Every morning she is up before dawn. It does not matter how the weather is outside. She doesn’t mind the heat of the summer or the chill of the winter or the wetness of the monsoon. The weather does not interfere with her experience. Walking to the bags, she sorts out the food for the …
Continue reading Lesson 153: In my defenselessness my safety lies
Let me tell you a story. It is not an unusual tale but quite a commonly told one. You could ask "why anyone should read a story that has been said many times before," but bear with me. This is a story that needs to be said again and again, till you believe it. It …
Continue reading Lesson 141: My Mind holds only what I think with God
My chest pounded and head felt heavy. I watched the anger rise and reminded myself to do nothing. What had fighting with my father ever achieved? Nothing. He was himself. Always was. He never saw his need to please others. He never understood how he sometimes put me, his daughter down just to please someone …
The door banged loudly behind him. Resisting the urge to follow him, I began to clear the dishes. It was best to wait for a few moments. There was no point in talking to him when he wouldn’t listen. Scolding him didn’t work, disciplining him did not work, and showing him his flaws certainly didn’t …
Continue reading Lesson 38: There is nothing my holiness cannot do.
Lesson 37: My Holiness blesses the world “Senseless. Useless. You sent me here. I want to go back to Mumbai.” The messages appear rapidly on my phone. Somehow, the anger did not rise. Instead, I felt a wave of compassion. Two days ago, I had been scared when he messaged about not wanting to live. …
Continue reading Lesson 36: My Holiness envelopes everything I see
Dear God, I have come to this Holy city to atone for my sins. I have come here to lose myself and find you. My list of wrong doings runs long. I see myself as a mean person. I see myself as a selfish person. I see myself as uncharitable. I see myself as needy …
Continue reading Lesson 35: My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.
I didn’t know why I had called her. She was not a friend I would turn to. She only spoke about God. God was a myth. I did not believe in that entity. And yet somehow, I had found myself calling her. There were times in the call when she had irked me as usual. …
Continue reading Lesson 34: I could see peace instead of this
I was more than a little confused. It was not like Shea to be upset or moody, especially with me. I was the one she confided to in her worst moments. Why was she not speaking to me today? Her choice to be quiet instead of talk to me had me confused. Maybe she had …
Continue reading Lesson 33: There is another way of looking at the world
As the phone rang, I knew what it would be. There was only one reason people woke me up in the middle of the night. Another baby had been left at our doorstep. As I got ready, I knew what everyone at the orphanage would be doing by now. There was a standard set of …
Sipping my coffee, I looked at the busy street outside. The traffic showed no sign of pausing. It was then I noticed the beggar, right outside the café. She was chasing after a man who was passing by. A dishevelled dirty skirt wrapped around her bottom, an oversize shirt hanging over a lanky top half, …
Continue reading Lesson 28: Above all else I want to see differently.
