80

“In all chaos there is a cosmos, and in all disorder a secret order” – Carl Jung

78

“When this oneness with the Universe is not realized, you are fooled by your own name!” – Swami Chinmayananda

It’s been a roller-coaster ride since Corona started. I realized I was wasting so much time and energy just to get ready for office and driving to & fro.  I get to use that time so productively now for the things I love to do. I get to read, learn a new language, paint, cook, clean plus office.

Trying to get back to my commitment of 1 post per 2 weeks :). Let’s see if I can make it to 1 per week!!!

The road taken

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both 
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth”

– The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

The DP Challenge – The Road Taken reminded me of Robert Frost’s poem – The Road Not Taken and it got me into thinking about the options we have in life and the paths we choose. I have at times wondered what my life would be only if I had taken a different path. I know, getting into the “What If” analysis is dangerous but my stupid mind gets the best of me at times. Robert Frost helped me understand that no matter what path you take you get what you are destined for so stop thinking about the road not traveled and enjoy the perks of the road you are travelling 🙂

Have a great day!!!

Madness

“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness” – Friedrich Nietzsche

The fight with my inner sloth was finally worth it. I have never painted such huge projects so fast. This was completed in just 4 days and looks like the long gap I had has its own positives. I had some new ideas but true to myself – went crazy with colors 🙂

Happy painting !!!

Self-torture

“Perfection is worth striving for, even if it is unattainable in this life” – Joseph B Wirthlin

The only word that kept ringing in my head while I was doing this piece was “Self-torture – Why Am I doing this to myself” . I started painting in small drawing books so that I can do small projects and finish them quickly. And then I started this one, way back in May. Looks like a simple abstract one but the amount of detail that has gone into it, tested my patience to the core. I am still not fully happy with this but cannot go any longer. I guess Shiva cannot be attained that easily in life or on paper.

Just playing around with Photoshop

Survival

“Extinction is the rule, survival is the exception” – Carl Sagan

I have been watching a crow family who have made the pine tree in front of my house their home. Perched on the top the Mama crow sat on her eggs and perched in my balcony drinking tea I watched over them. I had also bought a new DSLR so they were my muse for a while. I prayed for them every time there was a thunderstorm and the tree swayed left and right in the wind or whenever I saw the eagle hovering above.

Crow scouting the trees

Crow’s nest

The predator

And then came the day….. when I saw something I never thought I would see and which broke my heart.

Seemed like the eggs had hatched and the babies wanted food. The papa crow and mama crow cawed at each other(I had no clue what they talked then) and after the conversation papa crow perched near the nest while the mama crow went to the nearby pigeon colony. She tried to get near some pigeon nests but one pigeon family gave her a fight, however there was a lonely pigeon mama sitting on her eggs in one corner. The crow went there and started attacking the pigeon, the brave pigeon never gave up so the papa crow pitched and both started attacking the pigeon. They were so quick and dexterous that finally the mama pigeon couldn’t take it anymore and left the nest. Then the crows took the pigeon eggs to feed their babies. The pigeon came back to her nest to see the damage, I am not sure if they have feeling but to me it looked like she was heartbroken.

Like a curious cat I watched nature at work – my tea got cold…..BUT this got me into thinking –

Is survival the only purpose of life?

If YES – then there is no good and bad, they are mere perceptions – what is good to me could be evil to others and vice versa. There can be a justification for everything we do and the action could be right as long as our conscious is clear !!!

If NO – then should we just succumb to the bad and be grateful for the good and live life thinking – everything happens for a reason !!!

Just some r@nd0m th0ught$ !!!

Diversity Trip – Amritsar

With OM MANI PADME OM still reverberating in my mind, we boarded the bus to Pathankot, from where we will take another bus to Amritsar. AND the reverberations I was hearing now were no where near to peaceful.

Just a glimpse into what I endured during the 4 hr bus ride: I wish I had recorded it but this video does perfect justice.

I couldn’t stop smiling thinking about such contrasting worlds just 50kms apart. On one side you have smiling peaceful stocky Buddhists and on the other you have feisty, loud and exceptionally tall Punjabi’s.

My next destination is the city of Amritsar where the Golden Temple is.

It was the night of Deepavali

 

Sri Harimandir Sahib or popularly known as the Golden Temple is not only a central religious place of the Sikhs, but also a symbol of human brotherhood and equality. It is accessible to every person without any distinction of Caste, creed, sex and religion all you need to do is cover your head when entering.

It is surrounded by a manmade lake of 150 sq.m. The lake gives it a sublime, serene and meditative feel. Of the two days we stayed there I found myself going to this place every morning and evening.

We also had our Diwali meal at the langar. Langar is a community kitchen where everyone is served free meals and the kitchen is managed also by volunteers.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh statue

Some more statues and a smiling Sikh 🙂

And finally it is time for some patriotism. We headed to Wagah border for the border gates closing ceremony. And we were going to close the gates on Pakistan so I was looking forward to experience. It was a testosterone filled environment from the minute we entered. The peaceful Buddhist in me had now transformed into a Raging bull ….LOL

You see the guy marked in orange, that is the Pakistan side by the end of the ceremony. All gone and they started brooming their side. And the crowd on this side, Indian are not done with their cheering and photo sessions, for us the festivities always last a little longer.

Back to the Golden Temple in the morning

Indulging in some soothing bhajan along with warm halwa 🙂

A Khalsa Sikh with his 5 K’s – Kesh, Kangha, Kara, Kachera, Kirpan and the humongous Dastar on his head.  These are initiated Sikh men who have vowed to follow the Sikh way of life commanded by the Guru Govind Singh.

A last look and time to stay Good Bye ….

Time to get back to the circus. Shredding the wildness and going back to being a tamed one 🙂

Part 1: Diversity Trip – Jammu

Part 2: Diversity Trip – McLeod Gunj

Durga

“..If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way” – Napolean Hill

Drawing in sketchbooks has never been my thing, when I start drawing or coloring, things just get out of proportion. But these days with my busy office schedule I don’t get the conviction enough to finish huge projects hence trying to teach myself to draw small. A drawing book which I can probably carry with myself as well. Wouldn’t that be nice !!!

Temporary

“People who love to eat are always the best people” – Julia Child

 

Now what is food doing on the temporary section, some people have an eternal love for food, however I noticed that once your stomach is full you don’t even feel like smelling or looking at food how much ever you love it. That is definitely the case with me, be it the homemade selections or the exotic restaurant ones ….so I feel craving is a temporary feeling. What do you say???

DP Photo Challenge: Temporary

Satisfaction

“Wake up with determination and sleep with satisfaction” – Unknown

Since my childhood I had an obsession with the Rubik cube – every once in a while I would buy one and fail at it.

But in the present day (thanks to technology) I got a tutor online on  Youtube. Though it took me several days to follow him, finally I solved it. Oh… I was so ecstatic as if I was the only genius in the world. Below is the picture of my achievement.

DP Photo Challenge: Satisfaction

Bridge

“OM, udbudhyasvagne prati jagrihi tvamishtapurte samsrijethamayam cha, asmin sadhasthe adhyuttarasmin vishve deva yajamanascha sidata.”  – source

O Fire, please wake up, please get up. And in your arising, wake us up as well. You are the one who gives us what we ask for, as well as what comes to us unasked. You are the remover of illness. In this house of fire practice, please be seated. Along with you, may all the benevolent divine forces be seated, too. May those doing this practice also be seated.

Lately I have been reading a Trilogy: Aghora by Robert E. Svobodha. There is so much overwhelming information in the book and personally I feel like believing every word of it. As per the Tantric Philosophy,  Agni – fire is a visible divine energy and acts as the bridge between humans and the ethereal being, it is through fire that we can communicate with the cosmos and the ethereal being be it – gods, goddess, ghosts, demons etc.

In India Homam – fire ritual is performed during most of the auspicious ceremonies. During Homam\Havan oblations or any religious offering is made to the fire. It is believed that as the ethereal beings have no body they eat through smell so the offerings that go into the fire are consumed by them and once they are pleased you get to make a wish. There is a darker side it also but that depends on humans and not the ghosts 🙂 .

DP Photo Challenge: Bridge

Mandala 2

“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.” – Bruce Lee

I think I went a little overboard with green and messed up with this one. It doesn’t look like one integrated piece … What do you say???

Security

“Don’t tell your Ganesha how big your problems are, Tell your problems how big your Ganesha is” – Chugani

Doesn’t matter if you are from North India – South India – East or West; Rich or Poor every Hindu in India loves Lord Ganesha and performs Ganesh Puja. We do it at the beginning of any new event as he is the God for New Beginnings, Prosperity and Obstacle Remover. Only after the Ganesh Puja is performed you feel safe and secure in your mind that nothing bad will happen whatsoever and still if you face challenges Ganesha will take care……

Ganesh Chaturthi which is observed once a year, used to be the busiest time in the year when I was young. There was this huge list of items I helped my mother procure for the puja. I used to go around my colony and the gardens to get them and my mother used to say “Even though I am doing the puja, you will reap the benefits as you are working hard for it” and that alone was enough motivation year after year…

DP Photography Challenge: Security

Dense

RELAX. It’s a healthy choice !!

 

DP Photo Challenge: Dense

Mandala 1

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities” – Stephen Covey

With my new job and new challenges I am not able to take time out for painting. So I went looking for Van Gough in a box, not that I would endorse that idea very much but this is the best I could do in my current situation and came across this Manadala book – Coloring for Calm. So now a days I am trying to satisfy my artistic itch by filling in colors into the patterns hoping for peace and more free time.

I found this really a good way to meditate also as you have to stay very focused while filling in the finer details. So coloring away and hoping for peace of mind and time so that I can get back to my primitive ways of painting.

Untill then you gotta do what you gotta do!!!

Solitude

“How can you hear your soul if everyone is talking” – Mary Doria Russell

Solitude is a choice that provides freedom and space from the demands and interruptions created by others. It paves the way for self-reflection, clarity and to be self-reliant.

Regularly spending time alone is good for our mind, soul, and body.

DP Photo Challenge – Solitude

Repurpose

“Recycling turns things into other things. Which is like MAGIC” – Unknown

Gardening – my new found hobby these days, which is keeping me busy on weekends and away from painting. It is so relaxing and addictive but I hate buying those plastic pots so I started using some of those water bottles and other to be trashed plastic as pots and am focusing on planting small herbs in them. So here my little mint herb in a re-purposed pot.

DP Photo Challenge: Repurpose

Priority

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Recently I was reading this book, “The One Thing” by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan; and got into thinking about priorities and choices. As adults when we have a choice and everything is at our discretion, is there a clear formula for making decisions so that we can make the best decisions for us and not trade them for just any decision?

I found my answer in PRIORITY, as long as we pause and think what really matters to us and let that drive our day/decisions we will have a sense of progress and can avoid getting trapped in busyness.

This painting was inspired by two thoughts –

1. How important our environment is – we should make all effort to keep the earth beautiful as it should be so that we can enjoy living in it.
2. How important our environment is – we should surround ourselves with people who add value to our life’s so that we can stay positive, productive and happy.

Random Thoughts!!!

Name

“It is not that the name will do everything, but the name has to inspire passion” – Sadhguru

The name a person bears through life is something he or she must carry, and it is sometimes the only thing others have to judge you by before they meet you. Your name travels ahead of you like a portent of things to come, a thing from which others make assumptions about you. Are these assumptions always fair or accurate? Of course not, but people continue to make assumptions, regardless.

Here’s a interesting story about the importance of a name:
We can’t deport terrorist… because he kept his NAME secret for 21yrs

NAME – DP Photo Chalenge

Infinite Nature

“Spirituality is not something you do. If you stop all of your nonsense, you are spiritual. Spirituality is ultimate sense” – Sadhguru

Sva-vida

“The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand” – Frank Herbert

Acrylics on a 12″ X 12″ board

I am seriously running out of ideas, this the best I could come up with after months of break.

Lake Kailash Manasarovar

One of the early acrylic works, trying to bring out the shades which didn’t seem to work that well.

OM Namah Shivay

Dance of nature

“Life is a dance of nature.” ― Toba Beta

Wall mural – Indian music

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life” – Berthold Auerbach

Music instrument: Dhol

Music instrument: Tabla and Shehnai

Wall mural universe – completed

Yeyy… I am back !!! …. after yet another relocation and a whole episode of searching for an apartment – shifting and settling in …

It feels good to back on the web …. and on wordpress… never thought I would miss wordpress so much… 🙂

So, I started this ambitious wall mural project back when I was home and getting bored ….

I was supposed to fill up only the vertical walls …. but I got too ambitious and crawled onto the ceiling too … 🙂

Maybe next time we will find a different place for the refrigerator and fill up that void too … 🙂

In today’s post I will share the mysterious universe I tried creating inside my home…. I am obsessed with the universe paintings these day  🙂 🙂

The ceiling view

The side view

The burning sun – it looks far better in real

The earth’s representative – the tree 🙂

“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand” – Neil Armstrong