From should to is. “You should study!” “You should respect elders!” “You should be kind to others!” Most of us would have heard some of these statements in our childhood. Whenever I heard a ‘should’ it would make me cringe. It made me feel that there was something wrong with…

Our multiple identities. It’s raining outside. Misty and cold. I sit here in the studio of a friend, wondering what to write. Should I write? Or should I just sit quietly? Listen to the gentle music. Experience the warmth of the shawl wrapped around my legs. As I close my…

From doing to Witnessing. All our actions stem from desire. Even the desire to be desireless is a desire. It is almost impossible to practice Krishna’s advice to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, ‘nishkama karma’, desireless action. “The cause for human suffering is desire.” says Buddha Yet, desire and action…

Being present to Presence. Sitting here in a mountain village in Dharamshala, I wonder what must be happening back in Mumbai, the city I have lived most of my life. People rushing to offices, trains running one after the other, street vendors shouting to sell their wares, corporate executives grabbing…

The problem with being positive. There was a time when I used to try to like everybody. If someone made me uncomfortable and I disliked that person, I would feel equally uncomfortable for not liking that person. I had this ideal “I must like and love all.” Perhaps my interest…

Thinking about thinking. We spend our entire life thinking. What to do? What not to do? What to say? What not to say? Figuring ourselves and our life with thoughts. But have we ever thought about thought? What is a thought? Where does it come from? What does it do…

Spiritual paradox. “Let Go” “Be Natural” “Do Nothing” “Be As You Are” “Be Spontaneous” These dictums are the essence of most spiritual teachings. Deep. Profound. Valid. The only problem is, how does one do it? As soon as you “try” to be natural, it becomes unnatural. When we make an…

Awakening to Presence In my quest for self-discovery I have dabbled with a number of self-help techniques. Psychoanalysis, past life regression, psychodrama, inner child healing, body wisdom, family constellations, landmark forum, process work, group relation conference, interplay, gestalt, emotional freedom technique, cathartic writing, transactional analysis, dream interpretation, narrative therapy. No…

Finding fulfilment I. Conditioning Most of us have grown up on a diet of achievement, ambition and success. We were rewarded for coming first. Recognised for getting the highest marks. Celebrated for outdoing others. …