Gratitude

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Gratitude is one of the higher human faculties and it is beyond our immediate five senses – see, smell, taste, hear and touch with which we are born. Many cultures around the world did not practice gratitude in the sense the western world understands and expresses. That is not to say that other cultures and civilisations did not have the concept of gratitude in their everyday living practices. In the Indian Subcontinent we do find direct translation of the phrase ‘Thank you!’; however, they are expressed and applied in different contexts. In Urdu Shukriya and in Sanskritised form it is expressed as Dhanyabad (Bengali/Hindi). ‘Shukriya’ was expressed much elaborately in the courts of Muslim kings and nobles in India prior to the arrival of the British with often a ceremony of giving gifts and bowing down to those in authority to express gratitude. In Bengali which is my mother tongue, it was used in sarcasm if at all. Dhanyabad was expressed in a huff to convey, “Thank you! But no Thank you!” (Ugh!). Culturally speaking gratitude was expressed in everyday living mainly through acts of kindness in return for some benefits received.

My Personal Gratitude Story

As a child, when I started attending a Convent School in India, I was transported to another world, whenever I arrived at the grounds of the school; as it was an entirely different world in those days in which parents sent their children for various reasons.

This convent school was my very first school and what caught my attention almost instantaneously was the way, “Thank You” was being spoken quite often by the Irish nuns throughout the day. It was a new concept and it fascinated my young mind to no end. I noticed the spontaneous smile, the forward tilt of the head and the deep breath one took while letting out that phrase. Everyday common activities were transported to something quite out of this world around this phrase. What was an exclusive expression in bygone days and found only among the elite was being introduced in the everyday lives of those for value and for the well being of all; so it seemed to my young mind! What I noticed was that the other party also reciprocated with a great smile on receiving the favour. I even noticed some younger nuns curtsying to the head of the institution. It meant that I was also expected to learn this and master it to become part and parcel of my own identity! This was a matter of great contemplation in my young and very impressionable mind in those days and I toyed with this idea for days as this was all very alien to me.

As I got dropped off each day to my new school which was simply miles away from home through the car pool which my father and his colleagues organised, my heart would start beating in anticipation of all that would be awaiting for me to learn and grasp on that day. I would take note of the big manicured lawn at the front with flower beds being tended by gardeners and would draw a deep breath as I would step out of the car with others in the car pool.

The smell of ripe mulberries and star fruit always seemed to attract my senses and I would feel a sudden burst of energy while walking across to my classroom. There were old large fruit bearing trees behind the main building and what a joy it was to walk past them! It reminded me of my grandfather’s fruit trees back home!

I would be filled with the joy of freedom in my being and a sense of huge gladness would envelop me. I would pick up the ripe juicy mulberries from the ground with my classmates not feeling any guilt and we practised our “thank you” with one another as we shared our hand-picked fruit in our little palms, practising our “Thank you!” with one another as we shared with one another. Looking back I realise we were being indoctrinated into a new culture which filled me with all kinds of feelings of excitement and anticipation – Oh my God! What next!

What made me different to most other children was I always wanted to try out and act upon what I learnt. So it was not unusual for me to get into trouble in a society where we were meant to be just seen and almost never heard!

You really have to hold your breath for what comes next!

One fine afternoon as I was getting dropped off by a doctor friend of my father’s, I suddenly opened my mouth and said, “Thank you!” to him. The car stopped outside our home in the doctors’ colony where we lived and he got out of the car to open the boot of the car as there were no remote opening device back then in the sixties! This gentleman whom I called Uncle, pulled open the boot cover, picked up my school bag and gave it to me. I said, “Thank you, Uncle!” He looked at me strangely, and said, “What did you say?”. Already very nervous, I looked down at the ground and said very slowly, “Thank you!” my voice dropping to a mere whisper but loud enough for him to catch the words that came out of my mouth. He let out a loud guffaw and chuckling loudly he jumped into the driver’s seat and slammed his door. I next saw him leaning across to his wife and saying something close to his wife’s ears. He then sped off in a cloud of smoke while I stood there feeling guilty and ashamed; worse still I did not know then what I had done wrong. I knew for sure that I had overstepped the mark! I did feel then at that moment for sure the vast void between what I learnt at that school and the world that I lived in. I sighed with sadness and I slowly lifted the latch of our garden gate with my head hung low in shame.

“Thank you!” an expression of gratitude to my mind was good and worth cultivating; even a must in order to be educated. This was drilled by those dear nuns who I remember to this day. In fact it was more important to understand the significance of expressed gratitude and apply it daily on every occasion whenever possible, than getting good grades for our knowledge of our class curriculum in our primary school years. The understanding of this concept went deep in our hearts and transformed our entire beings as we grew up in that educational environment. It also slowly and surely separated me from the rest of my family for sure for I took learning and application too seriously.

Now this Uncle of mine whom I mentioned above was a UK returned and qualified doctor as my father was. Not only that, he had lived in the UK for many years where he and his wife raised their young family. They had already become talk of the town for their westernised ways and gossip was going around that they were even into ballroom dancing. This was in the early sixties in a small town in Bihar! There was more to come my way….

Dinner table conversations at home could be very uncomfortable as it was generally one way conversations in which my Dad was in charge. The next night I saw my father looking quizzically at me across the dinner table. My back stiffened in fear and anticipation of what was coming across me. I felt I had become half the size and I had an urge to disappear under the table. Finally my father broke the uneasy silence and informed me that I had become the talk of his entire department of academics. He informed that all his colleagues were discussing me and laughing at my behaviour because I had said, “Thank you!” to an older person. I had dared to open my mouth to speak to an adult! My father shook his head in despair at me and then silently started eating his dinner. My mother sitting next to him obviously had been informed about this terrible incident which took place outside right in front of our house. Thank goodness there was nobody else around!

Gratitude is an alien concept among Bengalis and several other Indians I have encountered. But there is much more to gratitude than one can ever imagine. Practicing Gratitude changes one’s world and makes it much more worth living. It takes us beyond what our educational achievements or careers can give us if we are desiring peace and happiness in our lives. As years rolled by I never ever said “thank you” to any other Bengali friends or relatives but I believe my body language couldn’t help but exude this deep feeling that was instilled into my heart by my educational environment.

Gratitude or thankfulness is worth pursuing – we can keep pursuing it without stopping and it is sure to open an entirely new world in us. For this I am grateful to my current teacher Bob Proctor. In order to listen further on this topic I would encourage my readers to open the following link and read on gratitude: https://www.proctorgallagherinstitute.com/6207/how-an-attitude-of-gratitude-changes-everything

May God bless us all!

© – Christine Chhanda Mukherjee COPYRIGHT 2020, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Beginning of true prayer

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Silencing our thoughts means tuning them in to God. That is when true prayer begins.”

– Paramhansa Yogananda

The subject of prayer itself is extremely vast.

As I have progressed in my spiritual journey, I have also moved on in my prayer life. However, it is very important to have a firm foundation regarding verses from the Holy Scriptures in order to give us clarity on what we seek.

Paramhansa Yogananda, the great born-again mystic from Bengal India in the early to mid twentieth century taught both in the East and the West, the importance of decluttering our minds and seeking inner guidance. This technique can be extremely effective for those meeting busy schedules.

In the New Testament Apostle Paul in his letter in the Book of Romans, speaks of times we have a deep inner groaning at times and we simply do not know what to pray about or how to pray. All we know is that we are carrying a deep longing for better circumstances, and our spirit starts groaning. When you don’t know what to pray for, the Apostle Paul points to the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:26-27, who helps believers by interceding with “groanings too deep for words,” as we don’t always know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit prays perfectly according to God’s will. This means relying on the Spirit’s guidance, praying Scripture, and trusting God’s plan, even in weakness or confusion. 

Paramhansa Yogananda asked his disciples to practice meditation as a technique to bring all our scattered thoughts into the point between our eyebrows. Through this concentration we become aligned with our inner longing that matters most to us, and we also then can calm our spirits. He asks us to simply wait on the Lord for inner guidance, for he never fails us and guides us to take decisions that go beyond our own selfish needs. It brings us in alignment with the superconscious powers.

On the other hand the key teachings from Paul on Prayer

  • The Spirit Intercedes: Paul highlights our weakness in prayer, stating we often don’t know what to ask for, but the Spirit takes over, making heartfelt pleas that God understands.
  • Praying God’s Will: The Spirit intercedes “in accordance with the will of God,” ensuring our prayers, even wordless ones, align with His perfect plan.
  • Trust in Weakness: It’s okay to admit you don’t have all the answers or know how to pray; it’s a human reality, not a lack of faith, as Paul himself noted.
  • God Works All Things for Good: Paul connects this to the broader truth that God works all things for the good of those who love Him, offering peace in uncertainty, according to Romans 8:28. 

Practical Application

  • Pray Scripture: Use Bible verses as your prayer when words fail.
  • Ask the Spirit for Guidance: Invite the Holy Spirit to help you pray.
  • Pray for God’s Will: Focus on His purposes rather than just your immediate desires.
  • Pray Continually: Offer all your feelings, including weakness and confusion, to God throughout the day. 

Paramhansa Yogananda advised his disciples to become connected with the divine continuously and never to be disconnected. This supreme connection is available to each and every worshipper if he or she makes an effort at establishing such a divine connection through repetition of Bible verses, singing hymns, surrendering to God’s will in all things, and practicing the path of devotion. Such efforts will surely bear good fruit in one’s life and in those with whom one connects.

In conclusion, to a novice who is even slightly interested in developing a prayer life, I would suggest pursuing it in obedience to God’s calling and humility. Also be inspired by encountering the persistence and devotion of other devotees. Last but not least, a prayer life is a truly blessed way of living.

a firm foundation and a leap beyond the stars!

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On my mother’s side, I come from a family of thinkers, visionaries, and philosophers. Certain branches of Brahmins dug deep into philosophy, and this family certainly did just that. However, peddling with philosophy can be dangerous ground unless thinking is harnessed to focus on building a clear life journey ahead.

Nalini Mohan Shastri of South Calcutta, West Bengal, India, was my great-grandfather on my maternal side. He belonged to the age of 19th-century thinkers. I believe that apart from being a Sanskrit scholar and associated with women’s education, he was also trying to build some sort of dynastic legacy. The family started naming all their male babies with the letter ‘M’. Only a mere foundation was laid, unfortunately. But the deep desire was latent and was carried for three generations.

It was a foggy vision alone! It was stuck and passed from generation to generation.

Dynastic legacies that are crystal clear ensure ease of living for all those who are drawn to take shelter in them. That is how undivided Hindu and Muslim families founded firm grounds for their future generations. This thinking is not unknown to other parts of the world. I am led today to give a bird’s-eye view of Epicurean philosophy as it still promises to carve out sustainable visions from a source to a majority. It still contains the blueprint of a lighthouse sans religious leanings.

Epicurus, a Greek philosopher known for his ethical teachings, focused on simple living, friendship, and peace of mind and asserted that philosophy’s purpose is to attain as well as to help others attain tranquil lives, characterized by freedom from fear and the absence of pain. This was a similar goal to all the wisemen’s beliefs back in India for thousands of years.

Thus started the Epicurean school of thinking and philosophy during his lifetime, between 341 BC to 270 BC. He was cautious when he taught that one must not strive for things beyond our current environment only to lose what we have at the moment.

Epicurus was a strong proponent of friendship and trust—the two pillars on which anything substantial can be gained beyond our own basic requirements. According to Epicurus, wisdom and friendship are essential for achieving a secure and happy life, with friendship being particularly important. The deeper this friendship, the greater the trust!

Epicurus also suggested that a wise person manages external challenges through reason.  These challenges are merely external, and one’s analytical ability through our mental faculties has to be exercised in order to solve complex problems. When one learns to manage one’s internal challenge without looking for an alibi, one is ready to build a strong relationship on the outside.

Epicurus focused on a balanced approach as he taught others how to live well. Living well could easily mean different things to different people. However, the universe always guides us to find a balanced state of living, as through our human bodies we all desire to live with ease and comfort. Epicurus considered pleasure (understood as freedom from pain and mental distress) to be the fundamental good and the basis of a happy life and created his ethical system. It was a deeper sense of pleasure from grasping the true essence and meaning of life.

The ancient philosophers were great thinkers who attracted to their fold numerous followers who are termed “disciples” in modern parlance. They created frameworks of thought processes that were doable and repeatable. A clear-cut roadmap carved out then ensured that all others could then follow through and enjoy the ease of living in this life itself. These systems established by thinkers, gurus, and philosophers then ensured that a pleasant life is intertwined with living wisely, well, and justly.  They were akin to our contemporary life coaches.

Epicurus’s wise caution to the ambitious: Do not spoil what you have, by desiring what you have not

From my knowledge of the great thinkers, visionaries, and socially awakened families of South Kolkata, I glean several important insights to this day. They threw caution to the winds and followed their hearts. It was an age of free thinking, the winds of which caught their sails from 19th-century Western thinkers.

Within a 5 km radius of the heart of South Kolkata, barristers, politicians, and educators were born with hopes and dreams of a golden age to come in the region from the late nineteenth century. Unfortunately, they failed to build upon what they already had and what they gained from different rulers in the region over generations. They were thirsty to learn new ways of thinking in science, religion, philosophy, politics, and every other branch of human thinking that we can name today! They were well-meaning and upright with good intentions, and yet they failed in stewarding what they had, which was substantial in most cases.

The region produced stalwarts like Somnath Chatterjee, Jyoti Basu, and Pranab Mukherjee, to name a few. There were others who were educators and lived enlightened lives, opening up to new ways of thinking and social transformation. Statues of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Vivekananda, and others are reminders from the past in small winding streets populated with sick animals, distressed elders, and youths lost living in a frenzied city life.

There’s now an air of doom and gloom that surrounds this area. Folks bandage it with fast food, frenzied shopping, and nuclear family living. However, this does not address the larger social complexities that stare right at us when we visit this place. Nostalgia is quickly replaced with asking those much-needed questions of what, how, when, and why.

Solutions leap into my mind and keep me awake. I reach out to potential leaders, and I encounter blank faces. However, all humans are prisoners of hope in this life and desire to make the most out of each day. The world we live in now explodes with information and knowledge. This knowledge can be leveraged to solve all the problems that we encounter each day. Even mental shifts are possible through replacing with a thinking that is urgently required to solve these ground-level problems.

Democracy gives us the freedom to speak and act. It can be done within or out of the family sphere if need be. We need a healthy functioning democracy where there’s a freedom of expression. Sleeping people under some kind of stupor is not the norm in a vibrant and regulated responsible democracy.

Now is the time to build our friendships and connections once again. Now is the time to focus on a common goal and live in the needs of the present moment. Now is the time to stoke up that dying fire of dynastic legacy. Now is the time to go back and study the thinking of philosophers like Epicurus. Some thoughts never die. They simply need to be lived out in our present context.

When I look at thousands of displaced families on the deserted train tracks under the Dhakuria Bridge, something within me stirs. When I meet young youths in multinational companies, soaked in sweat under the hot sun, sharing their stories of despair, something within me stirs. When I encounter distressed elders on the streets of South Kolkata, something within me stirs. When I grab anything that is handy to bar the stench from going up my nostrils as I gingerly wade through the city streets and its bylanes, something within me stirs!

When I encounter the little stubs on the hardened earth, I have a glimmer of hope. I encounter a study center in a temple, and I feel uplifted. I encounter an old derelict library from the British times, administrative wards that have been set up, and auto rickshaws complying with the regulated fares set up by the local authorities.

There’s a stirring and longing in the hearts of the local youth. There are youths that at hurting and protective of the way they are living out their daily lives as well.

I see gaps everywhere waiting to be filled in.

Can fresh life be infused into dynastic legacies once again? Are our ancestors calling us to lay aside our self-centered, egoistic ways and come together and dream again? All it requires is a shared vision and a steadfast will to accomplish.

Once we determine the ‘what,’ the ‘how’ takes care of itself.

Mental Health

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Healing According to Paramahansa Yogananda

Taking care of one’s mental health becomes a priority in today’s world. When we take care of our own mental health, our physical health automatically improves.

Back in India, even to this day, we do not talk about mental health in our everyday living. We take care of our physical health through purchasing medicines across the counter and adopting a diet that is suited to our physical requirements. We think about mental health and well-being only when some behavioral outburst happens to disrupt our everyday life, such as suicide, physical harm through revenge, or even murder in broad daylight. It is then that we start thinking about mental health and well-being.

Sri Paramhansa Yogananda was way ahead of his time. As part of the daily yogic rituals of self-care, he made his disciples aware of the need for mental care. He writes the following for preventing mental disease:

Cultivate peace and faith in God. Free the mind of all disturbing thoughts and fill it with love and joy. Realize the superiority of mental healing over physical healing. Banish bad habits, which make life miserable. (Scientific Healing Affirmations)

Peace can be cultivated into our own nature with intention, even though we were born with a disturbed mind. Faith in the wonder-working God should be the driving force of our intention to become a peaceful soul. A peaceful person brings love and joy to his relationships. A peaceful person finds solutions to life challenges. A peaceful person seeks hope through trust in God and looks beyond difficult circumstances. A peaceful person has a healthy mind. A peaceful person, in fact, is far from timid but has an inner resilience to face adverse circumstances in life.

Paramhansa Yogananda spoke often about habits and how we can intentionally cultivate good habits ourselves even in the later stages of our lives. We cannot blame our parents and our educational system all the time to escape taking our own responsibility for being who we are.

A certain way of thinking also becomes habitual. We must be willing to discard thought patterns that no longer serve us. These thought patterns are often passed down family lines or picked up from our environment. Developing self-awareness will enable us to discard some age old thought patterns that no longer serve us anymore. This need is especially urgent among migrants who moved from their native place to a place that has promised a better life. However, over and above material comfort, one soon realizes that in order to be truly successful, one needs to cultivate new ways of thinking in order to thrive.

Mental health overall plays a big role in our overall physical health and well-being, especially in the later stages of our lives. Cultivating inner peace through meditation is something we must attempt every day for our overall well-being.

My renewed pledge this deepavali

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A heartfelt Email Response

Dipavali Greetings – Google Docs

Dear Chhanda Mukherjee Ji,

I extend my heartfelt greetings to all of you on the auspicious occasion of Deepavali, a festival filled with energy and enthusiasm. This is the second Deepavali after the grand construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Lord Shri Ram teaches us to uphold righteousness and also gives us the courage to fight injustice. We have seen a living example of this a few months ago during Operation Sindoor. During Operation Sindoor, Bharat not only upheld righteousness but also avenged injustice.

This Deepavali is particularly special because, for the first time, lamps will be lit in many districts across the country, including remote areas. These are the districts where Naxalism and Maoist terrorism have been eradicated from the root. In recent times, we have seen many individuals abandoning the path of violence and joining the mainstream of development, expressing faith in the Constitution of our country. This is a major achievement for the nation.

Amid these historic achievements, the country has also embarked on next-generation reforms in recent days. On the first day of Navratri, lower GST rates were implemented. During this “GST Bachat Utsav” (Savings Festival), citizens are saving thousands of crores of rupees.

In a world going through multiple crises, Bharat has emerged as a symbol of both stability and sensitivity. We are also on track to become the third-largest economy in the world in the near future.

In this journey of a “Viksit” (Developed) and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India), our primary responsibility as citizens is to fulfill our duties towards the nation.

Let us adopt “Swadeshi” (local products) and proudly say: “This is Swadeshi!” Let us promote the spirit of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”. Let us respect all languages. Let us maintain cleanliness. Let us prioritize our health. Let us reduce the use of oil in our food by 10% and embrace Yoga. All these efforts will rapidly move us towards a “Viksit Bharat”.

Deepavali also teaches us that when one lamp lights another, its light doesn’t diminish, but it grows further. With the same spirit, let us light lamps of harmony, cooperation and positivity in our society and surroundings this Deepavali.

Once again, wishing you all a very Happy Deepavali.

Yours, Narendra Modi

Dear Customer Awareness and Mananiye PMji,

Greetings from my heart on the occasion of Deepavali—a festival that brings light and hope in our darkness.

Today of all days I renew my pledges:
Swachh Bharat—through establishing waste management projects

Bikasit Bharat—through becoming lifelong learners and action takers for positive as well as sustainable transformation in our communities

Akhand Bharat—a region that takes pledge for unity and united development with the same concerted mindset which gained our independence

Atmanirbhar Bharat—through supporting our own manufacturing bases, a hunger for research and development, and a mindset of self-confidence together with commitment towards excellence.

We must also uphold righteousness and avenge injustice at all levels. India must develop organic growth from within, which will be reflected in all that we say and do locally as well as globally.

We are all behind you as ONE, being sons and daughters of the soil where we were born.

दीपावली के शुभ अवसर पर हार्दिक कामनाएँ भेज रही हूँ मोदीजी और MyGov को।

Namaskar

Christine Chhanda Mukherjee

Money is not everything

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My Arrival Story in Australia

One of the important ways of living in a proper way in Australia I figured out was to forward uncollected mail in the letterbox to the post office.

I don’t remember when or how I figured it out and applied it every time I found uncollected mail in my letterbox. I went further to learn what to write and how to cancel precisely. I made time to find a post box overlooking any inconvenience I felt in my heart. They were more often replaced by a sense of urgency to forward the mail to the person who had missed receiving it.

I was surprised to discover this ‘new me,’ but I was okay with a new feeling. Earning a full-time income became less and less of a priority for me. Taking care of the needs of others apart from me took precedence.

All this enlightenment happened in 1989 on arrival as an overseas student in Perth. My father was an overseas student, and several uncles also went overseas for higher studies. Apart from their overseas-acquired degrees, they also brought back with them some habits that each considered ‘proper.’

On returning to Australia after a gap of several years, I was quite upset to find a resident taking a bunch of undelivered letters and throwing them into the bin. I couldn’t hold myself as I was aware the previous owner was now in a nursing home. “He is not going to return anymore and does not need these letters!” was the shocking retort of a young woman who was now well settled in Australia, adapting to the Australian lifestyle.

Things simply happen in life without one’s awareness most of the time, unless one is a narcissist. But these days, it’s often the case that we have fewer feelings about social responsibility.

The media is thankfully taking up the areas that have gaps in the system. The ABC has reported recently regarding this extremely important duty that every adult must undertake when housemoving; they must think beyond their own circumstance.

Can you ever throw out a previous homeowner’s or renter’s mail?

This is a common question faced by many new residents who find themselves receiving unwanted correspondence from individuals who no longer reside at their address. It can be quite perplexing to determine the best course of action regarding these pieces of mail, particularly when they contain sensitive personal information. While it may be tempting to simply discard the letters and packages, it’s advisable to take extra precautions to ensure that you are not violating any privacy laws or regulations. Instead, a better approach might be to return the mail to the sender by marking it as “Return to Sender” or to notify the post office about the situation. This not only helps in clearing your mailbox but also aids in redirecting important documents back to their rightful owners. It’s essential to be mindful of the potential implications of inadvertently mishandling someone else’s mail.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-10/can-you-ever-throw-out-someone-elses-mail/105837974

Long story short: When in Rome do what the Romans do and continue being a responsible person!

Shifting mindset for success

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The mindset in an undivided family

Breaking Free from Outdated Beliefs

Being born as an unwanted female child in an undivided Hindu family during turbulent times felt like the worst thing that could happen to a newborn. But the truth is—being born an unwanted male child in the same family is just as heartbreaking.

Every child comes into this world with a purpose. Yet, when you’re born into the aftermath of wars and social unrest, survival becomes the first lesson—even before love, identity, or freedom.

From the very start, we learn to adapt quickly. We read the room, watch every reaction, and seek approval from parents, relatives, and even distant family members—as if their acceptance is the only key to survival.

But here’s the question that changed my life:
Do we really need to keep seeking approval from people who no longer have a meaningful role in our growth?

The Turning Point

One hard truth eventually hit me: I don’t need their approval to live my life authentically.

I grew up in a culture where deference to elders was expected, where every choice was filtered through their lens of what was “right.” But those same elders, tied to outdated values, often offered little guidance for the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Breaking free from that approval-seeking mindset was not easy. It’s like shedding generations of inherited fear and shame. But it’s also the only way forward.

We can study the ways of the past—the traditions, the rituals, the hierarchies—but we must also have the courage to call them what they are: anchors that keep us from moving toward a life of purpose and leadership.

Why Change is Urgent

Generations of misguided honor and unquestioned obedience have kept entire communities stagnant. If we do not challenge these inherited beliefs, the cycle of silence, subservience, and missed opportunities will only continue.

Leaders are not born from constant compliance. They are born when someone dares to think differently, to listen to a higher calling, and to step forward even when approval is withheld.

If we want authentic leadership to rise—in the Indian subcontinent, in the diaspora, anywhere—then a massive shift needs to happen. Outdated bonds need to loosen. Ties built on fear and control must break.

Choosing Authenticity

Living a life of authenticity and purpose is never the easy path. Our ancestors often taught us to “keep the peace,” to take the safe route, and to avoid confrontation. But easy doesn’t build strength. Easy doesn’t build leaders.

Every vision, every dream planted in your heart—whether your own or the unfulfilled dream of an ancestor—demands courage. And courage requires a shift: from seeking approval to standing firm in your truth.

What can you do about this right now?

Look around your life today. Where are you still seeking permission to be yourself? Whose approval are you afraid to lose?

It’s time to stop living small. Stop dimming your light for the comfort of others. Choose growth. Choose freedom. Choose to lead—not just for yourself, but for the generations to come.

The moment you stop seeking validation from others, you begin to step into the life you were always meant to live.

miracle survival

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My Mishap

It was the year 2013, the month of July…

🌺 The weather was cold. 🌺 It was winter.

🌺 It was past 8pm.
🌺 I had had a long day at my place of work in my own rented office with the help of my son.
🌺 My son came to pick me up, and we boarded the tram in Melbourne together. The tram was not crowded.

🌺 I stood near the door, but my son was ahead of me.
🌺 My son started walking once we stopped at the Central Station there.
🌺 The traffic lights changed to red, and I was left behind. It never happened before.

🌺 I had a strange foreboding as I went through the turnstile.

🌺 I could not see my son; he had gone ahead.
🌺 I placed my foot on the first step of the escalator to go down to the platform. The next moment I was up in the air.

🌺 I fell into a heap at the bottom of the escalator in a fetal position.
🌺 My son’s loud voice was ringing out loud in the station, ‘MUM….’
🌺 I threw both my arms up in the air, smiling, giving glory to God!
🌺 Blood was streaming down the left side of my face, and there was blood on my legs!
🌺 I was soon surrounded by a crowd, and the next moment I was on a stretcher. A man came running and showed us a broken steel part from the escalator.

🌺 “I work in this station. Remember me. I will give evidence.”
🌺 I was shivering uncontrollably.
🌺 The ambulance arrived. My head was bandaged, and a neckband was placed to support my head. I was unable to control the shivers.
🌺 My blood pressure had shot over 200/140.
🌺 Several tablets were popped in my mouth as I heard the siren screaming through the city traffic.

🌺 In no time I was totally stripped with a sheet covering me.
🌺 After that I was not aware of what was happening to me.
🌺 Throughout that night I remember myself speaking to God.

🌺 “I need to live in order to take care of my son. But if I live, I must not be a disabled person. If not, let this be my last night.”

🌺 “Good morning, Mum.” I heard my daughter’s sweet voice. “We have come to take you back home. You are alright.”

🌺I went back home in the morning. As my son-in-law drove us back, I thanked the Almighty God through His Son numerous times.

Another journey started after that.

I stepped into the miracle zone since then. I started on a journey of numerous miracles.

Has something drastic and totally unexpected ever happened to you?

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I AM UNIQUE BECAUSE OF MY STORIES. I AM A STORYTELLER AND INSPIRE OTHERS TO TELL THEIR STORIES.

Ancient Wisdom of the sages

| MyWorldWithoutWalls

Understanding Sadhana

It’s an ancient concept prevalent in India. It’s the art and science of repeated practice after invoking the blessings of the higher powers.

This concept is losing ground in our current age with AI and the quick fix of everything. Sadhana negates superficiality. It takes us into deeper contemplation of discovering our true image from the time of our birth. It has benefits even in our current age because it is connected with our very self and our yearning to be our higher self throughout our lives.

I have experienced a remarkable recovery from extensive injuries sustained from an accidental fall caused by a party who tried different ways and means of restraining my financial freedom. A confused mind creates confusion all around when that mind is strong and given free reign. Unchecked this party then started planning ways to end my life by brainwashing and coercing innocent minds.Long story short, in 2013 I embarked on an extraordinary journey of supernatural healing that became available to me from the higher powers.While I lived through it despite encountering close death, I suffered from extensive chronic injuries.I came across Kriya Yoga accidentally after more than a decade of suffering and encountered the benefits of practising ‘sadhana’ in my energization exercise almost daily practice.

Through this unexpected detour in my life journey, I came back to the word and the concept of ‘Sadhana’ which was paramount in my ancestral family teaching passed over generations but distorted when other forms of worldviews crept into our family.My father would pass on the remnant of this divine truth by reminding us that ‘practice makes perfect.’He believed that you must keep on repeating verbally or in the form of practical application what you learned in order to gain success.

One becomes a good singer or an athlete through ‘sadhana,’ through constant practice that leads one to the higher powers for excellence. To me, Sadhana involves first and foremost the surrender of self to the higher powers before attempting anything new in life.Then follows building in the self determination and discipline for focused attention while engaging in the new activity.The singer or the athlete then dedicates his or her entire life to such an activity which then becomes one’s life calling.  This is very different from earning for survival, which is also most necessary for survival and meeting one’s daily needs.

Through Sadhana I managed quite well as a single parent by concentrating on bringing up my children rather than building up my career.For me it had to be one or the other.I simply didn’t have the skills necessary to balance both sides of the scale.Through Sadhana I also succeeded in improving my health steadily with little or no money to spend on costly medical expenses.I simply didn’t have it for various reasons, and it is then that I stepped into the miracle zone being raised to a higher level of awareness.In this zone, I experienced divine love to the uttermost and started experiencing the support that the universe was extending to me in the adverse situations that I repeatedly fell into.

The fruits of ‘sadhana’ are well understood in the western context with the maxim, practice makes one perfect!The power of repetition in learning something new or concentrated daily practice is sadhana.

Daily deep meditation involves touching the divine as well as soul searching regularly in a fast paced world.  Soul searching and making attempts at improving self are essential parts of self cleansing.  

“O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.” Psalm 92:5

Make the concept of Sadhana part and parcel of your life, as this ancient concept will open doorways of greater wisdom and insight in your daily living.Its benefits are multifarious.Practising Kriya Yoga almost daily is now my present Sadhana, and I am now in a season that I have greater peace regarding how I spend each day in deep gratitude for my God-given life, which I cherish so much!

Born with a defect

| MyWorldWithoutWalls

Most religions believe, that as humans none of us are perfect. However, humans have an innate desire for perfection in their souls. Jesus Christ is believed to be the only perfect human being who is the very reflection of God the Father.

Most Hindus believe that in our present lives we are required to fulfill our divine purpose and complete them despite our imperfections. This will give us ‘Moksha,’ or freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth.

Though called to biblical doctrines from a young age, I came to explore the concept of human defect even after my Born Again experience due to persecution as a result of imagined wrongdoing by another party. Cast into a deep abyss, I nevertheless, through the power of the Holy Spirit, experienced an extraordinary life experience. I was miraculously drawn into a circle of Divine Love by some yoga masters. I was given charge of my own healing journey, through which I gained some deep insights into ancient spiritual belief systems that are eternal to mankind.

Klesha

In the context of yoga and spiritual traditions, “kleshas” (Sanskrit: क्लेश) refer to afflictions, defilements, or mental poisons that cause suffering and hinder spiritual progress. 

Here’s a more detailed explanation:

  • Meaning:
    The word “klesha” translates to “impurity,” “corruption,” or “poison”. 
  • Yoga and Buddhism:
    The concept of kleshas is prominent in yoga philosophy (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras) and Buddhism. 
  • The Five Kleshas:
    Patanjali identifies five primary kleshas (or afflictions) in his Yoga Sutras:
    • Avidya (Ignorance): Lack of true understanding of reality. 

    • Asmita (Egoism): Attachment to the ego and the sense of “I”. 

    • Raga (Attachment): Clinging to pleasant experiences and things. 

    • Dvesa (Aversion): Repulsion or hatred towards unpleasant experiences and things. 

    • Abhinivesha (Fear of Death/Clinging to Life): Fear of death and an excessive attachment to the body and life. 

  • Impact:
    Kleshas are seen as the root causes of suffering (dukkha) and the cycle of samsara (rebirth). 

  • Overcoming Kleshas:
    Spiritual practices, including yoga and meditation, aim to help individuals understand and overcome these kleshas to achieve liberation (moksha or enlightenment).