Beauty

 To be beautiful, is not easy. 

We have to let go of all the notions of beauty to really find beauty. 

With the eyes of wonders, if we see, everywhere, there is beauty! 

What's not beautiful, tell me? 

When the eyes shine with love, that's the real beauty. 

When the happiness spreads across the face, like a newly lit candle and ignites the ones who are lost in sadness, that's the highest form of beauty. 

When someone stands next to you, in the times of uncertainty and worry, and just remains there, letting youi compose yourself on your own, that too is beauty!!! Isn't it? 

When someone warns you, about a wrong decision you were about to make and makes you aware of the alternative, that is true beauty indeed! 

When it feels like we have reached the end of the road and there's nowhere to go but within, that, that moment is itself beauty!!! 

My friends, isn's all of the above applicable to Love as well? 

Love is Beauty! 

Only LOVE!!! 

राम भजन

 राम का नाम ले, राम का नाम,

मनुजा ले ले राम का नाम 

राम का नाम लेना है शुभ काम 

मनुजा ले ले राम का नाम 

राम से शुरू हो हर दिन 

राम से खत्म हो हर शाम 

राम का नाम ले नित्य 

क्युंकी वही है अंतिम सत्य 

राम का नाम लेकर कर हर काम 

मनुजा ले ले राम का नाम

कठिन समय है आनेवाला 

तू ना श्रद्धा खोनेवाला 

राम ही तेरा है रखवाला 

हर संकट से तारनेवाला 

राम का नाम है राम का नाम 

मनुजा ले ले राम का नाम

जानो सबमें बसे है राम 

देखना केवल तेरा काम 

राम को माने, उसमें है राम 

ना मानें उसमें भी है राम 

धरती के कण कण में बसे है राम 

मनुजा ले ले राम का नाम

सत्य ये जब तू पहचानेगा 

राम ही तो तू बन जायेगा 

राम ही को सबमें पायेगा 

समस्त द्वंद्व समाप्त हो जायेगा 

अब तो ले ले राम का नाम 

मनुजा ले ले राम का नाम 

सीयावर रामचंद्र की जय 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

---- माधुरी कुलकर्णी, 5.11.2020

रुकना भी जिंदगी है

रुकना भी जरूरी है, थमना भी जरूरी है, किसने कहा बहते रहना ही जिंदगी है?

कभी रुककर तो देखो, सोचकर देखो, हिसाब लगाओ क्या खोया क्या पाया, किसने कहा दौड़ने में ही खुशी है?

फ़ुरसत के लम्हे थोड़े जी कर तो देखो, ख़ुद के अंदर झांककर तो देखो, क्या सिर्फ पाते रहना ही जिंदगी है?

घर रुको, देखो हर चीज तुमसे बोलेगी, आखरी बार कब मिले थे उसकी यादें दोहराएंगी, किसने कहा घर बैठना आलस की निशानी है?

सजा नहीं इसे मौका समझो, हंसो मुस्कुराओ, इसी में सबकी भलाई है, किसने कहा बहते रहना ही जिंदगी है? किसने कहा बहते रहना ही जिंदगी है .....

माधुरी,
२२ मार्च, २०२०

तलाश

जारी है, जारी है
फ़ुरसत के उन लम्हों की तलाश जारी है...

दौड़ते दौड़ते जो छूट गए हथेली से, उन पलों की तलाश जारी है...

ढूंढा जिन खुशियों को दुनिया भर की चीजों में, उन खुशियों की तलाश जारी है...

देखा देखी जिन्हें खो दिया, उन रिश्तों की तलाश जारी है...

भुला दिया जिन मुस्कुराहटों को, उन मुस्कानों की तलाश जारी है...

दिल में किसी के झांक सके ऐसे आइने की तलाश जारी है...

जिंदगी की कश्मकश में जिसे छोड़ आए, उस ख़ुद की तलाश जारी है...

जारी जारी है
तलाश जारी है....

Inspiring Movies - 2

It has been a long time that I wrote on the blog. Better late than never! Last time I had shared my views about an inspiring movie, 'Invictus'. Another movie that I find extremely inspiring and thought-provoking is 'Finding Forrester'. The movie is all about how a chance interaction between a basketball-playing kid and a reclusive author changes both of their lives totally. The movie shows a different perspective on relationships. 

A famous English author named William Forrester is living a reclusive life. He has shunned himself from all the social interactions. He gets doorstep delivery of the basic necessities. But he can't stop himself from watching a basketball game played by a bunch of teenager kids through his window. The kids notice him too. They become curious about him, discuss the possibilities and one of them even accepts the challenge of entering Forrester's house. 

The boy breaking into the author's house and interacting with him eventually leads to both of them becoming good friends. The boy, Jamal, is an aspiring writer and a very good basketball player who has recently entered a prestigious school because of his sports skills. But he happens to be equally interested in writing. Friendship with Forrester helps him in improving his writing skills. In the process, Jamal gets to know the reason behind the self-imposed exile of William. Jamal assists William in facing his fears, he also makes William step out of his abode once. But that's what friends do for each other! Even though there is so much age gap between them, their conversations are pretty interesting. I clearly remember one instance when Jamal asks an awkward question to William and he replies that he can answer only 'soup' type questions. It means Jamal should not ask any personal questions to William. During the same conversation, William asks a personal question to Jamal and pat comes the reply that it is not a 'soup' type question!

To whom can you call your friend? My definition of a friend includes people who are there for me and for whom I am there always! William and Jamal fit into this definition of friends perfectly. Both of them protect each other in the time of crisis. The movie is an eye-opener for all those who think that friendship can not exist in people belonging to different strata of society. 

What can I say about the actors? Sean Connery is mostly famous for playing James Bond, the famous British spy. It was a pleasant surprise to see him playing a gifted writer so well! I could not forget the character played by him for a couple of days. I have watched this movie at least thrice and would like to watch it again. Rob Brown has played Jamal effortlessly. He is a natural actor it seems! 

'Finding Forrester' is actually 'Finding Yourself'! 

Thank you, Nikita, for reminding me about the blog! 

मन करा रे प्रसन्न

मी नुकतीच कामावर रुजू झाले होते तेव्हाची गोष्ट . मला सुरुवातीला एका वरिष्ठ व्यक्तीला सहाय्यक म्हणून काम दिले होते. कामाच्या ओघात मी त्यांच्याकडून इतरही बऱ्याच गोष्टी शिकत होते. तेव्हा एकदा सहज बोलता बोलता ते म्हणाले : You will have neither friends nor foes here. म्हणजे त्यांना असं म्हणायचं होतं की माझी मी असेन. ना कुणाची फार मदत होईल ना कुणी अगदी वाकड्यात शिरेल. वय लहान होतं म्हणून म्हणा किंवा मी फारच आशावादी होते म्हणून म्हणा पण माझा यावर फारसा विश्वास बसला नाही. पण आता एकाच ठिकाणी इतकी वर्षे घालवल्यावर ते वाक्य बऱ्यापैकी खरं होतं असं वाटू लागलंय. मला आपलं बाळबोधपणे असं वाटत होतं की कदाचित शत्रू निर्माण न करण्यात मला यश येणार नाही पण  मित्र-मैत्रिणी मात्र मी नक्की  मिळवेन. हा आशावाद खोटाच ठरला. असं का झालं असावं असा विचार केल्यानंतर काही गोष्टी वेगळ्याच दिसायला लागल्या.  एक नवीनच थेअरी इथे लागू होतेय असं वाटलं. मी त्याला गूळ - मुंगळा थेअरी म्हणते. काही लोकांना आपण गूळ आहोत याची खात्री असते. त्यामुळे कुणीही कसल्या कामासाठी मदत मागितली किंवा सोबत कामाचा प्रस्ताव दिला तर त्यांना ती व्यक्ती मुंगळा आहे असं वाटतं आणि मग ते मदत करणं टाळतात. याउलट काहींना आपण मुंगळा आहोत हे पक्कं ठाऊक असतं आणि मदत मागायला येणाराही मुंगळाच आहे हा यांचा भ्रम असतो. मग मुंगळ्याची मदत करून काय फायदा असा हिशोब करून ते गुळाचा शोध घेत राहतात. या सगळ्या गूळ - मुंगळ्यांच्या नादी लागण्यापेक्षा एकटेच प्रयत्न सुरु ठेवणं अधिक चांगलं!
या अशा विचारांच्या जंजाळात अडकल्यावर कधी कधी फार वाईट वाटतं. निराशा दाटून येते. मग मात्र मी प्रयत्नपूर्वक त्या निराशेच्या गर्तेतून बाहेर येण्यासाठी उपाय योजते. संत-वाङ्मय वाचणं हा त्यापैकी एक. तुकारामांच्या पुढील पंक्ती खूप प्रेरणादायी वाटतात.

मन करा रे प्रसन्न ! सर्व सिद्धीचे कारण !!
मोक्ष अथवा बंधन ! सुख समाधान इच्छा ते !! 

कुणाला माझ्याबद्दल काय वाटतं  याचा इतका विचार करण्यापेक्षा आजचा दिवस खऱ्या-खुऱ्या आनंदात कसा घालवता येईल याचा जास्त विचार केला असता तर कदाचित निराशा आलीच नसती. असो. सध्या परमहंस योगानंदांचं 'How to be happy all the time' हे पुस्तक वाचणं सुरु केलंय. काहीतरी चांगलं शिकायला मिळेल याची खात्री बाळगून. 

Inspiring Movies-1

Some movies have long lasting impact on your thought process. 'Invictus' is one of them. The movie is about how South Africa President Mr. Mandela changes mindset of his countrymen through a simple rugby game. The movie starts with Mr. Mandela getting elected as a President. He has many challenges to face. The biggest one is hatred among the racially divided society. In order to create unity among his countrymen, Mr. Mandela requests his countrymen to support the national rugby team. The team is an all-white team except one player. Mr. Mandela invites the Captain of the team for tea. The conversation they have inspires the Captain and creates hope in him. What happens next is worth watching on screen.

What I liked most about the movie is the way they depict Mr. Mandela's positively charged mind. Even after spending almost 26 years in prison, he has no negative feeling about the people who put him there! He knows that the right way towards progress (social/financial) lies in uniting the nation. No matter how much opposition he faces for not removing the Afrikaners (white people residing in South Africa) from his office, for not changing the colors and logo of the rugby team, he remains calm and firm in his beliefs. When his secretary suggests him that he is risking his political career, this is what he says:

"The day I am afraid to do that is the day I am no longer fit to lead."

It is really difficult to forgive those who have hurt you the most and more difficult for those who never asked for it. Mr. Mandela does it with ease. His inspiration lies in the poem titled 'Invictus' by William Ernest Henley.

Here it is

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

The last two lines remain etched in your mind.