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.’

 

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. 

 

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.

Why are marriages not made in heaven?

What is marriage? Various definitions are available to explain marriage, like a bond, social contract, union, relationship recognized by law etc.

All the above are book definitions of marriage, but in my opinion marriage is ‘A merger of mind and body between two consenting adults for a lifetime relationship’.

At this point the definition of relationship plays a pivotal role in my definition. I particularly like the explanation by Dr. Dan Ardebili.

“If you break down the word Re-la-tion-ship: Taking a journey on a ship with your partner and learning how to relate to one another. It is a journey to relate or learn from each other and from everything around you. You are taking this life journey together, creating magic moments and working through the hard or tough times, and most importantly growing stronger together”.

So it is a life-long journey as defined and expected by society and planned by God. But how many of us actually fulfill these obligations. A marriage is supposed to create lifetime magic moments, but sadly no longer. Divorces are on the rise, separations are common, extra marital affairs are now in fashion.

These trends are disturbing and the sacred marriage concept is in danger. We now have ‘live in relationships, children out of wedlock, single parent etc. things which were literally unheard of decades ago.

Today lots of marriages are besotted with numerous issues. Why does this happen? Are there solutions in sight? Is there a fool-proof formula to prevent failures? Is it possible for two individuals to give a lifelong commitment to each other? Can they learn to sacrifice and compromise for a life time? Can the passion be kept alive for a long period?

Well two individuals who sometimes till a year back were complete strangers suddenly find themselves living together, sharing, answerable to each other etc. This could become a shock factor once the initial euphoria is over.

Until each partner loves the other more than himself or herself no marriage will be a successful. Give each other their individual space, respect each other are the other factors which could help a marriage become stronger.

We grew up hearing the phrase “Marriages are made in heaven”, a phrase no doubt created by man to appease doubting individuals about marriage. But in today’s scenario how relevant is it? The more we think about it, we realize that the fact of the matter is that ‘Marriages may not be made in heaven’

God created the concept of marriage with a purpose in mind, have we fulfilled his expectations? A question we should ask ourselves.

Sensual Attractions

This book contains short stories covering a broad spectrum examining relationships, corporate politics, family feuds, carnal desires and betrayals. The focus is completely on ‘Indian Sensuality’ interwoven within plots which could be shocking to certain readers. Though the fact of the matter is that all this actually happens in India, albeit behind closed doors and away from prying eyes.

Even though many of us see or hear about such incidents, we tend to clam up and rarely express ourselves aloud. Our society is an extremely ‘closed door’ type and even though everything takes place, we never discuss all this, though deep down we do enjoy sex and indulge in it to our hearts content.

As the author of this book I have tried to break the shackles and be expressive to the extent that love scenes are explicitly described. Even though detailed descriptions are given, I have refrained from using expletives which for a certain segment of readers can be stimulating but for others can be repulsive. So I have tried to strike a balance and though I cannot claim that subtlety has been portrayed perfectly, nevertheless certain considerations have been implemented.

There are diverse characters created from different walks of life, genders, status and age. Plots and situations are natural, not bordering on the bizarre or unnatural in any way. In simpler terms, it all actually happens in a vast society like ours. Let me do a brief analysis of each story.

There is the unorthodox pact of Sonali & Tara, rather mischievous in a way. It could shock a few but in the end the camaraderie shared by them will bring a smile to your lips.

But in the next story Malathi a shrewd and ruthless wife of a rather laid-back millionaire will send a shiver down your spine. A ridiculous clause in the inheritance would ensure she lost a sizeable chunk. This was unacceptable to Malathi and her devious and seductive skills were put to use to devise a plot.

Moving over from a family drama, the corporate set-up is exposed and backdoor politics surfaces to reveal greedy and power hungry corporates ever so willing to stab backs to achieve personal goals.

A story revolving around the employees of a hotel can be startling for an outsider, but trust me almost all the incidents described in the story happen and is not fantasizing on my part. Affairs amongst staff is a very common phenomenon and on occasions can lead to complications.

The relationship between a teacher and student is always sacred, but here we are witnessing two grown adults who make a choice. One wants to experiment and the other is vulnerable as he is lonely and still physically capable of feelings. Does it lead to appeasement or a compromise? I leave it to the reader to make an assessment.

On numerous occasions we have read about women even though educated, being suppressed and subjugated to a life of eternal obedience. In this story Tanisha, struggles firstly with a dispassionate husband followed by a domineering mother-in-law. She boldly takes them on and is flattened when a terrible family secret forces her to compromise her principles.

We now move down south, where a young man strives to be a good son. His father gives him the perfect gift and a disbelieving Lakshman gleefully accepts the schooling extended to a privileged few.

Finally we end with another family drama which exposes chinks in the armour of two proud ladies, both related but share a strained relationship. Does a family tragedy draw them together or create a bigger divide?

Sensual Attractions is based on Indian Sensuality in a modern era and care has been taken to ensure that no particular community is targeted. Passion and sensuality are two words which sum up the essence of the book.