naav chali (from Ashirwaad - voice of Ashok kumar)

(heard this for a friend and extended the lyrics found on the net - how much learning is this song giving!)

Naav Chali
naani Ki Naav Chali
nina Ke Naani Ki Naav Chali
lambe Safar Pe

saamaan Ghar Se Nikaale Gaye
naani Ke Ghar Se Nikaale Gaye
idhar Se Udhar Se Se Nikaale Gaye
aur Naani Ki Naav Mein Daale Gaye

(kya Kya Daale Gaye)
ek Chhadi Ek Ghadi ek Jhaadu ek Laadu
ek Sanduk ek Banduk ek Talwaar Ek Salwaar
ek Ghode ki jeen, ek Dholak ek been
ek Ghode Ki Naal ek Jiwar Ka jaal
ek Lahsun Ek Aalu ek Tota Ek Bhaalu
ek Dora ek Dori, ek Pora ek Pori

ek Jhanda Ek Handa ek Anda
ek Kela Ek Aam Ek Pakka Ek Kachcha
aur
tokari Mein Ek Billi Ka Bachcha
(myaauun म्याऊँ Myaauun)

phir Ek Magar Ne Pichha Kiya (whaaaaaaaoooo)
naani Ki Naav Ka Pichha Kiya
nina Ke Naani Ki Naav Ka Pichha Kiya
(phir Kya Huwa)
chupake Se Pichhe Se
upar Se Niche Se
ek Ek Saamaan Khinch Liya
ek Billi Ka Bachcha
ek Kela Ek Aam Ek Pakka Ek Kachcha
ek anda Ek Handa ek Jhanda Ek Danda
ek Bori ek Bora, ek Dori ek Dora
ek Tota Ek Bhaalu ek Lahsun Ek Aalu

ek Jiwar Ka Jaal ek Ghode Ki Naal
ek Dholak ek been ek Ghode ki jeen
ek Talwaar Ek Salwaar ek Sanduk ek Banduk
ek Jhaadu ek Laadu ek Jhhadi Ek Ghadi
(magar Naani Kya Kar Rahi Thi)
naani Thi Bichaari Buddhi Bahari
nina ki nani thi buddhi behari
naani Ki Nind Thi Itani Gahari
itani Gahari (kitti Gahari)

natakhat Gahari
din Dopahari
raat Ki Raani
thanda Paani
garam Masaala
pet Mein Daala
saade Sola
Pandrah ke Pandreh
sona tees
tia tetaalees
chouki barah?
Panah Pachattar
Chhakke Nabbe
Chaati pislan
Aati Peesan
Number Teesra
gale Mein Rassa Aa Aa
(ha ha ha ha)

Refuge Prayer by Thich Nhat-Hanh

Refuge Prayer by Thich Nhat-Hanh

At the foot of the Bodhi tree, beautifully seated, peaceful and smiling,
the living source of understanding and compassion, to the Buddha I go for refuge.
The path of mindful living, leading to healing, joy, and enlightenment,
the way of peace, to the Dhamma I go for refuge.
The loving and supportive community of practice, realizing harmony, awareness, and liberation,
to the Sangha I go for refuge.
I am aware that the Three Gems are within my heart, I vow to realize them.
I vow to practice mindful breathing and smiling, looking deeply into things.
I vow to understand living beings and their suffering, to cultivate compassion and loving kindness,
and to practice joy and equanimity.
I vow to offer joy to one person in the morning and to help relieve the grief of one person in the afternoon.
I vow to live simply and sanely, content with just a few possessions, and to keep my body healthy.
I vow to let go of all worry and anxiety in order to be light and free.
I am aware that I owe so much to my parents, teachers, friends and all beings.
I vow to be worthy of their trust, to practice wholeheartedly,
so that understanding and compassion will flower,
and I can help living beings be free from their suffering.
May the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha support my efforts.

let there be spaces

. . . let there be spaces in your togetherness
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you
Love one another, but make not a bond of love
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous but let each one of you be alone
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.

- Kahlil Gibran

Don't go back to sleep.

For years, copying other people, I tried to know myself.
From within, I couldn't decide what to do.
Unable to see, I heard my name being called.
Then I walked outside.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep.

- Rumi

wabi sabi talk

Long time ago, I did a Teacher's Training Program with GenieKids. We discussed many theories in education - learning modes, Multiple Intelligences etc. Also, Ratnesh, our trainer, wanted us to point out some 'Habits of Mind' to the children. One of these was 'Be clear and seek clarity'.

And while miscommunication is (rightly?) blamed for many problems we face, I do believe we can learn to appreciate imperfection in speech.

This was reinforced in me by Manueles, who is in India teaching children how solar cookers are made, among other things. (I really must thank Dinesh and by assoc., Sky, for introducing me to such a variety of people!)

Reinforced, because earlier, I had met Amal, a deaf and dumb artist at an art exhibition.


He wore worn out jeans and sandals with a long blue kurta. A smile ran across his face, seeming happy to do so. He was thin enough to hug without a strain and tall enough for people to see his round, balding head easily.

A pinch of haughtinessarcasm diluted his child-like innocence, but if the Muses failed him, I felt he could easily be a con-artist. Drink in hand, he blended in smoothly.



It was delightful talking to him - mostly gestures and a little writing took us a long way. He told me he taught painting and had travelled the world as an artist and that most people didn't really understand art - but you and me, mone', we are different, weren't we?

When had I been more alert and happy when speaking with someone? Not since I was a babbling child, not understanding what people were saying to me.

And so when Manueles, who is learning English, theorised that by talking in his broken English, he is probably conveying more, I readily agreed. It's because the listener, M. said, makes up more possible meanings in her head when listening to him speak in English, than she would when listening to someone who could articulate better.

So true, inscalfen? How many times are we really intently listening to what someone says? And, how many times, in our non-professional lives, is it important that we 'be clear and seek clarity'?

what's this sabi-wabi

i noticed it first in Chennai. On my way to work with collegues in the minivan, we'd pass a plot of land that was being used for storing garbage. heck, if it was not being used, at least it was being refuse-d :)

anyways, as we passed said plot, most of my co-commuters would whip out small cloth pieces and immediately cover their nostrils with it, evidently to avoid the 'stench'. The 5*5 inches of cotton was as indispensable as when they needed a place to store their mucus they couldn't spit out in public.

I remembered that I used to hate the smell too, but just then I found myself not repulsed by it (recently read two uses of double negatives in two of my fav. authors' books - Chandler and Borges, so I had to...). My persuasions at getting co-comms to participate in any 'experiments' to detect areas in their brains which were stimulated by the smell didn't work.

Turning attention to the other source for experiments, I hypothesised thus: 'my mind is beginning to rot - so it didn't equate rotten = bad'. And then in support without experimentation, i quoted to myself," We rarely accept our demons. Don't we know that Denial is the door to Despair and Doom? ". Then a voice said, "You considered the possibility, dude - so you are better off than most". Wasn't I?

Soon, I found that I was attracted to what was considered as positively un-aesthetic. Even by me! Like in girls, for instance. The most 'ugly' looking girls, I was starting to like. What was going on here - Shallow Hal w/o Mr. Robbins? A friend said - "when one starts liking gadhis(female donkeys), one must marry". I let it pass.

Luckily, I came across this article about wabi-sabi. In short, it's the Japanese funda of finding beauty in transcience or imperfection. Ah-hah, so that's what's been happening to me (another lie for another day). Then I read 'Norwegian Wood' and parts of 'Remains of the Day'. Don't know why the former is considered great. It is good, no doubt. the latter was better but I couldn't finish it.

As this post, unfini.

fun in sin?

I don't know about you - but as of now, I feel there is some fun in sin. or what we consider 'sin'. We can tell ourselves it is 'the society' that has these notions of sin - but if we agree to having 'sin' or 'wrong' in our minds at any level, we are in trouble.

Earlier, I spoke of how Sri Sri says to go beyond gold and good to find god. Today, I got a little more understanding of going beyond the 'good' part.

My conjecture is, and this might very well be an established theory - we like ourselves when we repent. Repentance has a 'good' or 'holy' connotation in our minds. The outward form may be prayer/service to society - anything. As soon as we say to ourselves "I have repented", we are almost doomed to sin again - so we can repent again.

The solution:

a> not to have any doeship
b> not to fall into duality

easier said than done. really.