Live Positive Way - From my lockdown diaries (4)

Live Positive Way

Even after a year, the Pandemic is still hanging around and striking us badly but anything and everything has to change and this too will change. Till then, have faith. The best times are ahead of us and if you are an atheist then trust in nature and if you are the theist like me, whatever your faith is, trust your God. He will protect us. I request all my blog walkers to stay safe, wear mask while you go out, wash hands regularly and maintain social distancing. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
 

वनमाली गदी शार्ङ्गी शङ्खी चक्री च नन्दकी |

श्रीमान्नारायणो विष्णुर्-वासुदेवोऽभिरक्षतु ||

 

vanamAli gadI shArngI shankhI chakrI cha nandakI

shrImAn nArAyaNo vishNur vAsudevo'bhirakshatu

 

Sriman Narayana, who wears the garland of flowers (vanamali) and who, has the mace (sharnga), conch, discus and the sword (nandaki)- may that all-pervasive Vasudeva protect us all.

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Sometimes we get inspired by people who are close to us. Not just our parents even our kids influence us a lot. My daughter does it so gracefully all the time. I see her as my grandma’s replica and she maintains her own rules. From her formative years she believes a lot in God and prayers (thanks to my mother who inspires her in this regard). Since when she was 8-9 years old, she started chanting “Vishnu Saharasnama” (Chanting sloka which consists 1,000 names of God Vishnu) and she can recite it by heart. I have always absorbed her chanting in the evenings which runs for about 40 minutes. She used to chant along with the voice of Ms. M S Subbulakshmi (prominent Carnatic singer), which plays out of an audio tape. I used to utilise that time for my dinner preparations. One day when I sat next to her, I was awestruck to see how meticulously she chants and I felt I must also start chanting daily. The next day I sat with her and started reciting the sloka with the help of online lyrics. When I started, I felt it will be extremely difficult for me to chant the entire phrase and expected it to be tough. To my surprise I was able to chant and I indeed started getting hints of the upcoming next phrases, rhyming stances, and the notations where I must give a stress, where to pause, everything in alignment with the way I was hearing. That was my first try, and I started wondering how I was able to read that well. Few days passed by and chanting in the evenings with my daughter became a new routine.

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A few days back we celebrated Ram Navami, the birth day of Shri Ram. When I was young, we used to stay in East Tambaram and nearby there was an “Anjenaya Temple” and it is also known as “Ramar Kovil” since they have Ram, Sita & Laxman deities too. They used to celebrate Ram Navami during the month of March-April and the speciality about the temple is all that, for all those 30 days devotees will be offered Prasad of Pulisadham (Tamarind Rice) and Kadalai Sundal (Sundal -A dish made out of different legumes – here with white chickpeas) after their long pooja in the evening. Since by that time, schools will be closed for summer vacation and being fond of that temple offering I used to attend the function for all those 30 days without fail. Since temple will get crowded at the time of offerings and people who will be seated inside the premises will be given first preference I will be there inside the temple 1-2 hours before and used to sit there and watch the pooja. A group of devotees start chanting slokas and being a small girl then and the rhythm of their chanting and the evening breeze from trees make me fall asleep. Somehow I always wake up few minutes before the closure of pooja and get ready to have my favourite Prasad. This actually had run for several years. I used to always be present in those 30 days in that temple and have relished its Prasad every year. I have even taken my brother and friends along to enjoy that bliss.

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There is a link between the two shared events. The "Vishnu Sahasranamam” which I am chanting now as if I have known it for years is the same slokas which were recited in that temple those days. Though I didn’t know what they were chanting, it indeed got into my subconscious mind through ‘rote memory’ and when I chant now I am able to identify where to pause, where to stress, when it is going to end, etc. That is the super power of our subconscious mind.
 
When we were small, our teachers used to make us read or do the same work repeatedly. It was in fact to aid us to transfer the data from our subconscious mind to long-term memory so that it stays with us forever. If the rote memory which I had carried unknowingly can stay forever in mind then think about children learning things they love and do practise it regularly. It will help them do wonders in later part of their lives. We, as a parent/facilitator must support them to perform or practice things "repeatedly" in which they exhibit interest. This will certainly help them gain mastery in that field. To put in other words, positive conditioning with some stimulus will help, the way 'Prasad' acted as a stimulus to me in my story.
 
The story didn’t end here. We got shifted to a new residence and by then I became a grown-up girl. My parents never forced us to do anything in life and give utmost freedom to choose what we desire to do. It is same in following our religious faith too. When my dad found out that I like worshiping forms of Vishnu, he consistently supported me in a unique way. In our new locality, we used to go to another temple during Ram Navami and this temple had a different way of celebrating the event. They used to organise 'upanyasam', where an orator narrates the story of Lord Rama in a musical way. And at the end of each day before dispersal devotees will be offered Prasad and that Prasad will be sponsored by some volunteers/devotees. Sponsors used to take turns to prepare the same. While choosing the day, my dad always chooses the day on which my moon star falls in that month. He also encourages me to prepare the Prasad. He ensures that he supports me in every way he can, and I used to get so thrilled since Prasad needs to be made in huge quantities and we should not taste it during the process of making and only after serving it to all we get to know how it tastes. Thank God, it always tasted the best. Somehow at this place my stimuli were the appreciation that the people showered on me after knowing that the Prasad was made by me remained a motivating factor to prepare it for several years.
 
Even now when I make Prasad for God’s offering it comes out so well since that same involvement comes out automatically and it offers an inner satisfaction. I know times have changed now, and day in and day out we are running mechanically to make our ends meet but still we must try to help our children to know our custom, our traditional practices and our values because time will keep flying and all of us have to leave sooner or later but these are the few things that we teach and share with our children will remain as a guiding path for them. Today my dad is not with me physically, but I always feel if I keep doing all those which he fondly induced in me, that will definitely keep his soul happy and I am sure he must be talking about these things in the other dimension where he is now! Love you Appa for all that you provided me!
 

कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृतेः स्वभावात् ।

करोमि यद्यद् सकलं परस्मै नारायणायेति समर्पयामि ॥

 

Kayena Vacha Mana-Sendriyair Va, Budhyaatmana Va Prakruteh Swabhavath

Karoami Yadyad Sakalam Parasmai, Narayana Yeti Samarpayami

 

Whatever I do with my body, speech, mind or with other senses of my body, or with my intellect and soul or with my innate natural tendencies I offer (dedicate) everything to Narayana - My Bhagwan Krishna!

- Suganthi Sankaran