When I discovered reading and the endless journeys it took me in my own room, the world of imagination emerged as an impossible space for me to miss out on. Page by page, I ventured into discovering the world of stories, and these stories stayed in my heart even after the bedroom light went out for a night of deep sleep.
Over the last few years I have focused my literary adventures on Love. About that Love that is vital energy within us, and that allows us to live and work tirelessly. The love for the Inner Self, which is reflected and expands to the entire Universe, causing a generalised happiness without anything to be expected in return. There are books that transform us forever, and these three inspired me in the way I feel, contemplate and practice Love in my daily life:
Ecological Poem — Chief Seattle & Julio Roberto
The book consists of two letters: that of the Indian Chief Seattle addressed to the White Chief Washington when he proposed to buy Indian lands; and the other letter is the response of a man of our time addressed to the Great Red Skin, with a deep and humble tribute from those who see our World in decline.
It was the first book I came across with the meaning of Love. The first time I read it I was 10 years old and I never got tired of reading it at various stages of my life. This book has always helped me to decipher the value of simple things nature has to offer.
“The Earth does not belong to Man, it is Man who belongs to Earth. Everything is connected. Everything that happens to the Earth will happen to the children of the Earth. Contaminate your beds and one night you will drown in your own waste. We know something that the white man might discover one day. Our God is the same God.”
Chief Seattle, 1854 (translated by me)
“Your sacred Earth, our Earth, to which, as you said, we belong, now belongs to us. We took care of her, violated her without sweetness, penetrated her belly with our wisdom and destroyed her desire to give birth. We are in survival, we lose life. But if we understand you, maybe we can find you again.”
Julio Roberto, 1978 (translated by me)
Gems Of Wisdom — Swami Satchidananda
The smallest book I have ever had in my hand, yet so big and full of wisdom. This work addresses all areas important to the life of a conscious human being. Any of the themes, applied in everyday life with sincerity and humility, will bring true inner tranquility. I read a different chapter every day, and each time I contemplate his words I feel more certain about our True Nature.
Spiritual Practice (Sadhana)
“The essence of Yoga and all the faiths and traditions is to be easeful in body, peaceful in mind and useful in life. It is easy to sit and meditate. The most difficult part is to practice bearing insult and injury, learning to adapt, adjust and accommodate. Whether we want or not, the world will give us the experiences we need and make us grow. Don’t think that Sadhana means only sitting and meditating. You can convert every action into spiritual practice. The very purpose of all your spiritual practice is to learn how to direct your thoughts and actions for a good purpose.”
Golden Rules for Everyday Life — Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
What makes this book absolutely fascinating is the way it describes great spiritual thoughts and theories in practical actions for our daily lives and for modern life. With several suggestions for personal development and for the discovery of self-love and selfless love for others, the book promotes the habit of seeing each action of daily life as raw material for inner transformation.
“Each one of us must undertake his own self-development, but only if his goal is not solely for himself, but for the good of the collectivity. Then, the collectivity becomes a brotherhood. A brotherhood is a collectivity where true unity reigns, because by working on himself, each individual is also consciously working for the good of the whole.”
