You are 'It'

Set out on its own way,

it doesn't know how it came to being,

or when it will die.

The path it takes, is called its destiny.

While it rewrites destiny,
with others of free will.

Collides with some of what's in its path, 

evades the others, it defies those 

who try to predict; flaunts its free-will.

The free-will, itself takes it on a ride

of self realization, and destroys the pride;

then disintegrates and merges it with self.

It is the self that takes them all, 

feeds, nourishes and sends each one out.

Out on its own way.

Everytime I Die

Some come and some go, 

the sum total may not be constant. 

But then, nothing in life is fair! 

The ones coming, are welcome, 

I bid farewell to those leaving. 

For those returning - I hope it's different 

'coz no one likes to die, over and over again.
 

Old Monk Joke

You might be disappointed if you are a fan of Old Monk Rum.
This is probably the oldest Buddhist-monk-joke, and I must have heard it many a times. But the last time, I heard the correct version and finally understood the humor behind it....

There's a barbecue at the Zen Buddhist temple, and the Zen master's working the grill. A young monk reverently approaches.
The Zen master looks up, smiles and says, "Wanna hotdog?"
The monk replies: "Please, Master, Make me one with everything."

continuing with the other part....
After taking the hotdog, the monk pays for it with a $20 bill and asks for change and the Zen master replies: "Change must come from within"

Fair. Enough!

It all came crashing down. She finally acknowledged what had been around her for a long time, and had grown in front of her - slowly, steadily, brick by brick, and wall by wall. 

She believed that sometimes a talk with a stranger can be a real eye-opener 'cause she thought one who has nothing at stake, speaks one's mind. This guy was less of a stranger though, and more of an acquaintance. But the realization came to her nonetheless as she knew that he stood unbiased, and did not have any hidden agendas. She could not ignore or refute his stand. Well, it wasn't even a stand that he had taken on the issue. It was a fair, simple question asked in a candid manner, that had her dumb founded. The whole situation was like something that led to the aphorism "Know Thyself". Something like what went through Socrates mind, when a person, who didn't know what Socrates looked like, asked him if he knew Socrates well.

She took a while to come up with an answer 'cause each time she attempted to answer she ran into the walls which she had ignored all this while and simply could not find a passage out of the concrete jungle. After about a minute, all she could manage was a mumble - "I don't know. Maybe?". He couldn't hear what she said, but the look on her face was a sign enough for him to understand that he had poked her on a sensitive issue. She brushed the question aside and moved the conversation to another topic. He, being an acquaintance, let it slide. But, the question lingered in her mind, leading to a desire to act. To act on destroying the prison of ignorance.

दासतान-ऐ-दिल

वो हमे भूल गये तो चलो कोई गम नही।

भूले को रसता तो कोई दिखा देगा ही।

पर पहचान कर मुह फेर ले, ये हमे मंज़ूर नही।

कसम से! बन्दा ये सच्चा है, कोई आवारा नही।

कोई यह बता दे कि हमने करी कया खता,

जो दुनिया कहती है कि माफ़ी हमारे नसीब नही।

अब गिर कर उठा ना जाए, लाचार दिल ने ऐसा करा,

क्यूंकि रूठे वो हमसे और हमें अब ये जाहान गवारा नही।

हरा हर पल करता है दिल के ज़ख्मों को,

वक्त भर देता है हर घाव को, यह सच नही।

दासतां है यह किसी और की यारो,

क्यूंकि ..... मेरे सीने में तो दिल है ही नही।


for the devnagari handicapped -


Woh humein bhool gaye toh koi ghum nahi.
Bhoole ko rasta to koi dikha dega hi.
Par pehchaan kar muh pher le, yeh hein manzoor nahi,
Kasam se! banda yeh saccha hai, koi aawara nahi.


Koi yeh bata de ki humne kari kya khata,
jo duniya yeh kehti hai ki maafi humare naseeb nahi.
Ab gir kar uttha naa jaye, lachaar dil ne aisa kara,
kyunki roothe woh humse aur humein ab yeh jahaan gawara nahi.


Hara, har pal karta hai dil ke zakhmon ko,
waqt bhar deta hai har ghav ko, yeh sacch nahi.
Dastaan hai yeh kisi aur ki yaro,
kyunki...... mere seene mein to dil hai hi nahi.