MIND YOUR BEAUTIFUL MIND GARDEN

                  MIND YOUR BEAUTIFUL MIND GARDEN 

Maintaining  a garden is an ongoing process. It's not enough to just plant a single seed of happiness and then forget about it. Your delicate new seedling would soon be choked by weeds if you are don't take care of it .An unattended mind can create havoc because  mind is amazingly receptive to whatever suggestions may be dropped into it. This subconscious mind says "yes" to all seeds planted, positive or otherwise.

Thoughts pop up into our minds without  our permission faster then you could imagine .How many thoughts do we have a day? Some studies have placed the number at 50000, others as high as 80000. But the most shocking thing: most of these thoughts are negative, repetitive, and serve no real purpose  .Thoughts  can be our best friends and our worst enemies. The only way to avoid mind pollution is to be consciously focused on what thoughts  you want to plant and grow in your flower box called life .Regularly  pull out weeds of fear, doubt ,anxiety  hate ,jealousy and don't loose out on your self centered ego and pride .Instead make space for Love, happiness and tranquility  to take  firm root for when they blossom they are contagious and fragrant and are a path to self realization .

It takes but  one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts. Negativity breeds dissatisfaction ,clutters the mind and happiness disappears. Long time back I heard a  yoga master say "you can do all the yoga and meditation you want and eat the healthiest foods but  one negative thought has the power to negate the benefits of good work on both physical and mental level" 

 Like a good gardener consciously cultivate  your mind garden by being awake, mindful ,meditative and observant of your thoughts . Instead of planting a mixed bag of various seeds (confused and unfocused thinking) that will require a lot of effort to pull up the weeds,Just plant  one or two types of seeds  that are rooted in reverence, loving-kindness and compassion which focus on Gods  grace ,gratitude and love  You will  then be 
truly amazed at the changes which begin to happen in your life. Obstacles disappear and things that you once thought were impossible will suddenly appear within reach .Life will be filled with peace and happiness 

"So plastic is mind, so receptive, that the slightest thought makes an impression upon it. People who think many kinds of thoughts must expect to receive a confused manifestation in their lives. If a gardener plants a thousand kinds of seeds, he will get a thousand kinds of plants: it is the same in mind." -- Dr. Ernest Holmes.

"We have to seize this unstable mind and drag it from its wanderings and fix it on one idea. Over and over again this must be done by power of will . We must get hold of the mind and make it stop and reflect upon the glory of God  " said Swami Vivekanand 

                                MY MIND GARDEN 

Long leisurely holidays have taken their unpleasant toll,
My beautiful garden is invaded by weeds big and small ,
Encroaching on the lovely flower beds with great speed 
The thorny thistles and stinging nettles make the flowers bleed 

Lecherous ,poisonous  weeds are spreading fast,
Pretty fragrant flowers seem a thing of the past,
Oh !Why wasn't i watchful How could I allow this to befall 
There is choking, suffocation and a ugly mess ,I drawl !!!

I wallow in the clutter of frustration dislike,anger and hate ,
Creating doubt ,fear ,anxiety ,depression and an unhappy state ,
Opportunistically they  spread when I was unmindful and lazy 
Oh ! these vicious creepers of ego and pride  are driving me crazy 

Deweeding  is  hard requires focus and determination,
It's a time consuming continuos  emotional taxation,
Roots have gone deep and are  badly enmeshed,
Pulling from their roots needs patience but will be the best

Good mind gardening needs meditation and observation 
Witnessing and cultivating a space by contemplation 
A space  of inner consciousness and awareness ,
Where there is no thinking but only happiness and bliss .

God guide me to keep my mind unpolluted and pure 
Prevent seeds of  negativism to invade my mind for sure 
Never to allow my light of consciousness to darken,
Nourish  my mind  and soul to be positively sharpened .

Only then can my garden nurture beautiful creations 
With colors of kindness ,forgiveness and compassion 
Blossom  gracefully with peace,contentment ,happiness and love ,
Singing glory to God with pure bliss ruling  high above.

Your life is your garden; keep the weeds out because that is one way  in which you can personally beautify your world.

Pushpa Chaturvedi 

GOD LIVES HERE

 GOD LIVES HERE 

For spiritual persons, all creatures are suffused by divine love. The more they become spiritual, the more any beautiful things appear to them as symbol of God’s presence. All things are mirrors of divine love and beauty. They are in reverence, adoration and awe. The beauty of environment touches them. They in turn, pervade and transform their lives, their gestures, word and dealings with others. 

Nature gives evidence to the precision and creative hand of God. Some feel that nature can actually prove God's existence and can teach humanity ,I  believe in this very strongly . There are others who think this is a myth whereas some are of the opinion that only believers can benefit from the truths about God found in nature.  Some feel that though nature provides basic truths to humanity but falls still short of giving any absolute truth. What  do you think ? 

Many great philosophers, teachers, scientists, poets who were also great spiritual men discovered God in the environment.  Ravindranath Tagore wanted to establish harmony between man and the universe. He looked at the ‘Mother Earth’ as kind, benevolent and generous.Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda believed that God is in all nature and in all creatures and they  also believed  that the manifestations of nature contribute  to divine perfection in man.

As a man develops his relationship with his fellowmen he should develop his relation with nature. God is found in the midst of nature. God reveals himself through different colors, forms, rhythms of nature, God, therefore, desires that there must be a close relationship between men, God and nature.

Environmental spirituality is an experience of awareness of God’s presence and the experience of God’s personal love and being in contact with God. This experience is accompanied by great joy, inner happiness and peace. 

            GOD LIVES HERE 

I want to break the shackles binding me today 
Inside these  four walls  I can no longer stay 

I want to fly free like a nightingale  and sing  
to herald the cheerful sweet smelling spring 

I want to lie peacefully on the soft green grass by the river side 
see Gods outstretched hands beckoning me with great pride

I want to breathe the  fresh and cool mountain air 
where daffodils and Lilies dare to blossom in pairs 

I want to swim gracefully like a fish in the deep blue sea 
resting on the beautiful corals lying in the ocean debris 

I want to run and dance amidst the thick jungle  greens 
with the peacocks and all the majestic jungle queens 

 I want to sail like a pristine white cloud in the sky 
hug  and love you my beloved as I cruise by 

I want to sleep under  the cool moonlight and the shining stars 
feel the warm kiss of the sun as I rise in the morning hours 

I want to be lost in the silence that speaks of only oneness 
with love and bliss overflowing from my heart and soul's recess 

God you are formless ,still in each speck here I see  you shining bright 
you are here, there and everywhere blessing all with your lustrous  light 

I want to be with you my beloved  Lord all the time 
for in your splendid creations I embrace the soul sublime 

I can sense you are in me and in all your creations I adore 
for lovers when together ,glow and love just pours and pours !!!

Joy and ecstasy is in uniting with radiant natures divine flow ,
for God lives here, God lives here is all that my longing heart knows .

Pushpa Chaturvedi 

FRIENDS FOR A REASON , A SEASON OR A LIFETIME

 FRIENDS FOR A REASON ,SEASON OR A LIFETIME 

A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow all the rest away."Arabian proverb 

Friends who come into our lives for a REASON are Godsend it is like as if the  prayer you sent up to God has been answered .They usually come to meet a need you have expressed ,to provide you with guidance and support , to assist you through a difficulty; to help you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Sometimes misgivings arise during the course on your part or on their part and you find that they have left you ,walked away after your need has been met ,they have done the job  they were meant to do for you ,just like God sent them ,god takes them away from your life .

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn from each other .They bring you peace or make you laugh. They may teach you and make you enjoy something you have never done and may even help you tap your hidden potentials .They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it. It is real. But only for a season. 

LIFETIME relationships  are rare and the most cherished  .It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. They teach you lifetime lessons on emotional support  and dealing with problems in life . You come to accept their wisdom ,learn from them and practice their positive inputs in your life ...they are always their for you  may not be physically but emotionally and spiritually no matter where they are you always feel connected and know you can count on them when in need .

The making and keeping of friends is a deep and a wonderful spiritual practice Friends are the family we choose for ourselves .We learn through friendship to practice  forgiveness, gratitude, joy, listening, love,  compassion .enthusiasm ,being present in the moment  and  to love ourselves . All this requires tremendous amount of thoughtfulness, creativity, and patience and such  friendships  are great spiritual markers of life .Developing and honoring your friendships with softness and generosity carries you on toward the divine light

Despite all this when some cause hurt and  pain,you have to let go that pain and forgive them and let the matter drop . Gratitude for people’s kindness is important and forgiving the evil done to you is vital so you can release yourself from the emotional link you have with those that have hurt you.

Technology has offered us to enjoy friendship in the virtual world .The qualities that make good friendships are  decent communication with loyalty, affection, respect, sympathy, empathy, and understanding. Let these characteristics be your goal for the relationships you build with people you interact with virtually. Make your friendship with God your top priority. Participating regularly in a relationship with God, the source of all love, will empower you to be the very best friend you can be to other people in the real and in the virtual world .

True and fake friends come in everybody's life at some junction or the other. My poem below is an attempt to describe such friends .Your experiences and thoughts on  friendship when shared on this platform will make all of us here more wiser .So please do share  them .
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FRIENDS 

Beautiful friends ,meet at many bends 

Some leave early before you can rate 

Some leave late  even though you relate 

Some always stay  no matter what  it takes 

TRUE friends support and believe in each other 

even in  dangerous and stormy weather 

Some are great to laugh with  and share jokes 

some  help you to solve life's  serious pokes 

They come running  to you in difficult  days 

giving you strength and courage in many ways 

They always try to make you feel really  very nice 

fill your  mundane life with  sugar and spice 

They  create a space for you in their life 

Jump to save you from an edgy knife 

They do anything to make you feel secure 

no matter what it takes your safety they ensure 

They always know when your smile is fake

and can  always feel your pain and ache 

Please reciprocate the same  love and care 

for that's what is like being sincere  and fair 

True friends are great for  good health 

Vitamin  F ( friends ) adds oxygen to breath 

They even boost your spiritual wealth 

and stand  tall by you even till your deat

Some  are FAKE opportunistic for sure 

taking advantage is all that they savor

Trying to change them never  ever works 

It only adds to your irritation and  irks 

They come in your life to get work done 

exploit your goodness and then make a run 

The sweetness in which they behave and  act 

their ulterior motive you can never suspect 

Some  always take and never give  back 

As if you owed them all that they lacked 

Some  just leave you in your difficult times 

Where as some  push you into difficult times 

Some come in your life  to make you aware 

that all friends are not the same  please beware 

Avoid  fake  friends as much as you can 

They are an ugly blot on the friendship clan 

True loving friends are a blessing in life 

God sent angels helping you to strive 

Give them space  to breathe with freedom 

Being possessive in friendship is bad wisdom 

If they are meant to be in your life with you .

They will always be there no matter what you do .

Be open ,sincere and honest with cheer 

Friendship then will flourish in top gear 

Old  and true friends are  like old vintage wine ,

Their concern  and love is truly pure and divine .

Friends like Krishna and Sudama are rare to find 

They are Gods gift of trust and love to mankind .

Pushpa Chaturvedi 

GOD'S BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL WORLD

 GODS  BEAUTIFUL  WORLD 

Gods beautiful beautiful  world  
full of  natures hypnotizing bounty unfurled 
with unconditional love  being shared
as the streams brings life to trees 
the trees  protect the flowers with ease 
from the scorching noon sunrays 
all joyfully singing hymns in Gods praise 

 The water falls are as white as snow 
pure and pristine like love they flow 
running effortlessly  and feeling free
Surrounded by breathtaking sprawling greenery 
the diverse multi colored nature is in full revelry 
mingling with each other looks oh ! So heavenly 

The twinkling star shining through a niche 

mesmerizing  and enlightening to bewitch 

sun rays fall on nature with love and grace 

where oh! lord can I find such a magical place  

where browns and greens forget their identity 

and play with yellow and blue in divine  serenity 

The lonely musk deer is searching for the scent  

not knowing it is in him ,oh! What a torment  

it sprite fully runs wild round and round 

in silent footsteps alert to distant sounds 

God enlightens his path with shining sun rays  

but this does not help him to stop the wild chase .

Love gives the soul wings to fly 

love teaches freedom lies in the vast blue  sky 

love  does not bind  us with chains 

love sets us free it never restrains 

crossing over the  beautiful bridge of life 

white clouds proclaim peace and harmony are rife

Pushpa Chaturvedi 

SOUL DANCE

 SOUL DANCE 

The beach was empty with no one around,
I Unknotted my long hair waist down ,
Sandals  removed and flung faraway ,
The  right time  to sway and feel  gay .

I ran  and danced with sand on my feet ,
 Myriad of waves  went by to meet and greet,
The sand  was drifted and got displaced .
The  cool sea breeze  blowed hard on my face

My long white skirt was blowing  away ,
I felt  a magic in my heart,I knew I had gone astray ,
My hair  locks  fell on my  deep brown eyes ,
My  soul was  stirred ,dancing on high rise .

There was  silent  musical laughter  around ,
A life force ,an energy and  an unheard sound ,
I was drowning in insanity of uniting with the divine .
My vision was blurred in the flickering lights bright shine 

I felt light as a feather blown by a strong gale,
My  body and mind were ready to sail.
My joy  and ecstasy had touched the sky
Unaware   of the crowds collected  nearby .

Suddenly  surprised by the stares i felt around ,
My shy eyes  were now fixed to the ground .
I abruptly  halted my  harmonious  pace ,
As I felt  the hug of a child  in tight embrace .

I now lifted my face up with great pride ,
God  i knew this was you by my side ,
Bestowing your love and affection on me 
I was lost in the vast ocean of love in the sea .

Pushpa Chaturvedi