price

When I first read a quotation by famous Indian politician Chanakya I was a little skeptical of it. It said there is nothing called an unselfish relationship in this world, every relationship has its price tag attached to it. Then I started to toy with that quote in my mind and concluded that he was right, as long as he was talking about normal human beings. Human beings like you and me.

Just a few days back I was exchanging sms with one of my friends, a wonderful human being. In response to one of his comments I said that I don’t change my mind about friends, when I call a person my friend I mean that for lifetime. They may walk away or our paths may part but their affection keeps burning like the home hearth. But that hearth also needs its fuel, does not it?

Chanakya was right, only he went superficially, every relationship has its price, nothing good comes for free, the better the thing, the higher the price is.

Last week I read a poem in one of my friend’s blogs, it said that every pond holds jewel in its heart but they are not for fools or lazy persons, and I wanted to add that not for those who don’t know what a jewel is.

Lotus

We can learn a lot from lotus, it is born in mud, venomous snakes encircle it yet its divine beauty makes it an essence to every hindu puja. People take the trouble to pick them out of ponds braving all problems because without them the puja is incomplete.

In my family with history of hundreds of years of different pujas and our direct involvement in them I have had the pleasure of making lotus buds bloom by hand.. that is they arrive as buds and then we, the entire family slowly give them the form of blooming one by gently opening their petals by fingers. Without the exact number the puja is not perfect. Knowing their importance. I guess I have sentimental reasons for loving it too.

I love this flower exceptionally, because it often works as a wind under my soul’s wings which strictly follows principles and will stick to them through thick and thin. In a society where principles are challenged every day its fun to stick to them, but one sometimes gets down… during those hours the thought of lotus brightens up my spirit.
They teach me one simple thing.. whatever situations destiny lands you in, dont be afraid, just know one thing, if you keep yourself clean and pure you will find your place in god's feet. And through out your life you will reap the benefit of that.

People often think that a life of purity is a life of self deprivation.. it is when it is forced upon.. by oneself or the society. But if one takes up this life voluntarily, as acceptance to one’s nature, no one can be happier than him. A pure life means living a life as blissful as a flower, all it will have to do is stay in the right path, after that whatever problems will come to him will never be able to effect his being.. just like rain drop on lotus, they will roll down.

That’s quite an adorable mindset in this world full of ups and downs to me. Hence I am quite sincerely working on it. And whenever I meet the snakes, thorns or mud.. who challenge my target I remind myself of the thousands of lotuses who brave that.