One evening, I was walking in a park near my apartment in Gurgaon. In spite of being in the city, it is quite a large park, home for many birds of different kinds. I was enjoying my walk, looking at the sunset. The Sun almost went away, leaving the pleasant light of dusk.
At that very moment, I heard a lot of birds chirping. It was as if they all started at once: they were too loud not to have noticed before. I looked up and saw that all the tree tops were filled with birds of all kinds returning from their day, finishing their chores. It was dusk. Time to return Home!
After that day, I have walked many times in the park, at around a similar time, watching the beautiful sunset, and each and every time I saw the birds returning to their home at that precise moment. How fascinating!
The time on Sunset is not the same throughout the year, but somehow they know exactly when it is time to return. Something within them understands that it is time… time to return. A beautiful poet in Marathi writes “Dear Sparrows, it is time. Time to return. Towards your home. It is “Sandhyakal”.
That intelligence, which tells the birds about this shift in energy, is it not within us? Since then, the more I paid attention, the I felt that sense of withdrawal during the periods of Sandhyakal.
In India, many homes have the tradition of lighting a lamp in the evening. I remember from my childhood that, whenever I returned home after playing with my friends, my mother would have lit a lamp. I would clean myself and then I would say a few shlokas. I did it just because if felt good even for those few seconds to close my eyes and recite those prayers. Doesn’t it all make so much more sense now?
In the teachings, they talk about good periods to meditate, where the shift of energies naturally aids our efforts to focus within. For me it became the period of Sandhyakal.
Swami Kriyananda writes in his beautiful song “God’s Call Within”. An invitation to return…. Home!
Turn, turn, turn within:
In silence of soul, in cave of love
Find My abode.
Full Lyrics
Listen! Listen!
Whispering within your soul:
Hints of laughter, hints of joy;
Sweet songs of sadness, of quenchless yearning
For the Light,
For My love, your true home.
Long your heart has played the dancer.
Long you’ve toyed with merest shadows
Of the treasures left behind you,
Deep in your soul.
Long you’ve plumbed the dark for answers.
Long you’ve begged from beggars’ empty hands
Gifts of life they too were seeking:
Gifts none could share.
Friend, how long will you wander?
Friend, as long as you seek your home
In a land where all are strangers,
Love locks her door.
Leave to the weak his craven life!
To the coward leave his dreaming!
O my saint, wake up! Reclaim the light.
Seek the truth behind all seeming.
Leave to the weak his craven life!
To the coward leave his dreaming!
O my saint, wake up! Reclaim the light.
Seek the truth behind all seeming.
Turn, turn, turn within:
In silence of soul, in cave of love
Find My abode.
15 Comments
What a beautiful entry. Thank you.
Thank you, a beautiful reminder to tune into the god given assistance to our practice.
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How beautifully put Amit. Thank you so much.
Thanks, Amit!
Thank you Amit! What a beautiful reminder
Amit,
A beautiful blog post — reminds me how much I miss seeing you. But I feel connected now through this celebration of evening and home. You were fortunate to have had this evening ritual when you were young. Sending blessings to you, heart to heart…
To read and be fed to know and help guide. So many years later..oh God is with us today, yesterday and ??️?It’s the melting of ice cream. ♥️????Thank u
Great wisdom to emulate and practice daily; thank you and Hari Aum.
Thank you Amit !! What a beautiful reminder!!
SO true….enlightening. In sikhism this is time of SoDar Rehras sahib, the evening Prayer- meaning the door to the righteous Path. All hymns are devoted to the praise of Almighty, the creator
During meditation, your physical body and your soul are in the universe. No relatives, friends even your blood relatives. Connect your physical body with your soul. Realise who are you? What positive & negative attitudes are dominated and what are hidden? Awaken your positive attitudes only. Every things are available with you. Don’t believe your ‘Baba’ fully.
Thank you very much Amit ! I remembered my parent’s place where we used to have Bhajans and songs every day.
There is no definitive or special time to “go Home” or to meditate or to pray. This is another grand illusion as is the simplistic concept of “coming home”. Bhakti that is sustained with every breath brings you “home”.
Amit, beautifully described the nature and its ways. Thanks.