This photograph was taken in Pune in a garden which was inaugurated by Ma Indira Devi. Her photograph is between myself and Sapnaji

I had a wonderful time.

Our Scriptures claim that it is good to take off for a month each year to a holy place.

I try to go for a few days every month to renew myself.

Call it a cleansing.

Or call it a retreat.

It helps, if one is in conducive company, where friends do not misunderstand if one is in the mood to go silent…or take off for a walk by oneself…or giggle like a school girl.

I believe in: ‘people who need people are the luckiest people in the world’

I would only rephrase it as ‘people who believe in people are the luckiest…’

I know, I feel rich, where friends are concerned.

In Sindhi, they say: Saaey maan sau sukha’

Which means that if your friends possess good things or places, (one should be happy for them) as one also benefits from it.

My friend owns a beautiful cottage on top of a hill, in the middle of nowhere as beautiful…overseeing a lake…

And that is where we spent a day and night.

My friend’s name is Sapna.

I send you some of her reflections:

1. Where there is tension, there is no attention.
2. Be centered, not self–centered.
3. Pessimists say that God is nowhere. Optimists say that God is now here.
4. Take the best, leave the rest.
5. Our problems can be summed up in the 3 C’s-criticism, comparisons, complaints. If we can avoid criticizing others, or making comparisons, or complaining, then our lives will be more in tune.
6. When we point the finger at someone, realize that 4 fingers are pointing back at us. As we learned from Ma: don’t try to change others; work on changing ourselves.
7. We have two cars-the ego (Ahankar) and Om (Omkar). Om represents grace and love; while ego represents fear, doubts, and arrogance. We choose which one to drive.
8. The world is a play, Lila. We are the observers. Watch, but don’t get involved. Any reaction or non-acceptance sets up karma.
9. Grace is always there; we just have to “tune in.” Grace comes, but we put up an umbrella. Grace is always there, raining on us. Our thoughts (the mind) are our umbrella.
10. The soul’s purpose, the reason for our rebirth, is to grow, to grow in consciousness. Growing is opening up to receive the grace 
11. When one visits a temple, we leave our shoes behind. We should also leave our mind behind.
12. Meditation is the art of keeping the mind quiet so we can operate from a higher Consciousness.
13. The purpose of meditation is to relax, quieten the mind, and recharge the battery. The mind is like a horse; it takes you where you want to go. One must have reins in one’s hand to guide it.
14. When thoughts come, watch them, don’t latch onto them. After some time, they will cease to come.
15. Oh my lord, yesterday has gone, tomorrow is not sure to come. Please direct and control all my thoughts, words and actions for today only. To simplify: please guide and bless my every moment.
16. How to begin meditation? Try walking first or do yoga. Inhale the pure oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Or just sit quietly in a place where you feel comfortable, preferably the same place each day where you will feel your vibrations. Some people focus on a candle or a picture of a loved one. Or close your eyes and concentrate on a spot in the middle of your forehead (the third eye). Try slow breathing, inhaling and exhaling fully. As thoughts come, let them pass. Try this each day even for 1-2 minutes. Slowly, you can increase the length of your meditation.
17. Draw a circle of protection around you (Guru Mantra)
18. Throughout the day, take away a few minutes to sit and focus inward. Pray to the Lord to increase your yearning for Him. Pray to be open to faith, love, knowledge, courage, hope, kindness, (or whatever is positive in the universe).
19. We cry for everyone, but not the Lord. We need to make him number ONE.
20. We are human beings; but we spend too much time on human doing, we need to become human allowing. LET GO (ego), AND LET GOD (come in). Doer is the mind, we need to do things selflessly, as service or seva to the Lord. 
21. Ask the Lord to make you his instrument, to be a candle through which HIS light can shine. 
22. Acceptance, surrender is the key. His will, not yours. Non-acceptance is pain. The prayer is “help me to have faith in you so I can accept your will”.
23. No expectation – no disappointment. Subtle disappointment is subtle expectation (my will)
24. Love the truth – be true to love.
25. Thy grace – thy will. Please guide and bless – oh god – every moment.
26. There is only one reality – OM – OM – OM – that I AM.
27. Repeat to yourself: I am love – I am light – I am truth – I am purity – I am peace – I am joy – I am wisdom – I am knowledge – I am courage – I am beauty – I am positivism.
28. Keep a watch over the mind twice every moment.
29. Give, give, give, never give-up.
30. Ask yourself what is the priority of my life? Most of the people have money as their priority. Few people have love or god as one. 
31. Watch if i am getting stuck anywhere. 
    a) Desire for senses? (No? Overcame? Fine!)
    b) Desire for wealth? No? Overcame? Fine!)
    c) Desire for name & fame? The most subtle! And most dangerous. (people – what do they say, what do they think, about me) even some saints get stuck up with “my disciples” – “more of them” – “my ashram” – “have more ashrams”. So arise, awake & stop not until the goal is reached.
32. Go within, more within. You will first find wood in the forest, then sandalwood, then still deeper – copper. Move on and you will find silver. Not to get stuck up. Then you will find gold! Very difficult to move on! Then diamonds (there most get stuck up). But move on until you find your Guru and then God.

Keep asking yourself “Who am I? Why am I born? What am I doing? How many births have I repeated doing the same things – and growing a little only?