Mira Prabhu's Blog, page 34
October 23, 2016
8 Good Reasons Why You Should Let Go of Clutter
When I lived in Manhattan, I was shocked to discover that some suffer from a dis-ease of piling all sorts of stuff into their homes until they can barely move through the clutter themselves…I actually saw this in two cases and was horrified…that’s why I’m posting this. Of course this is an extreme example – but many of us are addicted to clutter. I can’t stand it any more – whether the clutter is about things or emotions or relationships that are harmful…and once we decide to get clean in all ways, miracles of healing and love can happen. Thanks for sharing this, alk3r!
“We are shallow because we have become enslaved by gross materialism, the glitter of gold and its equivalents, for which reason we think that only the material goods of this earth can satisfy us and we must therefore grab as much as can while we are able.” ~ F. Sionil Jose
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October 21, 2016
Brian Feinblum’s Interview with Mira Prabhu
What inspired you to write your book?Krishna’s Counsel is the second of a trilogy of novels whose theme is moksha(Sanskrit word for ‘liberation from suffering’). (Please see here). My first novel, Whip of the Wild God: A Novel of Tantra in Ancient India , is set in a civilization reminiscent of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, and my third, Copper Moon Over Pataliputra , is set in 300 BCE. I intended to stick with historical/mystical fiction, but way back in 1999, my Manhattan-based literary agent suggested I write a contemporary novel about an Indian woman who had moved from East to West. Nothing happened until many years later when I found myself marooned in a guest house in Rishikesh in northern India: a wild festival raged all around me, keeping me captive in my suite, and so I decided to sink my teeth into something that would engage my monkey mind; in six months, I had written the first draft of Krishna’s Counsel .
Krishna’s Counsel is a patchwork of a thousand tales I heard growing up in India and in the West. The title/theme is inspired by the luminous advice delivered to Prince Arjuna of the Pandavas on the ancient battlefield of the Kurukshetra by his charioteer and kinsman, the Blue God Krishna. Arjuna does not want to fight—his enemies are his own kin who have turned viciously against his family. Prince Arjuna would prefer to offer himself to the enemy as a sacrifice rather than stoop to destroying those who once cherished him. Then Krishna shows him a dazzling vision of the cosmos and convinces the doubt-stricken Prince to fight the good fight: in essence, Krishna’s teaching is that the spiritual warrior must never give up the battle against evil—instead he or she must first decide on the best course of action, and then pursue that action, disregarding the consequences.
Pia, my protagonist, is, by her own admission, a coward; she is literally forced to fight her own battle against evil, and it is the brilliant teachings of all her gurus who empower her to do what is right when she is confronted by a charming man who could also be a conscienceless killer. A supernatural thread runs through this work, for as a child I was imprinted with mesmerizing tales of the paranormal. Sometime in my teens I learned about the brutal conversion of my own community by the Portuguese Dominican priests and it sickened me; still later, I was struck by the tragic story of a beautiful heiress who had been victimized by a psychopath. It was a combination of all these elements that went into the creation of Krishna’s Counsel.
What is it about?
Here is the blurb from the back cover:Krishna’s Counsel sweeps you back to sleepy south India in the 1960s, right into the tumultuous life of Pia, a rebellious and brilliant teenager whose world disintegrates under the brutal sword-thrust of an eerie death. It is the loving gift of a magnificent view of Eastern Philosophy—particularly a poignant scene in the Bhagavad Gita: when Lord Krishna advises the quailing warrior Prince Arjuna to pick up his great bow Gandiva and rout the corrupt foe regardless of the consequences—that saves Pia from certain self-destruction. Many years later, now a gorgeous woman living in frenetic New York City, Pia is tracked down and coaxed to return to India to deal with an insistent throng of old ghosts. Then horror strikes again, and she is compelled by supernatural agents to heed the timeless advice of Lord Krishna as she finds herself on the trail of a charming psychopath who will stop at nothing to kill her….
What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book?
Krishna’s Counsel is suffused with the ancient teachings of Eastern Philosophy simply because these serve as my raft on this often turbulent ride we call Life on Planet Earth. The gifts of the Eastern mystics have become real tools to me, and I use them to guide me through what was once a bewildering maze, and which has now turned into a simple but profound path to inner freedom. As a teenager I read Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha—it both enthralled me as well as showed me a way to make the best of my own life. Today I write to inspire myself and others on the inner path to the heart; I write (indirectly) about my personal journey because few women, especially in the East, have the good fortune to strike out alone into the unknown and to grow from the many challenges that life throws at the intrepid female nomad.
What advice do you have for writers?
To plunge into serious writing only if you are burning with an idea you find yourself compelled to express, all the way from the glimmer of a concept into its full and glorious flowering. Why? Because writing a novel in particular is a long and winding journey into one’s own Self; it takes commitment and courage to keep going, which is why your original idea has to be so potent and compelling that it can keep you on track until you are done. I know some writers churn out one book after another, but for me writing a novel can take up to twenty years, which is what happened with my first. (I did seven major rewrites during that time and was also travelling the globe in quest of a spiritual and creative home, so I guess that is understandable!) For me a novel should form a complex and beautiful tapestry and be embedded with poignant messages—and to perform this miracle, one must commit to the process heart and soul and never ever give up until the work is as smooth and seductive as a powerful dream.
Where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
Unless conventional publishing rises up the challenge, I guess we will find even the best writers increasingly gravitating to self-publishing. I myself had the good fortune to be picked up by a great literary agency located in Manhattan, but while they did generate a lot of interest in my first novel, as well as a couple of solid offers that later evaporated, the agency could not sell my book since, being based on the mystical truths of Eastern Philosophy, it was hard to fit it into a conventional genre; after giving them more than enough time, tired of being swung up and down like the proverbial yo-yo, I decided to self-publish. No regrets! This way we writers keep our rights and freedoms and, while it is a little sad that those of us without the means to hire a troop of expert helpers are forced to wear altogether too many hats (which drastically cuts into creative time), for me at least self-publishing is the way to go. Perhaps after I finish my trilogy I will look for a great publisher to take on all three novels, but my crystal ball isn’t as yet revealing what things in the industry will be like then, so who knows?
What challenges did you have in writing your book?
Well, at the eve of the millennium I began traveling in quest of a spiritual and creative base, and I guess you could say that the lack of a creative womb was my major challenge; some may be able to write on the move, but for me a cozy base and uninterrupted time is necessary to producing a stunning piece of work. It was only when I moved into my own home in south India and began to feel really comfortable that I was able to finish my first and second novels, and also to make serious inroads into my third. The lack of a base has been my only serious obstacle—I am never stuck for ideas and can write in the middle of a raging thunderstorm!
If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours?
Humans vary so widely in their tastes and predilections that I, for one, would never presume to suggest they make Krishna’s Counsel their book of the month. However, if a reader is interested in how ancient and modern threads can coalesce in India today, in the beauty of Eastern Philosophy as applied to mundane life, and in a riveting murder thriller that will keep them breathless as it surges towards a powerful climax, I would say, yes, yes, yes – buy KRISHNA’S COUNSEL!!!
Connect to Mira Prabhu:
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Mira-Prabhu/e/B00CCQ9VQ4
Blog: https://miraprabhu.wordpress.com
Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/mira.prabhu
Facebook Author Page:https://www.facebook.com/MiraPrabhuWhipOfTheWildGodEtcetera
MIRA’S NOTE: Brian Feinblum offers writers a variety of ways to establish themselves in a difficult market. I find his views and insights extremely helpful. Check him out here:
Please Click On The Best Out Of 2,100 Posts
2016 Book Marketing & Book Publicity Toolkit
http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/2016-book-marketing-book-publicity.html
2015 Book Marketing & PR Toolkit
http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/2015-book-marketing-pr-toolkit.html
2014 Book Marketing & PR Toolkit
http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/book-marketing-author-publicity-toolkit.html
Book Marketing & Book PR Toolkit: 2013
http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/book-marketing-book-publicity-tool-kit.html
Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2016 ©.
Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby
http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs
October 19, 2016
Independent motion – can you help?
There’s a lot of suffering in our world, in some parts much worse than others, and many of us help out as much as we can, I know…please read this and if you are moved to give Nick whatever you can so he can follow his bliss, please do. Its one thing to be born a cripple, yes, a hard thing to face, but to come through a ghastly ordeal only to be confined to a wheelchair is hard to imagine. In essence, we are all ONE; to do what we can to help others fulfill their dreams is to also fulfill our own desire to be free.
What would you give to make a dream come true if you woke to find yourself living a nightmare?
What would you feel if you could never again walk on a beach? Or go out alone in the snow…feel the stillness of a wood or cross a field?
And then, you found a way…
In 2009, my son was a successful young man with a bright future… until he was stabbed through the brain in an unprovoked attack and left for dead in an alley.
He was found almost immediately by passers-by who saved his life. By the time we arrived at the hospital, Nick was being prepared for emergency brain surgery. We were allowed to see him, for a few minutes, to say goodbye. He was not expected to survive…
Over the past couple of years, many in the blogging community have come to know my son and know…
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October 18, 2016
10 Tips for Effective Communication
I’m a writer and I love expressing myself. Relationships get hard for me when the other person does not feel this way, or believes in hiding or suppressing parts of themselves. Unfortunately, especially in trad communities, men in particular are not encouraged to open their hearts to women. Of course this is a generalization, but it happens often enough to be a concern to many women. Here are some great tips to evolve into a better communicator…thanks for sharing, Alk3r!
Liz Kingsnorth explores the ways we can improve our relationships with others at home, at work and with friends, by improving the way we communicate.
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October 12, 2016
Inside The Well-Traveled Sketchbooks of an Artist
Simply amazing…I always wished I had a natural genius for drawing…phooey, missed out…but here is a woman who has it in spades…thanks for sharing, alk3r!
Artist Dina Brodsky has many focuses to her practice, painting in miniature on canvas and paper, and recently turning to her family, friends, and Instagram community to submit trees for her to reproduce in a drawn project titled “The Secret Life of Trees.”
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October 11, 2016
Aging and wisdom, Gratitude, Empowering women, Attitude, Writing, D.G. Kaye
My Journey Through Mid-Life and What I Learned (By Debby Gies ):
“When I was young, I thought I was invincible. My plans to battle age developed decades before I hit my mid-life years. My arsenal of age-fighters were nothing short of trying to maintain a healthy eating and exercise regime, and an ongoing supply of whatever beauty aids, creams, potions, and lotions I would read about, in efforts to preserve myself from aging. But the truth is, aging is a natural process of life. And, it entails much more than just our physical attributes. As I transitioned into my middle years, many things changed. My perceptions and values changed, my evaluations on friendships changed, even my tolerances and gratitudes changed….” Read on…both Debby Gies and Tina Frisco are deep and wonderful women who are spreading the word about so much we need to come to terms with as we age….
Time became more apparent; not all of these things happened simultaneously, but as the hands of time began pointing in the direction of fifty, I noticed several changes within myself.
A beautiful post by D.G. Kaye on the importance of gratitude in attaining wisdom as we grow older… ❤
THE VALUE OF #GRATITUDE – Voices of Wisdom Guest Post |D.G. Kaye
Source: Aging and wisdom, Gratitude, Empowering women, Attitude, Writing, D.G. Kaye
Today I’m sharing a recent article I was invited to write and share on Dorothy Sander’s blog, Aging Abundantly.
Dorothy writes about the wisdom we gain as we age. And her new series, which I was thrilled to be the first in, is entitled ‘The Voices of Wisdom’ – The Value of Gratitude.
Read the article below and you can continue reading on Dorothy’s blog.
Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions. ECKHART TOLLE
I’m so happy to introduce…
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Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
Still I Rise….Maya Angelou…thanks for sharing this gorgeous poem, alk3r!
Maya Angelou, is by far one of the most beautiful, wise and inspiring people I have seen and because I have been admiring her work for so long, today I want to share with you this special poem of hers: “Still I Rise”
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October 9, 2016
Donja Lokosnica: The Serbian “Paprika Capital of The World”
I LOVE chillis..all kinds…green, red, yellow, fresh and succulent, dry and wicked…imagine growing them for a living!!! Thanks for this, alk3r.
Donja Lokosnica is the Serbian “capital of paprika”, since almost all of the 1300 inhabitants are involved in growing paprika. As autumn approaches, the whole village turns red, because of many threads of dried peppers, that hang around Lokosnica, waiting for their winter use.
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October 7, 2016
Illustrations of Political Satire
Amazing illustrations of political satire here! Thanks alk3r!
Olivier Bonhomme graduated from the Ecole Emile Cohl (Lyon, France) in 2010 and has been working with different clients, newspapers, and studios as illustrator and art director. The french illustrator draws political satire since ages and doing it very well and if not satire, he illustrates comic books a lot.
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Serpent Ring And The Magic of Acceptance
I met a wild looking sadhu on the way up to Skand Ashram many moons ago, and noticed that he wore incredible jewelry, all in the shape of serpents, and fashioned of copper and gold.
He told me a jeweler in a town far away had made it for him. I asked if he could make me a ring, and he agreed. I gave him an advance and the ring came as promised—a golden serpent coiled like the kundalini with a small ruby for an eye.
I have grown to love this ring for it represents my passion for the serpent fire (Kundalini)—which is nothing less than the energy of primal mind that fuels the process of enlightenment. Nothing but this fiery energy can halt the power of my chaotic mind, and I use a kundalini practice as a base for Atma-Vichara, Self-Investigation or the Direct Path, as taught by Ramana Maharshi.
Anyway, my friend James recently visited Tiru and we made a date for lunch. Since he had to leave right after, he dropped me home and asked whether I could bring Kalidevi, my Himalayan Shepherd, to the gate so he could say hello. I brought Kali out to his car and they greeted each other lovingly—whereupon James took off and Kali and I went in for our afternoon nap.
That evening I realized my snake ring was not in her usual place. The serpent had vanished! I checked with the restaurant, but my ring was not there. So I called James and asked him to check the car—no luck there either. James said, remember you brought Kali out to see me? Perhaps you dropped the ring on the side of the road?
I thought, ha ha, even if had dropped it there, by this time it would been picked up by a lucky passerby. I made peace with my loss, which is part of my spiritual practice—to deeply accept whatever happens as for my higher good. Anyway, just for the heck of it, I did venture outside to have a look—and believe it or not, there was my golden serpent, lying in a patch of dusty grass by the side of a busy road, traversed not just by cars and buses and trucks, but also by many passersby!
This sort of thing has happened to me so many times before that I no longer have any doubts about the powerful effects of either prayer or karmic acceptance to transform a situation. I hark back to a guru telling me a long time ago in Manhattan that if I was ever in a thick soup, I should work on accepting the situation as if I had conjured it up myself—which is no less than the truth, since eastern philosophy tells us that karma creates even the most minute details of our relative reality.
The first time I really practiced acceptance was on a Manhattan work situation: a colleague was making my life miserable by dumping all her work on me. Since she worked for my boss’s boss, who allowed her to get away with murder, she had felt free to torture me for almost four years. HR refused to tackle her and there was nothing I could do about this sorry situation except quit. One evening I sat before my altar at home and took complete karmic responsibility for this woman’s negative presence in my life. Believe it or not, the very next morning, she came in to work, late as usual, and announced that her boyfriend had just purchased a B&B business in upstate New York and that she was quitting the firm to join him in running it! No kidding, this really happened.
So, if you find yourself in a situation you don’t think you can change, try the deep magic of acceptance. It works, whether in one way or another!
Greetings from Arunachala, the sacred mountain that gives us what we need, but not necessarily what we wish for, so that we can experience our immortal and blissful Self.
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