Karāgre vasate lakșmeeh,
Karamūle saraswatee;
Karamadhye tu govindah,
Prabhāte karadarśanam.
“On the tip of fingers is Goddess Lakshmi, on the base of the fingers is Goddess Saraswati, in the middle of the fingers is Lord Govinda.”
Remembering this, on waking up one should look at their palms first before doing anything else.
Buffeted by waves its affection does not falter.
Creatures that have their being in water,
Taken out of water, die.
My soul if you have no such love
How will you obtain release?
If the Word of the wise is within us
We shall accumulate a store of devotion.
My soul listen onto me!
Love Your Lord as a fish loves water.
The more the water, the greater the joy,
Greater the tranquility of its body and mind.
Without water it cannot live one watch of the day
Only God knows the anguish of its heart.
My soul listen onto me!
Love Your Lord as water loves milk.
It takes on the heat, boils and evaporates before the milk can suffer.
He alone unites, He alone separates
He alone bestows true greatness.
Without the wise, love cannot be born
The dross of the ego cannot be rinsed away.
He who recognizes God within
Understands the secret of the Word and is happy.
O soul! There is but one gate to the Lord's mansion
And there is no other sanctuary.
There are lots of issues that come to the mind when you think about dowry deaths. Being a woman, you see it interconnected with social conventions and traditions.
Do we teach our girls to think for themselves? Do we teach our girls to stand up ourselves? Though some incidents of violence force us to think twice about these questions, when thinking about the alternatives we fall upon the same solutions that our culture, traditions and mythology offer us.
One of the common problems that girls face is being married off without their full consensus because their voices are not heard. You listen to this complaint constantly from young girls even in these times. But they have no option than to succumb to parental pressure and get married off once they reach a marriagable age. Unless, of course you have a love interest and you choose to marry the one you love with or without the consent of your parents, most girls get married because it is the social custom.
Then of course, you silence a woman through various means, their need for independence, make them sacrifice their careers and hurt them physically, mentally and emotionally through reinforcing the same patriarchal values. A woman who responds is isolated from the rest of the community if she protests.
What I feel is that we all need to teach our girls to think for themselves and stand up for their truth. But, what I see is when women respond on social media against dowry, they are trolled for not practising what they preach. I think that is too judgemental because lots of people give advice because they don't want others to suffer the way they have suffered in life. I think we need to appreciate candid posts from women on this issue.
That also means that a lot of women might generalise their personal experiences because they don't want to wash their dirty linen in public.
I remember how my grandmother used to say that women needs to forgive like the earth does. It was so infuriating especially when it came to winning an argument against your male sibling. Later, I remember how a friend advised me to remain quiet if your husband fights with you. Good advice, but do they practise what they say. I don't think so.
It is high time to leave all these old adages alone and start thinking of new ways to live, behave and survive in a new world.
#dowrydeaths
Blessing for Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice falls tomorrow 21st June 2021. This is the longest day of the year and the return of brighter evenings. The term solstice derives from the Latin and solstiticium meant sun standing still. The sun seems to stand still at the horizon, where it appears to rise and set before moving off in the reverse direction. This time is celebrated across ancient cultures with sun dances and other rituals. It is considered a time for spiritual regeneration and for expressing gratitude for all the blessings in life.
#summersolstice2021
#sunmandala
#gratitude
#longestdayoftheyear
You are God, and I’m not. You sent Jesus to be my Savior, so I must need to be saved. I need you to forgive the things I’ve done wrong in life. I need you to give me a fresh start in life. I need you to help me know my purpose. I want to begin a relationship with you. I ask you to come into my life. I want to learn to trust you. I want to learn to love you. I want to learn to love other people the way you want me to. So I ask you today with humility and honesty and sincerity to please save me as I put my trust in you.
I pray this prayer in Jesus’ Name. Amen
