What is in a name?

What is in a name? 
June 22, 2016
          I just happen to click one of those funtests game on fb which are supposed to say nice things about you. This one was Meaning of your name… I was in for a surprise.!


 This result says:
It means JOY....
          You've got a really special name!.. Your happiness brightens the days of your friends and family like a glorious sunrise in the countryside. There's nothing but pure happiness in your smile!....

Strange that it should say so...
          When I was a child I never cared for my name. I thought it was lame. In my teenage years the name took a some meaning to me as my adoration shifted to hero worship of my father. So in accordance to girinandini in my mind I was my father's beloved daughter as each one of us female species are to our father. But I was wrong....!!!!!!!
       
Revd Swami Gautamanandaji had pointed out many yrs ago in the UK Vedanta Centre.. He had asked in his typical way: "Nandini..! Your name is nandini. Do you know what it means?"
I proudly replied with my 35 yrs of knowledge.."yes, beloved daughter, father's beloved daughter".
He said "No..!" and added to my shocked silence " it means one who spreads delight"... 😱
... Of course I was skeptical.. Please don't tell him..!!

Quite a few years later I repeated this incident to Revd. Swami Dayatmanandaji Mj..
          He clarified that "Nandini comes from the word "Anandini" one who is of the nature of Ananda and hence gives ananda,- bliss"...
          Again this is a beautiful reminder to what I should be, should become... 
          Names have an inherent divine meaning. Names given to us by our parents are the greatest gift. It reminds us everyday what we should become, what divine attribute we should imbibe and manifest..

         With heartfelt pranams to Ma, Baba, chotomama(who actually chose this name, Baba had chosen Mallika), Revd. Sw. Gautamanandaji and Revd. Sw. Dayatmanandaji for this name Nandini. And its meaning. 

Signed..A grateful soul


My Workout Saga...Then and Now

My Workout Saga...Then and Now
June 30, 2016

Ladies n Gentlemen... On May 25, 2016 I had introduced my personal trainer.. 27yr old Chris Schneider from RC Gym...
Well, before I met him, I used to cast furtive glances at these black-n-yellow TRX straps hanging from the ceilings dreading even to go near them for fear of making a proper fool of myself. I always used to lament in my mind why I did not continue the workout regimen from the golden SMU days when I sported a 45mins on stairstepper level 7 svelte physique.. So the day Chris suggested we go on these TRX straps I almost fainted. No way.. but Chris doesn’t take no for an answer so full of trepidation I went.

From     to  

        When I started, I could do merely twice with my arms shaking like crazy. My body would get in all sorts of concave or convex shapes, all but the straight line shown above.
Sorry to disappoint you…No.. I did NOT take pics of those terrible fails..!!  I was always wary of someone seeing me failing… This fear of failure has been so ingrained in our Indian minds from childhood..!!
         But now 2 reps of 12 times each, is a piece of cake and so is the next one which is much, much harder:

From     to 
 .
Yeah…. !!! Finally..!! If I can do this at 52 years of age anybody can - that is the moral of this article.
         By the power of repetition we build up our physical strength and the same goes for our spiritual practice…
          No   PAIN … No GAIN…  is the lesson I have learnt. Thanks Chris…! Also along the way you will find positive people like Laurie and Jarrah, always smiling cheering you on. Thanks Gals…!!
          Thus, what we once had (our forgotten immortal blissful nature) can be regained through sheer hard work (austerities like mantra japa, scripture studies etc) and we need help from a competent teacher. Like Chris, our Guru guides us and Upagurus like Jarrah will lend a helping hand always.
And never keep record of the failures.. like I chose not to take any pictures of those crooked silly shapes..!!
          Friends, lets march on..!!

The Beginning - My Workout Saga.


My Workout Saga...
May 25, 2016
Ladies n Gentlemen... here I present my personal trainer.. 27yr old Chris Schneider from RC Gym... He is a very patient, very shy, modest fellow but very intense on his job... sometimes I have to remind him that I am his mom's age so he should reduce my punishment by even a quarter atleast? I often remind him that he would loose his income if I die on the elliptical.. ha ha..but he is relentless..!! Jokes aside.. he is a sweetheart and very patient.. its sheerly my fault the results don't show on me as it should.. yeah blame the bread n icecreams.. but he did make Meena B. loose 35lbs in 7 months and me 25lbs in 12 months. Not bad yeah?

          Well, I have been thinking of writing this article for some time because of what I was forced to learn from this boy of mine.. yes I am his self-appointed “Cedar Rapids Mom”.

          He opens the gym at 5am so he is up before 4am and in bed latest by 8:30pm.. a 27yr old bachelor.. I was reminded of the 2am walk to 7eleven for a hotdog in the SMU campus on those whole-nighter research at that age.. a complete nocturnal schedule. I have been trying to metamorphose in to this early bird schedule for the past 17 yrs. Even now a good late night movie followed by a night cuppa can easily make the clock hands go past 2am.. !!  So when I go to train with him at 10:30am he had already finished his lunch..!! He is a constant reminder to me of what discipline is.

          Our sessions are a lot of fun.. We exchange happenings, upcoming weekend plans, philosophy of life,  new projects to try etc. I learnt that even in parties he avoids all unhealthy foods and if he has ice cream.. just 1 scoop.!!!!!. and yes he looks like this and he is 27yrs…. Talk about discipline..Man..!!!.. No wonder one of his mentee became the employee of the month.. She had lost 100lbs under his training..!! Moral of the story.. One cannot be an effective teacher unless one practices his/her own preachings.

          Since I started this exercise routine, I don’t know what mountain-load of bad-karma I had done in my past life/lives… I have been getting plagued with one trouble and the other.. bronchitis, back pain, knee pain, gastritis, gastro problem, thyroid, inflammation arthritis, you name it I had it.. So I am forced to skip lessons… but Chris never gives up on me… he is an embodiment of patience. Always encouraging.. always meeting with a smile, lauding the fact that I showed up.. yeah.!! .. training different muscle groups avoiding the problematic ones.. always a total body workout…  with me always leaving with a happy feeling that being there has been a worthwhile accomplishment..

          Nowadays I see FB often flooded with muscle flexing pictures of achievement more-often bordering on narcissism. Of course the attires are purposefully worn to showcase the taut glistening flesh which is supposed to serve as an inspiration. Chris is never seen in sleeveless Tshirts. He runs 36hrs races, triathalons etc.. There are no certificates on his desks, no trophies, no pictures.  So I asked my boy, ‘ How come being a physical trainer you don’t showcase your achievements atleast some pictures or certificates?’ His answer was so startling: “ Nah, I am not that kind. I do not like to brag or showoff. ” Sure enough, Holy Mother had always talked about modesty (in attire as well as in behavior) and since She is the Universal mother its applicable for all human beings. I realized, though this fellow is so shy and modest in his self-advertisement –field of work, yet because of his virtues, Holy Mother is providing him with a constant flux of satisfied clients. Virtues always pay off.

          We glorify the astronauts, actors n actresses, players, who’s who s.. but even in our day-to-day life there are so many heroes exhibiting lessons worth learning in their quiet, simple, humble ways .. It fascinates me and I conclude this musing with an eager anticipation of a fun workout this coming Thursday…!

Thanks Chris… God Bless you my boy..!

A Story of LOVE - Mother’s Day – Part 1


May 31, 2015; 11:30am:    Just a usual Sunday with Tirthankar happily chatting with my mom on the phone, catching up with all the news from both sides of the world in details. Yes, my mom and her son-in-law were greatest pals. After an intense 45 mins of chatting, both sides hung up completely satisfied. No, I was just listening-in busy with my housework… I never got on the phone.  I was still cleaning the living room floors, my weekly routine; when the phone call came around 2pm. My sister was calling from Kolkata, India- my mother had a heart attack. After a benumbed 30mins..  another call from my niece .. mom is gone forever..! She had breathed her last in my sister’s arms in front of the shrine of Damodarlal whom she had served so lovingly everyday for almost 40yrs.

            I could leave only on Monday, June8th, 2015 by an early morning flight to participate in the last rites. Everyone was stunned and friends, well-wishers all flocked with their heartfelt condolences.
           On Friday, June 5th, 2015 around 11am I get a call from Enanga Daisy Fale: “ Hi, How are you? Can I stop by?” I was preparing to receive our guest arriving at 2:30pm that very Friday, for a spiritual retreat that weekend that was arranged months ago (yeah talk about timing!)… So I asked “Sure Enanga, where are you? When would you like to come?” She answered: “ Oh I am close to your neighbourhood..!!!” I was shocked.. and said..” Of course, come on baby, you can come anytime.” Enanga is my CR daughter since our FMS days in RockwellCollins. …. And she zooms right in and gives me “the HUG”.
           Enanga  was working for UT at Rockford,IL which is about 3+hrs drive from Sarada Cottage.  So, I offer her something to eat for she is too polite to ask/inconvenience her mother… and of course I bombard her with questions like: “So, how come you are here in Cedar Rapids on a working day? Are you here for SWE meeting? What’s going on with your life? Etc etc..”..
Enanga just shakes her head and says casually: “ No, I came to see you, to give you a hug before you left for India..”
          In utter disbelief I echo:" You drove 3+hrs to give me a hug before I left for India on a working day?" With a casual shrug while munching away: "umm, anhanh.." was the reply..
          After a stunned silence I asked: “ So where are you going now? Why don’t you stay back like you do?” She again shakes her head : “No, I have to head back to attend another appointment at 9pm in Rockford, tonight.”
          Now people have started to trickle in for the retreat and she gets up ready to leave. The whole week had passed in a haze and food-n-grocery was the last thing we gave importance to. So madly I scramble to find something maybe fruits (apples I think) and I ran after her to put it in the car before she pulled away.. Gratefully she says: “Oh thank you.. this has been the first meal of the day.. I just made the decision to see you before you left and rushed out.. didn’t have time for breakfast or lunch in the hurry..!”

          In the bright blazing afternoon sun I dimly saw the white Lexus pull away from the drive.