Contemplative Prayer

 

The other day I happened to watch a gospel DVD, in which one of the terms used was 'Contemplative Prayer.’ 

It got me thinking seriously about a simple mistake most of us commit daily. It opened my eyes to a fact that was staring me in the face. Let me explain.

Almost all of us parents have faced this situation. Our children constantly pester us for things they need or desire, some of which they actually can be without, but nevertheless still plead for it. Don't we try to fulfill all those requests, even though sometimes we can't afford it? More importantly don't we at times just crave for them to spend time with us enjoying our company rather than them presenting a list of requirements?

That my fellow Christians is the essence of what I realized when I heard the term 'Contemplative Prayer.'

We need to spend more time in quiet solitude, basking in his love and invoking his glory into our beings than constantly presenting our lists of requirements.

Friends Satan is hovering around, instilling greed in our minds, urging us to ask for a bigger house, high-end car, a copiously inward flowing bank balance and what not, the list could be endless. And don't we all fall a prey to those urgings?

Like parents wouldn't we just love our children to enjoy our presence, likewise our Lord would love us to just seek his presence in a quiet and humble manner.

He knows our needs, he will provide without us having to ask. Let not our prayers be more of a demand list, on the contrary it should be a moment when we open up our heart and mind to feel his presence.

Trust me friends, it could be a truly enlightening experience and most pleasing to God. The peace and tranquility we will feel is indescribable, and will be monumental in strengthening our relationship with God.

 

He will open our eyes to see things we had been blind to in the past. The strength we derive from those moments will assist us in weathering any storm. The wisdom we gain from such encounters will come of valuable assistance, when we face crisis situations, of which there will be plenty. Each situation draws us closer to God, as he is the silent protector. 

The perfect time of the day to spend in ‘Contemplative Prayer’ is early morning; a few minutes devoted in silence, basking in his presence will be astoundingly constructive and leave us smiling through the day. 

I wish you all receive abundant blessings and feel enriched by the experience of ‘Contemplative Prayer.’

 

Tribute to Irrfan Khan!

Bollywood has produced some terrific stalwarts over the years. The list is huge and for all practical purposes it's not possible to list them here, moreover it would be unfair to name just a few. But every time we lost one to cruel fate, we would always wonder if that person could ever be replaced.
 

Irrfan Khan stepped into the limelight, giving us renewed hope and cheer. His lanky swag, mesmerizing eyes and drawly voice created a new benchmark. 

His screen presence was imposing and even though he was pitted against established actors, he held his own. 

Undoubtedly, he was a late entrant when compared with many others, nevertheless he surpassed many when it came to performances and impressions. 

You will be sorely missed Irrfan Khan, not only by your fans and admirers, but also by filmmakers for whom you were the perfect option to the reigning superstars. 

With a heavy heart we add yet another name to the memorable and distinguished list, of which you are a notable part. 

Circumstances prevented us from giving you a fitting farewell. The turnout would have been stupendous, leaving no doubt about how much you were loved. 

Goodbye Sir, thanks for entertaining and leaving us with undying memories.

 

Death--End or A New Beginning!

Life has another dimension and that is death. Death is the second phase, transfer of the soul to the unknown, to a life beyond. 

 

Where the soul is supreme, unplagued by physical shortcomings. Death is free from life's perplexities and there is no sense of false security which we embrace during life. 

 

When death knocks on our door, it frowns upon the vicious cycle of our life, where we spend an eternity clamouring for riches, recognition, accumulation and violating tons of tenets of humanity. 

 

Death allows us to recap our life in those moments preceding the end, which could last a moment, hours or even days. 

 

Death is the revelation many of us fear and dread. It is unforgiving, brutally honest and focused in its approach. 

 

It doesn't procrastinate or succumb to pressures or relent in it's goal. It comes with a purpose, achieves and leaves. 

 

Death is glory for the victim, but grief for the loved ones. 

 

Death is emancipation for the soul from a sickened body. 

 

The soul is now free as a bird, invisible to the human eye and spends eternity as a memory for others, and bliss for itself. 

 

Re-view the Reviews

I put down the paper and stared blankly at the wall, the contents of what I just read still hovering in my mind, like a butterfly searching for a spot to drink nectar.

I had just read a book review by a reviewer, who seemed to derive sadistic pleasure by tearing into shreds, the contents of novel by a debut author.

For the next few minutes I stepped into the shoes of the author, trying to visualize and analyze, what he or she would be feeling, after reading the scathing review?

I wonder if a reviewer ever stops to ponder, what efforts an author puts in while writing a book. In addition to hours of endless writing, assembling of facts and figures, procrastinating about plots, characters, visualizing scenarios, and striving to create the perfect climax to enthrall a reader, are just a few of the tasks to be executed.

After all this is over, there is still the 'biting of nails' situation, when the manuscript is with a potential publisher. The period of waiting with bated breath, always fearing the prospect of rejection, are excruciating moments in the life of any author.

Therefore to be further subjected to a negative review, which can only be a shattering experience, is in my opinion, an avoidable situation for an author to seriously consider, especially debut novelists. 


I too fell into this trap and searched for reviewers when my first book was published, most of them offer paid reviews, which is equivalent to a situation where you 'pay to get punched in the nose'. Trust me, it’s a repugnant feeling.

Another observation is, that one of the basic qualities of being a good reviewer
 is to possess an excellent command over the language, which ensures they can delve into their varied vocabulary, to select subtle words, precise sentences conveying in a softer tone, what would otherwise be harsh and displeasing. Sadly that is not the case, and reviewers with a limited vocabulary tend to present a crude and lopsided review, without any concern for the author. The mocker itself is an example of mockery. To make my point, here is an example of how to write a critical review:

'The author has strived very hard to present his viewpoint on the subtleties of the plot, though at times his efforts are not entirely successful, but nevertheless the message is vividly conveyed. Probably a certain segment of readers may not be too amused, however there will always be readers who appreciate and identify with the author. In my personal opinion, for a debut novelist, it is a commendable attempt, and see very good future prospects for subsequent books'

A summary like shown above is not going to hurt anyone's sentiments, and will show the reviewer in good light for his or her empathy for the author. 

The purpose of penning my thoughts here is to shout out to reviewers, to go soft especially for debut authors, as a scathing review can cause irreparable damage to their psyche. A bit of self analysis, prior to reviewing could be a good approach to produce a subtle review, conveying the message without hurting sentiments, which would indeed be an enlightening experience for all. 

I already hear the whispers and snide retorts-If authors can’t accept constructive criticism then they should give up writing. True in a way, accepting criticism positively is something all authors have to accept, however harsh words isn’t constructive criticism.

Maybe such reviews could be digested by established authors, who would invariably care two hoots about the review, as they already have the cash registers ringing.

Love and Beyond !

What makes us fall in love with another person? Do we do so for fulfilling our desire or is it love for the other.

Let's go back to a basic fact. What is love? No point in looking up a dictionary, ask yourselves whether you love your partner or spouse for yourself or for them.

Is your love over powering to the extent that you are prepared to overlook your own needs prior to that of your partner? If so, then you are on the right track or else you need to assess yourself.

I would like to break-up love into three segments:
1. Physical
2. Spiritual
3. Emotional

Physical attraction is the first point of any relationship. It is the catalyst which induces the desire to culminate and bind a relationship. However the greatest drawback here is that the longevity of such an attraction comes with a rather rapid expiry period. In certain cases a few months and the more fortunate enjoy it for a few years. Many relationships cease to exist at this point and each tend to move on either amicably or bitterly.

Spiritual bonding is a factor most couples tend to disregard, either it is ritualistically performed or is non-existent. God should be the center point of any relationship. Merging of our spiritual being with a spouse could be the cornerstone of a successful relationship.

Emotional rapport is nothing but being sensitive to each other's feelings. Respect each other's space and allow each to have some 'Me' time. Trust me it does wonders for the relationship.

Now that we have examined certain aspects of love, let's get to the most important point which generally make or break a relationship.

How much do you love your partner? Do you put self before or after? Let me explain further.

We all love ourselves without any doubt, there is no person in existence who can claim that they hate themselves. Now that we have clarity on that, let us quickly move to the second part, do we love our partner less, on par or more than ourselves?

Truthfully ask yourself this question. Because if you love less, then your relationship is on shaky ground and may or may not withstand the test of time.

Loving on par is a better situation but the possibilities of it slipping a shade or two lower as time elapses is a strong possibility.

However loving more is a unique state, and ensures the relationship blooms and thrives irrespective of time or situations.

Of course some may argue that this could also lose its sheen over the years and a relationship ends up being ritualistic and pedestrian. I don't dispute this argument, but if we are focused on loving our partner more than ourselves, then no challenge or obstacles will be big enough to overcome.

This aspect of love fascinated me for a long time and I even wrote a novel 'Love without Boundaries' about two people deeply in love and the challenges they faced.

Ayesha and Vihaan the two protagonists display a love only reserved for a chosen few. Try to fall into that category as there is nothing more satisfying than a successful relationship.

I strongly advice young budding lovers to read this book, as it moots a theory which if applied, could change your lives forever.

Book Review - Sensual Attractions by A.J. Karan

Book Review - Sensual Attractions by A.J. Karan

Fearless Living !

We are slowly and steadily heading towards a period which will be dominated by evil forces. To achieve their sinister goals they will unleash fear in the minds of everyone with the sole purpose of ensuring that none will dare to challenge their motives. Living a life without fear could be something of the past.

Corruption in high places is the nemesis for all of us. Their overwhelming authority and access to muscle power can be unnerving for the peace loving and generally docile individual who rather bow in obeisance, than dare to challenge a group which operates in a clandestine manner.

Social media regularly displays videos of various crimes being committed in different parts of the country. Mind you, these videos are uploaded by citizens and exhibit violence against women, the elderly, police atrocities and other heart-wrenching incidents.

What is of upmost concern is the fearlessness exhibited by the perpetrators in broad daylight, without fear of reprisal from the not so long arm of the law.

Where do you think such criminals derive their courage from? No prizes for guessing, it's obvious for all to see. Political clout blesses them with nerves of steel and with influential persons watching their back, they feel a sense of invincibility.

Let's rewind to the pre-independence era and scrutinize the mindset of our freedom fighters. They possessed a single minded purpose and collectively fought selflessly and relentlessly to achieve a purpose for subsequent generations to live with freedom and dignity.

If at that moment, there was a fast forward mechanism for them to look into the future, it would have immensely grieved those valiant fighters of what future generations would do to their legacy. I consider it a mutilation of our heritage and culture. In harsher words, it is nothing but a gang rape of the legacy we inherited from our ancestors.

Another disheartening factor to be considered is that this mass mutilation and erosion of basic human values is the handiwork of a very minuscule percentage of people. It is their muscle power which invokes fear in the minds of the vast peace loving majority.

I declare this majority, myself included, to be a spineless, gutless species which needs to be plunged into a bottomless pit of doom, for allowing this hooliganism to pervade and corrupt society.

Are my words harsh? Well so be it, because if our ancestors had the same mindset of what we possess today, we would still be under British rule.

Wake up citizens of India and let's fight our second independence movement with the enemy living amongst us or else the fractured legacy we leave behind will spell doomsday for future generations.

I personally prefer fearless living and am willing to sacrifice my life to achieve this goal. How many of you are ready to do likewise? The time for procrastination is over, the time for discussions, debates and blogs is definitely over. In unsympathetic words, get off your lethargic behinds and move ahead.

Let’s emulate our forefathers who fought tooth and nail to allow us a life of dignity and freedom, we have no right to disrespect that legacy.