Let God Decide

Ma Anandmayee is one of the enlightened saints of India with a large number of devotees all across the country. She was born in what is now Bangladesh but spent some good time of her life in north India, particularly in Haridwar and Dehradun. She left her body in Dehradun and there is an ashram at that place. I have had the privilege of visiting this ashram several times with a senior colleague of mine who was faithful devotee of Maa. He told me many events related to Maa and this created in me a great reverence for her. I also read a few books on her. There is an ashram of Maa near Kolkata also, at a place called Golpara. I had the chance of visiting this place during my posting at Kolkata. I found the place very serene and beautiful. There we met a saint who was quite enlightened and gave us a very deep message during our conversation. He said that most of the visitors or devotees to temples or ashrams put a list of their wishes before the deity or the saint. It means that they know what is best for them and want these wishes to be fulfilled. They do not even give a chance to God to examine the list of their wishes, what to say of Him using His discretion. He further added that the best way of seeking favours from God is to leave everything to Him and let Him decide for us. Our own role should be confined to doing our best in whatever circumstances He puts us through.

This counsel was somewhat strange, even to me, at that point of time. But it made sense to me and I contemplated on it for a long time. Thereafter, I realised that it was the most effective way of seeking the kindness of God. After all, He is the Master of the whole Universe and is capable of granting us those things which we cannot even imagine. If so, why should we restrict our demands on account of our limited minds. After all, Mother Nature knows best what is most appropriate for us and, therefore, it should be left on Her only. Viewed from the opposite direction, it also means that we have to do our best while performing our duties. Nature has equipped us with so many faculties and if we do not make the best use of them, how can we expect Her to reciprocate in the best manner? Once this secret of Nature is understood, it is in our best interest to leave it to God to decide for us. In that case, we don’t have to carry any load of desires with us. Our total energy is then deployed in doing our assigned duties.

Rakesh Mittal I A S

Go and Die

Every Indian knows who Sachin Tendulkar is. He is pride of India. Was the official criteria for India’s highest civilian award modified with an eye on Tendulkar is a question on debate. Until 2011, Bharat Ratna was conferred ‘for the highest degrees of national service’ which included artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as recognition of public service of the highest order. Whatever, he is a legend, who in his lifetime has earned loads of money and recognition. Of all the stories about him, what that touched me most was his sincere answer, which he recently gave a reporter, that it is a few coins which he got in his childhood that he honours the most. He disclosed the story in his usual meek voice. 

When he was a child he had a coach named Ramakant Archrekar. Every time he sent Tendulkar for batting, he used to put a few coins on his bat saying that it belongs to him if he stays in the field. This prompted Sachin to face each ball very carefully and cautiously. He wanted to stay in the field.   We know that this is the prime reason why he could turn into a legend later. For Sachin, each ball was important; he played as if he knew that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I share this incident because I feel that the present generation, though struggling hard to win every game, lacks something crucial. 

A few years back, a boy used to visit me occasionally. One day he asked me what he requires most in his life. I told him to go and die. He was surprised to hear me say so. I slowly turned to him, looked at his face and said, “DIE means Dream, Intend and Experience. Dream with a belief that you have the right to wish whatever you want; earnestly intend that you want it and live in that experience of having reached it.”  Slowly, he got what I meant and now he is one among the most successful entrepreneurs of the times. He belongs to the shortlisted thirty most successful Indian entrepreneurs of 2013, according to a survey done by a team of IIM students from Indian IIMs. Some months back, I learned that the slogan of his company is ‘Dream, Intend and Experience’. The difference I found in his understanding is that he learnt not only how to dream but also how to intent and experience. This is where the new generation varies, as I feel it. Successful intending means handling each situation with utmost accuracy so that it meets what you propose. For successful people, no cloud is waterless; so are situations. They know that fortune favours the bold. They also know that ‘he that wills the end wills the means’ also.

Joseph Mattappally

Non-Violence And Violence

The Scriptures say: “Ahimsa paramo dharmaha; dharma himsa tathiva cha.” Non-violence is the greatest religion; so is righteous violence. Here religion could be thought of as a way of living and being. Mohandas Gandhi practiced non-violence in personal life and politics, and freed India from the shackles of the British. He met with a violent death at the hand of an extreme Hindu nationalist, Nathuram Godse. The Hindu nationalists thought Gandhi’s appeasement of Muslims by giving too many concessions paved the way to the partition of India. Interestingly two distinct views on non-violence and violence can be traced to two great leaders who emerged from Hinduism: Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, who was a great believer in God, and Vinayak Savarkar, the Father of Hindutva and Hindu nationalism, a prominent president of the Hindu Mahasabha, who interestingly was also an atheist. Gandhi’s view of Ahimsa Paramo Dharmaha can be considered to be Ahimsa Paramo Sneha (Non-violence is perfect love). Gandhi would rather be killed and die without hatred for the assassin than kill someone to save his life. Vinayak or Veer Savarkar,  one of the accused in the assassination of Gandhi but freed on a technicality, inspired and promoted Hindu political unity and social consciousness, can be considered to be an advocate of Ahimsa Paramo Dharma as well as Dharma Himsa Thathaivacha.  The Gandhian view of non-violence facilitated the independence of India. His method was also successfully used by Martin Luther King, Jr., in the USA to obtain civil rights for African Americans, by Nelson Mandela in South Africa to abolish the apartheid and  thereby to secure freedom for the blacks. The Gandhian non-violence, still remaining a great ideal, suffered a serious set- back in the country of its origin as evinced by violent activities of all political parties that  not only curtail freedom but also lead to anarchy and violent chaos.

Jeevo Jeevasya Jeevanam (life is sustained by life). Strong animals kill weaker ones for food.   Primitive humans killed weaker ones when there was no other food. In nature violence is routinely observed. Only humans have the will to commit or not to commit violence, to repress or sublimate violence for a higher cause. Gandhian non-violence or the teaching of Christ, that exhorts one to show the left cheek when one is slapped on the right,  can come under sahana yoga (union through suffering), and can achieve a higher moral or spiritual goal. That may also mean the other side has a minimum required conscience to bring about the right result. In the best award winning picture  Gandhi produced by Richard Attenborough after about twenty years of research on Gandhi’s life, there is the famous scene of Gandhi’s followers producing salt from the ocean in civil disobedience of the then British law in India, getting arrested, and brutally and inhumanly beaten by the police. The American reporter sending news across the ocean to the USA stated that on that day the British lost whatever moral ascendancy they had over the Indian people. Sahana yoga worked with the British. Would it have worked with Hitler? I doubt it. Did Hitler have a modicum of conscience. I doubt it. So Dharma Himsa leading to the theory of righteous self-defense  or, for that matter, just war among nations when all other means have been thoroughly exhausted, may have to be very sparingly used. While I like to eliminate righteous self-defense or just war in favor of perfect non-violence (love) as a moral weapon, righteous violence (dharma himsa) can be justified.  The war in the battlefield of  Kurushetra that is also the dharmakshetra (the field of righteousness) wherein Krishna exhorts Arjuna, confused and beset by the unthinkable prospect of killing one’s own revered grandfather (pitamaha) and teacher (guru), to do one’s righteous duty even to the point of killing, is an instance of just and righteous war that takes place after all other options have been tried and failed. Non-violence is always desirable and is of paramount importance. But in very rare situations righteous violence may be exercised as a last resort and as a lesser evil. Dharmo rakshati rakshitah (Righeousness protects the one who protects righteousness).

Swami (Dr)  Snehananda Jyoti:

Wait Loss

Wait Loss No, I did not spell it wrongly. Yes, you pronounced it correctly. The power to wait is almost lost in some people of this generation. People of my father's age wanted to have their own home at the age of fifty five. People of my age wanted it at the age of forty and the new age people want it at the age of twenty five. Now, people are ready to take any amount of loan for all kinds of desires. Everyone wants to enjoy the physical wealth for as long as they can. The term “patience” is a matter of gyan which elderly people provide to release their frustration. This is what is believed by some young people today.

No, my readers! I just now did not have any heated arguments with my son. Actually I am lucky to have one who doesn't fight with me on these issues. So, the reason I am writing this is because I have been observing and it is my personal experience that success comes either by accident or by patience. The success that comes by accident is short lived and the one which comes by patience is usually much more satisfying and it remains for long.

But remember! Patience is not another name for laziness. It is what Columbus had shown while on his way to India and then finding America. It is what Helen Keller had shown by repeated efforts of learning even after her disabilities. It is what Mother Teresa had shown while treating the dying destitute. Yes! these are names of people who made history. What is patience in a common person? We see it in a mother who patiently waits for her child to grow-up gradually. We see it in a teacher who waits for his pupil to understand the lesson and use it in life to prosper. We see it in some people in the society who want the systems to change for the better.

So readers! Gain wait to gain Happiness.

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Positive Attitude

Allow yourself to dwell only on the positive and not the negative.

English heart surgeon Martyn Lioyd-Jones asserted, “Most unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself.” What kind of voice do you hear?  If you are hearing negative messages, you need to learn to give yourself positive mental pep talks. The best way to retain your attitude is to prevent your mind from going down any negative forks on the road. Your attitude dictates and controls your life, influencing how you see and interact with the surrounding world. Further, it is not what happens to you that affects you but how you respond to what happens to you. Thus the critical difference lies in your attitude towards life.

Feed yourself the right “food.” If you’ve been starved of anything positive, then you need to start feeding yourself a regular diet of motivational material. Our attitude determine what  we see and how we handle our feelings. These two factors greatly determine our success. Your attitude covers every aspect of your life. It is like the mind’s paintbrush. It can paint everything in bright vibrant colours- creating a masterpiece. Or it can make everything dark and dreary. Attitude is so pervasive and important that some people come to think of it as the librarian of your past, speaker of your present and the prophet of your future. There is not a single part of your current life that is not affected by your attitude.

The apostle Paul is a great example of someone with a marvelous attitude. Through all of his trials, God had been right there by his side. But never once did he blame God for his misfortune. Instead, listen to the positive attitude in Paul’s words as he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel, “I  want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel.” No moaning, no complaining. Just a marvelous attitude that brought joy to his life. May it serve as an example to us in our daily living!

Sr(Dr) Lilly Thokkanattu

Non Attachment 11

It is not that we will miss anything if w& Happinesse take life as a play. The truth is that it will add quality of our life and it will make for its richess and excellence. Therefore Krishna says, “Yoga brings excellence to your actions.” In fact, when life becomes a play, all its pinpricks and hurts go, all its thorns disappear and we are left with its flowers in our hands. If life is a play, why any one should burn in hell fire of hate and anger? Then only a mad man will enact anger and hate in his life. And all sensible people will enact only love and affection. If we are to dream, why dream that we are a begger? Then everyone will dream thaey are kings. If we explore our doings with attention we will find that we are playing roles all along the road of life. We are enacting the role of father and a son, a mother and a daughter, a wife and a husband, a friend and a foe. We really need to observe and examine all our actionsminutely and see if they are different from acting. And we will soon laugh at ourself. Maybe we are crying and watching our tears, and soon we begin to laugh inside. Maybe we are quiet one thing on the outside and quiet its opposite within. And by and by our life will turn into a play. 

A Zen monk was dying and he called his friends and said, “Countless people have died, but, I want to die in a novel manner. Please help me.” His friends laughed at him. But after discussing a lot the monk decided that he will die on head stand pose of Yoga. He died head stand pose of Yoga. But dying in that way created a problem for the whole monastery. This man/ monk who can die playfully, knows that life is a play. He lived playfully and died playfully. And he also knows what action without a motive, without being attached to the fruits is. When one turns his work into play, his whole life becomes a play. Then he can take everything, including death, as a play. But this is possible only when we know the real actor within us. We don’t have to act, we are already acting and we have only to know the truth of it. Krishna does not tell us become an actor, or to parctice acting. If we practice we will remain a doer, and we will become serious about every role. Krishna says we have only to know the reality of our life. As far as he is concerned, he knows for himself that it is nothing different from acting. And once we know it for ourself we will cease to be a doer in life. Then our life will turn into a play, and that is what Sannyas is. 

Krishna speaks of two kinds of action: one is action without attachment, and another is inaction with a sense of involvement in action. These are two ways of Sannyas and action, and it depends on us which way we choose for ourself. Someone can choose doing and yet remain a non-doer, and another can opt for non-doing and yet remain a doer. 

Wishing you good health & happiness,

Dr. Dwarakanath, Director, Mitran foundation-the stress management people

Talk to Strangers

Once I had a very strange experience during my morning walk in the Vasundhara colony of Ghaziabad. This is a colony in the development of which I took a keen interest as the Housing Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh. I stay there quite often, even though I have ceased to hold the job, and enjoy the place. Any development in this colony still gives me joy as it relates to my memories. During the above mentioned morning walk, I saw a boy in his school uniform on the roadside, apparently waiting for his school bus. As I approached him, I felt like talking to him in order to know about the progress of schools in the colony. With this intention, I stopped near him and asked his name very affectionately. He paused for a few seconds and then giving a strange look asked me as to how I was concerned with that. I, certainly, was not prepared for such a reply and was, therefore, taken aback for a few seconds. I then asked him if it was this which was taught in his school. To this, he very innocently replied, “We are taught not to talk to the strangers.” This reply of his was sufficient for me to understand his dilemma and I did not raise any further questions. 

But this incident made me think deeply about the progress we are making. The child was not to be blamed at all because the school authorities must have genuinely felt that it was the best way of saving children from being cheated by strangers. However, in the process they forgot to realise that if children don’t talk to strangers, whom should they talk to then? After all, to begin with, everyone who comes in our contact is a stranger. It is only when we meet them and talk to them that we get to know them. At best, it can be advised that one should be careful and wise while interacting with a stranger but to put a blanket ban on such interactions is certainly harmful and destructive. 

All of us know that our friends were strangers to us at one point of time. Even a mother is a stranger to the child at the time of birth. It is only when they come in contact and interact with each other that a bond is created, which is perhaps the strongest possible bond. The message, therefore, is that if we want to seek inner expansion we must talk to strangers and any advice contrary to this is wrong. I wish that the modern world would realise this fact, so that the joy of living is not lost. 

Rakesh Mittal I A S

Absolutely True

The words, complete and finished almost always carry the same meaning; but when it comes to refer a marriage, they expose their real faces and arrange in a harmonious chain and appear ‘completely finished’. Words change their meaning and appeal according to time, situation and place. The matter would not have been a serious concern, unless some of them would not have turned harmful. The impressions some words leave on the human psyche sometimes grow into a threat. The best examples are words like over, perfect, done etc. Similar words referring to an end, a break or a stop point should be redefined. Looking closely, we find that nothing is complete, there is no finishing point as such anywhere and everything is imperfect. What is the point in pleading for a recheck? Its’ because I feel that a sense of ‘no more’ if added at any point may mark even the end of human advancement.

Recently, we hear a lot of loud cries from all around, over the plastic waste that is growing into a threat. At nature parks, I have seen hoardings saying that a plastic is the last recycled thing in the universe. I once thought that our only option with plastic is not to produce it. Last week, I happened to read coverage on a few enthusiasts who grew a particular variety of bacteria which could recycle plastic fast. Petrol prices are always on hike; I read about an eighth standard motor mechanic successfully attaching a self designed unit with a four stroke engine and increasing the vehicle’s fuel efficiency by 23%, as officially agreed upon after lab tests. I read about a college girl who introduced a typical car washing glouse, to which a water hose is connected. The glouse has holes in it and using it we need only less water to wash any car. I heard about a village sect who uses a natural glue, secretion from some insects or whatever, used inside their clay cooking utensils to make them non-stick. I also read about a drummer who attached special containers and sticks on the drum stands around him, which allowed him to use different sticks at different tunes, without waste of time. If ever any of them had affirmed that what was found out or in use is always were the perfect and the last, they could not have contributed their share.

This is about physical inventions and social achievements. What that shakes me most is the danger hid behind ‘perfectionists’ in religious realms. The one who thinks that I have understood everything and sticks on to the old beliefs and conclusions belongs to the lost class. They can be easily defined ‘ignorant’. They not only spoil themselves but also the entire humanity. A trip towards truth always is that of distinct and new realizations at every point. No doubt that great nations are due to great people, who believe that the best book is yet to be written. 

Joseph Mattappally

Pope and Me

Pope Francis is 76 years old; I am 73. Both of us joined the Society of Jesus in the same year,      i. e., 1958. Unlike Francis, I had also one year of pre-Novitiate or aspirant program before joining. We joined the pre-Vatican Council, triumphant, western-oriented Society. With the historic changes introduced by the Vatican Council (1962-1965), the Jesuits took leadership in simplicity of living, in-culturation, modernization, and social justice.  Under the wise and able leadership of a bold, and courageous superior, Pedro Arrupe, who was and is a true saint, the Jesuits made a fundamental option for the poor and the down-trodden bringing the mission of Catholic Church closer to the vision of Christ and the Kingdom of God. In fact Arrupe wrote a very inspiring book called  A  Faith Related to Justice. I was previleged  to observe Arrupe from  close quarters. Arrupe led the transitional phase of the Society of Jesus and the Catholic Church involved in changes necessitated by the Vatican Council. The Catholic 

Church experienced the pangs of birth related to the adaptation of the Church to the modern world. That is where Pope John Paul II with all his charism and, Pope Benedict XVI, failed in ushering the Catholic Church into the 21st century. I may also note that there is no need to rush the canonization of Pope John Paul II. For that matter the Catholic Church should abandon the canonization of anyone in the future as there are more important things to do.   Pope Francis and I had  very similar training.  Both of us became solemnly professed Jesuits taking the fourth vow of special obedience to the pope besides the three regular vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. I left the Jesuits after 25 years, decided to get married while continuing to minister and work for the Kingdom of God as Christ did independently as a Catholic Priest and a Clinical Psychologist.  Francis started climbing the hierarchical ladder, first becoming a bishop in 1992 and finally the pope, the bishop of the universal Catholic Church. He became the main actor in the center stage of the Catholic Christian world and I, perhaps, the most insignificant player in the remotest periphery of the hierarchical Catholic stage. Nonetheless, I am as much a Catholic Christian as the pope. That prerogative I am not going to allow anyone to question.

While I remained a Jesuit at heart, I would not be able to write some of the things I am writing had I remained a Jesuit. In a series of articles on Papal Dynamics, I raised the issue of the importance of the then Pope Benedict resigning a month  before his actual resignation so his cronies would not be ruling the Catholic Church in his feeble state. After the autocratic election of Pope Francis I questioned his legitimacy to truly represent the Catholic Church in that he was elected by Cardinals who were selected and appointed by the Pope. The second Vatican Council only opened the window of the Catholic Church a little bit for some fresh air. When it is widely opened, a democratic election of a truly representative pope will take place. That is why I suggested the calling of a Third  Vatican Council that is not managed by an autocratic hierarchy but by the entire Catholic Church. I must say that Pope Francis is moving in the right direction with regard to a compassionate Church and simplicity of life. A Hindu sanyasi (monk) friend of mine a few weeks ago called me and said that the new pope is talking about issues in the Catholic Church that I have been talking and writing about. When I said what Francis said that the God of Catholics is not any different from the one true God, Cardinal Alancherry of Kerala had no difficulty in justifying the pope. I strongly believe that many changes in the Church hitherto unforeseen by the hierarchy will happen in the future. Nobody can stop these changes unleashed by the Holy Spirit.  Pope Francis said that he would like to hear the views of his critics. I do not agree with him when he says that women will not become priests in the Catholic Church. That decision has to be taken by the Universal Catholic Church.

The role, function, and mission of Christ (abhishikta) are described in the New Testament of the Bible. Christ is the Logos (Word: Aadi Shabda) from the beginning of the world mentioned in the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel. However, I am going to put the program of Christ and the Catholic Church in terms of the Vedanta (Hindu Scriptures). A human comes from anandam (bliss), is conceived in the sacred union of a committed man and a woman involving anandam that ends in climax (rathi), and comes out into this world  from the womb as an individual with a primal scream that is an indication of the child  leaving in trauma the ideal climate of the womb. This human goes from perfection to perfection has individuality, personality, and reality. A person is unique, has many masks (persona), and reality. Nobody knows about reality for sure. We have only images or shadows of reality. We have our own ideas of God, conscience, and our own belief system. We develop viveka (discernment or wisdom) and viragya, (detachment), shatsampad (the six virtues), leading to mumukhshutva (liberation). The Christians believe that one dies and goes to heaven or a center of purification till beatific vision with God. The Hindus and Buddhists believe that one dies and  is reborn until mumukshutva or nirvana (liberation). In the final analysis, all religions believe in some kind of heaven or liberation as the final end of human. So it is of great importance for Pope Francis and all humanity to think of some ecumenical fellowship where in all religions have a minimum program of creative cooperation. The pope considers himself to be a sinner; I consider myself to be a child of God.

Swami (Dr) Snehananda Jyoti:  

Cof-Tea

In my childhood I studied in a school in Nainital. My father was also posted there. The road from Nainital to Mukteshwar, a small picturesque hill station, was in charge of my father. I always liked to travel along with my father, especially when he used to go for special visits while clearing the roads from high amounts of snow. He also used to go to a small ashram on a hilltop in Mukteshwar, where the grand old bearded Swami ji used to offer a hot drink to my father. Those days, the weather at Mukteshwar used to be very rough and shivering cold. Although I was too young to start tea or coffee, due to very cold weather, I developed an instinct to try that hot drink. Observing the curiosity in my eyes, Swami ji, happily gave a cup of that hot-drink to me. Somehow I liked the taste in the first go itself. I asked its name. Swami Ji, said "cof-tea". My father asked swami ji, “Everyone offers me tea in this weather, but whenever I come here I always have an urge to get this special drink of yours. What is the magic behind this thought of yours”. Swami Ji replied with a meaningful smile, “Garg Sahib! This is the power of mixing two good things in a right ratio. In the same way art, culture and religions can be mixed. They will also form a good recipe. It is just simple, that I tried this on coffee and tea and you can try it in all spheres of life”. As the taste of that cof-tea is still imprinted on my mind, so is the message that Swami Ji gave to me and my father.

Recently, I felt the same message running through my mind again. I went for admission of my son in Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata. There, students had been selected from all parts of the country. I, along with my son and his mother, went one day ahead of the reporting date to enquire if my son will adjust properly amongst students of different states and cultures, especially when we are totally vegetarians. We visited the authorities to find if my son could be accommodated with other students from our state Uttar Pradesh or at least some other Hindi speaking state. The authorities replied that they allot rooms by a lottery system only. They said that they want students from all states to actually mix together and grow together. This way they will turn out to be better scientists in future. The word cof-tea immediately came to my mind. The message from Swami Ji of Mukteshwar tingled again and I happily accepted the situation. And to my surprise my son and his mother accepted this situation even more easily.

Try this Cof-tea recipe today in your kitchen as well as in life.

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg 

Integrity

Bill Graham said, “Integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together. We must constantly strive to keep our integrity intact.” Integrity is not a given factor in everyone’s life. It is a result of self discipline, inner trust, and a decision to relentlessly honest in all situations in our lives. Unfortunately in today’s world, strength of character is a rare commodity. As a result, we have few contemporary models of integrity. Our culture has produced few enduring heroes, few models of virtue. We have become a nation of imitators, but there are few leaders worth imitating. The meaning of integrity has been eroded.

Integrity is not  what  we do so much as who we are. And who we are, in turn, determines what we do. Our system of values is so much a part of us we cannot separate it from ourselves. I t becomes the navigating system that guided us. It establishes priorities in our lives and judges what we will accept or reject. We are all faced with conflicting desires. We struggle daily with situations that demand decisions between what we want to do and what we ought to do. Integrity establishes the ground rules for resolving these tensions. Integrity binds our person together and fosters a spirit of contentment within us. It will not allow our lips to violate our hearts. When integrity is the referee, we will be consistent; our beliefs will be mirrored by our conduct. Integrity commits itself to  character  over personal gain, to  people over things, to  service over power, to  principle over convenience, to  the long view over the immediate.

Philip Brooks maintained, “Character is made in the small moments of our lives.” Any time you break a moral principle, you create a small crack in the foundation of your integrity. Developing and maintaining integrity require constant attention. Josh Weston, chairman and CEO of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.., says, “I’ve  always tried to  live with the following simple rule: Don’t do what you wouldn’t feel comfortable reading about in the newspapers the next day.” That’s a good standard all of us should keep.

Sr (Dr) Lilly Thokkanattu SJL

Non Attachment 10

Life is very complex, it is vast and deep. It is like an ocean of consciousness which is constantly creating waves. If we say a word here and now, do we think it will die soon after it is uttered? No, we may not be here tomorrow, but this single word uttered by us will continue to affect the world till the end of time. And if we don’t say a word, if we remain silent, then our silence too will continue to affect the world endlessly. Who will be responsible for it when we are gone? Perhaps the wave that gave rise to the wave which drowned the man in the ocean is no more in existence, and we will not hold it responsible for the man’s death. But Krishna will definitely hold that wave responsible. Krishna will never let it go blameless. Krishna will say that both our being and non-being have hand in creating this great web of life on earth, and in no way we can escape involvement and responsibility. In fact every wave is a member of every other wave and is responsible for every other wave. Sannyas affirms that everyone is inseparably involved in this vast world of action and we cannot run away from it. Therefore it is good to know on our own, that we do even when we don’t do anything, we are responsible even for our inaction. 

The other side of the coin, according to Krishna, is to know I am not doing even when I am doing something. Ordinarily this side seems simple, but knowing the side of total involvement in the whole pattern of action, we cannot say it is that simple. It is very difficult. Some of us can say glibly that we can do things as if we are acting, but it is easier said than done. The truth is that even professional actors often forget they are actors and they become doers. They become so involved in acting that they think they are the very roles they are expected to lay. They become so conditioned by long acting that they forget altogether their reality, they begin to identify themselves with their roles. They become what they are long accustomed to act. So when actors become victims of deluded identification it is really difficult for us in real life to conduct ourselves as if we are actors on stage. To take life as playacting is arduous, but not impossible. If we carefully watch the way we live, if we closely observe our daily life, it will not take long to know that we are really acting. When someone asks, how are you? When we say at meetings to someone, we are happy to see them.  Whenever we do something and think our self to be a doer- and such moments are many- reflect inside if what we have done is real. Even when we say to our beloved one, “I love you with all my being and I cannot live without you.” We must look back and examine our self and the comment.  “Is it true that I cannot live without my lover?” and we will clearly know how we act in our day to day life. We must watch every step of our life, every single thing that we do, every word that we say, and we will realize that is different from playacting. 

Wishing you good health and happiness,

Dr. Dwarakanath, Director, Mitran foundation- the stressmanagement people

Fearful Hero

He was closed inside the hostel room of his friend. It was around nine in the evening. His friend, who closed him went away to watch the night show of a movie. He started to bang the door, so that some nearby wing-mate may open the door for him. But all efforts were in vain. Most of the other students in the side rooms were also not there. They had gone to the mess to take their dinner. He opened the window of the room. But it was all covered by vertical rods and escape was just not possible. He shouted again, to find that his voice went on to the deaf ears of some evening walkers, who were actually quite far from him. They were friends from last two years, but today a simple comment converted into a trifle and then to such an action. Finally he retired to his friend's bed. All previous episodes of his friendship and petty daily fights came across his mind like a film. He stood up again. He tried to find some tool inside his friend's room, so that he could break the door, or loosen its mounting screws. He was unable to do so. The door was quite well tightened on a metal frame. His mind was still quite active. He surveyed every nook and corner of the room and found a small ventilator near the roof, above the loft. It was quite small in size. Still he decided to climb up the loft and tried to open the ventilator. The ventilator window opened quite easily. There were no barrier rods. He slowly took his head out of the ventilator, crept out of it and jumped out into the gallery. It was a great escape for a fat boy like him.

He felt like a hero. All his fears went away. He was sure that nothing will happen when his friend will return from movie. All the anger of his friend will dissolve in the feeling of surprise. And this is what happened when his friend returned. His friend was surprised that he escaped out of the ventilator so smoothly. His friend congratulated him for the escape. All the bad feelings of the fight that happened four hours ago had gone. Both the friends then shared their study notes to complete the assignment to be submitted next morning.

There was a lesson well learnt by the boy. Get out of your fears boldly and intelligently. Getting out of fears will ultimately help you surprise the world in a way that will create a winning situation. You may not agree to the view point presented in this story. But one thing I am dead sure is that the story is true. How can I be unsure when the character who escaped out was no one else but me?

Dr Sunil Ji Garg

The Falcon

Old Testament stories are part of popular religious Scriptures like that of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The Paradise story of Adam and Eve is known to everyone. There are people who believe that they really existed; there are others who argue that according to the story, humanity could be only hardly six thousand years old and it is too obsolete a story to digest. Whatever, the profound messages it convey is undeniable. According to the Old Testament stories, Lord God began creating everything day by day and Adam was the last of creations. On a review later, God found that it is not nice for Adam to be alone. But, in all the charms and fantasies of the universe He created, He could not find a befitting company of His choice textures. Finally, God turned to Adam himself and created from his own bone, another human being called Eve. 

It is not the prevailing rules on original sin or the striking climax of the story in which a serpent fools them that holds me tied to this story. Instead, it is the message that a human being is complete in itself that keeps me kicking. The creation of Eve says that whenever we feel that we miss something, the only place to search is ones’ own self. This message is relevant in a world, which is fully busy searching for happiness outside. Every religious priest knows that the answer to all queries is found within. They know that dissolution of ego means shrinking into the core. Is the priest class always in a clash, regarding whether to reveal the truth or keep attracting all believers towards a colourful realm of celebrations and rituals? All human beings are armed to realize the truth. But……

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen.  A few months passed and one day the falcon trainer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived. The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. The king thought to himself, "May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem." So he cried out to his court, "Go and get a farmer." In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, "Bring me the doer of this miracle." The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?" With head bowed, the farmer said to the king, " It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting." 

We are all made to fly; we all have the right and strength to realize our incredible potential as human beings. But instead of doing that, we sit on certain branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undiscovered. So are our questions too; they also remain unanswered, until the moment somebody cut the branch on which we sit. 

Joseph Mattappally

Non Attachment 9

We have seen waves in the ocean. The waves seem to be constantly moving towards the shore. But many will be surprised to know that they never move to the shore. They are almost virtually stationary. We may say it is unbelievable. We have seen with our own eyes how they travel mile long distance to come to the shores. We might have even played on the waves that comes rolling over the ocean. But those who know the ocean will say that no wave moves. It only appears to be moving. The fact is that one wave gives rise to another and another and the process goes on ad infinitum. It is not that the wave rising one mile in the ocean moves to shore but it really dies as soon it rises, but it gives rise to another wave which in turn gives rise to another. What really happens is that when wave rises it depresses the water on either side, which causes another wave to rise. Thus one wave causes thousand waves. They don’t move but appear to move because they are so contiguous and continuous. 

Now suppose a man is drowned in a wave near the sea shore. Can we hold a distant wave responsible for his drowning? It will deny responsibility on the grounds that it never moved to the shore. In a way it is correct, there was a mile’s distance between the wave and the drowned man. But Krishna thinks that if the distant wave is a Sannyasin, it will own responsibility for the drowned man, because it is integral part of the ocean. Whether the distant wave visited the shore or not, it is as much responsible as the wave drowned the man. The ocean is one and indivisible. 

The right kind of Sannyasin takes responsibility for everything that happens anywhere in this wide world, even though he has no direct hand in any of it. This is a difficult role to play. Not to be a doer when one is doing something is not that difficult, although this and the other thing are two sides of the same coin. We have lost sight of this side of Sannyasa, which as much involvement in inaction. To do without being a doer, and to be a doer when one is not doing a thing are two sides of the coin of Sannyasa. But unfortunately we have a very limited concept of Sannyasa. For us a Sannyasin is one who leaves the world and shuts himself up in the mountain cave or a monastery and ceases to have any relation with the world. Such a Sannyasin says, now he is not responsible for what happens in this world. But this is very sectarian and mistaken view of Sannyasa. This world is like waves rising on the surface of ocean where no wave can say that it is not responsible for what happens to the rest of waves. 

Life is very complex, it is vast and deep. It is like an ocean of consciousness which is constantly creating waves....Contd. 

Dr. Dwarakanath, Director, Mitran foundation- the stressmanagement people 

Forty Out of Forty

I have been a sharp student in my studies and mathematics was my pet subject. However, after passing High School, I faced some problems in this subject but the same was soon overcome and I started enjoying this subject once again. By the time half-yearly examinations were to be conducted, I was fully prepared and confident for taking the examination. The paper of mathematics was of forty marks and it consisted of eight questions of which six were to be solved. However, the distribution of marks to each question was a little strange. Out of eight, four questions were assigned seven marks each and the remaining four were of six marks each. Thus, in order to get forty out of forty the examinee was required to solve four questions of seven marks each and any two of the remaining four questions. Hence, the choice was restricted to a great extent. Since I knew the answers of all the eight questions, I made my choice accordingly. All this, including revision was over within one and a half hours while the duration of the paper was three hours and leaving the examination room before two hours was not allowed. Thus, I was to pass half an hour without doing anything. 

Suddenly, an idea came to my mind and I solved the remaining two questions also, putting a note on the top of the answer book that the examiner could check any six questions out of the eight. Not only this, I proudly shared this fact with others, feeling elated with myself. When the answer sheets were shown to us after a few days, I painfully noted that I had scored only thirty-eight marks out of forty. On a closer look, I found that the examiner had checked two questions of seven marks each and four of six marks each. Thus, the total came to only thirty-eight. This made me very upset and I immediately rushed to the teacher for complaint. 

The teacher gave me a mischievous look as if he already knew this. When I showed him my answer sheet, he admitted that all the answers were correct but said that it was only on my direction that he had chosen to examine any six questions. This way he had only exercised his right, which had been given by me. I almost wept on hearing this reply but then he said that he was happy and gave me full marks. At that time, I did not know whether he had done it out of mischief or had something else in mind. 

I have shared this incident with many people and everyone found it amusing. But now I look at it with a different perspective. Now, I feel that it was my subtle ego which made me solve all the eight questions and direct the examiner to see any six. While it may be debated whether the examiner did right or wrong, the fact of my subtle ego is undeniable. My endeavour, now, is to get rid of such trivial ego which also comes in the way of our good acts. Thus, I look upon at that teacher as my benefactor for refusing to give me forty out of forty marks in first instance. 

R K Mittal IAS

Holiness

Holiness consists not in doing uncommon things, but in doing all common things with an uncommon fervour.  A saint is one who  makes  goodness attractive. The serene  beauty  of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world next to power of God. The creed of the true saint is to make the most of life, and to make the best of it. Sanctity is made up of little things, little virtues and actions. Buddha says just as candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life. The spirit dwells in all men; but not all men are aware of this. Happy is the life of him who knows this, and unhappy his life who does not know it. 

A martyr, a saint, is always made by the design of God, for his love of men, to warn them, to bring them back to his ways. A martyrdom  is never the design of man; for the true martyr is he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the will of God. A saint is someone who makes it easier to believe in God. A saint is someone who lets the light shine through. Spiritual power is the force which history clearly teaches has been the greatest force in the development of man.  Material things do not bring happiness, and are of little use in making people creative and powerful. A saintly person lives with radiance because his spirit is rooted in God’s spirit. A saint is a person who has quit worrying about himself because his life is centred on God. With Jakob  Bohme  he says, “Though my head and my hand be at labour, yet doth my heart dwell in God.” A saint feel that every person-- regardless of colour, race, creed, or nation—is a person in whom lie the possibilities of becoming a saint. With Robert Southwell he says,  “Not where I breathe but where I love, I  live.”He desires to use the results of prayer and devotion to better the world. The beauty of holiness has done more, and will do more, to regenerate the world and bring in everlasting righteousness than all other agencies put together.

Napolieon 1 was passing by a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi paid respect to the saint by taking off his hat reverently. One of the Gererals, who boasted of being a free-thinker, asked why  he  paid such respect to a monk. The emperor replied, “Becaues that ‘monk’ subdued an army larger than mine and, without guns or cannon, ruled an empire far greater than mine.”

Sr(Dr) Lilly Thokknattu SJL

GOD – GURU

My habit of creating different kinds of expansions of regular words is resurfacing again and again these days. As a student, I always used to remember my lessons by remembering first letters of any bulleted points. When I started teaching, I started expanding regular words as if they are acronyms. This was just an attempt to help learners to remember the concepts easily. Today it is the turn of the word "GURU". Our traditional understanding of the word 'GURU' immediately locks one of the two meanings in our mind; A Teacher or An Expert. Both these meanings highlight that knowledge is flowing from a Guru to his disciple or subject. This is also called a Mentor- Learner relationship. Let's dig deeper. A true Guru would be one who knows a lot. A person who knows a lot will find opportunities to learn things from everyone and everywhere. He will not hesitate to learn even from his disciple. So! In my opinion a Mentor-Learner relationship should be bi-directional. This is called give and take relationship by behaviour science experts. This relationship in common language is what we call as a relationship of friends.

With the above discussion we can now evolve a new expansion of the word GURU as: Guru - Gives U, Receives U (Read it as Gives You, Receives You). An ideal GURU is like a close friend. I have seen some people establishing this kind of relationship even with their Deities. My mother used to talk to the statue of Lord Krishna, as if he was sitting right next to her. She even used to scold her Lord, if something didn't go the way she had planned. This is possible only if there is a relationship of friendship. As a learner I think the best policy is to completely get devoted and bowed down towards your Guru, so that he can receive you well. A true Guru, while giving to you, will make sure that he has learnt something new to be given to you when you meet again.

Non - attachment 8

HAH 103 041113 Non - attachment 8

The Yoga of Non-attachment is foundational, and it is the third point of the triangle, the basic point of life which arise the other two points of triangle. The two other points are action through inaction and inaction through action. One can be called Sannyas- inaction and the other can be called action without the desire for results. Desire less action means action through inaction. If we do something without motive, without a sense of compulsion to do it and without desire for successful results, it is desire less action. If what we do is undone or it does not bear fruits and we accept it without regrets or pain, it is desire less action. 

I would like to go in depth into this point. Desire-less action is Sannyas if a Sannyasin has a sense of involvement and responsibility even in inaction, when he is not doing a thing. It will be a little difficult to understand: a sense of involvement in inaction, when one is not doing a thing. For example, there is a Sannyasin who does nothing, knows that he is party to whatever is happening around the earth just because he is part of the universal life. He has to be utterly responsible for all that mankind does or does not do. He is also aware that whatever he does or does not do – even his inaction – is going to be of great consequence. If two religious groups or parties are fighting somewhere and I silently escaped from the scene of riot, I cannot say that I had nothing to do with it. I could have done something to avert the riot, but I did not. My abstention from action in this case was action enough, and I should hold myself responsible for not averting the bloodshed. 

What is generally taken to be Sannyas is not real Sannyas, it is simple aversion. The Sannyas of Krishna’s concept is much different and difficult affair. Krishna’s Sannyas is exactly the state of a non-attached person. He lives with this awareness, that he fully responsible for his inaction- which is action through inaction- just because he exists as a part of cosmic-consciousness. He knows that ultimately all consciousness is united and one. 

We all have seen waves in ocean. Waves seem to be constantly moving towards the shore. But many among us will be surprised to know that they never move to the shore, they are virtually stationary. 

More detailed analysis unfolds in the coming weeks … 

Dr. Dwarakanath, 

Director, Mitran foundation- the stress management people

For Our Sake Only

When I was posted as the Principal Secretary of medical and health, several programmes were being run with the help or association of international agencies. One such programme was leprosy eradication. Once, a World Health Organisation (WHO) team visited Lucknow in connection with this programme. The head of the team was an Indian, as a result of which the communication between us became easier and the appreciation of the problem also became better. India, in general, and Uttar Pradesh, in particular, had done a good job in this field and the leprosy rate had come down appreciably. The work was, therefore, appreciated by the visiting team. 

In the evening, a dinner meeting was arranged by the department. While I was conversing with the team leader at this meet, a question came to my mind as to who funds such programmes and why? Whether the funding agencies or the countries are really interested in the welfare of the poor countries or there is some other agenda also. When I asked this question to the team leader, he understood my intention and gave a very realistic reply. Also, being an Indian he knew the ground realities of India well. 

He said that no international funding is done only on compassionate grounds and there is always a hidden agenda, which serves the donor nation in one way or the other. In health-related programmes, it is mainly to protect their own nations from those diseases, which are likely to affect their countries also. Such nations feel that as long as such diseases or health issues exist in any corner of the world, they themselves also face the danger of their onslaught. It is mainly for this reason that they fund such programmes. However, human consideration is also a factor but generally, it is subservient to the first one. This was exactly what I had in mind when I put the question to the leader and his reply confirmed my thinking. 

Thereafter, I extended this fact to all acts of kindness undertaken at the individual or collective level. When we do good to others, it helps us first and then the beneficiary or the beneficiaries. Whether the help is in cash, kind or service, it always gives us a subtle joy, which is a great reward in itself. Greater the selflessness in such a help, greater is the joy or reward. Going by this logic, totally selfless help gives infinite joy. Once we understand and appreciate this science of help, helping others becomes our nature, not for the sake of others but for our own sake only. Thus, from the viewpoint of return, a selfless living is the most selfish way of living but such selfishness is an enlightened one or higher one. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS