October 16, 2023
The Joy of Self Discipline
March 15, 2023
Message for Chaytanya on her Second Birthday
I keep slipping on this slippery
slope
That "You are mine"
How not to slip on this beautiful
slippery slope
"Your presence, your warmth,
your smile, your small gentle gestures,
your words, your tantrums, your
love"
Everything about you takes me into
a different realm
A realm that was unknown to me,
Yet so much me
I live in multiple dimensions with
you in this simple ordinary life
In which your innocence, your
love, your creativity, your pure being
makes everything extraordinary!
How beautiful is this realm!
How tempting is this slippery
slope that you are mine
Yet I remember that you are not
mine
You were Not sometime back, and
you will not be in the future
You are a Free Soul who chose us
as mediums
So grateful are we to you for
choosing us as your parents
Nothing is permanent!
And I am basking in the warmth,
innocence and love of your child-like being,
your sweet presence,
your arms around me,
And this joy of being
"mama"
Thank you "Chaytanya! I love
you!
May my love frees you, and never
binds you!
Amen!
April 1, 2022
Home Decoration - Transforming our space
A very dear friend has asked me to write a post sharing my knowledge on home decoration. For me, it is such a vast knowledge that I might not be able to put it in one post but I am so grateful to him for having me get started on this topic.
For me, a Home is my/our Temple, where we live. You will not find a mandir in our home, since I intend to transform the entire space in which we live into a Mandir/Temple.
Home is a space which must be enriching and rejuvenating. A space from which we do not get bored or want a break from. That is possible only if we transform the space into a loving, meditative buddha-field.
When it comes to decorating home, there are two aspects to it
1. Decorating the space with objects (furniture, furnishing, art, plants, etc.)
2. Transforming the space with vibration of love, soothing sounds, fragrance, laughter, creativity. No TV, No unwanted noise, no clutter, no unnecessary objects, etc.
I will share my knowledge and tips for both. Since I have worked as a professional photographer and a painter, I tend to use the learnings from both these artistic pursuits in Home decoration.
Tips on decorating the space with Objects:
1. Respecting the spaciousness of the space
It is important to remember that every object has energy and we must add objects to our space carefully and not just because we go shopping a lot.
The word 'Room' simply means 'Space'. If we fill the room with objects completely, we cannot survive. Keeping that in mind, the objects (furniture or furnishing) must be added so it makes the space look more spacious and not cluttered.
Some examples of the spaces decorated by me:
Tip on making the space look more spacious by adding an object:
I have learnt this particular tip from photography. Our eyes have a tendency to see the objects and not space as is. In order for us to experience the complete space, add an object like a large plant, or colorful flowers or anything to the end of a large empty space. If we see an object at the very end of a large space, we see the entire space with it compared to when not adding any object. This will make the space look and feel bigger even after adding the object.
2. Make the home colourful
Do you ever wonder why we feel dull when there is no sunlight in winter for weeks ? Or why winters are more dull than summers. One main reason is that colours are missing. Colours are extremely important in making the home more ALIVE and beautiful.
You can experiment with colours as per your taste. I have changed many homes in my life, many countries, cities and houses, and I have always made it a point to not repeat. Every new space is a complete experiment in every way. I will share some pics to make this point.
Add colours in a beautiful subtle way. Colours have energy, choose colours wisely.
Tip on making the space more colourful without being loud
If you ask me, easiest way to add colour and must thing is put a contrasting coloured carpet. You can't imagine how the choice of the carpet can transform the whole space beautifully. Carpets usually covers the major space and a beautiful contrasting carpet can make the whole difference.
Few more must dos
- Colorful cushions with peaceful art if possible - adds to creativity and making the environment soothing
- Add a lot of alive Green plants and trees - alive plants have their own energy and supportive of creating a harmonious environment
- Choose a colour theme for each bathroom and room. Use curtains, cushions, rugs, bathroom mats, towels etc. to match the theme and you will not regret it
- Play with colours and enjoy
3. Be Creative
The beauty of creativity is that it is Infinite. Be creative. Be inspired.
Tips on transforming the space:
1. Sounds
Sound is the deepest sense that is experienced when any spiritual seeker reaches to the point of self-realization.
Sound is experienced by the baby in the womb very early on.
Every matter when scientifically explored is just a vibration and a sound
I cannot stress the careful usage of sound on our state as human beings. We have never kept a TV in our house so that there is no unnecessary sounds or images and it ensure that we have more time to spend in creativity and being with our loved ones.
Tips on using the sound carefully
- No unnecessary sounds, noises (including TV. If you want TV, keep a separate space just for watching TV and it must not be in the common area where family gets together and chit chat or eat )
- Play background soothing music - if possible flute (the music of the bamboo flute goes quiet deep) and it does have a tremendous impact on transforming the space into a rejuvenating energy field
- Play mood music
- Invest in a good indoor waterfall
- You can add a melodious wind chime for the outdoor setting
- Keep a small separate space for fighting or throwing out the rubbish so that fights are reduced and in the remaining areas, we speak to each other lovingly, respectfully and the entire house is not affected by the vibration of fight or negativity.
2. Lighting
Lighting has a deep impact on our moods, energy levels and sleep. A sunny day in winters make such a difference. Buy a house with lots of windows and towards the direction of the sun if possible.
Invest in good lighting, lamps etc, and light the space just enough that you see faces of the people in the evening. It adds to the aesthetics when you are aware of the surrounding objects but they do not interfere when looking at the faces of the loved ones. Just sufficient light adds to the mood and to a state of relaxation. Light candles in the evening if possible.
As the evening approaches, dim the lights and see how the sleep is transformed especially for people with sleep issues. Do not use artificial lights like mobile, tablet etc, just before sleeping.
3. Fragrance
Ventilate the entire space and use incense stick (agarbatti) - if possible original sandalwood (chandan) one
4. Lovingness
Remember our home is only a temporary abode and the people we live with today wont be with us forever in these bodies. Feel reverence and enjoy living with them with love and gratitude.
As I told, I have moved homes a lot and I enjoy it as it declutters the house and the mind, reminds the impermanence of life and gives me a fresh canvas to decorate every time. One challenge however, is to transform the energy of the space. People who lived in a space have the spaces vibrate with their energies. The best way to transform the space and make it into our home is by being loving. Love has a very high vibration and it can transform everything sooner than we can imagine.
5. Inviting and Warm
Let your home be so inviting and so warm that
each one who enters your space feels touched,
is rejuvenated inside and out,
each one who stays in your space even for a short while
feels at home, feels your warmth, care and love.
I hope this article will inspire you to create and transform your space even more. If it does, do let me know and I will be inspired to share more.
January 28, 2022
August 4, 2021
A magical being
I have been blessed with a magical being.
In normal language, blessed with a baby girl.
I see her as a magical being - who appeared from nothing, into this world, into this body. We have given a name to this magical unknown infinite being - Chaytanya Shree (meaning Supreme Godly Consciousness).
Seeing her, being with her, I feel utterly surprised as to...how pure, how trusting, how joyful, how playful, how natural, how simple and yet infinite - she is God-like.
She is joyful without having any materialistic or spiritual object.
She is totally receptive and trusting - with all the possibilities of harm from the surrounding people
She is totally natural with no differences of good or bad, with no conditioning.
She is everything that I ever want to be through all my spiritual pursuits. She is in a state that most humans seek...a state of consistent peace, trust, joy. The most surprising thing is that 'I' was also like her, and all of us were born the same, and yet no one seems to be like her.
As adults, we somehow lose our original face and spend our lives seeking to discover it. And still, as adults we pretend to know what is best for this new life, and no sooner that the baby is born, and we are all ready to teach her.
Khalil Gibran has said - "
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls.
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
****************************************
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you."
We feel that children belong to us, she is mine - and with this feeling of 'mine', we sow seeds of pain and darkness in our lives and in the life of this new one.
Chaytanya is not mine or ours. We have just been a medium for her to enter into this world. We can love, respect, nourish and support her in fulfilling her destiny, but we don't want to teach her or make her into a copy of ours.
I don't know anything that I can give to this baby except love and respect, but I really seek to learn from her all that she is. Through her, I wish to discover my original face, the one I was born with.
November 22, 2020
Gratitude to the space - called home
Flowing is the way of life
flowing like the snow falling gracefully and disappearing into nothing
flowing like the rain falling rhythmically and disappearing into nothing
flowing like the river falling and disappearing into the ocean
Flowing is the way of life
As life flows, everything renews itself. is renewing itself
something appears from nothing
something disappears into nothing
we are flowing with life journey into the new
The new home ...
before we move into the new space,
my heart wishes to express tremendous gratitude for the current space
that we have called home for the past 3.5 years
Thank you dear space for offering yourself to us
for allowing us to create a home in you
for showering tremendous blessings on us
for allowing us to see inexplicable sunrises on the lake
for all the rainbow surprises
for allowing us to spend hours to enjoy the moon-rises on the lake.....the reflections spreading to eternity
for allowing us to see the gently falling snow for hours, within warmth and music
for allowing us to see the changing seasons with starking clarity...of the leaves falling ...new leaves blooming...colours changing....every year
for the walks on the lake, each one being equally surprising and joyful as the first one
for showing us some transforming views leaving us speechless
Thank you dear space for showering on us
millions of moments of love, prayer and togetherness
creating opportunities to grow and be creative
As we pack, removing each and every painting that was created in you
removing the decorations that were done with love
there is only gratitude for the joyful, loving, blessed time spent in you
though I have changed many spaces in the past
a realization descended
that
wherever my beloved is
a beautiful, loving home shall be created
my beloved is my home
his embrace is my abode
thank you dear space for offering us to transform you into our home
and blessing us with so much
As I leave you to move into another space
I shall take my home with me
and explore the opportunity of creating another space as our new abode
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓
August 6, 2020
June 9, 2020
Just this...
hundreds of gentle pollens floating gracefully in clean air
with the background of clear blue sky
Shimmering water with each drop shining as bright silver
the blue of the sky reflected in the water making it a shade darker
The unending sea changing colours with every glance
The cars pass by as small objects covering the space for sometime
disappearing into nothingness
leaving the space of road Empty
The greens behind this sometimes filled, sometimes empty road
seemed to have been painted recently with fresh colors
but the painter seem to be hidden within these trees
Hundreds of pollens still floating by gracefully
with the background of clear blue sky
and my glance moving far to the endless horizon of nothingness
which gives something inexplicable to me, just by being there, or not being there...
slowly the glance moving back from the horizon
to the shimmering silvery water
to the freshly painted green
to the sometimes filled, sometimes empty road
to the floating pollens
to the blue room filled with soothing music
to the movement of hands on the keyboard, adding beats to the music
to the slow breathing, and a reminder of being alive
and a deep exhale of gratitude
- Tanu Shree
May 19, 2020
May 4, 2020
Happy Birthday Manu
March 30, 2020
How to save yourself from this fear of dying?
Because it is very easy to avoid virus, but it is very difficult to avoid the fear that is present within you and in the world.
People will die more because of this fear than because of the epidemic.
otherwise you will become an alive dead body before your body will die.
Understand this juiciness within you; without understanding it you cannot understand the psychology of fear.
Look at the juice of this fear and at the fear within you, because if we take in the juiciness of fear, it is not possible to wake up our unconsciousness.
But in the moment of collective madness your ownership can be touched. Your unconsciousness can take it over completely. You won't even know when you have lost control over your fear and fear others.
Then fear can do anything to you, in such a situation you can also take the life of yourself or that of others.
Sitting in the boat of meditation you can avoid this .
OSHO
New Painting - Papa Chachu
during my upbringing,
life in paradoxical ways...