Hare Rama Hare Rama

Two blogs ago, I had posted a snippet from Rama Bhujangam. The very next day I was sharing it with my friend and kind of asking him to read and post a comment on the blog While discussing, he mentioned the name of Muralidhara Swamigal to me. Immediately I got a ring from another friend who informed me about the disciple of Muralidhara Swamigal giving a discourse in another friend's place.
The eloquent Ms Poornima Kumaraswami, who had dropped out from software industry to pursue GOD, spoke about the Mahima of "name chanting". She effortlessly quoted from Gita, Vishnu Sahasranamam and narrated from Bhagavatam to highlight the Nama Mahatvam. I was thoroughly impressed with her vast knowledge and her ability quote from Adhi Shankara', Tulsidas andChaitanya Maha Prabhu to Ramana Maharishi and everyone in between. during the discourse that she gave for the three days. Today she initiated me to the

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

mantra.
Now it is my responsibilty to chant it atleast eleven times in the morning and eleven times in the evening. There are absolutely no conditions to reciting. Although it is prefered that it be recited in the puja room or in front of GOD, it is not required. Although it is prefered that it be recited in a clean physical and mental, it is not a condition.

Kali Santarana Upanishad confirms her claim that no niyama is required to chant the Hare Rama mantra.

Narada asked: ‘O Lord, what are the rules to be observed with reference
to it ?" To which Brahma replied that there were no rules for it. Whoever in a
pure or an impure state, utters these always, attains the same world of, or
proximity with, or the same form of, or absorption into Brahma.

I will try my best to recite this for the rest of my life -> atleast the rest of this year -> atleast the rest of the month -> atleast tomorrow morning.
Please refer to http://www.godivinity.org/ if you are interested in attending the discourses or knowing more about the organization.

Home Alone

The vast sand of the Thar
Riding a camel-back
Like a man in the desert looking for water
Waiting for my daughter.
Her smiling face
her curious look
her practice walk
with elegant grace
When she lands
I will hug and kiss
her tender hands
Let that bring me eternal bliss.

RAMA RAMA RAMA RAMA RAMA RAMA

Bajeham Bajeham Sada Ramachandram
Twadanyam na manye na manye na manye.

Spring of temples

Shri Ganesha Temple and Marakattai Hanuman Temple will come up within 10 miles of each other. Ten acres of land have been bought in Plano and Frisco respectively costing over a million each. It beats my mind as to why the administrators of both these temples could not consolidate the effort to save on cost and provide a single high quality place of worship for the residents of the metroplex given the proximity of the two sites.
Even in the matters of God, man cannot set aside his ego! While it is heartening to see the sudden spring of temples, the inability of the community to come together is glaring to go unnoticed. With the limited supply of Indians (Hindus), I can only pray that the God(s) take it upon Himself to see these mega-projects complete successfully with abundant funding from generous Hindus.

Not so happy 25 hr Birthday

Thanks to the DST change this year , for the first time I had a 25 hr birthday. I was awake to greet myself at 12:00 midnight as there was no one around. What a sick feeling! I also stayed up to roll the clock back at 1:59 to ensure that I didn't miss the extra hour in sleep. Imagine! Having spent 32 full years in God's green earth, not once intently harming anybody on my way, there is no one around for my birthday. What a sick feeling! Of course there was a call from the mother and then the wife, well before midnight. And a few emotionless orkut messages like WYHBD, which I appreciate in anycase.

Hence I vowed not to come in contact with any human being on that day. A phone call from Vishy modified that resolution from "contact" to "direct contact". I stayed put in my house and turned to the TV for company till I started feeling hungry. It didn't take long for me to realize that the utensils were not washed. I was in no mood to wash them on my birthday. So I googled my refrigerator to find some stale cut-leaf spinach that was left there before my trip to India in September. Nothing else in there for my hunger. Yeah! there was a ketchup bottle squeezed to its limit and a oorgai bottle which was also not looking good.

To up the spirit, I decided to send myself a Birthday greeting. You wouldn't believe; my laptop quit working. (It is functioning properly today)

My mind was hell bent on cutting short the resolution and fleeing to the nearest Indian restaurant. However my will power got the better of my weakness and I denied myself the luxury of a good meal. After searching the kitchen a bit more, I sank into my recliner and resigned to the TV. At around 4:30 I get a call from a NJ cousin. I chatted with them for 20 mins. I must confess that I enjoyed the call for the entire period. After that I went back to the TV to watch the Villain climax scene and all the programs after that. This way my birthday came to a conclusion as Pakistan put up a defensible 239 at Gwalior.

Well I would have traded this fall-back birthday for a spring-forward birthday any day.

Life really sucks when love is absent. After 32 years it dawns on me. I fear the years ahead.

First meeting

For the first time in three months, Babu standing at Pillar bus stop, takes notice of this girl. She has been travelling in the same bus, sitting on the same seat everyday. Dressed in neat school uniform, her distinct, calm and elegant presence in the crowded bus cannot be missed. And Babu's eyes are no exception. She too looks at him talking to his friends for a quick 2 seconds. For the first time their eyes cross each other's. Quickly they shy away as if to suggest that it was an accident. Babu turns towards his friends to continue his conversation as the bus leaves. But his mind has already boarded the bus to Churchpark. However, in a few minutes, Babu recovers from the brief impact and goes about his day as usual without any further thought about the morning meeting.