I had an interesting experience on the evening of the 31st of January, which I would like to share here. I had gone out to buy a few things, and stopped at a shop that sells street snacks (hah!) to buy something called ‘dabeli’, which is essentially spicy veggies stuffed inside a small round pence of bread (ah, those Indians and their spicy food!). The snack is originally from the state of Gujarat, but its quite popular all over the country. The shop was very busy, and there was a queue. Customers had to wait for some time while their orders were being prepared. In the midst of the rush, I saw one of the owners call out to a man somewhere in the crowd. I thought it might be a customer, but when he turned up, I realised he probably wasn’t. He looked physically okay, but from the way he walked in an unsteady way, I imagine he was differently-abled. He reached out, and the owner handed him a dabeli, which he accepted and then walked away. No one else seemed to notice what had happened. And yet, in the middle of that busy crowd, I had been witness to a miracle. I was shown that even in the mad rush of life, there are always acts of kindness and grace taking place. Perhaps it was meant just for me to notice, because no one else seemed to. I was touched to have seen the action, and even more so to have been made aware of the message. It is a rare and beautiful blessing from the Divine to have the eyes to see love and beauty in the smallest of things, and a sensitive heart to take in such wonderful, sublime feelings.
I also started 2015 in an interesting way. The noisy party thing is not really my scene, so I usually begin a year meditating or in prayer. This year, I was guided to be outdoors, under the stars. So, a minute or two before midnight, I stepped into the garden. It was a rather cloudy night, but with patches of open sky. As soon as I stepped into the garden, the first thing I could see in the sky was Venus. Ah, Love … always around us. That was the first message. Then I looked across the sky, and in yet another clear patch of sky … a bright moon, completely visible. I have an old soul connection with Rishi Chandrama, the sage whose energy the moon is. Another blessing from a relation of great Love. I wondered … “Hmmm, I was asked to be under the stars, and how come there are no stars visible?” As if on cue, a star poked its face through a split in the clouds, and smiled. Then another. Just to say: “Hey, we’re all here“. And the message was this: “All that love you, are here. Right here, in this moment. And in every moment, see?” I smiled, let go of my thoughts, stretched out my arms, breathed in, and then … started whirling. There was no thought about what I was doing, or why. It just seemed like the appropriate thing to do in that moment … whirl under the stars, join in the whirling of Mother Earth, and the whirling of the Universe. All is One. I am You and You is I. And thus begins 2015. Amen.