There is no Art maker

An artist is a student. His studenthood is lifelong. The process which others perceive as of making art is actually the process of learning. While working on every art piece artist is learning. It is a process of refinement. Refinement not just of artist's skill and talent but also of his self. The process of refinement is a lifelong, in every work till his death. The best work of an artist is learning. He must ceaselessly carry it on. Only then he will be really an Artist. The moment he stops to be a student he will stop being an artist. There is no art maker just art learner. This is what I have learnt today. Please feel free to comment critically and add on to my understanding.

Speechless

परमेश्वर ने मानव को अपनी ही छवि में बनाया । उन्होंने उसे शक्ति और समझदारी दी जिससे की वह पृथ्वी पर  सामंजस्यपूर्ण साम्राज्य स्थापित कर सके। और हर प्रेममय माता पिता की ही तरह वे सिर्फ इतने पर नहीं रुके । परमात्मा चाहते थे की उनकी संताने स्वर्ग का अनुभव करे । इसलिए उन्होंने धरती पर ही स्वर्ग का निर्माण किया । और उस स्वर्ग को नाम दिया गया "कश्मीर " 

लेकिन मानव ने अपनी शक्ति के दुरूपयोग से इस जन्नत को बना दिया जलता हुआ दोज़ख।  ये है कहानी कश्मीर की । 

२ जून १९४७ 

लार्ड माउंटबेटन, कांग्रेस और मुस्लिम लीग ने बटवारे के कागज़ातों पर दस्तख़त किये । अंग्रेज़ो ने ऐलान किया की जो ५६२ रियासते भारत के प्रत्यक्ष शासन का हिस्सा नहीं थी  वो भारत अथवा पाकिस्तान का हिस्सा बन सकती है या मुक्त देश  के रूप में रह सकती है । कश्मीर के महाराजा हरिसिंह जम्मू-कश्मीर को स्वतंत्र राष्ट्र रखना चाहते थे। उनका सपना था की जम्मू-कश्मीर एशिया का स्विट्जरलैंड कहलाये । महाराज भारत और  पाकिस्तान के साथ अपने राजनयिक संबंध नहीं बिगाड़ना चाहते थे ।

इसलिए उन्होंने दोनों देशो के साथ यथास्थिति करार करने का फ़ैसला किया। 

उन्होंने पाकिस्तान के साथ अगस्त में समझौते पर दस्तख़त करवाये।

और भारत के साथ वैसा ही करार करने की बातचीत शुरू की 

लेकिन अक्टूबर में ही पाकिस्तान ने कश्मीर पर लस्कर से आदिवासी आक्रमण करके समझौते का उलंघन कर दिया।

पाकिस्तान ने कश्मीर के पश्चिमी भाग पर कब्ज़ा कर के उसका नाम रखा आज़ाद कश्मीर। 

( कमाल की बात है की आज़ाद नाम वाला कश्मीर दरअसल पाकिस्तान के कब्ज़े में है। )

जब परिस्थिति राजा हरिसिंह के हाथों से बाहर जाने लगी तब उन्होंने सैन्य सहायता के लिए भारत सरकार के दरवाज़े खटखटाएं। जिस पर पंडित जवाहरलाल नेहरू और सरदार वल्लभ-भाई पटेल ने महाराजा हरिसिंह के सामने कश्मीर को भारत में परिग्रहण करने का प्रस्ताव रखा। इस विषय पे आगे चर्चा करने पर सरदार पटेल ने महाराजा हरिसिंह को कश्मीर परिग्रहण संधि के लिए राज़ी करवालिया। इसके बाद कश्मीर और भारत के बीच परिग्रहण की संधि पर हस्ताक्षर हुए, जिसमे धरा ३७० का प्रावधान था। धरा ३७० के तहत भारत की केंद्र सरकार जम्मू-कश्मीर से जुड़े कोई भी कानून बिना जम्मू-कश्मीर राज्य सरकार की सहमति के लागु नहीं कर सकती । इस संधि के बाद कश्मीर भारत का अभिन अँग बन गया, और सारे कश्मीरी भारतीय। मगर इस धरा के रहते कोई भी भारतीय, जो कश्मीरी नहीं है, उन्हें कश्मीर में संपत्ति खरीदने का अधिकार नहीं है और ना ही कश्मीर में मतदान का अधिकार है।  इसके अलावा विभाजन के दौरान बेघर हुए हिंदुओ को लगातार नागरिकता से इंकार कर दिया गया है। नतीजतन हिन्दुओं को राजनैतिक, आर्थिक और सामाजिक भेदभाव का शिकार होना पड़ा, और वो अपने पुस्तैनी घर, ज़मीन और जायदात से हाथ धो बैठे। परिग्रहण के बाद शैख़ अब्दुल्लाह जम्मू-कश्मीर राज्य के पहले मुख्या मंत्री बनाये गए। शैख़ अब्दुल्लाह राष्ट्रीय सम्मेलन के नेता थे। वो महाराजा के शासन के खिलाफ था और मुक्त कश्मीर की भाषा बोला करता था। जैसे ही परिग्रहण संधि पर हस्ताक्षर हुए भारतीय सेना ने हल्ला बोला और पाकिस्तानी सेना को मुहतोड़ जवाब दिया और एक ही दिन में श्रीनगर का पदभार संभल लिया। १९६५ में पाकिस्तान ने फिर हमला किया, इस जंग को द्वितीय कश्मीर युद्ध कहा गया। पांच हफ्तों तक चले इस जनसंहार में दोनों तरफ को भारी जान माल का नुक्सान हुआ। हज़ारों लोगों को अपनी जान से हाथ धोना पड़ा। ये जंग संयुक्त राष्ट्र के अनिवार्य संघर्ष विराम और ताशकंद घोषणा जारी करने के बाद समाप्त हो गया। लेकिन शान्ति संधि को बरक़रार नहीं रखा गया है। 
पाकिस्तान के बार-बार हमलों की बदौलत बोहत से युद्ध हुए ।
और इस जनसंहार से कोई समाधान नहीं निकला है, सिर्फ दोनों मुल्कों को भरी नुकसान हुआ है।
क्योंकि शांति कभी जंग से नहीं खरीदी जा सकती।
आक्रमणकारी १९४७ से ही कश्मीर में जगह-जगह छुपे हुए है और ऑयल-बढ़ रहे है।
आज भी ये, लोगों के दिलों में नफरत, डर और हिंसा की आग लगा रहे है।
ये लोगो के दिलो-दिमाग में ऐसे विचार भरते है की उन्हें लगने लगता है की वे भारत के बलपूर्वक शासन के अधीन हैं।
और भारत एक कट्टर हिंदूवादी देश है, और उनके कश्मीरियों के प्रती अन्यायपूर्ण और अनैतिक हैं।
भोले-भाले, गरीब, बेरोज़गार और अनपढ़ इनके झांसे में आ जाते है।
वो अपनी कोशिश हर तरह से करते हैं, यहाँ तक की मीडिया का भी इस्तेमाल करना उन्हें खूब आता है।
इस भीषण संघर्ष में हज़ारों मासूम, बेगुनाह कश्मीरियों की जाने गयीं है और अनगिनत ज़िंदगियाँ बर्बाद हुई हैं।
कश्मीरी पंडितों को मजबूरन अपना सब कुछ पीछे छोड़ कर जाना पड़ा।
किसी ने उन्हें रोकने की कोशिश तक नहीं की और उस दिन कश्मीर के नाम पर एक कभी ना मिटने वाला दाग लग गया।
आज भी कश्मीरी पंडित रेफ्यूजी कैंपो (शरणार्थी शिविर) में रह रहे हैं और कोई उनकी मदद करने तक को तैयार नहीं है।
आजकल सुर्खियों में मानव अधिकार के मुद्दे चर्चित हैं।
कश्मीर में मानव अधिकार उल्लंघन के बहुत ज़्यादा मामले सामने आते रहते है।
जून १९९३ में प्रकाशित "द ह्यूमन राइट्स क्राइसिस इन कश्मीर" के अनुसार।
कश्मीरी सुरक्षा बल यत्ना देने के लिए विविध प्रकार के अनैतिक और असंवैधानिक तरीके वापरते हैं।
इन सब में बुरी तरीके से पीटना, हाथापायी, शारीरिक शोषण, मानसिक शोषण, लैंगिक शोषण, जलना, गरम धातुओं से दागना, मानसिक हानि और बेज़्ज़ती, ये सारे तरीके हैं।
सिक्योरिटी फ़ोर्सेज़ बार-बार हॉस्पिटलों और मेडिकल सुविधाओ पर छपे मारते हैं, यहाँ तक की बच्चो, महिलाओं और बूढो के अस्पतालों तक को नहीं बक्शा जाता।
लेकिन मिलिटेंट्स भी मानव अधिकार के उल्लंघन की सीमाओ को पार कर रहे है और ओनके ये अपराध दर्ज नहीं होते।
सेना के ऊपर औरतो और बच्चों तक को जान से मारने का लांछन है।
और अलगाववादी इन बातो को तूल दे रहे हैं।

क्योंकि जो दीखता है, ज़रूरी नहीं की वो हमेशा सच हो।

काफी बच्चों को कश्मीर में बचपन से ही बहकाया जाता है और उनको आतंकवाद की रह पे ले जाया जाता है।
इतना ही नहीं, कई महिलाओं को आतंकवादी संगठनों में सक्रिय पाया गया है।
ये आतंकवादी और मिलिटेंट्स आम जनता में ही बसे हुए हैं की इन्हे पहचानना मुश्किल है।
कई बार ये लोग सेना के भेस में हमले करते हैं।
इन मिलिटेंट्स और आतंकवादियों के दिमाग बोहोत घातक तरीके से ट्रैंड और ब्रेन वाश की उन्हें ज़िंदा छोड़ना बहुत खतरनाक है।
इसलिए कभी-कभी मुश्किल फैसले लेने पड़ते हैं

यहाँ आप एक बम प्लांटेशन देख रहे हैं।
बम को सर्जरी के द्वारा सुसाइड बॉम्बर के शरीर में डाला जा रहा है।
हमारा संविधान कहता है की भले ही १०० गुनहगार छूट जाए, लेकिन एक बेगुनाह को सजा नहीं मिलनी चाहीए।
मगर क्या ये इन हालातों में संभव है?
क्योकि अगर सेना कुछ निर्दोष जाने बचने के लिए इन आतंकवादियों को छोड़ दे, तो कई और जाने दाव पर लग जाएगी।
लेकिन फिर जिनके अपने ऐसे हालातों में मारे जाते हैं, उनके दिल सेना और देश के लिए नफरत से भर जाते है।
कहा जाता है की सत्ता और ताकत इंसान को भ्रष्ट बना देती है। मगर दरअस्ल जब सत्ता और ताकत भ्रष्ट लोगो के हाथ में आती है तो सत्ता और ताकत भ्रष्ट हो जाती है। ऐसे कई मामले देखने में आये है जहाँ आला अफ़सरों ने अपने औहदे का दुरूपयोग कर बलात्कार, हत्या और लूट जैसे गंभीर अपराध किये है ।
अगर कश्मीरी जनता सेना का समर्थन करे तो उन्हें मिलिटैंट्स के प्रतिशोध का सामना करना पड़ता है। अब दर्द की इन्तेहाँ इतनी हो गयी है की कश्मीरी जनता इतनी परेशान, इतनी सेहमी, इतनी उलझी हुई है की न अब उन्हें भारत चाहिए न ही पाकिस्तान। अब वो अलगाव की मांग कर रहे है ।
मगर क्या अलग होना इस समस्या का हल है?
हमने एक बार पार्टीशन देख लिया है,
और वो घातक गलती दोहरानी नहीं चाहिए।
और अगर ऐसा हो जाये तोह क्या उसके बाद भी कोई गारंटी है की पाकिस्तान कश्मीर पर फिर हमला नहीं करेगा?

फिर इस समस्या का समाधान क्या है?
कश्मीर की सबसे बड़ी समस्या है गरीबी और बेरोज़गारी।
धरा ३७० के तहत वहाँ पर कोई बाहरी कंपनी निवेश नहीं कर सकती।
जिसके कारण वहाँ कोई कंपनी अपना व्यवसाय नहीं फैला सकती।
इस वजह से वहाँ रोज़गार और आय के स्त्रोत नहीं बढ़ रहे।
धरा ३७० को समाप्त करना इस समस्या का एक संभव समाधान हो सकता है।

प्रेम-लीला

तुझे फिर फिर पाके फिर फिर खोने में मज़ा है।
तुझे फिर फिर पाके फिर फिर खोने में मज़ा है।
क्योंकि जब पा ही लिया, तो खोना क्या है?

तू मेरी, मैं तेरा इसमें नया क्या है?
नया तो तब होगा, जब तुझे खो कर पाऊँ , पाकर खोऊँ, तू मेरी मैं तेरा ये भुला कर खोऊँ।
फिर तुझे पाऊँ , याद करू और याद दिलाऊँ ।
कभी तू ढूंढे मुझे, कभी मैं तेरे पीछे पीछे आऊँ।

प्रेम महज़ हमारा संगम नहीं है।
प्रेम तो सफर है, तलाश है।
चलो अब संगम हुआ पूरा,
फिर भूल जाये एक दूसरे को सनम।
और फिर मिले अजनबी की तरह । प्यार की छुपी छुपी दबी दबी तलाश में।
फिर ढूँढू मैं खुदको तुझमे,
 तू ढूँढे अपने को मुझमे।
फिर खोये हम बचकाने ख़्वाबों में।
फिर वही शान्ति की खोज में जाऊँ।
हार के अपना सब कुछ तुझमे,
फिर बैठ किनारे प्रेम-पीड़ा के गीत बनाऊ।
नदियों को सुनाऊँ।
तुझे फिर फिर खोऊँ, फिर फिर पाऊँ।

- दुर्गेश

कुछ बोलो मत

साँसों को बात करने दो,

कुछ बोलो मत । 

धड़कन को आवाज़ करने दो,

कुछ बोलो मत । 

आँखे भी करती है बहुत कुछ बयाँ,  

बयान उनको ही जज़्बात करनेदो,

कुछ बोलो मत ।

रगो में जो छायी है खुमारी

ज़रूरत है इन्हे बस तुम्हारी । 

खुमारी को और बढ़ने दो,

कुछ बोलो मत ।

लब्ज़ो में गुम हो जाते है एहसास,

एह्सांसों को महसूस करने दो, रूह तक उतरने दो, जीवन में भरने दो,

कुछ बोलो मत । 

- दुर्गेश

My Films

Kalma Kalam Ka Meri Kalam Se

मैं अब शराब नहीं पीता

मैं अब शराब नहीं पीता,

क्युकी शराब का हर एक कतरा मेरे पहने नकाब को चकनाचूर कर देता है। 

वह नकाब जो दिन रात होश में पहने फिरता हु तेरी याद को छुपाने के लिए।  

वो नकाब शराब की चिकनाहट से फिसल जाता है,

ठहैरता ही नहीं मेरे अश्कों से भीगे चैहरे पर।   

What is enlightenment?

Enlightenment is nothing that you need it is something that you require. What I mean is it will make your life more easier. It is neither a commercial commodity which can be sold or bought, nor is it a service to be rendered. It is just pure, unadulterated experience of worthlessness and impermanence. The realization I am talking about doesn't make you rich, powerful, beautiful, intelligent, immortal or superior in any way. It is just realizing that these all things are worthless.

When you realize, You can really see things as they are and understand how your body and mind works. How various emotions motivates a living being and how an idea controls/ guide/ direct them.
Enlightenment definitely puts you out of greed (to have) and fear (to lose) hence it ends misery. And only that is its purpose. You will still have the same life, same troubles, same inadequacies and same problems. What you won't have is greed to get things, designations, wealth or power and you won't have fear of losing any of it either. That will be the only difference.

It will break all your norms, take away all your collection of thoughts, processes and right-wrong. Shatter all your dreams of greatness and immortality. You won't be great or immortal, but mortality and commonness won't bother you. Enlightenment is so simple that its enthusiasts don't accept it. It offers them no hardships to boast about; No power to show off or dominate others; No riches to enjoy; No nymphs to serve them; No clairvoyant visions; No Matrix movie resembling control on universe; No supernatural power or paranormal experiences; No trophy gods. There is absolutely nothing in enlightenment that can gratify one's ego. Hence those in pursuit for enlightenment to nurture their ego and experience some imaginary orgasmic pleasure never find one. When I am talking about ego it is not just the loud obvious prideful voice. In stead the politeness to gratify ego is greater danger. Because in latter you will never even accept that you are trying to gratify ego. You will change the meaning of words.

Crab, Centipede and Love

There is a famous Aesop parable about a centipede. A crab saw a centipede and could not believe his eyes. One hundred legs! – how could one manage? Which one to put first and which one next and next and next? You have to continuously remember otherwise they will get intertwined, entangled in each other, knotted into each other and you will fall! The crab must have been a great philosopher. He asked the centipede ’Sir, can I ask a question? How do you manage? – one hundred legs! It must be a constant trouble and puzzle for you. I have been watching you. Just looking at you walking I became so puzzled: which one to put first and which one to follow?’ But the centipede had never thought about it. He said ’I have never thought about it and nobody has asked me about it. I will think about it and then I will tell you.’

He started thinking; but then he could not take a single step! He wavered and fell. He was very angry at the crab and he said ’You fool! Now I will never be able to walk, I will be worried which leg to put down first. It has never been a worry: things were being managed somehow, nature was doing the trick. Now you have made me self-conscious, you have destroyed my harmony!’

It is a beautiful parable. This is what has happened to man.

The more man becomes civilised, the less loving he becomes, because civilisation is a discipline of calculation and love cannot exist with a calculating mind. Civilisation is an effort to improve upon yourself. There are a few things which can be improved, and there are a few things which are already perfect and cannot be improved; and love is that kind of thing.

The mind can be improved: one can go on improving the mind and polishing it, and one can go on accumulating information; there is no end to it. It is said that a single human brain can contain all the information that is contained in all the books existing on the earth this moment. A single human brain can contain all the libraries of the world. That immense possibility is there. Hence man can be educated as far as the mind is concerned.

But love is already perfect. It is a perfect gift, there is no way to improve upon it. If you try to improve upon it you may destroy it; that’s how it has been destroyed. You cannot teach a fish a better way of swimming – or can you? It is already perfect. You cannot teach a bird a better way of flying; it is already perfect. If you try to teach a fish how to swim and you send her to a school to learn swimming, every possibility is that you will kill the fish. The poor fish will be killed by your education; you will confuse her.

Love cannot be improved upon, it is already perfect. This has to be understood. You need not learn loving. All that is needed is: forget all that you have been taught about love and you will be able to love.

AIB : Save The Internet. Please ACT NOW! #SAVETHEINTERNET

Poor Farmer, Rich Modi

Today is the day that may be remembered as the dark day of Indian history. Modi with his brigade is going to charge on poor farmers with his Trojan called Land Bill. Is there no one to stop him? Well the sad truth is there are few, but majority wins. What are we educated and so called  socially sound people doing? Well we are busy with our work and business. Using our so little free time watching TV, chatting, and trying to grab those small things of life. Who has the time and energy to resist a problem that will stab the farmers. We don't care for such petty things. We are busy reading and sharing social media content that are so crispy, entertaining, ego gratifying and most of the time untrue. But, it doesn't matter as long as we get gossip content.
I am ashamed to be Indian. Because we are the one who under such influence voted for a mass murderer crook.

Being awake (enlightened) is like being in love!

Being awake is like being in love! It may hurt but then it is the truth.

What does it mean to be an awake man? 

To me it means living my life confident, free and unafraid. It means to live impeccably, with integrity and honor, serving the world the deepest gifts of my soul, earning as much money as I need, doing what I love to do. It means to live every moment in alignment with the deepest truth of my heart; caring, understanding, loving and protecting my friends and family. It means flooding my lover with the fullness of my love. But more than all that, to me being an awake man means to feel all the pain and all the pleasures of this human existence with my heart wide open. 

But what does that really mean? 

   As humans, we are designed to outgrow everyone and everything. Constant evolution is the name of this game: this truth is written in the fabric of our very being. So to be happy, we need to constantly grow. To attain mastery, we need constant challenge. 

   Realize that your training is never going to be over, and there will never be a day when you will have fixed everything, and then you will rest. Life is change, growth and evolution; change, growth and evolution is life. The only thing you will ever find constant around here is change. So give up the grand illusion of “fixing things”. There is nothing broken in this universe… it's just that everything is always dancing the dance of change. 

   Understand that just like life itself, the woman in your life will also never get "fixed". There is nothing to fix. She is what she is and you are what you are. She is your complimentary opposite, here to teach you some of the deeper lessons of life, to make you a little more whole.

   She will never become "like you" because if she did she would become a man. You do not want her to be "like you", unless of course you want her to be a man. 

   She is chaotic and unpredictable, incomprehensible and sometimes utterly unbearable. That’s what the feminine is like. Don’t try to fix her or limit her within your little box of logical 2+3=5 understanding but care of her and understand her, respect and love her for what she is. The more you take the time to learn about her, about the essence of feminine energy, the more you study the psychology of attraction, the more you will understand, and the more deeply you fall in love with her. She is attractive because she is different.

   Sometimes however, it is not in your best interest to remain any longer with the woman you were once in love with. There simply exists no more love and the distance between you is too great to bridge. There is no growth and being together no longer helps either of you become better human beings. In such a case, when there is nothing left to do, you may choose to leave her. If such is your choice, never look back, but only make that choice after you have tried everything else. Regret is the worst feeling in the world, it is poison for the soul, remember that, nothing else comes close.

  A great secret of life is that your woman and life itself is one and the same. 

They are both part of the divine feminine. They always bring the same challenges and push the same buttons. They work in unison to help you grow from a boy to a man. When you are having trouble with your woman, you can be sure that the world will present you with the same challenges. When the world challenges you to change an aspect of your personality, you can be sure your woman will find the same thing unattractive as well. Your lesson is then, to pay careful attention to both what the world and your woman wants you to change. It is an essential adjustment on the road to life mastery.

   The life of a man is that of an awakened warrior. An awakened warrior is unafraid of pain, of defeat, of death, of life. The heart of an awake man remains open in the face of all disappointments and pain. It is easy to be loving when you are holding your loved one and she is smiling at you with respect and admiration. But an awakened warrior realizes life is a perpetual dance of the opposites. The only constant is change.

   As there is light so there is darkness, they go together. As there is compassion, so there is cruelty. As there is success, so there is failure. An awake man practices keeping his heart open in love and kindness even when everything hurts. He remains open even when he is facing the greatest disappointment of his life. He remains open not just when he is falling in love but also when his beloved is in bed with another man. He remains open when he is facing dying corpses, he remains open when he has lost the respect of the one he loves the most. Remember, compassion is not about crying for the weak, but remembering that all is One and then doing what is necessary. Strength is not about lifting the biggest rock, but feeling the greatest pain with an open heart. Love is not about owning someone but recognizing yourself in the other person. Being an awake man is about being able to remain open in love and kindness even when you are feeling the greatest pain or facing your darkest fear. Being an awake man is having the courage to be impeccable even when your whole world is falling apart.

To be an awake man you have to become perfectly aware of your shadow side.

   Your shadow side generally holds all your fears, insecurities, negative thoughts, judgments as well as dreams and positive qualities you are too afraid to claim. The more aware you are of your shadow side, the more able you will be to effectively deal with them. On the other hand, if you choose not to accept your dark side, if you are preoccupied with only projecting an image of all goodness and make believe happiness to everyone, you only handicap yourself with your own ego.

   When you try to hide your dark side, you end up projecting those very same qualities on to the people around you... this is a common human trait, to project our own dis-owned negative qualities or potentially positive powers on to other people, and its terribly difficult to become consciously aware of this. Yet the dark side is nothing to be ashamed about. In fact, the day you are able to uncover all these hidden attributes of your psyche from the shadows of unconsciousness, will be the day of your re-birth.

   I realize I have fears and insecurities. I realize I have automatic patterns of reactive behavior I am ashamed of. I realize I hold many thoughts, judgments, ideas and worries within me that I am not proud of. These thoughts and judgments are mostly about me, but they are also about my loved ones, my family and people around me. I am aware of this and I am unafraid to admit that I hold these thoughts and feelings. These are not by choice and not some thing I want to willingly harbor. But I have them and I am not going to pretend otherwise. The good news is I also know whatever I can become aware of, I can change, redefine, reframe, reprogram. This little secret is what makes me limitless on the path of eternal evolution. 

Realize, as an awake man, your true home is that part of you that never changes: the fabric of life, Source consciousness, that holds all the universes.

  

   You are a wave that is arising from the Ocean that is the source of all things. As long as you are unable to experience this simple truth, you will not know what true love, happiness or freedom really means.

  You are part of that Source which is eternal, un-manifested and un-divided. If you wish to play this game of life with joy and laughter, you have to do whatever it takes to remain aware of your true identity. Without that awareness, you will be nothing but a floating twig in the vast ocean of constant change, being distracted by this wave now and that wave two days later.

   When you realize that you are one part of Infinity, you also realize that as a man your priority in life is discovering the deepest gift you are here to offer to the world. Your priority is to know your true purpose and embarking upon that journey, no matter what your challenges may be. Your intimate relationship comes second.

   The more aware and aligned you are with your true purpose of life, the more grounded you will be as a man. This does not mean you have to ignore your relationship in order to be successful but simply that your journey is about offering your deepest gifts to the world and your intimate partner is there to help you learn and grow more than you could by yourself. Your journey comes first, your intimate relationship next.

   Your journey is the priority; your lover is your partner on the journey who shares the same vision. Remember this. On the hero’s journey, you must choose a partner not based on looks, or how strong your chemistry is with her, or how funny she is, but that she helps you to grow faster and deeper more that you could by yourself. Feminine love is here to help you awaken, first, not to make you happy.

Choose to live on the edge of your strengths and capabilities.

   Never remain long enough anywhere to become comfortable because comfort is the opposite of growth. If you are stuck in career or job that demands far less than what you are capable of, leave that job or change that career as soon as possible; a day spent underplaying your true potential is a day wasted in life.

Kahlil Gibran wrote in The Prophet: 

If in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness
and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter,
And weep, but not all of your tears.

   As a man capable of awakening, if you are living a life going to a job because you have to, sleeping with a woman because you signed a "marriage contract", sticking to a career because you have a fancy title... you will always feel like you are stuck in a seasonless world where you laugh but not all your laughter, and weep but not all your tears. This is what happens when you choose to live out of alignment with what you know to be true in the deepest depth of your heart.

When you spend time with your lover, don’t do it because you have nothing better to do, but because it is your hearts deepest desire to spend time with her at that moment.

   Be with her only when there is nothing else in the world that you would rather do at that moment and there is nowhere else in the world you’d rather be. Your lover will appreciate you doing this because when you are with her, she feels your hearts longing for her; she feels your integrity, your sense of purpose and your undistracted, grounded, sense of identity that is in touch with Infinity. In this ocean of unchanging consciousness, she is free to dance like a goddess because she is in the presence of god. 

Once again, try to remember always: life and your lover is one and the same. 

   She is the world and the world is She. Both are dedicated to help you become all that you are destined to become, all that you promised yourself you would become. And so they will test you.

   They will constantly test your integrity and dedication all the way. At times even the best of us get lazy and at times even the ones with the clearest vision become petty, overcome by insecurities and boyish ego pursuits. Whenever you do that, your lover will torment you, torture you, insult you and generally do whatever it takes to push you out of your pettiness and comfort zone. In these times, the more you resist, the worse it gets. She knows your true potential and will not settle for anything but the best. Be grateful if you have a woman like that in your life and say thank you to her everyday for her intuition and deep sensitivity of the movement of life.

   To win her love, to feel truly respected and honored, choose to be guided by the vision of your personal destiny every moment of life - the journey of offering your deepest gift to the world. Whatever you do, wherever you go, whoever you are with, never forget what your purpose in life is. It’s a bit like a mountain at the edge of the village. No matter where you go, the mountain is always there reminding you of its presence. Realize that without this awareness of your deepest commitment to life, your personal destiny, life will always feel empty - an endless stream of disconnected moments that have no coherence or higher meaning. 

   Look around and notice all men who are spending their lives unaware of their mission, disconnected from their deepest driving desire, trying to make some money, satisfying someone else’s vision, going to job that weakens his soul, doing what he is told, never free, never feels ecstasy!  This is called the “insectification of man”: humans programmed to behave like ants in a colony. Notice the terminal boredom in their eyes, and promise to yourself: "I will awaken as many of these sleeping bothers and sisters as I can. I will set them free. I will do whatever I can, in my own way. This is my promise."

   Remember life is only worth however much you are alive this very moment that you are living. It can all end any moment; look around, the most improbable vibrant full of life people die all the time, without a moments notice. It could be you, it could be me… So ask yourself this question everyday, put a reminder on your phone or computer: "What do I have do today so if I die tomorrow, I will die complete, knowing that I have done everything I could possibly do?" 

   To be fulfilled, to be inspired, to be truly happy, you will always need to stay connected with the infinite mystery that gives birth to all the universes. This mystery is your very essence, your deepest identity, what you truly are beyond all apparent sense of discontinuity. You will need to have an intuitive sense of oneness with this cosmic drama and your role within it. How do you do this? Two effective ways are regular meditation and silent retreats away from the everyday distractions in life. 

   

   Remind yourself over and over of who you are, why you are here, what is your purpose, what is the innermost truth of your heart, what is your deepest driving desire? 

Know these answers and live the life of an awakened man. This journey dissolves all the way to eternity.

Khoj

Dukh hai, rudan hai,
magar meri iss chir vedna ka koi naam nahi.
Dhup hai, tapan hai,
magar meri iss ghani dopahar ki koi sham nahi.
Yu toh bohat hai gyan aur vigyaan ke prashno-uttar,
magar mera astitva hi mera prashna hai,
aur iske uttar ki khoj ka koi veeraam nahi.
Dukh hai, rudan hai,
magar meri iss chir vedna ka koi naam nahi.

- Durgesh Gupta

Ruki kalam

Aaj fir kuch likhne ka Mann hai.
Aaj fir dil me halchal aur rudan hai.
Aaj fir kuch likhne ka Mann hai.
Waqt tehra hua hai lekin ghadi ke Kato me ab bhi chalan hai.
Dhadkan ruk ruk ke chalti hai baar baar.
Pata nahi naso me ye kaisi jalan hai.
Ye maraz shayad dwa k baski baat nahi.
Isliye haathon me thami kalam hai.
Aaj fir kuch likhne ka Mann hai

Apurna

Kya main ye haath hu? Ya ye haath mera hai?
Kisine kahan ki haath mere bina adhura hai. toh kya main iske bina pura hu?
Jaise main sochta hu ye haath mera hissa hai, shayad mera haath bhi yahi sochta hoga ki main iska hissa hu.
Iske hone na hone karne na karne ka asar mere jivan ke har ek pehlu pe padta hai. Thik jaise brhaman ke numntan kone me mere Karni ka asar padta hai. Mere hone ka asar padta hai.
Ye kaynat mujhe pura banati hai lekin ye Brahman mere bina adhura hai.

Sound, Lights, Camera, Action and Love

Do you know what a director’s biggest dilemma is?

Yes, to get good actors. In fact to get actors. Because there is no good acting or bad acting. Either you can act or you can not. There is no other option. While in struggle I discovered an amazing fact, there is no competition in the field of acting. Just clutter. Mumbai has lakhs of wannabe stars and handful real actors.

There is a notion that actors and actresses compromise to get roles but it is other way around most of the time Directors compromise by casting a non-actor. To reach out real actors is really a play of destiny.

Stage fear is the worst kind of fear. It is a crisis situation and an obstacle for actors. And, worst for wannabes. Dale Carnegie in his incredibly famous book (How to win friends and influence people) mentioned that people fear more, about what others may think of them, than death. So, before camera starts rolling Director says few things that will curb fear and boost confidence in actor.

We had a subject in college, “Radio and TV broadcast.” Where a former newsreader thought us. Apparently she was also one of most early and flawless TV newsreaders of India. She gave us a guru mantra, “Whenever on screen just remember; the lens is not just the lens, it is thousands of people who love you and understand you. Look at them with love and you will always have confidence within and fear will dissipate with the power of love.”

It really works!

Whenever I have performed a good skeet, play or character, it has been this mantra that made me successful. Whenever I have performed badly was due to the stage fear and precautionary conscious.

So, the story goes like this. Once while shooting our weekly TV show an anchor was fumbling a lot. She was not a performer. We had to make her perform. There were numerous failed takes. It was taking long. Unexpectedly the director had to leave due to some urgency. He asked me whether I could wrap up the rest of shoot. I was pleased with opportunity and assured him the work will be done. Later I told the girl that look into the camera with love. The senior and other cast and crew broke into laughter. The director heard it and joined them. There reaction was, “Are we making Porn?”

And my thought was, “Is Sex and Love a synonym for you all.”

But unfortunately yes. For masses it is.

I have often got into discussion with actors mostly females. I am surprised to find that they take sex for love. Once a smart wannabe actress also mathematically expressed: Sex + emotions=Love. She was a good engineer and understood everything mathematically. Even dance, like how much do we need to raise our hands 45 degree or 30. Whatsoever, other female members of the group agreed to her. And I was numb.

 I guess that is the reason every other beautiful girl I see has been done wrong by some deceitful guy.

My dear friend, colleague, and guide, Satish Purohit (Former editor of a leading Newspaper) once told me about a poet. One of the most respected poets till day. Even Galib bowed in their name.  Almost all his poems are on love. Inspired by and for her. You may not be familiar with his name but certainly you have heard his poems in the form of famous old Bollywood songs that are popular unto day. Many guys must have got their girls by singing songs written by him. The exciting thing about this man is the girls go gaga by his words but he never got chance to even touch his love of life, or to spend some time in talks. What would you say about his love? Fake?

It doesn’t matter what I think, feel or believe. The point is what masses think. I will have to half-heartedly believe the norm.

Now, once I was watching an Amitabh Bachchan interview. In this, Bachchan sir shared his Acting mantra. He said, I love my audience and my audiences love me. Whatever I am I owe it to their love.

I wonder how would these people interpret whatever the god of acting said.