The Masks

We all carry many masks on our soujourn in life. This is apart from the roles we play.
Starting from our days when we start seeing ourselves apart from
the surrounding world we start wearing masks. The masks could be of various variety.
And these masks are the visage we present to the society and most of the time we are identified by the masks we wear. Some times we may wear different masks in the same role we play as a son, father friend lover etc. These masks are worn to cover our real visage we try to hide from the intended target.

The main ingredient for this mask is the value we create for ourselves and would like the world to
identify us with those values. the danger is that we lose ourselves in this fantasy and start identifying our real self with this mask. When it creates a conflict with our real self we start suffering, trying to keep up the slipping mask!

Most of the time it is a great labour to hold the slipping mask in place. It will be prudent
to put on the thinking gear and identify the mask we are wearing and try to sync with our real self. Awarenes oy our real self will help in this difficult task.

CHANGE

CHANGE

It is said that change is the part of life and change signifies life.

Stagnation is death. Yet, we all dread change in our life, whether it is in our professional life or in our personal life.

We do our utmost to resist change and we think

status quo gives us security.

This is a paradox in the sense that change is growth and life is meant to grow. What is it we fear basically? A bird when it wants to fly for the first time

does not rush back to the nest but takes a moment

to spread its wing. Our own physical growth is mandated by nature to proceed uneventfully.

Yet our mental faculty

resists change at every step.

Once we are forced to accept the change and see those moments nostalgically, it is in-evitable to appreciate that we embraced change at that moment.

We forget our efforts at those moments to resist change.

Yet again we go through the same process of resistance and acceptance.

Instead if we change our attitude to accept change as a process of growth, we would be avoiding many a heartburn and plan effectively to cope with the change. Infact, we can plan to go with the flow and accept all the positives that come out of this change.
Next time when we confront change, let us resolve to accept it with grace and with positive attitude.
Change will be a welcome break from the routine monotony that we think what life is!

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SUFFERING

I have a couple friends whom I always admire for their fortitude and aptitude towards life. They have a handicapped daughter who is of my son’s age. But, her age is only 6 months in mental development and she is blind in one eye. She is hunch backed and cannot use her limbs as both are paralytic. She cannot speak nor comprehend. Her only expression is of innocent pleasure and physical pain. This child is to be carried from place to place.
I always thought about the mental strength of this wonderful couple who day in day out look after this child and yet I have not heard a single day complaining about the fate are blame any body.
It is a real mystery for me as to how they carry on and whenever I get into any bad moods I always think of these friends and seek inspiration from them.
Is suffering too personal to be experienced? My suffering is unbearable to me or we donot compare our suffering with that of others to draw strength to face it. Can we as human beings empathise with others suffering or do we put a filter to our sensitivity to block being aware of other’s pain.
I some times feel that this being non-aware makes us less human.

BHAKTI

Bhakti  yoga was found as a means to salvation for those 
who could not pass through the ardous task of
learning the wisdom of the source. The technique, is thought to be 
simple. Surrender yourself to the ultimate source and leave 
your ego. You are not the doer. There is a super power which 
guides you through this world.Have faith in this power and

rest is done.

Probably, Bhakti movement came as a reaction to theprivilegedclass which, 
thought, had all the knowledge and that too previleged knowledge,
to know the ultimate.Ego was the all pervading, it decided one's choice.
Bhakti tranfers this ego to a power and precludes responsibility . 
How can you be responsible for your action where 
you are not the cause. Sharanagati,total surrender, and finding means to 
this occupied major part of this movement.

This was a major concept propogated in the Hindu ethos, described 
in the Bhagvadgita and taken up vigourously by the Saints
who had the spiritual experience before hand. We find similar
threads in other major religion like Mohamedan and Christianity.
The prayer is the ingrediant for this way. But basically, you have to build up a belief
in your psyche to surrender to the unseen unknown super power 

CHOICE

It is said that, what we are is the choice we made. The choices we made may be out of compulsion or may be a conscious decision. Sometimes, when we are still in the shadow of elders, choices are made for us. It would have brought us to a stage where the choices we make may not make much difference.

Still, the choices are made every moment. Some times, the choices are made without we being aware, that we are making a choice. It sometimes happens unconsciously, as though some other force has made the choice for us. If it turns out to be good, we think it was divine intervention. If it turns out that the choices we made is not favourable, we blame the Karma.

But making a choice, is an activity we make every moment. Being in the present, helps one to make a better choice. When one is fully aware of the moment, the chances are that we make better choices. And even if it turns out not favourable, we will not search for a peg to hang the guilt.

Living in the present,a difficult proposition indeed, is a worthy exercise. Try to think of the present moment. Being aware of the breath, helps, and it puts a brake to the ever moving juggernaut of thoughts that churn our brain. That moment, the space between two breaths is the precious moment, when we live in the present and when full awareness pervades the being. Practice, makes this moment, longer and accessesable and will help make our choice with full faculty of our consciousness.

GOTHRA

Originally the meaning of the Gothra is Cow stall!. The general conception about gotra is that it denotes all persons who trace descent in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. the original ancestors over whom the members of the Brahmana gotras prided themselves were imagined to be Risis or ancient sages (Gotra Karins).

The names of the Gotras are most significant. The following list is derived from the list given in Asvalayana Srauta Sutra.

Vatsas- Calves, Sunakas-Dogs, Riksas-Bears, Bharadvajas- a species of Birds, Mudgals-a species of Fish, Kapis-monkeys,Ajas-Goats,Renus-pollens,Venus-Bamboos,Kasyapas- Tortoises,Sandilas- a species of Birds and Gotamas-Cows.

Fundamental characteristic of the Gotra system are 1) idea of a common descent of all the members belonging to the same Gotra;2)animal names usually assigned to the Gotras;3) rule of strict exogamy for each Gotra.

but the Gotra system was not peculiar to the Brahmana caste.Budda, a scion of the Sakya family, called himself Gotama. His father and cousin Ananda were addressed as Gotama. They were Kshtriyas.Jains have Gotras.Mahavira, a kshtriya belonged to the Kasyapa Gotra.

It is presumed that Gotra system is remnant of tribal society, where in each clan was identified by the Totem symbol of the particular tribe. The concept that it is a Rishi name is a later development