To be brave and strong and true...

A song I love; a lilting melody and an uplifting thought to ponder about every day as I rise and every night as I retire...

In the morning of my life I shall look to the sunrise.
At a moment in my life when the world is new.
And the blessing I shall ask is that God will grant me,
To be brave and strong and true,
And to fill the world with love my whole life through.

(Chorus)
And to fill the world with love
And to fill the world with love
And to fill the world with love my whole life through.

In the noontime of my life I shall look to the sunshine,
At a moment in my life when the sky is blue.
And the blessing I shall ask shall remain unchanging.
To be brave and strong and true,
And to fill the world with love my whole life through.

(Chorus)

In the evening of my life I shall look to the sunset,
At a moment in my life when the night is due.
And the question I shall ask only I can answer.
Was I brave and strong and true?
Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?

(Chorus)

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं

ॐ
पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात पूर्णमुदच्यते।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते।।

The sense of an absolute being, who is complete in every form and aspect is conveyed in this mantra, and His omnipresence and omnipotence implied therein. It creates a most positive vibration whenever I chant it...



ps: Sigh...I wish blogger allowed me to use transliteration for Sanskrit; I'd have gladly played around till I found the Latin letter to get the tail to underscore त in पूर्णात :)

Light and reflection

Light signifies the presence of God
And in His light, we see light.

I am not sure who authored it, but I quote Sr. Rosemary for the above lines. For four years, every Monday morning she led us in prayer with these lines. A devout nun, her voice carried a deep conviction and it resonated through the auditorium as children entered in single file from 3 wide entrances, all a-chatter with their friends. This invocation to God was enough to quieten us, and in many ways rein in our wandering minds and focus on the Light. Its significance I did not comprehend then. With every passing day now, the layers of wisdom contained within it dawn upon me.
It is only by His very grace that we see this world, the light around us, the light within us- the thread that unites us with His being. It is only by His mercy that we are endowed with all qualities necessary to even perceive His dominion. As V put it, we are all but mirrors, and this life a precious gift to us so we may wipe its surface to remove the layers of doubt, misconception and ignorance, as much as we can to reflect His light outward; in other words, life is a medium to strive for purity of spiritual purpose so we may reflect and radiate His brilliance, and in so doing illumine the minds of others around us and spread the joy that it is to be in the reflection of His glory.

Under the Peepal Tree

I seek a spot,
Under the Peepal Tree.
I seek to find
The Light within.
I seek the Truth,
That would set me free,
And with it, a new life begin.

I thought I would create a separate corner for my musings on seeking the Eternal Light, my introspection for the truth within, my inspiration to tread forward, and document my journey and those of my fellow seekers on this path.

And here's why I chose the Peepal Tree