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Over the years, I have been writing little notes and collecting thoughts, words and ideas that inspire me. Especially during moments when I feel low or need a little inner strength.
In a way, this collection has become my own little Gita — not a scripture, but a collection of things that have touched my heart, made me pause, reflect and look at life differently.
These are thoughts that have helped me grow, mentally and spiritually. Some have come from books, some from conversations, some from experiences, and some from simply observing life.
I thought I would share them here. Perhaps something that has touched my heart may touch yours too.
Welcome to this little space of reflection and growth. ❤️
2
When depression knocks upon your door, don’t open it.
Shoot the bolt and turn the key, for if you should admit the visitor into your house you will very soon repent, for where he is, you’ll find no hope no joy no merriment .
He has shocking manners, for he stays and stays and stays, can’t get rid of him at all, a call may last four days. For once he is in, he makes himself at home and there’s no doubt that in the end the only thing to do is to kick him out.
So be warned. For he’s a thief, he’ll steal the things you prize, peace and sweet contentment, in his presence beauty dies.
Nothing seems to be worthwhile, he’ll wear you to a shred, haunt you when you sit alone and follow you to bed.
If you feel that he’s about lock doors and windows fast, give yourself a job to do until the danger is passed. Then in time he’ll tire of seeking you out without success and will leave you free to live in perfect happiness.🙏
3
I guess we all are worriers. So I love this poem which comes from ‘roses for remembrance by Patience Strong.
Why worry worry night and day?
When all you have to do is kneel and pray? Why worry when the power of prayer is yours to move the mountains and to open doors?
Knock said the master, ask and you will receive. His words are clear and plain but few believe the faith is lacking and we are afraid,
of trying out the promises He made. We strain and struggle growing tired and Old, the hand that’s offered we refuse to hold .
We go on worrying our lives away, instead of learning how to trust and pray.
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A little about me:
I was born in Hyderabad Sind (undivided India) into an well known family known
as the Khianis!
My venturesome ancestors had migrated to the Canary Islands to try their
fortune and my parents took me there while I was an infant.
Born and brought up in a predominantly western atmosphere. I grew up totally
westernised in my thoughts and outlook.
Probably the biggest tragedy in my life was the loss of my father when I was
only 4 years old.
But now I see that tragedies also have a purpose and had that not happened,
my life would not have taken the turn that it did. Mother would have not brought
me to India.
As a friend said: ” everything is heavenly sent, everything for the higher good “
While in Spain, It was in 1955 that I was enrolled in to a Spanish Catholic
School run by Dominican Nuns. As luck would have it. I was the only Hindu girl
in a class of over 40 Spanish students.
Denied access to our rich cultural heritage. I could not meet my classmates in
discussion when they wondered aloud how Hindus could be so pagan as to
worship cows, monkeys and elephants. It was, perhaps, this humiliation, of
which I was a victim, which sowed the seed in my mind to know and delve deep
into the Hindu philosophy!
I prayed to my best friend then Jesus Christ to show me the way.
I felt that Hinduism, being such an ancient religion, and still thriving, must be
having good reasons for its beliefs…(subsequently I wrote ‘Hindu customs and
beliefs, which explains all that I had yearned to know and understand. The book is up on my website shakunkimatrai.com for free download and perusal)
and God
works in wondrous ways, my father left the world and my mother, a spiritually
inclined lady embraced India.
And it was in Bharat that I was reborn … And my new life was to take me
through a fascinating winding road of Spirituality!
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I was always told that talking about miracles in life was not encouraged …but my guru’s guru encouraged my guru to share for the benefit of some who may believe and may be on the path… so i believe in sharing…and if you believe what i say, it may increase your faith in the Lord…The unseen hand in creation !
So here goes one of my experiences:
Let me narrate to you how I was unmistakably protected by The Lord.
I was returning from a party with a few friends and I was wearing some of
my choicest jewels. We were on a deserted road when the car was
suddenly surrounded by goons who had nothing good on their mind.
There is little we could do except lock the doors to buy some extra
time…suddenly i shouted: ‘Leave us alone !’ And they retreated much to
our amazement! Who was it who shouted through me? I couldn’t have
been the source of their fear! I look nothing like Madam Dracula or
Superwoman! Who could it be except Hanuman or Krishna? Or God who you may call by any name you may have faith in?
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If I were asked what I thought the message of the Geeta was in a sentence,
I would say: “Do your best, and leave the rest”.I have always believed that once one puts all efforts towards any cause to the best of ones capacity, one is a winner, no matter what the consequences.
Krishna, in the Bhagavad Geeta states the above, in a more complicated way, in the 47th verse of the 2nd Chapter.A lot of people believe that Spiritualism is for those, who seek an escape from life. If that is so, why is Krishna urging Arjuna to fight for what is rightfully his? Does not that mean that life was not meant for escaping to the hills but to face up to life’s challenges?However one must remember that Krishna tried his best to bring about a reconciliation between the warring cousins, Also Krishna’s message was directed to a soldier whose dharma (roughly translated as duty) was to defend his integrity, and the honor of his wife, on whom an attempt had been made to disrobe in public.
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I, Shakun agree when friends tell me that they went to Satsangs but lose interest as half of the words go above them.
My suggestion , surely watch in english if that is your preferred language , however when I watch shows / news and they speak some words or something that I do not know about, or that I do not understand , I pause the tv and ask Google for the meaning, or what they are talking about 🙂 …for those who are really interested , to understand lectures in Hindi they could start by watching some lectures in Hindi on tv, pause the tv and ask google the meaning … many of you know that when I came from Spain as a young teenager, I knew very little English and hardly any Hindi. Google was non existent .
But I guess as I have said before God helps those who help themselves…
Dear readers , I am so happy that you have persevered in reading the notes that I share with you every morning, ( this is also addressed to an interactive chat group that I have) but my knowledge is limited. It would be wonderful and it would please me immensely if you went deeper into the subject of spirituality devoting a little time in listening to good speakers…I can only be a stepping stone for you… 🙂🙏❤️
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A friend has asked:
Why is Gothra Important
In many traditional prayers and sankalpas?
Answer: A gotra is important because it identifies a person’s ancestral lineage, traditionally traced through the male line to an ancient rishi.
Traditionally, many gotras are associated with particular rishis for example, Kashyapa, Bharadwaja, Vashishtha, Gautama, Atri and others.
When you say your gotra during a ritual, you’re essentially saying: “I am this person, of this ancestral lineage, performing this act.”
This is particularly prominent in a sankalpa, where the priest identifies the person along with things such as name, lineage, place and the occasion. It makes the ritual specific rather than simply “a prayer for somebody.”
Gotra also historically had a social and marriage function. In many traditions, people belonging to the same gotra were regarded as sharing a common ancestral lineage and therefore marriage within the same gotra was avoided.
A gotra isn’t the same thing as caste. Two people can belong to the same broad caste/community but have different gotras; conversely, gotra is primarily a lineage identifier.
But there is a deeper philosophical question hiding underneath it.
If you think in terms of Vedanta, the Atman doesn’t have a gotra at all. The Self is neither Brahmin nor Kshatriya, neither male nor female, neither Indian nor anything else. Gotra belongs to the individual’s embodied, social and ancestral identity, not to the ultimate Self.
