Apology for my mistakes and for not spending time with my family while frantically focusing on work and career

-

તેને પૂછ

શું માછલીના વૃંદને જળ નૃત્યમાં ભાવવિભોર બનેલ જોયું છે?
મને શી ખબર જા સમંદરને પૂછ..

શું સિંહને સૌ પ્રાણીઓ સાથે હાથ મિલાવી દોસ્તી કરતો જોયો છે?
મને શી ખબર જા જંગલને પૂછ..

શું ચેરીના વૃક્ષો પર થીજાતા શિયાળામાં માંજર બેઠેલી જોઇ છે?
મને શી ખબર જા બગીચાને પૂછ..

શું પર્વતને રાતના અંધકારમાં ભાન વગર ઊંઘતા ચાલતો જોયો છે?
મને શી ખબર જા પવનને પૂછ..

શું કમળને પ્રભાતકાળે કાચીંડાની માફક રંગો બદલતા જોયું છે?
મને શી ખબર જા ભમરાને પૂછ..

શું થોરના વનમાં ચારે બાજુ રંગબેરંગી પતંગિયાં ઊડતાં જોયાં છે?
મને શી ખબર જા રણને પૂછ..

શું ચંદ્રને મધ્યરાત્રિએ માનવીના નસકોંરા સાંભળી પેટ પકડી હસતો જોયો છે?
મને શી ખબર જા આકાશને પૂછ..

શું મોરને એકાગ્ર બની તેના પીંછાથી મેઘધનુષ્યમાં રંગ ભરતાં જોયો છે?
મને શી ખબર જા વાદળેાને પૂછ..

શું વાંસળીના મધુર સૂરો સાંભળી નિર્દોષ વાછરડાંને મીઠા ઝોકાં માણતાં જોયાં છે?
મને શી ખબર જા નટખટ કાનુડાને પૂછ..

શું સમગ્ર માનવ જાતને એકસાથે દેવો જેવી થતી જોઈ છે
મને શી ખબર જા ઈશ્વરને પૂછ..


- સૌરભ ચોકસી
ફેબ્રુઆરી ૩,૨૦૨૨
૪ઃ૨૫ પરોઢે

-

A single word can brighten the face of one who knows the value of words.

Ripened in silence, a single word acquires a great energy for work.

War is cut short by a word, and a word heals the wounds and there’s a word that changes poison into butter and honey.

Let a word mature inside yourself.

Withhold the unripened thought.

Come and understand the kind of word that reduces money and riches to dust.
Know when to speak a word and when not to speak at all.
A single word turns the universe of hell into eight paradises.

Follow the Way. Don’t be fooled by what you already know. Be watchful.
Reflect before you speak.
A foolish mouth can brand your soul.

Only the word “I”
divides me from God.

- Yunus Emre

-

On this Valentine's Day
Let's love ourselves
Because we are:

V alued
A uthentic
L ively
E mpathetic
N urturing
T ruthful
I nspiring
N atural
E nlightened

-

Dear God: Purify my speech

I realize my slanderous tongue can be as sharp as a razor
Like an invisible incinerator, it can be a slayer

It can be smooth as porpoise but what a great pretender
In a heartbeat, it can turn into a deadly edge of spite, scorn and slender

It can cause more harm than any human hands
I have seen it turn merciless, ruthless and cruel with inhuman demands

Dear God:

Purify my speech
Let it not shine with pride or aim to teach

Curb my language
Let it not others put through the anguish

Tame my words
Let them be full of respect, kindness, and concerns

Pacify my voice
Let my soul, in silence, be still and rejoice

Command my anger
Before it leads to confusion, chaos, tyranny, and danger

Guard my lips
Let it utter music of harmony and not conflicts

Keep watch over my tongue
Let it transform into lute singing songs of your love and glory unsung

-

”What you want to be ” is a sole
Determining factor for the every
response you make in your life

-

Let’s not simply react to
situational chaos outside,
Let’s turn within and
call upon all the resourcefulness
In our being.

-

Dear God: I submit my intelligence

In my prayer,

Too many words, too many ideas
Too much reasoning, conditioned by media

Too many arguments, too many desires
Too many promises and lies that a man acquires

Too much syllogism, too much verbosity
Too much pride, haughtiness mixed with pomposity

Dear God,

I have seen my vice, I want to leave complexity
I want to purify my heart and embrace simplicity

I submit myself lord, I submit my intellect at thy feet
I put aside concepts, theories and my act of deceit

I resign my lord, tame my reason, chasten my thought
I still and pacify my mind and hear your voice that my heart forgot

Let me rest in your arms, like a child in his mother’s embrace
Let me see my so-called intelligence turn into ashes in your loving grace

-

Dear God: How can I ?

How can I sing when others weep?
Seeing millions around me deluged in sorrow so deep

How can I dance when others mourn?
While they feel stuck in the place of no return

How can I eat when others starve?
Left with nothing of there own in reserve

How can I sleep when others can't close eyes?
Suffering as victims at the bottom of the whirlpool of lies

How can I rest when others toil?
Their hands and feet turned into dungeon’s spoil

How can I live when others die?
Not giving their loved ones even time to say goodbye

Dear God:
I want to sing the praises of your name
Rising above the treachery and rat race of the worldly game

I want to be sensitive to the suffering of men far and near
Want to see in their teary eyes your image appear

I want to not grow callous, ungrateful and earless
To cries and sufferings of the human race so destitute and restless

I want to travel deep within the depth of my conscience
And find rapture of oneness, solace in your providence

-

Dear God : Allow me


To be steadfast in faith through life’s tests and trials
I know being in your light it will all be worthwhile

To embrace the world with smiles in all conditions of life
I know in your world, sometimes there would be peace sometimes strife

To retain your principles in prosperity as well as in adversity
I know you are the only knowledge that prevails in uncertainty

To hold my ideals and honor high in all circumstances
I know you will not let me fail and give me more chances

To choose being kind over being right, being loving over cynical
I know with your grace all lovers and foes would become identical

To be more to all sentient beings than I am expected to be
I know that in different forms and shapes you are coming to find me

To judge not another by my own law, conditioning and prejudice
I know you get sad by these blasphemous acts, standing on your precipice

To not neglect who depend upon me, relatives, friends, coworkers, and clients
I know it’s your wish that helping humankind creates an alliance

To be in your presence and in a shower of your grace
I know how I find peace and solace in your holy embrace

-