To view this newsletter in the browser, click here                 Issue #217       A newsletter from Creativegarh to help you live a life of passion, purpose and meaning.         Every war, inside and out, begins with the word 'mine'.                     Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjaya, assembled at Kurukshetra, the field of dharma, and desiring to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do? ~ Bhagavad Gita 1.1           It's quite extraordinary that one of the greatest spiritual conversations ever written begins not in a hermitage, a table, a mountain cave or under a Bodhi tree. It happens in the middle of a battlefield. Because, look at it closely, that’s where we meet God. Right in the middle of the mess, in the midst of chaos when our entire world is talking apart. And the metaphor here is quite simple - when the biggest war in your life is raging inside, don't run away from it. Find that moment to have a deep conversation with the divine within. Allow for the disruption to reveal your own Gita to you.           Dhritarashtra, the blind king in blind not only through a lack of eyesight but a lack of vision of what's right and wrong. He knows that a war is about to begin. His sons stand on one side. But before anyone has even fired an arrow, Dhritarashtra has already revealed the battle inside himself.           He says, ‘my sons and the sons of Pandu.’ Mine. And theirs. And that is where almost every conflict in the universe starts from. My family. My opinion. My religion. My company. My country. My truth. My side. The moment something becomes mine, we become incapable of seeing it differently.           We judge people by their actions while we just ourselves by our intentions. When your child behaves badly, there must be a reason. When someone else’s does, clearly there is a parenting problem. When your anger erupts, you were provoked. When someone else’s does, they need to work on themselves. When your side bends the rules, circumstances demanded it. When their side does, it is a question of character and integrity.           We allow attachment to write our own terms and conditions and then the first verse gives us two beautiful words and answers - Kurukshetra and Dharmakshetra.           Kurukshetra is the field of conflict. Dharmakshetra is the field of righteousness. And strangely, they are the same field. Your workplace can be Kurukshetra or Dharmakshetra. Your marriage can be Kurukshetra or Dharmakshetra. The difficult conversation with your child can be either. Your relationship with money, ambition, success, family, even yourself can become either.           The situation doesn’t necessarily change. But the consciousness with which you enter it does. Kurukshetra asks, how do I win? Dharmakshetra asks, what is the right thing to do? Kurukshetra asks, how do I protect what is mine? Dharmakshetra asks, what deserves to be protected?           Kurukshetra wants victory while Dharmakshetra cares for the truth. And the difficult part is that these two fields are rarely somewhere outside us. Every morning we wake up standing on both and that's our biggest personal war, not in Iran but in every breath we take and every thought we indulge in. And long before we need Krishna to give us answers, we need the courage to recognise where we are unable to see clearly. Where has mine become more important than right? Where am I defending something simply because it belongs to me? Where have my attachments quietly become my blindfold?           The Gita takes us through action, devotion, knowledge, surrender, consciousness and liberation. But the journey begins much earlier - with one blind point of view and one tiny word - mine. Because before we can discover what is right, we have to be willing to see what being ‘mine’ has stopped us from seeing clearly.                 At some point in your childhood, you and your friends went outside to play together for the last time and nobody knew it.                     When was the last time you did something for the last time?           One day, a long time ago, you used a rotary phone hanging on the wall to speak with someone, and you did not realize that would be the last time you used that phone or spoke with that someone.           One day, eons ago, you made a painting, as abstract as abstract can be, and showed it off with pride, without even the tiniest bit of fear of judgment. What happened that day that the fear of failure set in, causing you to hide your poems and art from the world?           One day, not very long ago, you spoke to a family member, friend, or colleague for the last time, and neither of you knew it. The next morning, they were gone forever, crossing over to the other realm.           One day, quite a long time ago, you stepped into the heavy downpour with just one agenda - to get wet. Not to post it on social media, but just to feel the inner joy. When did it happen that you began seeking joy only if it came with likes and comments, and not with earthworms and tadpoles?           At some point in your childhood, you stopped having Phantom cigarettes, and you never realized that those would be your last sweet cigarettes, as life would ensure that you quit the sweetness altogether.           A long time ago, you had a hobby you were obsessive about and couldn't wait to spend time with. One day, while your hobby remained there, you simply disappeared from it - from something that gave you so much happiness. Do you remember the last day you showed up for your hobby, not even knowing it would be your last time with it?           And just like that, one day, perhaps today, it will be your last day with your passion project, your loved one, your new gadget, your new obsession, your new job, your new hobby, or your new idea.           Live as if you only have today. Devote yourself to the present. Pour your love into what you are doing right now. Life is happening at this very moment. Life is not waiting to happen with the next job, the next relationship, the iPhone 17, the next car, the next promotion, the next big hit, the next friendship, the next cigarette, the next art show, or the next monsoon.           Today, you could be talking to someone for the last time. Show up with love.             Our upcoming retreats                         Andretta Last 6 Seats Left 21st to 27th February     To reconnect to your inner child at a beautiful hillside retreat with 14+ soulful individuals will make this a life-transforming experience. See you at Andretta!   More details     Reignite conversation     Bhimtal Registrations Open 14th to 20th March     Bhimtal offers a rare kind of Kumaoni serenity. This landscape creates the perfect setting for inner work, allowing reflection to unfold naturally.   More details     Reignite conversation     Kasauli Last 4 Seats Left 4th to 10th April     The stunning vistas and holistic experiences at Kasauli create the perfect space for self-discovery and ensure this retreat is a transformative and unforgettable experience.   More details     Reignite conversation           This week, let's revisit     Kasauli April 2024                         Experience a life full of purpose                     Purpose of my life is to help people transform their relationship with abundance   Aalok Shah Jodhpur, February 2024         My purpose in life is to heal people through music and industry   Rishabh Jain Kasauli, January 2025               For a daily dose of Creativegarh and our retreats, follow us here:                         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. If you would not like to receive any more newsletters from us, please click here to unsubscribe.