Meandering thoughts - Sita Sreeraman

Many of our tasks are mundane and boring. And yes, routine - be it washing dishes, picking after oneself, laundry, cleaning, putting things away once done. Or office work like records, accounts. Or exercise and meditation, music practice etc. And at home the tiny arguments continue. And we see it around us, especially the younger gen eagerly gearing up for the next great project on the career front and working for hours on their fav project but unwilling to take their coffee mugs to the kitchen or sort their laundry or keep their room clean or lend a hand even when the parents are sick. This is rarely the case with greats like Gandhiji who had no problem cleaning toilets himself every day. We  also see this when working in voluntary service teams and get-togethers (informal settings, where structure is poorly defined), there are the exemplary few who choose the boring over the shiny, the few who do what needs to be done rather than the high-visibility tasks. I have been reading somewhe

Indian epics and Puranaas are tales of good vs evil and so thoroughly enjoyable(Amar Chitra Kathas of our younger days for example or Chandamama) and also have such hidden gems/nuggets. My son is especially fond of the story of Bhasmasura. He finds it hilarious. We often talk of the Law of Karma, what we sow we reap if not in this life, in the next. And he asks why did Gods grant boons to the asuras who were wicked by nature. And I often say(with my limited knowledge) it is Law of Karma, if you meditate with single point focus whoever you are, the Gods have to grant boons.  Action begets response. But the difference lies in the choices made once the Gods appear. Asuras invariably chose boons that granted them great power - and they used it to destroy the world and themselves in the process, be it Bhasmasura or Ravana or others.  The saintly, wise chose closeness to God on the other hand. And this automatically led to enlightenment and greatness without their seeking. They served the wo