What will you do?

As the Election Day draws closer, I can’t help but think what lies ahead for this great country that is America. I am a foreign national and I respect America. This country has given me a lot. I am indebted to America for the education, job, good living it has provided me. I have learnt a lot from people in America. Honesty, hard work, integrity, fighting for the right thing amongst many other traits I have observed and learned from everyday people here. I have been inspired by many, many people here. They are everyday Joe, but they have inspired me. The foremost attribute, if I was asked to pick one about America, would be Individualism. The spirit of independent thinking in America amazes me. And it is this point I want to stress home today. To vote for the candidate based on your individual research and analysis. Election day is not very far from us. It is our chance to make history. Too often we tend to think "What can I do? I am but one person." "I am too small to make a change." Well this is your chance to make a change. Regardless of which party you think you belong to, Democrat or Republican or The Green Party, I would like to request you to keep your party aside for a sec. Let’s keep our defenses out and come on table for a dialogue. Let’s really open up and check the facts. What have the candidates in their past voted for? What bills/laws they have voted against? What’s their political history? Not how rich they were born or how poor. No. Instead let’s find what they stand for through their governing history. If I may, I would like to urge you to keep your religion aside for a sec and evaluate the values that the person stands for, by observing their behavior, their conduct, and their policies. The thing about religion is that most people feel their religion is the correct religion. Almost exuding a sort of self-righteousness, a sort of high ground, as if being part of a religion automatically makes one great. No. It’s what you do, what you stand for that makes you great. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, they both belonged to different religions, but were each remarkable men. And the other thing is, if merely being part of a religion would make one great, there would be no religion based war, no priests abusing kids. Not for a second am I against a religion or religion in general. If a philosophy/religion brings you peace and makes you a better person, I am all for it. But do realize that there is another philosophy, another religion that brings peace to another. So there should be a clear distinction between State and Religion. So if I may suggest, don’t vote based on who is more religious or follows your religion. Also, look for who has new trustworthy ideas. Did you know there is a Green Party? Check out their ideas. See what their focus is. In this so called democracy, mainstream media is only feeding us what will drive their viewership up. How many articles have you read about the Green Party? Please don’t think that this party will never win so you would be wasting your vote. If everybody thinks like that, there is no chance for a new party to win and change things. The math is simple. If enough people vote for an independent party then that party will win. Mind you, I am not urging you to vote for one party or the other. I am urging, requesting you to keep your options open and vote based on factual information rather than popular sentiment around you. In summary, regardless whom you vote for I would like to encourage you to: 1. Study your facts. 2. Learn, read “left”, “right” and independent stuff. 3. Base your vote off of your own convictions rather than what your family, your religious thinkers, your friends have voted for. 4. And lastly, please, please vote. If you don’t vote, then in my opinion, you lose all rights to criticize current state of affairs. If you have done nothing for the nation, then don't be an arm chair critique. Please don’t shirk your responsibility. Here’s your chance to create history. America needs you. What will you do?

Disconnection between human beings

So I have been thinking about the recent killings in New York and prior to that in Aurora, Colorado. What is at the root of the problem? Why has it become a pattern in our society? In spite of all the affluence in people’s life, what’s causing this suffering?

To me what’s apparent is that the people who caused these immense sufferings were themselves suffering immensely. It’s very easy to espouse hate towards the killers and it is a natural response. But that does not help anybody. A Chinese proverb says: “It’s better to light a candle then curse the darkness.” My personal opinion on the subject is in our society people are getting more and more disconnected. We have our headphones on too much. Walking from one place to another, we are on our phones texting. Or are liking away on Facebook! :-) I am not denouncing texting or facebook, not by far. They are a form of connecting with each other and have made this world a smaller place! Therefore are definitely adding value. It’s when we rely on online/text communication more than personal communication that we start distancing ourselves from each other. It’s when we are walking through our life, not looking around us, mired in our own life, is when we start distancing ourselves from others.

We each have our own role to play to make this society a better place! For me, I want to open up and say hello to people more, strike up conversation with someone looking sad, stop to ask how are they doing, be there for people in my immediate environment more. We never know how we might be affecting an individual’s life, who at that moment might be struggling. When we stop to say hello, smile and ask how they are doing, we are showing that we care. That their life is valuable. This might just be the highlight of their day.

After all isn’t that what we all are looking for: love and connection? Please feel free to leave a comment/feedback/question. I am curious about what you think about this subject! Thank you for your kind attention!

Oh mother

On the auspicious occasion of Mother's day here's a small poem dedicated to all of the mothers! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Oh mother"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oh mother, how do I even sing a praise in your glory,
Am I even worthy enough, You are the reason I am alive, You are the source of my life, Through my growing years you have given me your all, When I have come home hungry, you have fed me, You have listened to my forever school stories with absolute enthusiasm, You have consoled my heart when I have been heart broken, You have rejoiced with me in my joys, And suffered with me through my sorrows, You have danced with me the goofy dance, You have cared for me when I have asked you to care no more, You have given me your bite of food so I don't sleep hungry, While you yourself have gone empty stomach to bed, You have protected me with all your might and with your life, You have given to me when there was nothing to give and then given me some more, And stood with me with courage, sacrificing yourself so I can have, You embody infinite compassion, infinite love, infinite craziness, infinite sunshine. I am but a passing piece of history, While your glory shines forever, Oh mother, Oh mother, Oh mother, I bow to you, There's no equal of you, Oh mother, Oh mother, Oh mother, How do I even sing a praise in your glory, Am I even worthy enough, Oh mother, Oh mother, Oh mother....

Messengers of Peace

We the SGI,
We the messengers of peace,
We create the land of tranquil light wherever we go,
We create comfort and joy with our actions,
Regard each religion, each philosophy, not with tolerance but with respect,
We live the Bodhisattva way!

We are the jewels of the Treasure Tower,
We form the Eagle Peak,
We are the Land of Tranquil Light!

We make others challenges our own,
We have the fervent prayer of transforming suffering into joy,

Above all we have the noblest mission,
The mission of the Bodhisattva.

Let us define our victory,
Let us win our victory,
For victory is already ours,
For we are the Bodhisattvas!

Let's win...

In this year of 2012,
Lets define our victory,
Lets fight towards it,
Lets carve out our life to our convictions,
Lets play the wonderful drama of life,
Lets challenge ourselves,
Lets become comfortable being uncomfortable,
And while we are at it,
Lets dance, lets laugh, lets feel the fresh air,
Lets hear the birds sing, lets soak in the sun,
Let the waves of the ocean wet our feet, lets feel the soft grass,
Lets win my people, lets live out our wonderful lives!

How wonderful...

Have you ever stopped
to think, to ponder,
how wonderful a creation
you are

How majestic!!

If you haven't,
stop right now,
find a quiet place
Pray, meditate or chant or
do whatever you do to connect
with yourself.

If you do you will realize
You are a child of god,
You are a wonder of the universe,
an amazing creation.
No matter what your religion,
what your belief,
You are wonderful, you are beautiful!

Have you ever seen a child playing,
a child praying,
how beautiful,
how wondrous,
That's who you are,
a wonderful child!

With all your faults,
With all your nooks,
With all your crevices,
With all your strength,
With all your courage,
With all your passion

You are WONDERFUL!
You are BEAUTIFUL!
You are MAGNIFICENT!
You are MAGICAL!
You are a WONDER!

Revealing your highest potential...

So while chanting today, I had a chain of realizations. About revealing our highest potential. I write this post mostly for myself. But also for who may benefit from reading it. I hope I can inspire/help at least one person with this post. So here we go...

First: Victory or defeat is directly related to the causes we make in this life.

This one is pretty straightforward. If we want to be a great baseball player, we got to make the cause of practicing earnestly. If we want to excel in school, we need to put the hours in to studying sincerely. If we do not put the hard yards in, we won't get the result. Plain and simple, right?

Second: The causes you make in this life are directly related to the commitment you make to a particular direction.

Lets use the example of becoming a great baseball player. How much are we committed to becoming a great baseball player? The answer to this question is directly related to how badly do we want to be a phenomenal baseball player. This "how badly do we want it" question directly drives our commitment. We may want something, and yet be okay without it. For example: we may want that Mercedes SLR McLaren Sportster, yet be cool with a Nissan Sentra. This leads to the general subconscious attitude of "It's great 'if' I get it." May surprise you, but this is the general modus operandi of a lot of people. Including me. You with me here?

Third: The strength of your commitment is directly related to how bad do you want it, but (and here's the kicker) is also subconsciously related to your own conviction in your own life.

In other words in your confidence in yourself. Say you are about to perform a high jump. The way you jump will be totally related to how confident you feel of making it. Yes, you can make it even after not being confident of succeeding, but your chances of success go much higher if you are confident about making it. Your body language, the way it flows is greatly influenced by how confident you feel. Ever had experience of being in the zone, when you can do no wrong. Now think back to that time...did you have any hesitation, any fear in not being able to make it? OR did everything flow including your confidence?

And therefore victory or defeat in whatever you do in life, is directly related or at least greatly influenced by your confidence in yourself.

Your greatest potential, your greatest victories are hidden behind your fear of your own self, your lack of confidence in your own self. Develop total conviction in your own self and reveal your highest potential!

Whats mother's day gotta do with Mozart?

I write this for folks who haven't had great mothers, whose mothers let them down, who simply did not have great mothers. Right from the outset, let me put this out there: I have a great mother, a bundle of love and joy, very giving. So, it would be a lie if I say I understand what you have gone through in your childhood. I can imagine, and at best try to understand.

But, let me ask you a question: Have you ever fallen in love? Ever listened to music that spoke to your soul? Ever seen a beautiful sunrise, sunset? Ever experienced Spring season? Ever had dessert that left you in a world of ecstasy? Ever seen a ballet? Ever heard Mozart? Ever danced? Ever sung a song? Ever felt rain? …. Well without your mother you wouldn't have ever been able to experience all the little joys life has to offer. And, for that reason alone, you can be grateful to your mother.

May be she wasn't the best. May be she struggled with her own life while bringing you up. Or may be she just was not a great person and not a good mother. But, if you have ever experienced any of the joys mentioned above, then you owe it to your mother. For if not for her, you wouldn't be able to experience the magnificence of this planet and all the little joys it has to offer!

Just sayin....

What a game of ping pong taught me....

So the story is: I am out with a buddy playing ping pong in my complex. I am down 2 games, been beaten my more than 10 points in a game with a toal of 21 points. For those who don't know ping pong/table tennis: I am being beaten....heavily. And then suddenly I get a message from within: "just watch the ball". So I do that. And I notice that my body, my hands are moving much better. The result: I start having better volleys, better smashes, and much, much better returns. This continued for the rest of 1.5 hours. The end score after 2 hrs of play: I won 10 out of 13 games. I lost just one game after that message.

The reason I am writing about this is we can apply the same principle in life. When we are with our loved ones, be with them. When at work be at work. When praying be there. The message is simple: Wherever you go, be there.

Or if you want a more catchy message then: Just watch the ball. :D

You won't believe this until you watch it...

Guys check these videos out...

Crocodile - man's best friend?

Dog adopts Lion #1

Bulldog kisses Orangutan

Dog Lives With a Leopard ... and a Piglet

Man in India lives with leopard

Stray Leopard Cub

Very cool videos of human beings, other animals interacting with deadly predators. Goes to show what love can do...and more.

Nothing dies...

Nothing dies...everything transforms,
Frustration into understanding,
Restlessness into calmness,
Anger into love,
Hatred into understanding then love,
Pain into compassion,
Weakness into strength,
War into peace,
Inspiration transforms into greatness,
Fall into Spring,
Spring into Summer,
Summer into Fall.

It is inevitable,
If it is inevitable,
Then why resist,
Why wait,
Why not start now,
And transform in this moment,
This moment is all we have.

Let's pick one thing that we would like to change,
Then transform it,
Be it ill-relation with a neighbor,
Be it our irreconcilable differences with our colleague,
Be it our relation with our parents, our spouse, our friends,
Be it our relationship with ourselves,
Lets transform, lets transform now...

Lets flow with the rhythm of the universe,
And the rhythm is transformation, change, love, purity, music, life, peace.
Lets transform,
Lets start now,
Lets make the changes in our life that are inevitable,
And gain in the process,
Become bigger, better human beings,
Lets show what honor and privilege it is to be part of the human race...

Lets transform, lets transform now...

You, me and love...

Why do we ever hold back?,
When love is all we got to give?,
Why do we ever need to protect ourselves?,
Can pure love ever be harmed?,
Does pure love ever need any protection?,

Lets give in to love,
Let's open our hearts and let the dam break,
Let our love flood the universe,
Let love encompass us all,
Lets give in to loving ourselves completely...as we are,
Lets love ourselves now, today,
Not tomorrow, when we will be this perfect being,

Lets learn to love,
Lets learn to accept,
Lets learn to embrace ourselves before we learn to embrace anyone else,
Because there is no separation...there is no else.

Let our cup of love overflow with abundance, love and peace for all,
Love for ourselves will teach everyone how to love,
And then lets love...
And then lets love some more...and more...

Lets give in to love,
Because love is there all is,
You, me and everyone else is love in human clothing :-)

Let's stop war...

Watching made me realize something. I have worded my raw heart below, with the hope that it will help change one individual's heart and inspire him to say No to war and Yes to peace.

I dedicate this poem to all parents who have lost their child in war, all lovers who have lost their loved ones in war, all siblings who have lost their brother/sister in war...

What is war...
War is lack of peace,
People may think it is lack of peace between two nations, two governments,
No, it is the lack of peace between two individuals,
Between you and me...

Why does humans create war,
Lack of understanding?, lack of love,
Lack of knowing that we each our just love...pure love,
Lack of knowing what a mother feels to recieve her son's ashes,
Lack of how a father feels to see his son die,
Lack of knowing to see someones lover die in war,
How can we kill any human being, anything for that matter,
How do we manag to create war,
How do we even manage to think war

Love is all encompassing,
That is all our soul needs to know, to love,
Then how do we stay away from our basic form,
How do we manage to stay away from what is our basic nature,
How do we stay away from the light, our light,

May be because we are in illusion,
May be because we choose to stay in illusion,
May be because we don't go within,
May be because we choose not to see the light within us,
May be because we don't value life,
May be because we don't respect others,
May be because we don't respect ourselves.

Stop war, stop war, please, please stop war,
No body wants it, but still we create it,
Why?, please stop it, please...

How do we stop war,
By establishing peace within us first,
By establishing peace with our neighbours,
By establishing with people we like, we dislike,
By taking a vow, to say no to war, at all cost,
By taking a vow to say yes to peace,

Let there be peace always,
I vow from now on,
To never let my selfishness create lack of peace,
To never let my ego create lack of understanding,
To never let my inner darkness to create darkness without,
I resolve to stand up now,
I resolve to stand up to say...
...No to war, no to anger,
...No to discrimination,
...No to the concept of separateness,
...No to lack of respect...
...No to lack of understanding...

From now on I resolve to,
Respect each human life, each life,
I will respect earth, the ocean, the birds, the flowers, the bees,
I will respect you,
I will respect me.

Love is the only way to stop war,
Love is the only way to happiness,
Love is the only way to ever lasting peace,
Love is the only way against greed,

Understanding is the way to love,
I vow to choose to understand,
However challenging it may be,
I will choose to understand,
However difficult it be,
I will choose silence over ill-spoken words, over angry thoughts,

Let us all vow:
From this moment on:
I will be a Hero,
The suffering will stop with me,
From me will start love,
From me will start peace,
From me will start respect,
From me will start a new era, a new dawn,
From me will start everything I want to see in the world...

Will Smith -- Alchemist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWAw7gxfB7Q&feature=player_embedded

The message that I got:

1. You can make things happen. The universe is not what happens to you, you make the universe happens.

2. Never give up. Period.

Your beauty is breathtaking...

You are a poetry in human form,
So beautiful that one has to pinch onself, to ask if this is real,
The smile that makes sun light look like a shadow,
Your hair like the spring shining at it's highest,
Your eyes like the deep blue ocean,
The more I look into it, the deeper I feel,
The deeper I feel, the deeper I want to be,

My soul yearns to be with yours,
I wish I could kiss you one more time,
And death then I would accept with an open heart...

For someone special who I might never see again in this life...

I was searching in the dark,
And you were the light,
I didn't know what I wanted,
You showed me what I was looking for,
There's not enough on this planet,
Of which I would not give for one more minute with you,
Your essence, your presence,
I would always remember,
To the on lookers nothing extra-ordinary happened,
But her mere presence was extra ordinary,
I am willing to be born again,
Just for this one evening with you,

From my deepest heart,
I say Thank You!!!

Through the mirage of life...

In the mirage of life I walk,
Wondering what is real what is not,
Every moment I experience,
With every experience I grow,
I try to see it from my heart,
The more I do, the better I get,
A ray of hope shines,
Shedding light on all life,
With a flash I see all life,
the illusion and the reality of it,
All beautiful, all pure,
Leading us all to the ultimate light,
the ultimate enlightenment of our soul!

My head bows down to the magnificence of life,
Justice never could the words...

What will you...

This poem came from within me during my darkest times...the time when I was most struggling. I hope whoever reads it gets courage, and strength out of it. Without any further ado....the poem titled "What will you"

What will you…

In the darkness of the night,

When there seems to be no ray of hope,

When the wind current seem strong and against you,

When it feels like the autumn of your life,

When every fallen leaf hits you on the face,

When it feels like you are walking through a cold dessert,

When your heart feels the strong thirst for love,

When your feet seem like sinking in the cold sand,

When your life seems so breakable, so fragile,

What will you…


Will you still stand up and show the courage,

Ready to take the next blow,

Will you strengthen the resolve to fight back,


When you feel the anger and frustration inside you,

Will you still do the right thing,


Will you still hope for the next drop of water,

The next drop of love, the next drop of peace,

Will you still imagine what your hero would have done,


When human kind seems to be turning evil and cold,

Will you still believe in their positive side?,


In all of the hopelessness and mayhem of life,

Will you still have the wisdom to see it as your doing and the courage to change it,

When your past karma seems to be catching up with you,

Will you still have the kindness to be kind, forgive yourself and others,

And change your karma,


When everything around you makes you lose your hope,

Will you still have the strength and will to hope just one more time,

Will you stand up with faith, courage, wisdom, hope, resolve, love, compassion, strength, patience and fearlessness?,

The question is: what will you do if the entire human race depended on you and you were it’s hero?,

What will you,

What will you,

What will you...

Ravi H-

Nara na na na na na naaaaa....Nara na na na na na naaaa....

So what's this Nara....na, na, na about. Well, it's a tune that I started singing without noticing it. The tune came to me after this beautiful conversation with this awesomely beautiful person. So the story is: After today's Nichiren Buddhist meeting we were all hanging out and connecting with each other. And, this person, her name is Katrina, is leaving a well settled job, a great circle of friends, a beautiful small city to explore USA...and through that explore herself, her life, her heart, and her being. It is unbelievably beautiful. Why? Well, how many people do you know who have the guts to follow their passion, their dreams? She is setting an example for a lot of us to vigorously follow our dreams, our passion, our road less travelled, whatever it may be.

My conversation with her was beautiful, profound, and then some more! :-) We chatted about her feelings about her journey, Nichiren Buddhism and how it is helping her to really go for “it”, Eckhard Tolle, The New Earth, meditation and peace. We talked about the dialogue from Fight Club where Brad Pitt says: “The things you own end up owning you.” And her difficult feelings about selling everything and letting it go. Now don't get me wrong. This girl is not a monk with shaved head, who meditates 12 hrs a day. She is you, she is me, just like anyone else.

One of the key notes (of many :-)) from this conversation was: the place of chanting and meditation along side it. We both felt that we need to chant to break through the shackles of our mind, our ego. Chanting is like revving up your car, and going full speed towards your dreams, your goals, your life. It has also provided me tremendous inner breakthroughs. Not all easy to deal with, yet the truth of my life. And then there is meditation. I love chanting and I love meditating. I was kind of torn between the two. But now I have realized they both have their place and serve a purpose. I feel meditation grounds me. Makes me still. And then winds blowing a thousand miles per hour don't bother me. I am still, when everything around me is shaking, moving and is in utter chaos. That feeling is priceless.

I would really encourage anyone who has never experienced chanting Nam-yoho-renge-kyon or meditated to their breath to really try it. Don't expect enlightenment in your first 10 secs though ;-). It's just like exercising your muscles. You slowly get better at it. But every now and then you get a supreme glimpse of this state which is pure peace, understanding, and love. Life's problems do not go away, but they start affecting you less. It's like you have a shield and not everything gets through!

And back to the song, it's bliss, singing it, being present, becoming aware....what can I say, life is Nara na na na na na na....Nara na na na na na na na... :-)

My first blog...What is Synchronicity?

Synchronicity. What is it?

So I was at the Law of Attraction event by Patti. You come across some people and they radiate positive energy...absolute positive energy. Patti is one amongst them.

While discussing the ideas on life, law of attraction, and more - a term "synchronicity" was thrown out by a good looking woman. Obviously, I was intrigued by the word AND the woman...more by the word then the woman ;-). So, I ask "What is synchronicity?"....a great city to travel? :D

Her answer in my interpretation: It is something where small events in life...connect the dots...and tell you that you are on the right path. These events may look coincidental (may be eccentric to a few), only they are not. They are God's or 'whatever supreme power you believe in's way of confirmation.

One of the examples she gave was: when she was on the road, talking to her cousin, a car cut her off. She said "What the f..., this car just cut me off." And her cousin said: "Yah, the drivers in Minnesota are bad too. They drive like they are on the race track". And 'coincidentally' she noticed that the tag on the car was from Minnesota and she was passing Race Track gas station.

This was a confirmation of she was where she was supposed to be...

And you only notice these things if you are really awake. Awake not like woken-up-from-your-sleep awake but more on the spiritual level. It's all about being in the moment.

It's amazing the kind of things you would notice when you really are in the moment and not worrying about the bills to be paid, the dinner to be cooked or the lawn to be mowed. Just be in 'this' moment.

One of the most influential movies I have ever seen is "Peaceful Warrior". A M A Z I N G movie. A must see. (Alright Dan, you owe me around 80,970$s now ;-)). No seriously, go and watch it. Choose that over the mind numbing "A+" rated horror movie that you have in mind. You will thank me. Or may be Dan Millman. Although, I think I am a slightly better guy than he is ;-)

The defining moment of that movie (to me) is when Dan and Socrates talk:

Socrates: Where are you?
Dan: Here.
Socrates: What time is it?
Dan: Now.
Socrates: What are you?
Dan: This Moment!

B E A U T I F U L!

That's it from me for now.

Please feel free to leave me your honest opinions, comments, your experiences...anything that you would like to share.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Ravi.