The document discusses the importance of knowing people from other faiths and avoiding stereotypes. It shares personal experiences of how getting to know friends from different religions helped dispel preconceived notions and stereotypes. Acts of terror committed in the name of a religion do not represent all followers of that faith. Maintaining interfaith friendships and understanding different perspectives is key to promoting peace between religious communities.

1. May-June-July 2017 Vol 27 - No.15
Raadhika Dosa D'Cruz
1st Oct 2017
I recently spent two weeks as an enthusiastic tourist in a country I love. I spent time
wandering about a small village, trying to live like a local. My entire trip, while
memorable for the expected new experiences was made even more so by the
kindnessofstrangers.
I was moved and touched by random acts of kindness and courtesy, unexpected and
wholly disarming: a cranky old bus driver who allowed me on board despite having
no ticket.He told me to buy one at my destinationand tear it up. I did. There was the
handsome friend of a friend who gallantly carried my heavy professional camera
for hours when my neck wanted to curl up and never take another photo. A young
man who insisted I try his favourite snack: a wedge of sweet fried cream, laughing
at my expression when I tasted heaven.The large and noisy group of Indian women
I was on tour with, who were unexpectedly fun and sweet-natured, dispelling my
preconceived notions of snootiness. The graceful male ballet dancer who dragged
my suitcases up to my old apartment. The handsome inn-keeper who bought me a
train ticket and lent me money when my travel card wouldn't work, waving off my
thanks. He had been in my place, he said, utterly stranded without a penny in his
pocket. The sunny taxi driver who picked me up at 3 am, gamely hefting my
bulging suitcases in the pouring rain. The gorgeous Michelin star Chef who
graciously signed my copy of her recipe book. The uber -chic grand-daughter of a
powerhouse design family who was so utterly down to earth, posing for me in her
sumptuous shoes.The elegant gentleman fromAir France who found the new shoes
I had left behind on my seat. The young man from the café who apologised for not
having bus tickets for sale, and gave me one of his own, refusing payment for it.The
lovely Supervisor who sorted out the confusion with my daughter's travel
documents, allowing her to board our flight home.The surprised owner's face when
hisenormouswolfhoundjustcameandputhisheadinmylapforacuddle.
In all of this, I found people wanting to help other people, I found Grace shining
through seemingly random acts of kindness and courtesy. I was humbled and
grateful. To be honest, I am not sure I would behave as kindly or as graciously in
theirshoes, beinganormallycrankypersonmyself.
It got me thinking: why not make this a habit? A sensibility, a way of Being.
Helpful, honest, welcoming to people who cross my path. It cannot be that hard or
that impossible to make an effort each day to simply say thank you, or be thoughtful
of those around me. The world is horribly short of kindness. I intend to challenge
myselftoperformonerandomactofkindnesseachday.Willyou?
THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

2. DearFolks,
I have been reading your magazine at
my parent's home since the last
several years. I find the magazine
very informative and interesting, and
would like to continue to read your
magazine.
How do I get access to free online
services.URL?
- Nagendra M.C
Greetings Sir, thank you so much for
writing to us. Below, is the link to
The Mustard Seed blog where you
can find all of our printed content and
more.
tmsthemustardseed.wordpress.com
Hi,
Esteemed poet and friend Kusum
Gokarn forwarded to me the latest
issue of Mustard Seed2017.
Each of the articles and quotes were
so touching and this is just to tell you
that your labour love is well
appreciated.
Pablo Neruda's You start dying
slowly was a refreshing thought and a
warning to us who are aging in life.
I liked the thoughts around the
Alphonso mangoes.
Hats off to Radhika's eclectic
wisdom!
- R. Athickal SJ
Worship the Sun-Guru,
Who shines
Upon the bird and the blossom,
Alike.
Worship the Sun-Guru,
Who illumines
The earth and the moon,
Alike.
Worship the Sun-Guru,
Who enlightens
The man and the woman,
Alike.
THE GURU
- Kusum Gokarn
When insults had class
"He uses statistics as a drunken
man uses lamp-posts... for support
rather than illumination.”
-Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
Editor’s Note: We appreciate your kindness and generosity that has helped us put out
this edition of The Mustard Seed. We thrive on the support of our readers, we would
also love to hear from you. And if you are a writer and you want us to publish an
article, please feel free to contact us.

3. No kidding. Gratitude is that epic. It
makes you see the world literally in a
morepositivelight.
And you don't even just have to take
my word for it. It was one of the first
big findings in the emerging field of
positive psychology - those who
practice gratitude really do report
greater levels of well-being and are
happier. And if that wasn't enough
convincing for you, I can make it
personal. Gratitude has changed my
life.
This was one of the first ways I actively
started to pull myself out of a life
slump I found myself in a few years
back. I'm naturally a positive person,
but I'd started to look at all that wasn't
right in my life and was neglecting to
acknowledge and appreciate all the
AMAZINGNESS that was all around
me. A fascinating thing about the
human experience is that our
PERCEPTION has EVERYTHING to
do with the experience we have with
theworld.
And gratitude has the power to change
what we look at, and the way we
perceive the world. It's the gateway to
SO many good things. When you
change your focus, the things you
focus on change.
And how did I start practicing
gratitude?
I'm all for a journal, but I'm also
secretly a bit of slacker (shhhh, don't
tell) and if things feel burdensome and
more like a chore than a joy, sometimes
my follow through isn't all that good.
So I tried it for awhile, but, well, you
know... What made gratitude stick for
me as a PRACTICE, was making it
easy. Rather than writing things down
each evening (not knocking it -
PLEASE do this if it resonates with
you) I found that simply committing to
bringing three things to mind each
evening as my head hit the pillow was
life-changing. Kind of like an evening
gratitudeprayer.
It doesn't need to be getting into bed
that is your trigger to run through your
gratitude items either - it might be
when you get in your morning shower,
or when you brush your teeth at night.
But what I would encourage you to
do is to START this. To make
gratitude a priority in your life and be
dedicated to being more conscious
aboutbeinggrateful.
And the things you look out will
change. Your perception will morph.
And it will all have been worth it.
- Kate Snowise
www.thrive.how
GRATITUDE
"The miracle of gratitude
is that it shifts your
perception to such an
extent that it changes the
way you see the world."
- Dr. Robert Holden

4. 4
LETTERS FROM BUDAPEST
Someone I love very much has died.
Iwillneverseehisfaceagain.
The totality of his absence is one
aspect.
Another aspect is that he will never
seemyfaceagain.
I will never be recognized by anyone
injusthiswayofit.
Noteveragain.
I feel lost without him. That's the
kind of thing people say. But I feel
that I was lost along with him. I feel
gonetoo.
The morning after his mass at St.
Magdalen's in Berkeley, I left home
for Hungary. I'm in Budapest on a
business trip for which my
intelligence and talents are essential,
and also very narrowly focused. I am
not the published poet when I'm
producing commercials. I am not the
writer/performer with a respected, if
small, body of work. I am not the bird
who can sing like an angry angel. I
am a service being performed.
Appreciated, of course. But only by
way of a very slender assortment of
my capabilities, experience and
knowledge.Onewantstogiveall.
In my life, there are perhaps three
people left who see the whole of my
self in the instant of 'hello.' I go
unrecognized by nearly everyone
now. Certainly by new people I meet.
It is terrible to be misapprehended all
day long. It is an early echo of the
loneliness of the aged, a deepening
understanding in me of the refugee,
of anyone isolated by catastrophic
change.
The longer I live, the more people I
meet,thefewerseeme.
People come and go from my hotel
room and I don't see them either. I
don't know their loves, their griefs. I
don't know their delicacy, their
beauties, their gifts. I can't appreciate
their power or fragility. Someone
comes in to bring me coffee. I am
smiled at. I tip them. A tray is taken
away. Universes blow in and out of
here all day long, and I recognize
only the thin light of one tiny star in
each of them. I miss out on their best
selves. I wonder, is it painful for
themtoo,tobeinvisibleinthisway?
When I lost my friend, I lost the
sweet kiss of his knowing me. He
saw me in my fullness. He
appreciated and welcomed every
aspect of my inner world. He was as
amused by my successes in the arts
as he was by my survival in the
corporatesphere.
I lost one who was always happy to
see me. Who made me feel
worthwhilebeingseen.
I carry his picture around. Not on my
cell. A beautiful photograph his
husband, Vivek, made of him. It's
printed on a memorial card. I hold his
picture up. I show him the river. And
IsaytotheDanube,look.
ThisisTom.Iknow him.
Budapest is so beautiful. So un-self-
consciously glamorous. I'm at the
Ritz Carlton, very close to the
Danube. All along its endless shores
are piled palaces and garrisons,
silver spires, cathedrals, turrets and
towers. The great Parliament
Building, which I mistook for the
Buda Castle when I first saw it, is

5. 5
AMONG ALL THOSE WHO WERE ENLIGHTENED
What makes me like and appreciate
Zarathushtra among all those who
wereenlightened?
To begin with, He was not against life
oranyofitsjoys.
All that He was against was falsehood
andhypocrisy.
He was not against creating wealth, in
fact He saw prosperity as positive and
povertyasnegative.
He was not against eating or drinking
ormarriage.
In fact He never, not even once or
remotely suggested fasting or celibacy
in order to attain salvation or
enlightenment.
He expected people to live life in its
totality knowing fully well that if one
does not live life in totality he/she
becomes a hypocrite and a hypocrite is
incapableofknowingthetruth.
Zarathushtra's Gatha are life
affirmative and speak about life in its
totality.
He does not talk of salvation, He talks
of happiness.
He does not speak about saving you or
your soul, He expects you to be your
own saviour by enlightened choice. He
does not lay down the do’s and don'ts
of life.
Zarathushtra wants his followers to
live an ordinary, but active, industrious
life with extraordinary intensity and
passion.
People should be simple, people
should be ordinary and live the
ordinary life with extraordinary
intensity.
He does not want us to fear God, He
wantsus tobefriendGod
He does not want us to please God, He
wants us to be pleased with our own
enlightened or well thought out
choices.
He does not encourage pain and misery
in this world with promise of a better
world after death. Zarathushtra talks of
the here and now and about attaining
happiness in the world itself, mainly
throughmakingothershappy.
This is what makes Zarathushtra and
His Message stand out and stand apart,
fornow andalways!
as forwarded by
- NoshirDadrawala
huge and lit up golden at night, as
wild and graceful a phantom of the
Baroque as could be wished for.
Pinned bright against a black sky,
one approaches the view of it best
from across the river. Above its
shimmering, rise thousands of
swirling sparks. One gets the feeling
of fireflies. Or that the golden palace
itself is dissolving, atomizing into
the dark. These tiny embers turn out
to be night birds, their wings lit from
below, feeding on the millions of
invisible flying insects drawn to the
palace'sbrightlights.
Those birds, flickering away up
there. Each one an individual
spectacle. Mistaken by me for a
spark.
- Amanda Moody

6. The other day, I woke up to horrible
news about a group of demonic, self-
styled Muslims who had killed many
people in a Dhaka café. Evil-minded
people spreading murder and
mayhem in the name of Islam had
struck yet again—in what has now
become a sickening routine. I
wondered what my Christian and
Hindu friends would think about
Islam and Muslims when they saw
that day's newspaper. It wasn't
comforting.
I am a Muslim, and most of my
friends are from other communities.
It has always been that way. I feel a
deep sense of gratitude to my friends
of other faiths for not asking me
about all the evil that the extremists
are doing in the name of Islam.
Maybe they are too polite to talk
about it. I feel terrible about what
these self-proclaimed defenders of
Islam are doing, grossly misusing its
name. I know that their evil deeds are
nothing less than a crime against
God and the whole of humanity and
that it is wholly and unambiguously
anti-Islamic. But if my friends ever
asked me, would I be able to
convince them that Islam is a
religion of peace and love that I
know ittobe?
One needs to remember always, and
especially at times like these, that in
all faith communities there are some
bigots and extremists who twist and
misinterpret the teachings of their
religion to fan hate and violence.
They certainly do not represent all
the members of their community, nor
the religion in whose name they
claimtospeak.
A non-Christian friend of mine has a
certain stereotypical image of all
Christians as 'missionaries',
supposedly all out to convert
everyone they meet to their faith. A
Christian pastor recently shifted
nearby, and she told me that he drops
in with his wife occasionally and
talks to her about God. “Oh, he
thinks he can convert me,” she said,
notconcealingherirritation.
Not having interacted with many
Christians before, my friend's
labelling of all Christians as “soul
harvesters” can seriously damage
her relations with her new
neighbour. Trying to bring some
more nuance to our conversation
about Christians, I told her that I
personally know many Christians
who are wonderful people, loving,
kind and compassionate, and that she
needs to stop stereotyping all of them
as “converters”. It took years for this
same friend to shed her stereotyping
of all Muslims as innately and
incorrigibly violent. This gradually
happenedafterwebecamefriends.
Because she's watched a Muslim TV
preacher notorious for spewing
scorn against people who follow
KNOWING THE OTHER, KEY TO WORLD PEACE

7. 7
religions other than Islam and
because she keeps reading in the
newspapers about the horrors
committed in the name of Islam by
some of its self-styled champions,
my friend developed a certain view
about all Muslims. One day, she
asked me, “How come you are so
peaceful, while all these Muslims are
killing others? Does Islam preach
violence?” Today, however, because
we have kept up our friendship, she
knows that while there are some
Muslims who are driven by a hate-
filled vision, there are also peace-
l o v i n g M u s l i m s w h o s e
understanding of Islam is just the
oppositeofthatofMuslimterrorists.
There's one issue that some people
who claim to be religious just have to
get over if we are all to live amicably:
their sense of religious supremacy.
Some of them think that truth is to be
found only in their religion and that
other religions are bereft of virtue.
This is just awful. People who think
like this can hardly expect others to
love them. Can there be peace in a
multi-religious society if people
think so highly of themselves and so
lowly of others? Can people who
imagine that they alone have the
Truth and that others live in pitch
darkness seriously entertain any
hope that others will value and
respectthem?
In our closely-interlinked world,
people of various faith communities
are coming into much closer
interaction at the global level than
ever before. Based on my
experience, I'd say that the best way
to do this is to befriend people of
faiths other than one's own.
Befriending the “other” is absolutely
necessary if the world is to be
peaceful and if vibrations of love
havetoflow.
In these times, when hate in the name
of religion has such horrific
c o n s e q u e n c e s , k n o w i n g ,
understanding and befriending the
“other” is the only way for peace.
Only then can the harmony reign. In
this quest, each one of us has a very
important and unique role to play:
make just one friend from another
faith or community. This could be
our way of making a difference to
ourbadly-fracturedworld.
- Sukiya
“My day begins
and ends
with gratitude”
-Lousie L Hay

8. Our Foundress, Mother Teresa of St.
Rose of Lima was born in Madras in
1858. Fortunate to have received a
good education in an age where girls
were relegated to the kitchen, Grace
D'Lima established a parish school
in Allepey under the aegis of Fr.
Alphonsus.She was warmly
welcomed by the local people and in
a few years her school had an
excellent reputation. Impressed by
the dedicated service of the
Missionary Carmelite Fathers,
Grace decided to become a
Carmelite nun herself, and dedicate
her life to the poor. In 1885Miss
Grace D'Lima, popular teacher,
became Sister Teresa of St.Rose of
Lima.
Msg. Leonard, theVicarApostolic of
Verapoly, a good judge of character,
had already discovered in Sister
Teresa a dynamism and an
administrative talent far beyond her
years. He asked her to come to
Ernakulam and start a convent and an
English medium school for girls.
Sister Teresa started her convent and
school in a rented house in 1887.
This was the humble beginning of
the congregation of The Carmelite
SistersofSt.Teresa.
Today the Carmelite Sisters continue
her magnificent service in the fields
of education and charity to the poor
andmarginalised.
Sr. Teresa realised that an educated
community of women was a
necessity for the progress and well-
being of society. She strived with
complete dedication to raise her
school to the highest grade. Her
school was taught in the vernacular
for poor and deprived children
longingforaneducation.
Mother Teresa's deep love and
great compassion for the suffering
and underprivileged compelled her
to open her doors to anyone in need.
Irrespective of caste and creed,
Mother Teresa's heart went out to all
the people in suffering and in want.
The miseries of the people around
pained her. The caste system was a
perpetual thorn in her efforts while
she strove to relieve the sufferings of
the poor who were the victims of
tyrannical conservative customs that
debarred them from sharing in the
prevailing civilized life of the
society. However, the most trying
circumstances did not dampen her
indefatigable zeal in helping the
poor. She launched out on a vast
programme of social activities,
notwithstanding great financial
difficulties. She opened orphanages,
homes for the aged and destitute
MOTHER TERESA OF ST. ROSE OF LIMA

9. women, homes for unwed mothers,
dispensaries and an industrial
school.
Mother Teresa had the deepest, most
tender love for her orphans. She did
not hesitate, despite her numerous
responsibilities, to leave everything
aside to nurse four very sick orphans
in hospital for six weeks. “My heart
is in the Orphanage. I would take any
amount of trouble, make any
sacrifice for these orphans for,
besides being a work of charity to
feed and clothe the poor, it is a
powerful means of improving our
futuremothers.”
Mother Teresa was very particular
that her children be well trained and
industrious so that in the future they
become self-sufficient. While doing
all she could to lift them up from
their miserable and downtrodden
condition, she took great care to
inure them to hard work lest they
grow proud and discontented and
thus prove a hindrance rather than a
helpmate to their future husbands.
She wanted her girls to be the best in
their families and build a strong
society.
Mother Teresa's efforts in the field of
education and her struggle to fight
unjust social practices were
recognised and acknowledged by all
in Ernakulam. All her activities, nay
her whole life was motivated by love
forGod andloveforneighbour.
This vibrant life lived for others,
which no difficulty or trials could
overcome, was suddenly snuffed
away in the swirling waters of the
river at Mangapatanam (nowAndhra
Pradesh). On her way to Europe,
Mother Teresa boarded a train, on
12th September 1902, at Ernakulam
for Bombay, for the steamer to
Europe. At 8.00 pm there was a
violent storm with severe thunder,
lightning and torrential rains. The
train sped along as usual, unaware
that the bridge at Mangapatanam had
been washed away. The engine and
all the carriages except the last one
fell into the swirling waters. The
bodies of Mother Teresa and her
sister were found the next day and
were buried with all the other dead in
therailwaypropertynearby.
Thus she, who lived for others, died
with others and was buried with
others. She who had possessed
nothing for herself, now after her
death did not have even a grave of
her own.Atragic but beautiful end of
abeautifullifelivedforothers!!
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a single grain.”
Jn.12: 24

10. 10
THE ALPHA MARE
DearOnes,
The other day, I was talking with
someone on this page about how to
walk through the world with “an
undefendedheart”.
This person was saying that she
wants so much to live with an open
and undefended heart, but then it
always happens that people hurt her
and attack her when they see that she
is open. She doesn't want to leave
herself vulnerable to that sort of pain.
So sheshuts down. Understandably.
So whatistobedone?
How do we live open-hearted lives
without being victims of constant
attack?
Allow me to introduce you to the
AlphaMare.
This is an idea that came to me
through my beloved friend Martha
Beck, who explained to me how the
psychology of a herd of horses
works. At the top of the hierarchy of
a herd of horses, there is an alpha
mare. She is the leader. (Stallions
come and go, but the mare is in
charge of the herd forever.) All the
other horses look to her, in order to
know what to do and how to feel. As
long as she remains calm, the rest of
the herd feels calm. And the alpha
mare is always calm, because her
boundaries are AIRTIGHT. She
knows exactly who she is, and
nobody messes with it. Nobody
approaches the alpha mare without
her invitation. Nobody imposes
themselves upon the alpha mare
against her will. The alpha mare
never lets herself be influenced by
another horse's fears or anxieties or
aggression. She knows what the
right thing to do is, and she does it.
Everyone else follows. She doesn't
need anyone's approval for anything.
She doesn't need anyone's
permission. She lives and breathes
from a place of integrity and
certainty, because of her strong and
appropriate boundaries. And as a
result,
SHE ISALWAYS RELAXED.
And because she is relaxed,
everyonearoundherisRELAXED.
Thus the whole herd can live safely
and peacefully around her, with
undefended hearts, and the alpha
mare'sheartisundefended,too.
It is fear that makes you defend your
heart, but once you have discovered
appropriate boundaries, you do not
needtoliveinconstantfear.
Until you learn how to hold
appropriate boundaries, and stand in
integrity, and speak your truth, you
will never have a relaxed moment in
your life.You will live like a fugitive,
always on the run, always hiding,
alwaysafraidofbeingexposed.
A heart without healthy and
appropriate boundaries can only
suffer in a constant state of anxiety
and defense — vigilant against the
next attack,helpless against other
people'swill.
To live with an undefended heart
does NOT mean that you walk out in
the world like a helpless child, wide-
open and boundary-less, and you just
let anyone do anything to you that
they please. That is not openness;
thatisweakness.
No. You can only live with an
undefended heart once you know the
difference between “This is OK for
me,” and “This is not OK for me” —
so you never need to worry or stress

11. CLARITY
11
about what's going to happen to you
next, or somebody will say next, or
who willharmyou.
Once you know the difference
between “This is OK”, and “This is
not OK”, you can walk anywhere in
this world safely — your guard
down, your eyes filled with curiosity,
yoursoulfilledwithsimplewonder.
That is the alpha mare, and she's
hiding inside you somewhere,
waitingtocomeout.
Iknow sheis.
- ONWARD,
Elizabeth Gilbert
How many times have you said “I
can’t take this anymore!” but
accepted it anyway? How often do
you beat up on yourself, belittle
yourself, criticise yourself, only to
portray to the world how confident,
poised and able you are. Are you
thinking no when you say yes? Do
you go when you want to stay home?
Have you given up when you wanted
to push forward? Have you pushed
forward when you felt like giving
up? Do you ask for it, then doubt you
will get it? Have you doubted you
would get it, but asked for it anyway?
If you have done any of this or any
reasonable facsimile thereof, face it,
youareconfused.
How can we expect life to bless and
support when we say one thing, think
something else, and feel a
completely different way. We are
sending the universe mixed
messages. The Bible tells us that
from one’s heart flow the issues of
life. The mind and emotions create
the “heart” of which the Bible
speaks. If our thoughts are confused,
our emotions full of doubt, and our
action contradictory to our thoughts
and emotions, just what do we really
expect life to bring us? In order to get
what we want, we must say what we
mean. In order to say what we mean,
we must know what we want. When
we know what we want, we can think
and speak positively with great
expectations
an excerpt from,
Faith In The Valley
by Iyanla Vanzant

12. It was day six of walking in the
Manaslu region of Nepal.After a fierce
rainy night, the soft early morning
clouds were still resting on the
mountain tops and ridges, being
cradled and protected by their strength.
We started our walk accompanied by a
gentle drizzle, not knowing whether it
would mature into a heavy downpour.
Mountain life is full of surprises and
one has to welcome them with open
arms.
I had woken up in a melancholic mood
that day, and after three hours of
walking through steep terrain, I was
exhausted. Happy to reach Ghap for
lunch, I took the weight off my back,
but continued to feel weighed down. A
short, restless nap, and a warm, freshly
cooked dal bhaat managed to lift my
spirits a tiny bit, but the thought of
walking for another four hours to our
final stop for the day felt daunting. I
dug deep and gathered some courage,
and on the trail again, a conversation
that a dear work friend Naomi and I
had, came to mind. We had talked
about spirit animals - imaginary
friends that sat on your shoulders, and
carried you in your difficult times. An
angel, a friend, a companion of sorts.A
selfless soul. My friend Naomi had one
- her kitty cat that passed away
sometime ago. “I wish I had a spirit
animal right now,” I thought to myself.
Asnow leopard,perhaps?
My mind wandered, but I was quickly
brought back to the trail as a white dog
bounded excitedly towards us from the
other direction. I couldn't believe my
eyes- how did this just happen?! His
tail wagged with love, and his eyes
were full of joy. Did someone hear me?
Did someone send him for me? He was
going the other way, why would he
turnaroundandwalkwithus?
ANGELS ARE REAL

13. Our guide, Nawangji, gave our new
friend a few sips of water, but he wasn't
really interested. Whatever it was, it
seemed like the dog had made up his
mind to walk with us. His joyful stride
made me forget my own discomfort,
and his goofy mannerisms made us
laugh. When he walked behind me, I
could literally feel his nose rubbing
against my calf. He was adventurous
for sure - running in and out of the
rhododendron forest, disappearing as
he chased monkeys and birds, but
always coming back to us. He even
waited for us if we slowed down,
impatiently looking back until we
caught up. I felt his energy, his zest for
life. His eyes were special, and his soft
furry body was covered with weeds of
allshapesandsizes.
Steel cable suspension bridges have
replaced the old wooden bridges all
over Nepal, and though these bridges
are safe, they can be scary if you're a
dog! I noticed he was afraid every time
we had to cross one. He would crouch
close to the ground before the start of
the bridge and watch nervously as the
river gushed noisily dozens of feet
beneath. I wondered what went
through his mind. A friend who had
taken away my pain and fears, was
working hard to overcome his. The
least I could do was give him my
attention and support, and wait for
him.And so Ididateverybridge.
With a dog so fun and
lovable, time literally flew by. N and I
had already made plans to get him a
packet of biscuits once we reached
Namrung as a gesture of our gratitude.
But as soon as we reached our village
for the night, he disappeared! Just as
quickly as he had appeared almost four
hours ago, he was gone! We looked all
over, but couldn't find a trace. His
disappearance confirmed what we
were both thinking - we had just met an
angel. I found my spirit animal. His
goal all along was simply to get us to
our destination safely, and with his
mission accomplished, he had simply
vanished.Exhaustedfrom thewalking,
and with a heavy heart from losing a
newfriend,weretiredtobed.
But the story doesn't end here! I woke
up in the middle of the night to use the
restroom, and in my half-asleep state, I
noticed something shining in the
moonlight outside our room. At first, I
thought it was a pile of our
backpacking gear. But then as I looked
closer, I was dumbfounded. Could it
really be him? Could he really have
found our room? YES, SOMEHOW
HE HAD! Fast asleep, probably
dreaming his doggie dreams, he lay out
there, close to his new friends. I
couldn't believe it. He had found us
again, and our journey together had not
yet ended. Either someone up there
was playing a prank on me, or as
Naomi had said - spirit animals truly
exist.They'reforreal.
-Yakuta

14. 14
THE POWER TO HEAL SELF IS ALL WITHIN YOU!
HolaBeautifulBeingsofLife,
Thank You for inspiring me to write
onthistopic!
The atrocities are mounting some say,
few others relate to the world as no
moreahealthyplacetolivein!
Wheredoesthistakeus to?
A constant state of victimization, or,
being victimized and the rage of
revenge waiting to explode out with
thetriggerofsituations.
And so what happens?
The energy of the Divine created
Universe continues to get disturbed
anddepleted!
More and more difficulties continue
tomountup!
What else?
Mankindstrugglesforliberation.
Cravingincreases.
More damage is created in the name
of castes, religions, community, race
andtheclasses.
Think!
Whereareweheadingto?
Can I contribute in any way, instead
of giving the custody to someone
else?
Yes, Yes, Yes!
ThePoweriswithinYou!
All of the Power, the entire energy
is within the infinite consciousness
ofyourawareness!
Yes My Beautiful Soul Friend of
Universe.
As Your Soul bows down to the
consciousness of the Divine/ Lord/
God in every being, you are gifting
yourself a chance to Forgive - to let
goandLearntoLoveSelf!
Yes, that's the true spirit and power
ofeverycreation.
You and Me are gifted with this
Power.
HigherBenefits-
1) The power to forgive gifts the
beingwithself-liberation.
2) You choose to create a shift in the
universe as the inner freedom, gifts
you with insight to look at creating
newpossibilities.
3) Self is always an awareness.
Ignorance transforms into awakening
state, the true spirit of any soul in the
journeyoflife.
4) The energy of explosion is
transformed and reformed into a
channeled source of positive form,
from where healing is a natural
possibility.
5) Goodbye to all the old odds of
complexities and welcoming of the
new Joy of Happiness and
Awakening!
Happy Diwali!
All of the Power to Heal Self is within
You!
Would You choose to gift this to your
Self?
EnjoytheinnervictoryofHealing!
LotsofLove.
- PrameelaSreemangalam, Author,
PsychotherapistandLifeCoach.
Winner of TOI Speaking Tree Good
Karma Award, Young Women
AchieversAward2017.

15. STAY CONNECTED
“Everything that happens to you is a
refection of what you believe about
yourself. We cannot outperform our level
of self-esteem. We cannot draw to
ourselves more than we think we are
worth”
- Iyanla Vanzant
My primary and most essential goal
in life is to remain connected to the
world of spirit. Everything else will
take care of itself—this I know for
sure. And my number-one spiritual
practice is trying to live in the
present moment … to resist
projecting into the future, or
lamenting past mistakes … to feel
the real power of now. That, my
friends, is the secret to a joyful life. If
everybody remembered to live this
way (as children do when they first
arrive on this planet: it’s what we
hardened souls call innocence), we’d
transformtheworld
Playing,laughing,feelingjoy.
My favourite Bible verse which I
have loved since I was an eight-year-
old girl, is Psalms 37:4. “Delight
thyself in the Lord, and He will give
you the desires of your heart.” This
has been my Mantra through all me
experience. Delight in the Lord-in
goodnes, kindness, compassion,
love-andsewhathappens.
Idareyou.
- Oprah Winfrey

16. “Don't cry because it's over, smile
becauseithappened.”
― Dr. Seuss
“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the
soul. It is daily admission of one's
weakness. It is better in prayer to have a
heart without words than words without a
heart.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
“Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in
looks. Not in what they say. Just in what
theyare.”
― Markus Zusak
“Never forget that God is your friend.
And like all friends, He longs to hear
what's been happening in your life.
Good or bad, whether it's been full of
sorrow or anger, or even when you're
questioning why terrible things have to
happen.”
― Nicholas Sparks
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