Use Solar Energy

The sun produces a tremendous amount of energy and will continue producing it for billions of years. Hence solar energy is considered the ultimate renewable energy. The other sources of energy, especially oil are fast depleting so it is essential to look for another sustainable source of energy. In future, solar energy will be the largest source of global energy for a number of reasons.

Many people choose to use it due to its positive environmental impact, financial benefits and energy independence. Global warming and climate change are major issues facing the world today and you can be part of the solution by taking advantage of solar energy. Unlike fossil fuels, solar energy doesn’t produce the harmful pollutants responsible for increasing the greenhouse effect which leads to global warming.

Another key factor for homeowners considering solar energy is the financial aspect. The financial benefits of solar energy can be seen in reduced electricity bills as you use solar energy for electricity, lighting, heating and cooling.

By using solar energy, you will reduce your dependence on the utility companies as you’ll be able to produce your own solar power electricity. Solar energy also gives you a level of reliability and security that other energy sources can’t match. When your neighbours do not have power due to an outage, you will not be affected since your home generates its own electricity and heat. People who are already taking advantage of today’s solar energy technology are saving money and saving the environment and can feel good about being responsible global citizens.

There are four basic uses of solar energy – solar electricity, solar heating, solar cooling and solar lighting. Electricity can be generated by using photovoltaic solar cells which are combined into solar panels and connected to an inverter to produce electricity.

Solar energy can also be used to heat your home, domestic water and swimming pool. Solar heating systems collect, store and distribute solar energy. Solar cooling takes advantage of the sun in the hot summer months and use its energy in cooling devices. Solar energy lighting can be used to enhance your home’s outdoor features or to provide natural interior lighting. The future of solar energy is indeed bright.

Dr (Mrs) Archana Bharat

In Search of God

As smart religions evolve, everybody is becoming more and more ignorant or confused. The problem is not with the Scriptures but with the institutions that interpreted them. Religions have contributed to increasing the general enthusiasm on God. However, I think that we are in search of an experience which hardly any one accepts.  Sri Sri Yogananda Paramahansa thought of Himalayas, he thought of sitting comfortably somewhere for a while, he thought of being with a learned, he thought of leaving his kith and kin, he thought of living on just necessaries…….

One day, Mukund (early name of Sri Sri Yogananda Paramahansa) was sitting for a meditation.  His master Swami Sri Yuktheswarji saw this and called him.

“Sir, I am meditating.” Mukunda told him.

“I know how you are meditating, with your mind distributed like leaves in storm! Come here to me.”

He ordered.  “Poor boy, mountains cannot give you what you want. Your heart’s desire shall be fulfilled.” He said. 

He struck gently on his chest above the heart. The experience that followed is described by Yoganandaji as follows.

‘My breath stopped and yet I was fully conscious. My ordinary frontal vision was changed to a vast spherical sight, simultaneously all-perceptive. Through the back of my head I saw men strolling far down Rai Ghat Lane. The roots of plants and trees appeared through a dim transparency of the soil; I discerned the inward flow of the sap. An oceanic joy broke upon the calm endless shores of my soul. I felt God as exhaustless Bliss. I saw his body as countless tissues of light. Such joy! Such bliss! Many prophetic realizations that came to me during this experience actually came to pass afterward. I could penetrate the minds of others and see what they were thinking.’

If the final experience is so inexplicable and exquisite as he has narrated here, what do our so called ‘searches’ mean? 

Joseph Mattappally

Sthitaprajna

Remaining unperturbed- 01

Krishna says Sthitaprajna is one who remains unperturbed and steady in the midst of both happiness and misery. And it makes us to think that if someone does not feel happy in happiness and miserable in misery; will it not destroy his sensitivity? There are two ways of remaining unperturbed in the midst of happiness and suffering. One way is to kill our sensitivity. Then we will cease to be either happy or miserable. If our tongue is burned we will cease to taste both the sweet and bitter. If our eyes are blinded we will neither know light nor the darkness. Insensitivity is the simplest way of achieving evenness of mind in both pleasure and pain. And it is not surprising that by and large Krishna’s followers have chosen the way of insensitivity. Most of those who are known as Sannyasin, renunciate or recluses do nothing but systematically destroy their sensitivity so they become dead to the experience of pleasure and pain, happiness and misery. But this is a travesty of what Krishna really means. 

Krishna’s meaning is very different. He says a Sthitaprajna remains unperturbed in pleasure and pain- he does not say he is insensitive to them. He means to say that a wise man goes beyond happiness and sorrow; he transcends them- not by killing his sensitivity but by attaining to a higher state of consciousness, to super consciousness. An unconscious person, one under the influence of drugs, is insensitive to pain and pleasure but he cannot be said to have transcended to them. He has rather fallen below the normal state of consciousness. In that way every dead person is insensitive. Transcendence is entirely different, profound and meaningful. 

In my view Krishna’s way of transcending happiness & sorrow is different and unique. If we experiences happiness fully, if we are utterly sensitive to pleasure, if we live it so totally that no other thing remains to be lived, we will soon transcend it. Then we will be unperturbed and steady in every situation of pleasure and happiness. Similarly if we experience pain and misery totally, if we go into it with all our being, without trying to escape it in the least, we will go beyond the misery too. We will never again be disturbed by suffering. Krishna is not asking us to kill our sensitivity. On the contrarily, he wants us to heighten our sensitivity to its utmost, so it becomes total. Krishna stands for sensitivity, and total sensitivity at that.  

Let us think, contemplate and analyze this point. More to come next week!

Wishing you good health & happiness,

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

Bliss of Poverty

India is a country of extremes. While some of the richest persons of the world are from India, it also has the dubious distinction of having about 40 percent of its population living below poverty line. Half of this population does not even get two square meals a day. Yet it is a country which is known for its bliss and people come here from all over the world to find the secret behind it. I have myself experienced it in abundance during my extensive visits to the villages all across the country. Here, I am narrating an experience of my own locality of Gomtinagar in Lucknow. 

In cities most of the construction workers come from different states and work with a contractor in groups. They live in their makeshift dwellings which keep on changing with their work-site. Some years back such a group was working in my neighbourhood and was living in the manner described above. The site was on the way of my morning and evening walks. During my walks, I had developed an acquaintance with this group and while passing through the area, there would always be an exchange of greetings. Behind this exchange of greetings, there was also a feeling of true respect and concern which used to give a certain joy perhaps to both sides. This went on for months till they shifted to another site. 

During one such walk in the evening, I noticed that the group had assembled together in a very joyful mood. After the exchange of greetings, they told me that they were going to enjoy Coca-Cola of which they had procured a big bottle. At that time it was a new development and so their joy was very understandable. When asked about the price they had paid for the bottle, one of them told me it was 40 rupees. In those days, the actual price was 35 rupees. When I drew their attention to this fact, they remained unaffected and only said that they were charged a higher price because of their poverty and illiteracy. Having said this, they continued with their joy and I left the place.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Do Not Use Plastic

More and more people around the world are becoming aware of the environmental hazards, surrounding plastic bags. Considering their somewhat placid appearance, the impact of plastic bags on the environment can be devastating. Plastics are not biodegradable material. Instead, they break up into smaller pieces of plastic until eventually becoming plastic dust. They are dangerous for small children who may wear them over their head and suffocate. Animals that eat them may become sick or even die. Discarded plastic bags blow around with the wind and litter. 

They may end up at sea through garbage dumps at seaside. Plastic degradation at sea takes between 45-1000 years. Plastic bags are recyclable but people need to reuse them or donate them to thrift stores where they can be reused. It takes oil to produce them and even more oil to recycle them. Burning plastics results in toxic ash. 

Reusing plastic water bottles can be risky as they have been proven to release harmful chemicals, especially when heated. Bottled water is transported around the country in trucks that are not refrigerated. It means that during summer, bottled water may be toxic. The softer, flexible plastic used in bottles breaks down easily, releasing lead into your beverage.

Lead pipes of yesteryears have been replaced by PVC pipes in order to stop polluting the ground with lead, but over time they are guilty of causing the same contamination they are supposed to prevent.  It takes a very long time for plastic to degrade. It piles up much faster than it goes away and when it goes away, its chemical make-up continues to poison the environment.

Measures should be taken to check the use of plastic since it is not healthy for our environment. Scientists are at a loss how to find a solution and clean up the mess that has already been made.

We can start by not buying bottled water and use other water purifiers instead. Start using paper bags instead of plastic ones. The manufacture of plastic bags add tons of carbon emissions into the air annually. They cause thousands of marine animal deaths. Fortunately environmentalists are taking the initiative to deal with the detrimental impact of plastic bags by either banning or discouraging their usage. Let us join hands with them.

Dr(Mrs) Archana Bharat 

Where am I?

BS 223 240714 Where am I?

After leaving the hectic life of the cool Munnar ashram (spiritual center) in Kerala, India, on July 16, 2014, I reached the hot Siddhashram Center for Realization, St. Louis, USA, for the yearly visit.   What occupies my mind strongly currently is the spiritual route I had taken when I left home at the age of 17 till now. On this route I spent years in studying philosophy, theology, psychology, spirituality, history of the world, and religions. My study more specifically focused on the Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist scriptures. While there are isolated glorious lives that greatly enriched and modeled humanity, the history of the world predominantly is one of strife and greed, conquest and enslavement. It overwhelmingly is a story of human’s inhumanity to humanity, oppression, and suffering. 

Philosophy and theology have been frequently fine speculations that often conveniently validated one prevalent view-point or other existing in society. In other words, theology did not lead the way. Delving deep into the conscious and unconscious psyche, psychology unearthed some gems of insight for sensible living. Yet persons such as Christ, Buddha, and Gandhi left deep marks on humanity not by their academic erudition but by the examples of their lives, by the insights they gleaned from experimenting with their lives. That tells me that while knowledge is important what truly matters is how I live my life in good times and bad times, and how I deal with my fellow human beings. Many economically advanced countries stand condemned before the eyes of humanity not only because their wealth was accumulated by the sweat and blood of their oppressed but also because they are not able to take a stand on the basis of moral and ethical principles. For them quality of life primarily means modern comforts and conveniences that money can buy. No politician is unlikely to make an unpopular decision that calls for sacrifices for fear of being not re-elected. Religions do not effectively address these vital issues that cripple humanity.

So where do I stand today? Taking the best from all religions I feel strongly that all religions, even as they keep their distinctive but healthy characteristics and practices, need to focus on spirituality, and cooperate in establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. Taking cues from history, politics, and religions, we need to ask ourselves what God as we understand wants of us in today’s world. Christ pointed out the evils of society that came in the way of establishing the Kingdom of God in his time. He told people what to do when they sought his advice. He taught persons to suffer pain rather than cause suffering to others. Gandhi’s willingness to accept non-violently suffering that came his way aroused the conscience of the world, that paved the way for needed change in the most stubborn hearts. Buddha’s teaching the middle way carried through eight-fold paths to deal with unavoidable suffering, and to achieve liberation is still valid today. All these great teachings point essentially to the path of love, compassion, and tolerance.  Real love is possible because it is primarily an act of the will that anyone can make committing that person to a certain set of behaviors that are Godly. When the world is flooded by empathy and love, nothing can stop humanity from achieving its God-intended destiny: The Kingdom of God. When evil and darkness are all around us, we do not need to despair, because love will ultimately prevail and triumph.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti

Doubting a Learner

The English teacher came to the class. Every student was surprised to see the English teacher. It was supposed to be the History period. The teacher announced that History Sir has not come today, so he will take the English class in lieu of the regular history class. “No, No, Don’t take out any books from your bag. Today we shall discuss some translations”, he said in an emphatic thick voice. All children started having mixed feelings after hearing the word, translations. Some were good at it and many others were really afraid of translations. 

The teacher wrote a sentence on the blackboard, in Hindi. He then walked up to the fourth row and asked a small boy, “Can you tell me the translation of the sentence written on the blackboard?” The boy stood up and translated the sentence with perfection. Every student in the class was satisfied, that at least a good beginning has been made. Suddenly, something no one expected happened. A slap from the teacher on the cheek of this small boy made a thunder like sound and after that there was a pin-drop silence. In few seconds came the weeping sound from this boy. Every one could notice the red lines on the face of this boy that were certainly the marks of the fingers of the teacher. By this time, the interval bell started sounding loudly. Only the boy could hear the teacher saying to this boy, “Why, you saw the copy and then told this translation?” The boy could not tolerate this charge, and started weeping even harder. How the boy could have seen this answer from the history copy on the desk. He wanted to explain this to the teacher, but the teacher had already left the class. Friends gathered around boy and tried their best to console him. After some time this boy stopped weeping, but for sure, he was deeply hurt from inside. 

Forty years later, this boy is narrating this story to you who has himself become a teacher by profession. His principles of teaching do include the point that never distrust your pupil. One can win the trust of others only by beginning it from their side. Somehow, this principle has always worked for this boy. 

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

The Morning Magic

Once, a British man asked Swami Vivekananda why he doesn’t wear proper cloths to look like a gentleman. Swami Vivekananda smiled and replied, “In your culture a tailor makes a gentleman; but in our culture character makes a gentleman.” In core and substance, the Indian sub-continent always differed from the outer world. If the West suggested ‘know thyself’, the East proposed ‘be thyself’. Where India stood for hundred percent responsibilities on all individual manifestations, the West shouted for 50:50. If it is the evenings that are important in the West, it is the mornings that are precious in India. I cannot think of a morning skipped without a silent meditation or some thinking over the mud I need to remove that day. It is in the mornings that we plan our days’ works.

It is said that every morning we have two choices, continue to sleep with our dreams or wake up to chase them. If we choose to rise up and chase our dreams, we will have two more choices; chase our dreams until we reach them or until we are totally exhausted. Those who believe that they deserve those dreams only are likely to keep chasing and reaching them. A few years back, I was listening to a discourse in which the Master said, “Imagination is the most powerful force in the Universe. Much before a huge building is built, the designer brings the probable shape into his imagination and then only he draws the skeleton on paper which passes to structural engineers for construction procedures.  Imagination (thought)>word>action are the three steps of all manifestations.” If this is the key that opens to chances, mornings are the most important time slot in our days. It is the best time to imagine. It also is the best time to will our dreams into comfortable time frames of creation. As we proceed, it is this clarity that is going to help us access a perfect manifestation. A day without a good morning is virtually dead. 

Joseph Mattappally

Krishna on Bondage 14

Krishna’s non attachment is absolute surrender of ego, total cessation of the “I”. 

It is just to know that I am not, only God is. And once I know that what is, there no way but to accept it in its totality. Then there is nothing to be done or undone, altered or modified. Krishna sees himself as a wave in the ocean. He has no choice, what so ever. Then the question of aversion or attachment does not arise. If we understand it correctly, Krishna’s anasakti is not a state of mind. It is really a cessation of all states of mind, of mind itself. It is to be one with the whole. Through this royal road of unity with the whole, Krishna arrives exactly where Mahavira, Buddha and Jesus arrive through their paths. 

Travelerson footpath can walk quietly, but one cannot escape the noise and tumult of the multitude if he chooses a highway for the journey. We will have to face the high winds restlessness and uneasiness, which will in long run usher us into peace and quietness. Those who choose to move off the beaten paths can have the joy of being alone and individual, but those on the highways have to share in the pleasures and pains of all others. There is this much difference between the two. 

Krishna is a multi- dimensional, a multi- splendored person, and the highway is his choice. The truth is no one path, and no ready-made path to God. There are as many paths as there are as many people in the world. No two persons are alike, or in the same state of being. So, each one of us will have to begin our journey just where we are and find our way to God all alone. Of course, all roads lead to the same destination, which is one and only one. Whether we follow the path of neutrality or indifference or transcendence or bliss, the goal remains the same. 

While paths and roads are many, the goal is the same. Instead of debating endlessly on what is right path or wrong path, which is a waste of time and energy, we should carefully choose the path that accord with our individuality, our self-nature. 

Here ends the topic on ‘Krishna on Bondage’. Namastey

Wishing you good health & happiness,

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

A True Entrepreneur

Once I was travelling from Dhanbad to Delhi by Rajdhani Express. As I boarded its AC first-class compartment at Dhanbad, one Sardarji also did the same in our four-berth cabin. The other two berths were already occupied. Soon I learnt that Sardarji had no reservation and he had simply taken a chance. Let me mention that it is very risky to board any Rajdhani train without reservation. In such a case even if the person is not detrained, the penalties are very high and full fare has to be paid without getting a berth. But this Sardarji managed the ticket examiner very well and settled himself on the vacant berth well within half an hour. I was watching this entire scene with amusement. 

It was evening time and the dinner was to be served in about an hour. For Sardarji, it was time for drinks, which he always carried with him. He was in the habit of doing so in a company and so wanted his co-passengers to accompany him. He had already persuaded one of us and was targetting the remaining two. On my blank refusal on account of being a teetotaller, he showed some signs of disappointment and then concentrated on the third one who was a foreigner and was blissfully relaxing on the upper berth. Unable to speak proper English, Sardarji brought out a small bottle of Scotch whisky from his bag and swung it before him several times. Soon the gentleman was won over and he came down to give him the desired company. 

Now I was the only one left. So he deployed a different trick and ordered a soft drink for me and requested me to give them company, even if it was with a soft drink. Somehow, he won over me also and I agreed to do so. For about an hour we enjoyed our drinks and talks, before the dinner was served. During this session, Sardarji told us that in his business trips, he never travelled with proper reservation but always managed to get a berth, whatever be the price. Moreover, he never faced an ugly scene on this account. 

Regarding his business and profession, Sardarji told us that to begin with he was a mechanic in an electric cable factory. Gradually, he started assembling his own machines for the industry. He claimed to have the skill of copying any machine after working on it for a few months. Soon he established his own enterprise of supplying machines to the electric cable industry. He also told us that his machines performed almost as well as the original ones, though the prices of his machines were much lower. Anyway the journey went very well and we parted at Delhi. Subsequently, I verified this fact from some of my friends in the cable industry and learnt that he was right. I am still reminded of this Sardarji when I find people complaining in difficult situations. Perhaps, I have not come across a better entrepreneur in my life than this Sardarji. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Be Truthful

Lies confuse issues, adversely affect decision making, breed mistrust and can have devastating consequences when the truth is finally revealed. However, the most damaging lies are the lies we tell ourselves. 

Being truthful at all times brings a certain air of peace. One can just spot the extremely truthful people in a crowd of strangers just by the light of tranquility around them. Lying is a sin and if you are a person of high morals, a lie will gnaw at you like cancer. You may inflict great pain on someone by your lies.

There is a famous saying ^^lR;eso t;rs** which means “truth always triumphs”.

It is always better to show your true feelings to your partner rather than pretend to him/her. Speak up so that you both may have an opportunity to compromise. It will help you to know your partner better, strengthen your bond and move you closer towards true, lasting intimacy. Never hold back for fear of being rejected. It is better to be rejected for sharing your truth than to be accepted for living a lie. Holding back your deepest longings is, in a sense, living a lie, which can sour your relationship.

Sometimes, simply voicing your truth is enough to make you experience a sense of relief. Reveal your truth sweetly so that it may not culminate in a fight and give others a chance to speak the truth even if their opinion is different from yours. Be brave and face the truth. Living truthfully is not easy but it is worth it. Make your relationship a safe heaven in which both of you can speak your truths honestly. Speaking and hearing truth takes patience. You may face many misunderstandings along the way but it is natural and O.K. Do not be afraid to speak the truth. 

In this world of information and sensory overload, people and products and ideas clamour for our attention. The strategy of presenting ideas better and louder and faster doesn’t work. Only truth works, as it is beneficial to all and builds goodwill. We may be able to make our point more effectively by stretching the truth, glossing over inconvenient facts or belittling other people and their concerns, but we’ll lose out in the long run. Speaking the truth makes us worthy of other people’s respect. It is the foundation of any worthwhile relationship and in this age of hype it sets us and our message apart.

Dr(Mrs) Archana Bharat

The Kingdom of God

What is the Kingdom of God or Dharma Rajya? For our purpose it is a kingdom of truth and justice, of peace and reconciliation, of tolerance and forgiveness, and of mercy and compassion cemented together by unrequited love. Truth sheds lights on everything. Justice takes everyone into account so that all get their due. Forgiveness and reconciliation demonstrate that we are fallible, make mistakes, and we can repair any damage and restore relationships. They spell out hope and trust. Our trust in humanity brings about growth in serene peace. Tolerance is required in a multi-cultural and multi-national world. It is not agreement or acquiescence but saying respectfully what needs to be said, and boldly doing what needs to be done without violating others’ rights. We sorely need to learn the art of learning to agree to disagree in a respectful and compassionate way. Joy and satisfaction result from harmonious living guided by love that makes up for one another’s fallibility. This then for me is the Kingdom of God. 

This is possible. Here there is safety and security for all; no fear and anxiety for anyone. This is the only heaven I can know on this earth while I keep my faith for a heaven to come after this life or simply dissolve into Eternal Consciousness losing my identity. While I have my identity on this earth, however fragile it is, I want to work for this kingdom that all can enjoy.

While working for this kingdom of God we cannot afford to repeat certain historical mistakes. Hitler came and perished with his big time ethnic elimination. There is still ethnic and religious cleansing going on in different parts of the world. Authoritarian communism failed. Revised or modified authoritarian communism seems to be making economic progress in China. We do not know how long it will last. We do not know how long vicious and all-consuming capitalism will hold sway. One nation (Palestine) that needed to be born long ago in 1948 keeps on being aborted in the face of humanity making the entire humanity a laughing-stock. While Zionism from mostly Europe and North-America strategically created a Jewish state of Israel in the middle East by systematically buying up Palestinian Muslim properties through money power, there are concerns in certain quarters, expressed not too obviously, that oil wealth gulf and Muslim countries learned a great deal from Zionism, and are swallowing up properties in other parts of the world to bring about Islamic dispensation and hegemony in the world without Jihad that causes blood-shed. Interestingly the fundamentalist Muslims are doing this using the very freedom in other countries that they negate persons of other religions in their own countries. To cite one example, there is no religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, the heart of Islam. Another accusation leveled against Islam is expansion and propagation of Muslim population through encouragement of births. While there are many Christian missionaries involved in the work of conversion, there are a few enlightened Christians who are happy with merely witnessing to Christ’s teachings without conversion.

My long religious life and associations with various religions, I have come to the conclusion that we need a spirituality beyond religions that can be enshrined in the Kingdom of God, and that is the driving force behind every action. In the Kingdom of God, people of all religions can come together and work for the betterment and all-round development of humanity that is truly the body of God. In this kingdom, all are treated with respect as God’s children. All are well taken care of as brothers and sisters. All are loved and cared for. All can practice their religions and worship the gods that their religions created in the way they feel right in their conscience as long as they do not violate fundamental human rights of others. The time has come for this great endeavor.

Swami (Dr)Snehananda Jyoti 

Wanted It, Got It

I have always believed firmly that whatever you want from your life, you will surely get it. I have many books in my library shelve that are written by great thinkers that narrate many anecdotes and incidences from real people’s lives to prove the same point.

Today I just sat down to think about at what age of my life I started strongly believing in this concept of “Want It, Get It”. I could remember this episode of my life when I was in class 4th. I used to study in a decent Montessori school of a city called Rampur in Uttar Pradesh. It was the day of the result announcement, few days after our annual examinations. We all were excited to know the result. I achieved 2nd rank in the previous class and I had a deep desire to get the 1st rank this time. Our school had a tradition of distributing the annual schools events and academic prizes right on the result announcement day. We all children were sitting on the floor. In front of us we could see the prizes kept on a table covered with a shining white cloth. Most prizes were packed. They could have been books or other novelties. One thing that was attracting the attention of all the students was an unpacked item that was especially big sized and it used to look like a colourful trophy. Anyway, all biggies and the chief guest arrived and the regular speech etc. started. Most of us were still staring towards that single colourful and big sized item with increasing desire. I do not remember what the guests and our principal said. Few minutes later I was just tapped by my friend, who was asking me to go the head table to collect my prize for standing 1st in class 4th. I was happy to receive my prize. But something was pinching me from inside, as what I got was just a small packed item. I felt that my desire to get the big one was just a day dream. My desire was so high, that after getting a small pack, I almost broke down and came out of the school. My grandfather was waiting for me to accompany me back to my home. Suddenly many students came running to me, shouting my name. I was being called again to the prize distribution hall. My name was being announced for best overall performance in the primary section. What was being handed over to me was the same large item that everyone in that hall was eyeing on. It was actually a fancy table lamp that looked like a trophy. This time I came out of my school with extra joy. I remember my grandfather saying that he should have brought a full rickshaw to take the prizes back to home.

One can definitely discuss that when two hundred children in the hall also desired the same thing at the same time, then how come desires and wants of just one person is getting converted to reality. I have also faced many situations when my desires were not fulfilled. But! Somehow when I sit back and analyse all the moments when they got fulfilled, the trueness of my desires were definitely much stronger and the desires were definitely based on some real hard work. So the definite corollary to the above theory is “Work for It”. So let me complete the full theorem is “Work for It, Want It and Get It”. This is how theories become theorems. This may sound little different from our traditional wisdom of Bhagvad Gita, which says, “Work for It, Forget Result of It”, but I consider both concepts as proponents of importance of Work, whether we relate it to desires or we preach people to get rid of desires. So folks! Let us keep working.

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Life on Steps

“Common sense is not so common.” This is what Voltaire once commented on the general public. This quote was haunting me while I was watching FIFA Cup World Soccer final play on TV. It was reported that the whole world is watching this game. Why all these blizzards over a silly game? 90 minutes of play time went on comfortably, both teams scoring no goals. In the last quarter of the extra time that followed, we saw a calculated move from the German side pushing the ball into the Argentinean goal post. We know that it is after a tight course of rigorous training that each team comes to the ground. They might have learned straight cut to cycle cut along with all possible tricks in soccer. But a lose moment spoiled all the hopes of Argentina. I thought how true it is in our daily lives too. In spite of all the efforts we put in, we also fall due to lack of consistency. 

India is a country in which every new born is initiated into a particular religion. Each grows up, quite obedient to the religion into which they are initiated. The fun is that most of them entertain a non-spiritual social face also, where power and status issues are dominant. It is for those liberals who are half spiritual and half social that I suggest a five steps simple living strategy. These steps are not my inventions; they are the five divine attributes man has identified. 

1) Be loving. Remember to offer kindness every time quite mindful of other’s feelings. Only if you master this art of loving that you will cease to be a separate entity in the society. So it is for your existence that you need to love everything irrespective of time, space or species. Unless you love others, nobody is going to love you. Without somebody loving you, you are psychologically dead.

2) Be joyful. This is about choosing to continue living or closing down. You are unhappy means all the cells in your body also are disturbed. It leads to uneasiness and diseases. It is your duty to keep both the body and the environment happy. 

3) Accept everything. Learn the art of accepting everything with an attitude that all that happens are well fit in time and space. Do not ever let our rational mind to categorize developments into favourable and unfavourable. Know that our capacity to foresee the result is very limited and God never intends anything that might spoil a soul. 

4) Bless everything. This is another way of accepting life in its wildest nature. Summer or Fall, good or bad, right or wrong, friend or foe …, bless everything and everybody you come across. This is how you finally solemnize your relationship with the Universe. Energizing the Universe is part of your purpose. 

5) Be grateful. This is living in realization of the contributions of other things and beings in your life. Expression of gratitude should continue until you are unable to do so, because of an irresistible inner urge of a cosmic oneness in between. Gratitude is your entry card into the infinite treasury of divine grace. 

Joseph Mattappally

Krishna on Bondage 13

Many among us believe that there are two forces in this world: one is the force of good or God and the other is the force of evil or Devil. We think if there is evil in this world then it has to be segregated from God, who represents goodness and goodness alone. So we have to find a separate place for devil, and we assigned an independent role to him. Krishna strongly contends this assumption. He asks: if there is evil and it is separate, is it so with the consent of God or without? Does evil, in order to be, need the support of God or not? If there is independent authority call devil, it means a parallel to the authority of God. Then there are two independent sovereign authorities in the universe. Then there is no question of good or ever winning over evil or evil being defeated by good. 

Krishna rejects this concept outright. He says there is only one sovereign force, one primal energy in the universe, and everything is arises from this single primeval source. It is the same energy that brings forth a healthy fruit and the diseased fruit on the branches of a tree. It is not necessary have a separate source of energy or power for the two. It is the same mind which gives rise to both good and evil, virtue and vice. Both good and evil are different transformation of one and the same energy. Day and light, light and dark are emanations of the same force. Therefore Krishna is against denial, renunciation of any of the dualities. He is all for the acceptance, total acceptance of both, Life, as it is, has to accepted and lived choice-less way and totally. That is what Krishna’s anasakti or non attachment means. 

Krishna’s anasakti does not mean choice of one against the other. It does not mean that we choose to be attached to virtue against vice, or to be attached to vice against virtue. It is neither attachment nor aversion. He stands for surrender to life as it is, and this surrender has to be total. Anasakti means that I am not at all separate. I am one with the whole existence. That is why Krishna is at peace, because he has nothing more to achieve. He is at limitless bliss. For him universe is God, Godly: there is nothing other than God. That is where he is calling us to. 

Krishna’s non attachment is absolute surrender of ego, total cessation of the “I” 

Wishing you good health & happiness,

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

At the End of Air Journey

By nature I am a person of economy. I do not spend more as long as less serves the same purpose. And in this respect, I don’t make any difference between private and official matters. I have my reasons for doing so and in the process I get a lot of satisfaction in saving resources. Overall, it has been a great advantage for me with virtually no negative impact. I am sharing one incident which shows my conviction in this regard. In my service when I rose to a scale in which an officer is entitled to travel by air in a business class, I was blissfully unaware of it. As a result, I kept on travelling in economy class. Even if I had known, I would have continued travelling by the economy class in all probability. Generally, I travel short distances either by road or by train, but an air journey at times saves time. On one such occasion, I was travelling from Lucknow to Delhi by the economy class of an airline. 

As I was checking in on the counter, a good friend of mine who was a Chief Executive in a private company was already there. Seeing me there, he perhaps entertained the thought of travelling together in the business class, as he himself had a business class ticket. On finding that I had an economy class ticket, he first pointed out my entitlement and then offered to get it updated. Though it was a small matter, I thanked him and politely declined his offer. My argument was that it was only a matter of 50 minutes and after that we would both be on the same ground. Over this he gave me a good smile, though I was not sure whether he appreciated my viewpoint fully. Anyway, we took our seats in the aeroplane as per our tickets. At Delhi airport, we met again after deplaning and the matter ended there. Obviously, we both were on the ground at the end of our air journey.  

This situation applies to many circumstances of our life. Most of us pay more attention to the external form than the contents and in the process lose the true joy of living. While it applies to a short journey of air, it equally applies to the longer journey of life which is from womb to tomb for all of us. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Be Punctual

Punctuality is something we all depend on from time to time, but it is not always easy to put into practice. If you have ever been at the receiving end of waiting for someone who is habitually late, you’ll know how hard it is to be waiting around for someone to turn up.

Some things start on time whether you are there or not. If you don’t arrive on time you may miss out on something important. Cinemas and T.V. shows start on time, planes lock the doors and stop boarding after a certain time, trains and buses leave on or around the stated time. So these are areas where if you are not punctual, things just won’t happen.  In case of a missed flight or train, you will have to re-book and bear extra expenses and botheration.

Being on time or even slightly early also gives you the chance to collect your thoughts and make sure you are calm and composed for the meetings or lecture. This can give you a slight edge over the people who turn up late. It is also less embarrassing if you are punctual. There is nothing worse than feeling the whole room staring at you. When you are late for an exam you may not be able to solve all the questions due to shortage of time.

If you have a chronic problem of being late, acknowledge it and begin to work towards correcting it. Keep a clock, phone, computer or anything that displays accurate time in each room of your house. One of the easiest ways to run late is simply by not realizing that time is going by as quickly as it does.

Do not be too optimistic in assessing the time taken by you to get ready. Always keep a margin of ten minutes for unexpected delays. Wake up when you are supposed to wake up and do not press the snooze button. Keep your alarm clock out of reach so that you have to get up to turn it off. Try sleeping early to allow yourself at least 7 hours of sleep. By getting up late you are setting a pattern of laziness for the rest of the day.

Commit yourself to being 15 minutes early for everything. Watch yourself for a few days to see where you often waste the most time. Keep organized as disorganization is directly related to lateness. People often get late as they can not find their car-keys, important documents or socks. Keep your car in good order and check the traffic update before you leave.

Dr (Mrs) Archana Bharat

Unbridled Capitalism and Consumerism

The run-away capitalism and consumerism, the twin evils of modern age, are like two loose cannons hitting at the vitals of humanity, and stealthily destroying the whole fabric of modern civilization. They treat human beings as objects to be parted, packaged, and bartered for money in the market economy. In this economy needs are not respected and met; wants are generated and catered to. And wants before long become needs. 

In capitalism the sole motive is profit. The cut-throat competitions and hostile take-over of companies thrive. Wealth and its creation are not guided by social and spiritual dimensions. The multi-national corporations become powerful economic empires and monopolies, and almost create parallel governments by their sheer wealth. They extend their clutching tentacles to smother competitions and establish convenient, alluring,  24-hour, one-stop super-markets where many go for purchasing fashion products as well as window-shopping to check out on new gadgets. Their popular, ever- enticing chain stores and franchises snuff out mom-and-pop neighborhood stores where a great deal of socialization and camaraderie also take place. The representatives of powerful drug companies visited the offices of psychiatrists where I worked as a doctor clinical psychologist in the US, and provided delicious lunches almost daily besides gifting pens and other materials. They provided free expensive vacation packages to physicians and their spouses to popular destinations. Two American studies (reported by TNN July 6, 2014) have high-lighted the medical malaise in the US. The Journal of Arthritis and Rheumatology found that about a third of total knee replacements in the US might have been unnecessary. The US National Cancer Institute questioned the efficacy of expensive Digital Mammography over conventional mammography to detect breast cancer in women. We can all understand that very expensive machines in hospitals cannot be maintained without a minimum number of tests. Add to that the ever-willing, litigious lawyers ready to breathe down the neck of physicians not prescribing every available test there is. But do we need unnecessary expensive tests to keep these machines? The national and international corporations with unlimited wealth and power “buy” politicians and influence law-makers through their powerful lobbies at seats of governments. They hire powerful team of attorneys to plead their cases even in government law-suits, and often emerge from them scot-free. They even attempt to influence and corrupt judges through sweetheart deals. Needless to say a few judges have succumbed to the difficult-to-refuse inducements. Handlers from consumerist culture package even the so-called God-men and God-women who peddle God-connections. I cited a few examples to show how the capitalist, consumerist culture infiltrate daily into every sphere of life to effect corruption, and to diminish human dignity and freedom.

Now the question is: What kind of a society, that safeguards our fundamental human rights, dignity, and freedom, do we need to have? To begin with, how about a living wage for all? How about a cap on the maximum wage/salary, bonus, and perks of executives? Consumerism goes hand in hand with sexualized advertisements and commercials to peddle its wares and ever-increasing wants. A sensible and rational approach to sex education may take away much of the curiosity related to glamor women and actresses who feel the need to reveal their sexual endowments/body parts and sexual exploits for notoriety and money. I do not want to leave out glamor men who dictate their fees. A conscientized society does not need celebrities to sell products. Finally, everything comes down to conscientization, instilling of basic values, fine impulse control, and, above all, a purposeful spirit-life. We need to keep tight reins on capitalism and consumerism.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

Positivity Begins at Home

I met this friend of mine, recently. He was a Gujarati person, but was struggling to make his fortunes in the city of dreams, Mumbai. While narrating his story of struggle, he narrated to me two stories which helped him give positive thoughts. 

The first one is about the famous Marathi saint Sant Tukaram. When Tukaram could not earn money to feed his family, his wife attempted to beat him. She used the sugarcane as a stick. The sugarcane stick broke into two parts. Tukaram used this opportunity to flatter his wife and said, “I know Jija! You were trying to break this sugarcane, so that we both can eat together”. Surely this is one aspect of positivity. Let us hear another one that was told to me by the same gentleman. 

This one is about Socrates, the great Greek philosopher. One day he was taking his class at his residence. Socrates’ wife wanted him to come for dinner. She called him many times. When Socrates didn’t respond, she threw water on him. Socrates converted this episode as a lesson for his pupil. Look! here is a proof that “Clouds sound first and rain later”. You will agree that this one is another proof of positivity that was beautifully used by great people. 

I asked my friend, about how come such a positivity practice always got related with wives of these great men. My friend smiled. He said, “The way charity begins at home, positivity too follows the same rule”. With this narration, I could immediately understand the secret behind the struggle to success of my friend. 

I request my readers to take these stories just as a humorous cue to remember the message, “Positivity Begins at Home”. 

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Yes, Ubuntu

The story goes on saying that an anthropologist proposed a game to some children of an African tribe. He put a basket of fruits near a tree and told the kids that the first one to reach the fruit would win them all. When he told them to run, they all took each other’s hands and ran together. When asked, they said, “Ubuntu, how can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?” Ubuntu is a philosophy of African tribes; this should have been the philosophy of all primitive tribes. According to them, things are created to be shared and people are there to be loved. The texture of the present world but says that things are to be loved and people are to be used. 

India always upheld the principles of Dharma. Dharma speaks of co-existence in every relationship. Dharma is about a specific cosmic law and order, though it is just a path towards righteousness for the Sikhs. Dharma is in the heart of Indian culture. It says, everything is to be loved. If wants and needs were once defined to essential and non essential, the Dharma of the day is on accumulating the maximum. Skill and efficiency have become the deciding factors; might have become right. The result is competition and conflict. It is said that the tragedy of life is not death but what we let die inside. Deep inside, we sacrifice values. Is there an appropriate technology that reverses the process?  Yes, Ubuntu.

Joseph Mattappally

Krishna on Bondage 12

Last few weeks I was writing a lot about Buddha, Mahavira & Jesus in the topic Krishna on bondage. It was not out of context. To understand a concept or philosophy, there is a need for comparative study. Now I am getting back to Krishna to go for a crescendo finish. Krishna’s anasakti. Non-attachment, in its turn has some similarity with Mahavira’s transcendence, Buddha’s indifference and Jesus’s neutrality. But it has some basic differences too. I would not be wrong if I say that Krishna’s anasakti is transcendence, indifference and neutrality rolled into one, plus something more. 

Krishna’s non attachment is different from Buddha’s upeksha or indifference. Krishna says indifference is a kind of attachment. If I meet you in the passing and if I don’t look at you, it will be indifference on my part. But if looking at you is attachment then not looking is equally attachment- attachment in reverse gear. And furthermore, Krishna asks, “How can anyone be indifferent? Indifferent to what? If the whole world is manifestation of God, then one is indifferent to God himself.”  And the Krishna asks another question: “How can anyone who is indifferent be free of ego? To be attached or to be indifferent one needs ego. If I am attached to God and indifferent to the world, it is my ego operating in both cases.” So Krishna does not use a condemnatory term like indifference. 

Krishna does not accept the concept of transcendence of attachment or aversion. He says if attachment and aversion are wrong then there is no reason for them to exist, but they do exist. 

Similarly Krishna is against neutrality. How can be neutral about anything when god is not neutral? He is utterly involved in everything that there is. Neutrality in life is unnatural and impossible, as per Krishna. We are in the midst of life. We are life. It is life and nothing but life all over. Then how can we keep ourselves aloof from life? The Sanskrit word for neutrality is tatasthata, which means to leave the mainstream and stand on the bank. But so far as life is concerned, it is main stream all over without any banks. And how can we stand on the non-existent bank of life? So Krishna says it is impossible to be neutral or indifferent in life. 

Wishing you good health & happiness,

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

What We Feel Inside

Once a friend of mine came to me with a disturbed state of mind. He was a senior bank officer working as the chairman of a regional bank. He was a good man and had tried his best to improve the performance of the bank. He was quite successful in doing so, yet it caused a lot of stress to him. So much so that towards the end of his deputation, there was unrest in his office and he feared that his career might be adversely affected in the process. He was due for promotion as General Manager in his parent bank and was apprehensive of its acceptance in case things went wrong at that stage. 

It was at this point of time that he came to me to share his agony. He had the apprehension that his staff was conspiring against him despite his goodwill for them. He was hurt by their actions which had created a lot of bitterness in him towards them. The problem seemed to be compounding as time passed, though outwardly he was trying his best to appear normal to them. It was not working at all. 

Having listened to his story, I asked him to frankly tell me his inner feelings towards his employees. To this he admitted that he was angry and was not entertaining goodwill for them. In fact, his own feelings were the real cause of his agony. I, therefore, suggested him to transform his feelings and instead of entertaining thoughts of repulsion, hatred or anger, he should develop compassion for them. It was all the more necessary to do so because he was doing his job with all sincerity and goodwill. Though it was not easy to act on the advice, he assured me that he would try his best and report to me after a week. 

My friend acted on this advice with all the sincerity at his command and things started improving. After a week or so, he rang me up to say that his office was normal again and that the environment had become quite harmonious. I was very happy to know all this and congratulated him. According to me, it was only an outcome of inner feelings. After about two months, he informed me about his promotion to the post of General Manager in his parent bank and soon after he joined his new assignment.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Respect Women

Women have held a high place in our society since ancient times. According to a famous Sanskrit saying Gods reside in places where women are worshipped.

However, during the medieval period there was a phase when women were suppressed and ill-treated and had to stay behind a veil. Gradually they started condemning these atrocities and with education came awareness. Now they can compete with men on equal grounds in all the fields of life. Today’s women are well-equipped to face any ordeal but still in many places they are looked down upon by their male counterparts. Some ruthless people kill a girl at birth while the birth of a boy is celebrated with great zeal.

A woman who makes so many sacrifices as a mother, sister, wife and daughter is often exploited and insulted. It is an irony of fate that a woman who gives birth to man is ill treated by him. Everyday there are instances of horrifying rapes. The culprits should be punished severely and women should feel safe.

We should always respect women. Husbands should make their wives feel secure by taking good care of them. Many men criticize their wives publicly and make fun of her for being overweight or not being a good cook. They stare at women with tight clothes and try to flirt with them. Such uncivilized behaviour should be checked. You should always consult your wife before taking any decision.

Keep your cool at all times and do not vent your anger just because you are bigger and louder than her. Never abuse or hurt her physically even jokingly. Make her feel loved and needed by talking to her often.

Teach your son to respect women as equals and make sure that your son contributes equally in the household chores as your daughter. Be a good role model for your child as a father. Respect your wife and respect her opinions. Do not use your wife as a personal slave. Ask for her help, but offer plenty of help in return. If you want your woman to change her attitude about you, then treat her with love and respect and see and feel the drastic change in her.

Dr(Mrs) Archana Bharat

Christ, the True Communist

After returning to India in 2006 after a long stay in the US, I was visited in my ashram by three communist leaders who solicited funds for a lavish party office in our district. I told them that I was beyond party politics, and that I in principle do not contribute to any parties as I do my own works of charity.  One of the leaders before leaving said that this was his first experience in all years of not receiving any contribution. Before leaving I also told them that Christ was the greatest true communist ever whose teaching I was trying hard to follow. What could be more communist than the practices of Christ’s disciples, the early Christians, described in the Acts of the Apostles?! The disciples “were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common… There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of land or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need” (Acts, 4: 32-35; also refer 2: 44-46). 

The only spiritual master (Sadguru) who made the real distinction between the world that he lived in and the Kingdom of God he preached is Christ. And the world of his time was not any different from the world we live in. He said: ”If the world hates you, know that it has hated me  before it  hated you”. He was rejected because the Jewish community of the time, the so-called chosen people, that he grew up in could not stomach his teachings. The High Priest at the time wanted him dead for the sake of the nation. Christ declared  his mission very early on: “The Spirit of the Lord anointed me to preach the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to bring new sight to the blind, and to set the downtrodden free, and to announce a year of Lord’s favor” (Luke, 4: 18-19). Christ had a preferential option for the poor. In his famous sermon on the mount he said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew, 4: 3). To a rich man who asked as to what he should do to inherit eternal life, Christ told him to observe the commandments. When he told that he observed all the commandments from his youth on, Christ said to him: “’One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Christ looking at him said: ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God’” (Luke 18: 18-25).

I have criticized unbridled capitalism on occasions in this journal. I am heartened to hear that recently Pope Francis was labelled a Marxist on account of his criticisms of unbridled capitalism. He commented that If he is branded as a communist when he preached Gospel values, then communists ‘stole’ Christian ideals. There is no doubt that the Communist Manifesto on class struggle between capital and labor published in 1848 paved the way for many urgently needed labor reforms and movements. The Manifesto considered  also papacy among others to be an  enemy of labor. Rerum Novarum (Of Revolutionary Change) or Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor, the famous encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, came in 1891, 43 years later than the Manifesto. The communists took over the championing of the causes of the downtrodden by Christ. Over the years the oppressive, authoritarian communism with murder politics miserably failed.  Sadly the official Church over the years, opportunistically for small worldly favors, sabotaged the powerful mission of Christ to the downtrodden by siding with the mighty and the powerful (immoral monarchs, dictators, colonialists, slave-traders, exploiters of labor). While Christ always spoke for the poor and the downtrodden, the same cannot be said about the Church that represents him on earth. In an immoral world where the names of the richest persons in the world are constantly flaunted before us and celebrated  in the media at the expense of the hungry millions, things have to drastically change certainly non-violently before violent revolutions that guillotined oppressive and powerful monarchs in prior centuries. Civilization oppressed by rampant corruption all over is crying for a new world order. All have a social responsibility to take care of all as the early Christian communities. Private ownership with a social responsibility? Yes. Amassing of wealth beyond a reasonable limit? No. Are we, perhaps, bold enough to begin with a limited but serious experiment of a Gandhian model of trusteeship of property?! Certainly Christ would like that, a true and original communist that he was.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti