To view this newsletter in the browser, click here                 Issue #198       A newsletter from Creativegarh to help you live a life of passion, purpose and meaning.         The divine play of life: The journey from the ego to the self.                     Life.           It’s a Leela. A play of the divine, but in your limited beingness, you see it as a battlefield where relationships have to be mended, bills have to be paid, children have to be educated, skills have to be learned, texts have to be responded to, critics have to be ignored, uncomfortable conversations have to be had, and the fear of failure and success has to be dealt with.           And if this was not enough, you have desires, dreams, wants, needs. You are pulled apart in all directions, wanting the comfort of entitlement, the ambition of name and fame, the approval of your loved ones, and the avoidance of things that make you feel less and unworthy.           As much as you want to, you can’t escape from this life. You have to throw yourself into the moshpit. Renunciation is not the answer. Action is. The right kind of action - not of indifference but of detachment. Not to create evil, but to create a space for love and harmony in this world. Action that mitigates the fear, pays the bills, responds to the texts, and has the hard conversations you have been avoiding.           You can rein in your desires or let them run amok. With the calmness of your mind, you can navigate through this battlefield or allow ego to play its devious games. But then, sooner rather than later, you crash - leaving behind a debris of a brittle life built on lack. The truth lies there, in a pool of blood and gore, waiting to be realised.           You are confused. This is not what you had signed up for. This is that moment in your life when you seek answers. What should I do? Should I leave my responsibilities or stay? Should I follow my calling or stretch my legs in comfort? Should I ask for help or manage this life on my own? You’re torn between duty and desire, action and withdrawal, self and ego.           And one day, confused, you fall, and life brings you to your knees. You surrender and ask the divine to take over, and the divine does. He doesn't pick up the weapons for you in this battlefield but drives you, nudges you, and guides you - being your saarthi. This divinity is not a being but a state of being - your inner wisdom, the divinity within, your higher Self, your divine clarity. He is the inner guru, the witness-self - sakshi, the intuitive clarity that knows your dharma when your ego is blind.           You are never alone, says the divine. Go, fight in this battlefield like it's play, and just be my instrument. Do it not for reward or escape, but because it’s your purpose to bring peace and love.           The battlefield of life is Kurukshetra.           The battlefield within is Dharmakshetra.           Desires, needs, wants, dreams are the horses.           The reins that control the horses are the mind.           The chariot is your body, the vehicle for this lifetime.           The confused seeker - you are Arjuna.           The divine is Krishna.           Arjuna’s mistaken identity that you are a separate self and not a part of Krishna - that's the ego.           Life is beautiful. Play fully. Surrender to the divine. And be joy.                 The six rules of finding peace.                     You: I want peace!           Youniverse: Oh, hello! You are here again! Always good to see you.           You: You don't call me, so, I don't come. But today, I didn't care if you did or not, I just came to talk to you.           Youniverse: Good decision! Now that you and I are talking, do you feel at peace?           You: Yes!           Youniverse: So, that's the first of the six rules for finding peace. Slow down, meditate, have a conversation with the divine within you. Like you are having right now.           You: Ok, good! What are the other five?           Youniverse: Oh, you eager beaver! Patience, my child, patience.           By the way, that's also the second rule. Sabr. Saburi. Patience of not the 'give it all up and wait for eternity' kind. It's the patience that asks you to keep showing up and responding to life, detached from the outcome but with strength. Strength of not the kind that allows your horses to run amok but lets you rein them in and guide them. It's the strength to hold back a reaction. To hold back a reaction of bravado and personality but allow for the response of reason and intuition. Sabr is also sehanshakti, the power of incomplainable forbearance - to never admit defeat.           You: The third?           Youniverse: Work hard to have less rather than more. The less you hoard, the less you accumulate, the fewer your attachments; more the peace. The less you have to control, the easier it is to let go. Then less of things, ideas, and people control you. Have big aspirations. Play big. But play on my team.           You: Fourth?           Youniverse: Don't aim to be the first in anything. Let go of this dire, desperate need to be first, best, perfect, most. You have no idea who will go to the grave first. So don't dig one for yourself by being caught up in the narrative of always having to be first. Get out of the rat race. You are a sentient being who came here to have a human experience, not a rodent experience.           You: Fifth?           Youniverse: Let your will be done by others. Let others’ will be done by you. Devote your life to the service of others. Service is the antidote to suffering. And allow your will to be fulfilled by others. Be receptive to the help of others and my grace. Trust that I am making things work. There is a beautiful concept in Sikhism called Vadd Chako - keep sharing everything. Peace comes not by taking but by the profound act of giving.           You: And sixth?           Youniverse: Don't ask too many questions. Haha! Svikaar. Unquestionable acceptance that whatever is happening is happening by divine will and for you, not to you.             Our upcoming retreats                         Kolhapur Last 6 Seats Left 12th to 18th July     Escape the city's clamor, reconnect with your inner light. Indulge in a life changing retreat, experiencing the discovery of your true self, within the arms of nature.   More details     Reignite conversation     Munnar Registrations Open 4th to 10th October     Sitting amidst lush landscapes and misty mountains, Munnar offers the perfect backdrop for a retreat focused on self-discovery, growth and renewal of life purposes.   More details     Reignite conversation     Andretta Registrations Open 15th to 21st November     Sitting amidst lush landscapes and misty mountains, Munnar offers the perfect backdrop for a retreat focused on self-discovery, growth and renewal of life purposes.   More details     Reignite conversation           This week, let's revisit     Kasauli April 2024                         Experience a life full of purpose                     The purpose of my life is to bring joy to the world by unravelling its stories.   Raman Adlakha Nainital, December 2021         My purpose is to create a spark in people’s minds through culinary experiences and also support the underprivileged.   Sathya Vishwanathan Nainital, May 2022               For a daily dose of Creativegarh and our retreats, follow us here:                           Mantra Gold Coatings & The White Paper Creative         Sunita Somani         Pedal On               View Our Collabs for Joy                   creativegarh.com             You are receiving this newsletter because either you have subscribed to it through our website, interacted with us by filling an invite form or because you have asked us to put you on the database. 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