Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga means liberation through knowledge. Knowledge is truth. And Truth is that God is everywhere and in everything. He is in all beings and all beings are in him. There is no difference between the Self and God. One can practice this with the technique of self inquiry and by asking question ‘Who am I?’ The thoughts arise as soon as ‘I’ thought arise in mind. All the thoughts are based on ‘I’ which is the root of all thoughts. If the root is pulled out then the tree dies similarly if the root thought ‘I’ is uprooted all the thoughts vanishes. Hence, seek the root ‘I’ by questioning ‘Who am I?’. Find it and remove it. The question ‘Who am I?’ is like a stick to gather the scattered wood in the bon fire and in the last the stick will itself burn. It destroys all the other thoughts and finally kills itself also.

(Excerpt from 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind' by Chandrika Shubham. This book is available online at amazon.in)

Obstacles in meditation

Obstacles appear in meditation somewhat like the obstacles appear while performing any other work. Whatever obstacle comes one must try one’s best to overcome it. One should never stop practice. One should not lose heart. Irregularity in practice, diet, laziness and drowsiness, useless conversation, negative emotions, ego, not finding Guru, lack of faith are some of the problems which a beginner experiences. One should keep moving further without getting distracted because of the obstacles. One should not be discouraged as the journey is very long and can’t be completed overnight.

(Excerpt from 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind' by Chandrika Shubham. This book is available online at amazon.in)

Karam Yoga

Every action is spiritual, if it is done without any selfishness. If there is selfishness in doing a task then it is only ‘action’ and not ‘karam yoga’. Karam yoga can be practiced by detaching oneself with the fruits of actions. If the result is not upto one’s expectation then one should not get angry, irritated or unhappy. One has to forget oneself in doing the task assigned. One has to erase the factor ‘I’ from it and has to wipe out ‘I did that work’. This is what meditation means to be completely absorbed in work without thinking about the factor ‘I’. 

(Excerpt from 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind' by Chandrika Shubham. This book is available online at amazon.in)

Shinni with a twist!

My friend told me the traditional recipe of shinni as mix raw flour, unboil milk, ripe bananas, grind sugar and chop fruits. I decided to give it a twist. I poured desi ghee in hot pan and roasted wheat flour in till aroma came and changed its colour to light brown. I mixed the ripe bananas and bura (grind sugar) in a separate bowl. Then added the cool wheat flour in it. Mixed them thoroughly. Added chopped apple, orange and grapes for taste and colour. The result was very delicious.
You must try it if you have a sweet tooth. 

Trick photography

These days it is very common that people click the photos with trick photography. Some try to touch the top tip of a tall building, some try to grab the sun like a ball and some try to push a tall building and some try to hold another person on the palm. The list is endless as our imagination! Here is one pic clicked by me with trick photography. Hope you all like it.

Red-whiskered bulbul

Bulbul is a very common bird in India. They are so friendly that a bird lover can feed them on his palms. Many years back, in our courtyard a bulbul used to come and sing. My mother named her 'Nayantara' and fed Marigold biscuits, its favorite on her palm to it. She sometimes gave it some bits of fruits while peeling them for the family. In fruits, it like pomegranate the most, may be that is the reason of her sweet voice.
The most common variety of bulbul seen in Northern India is red-vented bulbul. One can see them anywhere and everywhere. Many a times I have seen pic of red-whiskered bulbul in books and on net. For the first time I spotted it on top branch of a tree while walking on the path in Mughal Gardens, New Delhi. 

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is the easiest form of God realisation. It is a beautiful way to show love towards God. Bhakti means ‘to worship’ or ‘to be attached to God’. One cannot attain God through logic and reason but from pure faith and devotion. One yearns for God and God alone. In this form of love where there is no expectation. It purifies one’s heart. In sakam bhakti, one desires for materialistic gains and in nishkam bhakti, one desires of God and nothing in return from Him.

(Excerpt from Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind by Chandrika Shubham. This book is available online on at amazon.in)