Ekta | wisdomekta

Being Grateful These difficult times have shown me many harsh truths about life and people.  Among many such heartfelt revelations is- Our minuscule and uncertain tenure on earth . This "mortality" funda , read in many books, is now becoming a daily visual in the form of the untimely death of young as well as old blood, the tearful eyes, the breaking of many dreams, the collapse of happy families. I marvel at what more a person can do with the remaining breath rather than being grateful to the almighty and the other earthlings. I am grateful... from the biggest things like the unadulterated love of my family, the never-ending support of friends, the incessant dedication of the medical system ...to the smallest unnoticed things like ceaseless electricity supply, the roof on my head, the fully functional body, the ocean of knowledge in form of books, and what in the world... I am even grateful for my ability to read and write!! If the notion is put in this, these are barely a f...

Absence vs Presence Disclaimer- It is a popular story shared on social networks.  It all started one lazy Sunday afternoon in a small town near Toronto in Canada.  Two school-going friends had a crazy idea.  They rounded up three goats from the neighborhood and painted the number 1, 2 and 4 on their sides. That night they let the goats loose inside their school building.  The next morning, when the authorities entered the school, they could sense ( & smell!! ) something was wrong.  They soon saw goat droppings on the stairs and near the entrance and realized that some goats had entered the building.  A search was immediately launched and very soon, the three goats were found.  But the authorities were worried, where was goat No. 3?  They spent the rest of the day looking for goat No.3.  Gradually there was panic and frustration.  The school declared classes off for the students for the rest of the day.  The teachers, helpers, gu...

Sky is the limit...Fly High Disclaimer- This retelling is coming/illustrated from the recollection of my childhood story told by my mother. Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained. Months passed, and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived. The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, “May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem....

  Disclaimer - This book review is self-contemplation of book’s content. The personalized meaning derived from book vis-à-vis the current Covid scenario. The quotes are used directly from book. Where has true emotional warmth disappeared? Why are we all indulged in our own selfish modes and drama? Why the real approach of living is in switch off mode? Hey, don’t judge. The air may be gloomy with C+ virus but spirits are not. I am not pessimistic. And no… I am not nagging. But don’t we all wonder for the reason of our existence. Our sayings and actions don’t match. Sometimes, they are on totally different dimensions. The talks of hearts have lessened. The ears are filled with assumptious noises. The warmth of eyes shrieking cold gaze. We are living as if we are immortals. This current situation urges us to once again become HUMAN. Man’s Search For Meaning (book) is a beacon of light which helps peeping into soul. It rejuvenates meaning of life.  Soul-opener ...

Covid times may sometimes be frustrating but it is teaching the best lesson of practicing  "Patience". Here is one short Zen story. A rich man, fond of felines, asked a famous Zen ink painter to draw him a cat. The master agreed and asked the man to come back in three months. When the man returned, he was put off, again and again, until a year had passed. Finally, at the man’s request, the master drew out a brush, and, with grace and ease, in a single fluid motion, drew a picture of a cat—the most marvelous image the man had ever seen. He was astonished; then he grew angry. “That drawing took you only thirty seconds! Why did you make me wait a year?” he demanded. Without a word, the master opened up a cabinet, and out fell thousands of drawings—of cats. My learning from this - Excellence is a function of time and practice. Don’t rush: Those of us who are always pushing hard, running up the mountain, may reach the top first only to realize we forgot to enjoy the cl...