TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE

TO THY OWN SELF BE TRUE 

The above is famous verse from Shakespeare's Hamlet that has caught the attention of many philosophers .Why can't you be true to your true self ,to your soul? It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks or says .You are not here to please others .You must do what your heart  says is right, God  resides in your Heart and therefore  your Hearts voice is  Gods voice .

Your soul's sensibilities and sensitivities are no different than God's. When you feel moved to help someone in need, when you feel guilty for doing wrong,when you want to forgive someone , when your heart responds lovingly to another human being, that is God in you.

It is true spiritual integrity to condemn the actions which your heart hates ,condemn the actions that violate the law of love, which is your heart's law  because they hurt others and  you .They are not true to your real nature to 
the Nature of  God in you. No human heart which is true to oneself would ever approve of selfish living ,hate and violence . Gods heart inside you cries out against the injustices of the world, and inspires you to do right to others. Listen to the law of love of your heart and be  your true self .Simply start to connect with your heart energy  .Turn inwards and ask yourself if you are living authentically, truly in line with your spiritual values. 

Following your heart has been given a bad name in this world as many people think that to "follow your heart" means to be whimsical, inconsiderate, selfish, and non-committal. But that is not what your heart dictates ,it is the mind that is whimsical and selfish which needs to be tamed by your pure heart .

Anahata ( means "unhurt, unstuck, or unbeaten) Chakra also called  heart chakra is perfectly situated in the middle of your body, balancing the world of matter (lower three chakras) with the world of spirit (upper three chakras).Open up to your heart chakra by being honest and open .Stop clinging to your past or being stressed about the future  Practicing the art of acceptance  ,appreciation and understanding  with unconditional love 
and letting go what you can't change is most important to be your true self ,to be content and happy with what God has blessed you with .

There is no difference between satisfying God, and satisfying your own heart and being true to your true self your soul .They are the same. Isn't that beautiful?

To thine own self be true
be the real authentic you 
let your actions outside 
match Gods voice inside 

Remove the mask you wear 
to hide your vulnerability and fear  
Why do you want to compare 
yourself to others who hardly care ? 

Do you need to put up an act 
to become the one to attract ? 
Don't create your own trap 
in relationships which will snap 

You are you and no one else 
so why try to be someone else 
Be truthful the way you truly are 
for that's what will take you far 

Never be afraid of your true self  
listen to your silence ,know yourself 
Let your heart and soul be your guide 
for that's Gods voice inside .

Pay attention to your life's spiritual goals 
to the signals of your sublime soul 
Honor your  true being as a whole 
for truth cannot be set on parole .

Gods heart resides in you 
its whispering  is the right clue 
Be truthful to your inner  calling 
then there will be no fear of falling ! 

Pushpa Chaturvedi 

MOTHERHOOD IS SPIRITUALLY ENRICHING

      MOTHERHOOD IS SPIRITUALLY ENRICHING   

One of the greatest miracle of God on this earth is experiencing the joys of pregnancy ,child birth and motherhood ."In my flesh I see the mark of God".Pregnancy is a sacred and a magical state.  It is a time when the woman feels the presence of another soul developing alongside her own. Women become aware that life is a continuum and  they experience a bodily sense that everything around them is alive.

The transition from Maiden to Mother is a part of spiritual growth .It is one of the greatest thresholds women ever cross. It is truly a  Gods gift that heralds women  to blossom  into fullness more than one could ever imagine. 

Childbearing enriches  spirituality .Pregnancy and  childbirth makes the woman and her family grow closer to God. Religious beliefs , scriptures and rituals become powerful coping mechanisms and seem to be more meaningful
The significance of a Higher Power in 
influencing birth outcomes, and childbirth as a spiritually transforming experience is felt .

All the qualities of childbearing and motherhood are inherent in women as  women have been walking on this road of giving birth to a new life  from the beginning of time. They only need to open up to that  power already in them and listen to their  inner wisdom and strength and believe in their capabilities .


 When a woman is grounded spiritually, pregnancy and childbirth give her grace and power  even when under pressure. Her spiritual resources help provide her with a level of inner peace and harmony to allay her fear. For this labour of love  they must be brave, be true with 
a loving open heart and nurture beautiful divine thoughts so as to bless the new generation of angels to walk this earth with divine virtues  imbibed when in the mothers  womb.....garbha  sanskars 

Acceptance of ones own pain and suffering  is a means to spiritual perfection and growth Perhaps the excruciating pain of labour serves  this purpose and is also a measure to increase the bonding and attachment between the mother and baby. These purposes are slowly being lost by women opting for painless labour 
rather then natural birth .


The mounting intensity of labour pain makes the woman in labor to  forced complete surrender  of  her body and will ,dissolving her 
ego ideas and familiar sense of " self ". There is 
no fear of dying because there is no " self  " to resist and fear . She is totally engrossed at that moment in the well being and  love of her about to be born  baby .Birthing is the most profound initiation to spirituality a woman can have. At that transcendent moment the laboring woman becomes birth herself . Perhaps 
this represents the spiritual birth of a woman into a mother .

On the occasion of Mother's Day falling  on the 11th  of  May there can be no better way to pay our tribute ,respect ,love  and remember our mother , sense her joy 
on nurturing us with 
loving care inside her womb for nine months ,going through the pangs of labour and being 
there for us at  all times with her unconditional love to care and guide us into adulthood  and beyond .

The pain of childbirth and the trials and tribulations of bringing up her child are not remembered by her ,it is the child instead who is always  remembered by the mother .A mother carries her baby inside her for nine months,in her  arms for three years,and in her heart until the day she dies 

There would be no better way to conclude than to share this poem on the joys of pregnancy as 
experienced by a would be mother .

1. GODS AWESOME CREATION OF LOVE ..
2. MY PRETTY ANGEL  
3. 
   
4. The day I discovered you were in me
5. I thanked The Almighty for His kind mercy 
6. Dear God this gift makes me feel wholesome 
7. there is nothing more beautiful then to be a mum .
8. 
   
9. Immersed in creating a new life feels awesome 
10. my body mind and soul rejoice making me numb 
11. my world will be full of pleasant changes for sure 
12. life will soon be full of  baby laughter and cheer .
13. 
    
14. Your dad and your granny  are fussing over me 
15. to keep me as healthy and happy as can be 
16. for now that my love you are growing inside 
17. I need more strength this just cannot be denied 
18. 
    
19. Caressing with love my growing baby bump 
20. I cherish the sensations when you kick and jump 
21. Day by day you are growing  big and big 
22. from my middle into my sides you have begun to dig.
23. 
    
24. I saw you my pretty angel relaxing snug and smart 
25. Amazing USG ,I even heard your tiny ticking heart 
26. People ask me if you are a boy or a girl 
27. I wonder if you have those soft pretty curls !!!
28. 
    
29. You are  Gods tiny miracle hidden inside 
30. another  month to go and you can no longer hide  
31. you are my flesh and blood in an angels disguise 
32. my love just flows with tears of happiness in my eyes 
33. 
    
34. You are the awesome creation of love and light  
35. I am longing to see your innocent face shining bright 
36. it want be long before I can look into your eyes 
37. waiting patiently for the day to hear your first cries 
38. 
    
39. With your first cry I will thank God with tears of joy 
40. It will never ever matter if you are a girl or a boy 
41. I hope one day you will be proud of your mother 
42. For my dear little angel there can be no other 
43. who loves and adores you like your mother ! 
44. 
    
45. Pushpa  Chaturvedi 

LIFE IS IN THE HANDS OF GOD NOT IN THE HANDS OF DOCTORS

 LIFE IS IN THE HANDS OF GOD 
AND 

NOT IN THE HANDS OF DOCTORS 

In the medical field, especially in critical care medicine  there have been many a patient who, when first examined one feels certain they are not going to survive but subsequently  they live and walk out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) .On the other hand unfortunately there have been patients whom the physicians thought would do well and  they did not. So, when physicians are asked a question that causes them to speculate about the future,  they have to give a cautious, measured answer which has to be honest with  themselves  and the patient 

 The doctors to the best of their ability simply do not know for certain , hence blanket statements have no place inside ICU  walls. I have seen extreme premature babies and very sick ICU  children surviving all odds and leading normal or near normal life after coming out from the ICU .Doctors have this tricky job of relaying statistical data  and their own experience to relatives and  parents  of very sick patients on life support care , for 
that is really all they have to go by .This needs to be very honestly conveyed to the relatives .Being honest in a sensitive way to help family members make excruciating decisions about whether to let dying patients linger, or allow doctors to turn off life-prolonging equipment so that  they are not drained financially and even the organs   can be donated if they wish to.

We must all accept that  there is something beyond the 
efforts of Doctors  when we see miracles happening and near death patients being revived  and leading normal life's .That is the power of prayer and the Divine intervention  where God could reverse a hopeless outcome into a blissful life . Thus  the key phrase – from a spiritual perspective –: “We doctors are not God.” We must all always remind ourselves of this .

Years back  during my house job in Pediatrics at AIIMS Delhi an illiterate well built villager  admitted his severely malnourished critically ill 3 year old son .I was on duty along with a senior doctor, The child rapidly deteriorated despite our efforts .Rather than trusting the doctors ,the father started screaming at the doctors on duty that he would kill them if something unfortunate happened to his child. The child went into cardio respiratory arrest and I started cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR)  but we could not revive him .Some how the father witnessed the CPR. He threatened to kill me saying "I will not spare  you ,you have killed my child by compressing his chest" Despite  being on duty for over 24 hours I continued  working  knowing fully well that we had done all that we possibly could have done and that this outburst was an outcome of his unawareness and distrust along with  the reflection of his mental state , on loosing his son .We were however disturbed at the gross negligence of the 
parents for letting the child  reach such a severe state of malnutrition and bringing him in so late to the hospital and  then blaming the doctors for his death .

Although these threats and comments disturb and scare 
doctors they still try to do their duty responsibly in spite of working long hours in such an unsafe environment Doctors expect the patients to have  faith and trust in them .That is their biggest reward.Most doctors have knowledge and practice and try their best to restore the health of patients.  But they are not God. Contrary to what people think sometimes, they are usually not responsible for the death of their loved ones their patients .

Sometimes tragic mishaps do happen in the field of medicine which have been said to be the cause of death  of some patients .But I assure you that most doctors would not do anything deliberately to harm a patient. 
Their aim is to help humanity under all circumstances .

Don’t we all believe that death is a natural event and it is pre-destined? Then, why are doctors blamed if the patient dies even after they do everything to save that patient? Believe me, the death of a patient hurts us no end , while their survival and revival brings us joy, strength and hope. Life is in the hands of  God ,doctors are ordinary humans helping humanity to the best of their ability .

 SIR WILLIAM OSLER  FATHER OF MODERN MEDICINE SAID....

This is the paradox of medicine 

DOCS ARE HUMAN 

Medicine is an art ,

based on science 

as with any art 

and as with any science 

there can be an error 

with the best of endeavor 

Docs use  medicine 

as a treatment to begin 

as well as surgical skill 

expecting  to cure the ill 

they are only humans 

trying to mend humans 

God give Docs the wisdom 

in your benevolent kingdom 

to keep themselves abreast 

and always give their best 

for life's are so precious 

all efforts need to be gracious 

Working with best intentions 

using the latest inventions 

"God "they can never be 

All humans must agree 

for death is predetermined 

by Gods will ........."there in " 

Amen 

Pushpa Chaturvedi