Swami Chaitanya Keerti
Mystics & beards
On my recent trip to the US, a man working in a restaurant greeted me with Assalamu alaikum and I responded with Wa alaikum assalaam. In a shop in New York, the shop-owner, perhaps an Indian or Pakistani, told me that he would give me a big discount as I was a Muslim. In both the places I wondered why they thought of me as Muslim.
The boat is empty
I have seen many people getting possessed by strong emotions and it takes a while to be free from its poisonous effect. And it is not just about our major conflicts with people, even insignificant things may trigger something in our unconscious mind that may lead to big emotional explosions.
The divine within
All over the world people say hello when they greet each other, but in India we greet each other with “Namaste” or “Namaskar”. This means: I bow down to the divine within you.
Gosling to play with US rock band
Hollywood heartthrob Ryan Gosling has landed himself an invitation to accompany American band Gaslight Anthem on their upcoming tour. The 32-year-old Notebook star has a musical band with partner Zach Shields Dead Man’s Bones and his songs have enthralled Gaslight, reported Contactmusic.
Chandra Shekhar on ‘illegal occupants’ list
Former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar died six years ago in July 2007 but the Uttar Pradesh estate department continues to list him as an “illegal occupant” of government accommodation.
‘Distorted’ portrayal of JNU irks students
Raanjhanaa has made it big at the box office, having already grossed over `50 crore in two weeks. Not only that, it has also won appreciation from critics and movie buffs. But ironically, one corner where it is being widely criticised is the very place that forms an integral part of the film — Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Surprises galore
The focus was clearly on youngsters as the Indian selection committee named a 15-member squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe series.
Nirvana, this moment
Bulle Shah, the Sufi mystic saint of Punjab, says “Rab da ki pana, ethon putiyan the ethe lana (God-realisation is as simple as uprooting a plant from here and replanting it there)”. It is not a long and arduous journey. Zen masters in Japan do not even call it a journey from here to there.
