The ART OF HAPPINESS PART 2

More and more this life seems like a game I am playing. I have this new found realization that everything is the way it is and que sera sera. Why do we label people, things, relationships, love? Who cares if someone hurts you? Who cares if you have a good job or a bad one? We are just obsessed with satisfying our ego that we do not feel the need to think about ourselves as one small piece in a giant puzzle. My Aunt, Nina, recently gave a TED talk on educating the children in India and bettering our governmental school system. Her passion was evident in her voice and the pictures she showed were powerful. Her role is to spread the word of social work in helping children become educated, and I know my role is to help children reach their full potential in terms of staying health and wellbeing. Health is a prerequisite to success and if one is not healthy nothing can be accomplished…. My desire and passion to serve was instilled in me at a young age. Instead of finding everything wrong with India, right now I just want to focus on what is right. Indian people are the most hospitable and India has some of the most beautiful views on Earth: Himalayas, Coorg, Rishikesh, Taj Mahal.

The truth is we have to change the way we see the world and change the lens we are wearing….Everyone is happy all around me, I am the one seeing the divide more than others. So it is my lens that needs to change. I am humbled by this experience. My challenge is to change the way we look at life and at others by not passing judgment. Sure there are so many things wrong and need to be fixed, but sometimes those things are out of my control. If I can’t change what is around me, I can change my reaction to it, right? JUST BE. Happiness is not what we have, or what we don’t have, not out friendships or the people who come and go, it is who we are and how we choose to live this short amount of time we are here on Earth. Newton’s Law states that Energy is neither created nor destroyed just transferred. So maybe this life is already written in the scriptures for us or maybe we can control over our actions. I still can’t answer that, but I know we have control over our attitude and our spirit since that is our energy f!eld. My friend kindly reminded me that our spirit does matter, and I have to agree with him! I truly feel that everything is as it should be in this world. Without greed we can’t appreciate poverty. Without sadness we can not appreciate happiness. We have to have the polar opposites for contrast and for comparison. And it is I who thinks poverty is bad, but maybe they are the richest of all of us. Not in wealth, but in relationships, quality of life, and fun. I was recently talking to a friend of mine who is trying to plan her wedding. She seems upset since she can’t get a venue with what she wants despite her budget of 100k. Then when I was on my way to the PHC (Primary Health Center) we passed a rural village where there was a wedding going on. People were dancing in the streets as music was being streamed via a loud speaker and the roar of laughter was contagious. People were sitting on the floor in a giant open space and having dinner on giant banana leaves. It highly contrasted to the engagement party I went to during my first week at the best venue in town with a singer who flew in from Bombay. People appeared more stiff and I couldn’t get myself to let loose. There was so much food available that no one even touched since the variety of pasta, mexican, chinese, and Indian cuisine was more overwhelming then tasty. In this case, I wanted to jump out of the car and just dance! I insisted on listening to Bollywood jams and we danced in our seats and laughed all the way home. Then during my last dinner with the children we cranked the music up and danced the night away. There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them ☺

One Year Anniversary of Baba's Mahasamadhi

Our dear Swami left his mortal frame

And we feel that life may not continue the same

However Swami has built a temple in our hearts

And it is up to us to keep him alive and do our part

Prashanthi Nilayam was his humble abode

Now he treads among the heavenly roads

Summers in Whitefield was often his plan

And we would go running with pillows in hand

Sathnarayana Raju was his name

Born to Easwaramba and Ramakrishna is how he came

We will celebrate Nov 23 as the day of his birth

But everyday should be special on this Earth

He preached “help ever hurt never” and “love all serve all”

Now we must practice his teachings and embrace his call

He showed us the path to truth, love, righteousness and peace

Prema, Sathya, Dharma, Ahimsa, Om Shanthi Shanthi, Shanthi, Hee

“Love is my form truth is my breath” are the words he so eloquently said

My life is my message is how he led

His Darshan and bhajans we will miss

But service to mankind is what will truly give us bliss 

The Nine code of conduct we must continue to follow

And putting a ceiling on desires since we know it will not fill a space that’s hollow

So continue on your spiritual trek believing “Hands that Help are Holier than Lips that Pray”

And know Swami is watching every move each and every day

Vibuthi he made and it was a miracle to see

Watches, diamonds, bracelets would come from the hand of Thee

Material objects are not what we need to remember our Sai’s sight

Just meditating on his presence should bring his presence to light

He will continue to shower us with his blessings in this life

We must keep our eyes wide and our hearts open, embracing the strife

Good or bad we must have equanimity of mind

But most importantly of all we must be kind

From the water project, to his free hospitals, and feeding the poor

Our Bhagavan came from near and far to cure

His students will miss him dearly

But our journey to spirituality must continue to progress yearly

He comes in our dreams and resides in our homes

We must find him within us as he is now free to roam

He said he is God because he has realized it, and he is waiting for us to do the same

Fellow devotees, we know how Baba works his game

Swami fulfilled his mission and now has a role for all of us to play

So spread love and compassion starting today

Arise, awake and find out the reason for your birth

As now it’s time to realize your purpose on Earth

Integrative Medicine Lecture

Well Liked. Well received. Spreading the word of Wholistic Medicine One city at a time! :)

Reincarnation: Fact or Fiction?

So the divide between the rich and poor is quickly evident in India. Especially since during the day I spend time with my middle class, down-to Earth, coworkers in medicine and in the evenings I am often hanging out with the children of rich Industrialists. Yesterday, I thanked my friend’s driver for waiting for us for 2 hours. My friend then told me that I shouldn’t do that. That is his job. He said when your in India, you soon see that life can be unfair, but it is what it is… So I have to contemplate if the Hindu belief in reincarnation is fact or fiction? Has it made people too complacent in life here? Riti Aunty, my host Mom, became upset when I told her that reincarnation doesn’t make sense to me. She said, “How do you explain everything around us then, and separate the haves from the have-nots?” She says the cycle of birth and death acquired from karma and dharma make the most sense. But if people in India believe in reincarnation than it makes sense why no one has done more for the poor, since I guess it is believed that they deserve what comes their way. I mean, maybe they are paying for having killed someone in their last birth? But how can you suffer, from an act you did not remember you committed? It all seems pretty strange to me. I am starting to wonder if the stories I have heard as a child about Rama and Krishna, are all true? Wasn’t religion just created as a crutch to make us all feel better? If we look to God for help, instead of the inner divinity within us, then it takes away the responsibility we have to live life with a moral compass right? But what I have noticed is that maybe the differences are only visible to me? Everyone seems really content where they are in life here. The poor don’t want the life of the rich nor the rich the life of the poor. The poor have the frame of mind of living each day in the present, and not worrying about the past or future. Although they might not know where their next meal is coming from, they truly embrace living in the now, and take life as it comes. The wealthy seem to want more, and are more focused on living in the future and procuring more materialistic goods. I guess with every life there are pros and cons. But if everyone in India is happy, then maybe my American way of thinking is the real problem…. For instance, I went to a children’s home on the first level of my office where 8 children live along with an elder care taker. We watched Agneepath and ate Chinese food, talked the night away, and we all couldn’t be happier! Maybe more, isn’t always better, maybe the last laugh is on those who have too much and take it for granted (my well to do friend couldn’t remember the last time he had a decent conversation with his parents or when they all sat around the dinner table and ate....)

When in Inja, do like the like Injans…

I have found myself getting lazier. I cancelled my Hindi classes because I couldn’t make time to study. My teacher said I have been bitten by the Indian bug. I guess it is no coincidence that I am writing this blog at work and not focusing on my research paper? (Uh, oh……) Life here revolves around food and fun (aka khanna and masti- I want to make my hindi teacher proud) I went to a Pediatric conference today, and we had been periodically served snacks throughout the 4 hour talk so lunch to me was highly unnecessary. Yet, no one seemed to pay attention to the last speaker since lunch was about to be served! People got up and ran to stand in line, while the speaker was still talking. Talk about rude! Where is the food going, haven’t we all had enough? There are 200 doctors in the crowd, have we all really been deprived of anything?? Not only that, but when in line, elder Uncles were cutting in front of me, pushing me out of the way for dhal and rice. I guess we will always believe in India that with over 1 billion people, natural selection will eventually choose only those fit for survival here and Darwin’s theory of the fittest shall prevail is evident. I guess that translates to food as we must eat ALL THE TIME in case we are forced to skip a meal at some point, God forbid the concept of fasting! Maybe I will go against the holy grail of this country and go on a juice fast….could help my girlish figure after eating all this Punjabi food! ☺

I have more inhibitions then I realized….

So a friend recently asked, why can't you just let loose and have some fun? JUST CHILL. So it got me thinking…. Am I boring?? Lots of peer pressure here in India! I guess I realized I am more inhibited than I thought. Is it that I am more conservative? Am I a control freak? Am I overly rigid? Maybe all of the above. I am trying to let loose some more. No judgment. Nothing is good or bad, right? If you live life and you enjoy then who cares. I had this weird sensation overcome me yesterday while I was sitting in the Pediatric conference. Who created our complicated biological system? What do humans look/act like in other planets (since its too egoistical to think we are the only ones alive)? Why are we on this planet? What was the purpose of being born? Which other species are alive in this universe? Isn’t it a bit narcissistic to think that we are the only ones that exist in this vast galaxy filled with 8 (some say 9) other planets?? Everyone here seems to smoke joints, drink until they are numb, and party like a rockstar. Is it because they are not enjoying life that they need another source to help them or is it because it is so much fun to feel out of touch with reality that they keep going back for more? Or is it just boredom and too much money?? These people have high expectations of Americans (since most of what they know is from tv: aka house wives on bravo, MTV, 90210, you get the picture?) So ofcourse I can’t live up to that standard! Maybe I am boring, but I am okay with that. Atleast I have strong values, an ethical code of conduct I live by, and a strong moral compass to back me up. I think it wouldn’t hurt if India started opening a few more finishing schools….ha! Thank God I have kept my American mentality with me. A friend of mine said, "your genes are Indian, but thank goodness your upbringing is not"!

One of the great loves of my life

Sonu Karan
March 20th 2000-April 13th 2012

On the 20th of March a great soul was born
His name was Sonu Karan, and was true golden retriever to form
Doss brought him home to Boston as a gift
Lakshmi just finished her PhD at Tufts and could finally relax for a bit

He lived for a while in the chill of Minnesota
And he grew up playing in the snow, near places in North/South Dakota!
He loved the cool breeze and frolicked in the cold weather
He would brave the snow flakes as his coat was as thick as leather

He then moved to sunny California where snow was pretty obsolete
Unless he went to lake Tahoe on mini trips that felt like a harmonious retreat!
Road trips he would go and with children he would play
You could pull his tail, or whiskers and not a growl or peep would he say

In 2007 he met the Mahadevan family who showered him with love and care
He spent the day there and went back home at night, so now day-care became rare!
Our time in California was initially lonely with few friends
The Karans brought friendship and fun when they gave us Sonu “on lend”

He put on a few pounds over the years at our home
He sat by the fire and would often go to the backyard to roam
He cheered up our days and kept us company all night
He made everything seem so much better as he was a cheerful delight

He gave so much joy to everyone he met
At the park so many people said they have never met a dog that didn’t act like a pet!
He would prance in the grass and roll in the sun
And smile ear to ear, it seemed he was always having fun

On Sunday he would go to Madras Café and sit outside and wait
His parents always bought him idlis, rain or shine, early or late
He loved to roam on Castro and to Posh Bagel he would race
He could eat so many plain bagels as it was his favorite place

He loved to go the park near the library for a stroll
He didn’t even need to be on leash, which allowed him to frolic and roll
His well behaved nature and his training was evident during his walks
When we would go to the park he would never stray away even if we stopped to talk

He enjoyed chewing his squeaky toys especially his footballs and stuffed bears
He mostly loved to play with his tennis ball and would run after it, even under a chair!
Snowball, Monkey, Pony were all his nick names
His big personality was truly his claim to fame

He had so many funny moments like when he would go crazy or flop on his side
He even loved sitting in his bed or going on long car rides
Tahoe and Carmel were two of his favorite spots
He embraced life and taught us about life, love, and loss

He taught me to live in the moment and to not get too worked up and stressed out
He would lay by my side when I studied and tickle my feet with his cold snout
He loved to clap to Govinda and have good mum mum after all his meals
We truly miss him and it will take time for our hearts to heal

He had the most caring nature, not a fly would he harm
He will forever be remembered for all his antics and charm
He is in heaven now being looked after by Toffee
And he also has a new playmate up there in Buddy

We want to thank him for everything he gave us in his life
His twelve years with us got us through both joy and strife
We will continue to think of him forever and our hearts will pine
Although he has left his earthly body his spirit will always shine