2020 Dec LP Magazine

repeat all our lives and keep getting the same results over and over again. The diseases in the body are just a manifestation of blockages we have created for ourselves.
Sanjiv explained ‘fear’as F— False
E— Evidence
A —Appearing
R —Real
Sanjiv says that we must learn to reconnect with our bodies—not only our physical bodies but our etheric, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies as well. Build trust with the self and stop the negative self-talk that we indulge in all the time. Stop blaming because when we blame, we move away from doing to not doing anything.
To help overcome fear, he gave the tool of writing positive affirmations and did Theta healing which was highly cathartic for the participants. He concluded by saying, “We have come here on this planet to create, share, and love ourselves and other beings around us.”
Mehta’s two-hour-long workshop was full of knowledge. She commenced the workshop with a PowerPoint presentation, explaining the spiritual significance of our various body organs. She talked about how our skeletal system acts like a ‘shell’ in order to protect our inner organs which are crucial for the functioning of our bodies. She also explained and correlated the significance of the Holy Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh with our body structure and organs, elaborating that our upper body consisting of the mind is Brahma, as it performs the function of the Creator (gathering and preaching knowledge, thus creating new knowledge), the middle body consisting of the heart is Vishnu, as it acts as the Preserver (the heart beats to give us life and preserve it), and the lower body consisting of the genitals is Mahesh, as it acts as the Destroyer (genitals secrete the toxic waste from our body).
The workshop proceeded further with a short activity where Dr Mehta asked the participants to make a deep hollow in a dough of atta or maida (flour) to explain the spiritual significance of emptiness inside the body.’ After this short and interactive activity, she co- related and explained the spiritual significance of our body organs with numerology and how it affects our overall holistic well-being.
The workshop concluded with a sound bath meditation where Dr Mehta played Tibetan gongs and bowls, and every participant transcended into a state of absolute bliss and serenity. They thanked Dr Mehta for providing such profound knowledge about the spiritual significance of their bodily existence, which will help them lead a holistic lifestyle.
DAY 2
From Spiritual Blindness To Spiritual Wellness By Dr Anu Mehta 9:00am to 11:00 am
Shedding light
on the spiritual
significance of body
organs and treating diseases and illnesses in a more organic and spiritual way, Dr Anu
ISF Report 2020 51


goals into reality if done through proper, guided alpha meditation. She further added that alpha meditation also has healing powers which can heal a person inside out.
The online workshop concluded with an interactive question-answer session where Srimatha Vijayalakshmi gave satisfactory answers to intriguing questions related to the subconscious mind and the power of alpha meditation. With radiant faces and broad smiles, each and every participant thanked Srimatha Vijayalakshmi profusely for such a powerful presentation.
Alpha Mind Power By Srimatha Vijayalakshmi Panthaiyan
11:30 am to 1:30pm
Srimatha
Vijayalakshmi
Panthaiyan’s
workshop was a
rejuvenating and profound experience for all the participants. She commenced the session with a PowerPoint presentation, explaining to all the participants the functions of the human mind. She went on to describe how the left side of the brain gathers logical and analytical information while the right side of the brain is intuitive and creative, and deals with emotional abilities. She also elaborated on the four types of brain wave patterns: beta, alpha, theta, and delta, and how the latter three unlock the pathway to the realm of consciousness. She further explained how the right side of the brain, if properly stimulated, can open the door to our subconscious mind through Alpha Power Meditation.
The workshop proceeded further with a relaxing alpha meditation, where the participants were transported to their subconscious minds—a state of relaxation, absolute bliss, tranquillity, and freedom. “I felt an out-of-body experience. It was as if I was flying like a bird, freely!” said one participant. “Tears started rolling down my eyes once the meditation ended. I never felt so blissful and relaxed in my life before. The subconscious mind is really a beautiful place to be in,” remarked another one.
Srimatha Vijayalakshami further enlightened the participants on how our subconscious mind can manifest our dreams, wishes, and
Animal Connect: Talking To Animals By Aarti Desai
2:30 pm to 4:30 pm
We all have grown
up on comics, fables,
and scriptural stories
where humans
communicated
easily with animals. However, we have also grown up believing that these were nothing but imaginary tales meant to appeal to our childhood hearts and brains.
Interestingly, as the human race tunes in to higher frequencies of existence, it finds many secrets being revealed to it, one of them being the ability to talk to animals.
Facilitator Aarti Desai shared the method through which we can communicate with animals and know what they think and feel about any situation or condition. She said that human to animal communication happens telepathically. She first led the participants through a grounding meditation in which they were asked to connect with a tree of their choice and become one with it.
52 LifePositive | DECEMBER 2020


She then asked participants to imagine the following: “Pick up my pet cat called Polka. Connect with her energy, ask what she likes to eat, or which toy she likes to play with. Once you know that, expand your heart space, send love to Polka, after which, tell her how lovely it was to meet her and take your time to say goodbye. Say that you will pass the message she has sent to the one it is meant for, and if there is something you will get back. After this, you can write the download which the animal has shared.”
A lady said that she realised that Polka was brown in colour and that she loved being in Aarti’s house. Aarti confirmed that Polka had brown fur, proving to everyone that the communication had indeed happened.
Aarti answered many questions that the participants posed after this. She said that, often, when owners of lost pets contacted her, it was found that the pet had not got lost but had run away because it was unhappy in the house. They communicated that they won’t return unless the owner had changed a particular habit. Aarti said that she found animals to be purer and more sensitive than humans and were also more evolved than us.
If one really starts connecting with animals in the way Aarti taught us, soon, one will realise that in nature, there is no inferior or superior. Rather, all are equal.
coach, and Life Positive’s regular columnist decided to hold her first workshop at the first online International Spiritual Festival, people rushed to listen to her.
Naini stressed that good food changes a person’s destiny. She said that fried foods, colas, chips, sugar, bhajias (fried savouries),and alcohol were poison for the body. Describing sugar as similar to tobacco, she said that sugar causes anxiety and stress, and robs you of every nutrient in the body. Sugar cravings were a result of magnesium deficiency which can be healed by eating alsi (flax) seeds. Terming Indian food the best food in the world, Naini said that our plate must be composed of 50 per cent carbohydrates, 30 per cent fats, and 20 percent protein. To clarify, she said that our vegetables are full ofcarbohydrates and they must occupy the largest portion of our plate.
Highlighting the importance of Indian herbs and vegetables, she said that coriander fights cancer, lime fights acidity, onions retard ageing, and turmeric purifies the blood, unclogs arteries, and is anticancer. Ginger and garlic are powerful antioxidants, and pearl garlic prevents joint pain. She also emphasised the importance of good quality fats and said that they must not be eliminated from our food. Terming mustard oil as our local olive oil, she said that Indian food is so nutritionally rich that we do not need to eat anything imported. Ghee, nuts, and coconut oils are healthy fats which keep our brains healthy. She advised using rock salt or, sendha namak, which has 89 percent minerals in it. The session ended with the participants urging Naini to write a book as her knowledge was too vast to fit into one session.
Food Can Change The Blueprint Of Your Life
By Naini Setalvad 5:00pm to 7:00pm
When famous dietician, nutritionist, food writer, health
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]
ISF Report 2020 53


YOUR STORY
Lalit Modi narrates how despondency over non-payment of a trifling sum of twenty rupees led him to start his CA practice.
54 LifePositive | DECEMBER 2020


M y maiden job as an accounts assistant tale. Undoubtedly, there was a learning in each
in a private organisation was rigorous
but memorable, etched in my mind like a ‘sweet’ itch.The owner, whom I addressed reverentially as Babuji, was my classmate’s father. One day, he called me to meet him in his office. When he learnt that I was waiting for my final CA results and just lazing at home, he ordered me to join his family organisation which dealt in steel. Overawed by his presence and personality, I agreed to join the next day. He directed me to work as a subordinate of the ‘Lion,’ Guptaji, the loyal manager of the firm. Guptaji would work side by side with me,teaching me how to make complicated accounting entries, breathing over my neck while I struggled with the task, all the time waiting like a lion to pounce on me if I made a mistake. He was practical, dynamic, experienced, and down-to-earth. He was a taskmaster with an obsession for perfection.
Learning with the ‘Lion’
Honestly, I learnt a lot from him and consider him my guru. My CA training was no match for his BCom with experience. Sometimes, I had to work with him for extended hours till late in the night and beyond. The session used to begin at 9 a.m. and go on through the day and night till 3a.m., resume at 9 a.m. the same day, and go on like this for three or four days.
Such sessions would happen at least once in three months. I never complained as I was learning something new every time. The best part of the working relationship with Guptaji was that he worked together with me throughout the day and night, half the time talking about his daredevil experiences with the tax and government departments. Hypnotised and mesmerised with his articulate renderings, I lapped up every word he spoke as though I was listening to a fairy
episode he narrated.
Absence doesn’t pay
Once, after a long three day session and the tax deadline of June 30 achieved, I left for home in the early hours of the morning and hit the sack immediately. When I tried to get up by 8 a.m.to go to the office, the body was unwilling to cooperate, and I had a severe headache. When mom saw me struggling to get out of bed, it disturbed her. She expressed her displeasure at the job I had landed and felt that I should look for another job. Worried about my health, she advised me not to strain myself and rush to the office. Instead, she gently rebuked me that if the skies were not falling, I could take a longer respite and go to the office in the afternoon. For an overworked ‘coolie’ like me, this was the right encouragement to chill and go back into slumber without a care in the world. Erasing the stern Guptaji out of my system, I preferred to take a risk and absent myself from office without informing him. The subsequent sleep was sweet, and I woke up fresh and energised. I mentally thanked Mum for advocating this therapeutic rest. By 2 p.m., I was in Guptaji’s office apologising about my inability to attend office in the morning due to my poor physical condition. He brushed aside the lapse and asked me to take it easy and go ahead with my routine tasks. Relaxed, I went to my desk and weaved myself into the day-to-day pattern.
Five days later, the cashier handed me the pay cheque for the month’s worked. A sum of Rs. 20/- against the half day’s absence had been cut from my monthly remuneration of Rs. 1200/-. I did not get any compensation for the endless extra hours I worked for the organisation, nor did I even expect any for the extra services rendered. In fact, the thought had never occurred to me at all. The work gave me joy,
Your Story 55


and that was an adequate return for my loyal services. It was not the denial of the paltry sum of Rs. 20/- that gave me excruciating pain. It was the attitude of the management that hurt me. It was a proprietary concern and both the owner and the manager had the discretion to let go of the cut in pay for my half day’s absence in view of the endless extra hours spent by me for the organisation.
‘Humiliation’ wreaks mental havoc
My respect for Guptaji was intense, and I could not bring myself to raise the matter before him. At that point in time, I felt humiliated and insignificant. My self-esteem went for a toss. It affected my morale and killed my enthusiasm. I felt lonely and discarded. It mortified me to the core, and the bruise wouldn’t heal. By nature, I was sensitive and upright, and this being my first job in a private organisation, I did not realise that this was normal. I took it too personally.When I casually took up the subject with the owner’s son, he told me it was a policy matter. I went back to my desk, thoughtful and unconvinced. How can there be a policy with no human consideration? I mused whether managements drafted policies only from their point of view while ignoring the feelings and situation of the workforce. I still wonder if such sensibilities churning in my being were an offshoot of my rustic naivety then.
A lot of churning went on in my mind after this episode. Mature and immature thoughts flooded the chambers of my mind, just for the sake of the paltry twenty rupees. To stress the point once again, it was not the loss of the twenty rupees that bothered me but the principles underlying the decision of the management. Then, for the first time, I felt I was at the crossroads. I wondered whether there was any future for me in this organisation. This prompted me to send my resumes to various
companies in search of greener pastures. Interview letters started coming. Obviously, I needed time to prepare for the interviews and attend them. The time had come for me to quit.
Babuji makes a great offer
Garnering tremendous courage, I approached Babuji. Nervous but determined, I politely requested him to relieve me from the job. I did not tell him what triggered this reaction. Taken aback, he asked me why I wanted to leave. He also enquired if I was looking for a better job with higher pay. When I did not respond, he sought to know if the pay was inadequate. Without waiting for my reply, he opined that he was fully satisfied with my work and offered to double my pay. When, again, I did not answer, he admitted that CAs were in demand and that he could even treble the pay. I developed cold feet while the twenty rupee note made me uncompromising. Babuji was a shrewd businessman and told me to decide my remuneration and draft an appointment letter with terms and conditions that suited me. He agreed to sign on the dotted line. I was at a loss to respond to him adequately. Reading my thoughts, he bellowed, “Sonny, even after this offer, if I discover later that you are looking for another job, I will gatecrash your house and drag you back to my office. I know your parents will not object.”
A lie provides means of escape
Overwhelmed by his faith and affection, I shook like a jelly. How did this septuagenarian read my thoughts? He demanded an answer. I was in a big dilemma. Like a fish trapped in a net, I groped for a way out. I searched my brain, heart, and soul to offer me an escape route. Babuji prodded further and spontaneously the words “I wish to start a private professional practice” escaped my lips! How these words stumbled out of my mouth, I know not. It
56 LifePositive | DECEMBER 2020


In atonement for the misdirecting misrepresentation, I took a mental wow to transform my untruth into truth.
Instantaneously, I took a wow to pursue a professional practice, come what may. I transformed my fabricated fiction into a tacit truth, giving unlimited solace and peace to my disturbed soul.
was a blatant lie that gushed out of my being to escape from the place where I was feeling suffocated. By no stretch of the imagination was I fit for professional practice. I was too naïve and ignorant about the nitty-gritty of professional practice. I knew very well that my half-baked knowledge was most inadequate to enable me to plunge into professional practice. But the fictional power of my mind gushed out impulsively and shamelessly just to help me get relieved immediately.
Babuji’s warm response
On hearing my decision, Babuji warmed up immediately. His eyes softened. Looking at me with renewed respect, he said, “I admire your decision to start a private professional practice. If you were going for another job, I would take the liberty to stop you. I am an entrepreneur. I will, in fact, encourage you to go ahead rather than place obstacles in your progress, though I would have been happy to have you with us. In the light of your revelation, I can only bless you and wish you all success in your proposed venture. You can leave whenever you wish.” Babuji’s warmth, love, and affection touched me deeply, and I was close to tears. “Are you so impressed with my work, Babuji?” I ventured to ask. “Son, you would have been an enormous asset to my organisation. That is why I made this open offer.” My next rejoinder amused
him. “In that case, Babuji, why don’t you make me your auditor, to begin with?” Hearing my words, he became serious and, peering into my eyes, said, “When the time comes, I will definitely do that. This is my word of honour.” With tears in my eyes, I touched his feet, secured his blessings, and left his chamber with a heavy heart. I left the same day. But I felt free as a bird. When I informed Guptaji of my decision, he hugged me and blessed me from the core of his soul.
Guilt takes its toll
The same night, my eyes fell on the two interview letters lying on my desk. One interview was slated three days later at Hyderabad and another one, a week later at Bangalore. I hardly read a sentence, when Babuji’s visage appeared on the face of the letter. There was a kindly smile on his face. It immediately reminded me of the blatant lie I had told him just to wriggle out of his organisation. So assertively, I had conveyed my fabricated intention to start professional practice and not go for a job! It made me feel downright guilty. It disturbed the very core of my being. My conscience rebuked me. My self-esteem went for a toss, and my self-respect dived deep. I started sweating on that pleasant night. I was too sensitive a guy to carry the baggage of that untruth on my conscience for the rest of my life. In good faith,
Your Story 57


Babuji had left the determination of my pay to me. How can I hurt that septuagenarian with my falsehood? He wished me well when I left his chamber. My conscience tortured me. I tried to go to bed early with a book. I could not read a single word. Leaving it aside, I tried to sleep. My inner voice did not allow me to sleep. A restless night continued into a new dawn and a new day.
Truth and kindness pave the way
We have a wonderful beach in Pondicherry. To perk myself up, I set off for a walk on the beach. I had hardly walked a hundred metres on the beach and, lo and behold, who do I see sitting calmly on a bench just below a towering Gandhi statue? It was the lovable and dignified Babuji attired in his spotless dhoti with his walking stick tucked under his arms. I ran towards him, greeted him, and touched his feet. He blessed me and, looking deeply into my eyes, said, “If you need any help to establish your new venture, call on me. My blessings are with you.” I nodded but struggled to stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. I looked up and my eyes fell on the face of the majestic statue of Gandhiji looking down on me. Abruptly, I turned towards Babuji and noticed the stark resemblance between their features. I got sandwiched between Babuji, the epitome of kindness, and Gandhiji, the epitome of truth. Gandhiji, the embodiment of truth, seemed to be glaring at me for my lie and deception. He made me conscious of the perjury I had committed before Babuji the previous day. It stuck out like a sore thumb amid the glorious sunrise on the beach. The signals and signs were crystal clear. My ‘experiment with truth’ took its first tiny step forward.
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]
Babuji and Gandhiji sparked the turning point of my life. In atonement for the misdirecting misrepresentation, I took a mental wow to transform my untruth into truth. Instantaneously, I took a wow to pursue a professional practice, come what may. I transformed my fabricated fiction into a tacit truth, giving unlimited solace and peace to my disturbed soul. Bidding farewell to Babuji and thanking Gandhiji for this golden opportunity to make amends, I hit the road with more energy, devoid of guilt. There was an exceptional spring in my steps. Reaching home, I quietly tore the interview letters and gave them a tearful farewell. My exit gave way to another deserving candidate who needed the job more badly than me. This was the best way I could manifest my heartfelt redemption for the white lie blurted out by me during the stressful dialogue with Babuji. It was retribution of sorts that extinguished the flames of self-loathing rather than stir them up.
Happy ending
Breaking out of my comfort zone, I began my professional practice in a 12x14 room offered to me by a kind friend in the middle of the busiest street of Pondicherry. I invited Babuji to inaugurate my tiny office. The ordeal I had to go through to begin practice and sustain myself in a cut-throat competitive environment is fodder for another piece. God willing, I propose to unfold my professional rise in my next narrative. The Divine has been kind. Thanks to Babuji and Gandhiji, today, I am into the 37th year of my very successful profession. An employee transformed into an employer, and a blunder was redeemed. The journey from untruth to truth ended happily.
58 LifePositive | DECEMBER 2020


MUDRAS
Abhay Kumar Shah helps us overcome winter ailments with the help of some effective mudras
Varun Mudra ApanVayu Mudra
Ling Mudra Surya Mudra
Bhramara Mudra Apan Mudra Prithvi Mudra
T he winter season is a healthy one. It relieves one from breathing issues occurring due to humidity, increases digestive power, and brings exuberance into our life, leading to spring, the season of life. In spite of the overall healthy nature of winter, it creates some typical
Shankh Mudra
health issues for many. Let us discuss them along with their treatment using mudras.
Mudras 59


Dry Skin: This problem is faced by almost 80 per cent of the population. The cold weather creates dryness of the skin.
To rehydrate your skin, try Varun Mudra for 30 minutes twice a day or 16 minutes four times a day.
Cracked Heels: It’s a very painful condition wherein the body heat increases to maintain homeostasis, but in some cases, this change is not tolerated well.
Heal it with the practice of Prithvi Mudra for 30 minutes two or three times a day, along with Varun Mudra for 16 minutes three times a day.
Acidity: The pitta dosha in the body encroaches on the other two doshas. The body starts producing more acid and bile.
To reduce acidity, try these mudras for 16 minutes each: Prithvi Mudra, ApanVayu Mudra, and Apan Mudra.
Colds: The cool environment outside thickens the phlegm in the body, which blocks the nose and gathers in the throat, leading to cough. Sometimes, dryness of the body percolates up to the throat, giving rise to dry cough. Also,
due to common viral infections, we get a runny nose. Many times, the cold makes us shiver.
For wet cough and a blocked and runny nose, practise Surya Mudra for 16 minutes along with Ling Mudra for 10 minutes twice or thrice a day.
For dry cough, Varun Mudra for 30 minutes twice a day or 16 minutes four times a day can be enormously helpful.
For shivering, Ling Mudra practised for 10 minutes provides good relief.
Allergic Ailments: The cutting of crops, winds, drylands, and falling of aged leaves bring allergies, which are complex issues and very difficult to handle. One’s immune system interprets the dust particles, fumes, bacteria, or any micro-element in the food as an attack on itself. It reacts accordingly, which is abnormal.
Here are two very effective mudras to eradicate allergies. They are pretty simple compared to the huge efforts one has to put in following modern medical science: Shankh Mudra for 16 minutes twice or thrice a day and Bhramara Mudra for 10 minutes thrice a day.
Employ these mudras and enjoy the benefits of the winter season to stay fit, healthy, and happy.
Abhay Kumar Shah is a mechanical engineer, who has learnt Mudra Shastra from experts and established his own method of using this science correctly, and in the modern context. He can be reached at: [email protected]
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]
60 LifePositive | DECEMBER 2020


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SPIRIT
Suma Varughese affirms that the truth of Oneness is evident in all of Nature. Can we adopt this as our guiding principle if we wish to survive?
I was entranced to read ecologist David Attenborough But we can change, can we not?
somewhere that when
new leaves unfurl, they do so in a way that does not hinder earlier leaves from getting air or sunshine. They find themselves a place that works for everyone. I recently introduced three new saplings into the tiny open space outside my living room. To my delight, two of them have been growing with great alacrity, putting out new leaves regularly. Both used to be creepers, but, now, both are steadily growing taller, in order to enable the new leaves to get their share of the sunshine and air without impeding the welfare of the earlier leaves. How utterly sensitive of our plant siblings! There is no competition to get the most favourable spot, no walking over others in order to get what they want, no bullying or browbeating others to do what they want.
But this is no surprise. All of Nature operates along the lines of mutual co-operation, of putting the interests of the other ahead of its own, and supporting all life to flourish. Nature operates on the principles of Oneness and Interconnection, which is why it thrives.
says that Nature’s governing principle is harmony, and all the diverse life forms collectively are ecosystems that enable everyone to contribute crucial services. These services include dispersing seeds to propagate life, oceans absorbing excess heat, trees spreading oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, and mangroves protecting coasts.
How clear it is that the ultimate truth of life is Oneness! We do not need to read weighty books on Advaita, Vedanta, or Zen. We need not wait for a spiritual awakening to act. Every atom of Nature screams out this truth to us. May we not heed it?
The reason why Nature has got its act so impeccably is that it is the Creator who operates through every leaf, root, flower, and fruit. Humankind alone has been given the supreme gift of freedom of will. Humans have the choice to do the right or the wrong thing. And although we must ruefully admit that our progress report is not flattering, we could not have acted otherwise. The presence of the ego or the false self within us, which came into being because of the anxiety and insecurity of separation from the whole, has caused us to act unwisely and
For starters, can we design our lifestyle along the lines of Oneness? What would it mean? It would mean acting in a way that safeguards life and destroys nothing. It means questioning virtually everything we do, and making changes. Hard changes. Painful changes. Ensuring that capitalism factors in the welfare of the whole would be the most vital change. All producers of goods and services must ensure that they refrain from poisoning the air, water, and soil by changing their processes. If they cannot do that, they should shut down. Is it not suicidal to continue to destroy ourselves?
Attenborough concludes that Nature will survive any damage humankind may wreak on it, but he cannot say the same for our species. Nature will stay, we will go. That is fair. I am glad Nature won’t pay the price for our folly. But humankind going extinct? Do we really want this?
Suma Varughese is a thinker, writer, and former Editor-in- Chief of Life Positive. She also holds writer’s workshops. Write to her at sumavarughese@ hotmail.com.
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]
In his new documentary, A Life
On Our Planet, the eminent dangerously.
Spirit 63


BANYAN TREE
TEACHING STORY
THE FALCON WHO COULDN’T FLY
Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.
One day, the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.
Tensed, the king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the members of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, “Maybe I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he cried out to his court, “Go and get a farmer!”
In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, “Bring me the doer of this miracle.” The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, “How did you make the falcon fly?”
With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, “It was easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch.”
THIS, I KNOW
DAAJI
• When we analyse how we make decisions, we witness the interplay of the heart and mind. We observe that the heart protests loudly when we choose something not so good for us, whereas when we make the right decision, the same heart remains silent and at peace. That’s how the heart speaks; there are no loud signals when we do the right thing.
• We can wait for that inner inspiration to come or we can actively cultivate it. The choice is ours. Choosing to actively cultivate the inner inspiration of the heart is Heartfulness.
• Expecting others to change to your tune ruins harmony.
• Meditation increases the inner glow and enriches the soul.
• Integrating the heart and mind eases our burden of existence. By ignoring either one, we cannot move ahead purposefully in life.
• Share your plenty with those who cannot afford it. Generosity is our natural condition.
• Happiness is inversely related to the number of desires.
• Take each day as an opportunity and aspire to excel in every aspect of your life.
• Destiny can be changed only in the present.
• It is in the stillness of the mind that we perceive the heart with clarity. By constantly observing the inner weather, we steer through life wisely, steadfastly, sans regrets.
64 LifePositive | DECEMBER 2020


INSPIRATION
I AM HE!
Mind, nor intellect, nor ego, feeling; Sky nor earth nor metals am I.
I am He, I am He, Blessed spirit, I am He!
No birth, no death, no caste have I; Father, mother, have I none.
I am He, I am He, Blessed spirit, I am He! Beyond the flights of fancy, formless am I, Permeating the limbs of all life;
Bondage I do not fear; I am free, ever free.
I am He, I am He, Blessed spirit, I am He!
—Shankaracharya
ONE-MINUTE WISDOM
CLARITY
“Don‘t look for God,” the master said. “Just look—and all will be revealed.” “But how is one to look?” “Each time you look at anything, see only what is there and nothing else.” The disciples were bewildered, so the master made it simpler: “For instance, when you look at the moon, see the moon and nothing else.” “What else could one see except the moon when one looks at the moon?” “A hungry person could see a ball of cheese. A lover, the face of his beloved.”
QUOTE
What you are is God's gift to you; what you become is your gift to God. ~Hans Urs von Balthasar, Prayer
JUST FOR LAUGHS
DOUBLE TROUBLE
A Zen student went to a temple and asked how long it would take him to gain enlightenment if he joined the temple. “Ten years,” said the Zen master. “Well, how about if I really work hard and double my effort?” “Twenty years.”
Banyan Tree
65


LALIT N. MODI
Lalit N.Modi is a Chartered Accountant by profession; writer by passion; motivational speaker by obsession and a trustee of a few NGO’s. He is spiritually inclined towards the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and is an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna.
K GEETHANJALI
K Geethanjali is a teacher, writer and healer, currently based in Bangalore. She is a disciple of Mahavatar Babaji.
PRADEEP KRISHNAN
Pradeep Krishnan is a student of consciousness, based in Kerala. A seeker by nature, he is deeply attracted to the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
NAINI SETALVAD
Naini Setalvad is a nutritionist, specialising in lifestyle and immunity disorders. Her foundation, Health For You, throws light on healthy food habits.
66 LifePositive | DECEMBER 2020