“How is that everyone praises me, Ammalu?”
“Who said so?”
” I have two ears energized by ultra modern aids which can receive and record even the whispers of your mom 20 km away from here, though Your mom never whispers; she always yells and that is another matter for discussion”
“Does my mom too praise you?”
“Undoubtedly, though she doesn’t do it openly”
“Even God is not praised by everyone and if that is happening in your case, there could be only one reason. They are expecting something or other from you”
“Your mother too?”
“Yes, she too”
“Ok , let me come to the main part of my question. Why are YOU NOT PRAISING ME?”
“Wah! you said it! And you claim that EVERYONE is praising you!”
“Ammalu, don’t be childish. You are not EVERYONE, YOU ARE A PART OF ME. YOU ARE ME AND I AM YOU”
“Awesome. So, you withdraw your question?”
“No, I modify my question. How is that you alone don’t expect anything from me, while even your mother ( who bluffs that she has left all her desires to God to meet whom she is waiting anxiously, which again is a lie) is also expecting something from me?”
“Answer is simple. I already had everything you had. Your life, your youth, your wealth, your good and bad days, your joy, your sorrow, your thoughts, your breath-everything. I have nothing more to expect from you and so I don’t praise you. Is it clear now, my beloved old man with poor eyesight and poorer insight?”
“My mind?”
“Come on; your mind is completely under my control. You don’t have even a millimeter of it with you!”
Author: shivam
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Get married, anyway
“Does bad times always chase one?”” Yes, unfortunately, it does at times”“What to do, then?”“Fight and pray (if you believe in God) or fight and fight”“Will I win?”“Fighting is for winning”“If I don’t win?”” With a such a suspicious mind, you are fit neither to fight nor to believe in God”“So, what to do?”“Get married and pray that you get a good wife”“If I don’t want to pray”“Anyway get married. Any woman will be better than you, in self confidence”
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Picture album 2
1.What is nature but for its varieties!Deprived of its foliage by winter, a tree awaits the arrival of the Spring to bloom. Side by, is an Aloe cactus, a small, silent plant, glistening with energy, carrying plenty of water in its body.“6000 year old stone carvings in Egypt contain images of the plant, which they referred to as the “plant of immortality”. It was given as a burial gift to deceased pharaohs.Preparations made from Aloe vera are often referred to as “aloe vera”. Scientific evidence for the cosmetic and therapeutic effectiveness of aloe vera is limited and when present is frequently contradictory. Despite this, the cosmetic and alternative medicine industries regularly make claims regarding the soothing, moisturizing, and healing properties of aloe vera commercially advertised mainly for skin conditions such as sunburns, cold sores and frostbite. Aloe vera gel is also used commercially as an ingredient in yogurts, beverages, and some desserts; although at certain doses, its toxic properties could be severe whether ingested or topically applied The same is true for aloe latex, which was taken orally for conditions ranging from glaucoma to multiple sclerosis until the FDA required manufacturers to discontinue its use. Other uses for extracts of Aloe vera include the dilution of semen for the artificial fertilization of sheep, as a fresh food preservative, or for water conservation in small farms.[52] It has also been suggested that bio fuels could be obtained from Aloe vera seeds Aloe is also used as a food substance, possibly for its gelling properties”Wikipedia.Both the plants are in our garden, right in front of me.What is nature but for its varieties!————————————————————————
2.
In the school, if we fight with a classmate, after coming home, he will occupy most part of our mind. In the adult stage too, it is so.We give more space for our opponents, disturbers and those who dislike us or whom we dislike. So is the space occupied by our thoughts. Good thoughts do not stay long. How we manage to contain and control the bad men, events and thoughts in our life, is important.If we allow us to be overpowered by like the huge tree in this picture which has been completely subdued by the parasitic plants, God save us !———————————————————————————
3. The Lamp and the lamps:”രാജാക്കളെയും പ്രജയായ് ഗണിക്കുംരാജാ ഒരാളുന്ടവിടുത്തെ മുമ്പിൽകുനിഞ്ഞു നില്ക്കേണ്ടി വരുന്നു പാരിൽകുനിഞ്ഞവന്നും കുനിയിട്ച്ചവന്നും”There is a King of kings before whom everyone bows his head, including the one who makes others to bow their head before him.———————————————————–
4.High positionTop post, for what? Power elsewhere!Hanging always is a nightmare.Neither can move on my own choiceNor even make some noise.But I can scare the less mightWith my shadow at nightOr, am I afraid of my own shadow?Boy, top is top, you’r not on a meadow! -
Picture album
1. On the way back home
Even after a hard day’s work, while going home for retiring, the Sun wanted to do some good work for the world. The small quantity of paint left over in his can, he uses to give life to the wall and doors of the garage of our Ocala house. Amazing hand work!
2.
Shining Sun beyond the curtain and a tiny lamp inside
The heaven’s bliss is awaiting just outside. What is needed is just push the curtains to a side so that the entire house is illumined . But I won’t get up from my seat and instead manage with the tiny lamp for bedrooms !
Open the doors and widows and allow the awaiting air and light to enter inside!
Let noble thoughts come to us from every side –
आः नो भद्राः कर्तव्यो यन्तु विश्वतः Aa no badraaha kartavyo yanthu vishwatahah
(Rigvedam)
3.
The mulch/ bark chips used for retaining water under tree. Trees are machine- cut in no time and after salvaging the usable blocks, the remaining wood bark are cut into nice shavings and spread below trees and bushes. It is claimed that it helps to about 20-25% water saving, by reducing evaporation.
A small contribution of the fallen tree for the living of its own clan. Trees are useful while living and even after dying.
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Sivarathry memories
Sivarathri memories are many for me; two are outstanding:Holding the hand of my father, crossing the Olavakkode rail track and a hill( which has been decimated now by the ruthless rock bursters) to watch the Kathakali shows at the Eamoor Bagavathy Temple, which starts at around 10 pm and continues till the dawn of the next day. The program was for nine nights then, now reduced to three. My father used to hold a choottu( an indigenous torch made of the wastes fell from the coconut trees ) for guidance in the darkness. After the show we used to have a bath in one of the many ponds near the temple and have darsan at the shrine. I used to carry a small pouch of rice grains for feeding the fish stock in the ponds and it was a real fun. While returning back home, from a distance an old nayadi ( untouchable outcast) woman in rags, used to call for alms and my father used to throw a coin or two, which she used to pick up, after making sure that we were at a safe distance. Her call still reverberates in my mind.My mother’s elder sister was very determined to observe Sivarathri, strictly as prescribed and she used to starve the whole day and night. Evening she moves towards the Kalpathy Sivan Kovil, have darsan there and attend the religious discourse.Half through the discourse, she goes into sound sleep,lying on the sand floor enjoying the breeze from the big tree in the vicinity, gets up only in the dawn. She had the company of several other women, who had come for the exclusive purpose of keeping awake whole night!The empty stomach, enlightening discourse and enticing wind from the banyan tree, all acted as catalysts to induce them into sound sleep on the Sivaratri night, through out which they were determined to keep awake.Comments:Subject: Re: Sivaratari memories
> From: ngiyer@hotmail.com
> Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2014 20:20:13 -0800
> To: sivaratna@hotmail.com
> When I read this I literally cried.don’t you Sir feel like crying out loud?
> Where are those simple happy old days?Will they return in the future or are the gone forever?
> If they were not happy days you Sir would not have remembered them.
> The old lady sleeping shows her innocence like a Gopika stree. I am sure she is with Lord Shiva in Kailaasam.
> Hope I am right.
> With respects
> Iyer
> -
Sheer discourtesy!
The moment I saw him in the morning, I wished him, ‘good morning, Dhruva”
He didn’t bother to respond. I smiled. He didn’t even look at my face .What does this fellow think about me? What is his age and what is mine! The basic courtesies, one should have. And this discourteous treatment is not his first . And when he is pleased, for reasons unknown, he will show his teeth! Oh, he has no tooth. I wanted to say that he will be showering smiles.If he is from Ocala, I’m from Olavakkode. Let him remember. If he is a Floridan I am an Habsigudan. Let him remember.
Now he is sleeping on my shoulder. Let him get up and I ‘ll show him who I’m.
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I knew you would come
I knew you would come,
Come, sit close by, still close, hold my hand.
The warmth of your hands, not new to me
Nor the sweet smile or the gurgling laugh.
And that dazzling lightning from your Disc
That sliced my heart and burnt my body.
How could you do that to me, Krishna,
How could you do that to me?
‘Never, your face ever’, I went in protest
But saw only your face wherever I went.
Like a lambasted little one back to mom
I returned to meet your lavish laugh.
How does it matter now, many things came,
Many things went, but Krishna was it just a
Many thing Krishna! was it just a many thing?
Poor boy, you have no answer!
The air brings the fragrance and melody
From Tulasi and reed, but why those
When your chariot sound and foot steps
Always vibrate in my inner depths?
When everyone, everything has left,
And this body too soon to depart,
You came, sit for a moment, w’ll leave together.
I can still work there, be of some use to you.
Can stitch flowers for your garland
Fetch water to wash your feet
Sit idly singing your glory
Or simply sit looking at you, Krishna, looking at you!
Carrying with me my only asset
Your thoughts, but why thoughts
When you are with me, Krishna,
why thoughts, when you are with me?
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Me and my grandchilden
Old age, according to me, is not waiting in a Que in front of a foreign embassy for a visa for another land, learning by-heart answers for the anticipated questions, to get clearance.I do not believe that engaging in spiritual activities is earmarked only when one’s limbs and senses become too week for any other activities. It is a continuous process right from the early days of life. Even while in active service or holding the family responsibility, one has to devote a portion of time for spiritual thinking . ‘Budhy’, intellect should be Easwaronmukhi, looking towards the Godhead. You cannot suddenly think of reciting ‘Hare Rama, Hare Rama’, only while entering the hospital gate in a wheel chair or when you hear the first whistle for the journey to the other world, presuming there is an ‘other world’.Thinking of God ( if you are not an atheist) or living a clean life without hurting and harming others (even if you are an atheist ) , gives you a very valuable package in day today life- Peace of mind, mental tranquility. Many ‘aswamedhams’, sacrifices are worth for obtaining a peaceful life, something money, intelligence, education and other qualifications alone cannot procure.Now coming to my role as a grand father. I became one first, when I was 68. Since then, I have been frequently coming to USA, where all my five grand children are born including the latest, just five months ago. For my daughter in law, her mother and for my daughter, her mother in law were taking care of the post natal administration as well as the babies, during the first 6 months periods, they had immigration permits to stay. Afterwards, the babies were admitted in the child-care-centers, till the mothers returned after a six month gap.I came from Baltimore to my daughter’s house in Florida, when her in laws were about to leave for India. My daughter goes to work at 7.00 AM along with the elder kids whom she drops at their school on the way to her school where she works as a speech specialist. She returns between 3.30-4.00 pm and till then, the baby- sitter takes care of the baby. My daughters father in law, recently retired from a Govt. hospital, loves cooking and his preparations are unforgettably tasty. He took complete care of the kitchen while his wife took charge of the kid. I can neither cook nor take care of a small baby. Grown up children, no problem; they take care of me.When I rock the cradle of the five month old kid, singing,” Thetchimandaaram tulasi pitchaka maalakal choodi, Guruvayoorappa ninnae kani kaneanam”, I recall that I have been singing the same song for more than a dozen babies in the family. I see in the smile of little Dhruv, the innocent, mesmerizing moonlight, I’m used to, since my first child was born. I believe, and I believed so earlier too, that the babies were enjoying my song, my company and my love. When I carry my little Dhruv on my shoulders and stroll on the vast open land in front of the Ocala house, the pleasant memories of carrying all my own children, nephews and nieces, how they used to burst into cry, when I slowed down motion or paused for a while, comes to my mind. When my little Dhruv smiles in sleep or I believe he is smiling, I see in my mind’s eye all the progeny of my family coming down like angels and spreading light in my house, in the houses of my sibling and other kin.You have to act like an old, if you want to enjoy the company of the old people and preferably be adorned or armed with a neck-belt or a walk stick. You have to become a child in mind and body or at least pretend to, if you want to be accepted by a child. I attempt to do that many times. I played with the Baltimore kids in snow -storms eating snow, keeping my mouth wide open and looking up like them though mine is not an ideal age to do such gimmicks. Here I play volley ball with the kids, though running after the ball when it rolls and picking it up is mostly done by them. Soon after they return from school, when they invite me to play with them, I get excited.”Appu thatha, come let us play”-that call chops of ages from my age! ‘This is your swargam, if there is one’- I tell myself.While I took leave of my kids in Baltimore, before leaving for Florida last month, Ananya, her face swollen, moaned ”now no one to save me”. She was referring to my support to her when her mother scolds. “You are the rakshakartha, savior of your grand children”- I told myself!I become younger whenever I come to USA to be with my children and grandchildren. When someone says, just to satisfy me, that a grandchild resembles me or my wife, I am on cloud nine.It has been a wonderful experience. If you have not already become a grand father you will remember me when you become one.The moksham for grandparents is where their grandchildren are and believe me when I say this. The heaven for grandparents is the place where their grand children are, in India or anywhere in the world even in a dense forest.. You may die for want of hospital facilitates; so what? Anyway you will be dying, let that be when you are immersed in the moonshine of your kids’ smiles. The heaven for the grandparents is the place where the grandchildren are there. You may not have a temple nearby. So what? Why long for a shrine when the living gods are playing on your lap?Continue to enjoy the great festival the God has opened up for you. Many were not that lucky like us- my eyes become moist.