​Looking Through A Window authored by Sam Harris reminds me of Advaita, No Twoness. We all are One, regardless of apparent differences and divisiveness. It is an illusory, delusion of the Self. The Self is One regardless of apparent differences of me and you, us and them, black and white, rich and poor, me and you, and religious differences. Essentially we are one. In an ancient Indian book of wisdom called Kathopanishad it is described in three Sanskrit words Tat Tvama Asi-Thou art that-the Truth, That Unitive Consciousness. For worldly transactions we relate to each other with such differences. In the spiritual world we all are one. We know how many battles and wars are created by this divisiveness. We tend to forget that in the Divine eyes we all are children of God. An important question arises in me: Who created such divisiveness and dividedness? This inquiry needs to be made with an open and unbound consciousness. We have to keep the window open and the mirror clean to understand and realize the Unitive Consciousness. Sadly we remain blind and our mind closed. We need to awaken from our delusion to see the Divine Truth. The mirror of our eyes needs to be cleaned and cleared to see the Truth as it is. It is called Self-transcendence. When, how long are my eyes open and clear to see and realize the Divine Truth in my everyday living? How often do I keep the moors clear and clean? How long do I remain open, alert and awake? Often my eyes are open to see the Truth of oneness and harmony and unconditional love. It happens when I transcend my self-created and self -serving self. This is a spiritual journey, a road less travelled. At times I miss the road. I get up and start walking on my path. What keeps me awake? What keeps me on my path? This is the time for me to awaken and keep on walking on my path. If nobody walks with me, as Rabindranth Tagore says, Walk Alone, Walk Alone. I walk alone with my inner eyes open to see the Light of Love and Truth. Practicing non judgemental Mindfulness and Mindfulness Meditation helps me walk steadily on this spiritual path.
​Namaste!

Below is my reflection based on Rabindranath Tagore's excerpt from Shyamoli :

Consciousness is without boundaries. It is like a clear sky with no egotistic clouds. It is "I" with no egotistic boundaries. It is defined as Brahman. When my consciousness is not bound by myself-created boundaries, I become the "Iness", free from my self-created boundaries. It is unbound, limitless, free, ever shining light.
A long time ago, we were on a pilgrimage to Amarnath located on one of the tops of the Himalayas. The sun was setting with no clouds in the sky. The air was pure with no pollution. There was total silence. There were no clouds of thoughts in our minds. We became one with existence, the divine existence without human made boundaries. I will never forget the Divine Presence.
My daily practice of Meditation and Mindfulness have been very helpful to me. It keeps me awake from my self-created sleep. May we keep that inner light shining and walk on the path of Oneness and Awakening!
Namaste!

To go beyond fragmentation and divisiveness is essential not only for the survival but also for the fulfillment of our potential. Sadly we see the world fragmented by religions, races, classes and colors of our skin.. God has created all beings equal regardless of man -created differences. This looks like a revolutionary idea. We all need not internalize it and to manifest it and put it into our daily actions. I agree with Vimala Thaker's assertion when she writes, "In this era to become a spiritual inquirer without social consciousness is a luxury that we can ill afford, and to be a social activist without a scientific understanding of the inner workings of the mind is the worst folly." This is a big challenge as we have to revolt against our long held beliefs of discrimination, prejudices, and preferences to expand our narrow mindedness outlook. The inner change leads to outer change. This way we become whole and embrace unitive consciousness. Such inner work takes time as the inner chains of divisiveness are strongly built.
I was blessed to be in a relatively poor family but my parents have cultivated inner wealth of love, compassion and kindness. They were role models for all of us in our family. My childhood experiences and learning to live with open mindedness and open heartfulnes have enriched my life and I am very grateful to them for planting the seeds of uncondional love. Learning and practicing mindfulness and meditation in my everyday life and living mindfully has kept the candle of awakening shining in my mind and heart.
​Namaste!

Here is my reflection to the short essay by Robin Wall Kimmerer:
How do I see the world and how do I relate to is very important. If I view the world with a sense of ownership I am going to suffer and make others suffer. If I view it as an unconditional gift I am going to be happy. Giving is receiving seems like a paradoxical statement. When I give something to somebody from my heart I feel deeply content. My heart gets filled with joy, happiness and fulfillment. How do I reciprocate such a gift unconditionally? When someone loves me unconditionally I offer my gift to him or her with no conditions, with no expectations in return. Such gifts bring a deep joy in me. I was born in a relatively poor family but rich in heart. I had a few friends who were born in affluent families. When they came to our house my mother used to offer them homemade bread made with love. And they loved to eat it. My mother used to tell me," Bread made with love tastes better, when it is offered to others as a gift from your loving heart." God has given us many free gifts without conditions. Gifts such as the earth, water, air, heat, light and sky. Without such gifts we cannot survive. How do I reciprocate such gifts? According to my understanding, we keep such gifts clean and do not pollute them. This is our sacred responsibility. If we don't take this responsibility seriously and earnestly we will pay a very heavy price. So the time has come up for us to wake up and do the right thing. I practice mindfulness, awareness of my thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions walking on the path of awakening. That helps me stay on the course. May we all walk on this path and fulfill our sacred duty.
Amen! Namaste.

Mind plays a very significant role in making choices. A mind that is in slumber of ignorance tends to go astray and hurts us and others. Mind is like a double- edged sword. It can be used to protect or to kill. An awakened mind helps us walk on the right path. It can make us free or create bondage. It does depend on how we use it. In the Zen tradition, a distracted mind creates a lot of suffering. A mind that is fully present relieves us from pain and suffering. A mind that is present helps us make wise choices. It depends upon what kinds of choices we make. Wrong choices create bondage. Right choices create freedom. Discretion plays a significant role in making wise choices. A mind that is full of distractions creates suffering. A mind that is wakened causes peace, bliss, happiness and fulfilment. 
From my experience i have learned that it takes time to learn to walk on the right path. There are times when I have walked on the wrong path which has caused suffering to me and to my dear one and near ones. I have learned how to walk on the right path from my self-created suffering. Daily practice of living mindfully and practicing mindfulness meditation have been very helpful to me for making wise choices. Practicing mindfulness and mindfulness meditation have helped me walking on the right path. It has filled the cup of my life for living fully.  May we all remain awake and aware to walk on the right path.
Namaste!

This is heart touching real story. Yes, we need courage and moral clarity for sharing someone else's wound. Sadly, the world I live in, many people discriminate against others on the grounds of race, color and religion forgetting the we all are children of God regardless of differences. I deeply believe in equality and oneness regardless of differences. This attitude of equanimity and compassion helps me to be connected with people different from me. It is not always easy for me to stay on this path. But I am sincerely trying to follow this spiritual path. I need to keep the light of empathy and compassion shining to help me walk on the path. Gratefully I was raised by my parents who followed this spiritual path in their lives extending their hands to help others, to serve them. My brothers and sisters and my better half offered their hands when I fell down. I am very grateful to them for teaching me how to serve others. It is not always easy for me to stay on this path. Others may join their hands with me and I am grateful for that connection. If they hesitate to walk on my path, I keep on walking on my own. Walk alone on this path, on this path of awakening. I listen to this inner call and keep on walking. My prayer everyday: May we all discover our spiritual path and keep on walking on it.
Amen!
Namaste!

Based on the article by Michael Lipson, here is my reflection:

We all have a mind. How we use our mind is important. Mind can create bondage and the mind can create freedom. Mind can create darkness and the mind can create light. Our thinking can create hell or can create heaven. Mind shapes our destiny. The challenge for me is how to keep my mind open, clear, and non-judgemental. Our mind is like a two -edged sword. It can help us either to defend or to kill. Discretion between what is right and what is wrong is very crucial. We need to keep our mind clear and unbiased to see the reality, to see the truth. A free and open mind creates a bridge to connect us. A close or biased mind divides us. We need to keep our minds awake. Inner awakening helps us create harmony. Awakening helps me go through darkness. Awakening makes me free from the past that is already gone and from the future that has yet to come. Awakening helps me to live fully in the here-now world. Mindfulness, non-judgemental awareness of what's happening in the present moment creates here-now-consciousness. It takes time to awaken and to walk on the path of light and freedom. When I walk on this path of awakening it helps me live compassionately and kindly. I feel unitive consciousness in my mind and heart. Daily practice of non-judgemental mindfulness meditation helps me walk on the path of my life.
Namaste.

​The title of this passage Gymnastics of Attention written by Menka Sanghavi drew my attention. A question arose in my mind: Do I pay full and undivided attention to what is going on in my mind? Am I aware of where my mind is when I make choices? Am I mindful and aware of me making my choices? This is an important question for me to ask. This question makes me aware of where is my mind? Is it fully present in the present moment or wandering in different directions? When I am awake and aware of my mind I become centered and fully present. In these moments my mind is clear, free from the past that is already gone and free from the future that is yet to come. I have learned the significance of living in the present and not in the past or in the future. I know this is the right and wise way of living. Living this way makes my mind free from the grip of the past and the future. I flow in the river of self-consciousness which leads me to the unitive consciousness. It is a journey and it helps me live fully and openly. We all are aware of what is happening in our country. We are not the United States of America. We are the Divided States of America. We all need to work together to go from Me to We. We need to build bridges and not walls. It is a call for all of us and we all need to listen to it with an open mind and an open heart. I believe we can do it. The light of awareness shines and we need to walk together, joining hands with each other. This is very important. It is time to remain awake and aware for all of us. And I believe we can do it.
​Namaste. 

The difference Between Knowing and Not Knowing is a fascinating read for me. It helps me understand the difference between knowing and not knowing. The known is in the past and what is unknown is the future. The present is here and now, not there and then. The present is the reality. Like the authors say in the beginner's mind the possibilities are endless. I know the past which is gone and the future is unknown and has not yet arrived. If I hold on or am attached to the past there is no room for living freely and if I worry or think about the future then there is no possibility of living fully. The reality is in the here and now consciousness. Fresh and new ideas arise in the mind which is free from the past and future. As Swami Ramdass says in his book Here and Now, the reality is here and now. That reality is mysterious and true. The bottom line is to live in the world of the present, in the here and now consciousness. Such a way of living generates intimacy with me and with the mysteries of living. I have experienced such a mystery when I keep my mind and heart open, unbound by the past which is already gone and the future which is yet to arrive. I have such experiences when my mind and heart are open. Practicing mindfulness meditation, being fully present and awake in whatever I do such as walking in nature, washing dishes, brushing my teeth, taking a shower, listening to music, listening to me and others, doing Kirtan, chanting together and in my everyday life. Such experiences are very profound and they resonate deeply in my mind and heart. Such experiences are real and reliable. They create deep joy, love, fulfillment, peace and happiness in my life. This is the Beginner's Mind as The Zen Master Shunryu Susiki describes.
​Namaste! 

Below reflection is based on the article by Jonathan Harris:

We all receive gifts or blessings from nature and from human beings. Everyday I get gifts from nature-the sunshine and the sunset, from the rainy clouds and from the mother earth. When I was born, everyday I got the milk from the breast of my mother that nourished me. Every night she used to sing sweet lullabies. They still resonate with me in my heart though she passed away many years ago. She lives in my heart. My father taught me valuable lessons to know how to live spiritually. And I was blessed by many known and unknown people during my long life. I am grateful for their loving gifts. They will reside in my heart until I say goodbye to the world. How can I forget their blessings? How do I express my gratitude for their blessings? I thank them from my heart for their priceless gifts. Such memories are precious and unforgettable. Sometimes I bow to them. Sometimes I express my feelings of gratitude in words but mostly silently. Sometimes I let my heart sing songs of gratitude. Sometimes I cry when I feel their presence in my heart. I am deeply grateful to all of them for being in my relatively long life. I have come across many people in my life who have extended their loving hands to help me, to take care of me and haven't abandoned me in spite of my blunders. How can I forget them? And how can I forget mother Earth and and the natural elements for taking care of me day and night? Friends: Let us pay our homage to all living and not living people in our life. They have blessed our life and we are indebted to them.
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Namaste.