Can a simple thought of haircut put God and religion into perspective?

It's Tuesday as I write this post. I wanted my hair cut as it's always too messy and ruffled. As I was returning from work I was looking for the salon near my home. It was a bit late and I was hoping that the salon would still be open.

As I was thinking on these lines, the years of conditioning inside me reminded me that it was Tuesday and I wasn't supposed to cut my hair on certain days!? Now before I could either banish this thought or my mind started playing thought-games with me, a far more striking thought overwhelmed me.

In Hindu religion and mythology, One God / many forms - Advaita principle - is always preached and practised. Now, if we have One saviour, which I truly believe in, and that saviour is seen as Jesus in Christianity, Mohammad in Islam and so on., then how could it be possible that being a Hindu what I do / don't do on certain days is bad whereas being a person belonging to another religion it is OK?

Does God ever say that if you are a Hindu, then you do this / don't do this; if you are a Christian then you practise in this manner; ? From any logical, practical mind, rational mind the answer would be a straight forward NO.

If that's the case why can't a human being be allowed to just be what he wants and seek his God from within ? In making a person follow so many rituals / practise principles of certain doctrine, we are stressing more focus on the methods than on the ultimate goal.

The words from a Chinese classic text which I recently stumbled upon can never be so appropriate as it is here : "We mould clay in to pot but it is what it contains that actually matters!"

P.S: Am certainly not atheist and I truly believe in Intelligent Design of this Universe - the designer being God / Almighty / Supreme whatever noun / adjective we tag Him with.

Am I in the right state of mind ?

The other day, while visiting a bank on Bracknell high street, I noticed a dog being tied to a post while his master had gone into a shop. He was barking on a very high pitch. I felt sad for him as it was very cold and close to -1 degree and he was helpless. But the events that next happened froze me in time and made me think.

I saw an old man pass by and he started talking to the dog, as in asking him whether he wanted something to drink or eat? He then gave a pat on the dog's back and went on.

Next, I saw a very young toddler coming out of a shop with her Mum. When she noticed the dog barking, her face lit up and she went running to the dog.

What appeared as barking to me, a help cry to the old man, appeared as something exciting for the toddler. And remember, all of this got registered in me in less than 20 seconds.

While I can truly appreciate the liveliness and the compassion of both the toddler and the old man, I am left pondering as to how I should have reacted to the situation ? Why didn't I react the way the toddler did or the old man did ? Honestly, I don't have an answer to my self-introspection!

My Gems

One has to be childish, spontaneous and a hopeless romantic to win over a girl's heart. But he has to be mature, emotionally stable and forward-thinking to be able to take her hand. If one cannot be both, then he will marry a girl for sure [or even a boy these days ;-) ] but she may not be the one he loved!

My gems

The world wouldn't be beautiful without Girls, but its the Guys who appreciate it, celebrate it and fill the air all around with romance and love ;)

The road to becoming a Maverick. Well, still searching for the route....

I was chatting with one of my closest pals today, while at work. She said that she started sensing in me the change and that it is close to becoming a Maverick! Well, I don't know for sure but a little bit of thinking makes me feel that she might be right. Cos' what am trying to achieve is break the shackles of years of conditioning thats been fed to me from family, friends , school and society and to analyze/approach everything afresh. Well, I initially thought my idea is stupid cos' one can never make all the mistakes to learn from them. But then, I would rather try and get defeated in the process, if at all, rather than give up even before starting and continue in the rat race approaching the unknown!

Past, Present and Future

Some people say and believe, one should bury their past and start living in the moment and look forward to the future. Now, how I wish, I could bury my past along with all my liabilities and start afresh by amassing great wealth and start looking forward to the future??? Ha Ha Ha, Juz kiddin....as in how Alf says ;o)

Chewing Gum

Chewing gum persistently is not hip or cool; keeping your breath fresh is!

Prolonged Passion n Fervour

Can you listen to your most favourite song, again and again in repeat mode, with same fervour and passion that you had when you first started liking it? If you can't, then how would you love and be passionate with your partner for life, forever??!!!

This might sound strange or stupid to some and may also make one think what kind of dumb ass is this guy to compare a liking to a song to that of partner for life. Well, you are not alone, cos' I projected myself outside and saw this thought as a third person. But then, beyond the oceanic surface of this thought, lies the true wonder and puzzle of life in the deep stillness of the sea, that we all will experience in life. And that conviction made me translate my thought in to words!!

Thoughtful or Thoughtless ?

The door opens with it's own pipers singing loudly so as to alarm the surroundings. Am courteous enough to wait for co-travellers to board (something that I have inculcated after coming here) and finally, with a sense of relief that comes from the fact that the guard has still not blown his whistle and not left me stranded, I get in. Yes, I am in a train, commuting to work, something I do from Monday to Friday pretty much like a zombie.

I manage to find a cosy seat next to a window, to enjoy the warmth of the heater that's on during this time of the year and to enjoy the scenic beauty that Mother Nature has to offer in South West of London.

I start my ritual of "ipodding" and pull out my current read. Fellow passengers, sitting right across me and besides me, are in to their world, occasionally looking at me for all the charm that I have to offer! (ok, I made this one up!).

During the journey, there are times when I stare out of the window in to the open fields and skies and realise that my eyes are seeing but not looking. That's because my mind is in to it's own world - wandering/loitering in to a maze of thoughts. Physically present, mentally absent!

Suddenly, when my mind comes home, I realise that am staring at a blank space without any meaning!!! ha ! ha! That's when my eyes start to "look" and send back signals to my brain asking " how stupid are you, to make me stare at empty spaces!".

What I realise from this whole experience is the fact that it's really difficult to sit in your seat without doing anything, not thinking about something and not dozing off, be completely present in the presence of your fellow passengers and yet not look at them.

Only goes to show how conditioned I am and how difficult to keep my mind still and yet be present in the moment. That's something I have always wanted to do or be in - the state of "here and now" as Osho says it....

Redemption

I am at a stage in life where I think I should redeem myself. However, choosing the path is biggest scare !! :)

Reflections

I am now deeply absorbed in the life and making of Alexander. The book is so absorbing that given a chance, I would stop doing everything and finish the trilogy. Only if someone made money on my behalf! How I wish !