Ingenuity of man is fascinating indeed But when coupled with the passion it leaves quite an imprint ….
Here’s a testament of a love story finding a fixture in reality .
Have you heard of the STATUES OF LOVE
Located in Batumi, Georgia, the statue of lovers begin to move every night at 7 p.m.And the two figures represent a Muslim boy, Ali, and a Georgian princess, Nino, from a famous 1937 novel by Azerbaijani author Kurban Said. The tragic story ends with the lovers separated by the invasion of Soviet Russia. This powerful love story has been translated into more than 30 languages.
“Man and Woman” is a 8 meter (26 foot) tall moving steel sculpture by Georgian sculptor Tamara Kvesitadze.
This beautiful photograph of the Jacaranda Tree is a sight to behold . I have always liked to see pictures of these purple and pink and lavender blue trees .
But this particular picture … it was pure fascination!
Could I write verses on it…. perhaps! Cos it feels like serenedipity everytime I see it. There is so much pleasantness in that picture for me … I am guessing I am simply partial to all those hues and tones right there juxtaposed so delightfully. Quite like the essence of a prolific poem understated and unassuming.
Yet poetry is not on my mind today…
In fact what I am drawn to here is the delicate draw of balance of colour and composition. The brilliant blues of the sky entices the viewer as much the hints of hues of greens and pink just about show up ever so delicately amidst the starkness of the stems from betwixst and between the branches of this bewitching tree.
And thats not all … there is so much more to that tree and this photograph is just a hint of whats in the offing….
There is certain sense of ambiguity yet an attribution of knowing there is much much more beyond the visible.
In fact when you actually see, it is the beauty of the skylight seen through the canopy of pink flowers amidst those branches all captured in that one enthralling moment.
And like nothings is ever permanent and perfect, there always comes the scope of change even in so much balance in that stillness of the movement so precariously precise in the picture.
The trick is to be aware of balance
Appreciate the now for what it is
It offers much if you choose to see.
So perfect in its imperfections
A sense of the almost ethreal…
Here are a few facts on Jacaranda Tree.
The Jacaranda flowers are known to flutter down continously from the tree.The trees are native to South and Central America and now are also seen in many tropical areas of the world.
Pretoria in South Africa is known to be The Jacaranda City for the huge number the these trees planted in parks steets and gardens.So much so that when seen from the nearby hills the city is known to appears blue/purple in colour.
The word Jacaranda means fragrant in a South American dialect and depending on their species they have blue to white to lavender pink to purple shades of flowers. They are known to grow as tall as 20 to 30 metres in height in their lifetime which can span from 50 toover 70 years or so.
And because of that one picture I choose to look up and discover these tidbits … .Do share if you find some more about this tree.
Wisdom truly lies in the art of management of two principles in life : one of never giving up and the other of letting go.
On one side is a dedication, discipline and determination and on the other is the dispassionate discernment and in learning to surrender to balance the ego within. Every attempt at achieving such a state of balance can be a great tool for learning to evolve with the wisdom. For life is to evolve and not simply dissolve
For life is to live and not simply exist.
Take the path of purpose in faith trust and belief
Flow along with the path of light in passion and dedication .
And allow life to manifest its infinite abundance.
There is an exemplary account of life lived in such a path of evolution and enlightenment
Sharing the great visionary of India Swami Vivekananda’s account of life story in his own words here ….
“When you travel on this path of shraddha, (faith) veerya, (courage ) smiriti, (that which is remembered) you have to go through three phases. The first phase is Haasya (laughter/humour). People will make fun of you. Face them. Accept them. When you are taunted, reply in the same tone of haasya. Then slowly the inner consciousness starts evolving. Then comes the second stage ‘Virodha’.(opposition/ hostility) The same people will start opposing your stance – Accept all the opposition. Don’t fight with anybody. Don’t argue. The moment you get into the argument, then you are going to suffer. If you argue while you are going through lot of internal turmoil’s, conflicts and confusions, you will not be able to convince anybody. So, during the second part of sadhana, (dedicated practice)don’t argue with anybody. Convert the negativity into a positive fragrance and give this in return. Then comes the third stage of ‘Svekaara'(acceptance). The same people who laughed at you, the same people who threw stones, will do pranams ( respectful salutation)& accept you.
In my own life, I have experienced this but I had to pay heavily. Those who taught me became my students but only after I did tapas for 10 years continuously and silently. Understand one thing. Inner sadhana is not a revolution but an evolution. Revolution requires force, vengeance. Evolution requires love, humility and a great feeling of universal love. The consciousness has to evolve. This is an evolutionary process where the bud flowers. We have to allow time for the bud to flower. It will not flower in one day. It takes time. It has to receive proteins, vitamins and the necessary energy for all petals to open out. You have to have a great patience. You have to create an environment for the petals to bloom silently. This is Sadhana. “Swami Vivekananda
Any path of passionate dedication and discipline evolves you along in the strength of persevarance
To honor your path and vision is a task of a lifetime.
To steer clear of slack and sloth, lethargy and languidity takes a consistent mastering of the senses.
To stay true to your chosen way and vision is a commitment driven by your belief and faith in your life’s purpose of being.
To know is to reach beyond the sensing of the eternal truth of ones being .
And all the challenges happening along in the journey, will resolve in time on its own as the intent and focus remains unwavered.
For life itself is a spark of the divine consciousness.
While this trip to the Middle east, was a great getaway of sorts, between the work and pleasure, it undoubtedly became a fodder for thought and much reflections in those moments of chanced and planned connects with some amazing people living there. And some of them I met for the first time and bonded so instantly as if I knew them forever and a few who I knew for decades but didnt get to meet and connect earlier.
There were many more on my list of people who I wanted to meet but have left that for my next trip sooner than later.
Connects of empathy:
Meeting another human being for the first time is an enigmatic phenomenon. In todays age of technology although you may try to connect in so many ways online. Real time meet and greets hold their own a bag of surprises and treats in tow.
One such meet was planned … by me and my dear warm hearted friend from online. Fatima.An eloquent writer with a heart of gold and a keenly developed insight of people and their resources who draws much strength in positive reflections and most importantly a kind and brave heart following her dreams.
The heartfelt connects established in moments of our first meeting was clearly visible. She treated me to an amazing authentic Arabic dinner that evening and while catching up on our lives, in between us was a complete ease of being which we both mutually sensed in the lovely ease of conversation and strength of connection in the little time we had that day. Her warm hospitality and generosity touched me and I truly look forward to meeting her again sooner than later and wish her the best always from my heart.
Then there was this local Arab woman dressed in the traditional Abhaya worn with the hijab and those alluring kohl rimmed eyes with whom I shared a lengthy conversation of their culture and learned much but who moved me in the simplicity of her words and in sharing her heart’s deepest desires for freedom of movement and her eagerness in learning to dance…
Another wonderful woman with whom my daughter and I shared a great rapport albeit in just a few minutes of conversation was a travel guide who invited us to her home in Abu Dhabi. We got talking about so many things in such a short span of time. We bonded without reservations.
There are many more truly endearing people I met and connected some who I managed to catch up with on phone …but simply put perhaps it is just my way of seeing but I found many friendly people from across the world living there making a living thriving in the tolerance and interconnects that makes up much of Dubai’s culture in recent times.
And yes of course my visit to the traditional city of Sharjah had its own share of charm . As the people I met there were my very dear friends connecting after so long … yet the heartconnects were entrenched so deep that it felt home to me .
A short driving across the city will lead you through the Corniche where you can stay on to watch the beautiful Arabian Sunset and may be drive further on to Al Ain as well.
Will not forget the trips to the Gold and Spice Souks and most of all the Creek and the dhow cruise on the creek one pleasant evening….
Foodwise :
Being a vegetarian I thought my choices would be limited to pizzas and pastas and of course my saviour’ Subway’ besides the Indian food . But I was pleasantly surprised to find my flavour in Arabic food. Suffice to say the sumptous starters of the Arab cusine and their spiced tea was perfectly suited to my vegetarian and satvic senibilities. And I must thank my dear friends, relatives and hosts who took so much care and put so much consideration while ordering that I will hold very fond memories of dining out in this delightful trip.
Thanks to my amazing hosts I tried many dishes some which were known like the falafel and some new to me…tabbouleh and the zatar and lentil soup
‘Creativity stems from the acceptance of your authentic self. It is a never-ending journey of endless possibilities that is much beyond the pursuit of a hobby or craft and can be a habit of a lifetime. So besides being a Dance educator being a writer and a designer, creating art and writing poetry gives me immense satisfaction with the infinite ways of expressing myself as I believe in enjoying the journey as much as the destination.’
This morning I wrote down a few thoughts ….’On tboughts’ and shared and just a while ago I was pleasantly surprised by some lovely afterthoughts shared by my dear mother almost immediately on Whatsapp.
I share her jotted thoughts here as part 2:
On Thoughts
Thoughts are the doorways that connect our inner and outer world. As we walk along this path it leads us along the physical ,material world filled with varied emotions, feelings and desires. It connects us with our past, bring back the forgotten memories and our reaction depends on what it mirrors. It has the power to make us sad, angry, or happy. Like an expert master it rules our emotions. A happy moment can turn sour when it brings an unwanted, unneeded or unconnected memory back which is followed by a volley of unnecessary words and arguments which can make the whole scene bitter, thereby sowing the seed for another set of reactions in another time frame.
On blooming thoughts .
It is a magical weaver. It has the potential to jump from past to future in a fraction of a second. It’s speed surpasses the fastest speed known to us. It has the power to take us to the dream world idling for hours together.
In the the ocean of time it’s waves are endless. We become playing clay in its hands moulding our moods as it wants.
In short our thoughts rule us. Like an obedient slave we obey its whimsical command forgetting our true potential. The wise souls understood this.With their deep knowledge they have shown us various ways to take command of our thoughts n tame them. Like a circus ringmaster in the midst of wild animals we should be in constant awareness to lead our thoughts, and observe their moves.
Similar to a focussed traveller who never strays from his path how much ever alluring the sceneries on his way, elluding the perils in his path goes steadfast to reach his destination, we should train ourselves not to be distracted by the flow of thoughts. We can never stop its flow, as it is natural, but can train our mind not to react to each and every word. Let’s be a witness, never become a part. Let’s keep proceeding with the companionship of positivities like kindness, compassion, selflessness, humility and gratitude. Let’s make this journey beautiful.
Come, let’s walk together in harmony guiding each other positively, as we reach our individual goals and collective aspirations.
A life spent enriching others as much as ones own.
A life lived like that is ever blessed in grace
For wherever the soul resides
It is always shining in eternal light.
Savvy
Had written these verses on hearing an account of the journey of a life well lived …. nurturing a life of goodness and generating goodwill .
Feel compelled to share this with my readers and ask what would you think is a true legacy? … and most importantly have you seen or influenced by someone following such a path upclose.
“Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.” Dag Hammarskjold
Swedish Political Leader, Secretary General Of The United Nations
These above words may spell success or be a recipe for disaster depending on the ability to keep the focus on that which you see!
The acceptance of the manifold possibilities of seeing beyond looking could be the very reason for expansive outreach of potential in world affairs and resolutions whether it is a matter of peace or war. Having said so, solutions are in the emergence of a stream of consciousness in awareness of a meeting point in the melting pot from convergence to transcendence. An approach that is inclusive in temperament and expansive in the envisioning.
Truth be told , we have travelled on far in time and space and as we stand today, the realisation of the infinity of consciousness beyond the horizons is well set already. It is just a matter of probability on where our sights are, as we envision our path beyond and how it resonates in our awareness as it takes flight.
Speaking of flight unto beyond there is much going on before from take off between the spreading of wings and the flapping in flight. Would a bird be able to fly if its sight is fixated on the ground. Would the ship be able to sail of to distant lands and explore if it keeps itself safe harboured along the shores…. Its no wonder indeed that to fly and explore the unknown you must first be ready to let go of the ground beneath your feet.
In the same breath the awareness of when to take the flight and where and how to land back and find the balance on the high ground is a task of a lifetime to master.
So between the focussed planner of details and the far sighted idealist visionary…there are many paths to envision, where do you see yourself ?
Who are you? Are you more of the visionary kind?
Or are you the more cautious realist who weighs your options before every step?
You must be logged in to post a comment.