Tuesday, September 29, 2009

the form and the formless

light reflected off a form creates shadows.........when there is no form there is clear light.........

Monday, September 28, 2009

the good and the bitter...........

the best moments in life remind me of a bowl of sweet delicious berries...........you enjoy every bite of it and unexpectedly you bite into one, and find it has rotted leaving a bad taste in your mouth..............how do you wash away the after taste...........by noticing the feeling and then letting the moment pass, the key is not to allow the feeling to live in the mind space..........

Monday, September 21, 2009

The first unrehearsed words that come out of a person when they meet you are a reflection of that person's thought and feelings............then the camouflaging begins with more words and cover up explanation..........just smile to yourself.......the secret is not to take those words seriously...........exist in the ultimate lightness of being.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

September 16 - Heathrow airport - terminal 3

A woman smiled when she saw me walking with my right shoe in hand……the blister was bothering me so I decided to be bold and walk, one shoe in hand, pretending that it was the most normal thing to do after a long flight…………..Boots pharmacy sells blister plaster, which has worked wonders………as I walk around the airport, wondering what to eat I see a sushi place…..Yo to go (across from Harrods)……….the place is bright and clean, offering packaged meals to take with you on the plane or you can sit around the counter…….. in full view the food is being prepared and a small conveyor belt moves various dishes for you to select. The TV monitor explains how this restaurant operates, and if you do not fancy anything that passes by, you can push the red button and a friendly staff will be over to help you with the order………….. A full stomach feels satisfied and nourished after eating a bowl of miso soup, edamame beans, rice with teriyaki sauce and green tea……all for a mere 4.70 British pounds.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

vienna to toronto

departing from vienna...........the night was spent with musical snoring notes in the background............i woke up before the alarm, trying not to disturb the other two people sleeping in the room...........

thank you iPod for providing the light.........no light in the dark hallway and the elevator was not working as I rolled the luggage down the 6 floors, my apology to the sleeping neighbors......it is what it is.....i had to catch the flight

Saturday, September 12, 2009

London - family ties renewed and soul nourished

I look at the last 7 days which have been spent recapturing the past and living in the present.............the household, comprising of the cousins and their families...........the young woman, Batool, I last saw her when she was hardly a teenager...........she has grown into a charming, beautiful and a loving young lady...............a wonderful extension of her parents, Seema and Hashim, their love, warmth and hospitality will require a whole book ................ truly wonderful........selfless in any and every way that can be defined.

Batool is both successful in her career and warm and uncomplicated in her relationships............amidst her busy schedule of long working hours, she managed to spend three evenings with me, a dinner, movie night and taking me to see a play..........

Mulka and her son Karim...........where warmth, love and a smile manifests itself...........many years have passed since we met............each moment spent in their company is a reminder that time is a concept and relationship a lasting reality.

Monday, September 7, 2009

on the train from christchurch to waterloo


Sitting on the train as I head out from Christchurch towards London, Waterloo and on to Harrow………….I recall the last four days which were spent with the two most wonderful people. Meeting them again after many years, I realized that the hospitality, warmth and caring that I saw more than 4o years ago still exists. My uncle and his beautiful wife……..the hot water bottle which she tucks away in your bed, I had forgotten that till I crept into the bed…………the days were spent discovering the small town of Christchurch and its history …………….my recent interest with photography got a great dose of intense lessons as I got an opportunity to follow my uncle as he took his great shots and later on showed me a few techniques on how to enhance the light contrast using the computer software. Her patience with us as she observed the surroundings and recommended some great picture shots…..We were reviewing the pictures one evening, when he looked out the window and said this is a beautiful sunset, I am running out to get some photos……….I jumped up, lest I get left behind………….I had seen the many shots he had taken at the town quay, and wanted to capture some similar ones with my camera……..I watched him with his jacket falling off his shoulders, his scarf hanging on one side, trying to fight his tremors to focus the camera, I smiled to myself, the Parkinson may have affected his memory, and impacted his physical movements, but his passion and eye for photography remains unchanged………I look at his beautiful wife, and noticed the adoration in his eyes, one evening we look through the old family photographs,  the pictures from their first date to when the two children were little to many, many other beautiful shots, her beauty remains eternal, the suave man in the pictures is her hero……….

Saturday, September 5, 2009

the visit to dorset




.........as i watched the sights through the camera lens the desire to capture each moment with its beauty, depth and my own interpretation increased with each click....the swans, the ducks, the birds. the boats and the people..........the clouds changing color as the sun hid behind the trees..............and.........as the sun began to set, the wonder of the moment and the realization of that which is each moment was in complete surrender

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

staying within the stillness of an analytical mind

the endless chatter of the mind continues to weave stories........our ego self loves to be part of the stories, is it then the ego creating the stories...........as we continue to define ourselves, defend our positions and do all that prevents us from diving deep enough to uncover and recognise the ego...........pause.......take a deep breath and for brief moment settle into a stillness...........as an observer......... centered with a silence and stillness within, see and live amid all the noise and activity

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

when is the quest over.....

.......when you feel a sense of contentment........of having all that you need and needing all that you have................there is a sense of achievement, the search is over............it is time to assimilate, process and internalize the external gains.............