When Hearts Embrace Hearts-19 | Look into the Eyes!

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-19

Look into the Eyes!

Leo Tolstoy was taking a stroll through a worn out street in impoverished war-torn Russia. When he saw a poor beggar, frail and famished, limping, he felt sympathy for him. With the intention of helping, Tolstoy put his hands into his pocket, only to find it empty. With regret and guilt of helplessness, he just hugged the poor man close to his heart. And, kissing on his dirty, grime cheek said “Don’t be angry on me, my little brother, I have nothing to give you.” 

The beggar, raising his exhausted head, with a satisfying look replied, “Oh, you called me your little brother. That’s enough for me. That’s more than enough!” And his dried eyes started welling up and it poured tears.

Love is the bridge that connects hearts. It’s the only link that can keep you attached to everything in the world. Bible does talk about ‘love that pours like rain and spreads like sunshine’. Love, that expects nothing in return like the rain which moistens the parched earth! Sometimes, our loved ones may let down us even with showering heart full of love. Despite it, the love remains buried inside without any interlude! 

When Prophet Muhammad came to know about the marriage of Jabir, one of his companions, he asked if he was willing to sell his camel. And at 40 dinars, it was bought. He paid him the price. And, also returned the camel! Prophet didn’t require the camel. But, Prophet knew that Jabir was in need of money. How? When you become so close to human beings, you know from their eyes their needs, their aspirations!

If one kills somebody unwarrantedly, it’s akin to killing the whole mankind, says the Quran. And it adds, if someone gives a life, it’s similar to giving life to mankind. Can we give life to someone? No. Never! What does it mean? It’s wiping someone’s tear. Showing concern and consoling a sad soul!

Remember, if I shed tears due to my own grief, its just water that flows! If it’s for someone else, it’s in fact a flow of good deeds!

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-18 | Stranger!

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-18

Stranger!

There is an earnest short story by Kahlil Jibran: A child sits crying on the shores of a river. Someone destroyed his playhouse. He keeps uttering, “I haven’t destroyed anyone’s playhouse. Then, why is mine destroyed?” 

It isn’t always necessary that we experience such incidents due to our bad acts. Maybe, we are victims of others’ evil deeds and bad motives. Yet, pardon their sightlessness, their ignorance!

What do we do, when our kids fall into a filthy drain? We lovingly and carefully pick them up. Aren’t those lucky who deal with mercy and magnificence with all human beings!

When someone asked Ramana Maharishi, “How should we deal with strangers?”

Maharishi replied, “There isn’t anyone stranger!”

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-17 | Baby Bird in Our Hands!

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-17

Baby Bird in Our Hands!

Here is a Zen story of a mother with two daughters. One daughter is a flower seller, and the other one sells papad. Their mother loves them so much that she can’t imagine life without them. But, she is always filled with remorse for both of them. When it rains, mother cries. She cries for her daughter who sells papad, which can’t be properly dried in rainy season. And, when its sunshine, she again cries, thinking about the daughter who sells flower. The land gets parched and her flowering plants go dry. All the 12 months, the mother keeps crying in despair. The mother’s prayer is just sharing her woes. Indeed, how weary would be that prayers! What would she seek?

How much do we like people who visit us without any selfish mottos or demands? They don’t need anything. They just want to sit besides us. They just look forward for our love and concern. Is there any love greater than unconditional love? In such case, how much Almighty would keep them close to Him and listen to their chitchat, which got no particular demands? Those are truly blessed ones who love Him deeply and are content in their lives.

A kid holding and hiding a baby bird in his hands came to the Guru and asked, “Is the bird in my hands alive or dead?”

The Guru could sense the mischief in the question. The kid will just squeeze and kill the bird, if he replies alive and win the game. If he replies dead, he can just release the bird, which will fly away, and he would win. But the reply of the Guru failed him. “You can decide, if the bird wants to live or die.”

We are squeezing our short lives in hopelessness and discontent. Otherwise, the same lives are so brightening and perked up. Our prayers become just begging, when we dislike our lives and are discontented to the core. How weary would be that company in which one just talks continuously and other sits just listening! How true is what Helen Keller, who herself was blind and deaf said, “Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people.” Aren’t there sounds, which we become deaf towards despite having sense of hearing? Sounds of happiness provided by life! The divine sounds of life’s happiness!

We so easily fall in love. Human beings are so impoverished of love that they might slip into anything that seems love to them. Then, why do we turn deaf to those great sounds of love? Why don’t we realize such love that is so much trustworthy? We need to find the roots of unhappiness in such inquisitive questions lying deep inside us. Prophet Muhammad prayed, “O God, Bestow me your love, the love of your loved ones and good deeds that leads us to your love.”

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-16 | Orbit of Love!

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-16

Orbit of Love!

“O God! I am not seeking protection from dangers; my prayer is to keep my mind free of fear on the faces of lurking dangers,” wrote Tagore in his magnum opus, Gitanjali. 

Rabindranath Tagore is a soul who crossed an ocean of woes. He married Mrinalini Devi in 1902. Blessed with a kid next year, despair struck hard and the bliss vanished. The kid passed away. Next year, his father Devendranath Tagore too departed. He could only have 13 years of blissful married life, his wife died in 1915. His three brothers too left him very soon - Somendranath Tagore in 1922, Jyotirindranath Tagore in 1925 and Dwijendranath Tagore in 1926.

Losing his entire close ones within 20 years - abandoning him in a summer of solitude - imagine the deprived soul making a prayer to the Almighty. Even, at that moment, he praying, “O God! Make me free from fear!” He got no grouses.

When fear departs, inner-self fills up with quintessence.  How do we attain such purity and peace? Realization of a whirlwind of passionate experience that uproots all fears from mind will provide such erudition. Our inner-self reaches a spiritual bliss when we become conscious that there isn’t an addiction as strong as addiction to the Almighty.

Need is to realize that addictive love. In this short life, this realization prepares us to take on any challenge. In the rush of life, we, the unfortunate souls often forget to realize the One who gave us this life!

We fail to appreciate the One who designed us, moulded us, blessed us, consoled us, protected us, pardoned us, and passionately and constantly loved us.

When a Prophet during a phase of tribulation prayed, “I am persistently going through distress, yet You are most Merciful,” is that realization. It’s the hope that the One above us all will take care of us, when we lose the world below us.

The wandering mind gyrating around many distractions needs to be put back on an orbit of love. This pristine love can be attained only through fighting inner toxicity, varied hunger and thirst.

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-15 | Eternally yours!

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-15

Eternally yours!

“Do you value my love?”

“What makes you think otherwise?”

“Nothing, I appreciate your love. Those we love intensely do appear in our dreams. You turn up every night and fill my dreams. Do I ever show up in your dreams?”

“Yes, you do come in my dreams!”

“Who do you think are the real lovers?” We, who dream or those who appear in our dreams!

“Those, who show up in our dreams, O my beloved, it’s like the sun. Look! The sun ascends and spreads its light over everything, kissing everywhere. It isn’t because we love the sun, but the sun loves us all.”

She adoringly beamed with a smile.

Isn’t there a love brighter than the sunlight which eternally encompasses us all? Is it because of our love for Him?

For a while, close your eyes, and ponder. Do we deserve His love so much?

How many persons we loved abandoned and left us! If our lover comes to know our secrets, would their love remain same?

Realize, He knows all secrets of us which remain concealed. He is witness to everything. Still, His love keeps getting brighter and brighter.

How detached we are from this realization! Yet the love of the Nourisher doesn’t diminish a bit. Yes, that love is what, we cherished till this moment in our short lifespan.

It’s His love which was bestowed and denied!

How true what Tagore told us!

“I always thought, something else should have happened in my life. But, who knows whether, I would regret thinking about it later. O my Lord! I longed for a thousand things from you. By turning down most of it, you have protected me.” 

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-14 | Scars stay, Kisses fade away!

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-14

Scars stay, Kisses fade away!

He is a taxi driver in Delhi. Would be 50 plus! Gloomy eyes, but a pleasant and amusing guy to travel with! A poor man, who lost everything in 1984 anti-Sikh riots! During the journey, he recounted his poignant life story.

“I was 19 years old. All thirteen members in our house were butchered – grandparents, young ones and didn’t even spare the toddlers! I became abandoned in my home and my life.  Even now, I think of them all while driving my taxi. I was very close to my youngest sister. I get emotional when see little girls of her age. I can’t control my welling eyes when faces of my loved ones flash before me. I stop the vehicle, park it aside and cry my heart out. And, when feel a little better, wipe my tears and continue the journey...”

When the thorns of memory pierce our hearts, that’s what we can also do – cry, wipe the tears, and move on. There are issues we can’t cope up with. The baggage of such sorrows, we carry throughout our lives. Like the loss of our loved ones! Can’t help it! Just cry, wipe your tears and carry on the journey. 

“The waterwheel accepts water and turns and gives it away, weeping!” Rumi says.

We refer to sorrows as ordeals. Is it fine to be referred so? In fact, it is a test or examination rather than ordeal. Examinations are where we try to pour out how much we have learnt. Isn’t it same with sorrows too? We have gathered so much knowledge, memorized so much, ingrained about faith and belief. The test to see how much all of these helps one to cope up with the situation. An examination to realize how much knowledge gained from books could be of real help in life. One learns to endure by tolerating so much. One learns to stop crying by crying incessantly. Almighty loves those who hold back their tears when they go through heartbreaking experiences. Glittering outfits and heavens of garden are the incentives, says the Scripture.

Grief-stricken and pained minds are like views on a misty morning. Once the mist evaporates, the views become clear. Experiences that make us cry keeps haunting us. As human beings, it’s a natural phenomenon. 

We shouldn’t delay wiping the tears. Distresses inflicted aren’t disaster, but breaking hearts over it, is disastrous! 

Forgot all that moments of happiness and exhilaration! Life keeps seeking its strength from the tears and sorrows that it experienced. Look carefully! The scars of wounds are still there. The kisses have all vanished!  

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-13 | Winged Bird, Deep-rooted Mountain!

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-13

Winged Bird, Deep-rooted Mountain!

A migratory bird flying through various countries and continents landed on a mountain peak. The mountain asked the bird, “Which places did you visit?” Spelling out names of the places it visited, in a jest, it looked at the mountain and said, “What’s the use of telling you the name of the places?  You have no idea about these places, I visited. You got only height, but can’t fly.”

In all humility, the mountain replied, “I know details of all the places in the world heard through millions of birds who have been coming and resting on my peak since centuries. It’s true that I haven’t visited those places. But, my friends have visited. When God gave you wings, He gave me solid foundation.”  

Before the bird could complete, “what’s the use...” an eagle came down and snatched the bird and flew away. The bird with wings had no roots!

It’s a childhood story that unravels so many lessons of life!

A renowned Malayalam poet Thunjath Ezhuthachan once wrote that the worms inside the fig think that they thrive in heavenly bliss. The state of most of human beings are like those worms inside the ripen fig which may drop anytime. They find cosiness in the momentary delights and fantasies of the mortal body, which may perish anytime. And, they neglect the soul and eventually lose it. Those who tether their souls with failsafe Power are the blessed ones. They become winged birds and deep-rooted mountains!

The faith in the Almighty is like standing tall and upright on strong roots with humility. The Creator shouldn’t be perceived or reminisced as the One who caters to our insignificant and small needs. He is the Root! He is the Fact! Those who stand with Him will not lose their footing, says Scripture. They are similar to mountains that know their strength!

Such life needs to be sustained invariably. A spiritual relationship should be established with that Super Power that remains constant irrespective of happiness or grief! If one sustains such a bond, the tales they pen won’t go in vain! As a matter of fact, life is nothing but a collection of tales!