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The Identities we carry

Śiṣya: Gurudeva, I feel trapped. My mind clings to the identities tied to this body— my name, my roles, my wounds, my ambitions. How can I realise the ātman while living inside this shell? Guru: My child, the prison is not the shell. The prison is the belief that the shell is you. A bird sitting inside a cage is bound, but a bird sitting on a cage is free. The shell is still present in both cases. Śiṣya: But I keep strengthening these identities unconsciously. Every day I react, compare, defend… It feels as though I am polishing the cage instead of opening it. Guru: Indeed. Effort spent on polishing the cage will only make the cage shine. It will not free you. The mind becomes what it repeatedly touches. But listen carefully: You do not reach the soul by constructing a new identity. You reach the soul by dissolving the false ones. Śiṣya: If the ātman is already within, why do we not see it? Guru: Because the Self is subtle and the noise of identity is loud. The sun is always shining, b...
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First Principles in Relationships

1. Existence of Two Selves At the base, a relationship is two individuals with separate thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Each has autonomy; the bond is voluntary. 👉 Principle: You do not own the other; you choose to coexist. 2. Trust as the Foundation Without trust, no relationship survives—love, loyalty, or respect cannot stand. Trust = consistency + honesty + reliability. 👉 Principle: Trust is not demanded, it is earned and maintained by alignment between words and actions. 3. Communication as Lifeblood Misunderstanding is the natural default; clarity must be built. Silence, assumptions, or indirectness cause friction. 👉 Principle: Speak to be understood, listen to understand. 4. Respect for Boundaries Each person has limits (emotional, physical, mental). Respecting boundaries shows value for the other’s dignity. 👉 Principle: Freedom is greater than control in healthy bonds. 5. Mutual Growth A static relationship eventually decays. Both must evolve, supporting each other’s as...
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The Response is Mine

Shishya (disciple): Gurudev, my heart is heavy. Often, when the world troubles me, I find myself angry, restless, even bitter. And yet, later I realize — the fault was not in the world but in my response. Still, I cannot stop blaming others. How do I overcome this weakness? Guru : Child, you have already taken the first step — by admitting that it is your response, not the world, that needs mastery. Many waste lifetimes fighting shadows outside, never realizing the real battlefield is within. Shishya : But Master, the world is so harsh. People insult, situations disappoint, losses break me. How can I not be mad at the world? Guru : Listen carefully. The world is prakṛti — nature, ever changing, ever restless. It has no obligation to align with your desire. Fire will burn, whether you bless it or curse it. Water will flow, whether you smile or weep. The mistake is in expecting the world to behave as per your wish. Shishya : Then is the world blameless, and I am the only culprit? Guru :...
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The Birth–Death Upanishad

Chapter I – The Two Poles: Birth and Death Shishya : Gurudev, I see life sprout and I feel desire. I see life wither and I feel despair. Birth makes me greedy for possibilities, death makes me fearful of endings. Are these not contradictions tearing my heart apart? Guru : Contradictions, yes, but also complements. Birth and death are two notes of the same song. Can there be sunrise without sunset? Can you breathe in without breathing out? Shishya : No, Master. Guru : Then understand: birth is inhalation, death is exhalation. Life is breath itself. Greed at birth and fear at death are but signals. The wise use them to walk with balance. Chapter II – The Illusion of Permanence Shishya : But Gurudev, why is it that I cling to birth as if it were permanent, and resist death as if it were a thief? Guru : Because the mind is intoxicated by the illusion of permanence. When you hold a flower, you rejoice as if it will never fade. But the very fragrance that enchants you is born of its perishin...
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Stability in the Midst of Storms

Scene A quiet hermitage in the forests. The evening sun sets over the horizon, birds retreat to their nests, and the disciple, weary with inner turbulence, sits before his Guru. Shishya: Gurudev, why is life so cruelly uneven? Sometimes I feel that no matter how honest or good I try to be, I am tested more. And yet, I see people who walk the crooked path prosper without shame. Why should one hold on to Dharma when suffering becomes the reward? Guru : My child, you speak what countless hearts before you have spoken. The question is as old as existence: “Why do the righteous suffer while the wicked flourish?” But have you looked deeply at the lives of Rama and Krishna, the two great Avatars? Their journeys answer this. S hishya: But Gurudev, were they not divine? Their struggles cannot be compared with ours. Guru: True, they were divine. But divinity, when clothed in human form, accepts human limitations. They chose suffering not because they lacked power, but because they wanted t...
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The Wisdom of Effort Beyond Outcome

Shishya : Gurudev, I am troubled. The more I grow, the more I realize how small I am. My actions seem like drops in an endless ocean. I wonder — is there any use in trying, when my contribution feels insignificant? Guru : (smiling) Child, you have touched the doorway of wisdom. The Katha Upaniṣad says, “Uttishthata, Jāgrata, Prapya Varan Nibodhata” — Arise! Awake! Approach the wise and learn. To see one’s littleness is the beginning of humility. But to stop acting because of that littleness is a mistake. Shishya : But Gurudev, if maturity means seeing the futility of my effort, why continue at all? Guru : True maturity is not despair; it is clarity. The Bhagavad Gītā teaches: “Karmanye vadhikaraste, ma phaleshu kadachana” — You have a right to action, but never to its fruits. The fruit is beyond you, but the action is yours. Shishya : Yet Krishna also says He is the doer of all actions. Then what role does my effort have? Guru : Just as a flute does not play itself, yet without the flu...
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The River of Love and the Shores of Dharma

Phase 1 – The First Bond: Sneha (Affection) Shishya : Gurudeva, when a child is born, who owes whom? Does the son owe his life to the parents, or do the parents owe care to the son? Guru : In the very beginning, my child, there is no ledger, no balance sheet of duties. There is only sneha — affection that flows like a spring from the mountain. The Manusmriti declares: mātṛ devo bhava, pitṛ devo bhava — “See your mother as divine, see your father as divine.” But understand this well: in those first years, divinity is not about worship. It is about protection without demand. Shishya : Then the son has no duty at all in that time? Guru : Not duty as you think of it. A sapling has no duty to the soil except to take root. The parent’s dharma is to shield, nourish, and create a safe garden for growth. The son’s dharma is to receive with trust — to grow strong without the burden of premature choices. Modern reflection : In today’s world, this is when your parents stay awake through fevers, wo...
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