2. Currencies.

 Currencies

Thanks to the Tech-enabled world, seldom I need to visit convenience stores.

Recently, I happened to visit a small store selling groceries and related items. Only one person was managing the heaps of items loaded in the pocket sized outlet.

While I entered, another person hurriedly stepped in. Assuming he must be getting late, I told the person at the store to serve him first.

The person asked the store keeper to pack 200 gms dal and 500 gms rice. The store keeper suggested that if he buys 250 gms dal, the total would be a rounded one.

To this, the person replied - Sorry, I can't as I have money that is only enough for the products and quantity I mentioned. 

I was taken aback. Gathering some courage, I asked - Have you forgotten money at home? In that case, can I help? 

He told me that he has only this much, which will help him eat this dal and rice for few days. Further he said that by then, God will surely find him some work and he will then have a little money to buy more groceries. 

As he uttered the last statement, I couldn't miss noticing a lot of faith and satisfaction on his face. 

While traveling back with a bag full of few items that I procured, I kept wondering - Have I ever thought of the currencies that are beyond money?

The currencies of Hope, Faith, Peace, Bliss, Happiness and Satisfaction!!

1. Karma.

 Many a times it happens that the one we are extremely close to turn out to be the epicenter of hatred / complaints / challenges / issues..

Typically spouse and surprisingly in case of parents also at times..

What is worth pondering over is .. why we meet that particular person who comes very close and then in due course of time, some or the other issues crop up and then due to the ego and distance created, despite living together, the special feeling is by and large amiss except for the social showcase. 

This is how Karma works.

Some transactions have been pending since long. Those are both, happy transactions and otherwise. Happy transactions might get squared off in few months, years at times and the remainder might be pending. For that, staying close to one another is an imperative but internal toxicity scales as those transactions are yet to be squared off. 

The process of squaring off is interesting. It can result in closing the balance sheets or maybe adding more transactions for the future.

The solution to all this lies within. The change of mindset is the main thing that can work.  

Questions like - what is my fault, why should I give up, why do i need to compromise always - turn futile.

The way to go is - A jailer has come in my life to penalize me for whatever is happening to me. It's certainly my past Karma that has enabled an instrument to work towards penalizing me. The mistake committed by me in some unknown past were maybe against that instrument or some other instrument. What matters is - it is my crime and hence I am being punished. 

The system doesn't discriminate. It won't give me results for someone else's karma. Yes, the jailer can come in any form. The crux of the matter is - result, phase, situation (penalty or pleasure) is all due to my Karma.

So when the situation crops up, what do I need to do?

This is the effort (Purusharth) at the present moment and in all the tenses, only Present tense is totally in my hand. Here, I get a choice to either retaliate or gracefully accept whatever comes. Whatever I choose will be fed into the system and the result of my present moment Purusharth will be recorded. In the future, when the Future will become Present, I will be presented with a situation per what I did in my past. 

Since the length of past and future is infinite, the duration will depend on the calculations that the system has done during the Purusharth.

In short, I am sole responsible for whatever happens to me, despite the fact that the past deeds may or may not be in my memory.

1. Paaya Khoya.

Socho to itna kuch khoya hai, 

Aur Dekho to kitna kuch paaya hai, 

Jab duniya me aaya tha,

Tab Maine kaha kuch laaya hai,

Aur kitna bhi Purusharth, Kar lu mere dost, 

Maut ke baad Kaun kaha, Kuch le jaa paaya hai?

2. ParamKrupalu.

(On Kartik Purnima..)

In the awe of you, O ParamKrupalu…
The ‘soul’ is shining,
The body is breathing,
The heart is pumping,
Your name, Your qualities…
The ‘existence’ keeps revering!!

In the awe of you, O ParamKrupalu…
The ‘energy’ is flowing,
The synergies are happening,
The love is blooming,
Your words (vachanamrut), Your compassion…
The ‘being’ keeps resonating!!

In the awe of you, O ParamKrupalu…
The ‘light’ is radiating,
The aura is gleaming,
The pulse is beating,
Your walk, Your oneness…
The ‘experience’ keeps reminiscing!!

It’s time for the ‘soul’ to now ‘experience’,
What ‘You’ are eternally experiencing,
In the awe of you, O ParamKrupalu…
This is ‘my’ persistent ‘praying’!!!

1. Diwali 2022 - South India Pilgrimage.

જ્યાં તમારા મુખના દર્શન થાય છે...

બાળકો, યુવાનો અને વડીલો મળીને ૩૫ વ્યક્તિઓનું કુટુંબ જ્યારે દિવાળી જેવા પાવન પર્વ દરમ્યાન ૯ દિવસની નિવૃત્તિ લઇને એવા યાત્રા પ્રવાસે પ્રયાણ કરે જ્યાં કણ કણમાં પવિત્રતા અને ક્ષણ ક્ષણમાં કુદરતી આનંદની લહેરો હોય ત્યારે જાણે પરમકૃપાળુ પરમાત્મા સામે આવીને ભેટી પડે એવો અનુભવ થાય. 

આવું અદભુત અને અનેરું સર્જન એટલે આપણા પાઠશાળા પરિવારનો દક્ષિણ ભારતનો અદ્વિતીય તીર્થ યાત્રા પ્રવાસ.

દક્ષિણ ભારતમાં ભવ્ય ખજાનો ભરેલો છે એની વાર્તા જરૂર સાંભળી હતી પરંતુ પ્રત્યક્ષ નિહાળીને આવો આહ્લાદક અનુભવ થશે એની કલ્પના સ્વપ્નથી પણ પેલે પાર હતી. 

એ પ્રાંતમાં ભગવાન બાહુબલીની ખુબ શ્રદ્ધા. લગભગ બધેજ એમનું ગગનચુંબી અસ્તિત્વ. દરેક ક્ષેત્રની સ્પર્શના, કોઈ પણ જાતના પ્રયત્ન વિના એક અપ્રતિમ અંતરાનંદના સમુદ્રમાં ઊંડે સુધી લઇ જાય.  

ભગવાન બાહુબલી પાસે સંસારમાં એ બધુજ હતું જે માનને પાત્ર કહી શકાય; તેમ છતાં મુક્તિના પંથે પ્રયાણ કરવા માટે એ માનનો સર્વથા ત્યાગ અનિવાર્ય. સમજી ગયા એ તો મનનું ગુમાન...એક અંધારી રાતે, વન વગડાની વાટે, બાહુબલી ધરતા ધ્યાન, પામ્યા કેવળજ્ઞાન.

અહો! કેવું અદભુત વિતરાગ દર્શન... તીવ્ર પુણ્યનો ઉદય એ બંધન સ્વરૂપ, સંસારના કહેવાતા મહાસુખ પણ સર્વથા ક્ષણભંગુર છતાં મારી મૂર્છા જીવનભર ફક્ત ભેગું કરવા પાછળ અને ભેગું કરવામાં સુખની માન્યતા પર્યંત સીમિત; જ્યારે અનંત અવ્યાબાધ સુખના ધણી શ્રી વિતરાગની વાણી કહે કે કિંચિત્માત્ર પણ ગ્રહવું એ જ સુખનો નાશ છે. બુદ્ધિની નહીં પરંતુ શુદ્ધિની વૃદ્ધિથી સમજાય એવા જિનેશ્વરના અલૌકિક વચન છે. 

મનના સ્તર પર આવા અને બીજા અનેક વિચારોના આવન-જાવન સાથે એક પછી એક અતિ પ્રાચીન જિનાલયોની સ્પર્શના અને એમાં બિરાજમાન શાશનાઅધ્યક્ષ મહારાજાધિરાજ પરમાત્માની નિસ્પૃહ મુદ્રાના દર્શન સૌને સુખ, સમૃદ્ધિ, શાંતિનો અનુભવ ન કરાવે એ અસંભવ છે.

દેવનહલ્લી, કનકગીરી, ગોમ્મટગીરી, શ્રવણ બેલગોલા, હલેબિડુ, કુંદાદરી, વારંગ, કારકલ, મુડબિદ્રી, ધર્મસ્થલ જેવા અતિશય ક્ષેત્રોની એક વાર સ્પર્શના જ ભવોભવના બંધનથી મુક્ત થવા માટે સક્ષમ છે છતાં એમ કહ્યા વગર રહી નથી શકાતું કે - હૈ યે પાવન ભૂમિ, યહાં બાર બાર આના...

શ્રવણ બેલગોલામાં ૫૬ ફુટ ઊંચા બાહુબલી દાદાના ચરણસ્પર્શ તથા અભિષેકનો સહજ આનંદ હૃદય અને આત્મામાં જાણે કાયમ માટે ઘર કરી ગયું હોય એવો અવિસ્મરણીય એહસાસ છે.

દરેક ક્ષેત્રે આંખોથી થયેલ દર્શન અને આત્મા દ્વારા થયેલા અનુભવ પછી એવું વેદાય છે હવે વધારે ભવ નથી જોઈતા અને જો જન્મ-મરણના ફેરા શેષ હોય તો એક જ ઈચ્છા છે - ભવોભવ દેજો તુમ પદ સેવ, ચિંતામણી અરિહંત દેવ...!

1. Moh.

 Moh (Raag Dwesh Moh) for me is like "Energy".

Disclaimer: I have been thinking of myself as "sharir" since " Anant Kaal "

How do I relate to it?

Basic principles of "Energy": It can neither be created nor be destroyed. It can be transformed from one form to another. The total amount of energy is the same.

This is what "moh" for me is (sharir/mann based)

Now, one thing that can happen here is ..The moh (sharir/mann originated) can be replaced by "soul"

"soul" focused soul

Now "soul" will replace "moh" and the same principles apply

Soul can neither be created nor be destroyed. It can be transformed from one form to another. The total amount of soul (quantity and quality) is the same.

Counter: I feel in a way you are right. As moh is Atma’s vibhaav. But energy can be related to virya. So if direction changes, virya (energy) which we use to do vibhaav same virya helps to do shuddh bhaav

It's a play of words which pandits have done over years and centuries and more.

What "I" need to do is ensure that "I" am getting away from the trajectory of "moh" and not "subsiding moh" from one place and "inherently" developing at some other place.

My "moh" for XXX may not be newly developed. It is typically transferred from somewhere else (which even in my sane consciousness is difficult to recognize)

So, subsiding moh can make me feel good for a while, but got to check whether it is moving toward eradication or transfer / shift.

To go to another extreme.. what has happened with me over " Anant Kaal " is - I have many a times transferred my moh from all the Ashubh in the sansaar to all the Shubh in the Adhyatm maarg...And (probably) in my best attempt in the entire "Anant Kaal", I have in my past accumulated so much so much so much of "Shubh" that I got this birth (the best birth ever and hence it required so much so much so much of Shubh)

So far it's good, rather the best...that i have received this (almost never before in "Anant Kaal" situations and conditions)

Despite being received the best (in maximum probability bestest) , if I do not convert "moh" based (Ashubh+Shubh) to "soul" (Shuddh), it's all gonna go in a BIG HUGE HUMONGOUS VAIN... TOTALLY DOWN THE DRAIN!!!!

Ashubh to Shubh and maha maha Shubh is a great step and after such Infinite infinite steps, "I" have reached a stage where "I" have got the best of the conditions for the "soul" (Shuddh).

Conditions for "Shuddh" have been set and formed. Of course, Shubh is inevitable and needs to be "executed" but the "moh" for "Shubh" is not called for. This is exactly the process to "develop" upadaan

Simple rules (I feel)

Ashubh - Totally eradicable

Shubh - Fully inevitable but without any moh (it's possible, no rocket science)

1. Cycling Stars.

Cycling Stars - A Summer Boot Camp (01-29 May 2022)

Setting feet on the pedal,
Taking on the saddle, 
Cycling Stars cruised swiftly,
18 sessions of effort, 
Won each Star, biggest medal

It all incepted with a dream, and also a doubt, whether this dream will be realized?!

Day 0 (Zero) was all about gathering friends and making a proposal for fitness this summer. 

It wasn't as lucrative as going to a restaurant and calling for a lavish dinner. However, to my surprise, a bunch of people agreed to take it further. Besides the desire for fitness, I am sure, the Trust factor was foremost. They had a choice to go anywhere for the regime but I feel indebted as a matter of the fact that they chose me. It's difficult for me to express the feeling of gratitude that surfaced as a result of the Trust that the team of Stars bestowed upon me. 

I still had doubts that after taking off, we might have to land midway, or maybe before that. The key to unlock the early morning laziness was to make things exciting each day. However, I had to do nothing. The Excitement quotient had popped out from within in all the participant Stars.

The regime was divided into 3 parts - Warm up, Ride & Cool down. To win over the monotony, it was necessary to make warm up and cool down work-outs variable and less boring. The ride part was anticipated to be a similar routine each day, except for the distance covered. The results were visible when the folks would show up at the next session, every time. Cycling Stars were willing to be Consistent. Consistency is one of the prime-most success criteria.

Each session was supported by the family members. While few parents would motivate and support by driving / riding  along with their vehicles, one parent expressed willingness to join the Cycling stride; and this was a much needed Support. Also, some friends who joined / willing to join, had to move on due to some or the other reason. One friend stayed till the end of the regime and provided excellent Support by leading from front and back, as required. 

Amid personal commitments, tough sessions, hard exercises and the nightmares of rising early, the Stars had inculcated a spirit of Perseverance. The sessions and before/after stretches were indeed exhausting but the stars chose to be relentless. Each one helped everyone to keep the momentum on.

The stride started with a mere 2 km ride. It is said that if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together. Courage is one of the vital ingredients in the recipe of reaching far and beyond in life. The Cycling stars and their folks always displayed a great level of courage, and this Grit helped us all to reach 20 km in Session #17.

The Trust, The Excitement, The Consistency, The Support, The Perseverance, The Grit - All this made the entire journey happen, and not just that, it was a happy and successful voyage, overall.

Well, the cherry on the cake was an opportunity to interact with so many intellectual minds and make great friends for life. 

Love you all 💗