Like The Flowing River

Paulo Coelho is a celebrated author of our times. Among his many books, 'Like the flowing river', a collection of short stories and reflections, is my favorite. It starts with this lovely poem, that tells us so much about life and wisdom in so few words.

"Be like the flowing river, Silent in the night.
Be not afraid of the dark.
If there are stars in the sky, reflect them back.
If there are clouds in the sky,
Remember, clouds, like the river, are water.
So, gladly reflect them back too,
In your own tranquil depths."

I recently found out that the poem has been written by Manuel Bandeira. 

"Are you the chosen one?"

In the story of any hero, this is perhaps the most common question we come across. The times that we are living in, the times of worldwide changes and disruptions of unprecedented scale, not just socio-political but beyond - environmental, spiritual... the 'time of crises' as it seems to be.

At such times, there's a natural urge within us to seek hope, and to look for a 'chosen one', a 'Hero'...who will somehow suddenly appear from somewhere and do some 'magic' to save us all and fix everything forever.

Sounds quite unreal, isn't it?

Could it be, then, that each one of us, born and living in this time, is a 'chosen one'?

What we do, how we live our life, in the tiny little corners of the world we inhabit, on this beautiful planet, matters, isn't it?

Yes, my friend. You and I, matter.

How we choose to live, matters.
How we consume and waste, matters.
How we help and lift each other, matters.
How much we take and give, matters.
How much we hoard and collect, matters.
How we share and care, matters.
What we choose to ignore and what we pay attention to, matters.
How we raise our kids and what example we set before them, matters.
How we question and seek, matters.
How we treat other beings, matters.
How we spread hope and how we heal, matters.

It's You and I, friends, and our children, who will find the answers, turn the winds, avert the crisis and save this planet, one little deed at a time. Every action and inaction, every choice of ours, as well as our prayers, matter.

May we choose to be our own Hero. May we choose to heal and uplift.
May we choose wisely, everyday, to make this world a better place to live.

May our choices bring peace, love and harmony to all beings in the world. Amen!

One of my favorite poems on Death -

"When I come to the end of the road

And the sun has set for me

I want no rites in a gloom-filled room

Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little-but not too long

And not with your head bowed low

Remember the love that we once shared

Miss me-but let me go

For this is a journey that we all must take

And each must go alone.

It's all part of the Master's plan

A step on the road to home

When you are lonely and sick of heart

Go to the friends we know

And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds

Miss me but let me go.."

(I could not find out the original writer. On some sites it was mentioned as 'Anonymous'.)

ये वक़्त क्या है !!

One of my most favorite of all poems by the stallwart Javed Akhtar!
One that raises questions, makes you think profoundly of the life and our perception of it.
Salaam Javed saab!

वक़्त !
ये वक़्त क्या है
ये क्या है आखिर कि  जो मसल्सल गुजर रहा है
ये जब न गुज़रा था तब कहाँ था?
कहीं तो होगा!
गुज़र गया है तो अब कहाँ है?
कहीं तो होगा !
कहाँ से आया, किधर गया है?
ये कब से कब तक का सिलसिला है?
ये वक़्त क्या है ?

ये वाकये ये हादसे ये तसातुम
हर एक गम और हर एक मसर्रत
हर एक क़जीयत हर एक लज्ज़त
हर एक तबस्सुम हर एक आंसू
हर एक नगमा हर एक खुसबू
वो ज़ख्म का दर्द हो कि वो लम्ज़ का हो जादू
खुद अपनी आवाज़ हो कि माहौल कि सदायें

ये जेहन में बनती और बिगडती हुयी फज़ाए
वो फिक्र में आये ज़लज़ले हों दिल में  हलचल

तमाम एहसास
सारे जज्बे
ये जैसे पत्ते  हैं
बहते पानी कि सतह पे जैसे तैरते हैं
अभी यहाँ है,
अभी वहां है,
और अब हों ओझल ,
दिखाई देता नहीं है लेकिन ये कुछ तो है जो कि बह रहा है !
ये कैसा दरिया है !
किन पहाड़ों  से आ रहा है?
ये किस  समुन्दर को जा रहा है?
ये वक़्त क्या है ?

कभी कभी मैं ये सोचता हूँ
 कि चलती  गाड़ी से पेड़ देखो तो ऐसा लगता है  दूसरी संत जा रहे हैं
कभी कभी मैं ये सोचता हूँ
 कि चलती  गाड़ी से पेड़ देखो तो ऐसा लगता है  दूसरी संत जा रहे हैं

मगर हकीकत में पेड़ अपनी जगह खड़े हैं
तो क्या ये मुमकिन है
सारी सदियाँ कतार अन्दर कतार अपनी जगह खड़ीं हो
ये वक़्त साकित  हो और हम ही गुजर रहे हों

इस एक लम्हें में सारे लम्हें तमाम सदियाँ छुपी हों
न कोई आइन्दा न गुज़िस्तान
जो हो चुका है हो रहा है
जो होने वाला है हो रहा है
मैं सोचता हूँ कि क्या ये मुमकिन है
सच ये हो कि सफ़र में हम हैं
गुजरते हम हैं
जिसे समझते हैं हम गुजरता है ,  वो थमा है
गुजरता है या थमा हुआ है
इकाई है या बंटा हुआ है
है मुंज़मिद या पिघल रहा है
किसे खबर है किसे पता है?
ये वक्त क्या है ?

-(जावेद अख्तर)

Nature..!
The ultimate source of inspiration..

Just go on exploring her widths & depths,
The tranquilities of the majestic mountains,
And the calm of the deepest oceans..

She's where we came from,
And her lap is where we'll ultimately rest.

Just submit yourself to her,
and she will liberate your spirit !

She'll teach you to let go, She'll teach you to forgive
She'll teach you compassion, She'll teach you true love!

She'll free you from the cage of material pleasures,
She'll expand your sense of being, beyond your little body..

She'll plant in your mind-
The song of the woods,
The twinkle of the stars,
The cool of the wind,
And the tranquility of the oceans..

I salute to Thee, Mother nature!!

मर्ढेकरांची खूप खूप आवडलेली शाळेतली कविता :

न्हालेल्या जणू गर्भवतीच्या, सोज्वळ मोहकतेने बंदर 
मुंबापुरीचे उजळत येई, माघामधली प्रभात सुंदर 

सचेतनांचा हुरूप शीतल, अचेतनांचा वास कोवळा 
हवेत जाती मिसळुनी दोन्ही, पितात सारे गोड हिवाळा !

डोकी अलगद  घरे उचलती , काळोखाच्या उशीवरूनी ,
पिवळे हंडे भरुनी गवळी , कावड नेती मान मोडुनी

नितळ न्याहारीस हिरवी झाडे, काळा वायू हळूच घेती 
संथ बिलंदर लाटांमधुनी, सागरपक्षी सूर्य वेचिती

गंजदार पांढऱ्या नि काळ्या, मिरवित रंगा अन नारिंगी 
धक्क्यावरच्या अजून बोटी, साखरझोपेमधे फिरंगी. 

कुठे धुराचा जळका परिमल , गरम  चहाचा पत्ती गंध ,
कुठे  डांबरी रस्त्यावरच्या , भुऱ्या शांततेचा निशिगंध ..

या सृष्टीच्या निवांत पोटी, परंतु लपली सैरावैरा,
अजस्र धांदल , क्षणात देईल, जिवंततेचे अर्घ्य भास्करा 
 
थांब जरासा वेळ तोवरी, अचेतनाचा वास कोवळा 
सचेतनाचा हुरूप शीतल , उरे घोटभर गोड हिवाळा !

-बा. सी. मर्ढेकर

एक सुंदर कविता …


All the water in the world
However hard it tried,
Could never, never sink a ship
Unless it got inside.
All the evil in the world,
The wickedness and sin,
Can never sink your soul's fair craft
Unless you let it in.
All the hardships of this world,
Might wear you pretty thin,
But they won't hurt you, one least bit…
Unless you let them in.

- Barbara Johnson