Attitude of Gratitude

Life is beautiful, wonderful and blissful - as it is!

My creative writing teacher at college makes sure we pray and thank before and after class. A few of my friends think that she's trying to impose her Christian thoughts on us. But honestly, I think she's trying to instill in us a value we should have had by now – the Attitude of gratitude. Today I’d like to thank everyone who have made me what I am - parents, teachers, spiritual teachers, spiritual beings, friends, relatives, all loved ones, God or the Divine Providence, Universe. Every little thing has added up to the beauty of my life - the cup of tea I drink every morning, the old bike in which my dad drops me to the bus stop, the beautiful lake I see everyday, the trees that look so beautiful, the dog that follows me, the bird that chirps above my head, the sky that paints beauty, the air I breathe, the videos I watch, and the books I read. The list is never ending. Every time I thank someone, I feel happy from within. I'm grateful for everything I have. I'm grateful for my life :)
It is true, when we thank someone, a state of duality arises. A receiver and a giver arise. We give birth to ‘the other’.
All is one; thank the other. I don’t have a convincing answer for such a conflict.
Oh how I contradict myself! Deep within, I know that the attitude of gratitude brings me great joy. It makes me feel as though I'm one with everything around.

I know. I don't know.

I have been reading a bit and listening to a few spiritual discourses online. I feel like I understand what is being said. I feel good after watching a video. I smile. But when I'm asked to recall what was said and when asked to share the 'idea', I just cannot do it. This has been the case since a long time. That's probably why I end up scoring less in my exams. I feel like I dont know anything and yet feel like I know everything. I mean, there is a sense of say liberation if you may. Socrates said, I know that I don't know. That's exactly what I want to say. After everything is said, I say to myself: That is so. I know. I don't know. - Because I know that I don't know.
-- PEACE :D

Destiny Calls

Morpheus: Do you believe in fate, Neo?

Neo: No.

Morpheus: Why not?

Neo: Because I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my life.

If Morpheus asked me that, I’d pretty much say the same thing as Neo. But not anymore. Now, things have changed – drastically! Just one incident changed the way I look at life and perceive it. I’m still fresh out of that incident and hence haven’t really found the right words to express my feelings.

I had been to Tumkur yesterday. My mother planned the trip suddenly and we left. On a different day I would have said “no” to the trip because it was a Sunday. But this time I agreed. We went to the hills there, to a temple, offered our prayers. We then suddenly decided to come back home in train. We went to the railway station at 3; the scheduled train at 4 was off. So we decided to take the train at 6 pm which was delayed by an hour and a half. Something unusual happened at 5:30. I saw a wandering monk. A simple Buddhist monk. I was drawn to talk to him. I knew I had to talk to him. Call it intuition if you may. He was 72 but he looked many years younger than that. He was a well-built doctor and knew 15 languages. He hailed from Sri Lanka. What was he doing in a remote village in Karnataka where there’s no monastery even. Lucky me eh? He spoke to me about Buddhism and his way of life. He gave me a few tips to grow healthy. He asked me to meditate. He spoke about walking meditation. He spoke about Goenka. He spoke to me about gain and loss, good-repute and ill-repute, praise and blame, joy and sorrow. I had a few questions for him regarding meditation, the Universe, Buddhism as a religion, kundalini, and the importance of a Guru, so on and so forth.

He constantly kept telling me that I should preach. He asked me to read as many books as I could and start preaching. He said that just within two minutes after meeting when I had virtually told him nothing about myself. The conversation lasted well over 2 hours. I’m not sure what I learnt from him. But I know I learnt a lot. I had many demons in my mind while talking to him. At the same time I knew I had to trust everything the universe has in store for me. It is foolish and ridiculous to believe that I’m in control of my life. Just take life as it comes. Just let it flow and be a witness of it all.

“Though Destiny a hundred times waylays you, in the end it pitches a tent for you in Heaven. It is God's loving kindness to terrify you, in order to lead you to His Kingdom of safety.” ―Rumi

The Matrix

What IS the Matrix?

The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

What Truth?

That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind.

Are you sure that the movie is FICTIONAL?? I mean seriously!! I can't believe I hadn't watched The Matrix till now. It is so profound and REAL. Thanks to my friend, I finally watched it. I have been feeling the pull toward that movie for a while now. Everything they say in it is so very true. If you haven't watched the movie. I think you should. Right now!

Morpheus tells Neo that no one can tell what the Matrix is. He gives Neo a choice between the red pill and the blue pill. One that would take him to the Truth and the other would hold him in the holographic world. We all have that choice in our hand. We can choose to live in the world we think is real or we can actually be the Truth and be in the light.

Remember The Oracle? Whom Morpheus believed to be true. I think it's representative of the so-called New Age movement right now! I think the Agents are a big part of this movement too. We can't fall prey to it again. We can't wake up into another dream. It can't keep happening. Why don't we understand that the Oracle is another construct. Remember what Einstein said - Reality is an illusion, albeit a persistent one. It is entirely up to us to decide. The Oracle gave Neo no choice. That's what today's world is about. There's apparently a choice in life. But there isn't. We all go to school, graduate and aim to achieve what counts to be success in the society. We are caught in earning money and seeking for power. It is a trap. By keeping us busy and focused on trivial things, they have kept our attention from the TRUTH.

"Do not try to bend the spoon — that's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the Truth: there is no spoon."

We are plugged into this virtual reality. It's time to unplug ourselves. I know it. But one line that Morpheus told Neo felt like a voice speaking to me: sooner or later you're going to realize, just as I did, that there's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.