My profession makes me peep inside peoples mouth

And sometimes my gaze travels further down

Looking at their heart

It makes me realise

That we all are really the same

Living in fears and hopes

My patient is fearful of pain

He tries to hide but it shows

We all have some fears

From losing our hair

To losing our heir

The young want to go high and higher not knowing

That the higher you go

The steeper can be the fall

The middle aged stand at the crossroads

Thinking which way they should go

Because the path which has got them there

Doesn’t seem the right path anymore

The oldies seem to approach the end of the road thinking

Whether its a dead end or

There is still a hidden road

The more I look inside people

The more they look the same

We all started on the road of life with curiosity and dreams

That we will unravel the mystery called life

Though we have come so far

But the mystery remains the same

We have more questions

And. less answers

But at last when I again look inside people

Everyone is looking for someone to talk to

Everyone wants to feel loved.

Sometimes I feel like those musicians aboard the sinking Titanic who kept on playing music to keep people calm and prevent panic as the ship continued to go down. That’s the best they could do in the face of the inevitable.

“The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow.” – Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

So by playing their music the musicians we making life bearable knowing very well that most of them are going to die.

Seeing climate change unfolding all around, am I also just doing that. Hope we can write some words that dissipate ignorance and propel action to minimise the effect of the impending disaster.

Not long ago there was a big tree.

Under it lived a small tree.

The big tree used to give protection to the small tree by its trunk, shade by its leaves, and nourishment by its roots.

The smaller tree which was just an offshoot of the bigger one, lived rejoicing having someone so immense around it.

As they continued to live together, the bigger tree kept on showering its blessed petals on its younger one.

Joyously he would look at his little one spurting new branches spreading its existence, dressing up in new leaves, and swaying with abandon to life.

Life seemed like an eternal journey of blissful togetherness that would never end.

But sadly one day it ended.

One evening the big tree withered away.

And for the first time, the small tree slept alone under the open skies saying “twinkle-twinkle “and wondering where its big tree had gone.

Dawn came and broke through the darkness revealing to the small tree a reality it had never seen before.

There were wild animals everywhere.

The wind howled and threatened to uproot it.

Sun began shining menacingly, scorching its tender leaves.

For the first time, the small tree realised its smallness.

Unable to bear the harsh real world, it started dropping its leaves

Its branches, once springy, now turned spindly.

The parched trunk bent and was almost on the verge of giving up,

And then, the small tree felt some water around its roots.

It soon realised that the big tree had flushed its feet before dying,

Hungry, it drank the water,

Drawing it up,

Letting it spread to its peripheries.

Once again, its branches came to life.

The remaining leaves sprang back.

Finally, the trunk straightened

And started gathering width and height

Since then the once-small tree has been surviving

Growing, albeit little by little.

It doesn’t know for how long and how much it will be able to grow, but it knows it will do anything to survive.

Now, two small saplings are growing under it.

At one time, I was part of a perfect story,

But then I became part of a perfect storm.

Moral of the Story

What went wrong?

Some relationships are worth celebrating forever.

Sometimes we get so engrossed in the celebration that we fall into a trance. And thus forget some basic laws of life

1. One is the law of universal existence —- the impermanence of everything and that everything born will die.
2. Worldly law of existence —the reality of survival. Money is important to the survival and growth of you and your loved ones.

Both laws need to be kept in mind so that we develop and savour relationships to the maximum ‘as long as they last.’

Lost in Love We Forgot the Laws of Life and Living was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

You desire something

You get it

You smile .

Then you look around and see

He has got something

He is smiling even more

You drop your thing

You stop smiling

You want to pick his thing

This continues

Get – smile – drop

But every time your smile gets reduced.

You think you are moving straight ahead on the path of glory to happiness but you don’t know

That you are moving in circles

Of diminishing happiness?

Desiring is not wrong but don’t let it affect your smile.

Have you ever noticed a blind person? Especially the one born blind. There is a perpetual smile on their face.

Have you ever wondered what are they smiling about? Since birth, they have not seen anything. What is it that is making them smile? Or is it that they are smiling sarcastically at their misfortune? And how have they maintained that constant smile for so long? They have that smile even when they are talking to someone. Sitting alone they are still smiling.

In contrast, most of us smile only if we see or hear something we are related to or find amusing or when posing for pictures or when our profession demands so.

But they seem to be smiling without any reason. Nowadays we see that kind of smile only on the faces of children. But we know as they grow older even they will lose it. Does that mean that all we are born with that smile? And joy is our inherent nature and that’s what we descend with into this world. But as we start growing up and see more and more of the external world we start losing that smile.

All of us want to feel good and happy. It's natural and there is nothing wrong with it. Our five senses which are oriented outwardly scan the external world and identify activities, relationships, and indulgences which will improve our feel-good factor. From detoxification to external beautification, we aspire to do many things which make us more desirable and accommodating to the external world. We want to accomplish our goals and possess worldly things only to maintain that feeling of happiness within us. Some of us do experience some moments and limited durations of ecstasy but are not able to hold it for extended periods of time. In the end, we are always left unsatisfied and wanting.

More single-mindedly you chase pleasure, soon you find nothing pleasing anymore

– Somerset Maugham

It means maintaining a true smile on our face, the one with which we are born is a daunting if not impossible task if we just rely on our interaction with the external world.

So again the same question. Why is the blind smiling? Are they seeing something which we are not? Unable to see outward are they seeing something inwards? And is there an inner world vaster more beautiful more satisfying more complete?

Nowadays a lot of us are trying to get that peace of mind and access to that infinite world by shutting our eyes to the external world. But we all know meditation is not easy. The pull of the external world is too great. Leaving it altogether and sitting with a quiet mind for extended periods of time is difficult.

But the blind seem to be naturally endowed for the inner experience. It doesn’t mean I am mocking the blind or showing indifference to the problems and the ostracization they face in this world which we have designed largely for the abled. On the contrary, I would like to say that if you see a blind person, don't look with pity but with curiosity and wonder. And hold their hand not only to help them cross the road but trying to touch the reality with which they are always in touch.

Most of us are lucky that we have eyes that can see. Seeing the external world as nature’s wonder is a blessing and navigating through it helps our existence. But in getting too entangled with it we may miss the universe within us.

Whenever I see a blind man smiling I hear him saying –

outside world darkness never troubles those whose inner world is always lighted.

because our smile at birth because of our contact with our inner nature as WWE get entangled more into sensual pleasures we lose connection with our inner nature eyes are only for seeing the physical creation just seeing the physical creation can turn out to be a disappointment for human because physical creation is only minisicule in comparison to the invisible creation so we

Have you ever noticed a blind person? was originally published in Spiritual Tree on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It had been a very long time since I had written on medium. Like many other writers lot of ideas and sentences kept on coming to my mind but I didn’t make any sincere effort to sit down and write.

And one night when I was about to sleep, all of a sudden I realised that according to the new rules of medium at least one article has to be written every 6 months. Otherwise, you can be debarred from the medium partner-earning programme ( it doesn’t mean that medium has given a fortune me till now ). Hastily I opened the medium application on my phone to write but found that the + sign was missing ( I didn’t know that the story writing feature had been disabled by medium in their mobile application).

I panicked even more fearing that somehow the add story button has been disabled specifically against me as I had not written for far too long and had been kicked out of the partner program.

I jumped out of my bed and opened the laptop. Gathering my thoughts I quickly started writing or rather stretching an idea which had been there for quite some time.

I wrote with an urgency I have not felt in a long time ( it was the same feeling that I had experienced during my dental school days when within a limited time we had to finish lengthy answers)

Finishing it in just under 15 minutes l immediately attached some keywords and hit publish. Through the corner of my eye I could see that my story was eligible for earnings. . I sighed in relief though wasn't sure still. After 2 days I saw 0.06$ against it. Thank god I was still on the bus.

And this is what I learned that night

• To be successful some amount of panic is necessary. Sometimes only during an emergency do we get fully conscious. With no option left, we are forced to act. . And in that desperation our mind and body automatically start coordinating to work together. And then we act. This is what happened that night.
• Though I too have a family to take care of and a job to do I would still admit that lack of time would be my most lame excuse for not writing.
• I spend too much time in my mind thinking and trying to figure out the right sentences and narration for my story. The real action will never happen unless we start writing. And once I start I do end up reaching somewhere which may not be perfect but is still better than reaching nowhere.

A line is a dot that went for a walk.”

-Paul Klee.

If we just remember this quote and put a dot every day and keep on stretching it to give out some coherent sentences we will have more articles to our name and a stronger writing muscle for the future.

Yes it’s true I worry about my kids Like any other parent

When I look at them both appear so different

Both were conceived in the same place

Both were born in the Same place

Both were handed to me By the same gynaecologist

Both got their initial care from the same paediatrician

Both are being brought up In the same house

Both went to the same play school and are in the same regular school

So much is the same

But still, they are so different

One is creative other is calculative

One is too emotional while the other one is too practical

Sometimes I get too possessive and think they belong to me but I soon realise that they came to this world ‘not from me’ but ‘through me’.As spirits, they wandered in the universe when creation decided to give them a body and descend them To this world. Within them, they carry memories and yearning’s from previous birth and so they are so different.

I really don’t worry about their careers or marriage

What I worry about is that they are growing up in a polluted world where there is a constant Bombardment of external influences

Both good and bad

Which may make their life confusing and decision-making difficult

How much my influence will matter. I don’t know

If only I could help them decipher the uniqueness they were born with.

I don’t know what will become of their lives.

But one thing I want is for them to become good humans.

There is a dearth of human beings in today’s world.

But still, I do worry about them. Maybe it’s in my genes

Because there was someone who used to worry about me

So I can’t really get over the worrying habit

I am just giving, What I got.

It happened during my childhood. My grandmother had come to stay with us for some time. One day when my father was slicing some fruits my mother walked into the kitchen. Soon they both started quarrelling about something. As their commotion got louder my grandmother also came but stood at the door trying to make sense of the verbal duel.

With the altercation getting more aggressive, Dad was no longer interested in the fruits. But he still had the knife in his hand. And as he was trying to force his argument upon mom his knife-wielding hand got unconsciously involved in threatening manoeuvres. It looked so scary to me.

Swiftly my grandmother walked into the kitchen and ordered my Dad to put down the knife first and then talk. Dad was still in a hurry to prove his point but again my grandma said “ Say whatever you want to say but put the knife down first ”. My Dad let go of the knife from his firm grip though the argument continued for some more time.

Just because my Dad had a knife in his hand, there was always a probability that he might end up stabbing in the heat of the moment. And my grandmother was wise enough to know that arguments are bound to happen in a relationship but having a weapon in hand could have drastic consequences.

As long as nuclear weapons exist their potential use cannot be ruled out. Humans don’t have their minds in their control. Shooting massacres around the world are an example. Just because people have ready access to guns is putting them to their wrongful use.

When we can’t trust our own minds, can the minds of our leaders be trusted? And aren’t there enough fanatics around who would like to have access to these catastrophic weapons?

My grandmother is long gone and she won’t come back. But I know that there are still many like her. But are they in a position to tell us? And are we willing to listen and follow?

I don’t think there was a dearth of wise humans when the world wars happened. But I do know that we haven’t become wiser since then.

With a body smeared

In ash

Intoxicated in hash

He looks like a body coming

Alive from a cremation ground

He sits atop mount Kailash

In absolute stillness

His darknesses symbolize

The vast nothingness which envelopes all the creation

Don’t mistake his stillness

As inactivity

For in a moment he can burst into a frenzy of Tandav

Even the Gods are scared of him

He is no Human

He is no God

He may be an alien

Not much is known

And tonight is his night

When boundless dark spaces

Around the numerous stars

Are saying

That what has been created

Is nothing compared to

That What is not

That is SHIVA

If you feel like saying something beautiful

say it

now.

There is never a bad time to say something good

Maybe God is wanting

To shower petals

Through your mouth.

If you feel like saying something

hateful

Derogatory

Mocking

Hold it

Observe it

Maybe the devil inside

Wants to expunge thorns

scratch and bleed your mouth

Will your words do good to anyone

Improve someone

If not

Cremate it.

There is never a good time to

Say something bad

By just holding yourself

In a moment of life

You may have saved yourself

From living a life

Full of moments

Of remorse and regret

There is both God

And devil within ourselves

Let’s try and choose

The one who we would like

To do our talking