0600hrs:
Countdown to end of 2025: 23 days
An improvement has been made, mainly because I got to bed at 2024hrs (8:24pm) and fell asleep by 2100hrs (9pm). I easily got up by 0530hrs, which is about an hour and a half's improvement on what has effectively been my modal average over the recent past viz. 0700hrs.
I now only have an hour to bridge at the top end (evening) and 2 and a half hours at the bottom end (morning).
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1029hrs:
Countdown to end of 2025: 24 days
Woke at 0630hrs but got up at 0700hrs...which appears to be my average during this tenure at Maqbool Bhat Martyr's Square in Dadyaal, still 4 hours short of certain victory in my quest to raise £1 million (or 40 crore of locally used currency) worth of shares, despite having raised only c. 2.5 lakh so far and despite there being only 24 days left to achieve this target!
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After many a year, I've resumed going daily to the gym today. I waited about 63 days to ensure that my morning walk on an empty stomach became a stable part of my daily routine. I am fortunate to have suffered only 1 day's break during these 63 days and my body is thus ready to face further exertion.
The following daily schedule is what I'm working for and it will continue even when I leave Maqbool Bhat Shaheed Chowk on the 31st of December 2025.
0300hrs - Get up and fulfil pending research tasks with a bit of dry fruit till..
0700hrs - Walk for 1.5 hours
0900hrs - Breakfast
1100hrs - Gym
1200hrs - Research work & public interaction till 1800hrs
1800hrs - Space, evening meal & winding down till..
2000hrs - Sleep till 0300hrs
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0633hrs:
Countdown to end of 2025: 28 days
Have now bridged the gap to 3 hours by waking at 0600hrs today. Last night, I was also able to get to sleep by 2200hrs (10pm), thus just a 2 hour gap on that end.
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We are honoured to feature another article from Kuldeep Pandita of Rainawari, Srinagar who lives in exile in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India:
I am placing an essay before your friends as an attempt to convey the oneness of the final goal and similarity in the paths suggested by the awakened men of the valley, for achieving God Realisation within Sufi Islam and Kashmir Shaivism.
This I am sharing for your blog on this date 4th December 2025 CE, such that those who shall read it hence forth or when I am long dead and gone; to be the witness for the cohesive knowledge that this part of the world has once seen, lived and believed in.
#rudranotes
Our land of Paradise "Rishiwar - the people of legend"
The spiritual traditions of Kashmir Shaivism and Sufism share a profound similarity in their descriptions of the journey to God realization. Both paths outline a transformative process, guiding the seeker through multiple stages of consciousness expansion, ultimately leading to unity with the divine.
In Kashmir Shaivism, the journey begins with the Sakala state, where the individual is bound by impurities and limited awareness. This corresponds to the Sufi stage of seeking (Tawba), where the aspirant acknowledges their spiritual hunger and begins the quest for truth. As the seeker progresses, they enter the Pralayākala state, characterized by unawareness, mirroring the Sufi stage of love (Ishq), where the heart is awakened to the divine presence.
The Vijñānākala state, marked by subtle impurities, finds its parallel in the Sufi stage of intuitive knowledge (Ma'rifat), where the seeker gains insight into the nature of reality. The Shuddhavidya state, where unity in diversity is experienced, corresponds to the Sufi stage of independence (Istighna), where the seeker is freed from external influences.
As the journey unfolds, the Ishvara state, with its awareness of I-ness, mirrors the Sufi stage of unity (Tawhid), where the seeker experiences the oneness of God. The Sadashiva state, marked by the desire for creation, finds its parallel in the Sufi stage of astonishment (Hayrat), where the seeker is overwhelmed by the divine presence.
The seventh state in Kashmir Shaivism is the Shiva state, where the individual consciousness expands to encompass the universe and the seeker becomes one with the divine. This corresponds to the Sufi stage of station of annihilation (Fana) leading to permanence (Baqa), where the seeker's ego is dissolved and they are absorbed into the divine essence.
Additionally, Kashmir Shaivism describes the seven states of bliss (Turya) as:
1. Nijananda (Inner bliss)
2. Nirananda (Bliss without object)
3. Parananda (Transcendent bliss)
4. Bhramananda (Bliss of wandering)
5. Mahananda (Great bliss)
6. Cidananda (Bliss of consciousness)
7. Jagadananda (Bliss of the universe)
These states of bliss are also reflected in the Sufi stages, highlighting the shared experience of spiritual ecstasy and union with the divine.
The convergence of these mystical paths serves as a testament to the universal nature of spiritual seeking. Despite cultural and linguistic differences, the journey to God realization remains a shared human experience, transcending boundaries and uniting seekers across traditions.
end....
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1220hrs:
Countdown to end of 2025: 30 days
This improved routine of sleeping near midnight and waking at 0700hrs is of course comparatively better than before but it remains 4 hours behind the optimum level. I need to work harder at getting it right, especially by 2000hrs (8pm) in the evening.
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1238hrs:
Countdown to end of 2025: 31 days
Despite sleeping at around midnight, I did get up at 0700hrs. Just that 4 hours gap remains to be bridged.
We will get there, imminently.
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Our guests from Rawalakot Sajjad Afzal & Imran Shan had local socio-political organisational representatives come to Maqbool Bhat Shaheed Chowk, to visit them. Here are some photos for the record:
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