Downsizing

Image - The might and struggle of Ego

Individuals that have put on adequate number of mileage on their own body/physicality, tend to talk about downsizing. Generally, their offsprings have left their comfortable nest, which is no more manageable for aging dreams. So the talk is now about downsizing, which reflects in various adjustments of personal ego and dreams along with the pain of reality. A multitude of questions crowd the mind to stretch the reality further.

On the contrary, a Sparrow couple leaves its nest soon after teaching its offsprings how to fly out of the nast and then promptly leave it themselves without even taking any baggage. But humans claim to be superior and consequently deal with it differently.

The heaviest baggage that humans trying to downsize have to deal with is attachments and ego, which is the cumulative accumulation over unaccountable period….

The most common topics confronting Seniors living in cities trying to downsize seem to be :

Which books in the private library should be discarded or gifted and to whom? No one wants them besides you since it is your baggage.

Which accumulated material possessions should be discarded ? The list of mindless accumulation  is endless ranging from screwdrivers, cutlery, to top coats.  

Often, in the process of downsizing, several seniors sprain their backs mostly because of the emotional stress of downsizing personal baggage and ego.

In the journey of Life, each one of us tends to accumulate hell-of-a-lot of superfluous baggage in the form of presumptuous scholarship, and judgemental opinions that bundle up as our emotional baggage. Most of it, we accumulate mindlessly from the outside, and find it emotionally so heavy and hard to part with.

When we do not willingly downsize ourselves, outside natural forces automatically take care of it.

Image - Rama taking aim at Ravana’s mighty ego.

How much downsizing to do and not to do remains an ever vexing quandary. The ultimate reality of existence in the form of death and ultimate transformation automatically strips each one of us naked from our accumulated baggage.  

A wholesome concept of downsizing that I have witnessed was from Sarojini, my one and only sister. Even after reaching Senior status, she did not bother to discard any of her household items; knowing fully well that her spouse has been a lifelong passionate accumulator and hoarder.

Instead, every evening in her spacious and homely nest, she diligently engulfed herself in her silent Meditation mode in a comfortable quiet space. She humbly confided in her sole thought:

“ At birth, my body was gifted to me by Nature in a pure state. At the end of my life journey, I wish to return/submit my body back to Nature in the same pure state as I had received it “. That was the sole self-enriching purpose of her Meditation.

I was by her bedside for several hours daily during the last two weeks of her life. Watching her lay on the bed peacefully detached from her surrounding environment until her last breath, was one of the most peaceful transition of life on to the other side of life that I have ever witnessed; providing a precious silent message of emotional detachment to bear in heart.

The effortlessness reflecting through her demeanor during the last 15 years including the last two weeks of her life was abundant testimony to the downsizing that she had cherished for herself. She was religious and spiritual in a sense that seemed most appropriate to her; a way of merging and dissolving completely in universal consciousness.

Watan - वतन

Watan ( वतन ) is our Heartland. The distance between us and our Heartland is always Zero Mile.

The Heartland that has been irrigated and blessed by the presence of major rivers including Brahmaputra ( ब्रह्मपुत्रा ), Ganga ( गंगा ), Yamuna ( यमुना / जमना ), Sindhu ( सिंधु ), Narmada ( नर्मदा ), Mahanadi ( महानदी ), Godavari ( गोदावरी ), and Tapti ( ताप्ती ) has entertained a  Bharatiya ( भारतीय )  way of life, since Centuries before the relatively recent advent of ambitious invaders and colonials greedily seeking its wealth and universal wisdom. The ancient/prehistoric words including Aryawarta (आर्यवर्त ), Bharat ( भारत ), Hindustan ( हिंदुस्तान ) and Hindu ( हिन्दू ) do not represent the madness of a self-incriminating Religion and its hypocrisy, but simply a way of life in which the  " Freedom of Religion is Freedom from Religion " ( Ref. Quote from Shri Shastri, Oakville, Ontario, Canada ).  As a result, in the Hindu way of life, each individual may worship or adore a favorite God image “ इष्टदैवत “ of individual free choice including a tree, river, mountain, bird, animal, stone, and unlimited objects of personal choice. The boundless and unbridled range of choices eventually coalesces into a self enlightening realisation of “ Satyameva Jayate -  सत्यमेव जयते “.  The one and only changeless and eternal Truth in which we find our true universal identity.

This serves as the self fulfilling and timeless history of the Heartland more appropriately identified in native Bharatiya language as वतन; epicenter of our conscious awareness. The following song from the movie titled  Shaheed “ शहीद “ very eloquently expresses the Heartland and freedom spirit spirit of Vatan
“ वतन“

Watan Ki Raah Mein - Mohammed Rafi, Khan Mastana - SHAHEED ...

▶ 3:21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4k2bcecBrQ

1. 
   

SUSHI TAI ( HALWE ) KHANDEKAR - सुशिताई ( हळवे ) खांडेकर

SUSHI TAI ( HALWE ) KHANDEKAR -  सुशिताई ( हळवे ) खांडेकर 

My Dear,

Khandekar Pariwar @ Delhi, Sreekant, Vanita and Jay:

Apte Pariwar @ Delhi : Sanju,  Suhas, Suwarna, and Aparna:

Khandekar Pariwar @ Amsterdam: Shyam, Ella, Siddhartha and Vinay (!)

Khandekar Pariwar @ Indore : Usha ( now the sole survivor amongst Halwe sibling )

And the extended family of loving relationships ~~~

Sharing with you some mental notes related to dear सुशिताई  that might get fuzzy in the timelessness of time:

On Sun, Feb 12, 2017 at 12:40 AM, Khandekar <vivinkha@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Suresh,

The news about Indutai is definitely disturbing. But at the same time it is nice that she was enjoying life. A positive nature, surely, helps a person. Bal and her kids must be missing her.

I am sorry that I am mailing you after a long time.

Your articles are wonderful, I have found a new Suresh through them. Suresh, I really adore you for your enthusiasm, in-spite-of your problems. I am getting news of all the relatives through you. Please, keep it up.

Pictures of the forest are wonderful.They remind me of some forests  I have walked through.

I will try to be prompt.

Sushitai

Sent from my iPad

NOTE : PLEASE CONTINUE READING BELOW PAST THE EMPTY SPACES ~~

	Feb 12
to Khandekar Sushi Tai, stay well.

Suresh

Re: INDUTAI SHEOREY

Attachment, email from Rekha ( Sapre ) Sheorey, which I had forwarded to सुशिताई.

30 June, 2017

Little did we know that in the gentle breeze of timeless time, we are going to lose both Indutai (Sapre) Sheorey @ 98 and Sushi Tai (Halwe) Khandekar @ 92 within a short span of a few months during the first half of 2017. Both of them had lived a full life graced by their self fulfilling optimism of life. Sreekant had reported that आई passed away peacefully in her sleep at home.

In recent weeks, I have been  reminiscing about dear सुशिताई and my pleasant fortune of experiencing her presence during the past 70+ years of my audible life. As a result, I have automatically become the recipient and reservoir of several pleasant memories associated with her presence ranging from :

1. Her youthfull college years in Nagpur coinciding along with Sindhu Deo. At that time Sindhu was staying with Wadada and Vimutai Sheorey on Jail Road, Nagpur.
2. Her marriage with Balasaheb Khardekar of Amravati. Kaka ( my father ) was posted in Amravati during 1948-51 and as a result Sarojini and I were studying at VMV college in Amravati. Consequently,  we had become very familiar with the Khandekar pariwar including Balasaheb, his parents and siblings including Pili, Bhalu and others.
3. During the above mentioned  period, सुशिताई delivered her first child, Sanju, at Amravati. As  सुशिताई was expecting to deliver her first child any day of a designated week, I was pedaling daily on my bicycle to check if the baby had arrived. The day previous to the actual delivery, their big Alsatian dog had bit me on my thigh at the entrance gate of the Khandekar residence in spite of my vainless efforts to fend him off. But fortunately the large Alsatian did not die after 12-days, and I was spared the 21-day course of injections in the stomach !! I was mortally afraid of even one injection at that time! During this period of 1948 -51, Sindhu Deo was also in Amravati married to Bhimrao Deshpande.
4. Later Balasaheb was posted on the Mahanadi River Dam construction project near Shivrinarayan, which was close to Bilaspur, MP. At that time Satchdada Deo was posted in Bilaspur, MP. While our entire Deo family was visiting Bilaspur at Diwali time, Kaka, Aii, SatchitTara, and all of us siblings visited सुशिताई N Balasaheb at their residential campsite in the small rural community of Shivrinarayan. Loe and behold, there was a new small baby in the crib, probably Sreekant/Shyam!. In that rural, open air environment सुशिताई  was beaming pleasantness and Balasaheb was his natural effervescent presence.
5. Later Balasaheb’s posting with a frequency of approx every five years on various river Dam projects kept them moving to Korba and other rural locations.
6. Finally, a residential home at Bhilai, MP seemed to provide the stability that was needed for consolidating and bringing up the three children.
7. Ultimately as the three children Sanju, Shyam and Sreekant  graduated out of school/college and moved out, followed by the untimely death of dear Balasaheb, it was an emotionally hard decision to sell off the Bhilai abode. सुशिताई had described about that painful experience in her eMail  “ The home where we brought up our children and held onto it so very fondly, now I wanted to sell and get rid of it as fast as possible! “. That is the ever changing and challenging dynamics of time.
8. I had seen Sanju on the very first day of her birth in Amravati. Several years later, this very Sanju was studying at LAD college in Nagpur and staying at the hostel. During that time, I remember सुशिताई  visiting Nagpur. Sanju had accompanied us to the KaliDevi Pradarshani at Dussehra festival time.
9. Later, I met सुशिताई  a few times at Shyam-Ella’s residence in Amsterdam, Netherlands a few times after concluding my business related visits at Akzo Chemicals. At that time, Siddhartha was a few years old tomato faced sweet kid  that rode on his small bicycle by Shyam and me along the Rhine river.
10. One and all Halwe siblings including सुशिताई , Babu, Bhaskar, Usha and Sudhakar pursued their University studies at Nagpur. As a result, we Deo siblings had interacted with them frequently and bonded.
11. Their mother Narmada आतेबाई and my Father Kaka were youngest amongst seven Deo siblings and were intimately bonded ever since childhood. The flavor and warmth of their mutual relationship seemed to condense naturally in our generation, and downstream.

सुशिताई and I were only eight years apart in age, and had the unique coincidences of overlapping places and time frames during which we met and shared life experiences. In my perspective, with her consistent unassuming simplicity and grace, she appeared like a transparent ( निर्मळ  ) glass prism through which a beam of light diffracts displaying the Rainbow of colors and harmonious optimism of life.

The last time Usha and I met सुशिताई personally was at Anjali-Rajiv Luktuke’s residence in Kothrud, Pune a few years ago. Babu and सुशिताई were both present there in good spirits and demeanor considering their graceful age.

Our memories of dear सुशिताईi, Babu, Bhaskar and Sudhakar Halwe are fondly enduring and entrenched through life consciousness. Each one of them have left behind for us a self enriching legacy of optimism and warmth of life.

On a separate note, I am sharing with you a few of my communications received from dear सुशिताई ; associated Dewdrops along with the Rainbow of Life reflecting through her radiating positive attitude of Life.

I could not resist but brag about Sushitai's self reinforcing attitude of learning to use the iPad, which was gifted to her by Shyam in her ripe Seventies and promptly assisted by family members in Delhi for continued use of it comfortably. She utilized her emailing skills until her last few months of life @ 92 simply to stay in touch with her near and dear loved ones. How much positive can one get and brave life graciously ! सुशिताई had her share of age related physical issues, but never mentioned her consequential limitations in our mutual conversations.

Almost a decade ago, सुशिताई had direct dialed me @ Addison from her residence in New Delhi just to tell me that she liked an article that I had written. In consideration of the cost of an international call, she spoke for only one minute and affectionately said “ सुरेश तू छान लिहितो रे “. She was referring specifically to my article on “ १९६३ दिवाली का इनाम - आमचा म्हैतर/जमादार, देवकी आणि मी “ . In the article, I had described an incident during my first return visit to Nagpur from US in 1963. सुशिताई was very familiar with देवकी, आमच्या राऊत आणि रवताईंन ची मुलगी. The whole family of four “ राऊत, रवताईंन , देवकी आणि रेवती “ were resident in the side quarters of Nakhare bungalow @ Dhantoli, Nagpur. The said article dwelt on our social hypocrisy and its self-incriminating ugliness in dealing with the untouchable /अछूत / खालचे लोक,  while we worship multiple Gods ( इष्ट देवांच्या मूर्त्या ) in our देवघर daily. That warm compliment from सुशिताई over the phone conversation has become an ever present, untarnishable Memory to cherish for my entire lifetime; more so because It prompted a responsibility to write responsibly about the realities of life.

As सुशिताई developed familiarity with her iPad, she gradually shared with me diverse experience of her life that bonded us further and deeper  ~~~~ .

In the silent pause of moments, Life appears to condense like a Dewdrop reflecting the reality of existence beyond logic or reason and prompting us to surrender unconditionally to the universal wisdom encapsulated within ourselves.

I wished to end this tribute to सुशिताई  with her casual photograph interacting with her immediate family members. However, in the temporary absence of a suitable photograph, I chose to dedicate the following song to her life of warmth and positivity. Today, I woke up with the tune in my mind “ So Long, Farewell ~~”  from the classic movie Sound of Music.

Sound Of Music - So Long, Farewell - YouTube

▶ 3:03

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o48aZ_C52wc

Finally, we conclude this composition with our universal solace “ शांति पाठ “

The Genuine Texture and Literacy of Life

Image - Diapered Trinity frolicking on the texture of sands, symbolising Creation, Preservation and Transformation.  

Park your vehicles, material ideas and judgements at the edge of fathomless Nature simply to play and frolic in the sands of time. While feeling the gentle sea breeze, dig your fingers and feet in the sand to feel the texture of life all around you as well as within you.

Oblivious to the time, you will feel nothing but your own self, its dynamic presence and non-judgmental witness.

In the peace and tranquility of that presence, we find ourselves and comprehend the texture of the genuine Literacy of Life.

Life is not merely about learning the alphabets and arithmetic of Life. It is an unwritten book that gradually reveals and condenses like a Dewdrop, while the Ocean's waves, cool breeze, and the boundless horizon is its constant witness.

It behooves us to spend as much time as possible with mother Nature outside of us, as well as within ourselves to realise effortlessly that both are identical.

The cyclic ebb and tide of Nature separated by a silent lull in between, are forces that constantly guide us to the universal wisdom resident within ourselves. That is simply why, spiritual Piligrimge is a stepless journey within.

Duality

Have heard since childhood, that there are two of each person simultaneously present in the Universe !

Ashwinkumar S. Deo and his counterpart in their respective expressions of Life ~~~

ख़ुद और ख़ुदाह

ख़ुदको ऐनेमें देखो, तो ख़ुदकी शकल नजर आती है।  

नजरियासे जो दिखाई देता है, वो रूप होता है।  

जो नजरियासे दिखता नहीं,

परन्तु हमेशा महसूस होता है, वो ख़ुदाह स्वरुप।

ख़ुदाह, इंसानके  इन्सनियतकी असली पहचान है।  

वो अनजान चार दिवारोंके बीच, कैद नहीं हो सकता ।

ख़ुदाह ना मर्द और ना मादि। शान या शौरत नहीं।  

ख़ुदाह, कोई किताब नहीं।

सिर्फ खुदकी असली पहचान है ।   

मुसलमान गाए, अल्लाह हूँ ~~ अल्लाह हूँ ~~ की धुनमें।

सूफी गाए, सिर्फ हूँ ~~ , हूँ ~~ , हूँ ~~ की धुनमें।  

दो नजरिया, एकही मंझिल, एकही दास्ताँ ।  

खुदकी असली पहचान, किसीभी डरकी शिकार नहीँ।  

ना जनम ना मौत, और ना जहन्नम ना भिश्त।

खुदकी असली पहचान, सिर्फ आझमाई जाती है।  

ख़ुदाह कोई किताब नहीं। सिर्फ इबादत होती है।  

इबादत में एकदूसरेसे, कुछ लेना ना देना।

इबादत में खुद और ख़ुदाह दो नहीं, सिर्फ एकही है।  

चाँद, सूरज, और सितारे जितने गौरसे हमारे दृष्टा हैं,

उसी दृष्टाभावासे, हम उनको सदा आझमायें ।

इंसानियत, हम सब लोगोंका एकही धर्म है।  

इंसानियत कोई किताब नहीं; सिर्फ निर्मल मनसे जीनेका ढंग है।

जीवनकी एकही इबादत हो। एकही पैगाम हो।   

यही हमारे जीवनकी असली साक्षरता हो।  

सिर्फ मस्जिदके मुल्लाह, मंदिरके पंडित, या घण्टाघरके पाद्री ना बनो,

खुदकेही बदन और हैसियतमें, सिर्फ निर्मल इंसान बनो।  

यही है असली हज्ज और असली भिश्त की दास्ताँ।  

04 July, 2017

Dear Vikas,

Image - 4th of July

04 July, 2017 - 1974 = Happy Birthday.

First of all mucho wishes to you for a Happy Birthday. The fireworks that started yesterday in anticipation will continue all day today.  

Some live examples/incidents in our own lifetime provide abundant proof to soak in the dynamics, beauty and harmony of Life.

Feeling the texture of Life seems to be about being human, picking up a colored pencil, or a brush dabbed in paint and translating our emotions onto a suitable medium to feel and touch reality; or alternately gently picking up a musical instrument and tuning into the soothing vibrations of Nature within yourself ~~ . The Universe that lies outside of us is identical to the Universe inside of us; prompts the ageless and timeless wisdom.

Pilgrimage is a silent, fearless, stepless and timeless journey always within reach of every aspirant desirous of true universal Self-identity.

Image - Inner Pilgrimage of saint Meera Bai

Vikas, Best wishes from all of us today, your auspicious Birthday.

Affly,

Baba, Mama, Deepak. Arshi, Sagar, Judi, Arielle and Raul.

Dimensions of Spirituality

Constantly inundated with shapes, sounds and shadows, humans are prone to assigning the same characteristics to Spirituality; and extending it to God, Heaven and Hell.

Spirituality is not a medal of honor that is displayed and visible as Ego. Spirituality is about voluntarily dissolving and merging with Nature all around ourselves that removes all lines of physical separation.

Thoughtless concentration ( एकाग्र चिंतन ) is not Pin-Point concentration, which implies a physical dimension to it. Any and every physical dimension naturally applies self imposed limitations. With the constant habit of applying physical dimensions to a thought, humans attach physicality to its concepts of Spirituality, God, Heaven and Hell; are all intangible, undefinable, and solely inner experiential realisations.

All Religions of the world, which are solely human fabrications, provide physical dimensions to their exclusive ownership of God and Spirituality, with a natural consequence of dividing humanity in the worst possible ways. The current status of the global religious arena is its constant witness and proof.

Religions have traditionally offered intangible propositions to the gullibles who refuse to take responsibility for themselves, their actions and corresponding natural consequences. That population of humanity seems to grow in compounding proportions.

It behooves us not to become Anti religious, but really be Anti Religious-Hypocricy ingrained through centuries of self incriminating progression.

Religion and Spirituality seem to be all about realigning our own individual specific conscious awareness with full responsibility. Try to apply to it any dimension or definition, and the Hell breaks loose.

My friend Shri Shastri from Oakville, Ontario recently commented on a similar topic “  Guess, the freedom of religion is really freedom from religion.”

Note - This composition is dedicated to the indelible memory of my eldest brother, Satchit Madhusudan Deo, and cousins Govind Vinayak Deo, and Bhaskar K. Halwe who were born on 01 July. It is the birth of an individual that enables us to experience their presence in our lives.