Lessons learnt from Chennai flood 2015

Chennai and surrounding parts plus Pondy and Cuddalore were lashed with floods over the past few weeks...as a Yogini it gave me lot of time to introspect as well as meditate...here are some sketches about the events which transpired at our home...

There was a collective of around 12-15 Yogis staying at our place during this difficult time. We all realized one thing which is the power of the divine plus the power of collective.Whenever we sat for meditation and requested our Mother, it would stop raining. But our prayers had to be really sincere and on behalf of all the innocent and suffering people of TN and Pondy.

One day we recited 12 names of Shri Surya devata mantras and the heavy rains stopped and the sun started shining even though it was for just 15 mins.

Also last whole week we were just meditating and meditating...as we didn't have much else to do also due to no power, net, phones it really was an intensive seminar which really improved our state. We also did morning and evening Aarti (evening compulsory) collectively. We were also doing 4 petal meditation to please our elder brother Shri Ganesha. In addition we were reciting Shri Devi Kavach and other needed mantras to clear.

At the same time we were all the time feeling eternally blessed and grateful to our Mother for giving us fresh and hot food, a great collective and a cozy place to stay even in such extreme conditions. Thank you a million times Mother! But at the same time we were aware of the gravity of the situation and were sincerely meditating and trying to be connected at all times. We didn't have any fear in our hearts but just a humble plea to our Mother to forgive all of us and all people of TN and Pondicherry for any transgressions committed against the great Goddess and against Mother Nature.

Also we felt a bit guilty that we are just sitting comfortably at home while thousands of people are going out and helping others. But then as Shiva bhaiyya said, we were a privileged bunch who had been given the highest responsibility of meditating and requesting the Divine to stop the onslaught of the rain; bread and biscuit packets can be given by anyone! This was really a great eye-opener for us!

Also Simiji and myself realised that as Gruhalaxmis we should do some things on a consistent basis like doing a small Ganesha Puja in the morning, Aarti in the evening, meditating whenever we get a chance and keep our state constantly up. This is very essential to improve the vibrations of the home as well as the whole collective. We also decided that we should regularly meet in each others homes collectively and do regular pujas. Also Yoginis should become more active and participate in lot of public programs even if Yogis are busy with office work. 

This flood was definitely a wake-up call to me and hopefully to all Yogis across TN and Pondy...these are just few points which I felt...please add the lessons learnt by you also over the past few weeks and we can also learn from it...

Types of drivers...

I have the luxury of choosing not to drive (plus the fact that I am dead scared of driving thanks to drivers like the one I will describe below) and I travel frequently by taxis and auto rickshaws in the city of Chennai. Sitting behind the driver, gives me the opportunity to notice the various driving characteristics of the drivers...this article may turn out to be a complete time pass or give a deep insight into human psychology...whatever!!! :-)

Driver Type #1: Mr. No-Accident Anbumani

This type of driver is more common among auto rickshaws where the driver is hell bent on bumping into another vandi (vehicle in Tamil). But the only reason he does not is because he is completely protected by the supreme power above. So no matter how hard he tries, however rash he drives his vehicle, he and his auto miraculously escape each and every time thanks to his previous births good tidings. But Mr. Anbumani will also ensure that you are definitely praying to the Lord each and every minute you spend in the back seat; so they are actually doing a huge favor to God since human beings today do not spare time to remember God. Also the folks who drive beside him should have started from home by showing their gratitude to all their fore-fathers, ancestors and all the 35 crore Gods if they have to get past without a scratch. Thanks to all this pious work, he has a confirmed seat in the front row of Heaven. And may I warn you, your heart will be in your throat for most part of this adventurous ride!

Driver Type #2: Mr. Accident-prone Senthil

This type of driver is one who is probably a bit new to driving and his lack of experience shows. He has no intention of bumping into anybody else, he just wants to keep to himself but somehow that seems to be impossible. No matter how hard he tries, he will end up braking suddenly to prevent his vandi from bumping into another one. He seems to be a bit jittery while driving and that greatly impacts his on-road alertness. So if you are sitting in this auto, then be wary of sudden brakes and jerky driving and also the occasional bump intos!


Driver Type # 3: Mr. Pothole Pandian

This auto driver will ensure that he never misses a single hump or pothole on the great Indian road. He has to pay his salutation to each and every one of them with the wheels of his vandi. Even if he misses one, he will take a reverse or U-turn, go back and then bump! Sounds like an exaggeration..? Believe me, you can never trust what this person will do next! Actually he is doing a great social service by opening the customers eyes to the sorry state of Indian roads and through his actions, he sincerely believes that he can bring some radical change. He dreams that one day all of India's roads will be pothole-free and until that day he will not rest. He believes in the adage - A journey of a thousand sleek roads begins with bumping over a single pothole! Also this auto can double up as a free maternity ward where delivery can be done for pregnant ladies minus the hassle of doctor and hospital fees. So if you are ready for the risk involved, then go for the ride!

Pregnant ladies disclaimer - Please take a helper along just in case!!!

Driver Type #4: Mr. Running-commentary Saravanan

This driver will give commentary on anything and everything happening on the road as we go along. Also he may update you on the latest news items like strike, political scam, and more. This is more common among the auto rickshaw drivers whose eyes are not peeled on to the road but on the incidents happenings on the left or right side of the vandi. Also if accidentally another vehicle or pedestrian cross their path, then the commentary will shift to them on how carelessly these days drivers drive or how lost pedestrians are in their thoughts while they are walking on the road. You will have no dearth of entertainment with Mr. Saravanan.

Driver Type #5: Mr. RJ Rahman

This driver would like to entertain you to the hilt . He will keep switching between Suryan FM, Radio Mirchi, Chennai FM, Aahaa FM and all other radio stations with peak volume playing 'Kutthu' (A Tamil dance song type) songs. While getting off you will either have a headache or a good workout for our head and neck regions. This type of cab driver is generally not chummy to the mood of the customer - he is the RJ of the club sorry cab and he sets the mood - so baby, get on with the groove or get lost!

Driver Type #6: Mr. Mukku Murugan

This type of driver is most common amongst autos who will agree to a particular fare and once they realize that the destination is slightly further than what they imagined, they travel the rest of the way cursing and braking the auto. All this extra build-up is it just make you feel guilty so that you will shell out some extra dough for the seemingly extra-long-distance-which-you-didn't-make-clear-while-discussing-the-rates-at-the-beginning-of-the-trip - Duh! He will stop and curse under his breath so much that by the end of the extra 20 - 30 m you just throw the extra money on him and leave!

Driver Type #7: Mr. Decent-gentleman Kumar

This driver is the best and you will get such a driver only if you have completed your prayers for the morning and also your prayers have reached the Lord. This driver will not even open his mouth and will have the most smooth driving skills you have ever seen. He will just pick you up from Point A and drop you at Point B SAFELY. This driver is a darling especially after having a heated argument with your boss or spouse and you just want to get away and you are looking for some calm and quiet while reaching your destination. You can also peacefully meditate and channel into your inner oasis of calm while traveling in this cab (usually this type of driver is a rare species with Autos).

I think I have covered the major 7 categories of drivers, there might still be a few categories I must have missed, but I have had the ultimate honor of traveling with mostly the above ones. Please add if you have had the esteem of traveling with any other kind of driver too. Just for fun! ;-)

Note: I have had more auto travel experience in Chennai and hence have used most common Tamil names for the auto drivers. Please forgive if I have unintentionally hurt the sentiments of other drivers with different name categories!