened. When the Big Bang happened about 15 billion years ago the outgoing force, the centrifugal force started to pull creation away from the center. That outgoing force is nothing but Satan and is the creation of the Creator only.

The other force is Love, which is pulling us back towards the center, God. And this is a centripetal force. All of creation is subjected to these two opposing forces. And all of us are at different radii from the center, the nucleus; which is nothing but pure love. The further we are from the center that much more restless and unhappy and unfulfilled we are. The closer we are to the center that much happier, peaceful and fulfilled we are.

Love is the cohesive power which is holding the universe together 💕

Though God is Love, He runs His creation with Law, which is unerring. That is His play, His Lila or drama. And this Law is nothing but karma, cause-effect! Our own karma brings us pain at times and we start to disbelieve in His love. But He knows our pain and cries for us but can’t help us till we help ourselves. That is the whole game of creation. Every pure act, every act of kindness and compassion brings us closer to the center, to peace and joy. Every impure act, every act of anger, jealousy, greed and hatred takes us away from the center. And we experience pain and restlessness and unhappiness. It is true, but most of the times it is difficult to understand from our limited perception of one limited life span.

And ultimately the whole of our life, happy or sad, is but a mere dream, a story 😇 God is the only reality.

Whole of life is a dream, all of us are actors in the movie of our Creator. As real as any sculpture, any painting, any story; real in their own rights, but never as real as their creator!

God is Love. Love is God. Love is all there is 💕💖💕

Thank you so much for your continued love and support. I am indebted 👏

April 14, 2021 146