Petrichor

I have had a very different notion of what an Ashram is, all along. Or I am not sure. Did I care about to even think of one? If at all I did, I would have thought that an ashram is a dull & boring place where everyone thinks & speaks of God. No one tells lies. Everyone would(should)be morally Mr.correct. Again, I did not think women lived in an ashram. An ashram would be a painfully demanding place where you are inflicted with misery. It would be secluded from the outside world. With all these assumptions in mind, no doubt, I would conclude that an ashram is the last place you want to end up at. Ugh! I had the privilege of "living" in an ashram recently. A couple days only. Still. All I could think of it right now is, those few days were THE most happiest days of my life so far. And that is saying something. I will consider myself as one of the fortunate ones whose life has been blessed with many a child-like happy moments. I will not consider myself as a religious pe...

that I get these days is simply mind-boggling. I am coming across so many people who are, what do I say,...mmm...different. Way different than what you would expect a normal person to be. On one side I see compassionate people, people with so much compassion that they would leave all they are doing to answer your one genuine question; people who have left a career in s/w(in the US) to settle down with a farm in India; many many more. All these people are so motivating. What's better than being the way to show it? And all of this, I did not know about for so long. I am coming around to believe that if you start looking for something earnestly, that something you will get(maybe something even more). Sometimes, I feel myself wondering. Aren't we all(Indians, Americans, Pakistanis, Talibans) living in the same world? The different continents that was one huge continent millions of years ago? Whom are we fighting at? Whomever we fight with, whatever we fight with, aren't we all ...

For the past couple of months, different things are happening in my life that makes me live in the "now"! Sometimes, it is so easy to let go of things. Other times, when I see dear ones sick or affected, my heart reaches out to them. Why do they have to suffer? Someone I talked to yesterday told me, "It is their KARMA. What else can you blame it on?" I don't know if I want to believe in it. Why are so many people falling sick? Why do so many people die in a way you would not want your worst of enemies to suffer? I agree. The only certain thing in life is Death. But why can't everyone die peacefully? I understand "why" is out of my ignorance. May be I will get an answer some day. But it is really troubling. So many people suffer with so many things & I sometimes fight for things immaterial. Life is full of lessons & realizations. May enlightment dawn upon me! All this on the day of Pongal. Well, Thai piranthal vazhi pirakum!