Saturday, June 15, 2013

The world of Maya


Starting off my new job at this MNC Bank. Dream company. Dream Job. Dream office. 
And then reality: boss loves to work till 10pm everyday! 
Wow ~ I mean, I had forgotten to pray about this aspect! Now what? Break 101 coconuts to reverse this? 
*Maya*
*Mithya*


Came home at 11pm today. 
There was a client interactive event at the Taj Vivanta - a presentation by a fund manager. 
Its one those events in life, where you rip your client off with the most sophisticated intellectual bulllshit. 
*Maya*

Free flow of cocktails. There were 1-2 known people in audience. 
One guy whom i specifically avoided. 
After the event, he pitched a tent right next to the bar counter. 
Muft mein daaru - why waste this opportunity?
*Maya*

Came down to the main lobby. Weekend party in full swing. 
So many youngsters at the hotel pub.
Girls in itsy bitsy clothes (sometimes i wonder - why do they bother at all!)
PDA in full effect (spare me the horror pls)
I wonder - where do these people come from? where does all the money come from?
What exactly do they want in their lives? (I bet they don't have a clue).
Doing all this gives them 'happiness' ? 
This is definitely not my place under the sun! *bhaago*!
*Maya*

Drove back alone through the streets - some lit, some dark. 
A traffic policeman had hit jackpot by photographing vehicles parked on a wrong side (at 11pm! - what a low life!)
A few "girls" were waiting to be "picked up" at one dark corner..
Glitzy malls even after shutting down, were still burning precious man-made electric energy..
*Maya*



Taking in all these impressions but yet not..
Being in the midst of them but not a part of them... 
While praying to God, its just God and me. 
But when I visit God, the people and degree of *Maya* around Him shock me.

And just then, God shares this ROYAL SECRET:

Srimad Bhagawad Geeta, Chapter 9, Verse 32:

anityam asukhaṁ lokam imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām
Being in this glorious world, do not  see permanence or pleasure in it. It’s neither permanent nor pleasurable. Having attained this knowledge, you now attain Me. Being in the worldattain Me.


In the glory of the one who is not *Maya* - I bow down. 
Jai Gurudev. 

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Life - A Reality Check


When things go beyond my control, I pray. Earnestly.
And make futile attempts to explain it in words. Here is one such attempt :)

This must be the busiest season of work I have experienced in my short career span. There is unbelievable pressure at work, with march year ending approaching fast. When you have run out of luck in the previous 2 months, this pressure can found in resonance!
Add to it, when Life decides to reveal itself in its complete 'Rudravatar' - you know, you have arrived in this world! :D

As I took a walk late this evening after work, I looked up at the clear sky - in despair and in anticipation of some miracle to happen. There was an instant connection with the infinite. With the one to whom I pray. What an expansion was experienced!


This post was triggered by a favourite song which I was listening to, during my walk..

 

The song epitomizes all that I was back in college - bohemian, rebellious, attitude problem, absolutely devoid of any responsibility & quite sheltered from hard realities of life (though I had seen a lot of difficult times at home since childhood, it hadn't really "hit" me).
I have been extremely fortunate to have led an easy student life - filled with masti + bhakti. Never faced the pressure of either "engineer or doctor". Nor the hard work of a CA. College was in the neighbourhood. Great friends. Loving teachers.... Everything was taken for granted!

The other day, I was at Anand Sweets, koramangala, with my colleagues. We had just finished a castigating review and were limping back to life. There was a group at the adjacent table. I couldn't help but smile : they were eating more than us, non-stop nonsense, casual banter, chic clothes & light headed - yeah they were a bunch of college kids! Like a flashback scene in a movie, I could visualize myself in their place not too long ago.

I miss college days. The care-free life. (Perhaps thats why teenagers find themselves in weird problems sometimes, which look quite stupid a few years later :)
Of course, life can't be like that always. There is so much learning as we take on responsibilities in life and move ahead (sometimes at the cost of losing our childlike innocense).

But at times, I look back at those days wistfully ... "Give me some sunshine... Give me some rain.... Give me another chance to grow up once again...." :)

Brings me to the precious words uttered by a learned saint: "Having a Guru doesn't mean sailing in a boat which will face no storm. It means, sailing in a boat which no storm can sink"...


To my Gurudev, who answered my prayers with: "I will give you the strength".

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Office Scandals


In times of pressure, tension & anxiety, relief comes from most unexpected sources.

After a super month in December '12 (about which I shall post later), its back to the grind.
And off late I have been saying this: when life kicks you, it kicks all the way!

But like all Shakespearean dramas, there is some comic relief here also.

Office Scandals amuse me to no end. Whats funny is : how people have the knack of getting themselves into uncomfortable situations, that too unnecessarily...! ..... If you know what i mean....... !


Working in teams will always throw up misunderstandings, disagreements, opposite views, jealousy, insecurities. But taking it to new levels of controversy is a sign of immaturity.
And word spreads like wild-fire in such cases. A simple issue was blown-up.

While the team members were unhappy with their TL's behaviour, authorities decided to invite both parties in an open war field. Suddenly all cold-wars and back-b****ing was out in open! And people suddenly remembered the best of the politeness, Queen's manners and diplomatic utterances.
What followed was corporate gyan with no tangible results!


Loss of productive hours, increased animosity & awkwardness, distrust.

Just pressure, pep talk and high salaries WILL NOT work for corporate success.
SPIRITUAL QUOTIENT needs to be attended to.

And this link gives beautiful insights:
http://www.artofliving.org/achieving-personal-excellence-%E2%80%93-apex-course 

............. In the glory of my Gurudev, who is my strength, support and anchor in the toughest & simplest of the times .......................