Corona Crisis- Living in and Learning From - New Teacher in the Block

Corona Crisis-  Living in and Learning From - New Teacher in the Block

The world is gripping with death & fear

War with the infinitesimal enemy near

Time to raise with faith and not fear

Sadness, hopelessness and several unshed tears

Looking into the eye of the storm

and time to remain resilient and calm

Lord, what are you wanting us to learn?

How are you pushing us to seeking the change?

How fragile, how impermanence is real art!

Global crisis teaching how weak humans are

Will we prevent our own extinction as species

if fierce virus spread or if much bigger one comes!

How equal we are! In the eyes of Teacher Virus!

With no limits of race, religion or National borders

It doesn’t care what colour we are, what language we speak

what history we hold, or what elatedness we at peak!

Nothing matters in the eyes of the contagious disease

In human suffering, pain of loss, all are just equal

We are at the loss of control, destiny or mastering our fate!

Corona busted the bubble of illusion with reality mastering!

In this suffering and death, humans became alone!

The pain that cannot be shared with loved ones in any way

Your health, your wellness, your pain or your death, it’s just yours!

Isolation teaches you that end of the day it’s just you to you what matters!

One mother could not see her dead son on other side of planet

A young man did not have the glimpse of his dead father!

There are no longer loved ones around mourning the loss

You are just a mass ready to be ash the minute the virus wins over you!

Time to understand the fear and the faith

Cherish whatever you before the moments of wraith

No wrong in reacting in our different way

Faith is not in the Stars or the Gods we pray

It is the human belief, that our wisdom can win

over the strength of the invisible virus vigorous dance

Realising that we are so small and insignificant

Letting go greed, the human ego and all the fallacies of mankind

Time to join our hand in prayers in our countries and cities

Pray for medical teams and Government machinery in place

Keeping in thoughts of all those men and women already infected

Staying in homes and protecting our kith and kin

Today is still the day, we do not know what is tomorrow in store

Let’s take THIS moment to shout out our love to those we mean

Call and ask up for that forgiveness to those who we did hurt

Take a moment to pause and show gratitude to all who meant for you

Corona crisis teaches us the loss of vanity of our lives

In midst of the existing madness, let’s stay ground

not losing perspectives and things to fill our lives

For one day, this too shall pass, but the lessons not!

This global pandemic showed that no country is big

or no culture is supreme.  All are just human species

Let’s respect every living being with hope of tomorrow

so that we get back with hope and live again in true harmony!

Recipe - Groundnuts or Peanuts Chutney (Side dish for Idlies/ Dosa/ Upma or Even Rasam rice)

50 grms of groundnuts
1/4 coconut- crated
Mustard/ Urdh dall
curry leaves
tamarind- small piece
Salt

Take 2 spoons oil
Fry kadugu (Mustard seeds)/ urdh dall for garnishing
Then fry the groundnuts (golden brown)
Those who like garlic taste, can add 2 cloves of garlic and fry with groundnuts
Then add coconut and tamarind (slight fry only)
add curry leaves and salt
let the heat come down
grind it

Recipe- Cocunut Milk Rice (Thenga Pal Saddham) & Vegetable Kurma (Stew)

Coconut Milk Rice and Veg Kurma

Coconut Milk Rice

1.  Grate 1/4 of a big coconut and grind it like paste with 1 cardamom piece
2.  Boil 1 liter water and then put this coconut paste in it
3.  Leave it aside after filtering the coconut milk (Don't throw the coconut after milk extract- you can use this for kurma)
4.  Now grind the following
8 cloves of garlic
8 green chilies
25 grms ginger
2 pieces of cloves (lavangam)
1 piece of cinnamon
5.  Heat the pressure pan or cooker
6.  Put a small cube of butter
7.  Fry 10-12 pieces of cashew broken pieces and take it once turned golden brown and keep it aside
8.  Now add 4 regular spoons of cooking oil (Sunflower oil)
9.  Fry one thinly sliced big Onion pieces
10. Add Pudina leaves for frying
11. Add the half of the grinded ginger and garlic paste and fry till the dry smell of the paste goes
12. Add 1.5 tea spoons of salt or as needed for taste
13. Now Add 2 Cups of Basmati Rice to this mix in the cooker and fry for a minute along with 2 bay leaves
14. Now add the coconut milk filtered  ( 2 cups rice needs 4 cups coconut milk)
15. Leave it for 2-3 quick whistles
16. Once cooker releases-  add the fried cashew nuts and serve

Veg Kurma

1.  Cut few varieties of vegetables (carrot 1, beans -5-6, Brinjal-1,  cauliflower- few pieces,  drumstick -4 pieces
potato-  1,  green pea's -around 20, capscium few slices)  ( you can add few or all, or even one like potato, or cauliflower
or soaked meal maker  or channa)
2.  Cut one onion and one tomato
3.  Cut 4 green chilies
4.  Take the 50% of the ginger garlic paste you grinded for rice
5.  With the coconut left after milk extract, add 5-6 pieces of cashew and 20 grms of ghasa ghasa (poppy seeds)
and grind and keep this ready
6. Now take a pan , add 3-4 small spoons oils and fry the onions
7. Next add tomato and green chillies and little curry leaves and fry for a minute
8. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry
9.  Now add the cut vegetables and fry for 2-3 minutes
10. Add a pinch of turmeric and 1.5 spoons of salt or as needed, and pour water and let the vegetables to cook
11. Once the vegetables are cooked 5-7 mins, add the grinded coconut, ghasaghasa paste
12. Let it boil for 5 mins and your kurma is ready

Buddha – The benevolence & Arise of Spiritual Seeker

“Oh Buddha….What are you my Lord?

The Most Benevolent or  this Yasodhara’s Bygones Battle

You showed the world the true inner awakening

But leaving behind the samsara after you were at it?

We bow to you for the greatest of the epithets

People tell me that you are enlightened my Lord!

Twelve years of penance and you return home to talk

To express your gratitude for all the help I gave

On my Lord,  in this process, I have only helped myself

Oh Mahatma, you thought that you owe me a share of your awakening

The day you decided to leave and go

Had you trusted the woman you loved and told her so

Would I, your dear wife, not be the first one to let you go?

That was my only pain and truly anguish Lord

Whatsoever that prevented you to speak then?

And what ever you have come to speak up now?

It doesn’t matter to me anymore, my Lord!”

Buddha looked at her apologetic and confirmed he was ignorant

It was the non-understanding as he started the journey to seek

That he can make his own people sad and meek

And he escaped like a thief in the middle of the night

Without giving her a hint or a chance to fight

Soon after the childbirth, as tired she went to sleep

The world around took its mighty deeper leap

“Oh Mighty Buddha…no use crying over the split milk

Nor I would understand your journey experiences bilk

You are no longer the man I used to know

You are the greatest Luminosity with an aura to follow

The light around you is making me go blind, Oh Buddha!

I feel your presence almost absence, you so silent and peaceful

Its been ages since, I was already into you initiated!

Before my eyes close off, and my thoughts cloud off

I just have one last question to ask!

Whatever you have attained? Whatsoever it is?

Was it not possible to attain here with me around?”

Buddha did not reply to her with his words

But closed his eyes in her benevolence

He could feel and tell himself in truth

As he knew it has nothing to do

With the forests or the palaces, he was raised

With the family or with the ashrams to attain

It has got nothing to do with any place

All it had was something to do with his innermost core

That’s just available everywhere

Just practicing the great pancha silas

Respect for Life,   Respect to other’s property

Respect to our pure Nature,  Respect for Honesty

Respect for a Clear Mind

And he for sure knew,

That his Queen Yasodhara

Has long attained the inner awakening

That he longed and seemed so fervently chasing

In Sarnath, 2018

Now, the Part 2-  of Buddha- The benevolence…the actual spiritual attainment of Yasodhara will be published towards the end of month on how Striding into Spirituality like Yasodhara is even possible and humanly adorable

The new age Masters are those who do not leave behind their responsibilities in search of spiritual seeking…they are among-st us, around us, impacting us, influencing us every day…and conquering our thoughts & imaginations and injecting aspirations to live in a more meaningful and matured way.  I see a Buddha in every such soul around me!   Yes, I want to be a Yasodhara…the one who conquered seeking of self from where I am !

Anam Cara - Art of the Soul - Gateway to Truth

In these uncertain times

when the world is gripped with fear

of death and disease

what is coming no one knows

The only solace is that there is 

always one Anam Cara

who you can still look up

making you feel better and dear

It can be your dearest friend

or a relation till your end

or just the inner You

who faintly or fairly known you

Letting your fears fade away

Bringing in hope of new sun rays

gifting you faith and illumination

to see a brighter new Nation

You can draw the art of Anam Cara

In any form of your choice and care

Awakening your inner lights

making you arise from deeper fights

Trusting the world that is wishful true

letting you be truthfully what you do

The art is the soul of the mankind

that makes your thoughts flow and find

Be your own Anam Cara,  loving yourself

Strength to all around you as a honest gulf

spreading hope and faith as world still grips

in the fear of obscurity and uncertainty prevails

Accept this as the Supreme divine will

raise against the indefiniteness fill

Hope is the thing in  innermost self

This too shall pass like the bruises of elves!

Book Review: 'The Rise of Yogamaya' by Vidya Shankar - You are Mother of your thoughts and evolved self! Thank you

A poet is the one who emotes her every thought into words.  Poets bring in life to the thoughts and blossom as words with meaning.  Only poets can understand the real meaning and how it reflects to their own lives...its all ups and downs...learning and teachings..beautifully woven into the verses 

Vidya....Your 'The Rise of Yogamaya' is a true reflection of you.    Several of women who fight life in their own way and find solace in the poetic verses.  

Each poem in the book reflects various dimensions of life you have experienced.  It reflects how we become a Krishna, the infinite.     

Motherhood is no doubt a blessing..but it is not the end of womanhood.. or more specially of being what you are as a woman.  I could feel your pain and experiences that you have beautifully evolved from.    You are truly a great Mother...to your thoughts..to yourself own new self and to this amazing book of yours.   I bow to the amazing motherhood in you that reflects in the consciousness to spread awareness again mental illness issues.   As you become the mother to your new 'YOURSELF'.   Truly, I would like to dedicate my poem 'Finding Her' to you!

I echo the words '  Every Time I look at fear in the face,  Life happens to me.'  The story shared by your Yoga Guru Sri. Swami Shivarishi,  of how we forget to water the roots of the plant and keep dusting the leaves...is true need of the hour for each one of us.  There are plenty of pages, you made me pause, keep underlining the lines I loved keeping note of it.

'It was in her silence that she heard His Love;. That she saw HIS infinite Grace.

....many a time in our quest and hurry to find love forever, we speak million words that are meaningless where as we can find depth of loves in sheer stillness or silence...

'the ending running into the beginning'......how reflective this is to the truth of life...in every end there is a beginning and every beginning will one day come to an end!

'The Strength of her femaleness,  The beauty of Liberation, and the love for herself, she discovered she was poetry.'.    This is a perfect tribute to the amazing poet in you.   Respect

Amidst every page, the quotes on 'What Say you on Mental Health?'  makes this a perfect awareness guide to mental health awareness.  Kudos to you for speaking up for this cause.   Not many can do what we are doing and that is the strength of us I guess

Even showing Puthanai....and her liberation, you have showed that with Lord Krishna,  even a demonic woman can transform towards moksha....

Blue Baby's special Mother is a great tribute, showing ' Genuine in love, fierce n caring, Deep in compassion, ardent in patience, only such a mother of special strength'...

How Dare you?  If a great way of telling how we have to be conscious about her environment.  Kudos to you for bringing this up.

'Its because of you that I have come to believe,  I have magic inside of me, and like you, emanate

This magic to a longing world where, Age, Gender, ability, prosperity stands no discrimination. -  My book, my little love.  is deeply showing  the fact that 'You Love me with No pretense'

You touched me with the 'Jasmine Love' for the one flowers that I am dearly fond of ..and I keep telling my family, that be lay me in the bed of jasmines, in case I die...that is the fondness of mine towards the fragrant jasmines....  truly its not every memory of a lost love that re-lived in time and again

Your absence at my window,  a vaccum create -    means to the emotions that dearly mean..when we miss someone whom we truly love.   The pining threads of a languishing heart!

Truly,  ' I always am!    As life moves through me , I always am!   This is beautiful.   

The ending Uni-Verse  what speaks about 'What is the supreme infinite without the minuscule finite...

The undaunted truth that is love!'    Truly a tribute to the real love

Thank you for this amazing book of poems....You emerged as Draupadi.. a Krishna,  a Kodai..  a Mother.   

Keep your poetry flowing..may all your struggles for ever end as you keep evolving..may you find love in yourself and those around you who truly love you.   May our tribe of heartfelt poets increase...May you shine and spread the message of mental health...God bless you and Shankar

I am truly happy I found a friend in you.  Thank you Vidya.  God bless you .

Finding Her - Arising from the Fire (Prose Poetry from Paru Tales )

Author- Umasree Raghunath

I thought I would never find her…

As I rumbled through the darkest times of my life,

Rock bottom of all rock bottoms…with nothing left to lose

Lost myself trying to please all around

Gaining love and connections from others all abound

Love and connections, I never really got,

No matter how hard I chased it in lot,

Because no external thing could ever fill

The endless void felt within

So, I went on the road trip to ‘reset’

In the quest to find myself at my best

The trip was to find the lost me

The intention to find the source of the deepest pain

Also remove the agonizing blockages preventing me

From finding my true love and happiness

I went behind every possible lessons of the Masters

Chakras, Auras, Timelines, all the way down to Spirits

And everything on its way and in between

I went deep inside my own self, as wide as I could

Stopped on the way to release all the guilt and share

That burdened my journey further down the lane

I sat on the fields and made the list of everyone

Who’s ever hurt me or everyone I’ve ever hurt

I looked upon the bright sun and gave it all to him

Asking him to release them all and let them burn

With LOVE and gratitude, I found someone

So special that I never thought would be ever found

ME

And deeper in the journey in the thickest woods

I found the calling, a true sojourn towards healing

I realized it was me, I needed love from the most

Because it was me who WITHHELD the most love from myself

So, the day, the decision was made

Loud and clear, to love MYSELF for sure!

And I did!

I started being kinder to myself.

Every time, I felt burdened, I thought of three things

Positive and things that made me proud

I made a list of every activity that made me fill up

With joy, laughter, love, peace and empowering emotions

And I made time to do them not once but daily.

Whenever, I’d feel heavy or stressed,

I stopped sitting on that feeling for long

Its ok to look up the sky, let your heart cry

But get up, fresh up and smile to enjoy

First time

I started to say NO to things I didn’t want to do

YES, to things that I felt pulled to do

I started doing things again that set my soul on fire

I kept writing down exactly what I wanted in all areas of life

Health, Finance, Purpose, Work, Love, Life

When I say I wrote everything down,

I mean, I wrote my detailed ‘Dream Scenarios’ down

And I even wrote a long and detailed list of things

That cluttered my mind and soul,

that I wanted to leave behind as I travel back

I dream of someone who would grow and evolve with me

Who would love me for ALL of me- even the parts

That I know are ‘unlovable’ at times

In my mind, I started living with that someone

Who ignites the flame of passion by mere existence

In my soul, I found a purpose with that someone

Who would dedicate our lives together to fulfilling that purpose

In my body, who would pull me back when I get out of alignment

Lovingly hold me accountable to all my potential

Yes, I found that someone who would change the world with me

And impacting lives around and globally

And the list went on and on ….and on

That someone who presented me the beautiful life

Because I sure as heck deserved it true

The days of me settling with what’s available was over

After writing all that down, I released it all to God and the Universe

And sent it off with love and gratitude

That’s when I found ME

Who came with everything on my dream list and more

Unraveling the amazing things about her

Falling deeper and deeper in love

Changing lives, thoughts and love coming true

The day I released every fear, doubt and dependence

It created the space for me to find myself

And love MYSELF!

And in that vibration, everything I could ever want and more,

found its way to me.

When you find yourself and love yourself,

you magnetically attract everything magical

that’s meant for you in this lifetime... and more ❤️

The Love that did not last (Short Story from Paru Tales) - When a man disappears after falling in love? How a woman copes up with it!

Finally. Paru had a phenomenal date. They were physically, emotionally, and mentally attracted. And it was mutual. She knew for sure, because he said it. 

Author-  Umasree Raghunath

Shiv felt his luck to have met her.  He was excited about her and imagined a future together.   He could talk about anything.  He wished he marries her and have kids. 

The next morning, lying in the bed covered over the white blankets being on an absolute high, Paru texted her best friend telling that this is IT.    She didn’t realise that she was doing a classic mistake that would be hard to swallow and could have been avoided.    Her feelings of the night necessarily not meant the same to him as it did to her. 

Paru did not imagine the ghost that is in store and the upcoming slow fading away after few weeks.   Paru’s fantasy date shadowed her thinking on what the man would be thinking on this as a long-term relationship.   

The evening before,  Shiv was holding her hands and looking deeply into her eyes and whispering that the best of lips he had ever seen were hers.  He said that they were an amazing mix of adorable and sexy couple.  Shiv was honest when he confessed that he never encountered this combination of brains, beauty and passion in his whole life.  He was literally blown away by her. 

The wind must have been blowing hard, because days later, he was no where to be found.   Paru became anxious, worried and equally curious on how he could disappear.    She started assuming things and getting more worried.   She did not realize the fact that this had happened hundreds of times to women all over the world. 

Paru was sure that her relationship with Shiv was not temporary. She felt it truly special and she wondered what the reason for this sharp turnaround of things could be.  She kept recalling her conversations with him to think if something she said turned him off.   Was he making the whole thing up?   How can anyone put up such a convincing act?

Paru failed to understand the truth that this can happen anytime.  It not a deliberate act but men are like that many times.   That’s why it doesn’t matter what a guy does on a date.  The biggest attention that Paru missed was to what he did after those lovely meetings. 

Paru believed that he was serious with her,  as he called her the next day, planned the subsequent meetings,  kept the evenings and weekends open for her and so on.  She believed that Shiv was her man, her future.  For this how exactly, men would act when they are really onto you, they just don’t talk, but act.

Suddenly for Shiv it didn’t matter if he had the best time in his life,  he left her hanging for a week afterwards without making plans to see her again, which she did not see it coming.    Paru went into a roller coaster of emotions,  all her hopes and dreams crashing down.  There was nothing that could lessen her pain.   She always felt that he was up there for the whole ride of her life. 

She kept looking at the mirror and shouting on ‘What the hell was he thinking?’  Was Shiv a con artist, an opportunist, who like to game a vulnerable woman like her.  

On the other hand,  Shiv was sitting in the beach, looking at the waves, and with his heart heavy and mind confused.   He did not just spend time with her to enjoy the thrill of the chase,  enjoy enough, get bored and moved on.  It is not simple for him as well.    He was strong on his emotions for Paru, but her overpouring love and possessiveness startled him.   He felt overwhelmed and decided to make a quick and surprising exit from the relationship he wanted to build it with care.  Shiv kept telling himself that he is not a liar, player or a jerk.     There’s a lot going on his head beneath the surface that Paru could never imagine. 

Shiv was the first one to take her attention and affection to a steady state.  He plunged into an exciting and passionate relationship without really knowing the person only to discover after few months that he made a mistake.    He hated hurting her, but he also hated the fact that he was so bad at assessing the compatibility.  He had to turn over a new leaf and move slower in order to make better decisions. 

Paru knew for sure that Shiv was a good guy.  But why did he baffle and do hurtful things and killed her relationship being in the moment when he intended to lead it on.     With the passing days, she was sure that the dreams of marriage or living forever with him are lost.    Even though he kept telling her that she is a beautiful woman in and out, holding her hands and looking into her eyes. 

Shiv asked himself, if he really liked her.   Yes, absolutely! came his own response to his mirror image.  But he did not think long term with her after knowing his own self.  He’s just thinking out loud and to himself.    This is very hard to wrap up around her mind, because women don’t operate this way.  

Paru is not a woman who will not compliment a guy if she doesn’t think he’s great.  She will never sleep with him if she doesn’t care about him.  Never will bring up a future until she feels he is her Mr. Right and not just now.   However, Shiv was like any other guy who will feel in that moment, which may or may  not predict their future feelings. 

Paru closed her eyes unable to fathom her pain.  Tears started flowing for she invested not only time and money, but emotions on the man expecting him to approach life like she does and thinking that he will reciprocate in the same way always.  And hence the trouble.    Paru felt continuously disappointed,  felt like a victim, and concluded that she has no control whatsoever happening in her love life.

She opened her eyes, wiped her tears,  wore her favourite blue jeans and red top and the bright red lipstick and looked at the mirror and gave herself a big smile.

She is not going to let her happiness be controlled by the emotions of a relationship that never existed in its true sense.   She is going to be the Master of her destiny. 

She could smile again as soon as she realized that there is absolutely no correlation between what a man says when he is in love or what he feels in his heart after the fire is gone.      How much ever men may resist this statement, rebel against it, the truth is the truth.    Paru’s acceptance that men operate differently from women and using this understanding to her advantage only could make her smile again and accept to move on.   Not necessary she will have to stay alone forever.  She will find her Prince Charming as the days come by.   

In every relationship, taking along few pauses to reflect and cherish, beyond the first few interactions are key to have the relationship sustaining and everlasting.  If you want to get carried away with every single or first association that makes you happy, will only end up in disaster and disappointments for ever.       Relationships that had conversations flowing, friendship blossoming,  clicked at so many levels  may end up in a physical relationship and social commitment as well.  

Paru learnt the lesson in a very hard way on what to say – and what not to say- to a man in those fragile first few days of a relationship and as well as the need to understand quickly and firmly the real intentions of the man about you.  As a woman, you  need to believe in your instincts and intuition which would give you signals if you are in a casual hook up or with a person wanting something serious and sustaining with you. 

Paru also learnt the biggest lesson on the need to make someone step up as a lifelong companion or exit your life quickly and nicely and allow you to move on.  There is a dire need to stop replaying in mind all the romantic words exchanged and stop feeling guilty or pinpoint the exact moments where he could have turned off.  This is the biggest favour a woman can do to herself to remain at peace.  A woman has the capability to identify the confusing signals of the man.  It doesn’t mean he is bad;  it just means he doesn’t know what he wants. 

Paru for sure DO know what she wanted-   a guy who wants to have a future with her.  And to ensure that she’s not settling for anything less, she decided to move on!

Most Memorable Day of Life - KSLU Convocation - Getting my LLB Degree Certificate in hand :-)

With the most priced possession of life - L.LB Degree 

A penace came to an end

A tribute to Dad's dream

Real push from a first friend

Finally the feeling of complete

This bit of paper is not just a degree

It is an unforgotten vision

Missing the man who seeded the dream

and the woman who let me chase it too

Amma, wish you were there at least

Daddy,  I know you are smiling at me today

Amidst the unbearable high of happiness

I am longing earnestly for love

from Appa to Shivaya, the journey

was rapid, with no time to pause or reflect

It made me now to reflect, stop, pause

I need him now more than any time

Dont feel there, dont feel fine

What next, I have no clue

Purpose is strongly felt and its new

God, give me strength to pass this too

If my love, dedication, devotion is true

who am I missing dearly now?

It is the very me in this now?

Peace be with me!

As I chase the next unfinished dream!

Met Madolin U Rajesh  who traveled with us to Hubli both ways for a concert