My realignment with Him

Recently, I took a breathtaking trip to Himachal. When I set out, I felt deeply aligned with the Divine—but somewhere along the winding roads, I lost that connection.

Looking back, I know why it happened. Between hopping from place to place, meeting diverse people across all age groups, and completely letting go of my daily routine, my spiritual anchor slipped. I lost Him because I stopped seeking Him in everything around me: the new landscapes, the faces of strangers, the accommodations, and the food. Instead of remaining in a state of grace and observation, I slipped back into myself. I simply became "myself" again. A materialistic human along with temptations to eat sweet, to see beauty, and to look for happiness around. 

The Wake-Up Call

Today, I was flipping through Ram Dass’s Be Here Now. When I landed on page 56 (in the brown pages section), the words struck me deeply. It perfectly described exactly what I had been doing and feeling. The page discussed how easily we fall into the trap of eating nonsense—specifically, consuming "senseless" foods stored in refrigerators and overloading on lots of sugar.

The Resolution

So, I am making a hard pivot. From today onwards: no more sugar! :) :((
Only sugar from God made foods like fruits. 

What I'm Reading Next

Alongside this, I have started reading another book that I am excited to share with you. Below, I am including an AI-generated summary of the page that really resonated with me...

Executive Summary

The text describes a deeply personal transition from a state of unconscious, compulsive consumption (the "oral trip") to a state of spiritual awakening, where everyday actions are elevated into conscious, holy acts. The author uses his own history with food and body image to empathize with human desires before introducing a major shift in consciousness.

Section-by-Section Breakdown

1. The "Oral Trip" and Compulsive Eating

• The Struggle: The author reflects on his past as a "good oral-type person," describing the frantic, overwhelming urge to overeat ("You open the refrigerator and you can't stuff your mouth fast enough!").
• The Chaos of Desire: He lists a chaotic mix of food cravings—pickles, milk, ice cream, coleslaw, and cottage cheese—capturing the frantic nature of sensory indulgence.
• The Emotional Weight: He shares a vulnerable childhood memory of being an overweight adolescent whose clothes had to be specially made, recalling the embarrassment of a specific phrase his mother used at the tailor: "He wants to see the double 'Z' with balloon seats."

2. Healing and Empathy

• The Cost of Recovery: He notes that it took at least $10,000 worth of psychoanalysis to work through these deep-seated issues.
• Empathy for Human Desire: Because he has lived through intense, compulsive cravings himself, he speaks about the "oral trip" not from a place of judgment, but with genuine empathy and understanding for the human condition.

3. The Spiritual Shift: Consecration

• The "Ruling Sent Down From Above": The tone shifts dramatically at the bottom of the page from psychological struggle to spiritual revelation.
• Sacred Action: The core message concludes with the repeated, emphasized decree: "ALL YOUR ACTS WILL BE CONSECRATED." This signifies a transition where mundane habits (like eating) are no longer driven by unconscious urges, but are transformed into sacred, mindful offerings.

Visual & Design Elements

• Typography: The text wraps organically around and inside the illustrations, mimicking the fluid, non-linear nature of a stream of consciousness.
• Illustrations: * The top page features sketches of food items, a refrigerator, and a stylized, cross-sectioned head/brain representing psychological preoccupation.
  • The bottom page shows a faint outline of a human body superimposed with sketches of consumer goods (like a can of Hires Root Beer and a Fudge Ripple carton), grounding the spiritual text in everyday material reality.
  • It features the sacred Hindu symbol Om (ॐ) alongside the word "CONSECRATED," anchoring the message in Eastern spirituality.

As I step into today, July 7th, I have a mountain of work ahead of me. But I have finally found my anchor: All your acts will be consecrated. Every action will be done for the Divine, by Him.

I now understand clearly that God did not create me to be a monk. My path isn't to sit quietly beside the Ganges and abandon my worldly Dharma—my responsibilities to my family, my deep work in research and teaching, or the upkeep of this physical instrument, my body.

Instead, my Sadhana (spiritual practice) today is simple and grounded in the real world:

1. Dedicate myself fully to my work that God has given to me (All the responsibilities related to academia—teaching, research, and Admin)

2. Care for this physical body, the vessel in which He resides.

3. Treat every single person around me as a Divine soul.

To be specific, my consecrated work for today will look like this:

• Spiritual Planning: Plan our upcoming visit to the YSS Sadhanalaya.

• Family Joy: Spend quality, joyful time with my kids and my brother.

• Professional Dharma: Speak with Wazir Ji and Dham Ji to get their feedback and direction for my next research project.