Only when I

Only when I got crushed under it, I moved the mountain.
Only when I burnt myself, I rose like phoenix.
Only when I drowned myself, I became the ocean.
Only when I truly surrendered, I won the battle.

Only when I stopped resisting, I flew.
Only when I stopped doing, life started happening.
Only when I observed, I saw the unseen.
Only when I became nothing, I became everything.

Only when I pulled out, existence took over.
Only when I let go, I let God.  

Evolution of Love

I love you because ...
I love you.
I love myself.
I love all.
I love.
I
.

प्यार से एकाकार तक

प्यार तब है जब सारी श्रृष्टि में वोही दिखे
भक्ति तब है जब सारी श्रृष्टि उसी में दिखे
आध्यात्म तब है जब सारी श्रृष्टि खुदमें दिखे
एकाकार तब है जब हम ही श्रृष्टि हैं ये दिखे

Pyaar tab hai jab sari shrishti mein wohi dikhe
Bhakti tab hai jab sari shrishti usi mein dikhe
Adhyatma tab hai jab sari shrishti khudmein dikhe
Ekakar tab hai jab hum hi shrishti hain ye dikhe.

Geet ko uthne do

A beautiful poem "geet ko uthne do" on 'Khumari' recited by Osho: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjRvf_c55yY 

geet ko uthne do 
aur saaz ko chid jaane do 

chuppi ko chune do lafzon ke narm taaron ko
aur lafzon ko chuppi ki ghazal gaane do

khol do khidkiyan sab aur uthado sab parde
nayi hawa ko zara band kamre mein aane do 

chat se hai jhank rahi kabse chandni ki pari
usko aangan mein utar aane do 

fiza mein chaane lagi hai bahaar ki rangat 
juhi ko khilne do champa ko mehek jaane do 

geet ko uthne do 
aur saaz ko chid jaane do

zara sambhalne do meera ki behekti paayal
zara gautam (Buddh) ke sadhe paaon behek jaane do 

geet ko uthne do 
aur saaz ko chid jaane do

haste hothon ko zara chakhne do ashkon ki nami 
aur num aankhon ko zara phirse muskurane do 

dil ki baaton ko zara jharne do har singharon se 
bina baaton ke kabhi aankh ko bhar aane do

raat ko kehne do kaliyon se raaz ki baatein
gulon ke hothon se un raazon ko khul jaane do 

zara zameen ko ab uthne do apne paaon par 
zara aakash ki baahon ko bhi ab jhuk jaane do 

geet ko uthne do 
aur saaz ko chid jaane do

zara sambhalne do meera ki behekti paayal
zara gautam ke sadhe paaon behek jaane do 

kabhi mandir se bhi uthne do azaan ki aawaaz 
kabhi mazjid ki ghantiyon ko bhi baj jaane do 

pinjare ke toton ko dauharane do jhoothi baatein
apni maina ko to par khol chahchahaane do 

unko karnedo murda rasmon ki barbadi ka gum 
hamein nayi zameen naya aasmaan banane do 

ek din unko utha lenge sar aankhon par
aaj zara khudke paaon to sambhal jaane do 

geet ko uthne do 
aur saaz ko chid jaane do

zara sambhalne do meera ki behekti paayal
zara gautam ke sadhe paaon behek jaane do 

zara saagar ko baras jaane do banke baadal
aur baadal ki nadi saagar mein kho jaane do 

zara chanda ki narm dhoop mein sekne do badan
zara suraj ki chandni mein bheeg jaane do 

usko khone do joki paas kabhi tha hi nahin
jisko khoya hi nahin usko firse paane do 

geet ko uthne do 
aur saaz ko chid jaane do

zara sambhalne do meera ki behekti paayal
zara gautam ke sadhe paaon behek jaane do 

are haan haan hue hum logon ke liye deewane
ab logon ko bhi zara hosh mein aane do 

ye hai sach ki bahot kadvi hai mai is saaki ki
rang layegi gar saanson mein utar jaane do 

chalkenge jaam jab chayegi khumari ghata 
zara maikhano ke paimano ko to sambhal jaane do 
zara saaki ke tevar to badal jaane do 

geet ko uthne do 
aur saaz ko chid jaane do

zara sambhalne do meera ki behekti paayal
zara gautam ke sadhe paaon behek jaane do 

na rahe maikhana, na maikhwaar, na saaki, na sharab
nashe ko aisi bhi ek had se guzar jaanedo 

usko gaanedo uske geet mere hothon se 
aur mujhe uske sannate ko gungunane do 

zara sambhalne do meera ki behekti paayal
zara gautam ke sadhe paaon behek jaane do 

geet ko uthne do 
aur saaz ko chid jaane do

============ 
wo ghadi jab meera hosh mein aa jaati hai
aur buddh hosh kho baithte hain uska naam hai khumari

An ode to Sachin

Even if this story may be lost as one more in countless eulogies being written for the retiring maestro Sachin Tendulkar, the story must be told simply because I feel so strongly about it.

To be completely honest, I’ve stopped watching cricket for a while now. I can’t sit and watch a single over, I don’t know the names of the latest cricketers, can’t care about the records and don’t even know who is playing who. This transition has been a complete u-turn from being an ardent cricket fan who used to live, breathe, walk and talk cricket, from being the college cricket captain who wouldn’t sleep the night before every match because he just couldn’t stop practicing the shots in his mind, who had cricket statistics by heart and who recklessly played with his career by focusing on World Cup cricket because it happened during his exams.

A day before Sachin’s final test at Wankhede, when a friend proudly mentioned on Facebook that he got the tickets for the match, I asked him, “What match?” Even then I didn’t seem to care; I’ve watched him enough, I thought. And then on the morning of 15^th November 2013, I saw too many updates on Facebook about the match and it looked like Sachin was batting. So I switched the TV on. Sachin was already on 46 then. And the crowd was roaring on every ball he faced.

I sat. I watched. I forgot myself for a while. The boundaries came intermingled with the defensive shots: sweep, paddle sweep, ducking a bouncer and yet trying to hit a boundary by swishing the bat under the flying ball, trademark back-foot cover drive, straight drive under the fingers of the bowler, on-drive, leg glance, flick and many more. Clichéd it may sound but he was truly on song and it was sheer poetry on the field. When he got out on 74, the applause from the crowd gave me goose-bumps but what surprised me the most were the water drops swelling on the sides of my eyes. That was perhaps the cricketer in me who was going to miss poetry in action.

I wondered what might be going on in his heart and mind. Here is the man who has cradled India’s cricketing hopes for 24 long years on his strong shoulders and a diminutive five and a half feet frame. I’ve seen people believing in all sorts of superstitions when he is batting: never watch him play live but sit in the next room praying, sit in a particular chair, wear a particular underwear, don’t drink water while he plays and all sorts of crazy stuff. But what aplomb, what confidence, what elegance, what modesty, what spotless character and what endearing learning attitude define his persona? No wonder Brian Lara said he wants his son to be Sachin Tendulkar. Let me tell you a secret Mr. Lara. We all want the same. But the Sachin we want is not necessarily a cricketer or a batsman. We want the Sachins to come out in all the sports and professions of the world and raise the bar through single minded devotion, love for their craft, complete dedication and honesty. We all want the Sachin who is the quintessential ideal son, brother, husband and father. We want the Sachins to give the world the much needed joy when they’re in their craft, make people feel that they’ve come to the earth to watch what these virtuosos create.  

There are many Sachins in their respective sports: Federer, Nadal, Messi and others and there will be many more to come. Dhoni may be a better finisher, Kohlis and Sharmas show a lot of promise, but for me, like many others, Sachin defined cricket for more than two decades. The TV is off now. Not sure when I will watch cricket again. It doesn't matter now. 

कोई तो बात होगी

कोई तो बात होगी ज़िन्दगी में
कि दिल को छू जाती है
कोई तो बात होगी मौत में
कि पल में ज़िन्दगी दिखा जाती है

कोई तो बात होगी रात में
कि सपने दिखा जाती है
कोई तो बात होगी दिन में
कि सपने साकार कर जाता है

कोई तो बात होगी प्यार में
कि रुला के चला जाता है
कोई तो बात होगी इंसान में
कि जीना सिखा जाता है

कोई तो बात होगी मुश्किलों में
कि हौसला दे जाती हैं
कोई तो बात होगी खुशियों में
कि आंसू छोड़ जाती हैं

कोई तो बात होगी हर पल में
कि उनकी यादें रह जाती हैं
कोई तो बात होगी रूह में
कि होकर भी ना होना दिखा जाती है 

Life happens

A poet writes life,
a painter paints life,
a musician composes life,
a sculptor sculpts life.

A teacher teaches life,
a preacher preaches life,
a biker rides life,
a sportsman plays life.

Parents nurture life.
Joy celebrates life.
Sorrow resents life.
Breath breathes life.

Life begets life.

At some point

At some point,
everything appears separate;
that point is mind.

At some point,
everything appears connected;
that point is heart.

At some point,
all the hearts connect;
that point is spirit.

At some point,
all the spirits merge;
that point is silence.

A part of us

A part of us is beyond time; 
        it shows us the future sometimes.
A part of us is beyond space; 
        it takes us through our dreams. 
A part of us is enlightened; 
        it guides us through our intuition. 
A part of us is the whole; 
        it whispers to us in silence.