My understanding of a ‘Guru’ is one who
shows you the path and holds your hand when you falter. The quest, the journey,
the ultimate destination are one’s own. A Guru is not there to ‘solve’ one’s
problems or ‘change’ one’s destiny, but helps us see the problem in the right
perspective and deal with the right attitude/approach.
In my own life, at a time of personal crisis, I had turned to Tai for solace and her guidance helped me face the challenge with fortitude and emerge stronger. The crisis would repeat several times and every time I would draw strength from my first interaction with her and hold myself together.
Tai considers herself a Seeker still and not a Seer yet. The constant evolution of the Spirit within her is very evident. Nowhere does she claim to have been the ‘Chosen’ one or to have become a Guru. My understanding of the book says she has chosen to embark on a journey of self-discovery and is still a traveller. This self effacing humility runs throughout the narrative – be it her self-doubt (Ch.20 – Exorcism); her child-like desire to see Disneyland (Ch.51); her adventure on a scooter in Laxmi Rd. (Ch.55 – even today, the plight of any learner won’t be better); her acceptance of what she calls defeat (Ch.64 – God’s Magic).
Ch.40 – Yadnya: “If you have created so many different faces in mortal world, why not allow man to live with different faiths?” Indeed! Plurality – isn’t that the very core of various manifestations?
Ch.41 – Rangon ki Bauchar (A Range of Colours): this and some poems from “The Golden Path”… three decades ago, I had read the English translation of Tagore’s Gitanjali. Tai’s poems, especially the ones mentioned above evoked in me the same emotion and reaction as did Tagore. The sense of comfort and belonging with the Divine, resulting in a spontaneous ‘on demand’ dialogue with the Supreme is so reminiscent of my understanding of Tagore.
Ch.42 – Says God: Is an alarm siren for religious fanaticism. How true God’s warnings sound! Ice has already started melting from the mountains and tsunami has struck the shores…
Ch.63 – The Short Live and Ch.64 – God’s Magic: it’s heartening to see the emergence of a positive attitude when she could have wallowed in self pity and nurtured bitterness – even legitimately so.
Ch.65 – Use of Tragedy: As a banker, the first lesson I was taught was – every debit has an equal credit somewhere and tallying/balancing the two is the objective of accounts. A similar analogy is used to drive home the point of finding balance in life – every dropped catch of a fielder is a run added to the batsman’s score. Likewise, a personal loss or tragedy is compensated by a thrust towards seeking the Divine.
Ch.67 – Disputes: “Rectify situations and do not try to rectify people”. I, for one, have believed in rectifying people including myself (faulty beliefs, approach to problems) in the hope that situations that need rectifications will then not arise at all.
Ch.9 of Part II – Maya or Matter: Being a student of English language, I could readily accept comparing Maya and Brahman to Noun and Pronoun, though I need to be more initiated in the subject to comprehend the philosophy.
Revolutionary Poems – Poem 1
Why Ayodhya, why not Dandakaranya? Purushotam Ram himself pleading His choice – a very revolutionary opinion in this troubled kalyug that even Lord Ram can’t rest peacefully! The return to Ayodhya seems miles away, indeed.
In walking down her memory lane, Tai has taken me as a fellow traveller and I feel truly blessed to have taken the journey and am immensely proud to have a copy of this book autographed by Tai. Though it can’t match a live interaction with Tai, this book shall be a ready reckoner. So, for those who can’t reach out to Tai, take heart, she’s reaching out to you through this book. Enjoy the book as a cherry on the pudding!
In my own life, at a time of personal crisis, I had turned to Tai for solace and her guidance helped me face the challenge with fortitude and emerge stronger. The crisis would repeat several times and every time I would draw strength from my first interaction with her and hold myself together.
Tai considers herself a Seeker still and not a Seer yet. The constant evolution of the Spirit within her is very evident. Nowhere does she claim to have been the ‘Chosen’ one or to have become a Guru. My understanding of the book says she has chosen to embark on a journey of self-discovery and is still a traveller. This self effacing humility runs throughout the narrative – be it her self-doubt (Ch.20 – Exorcism); her child-like desire to see Disneyland (Ch.51); her adventure on a scooter in Laxmi Rd. (Ch.55 – even today, the plight of any learner won’t be better); her acceptance of what she calls defeat (Ch.64 – God’s Magic).
Ch.40 – Yadnya: “If you have created so many different faces in mortal world, why not allow man to live with different faiths?” Indeed! Plurality – isn’t that the very core of various manifestations?
Ch.41 – Rangon ki Bauchar (A Range of Colours): this and some poems from “The Golden Path”… three decades ago, I had read the English translation of Tagore’s Gitanjali. Tai’s poems, especially the ones mentioned above evoked in me the same emotion and reaction as did Tagore. The sense of comfort and belonging with the Divine, resulting in a spontaneous ‘on demand’ dialogue with the Supreme is so reminiscent of my understanding of Tagore.
Ch.42 – Says God: Is an alarm siren for religious fanaticism. How true God’s warnings sound! Ice has already started melting from the mountains and tsunami has struck the shores…
Ch.63 – The Short Live and Ch.64 – God’s Magic: it’s heartening to see the emergence of a positive attitude when she could have wallowed in self pity and nurtured bitterness – even legitimately so.
Ch.65 – Use of Tragedy: As a banker, the first lesson I was taught was – every debit has an equal credit somewhere and tallying/balancing the two is the objective of accounts. A similar analogy is used to drive home the point of finding balance in life – every dropped catch of a fielder is a run added to the batsman’s score. Likewise, a personal loss or tragedy is compensated by a thrust towards seeking the Divine.
Ch.67 – Disputes: “Rectify situations and do not try to rectify people”. I, for one, have believed in rectifying people including myself (faulty beliefs, approach to problems) in the hope that situations that need rectifications will then not arise at all.
Ch.9 of Part II – Maya or Matter: Being a student of English language, I could readily accept comparing Maya and Brahman to Noun and Pronoun, though I need to be more initiated in the subject to comprehend the philosophy.
Revolutionary Poems – Poem 1
Why Ayodhya, why not Dandakaranya? Purushotam Ram himself pleading His choice – a very revolutionary opinion in this troubled kalyug that even Lord Ram can’t rest peacefully! The return to Ayodhya seems miles away, indeed.
In walking down her memory lane, Tai has taken me as a fellow traveller and I feel truly blessed to have taken the journey and am immensely proud to have a copy of this book autographed by Tai. Though it can’t match a live interaction with Tai, this book shall be a ready reckoner. So, for those who can’t reach out to Tai, take heart, she’s reaching out to you through this book. Enjoy the book as a cherry on the pudding!
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