Remaining Unperturbed-04

The witness, the observer, divides the world into subject & object, into witness & the witnessed. Therefore as long as there is a witness, duality will continue. Witnessing is the last frontier of the dual world, after which the non-dual begins. But one cannot reach the non-dual without being a witness. To be a witness means that I now give up dividing the world into many. Instead I divide it into two- the witness & the witnessed. And when I reduced the many fragments of the world to two, it will not be difficult to come to complete unity of the existence. When duality will disappear, when the observer & the observed will become one and the same, the unity in existence happens. If we succeed in becoming a witness we will soon have glimpses of one without the other, when there is neither the witness nor the witnessed, but only witnessing. 

For example, if I love someone there is one who loves and another who is loved. But if love is real, then moments will come when both the lover & the loved one will disappear, and only energy of love will abide between the two, connecting them. There will be moments when lovers disappear and only love remains. These are the moments of ‘Advaita’, the non-dual, moments of unity- the one without the other. 

In the same way there are moments of unity in witnessing too, when subject and object disappear and only the witnessing consciousness remains. It is like an ocean of energy bridging two formless entities- the witness & the witnessed- like two distant sea shores. The near shore is called “I” and the distant shore the “thou”, one is the observer & the other is the observed. Such moments will keep coming & going. And when this state achieves its fullness it will abide forever, and then even witnessing will disappear. Then we are settled in intelligence, steadied in wisdom. We are the whole, the awakened one.

In this next issue, let us discuss the Krishna & Arjuna as an example to understand this point. Namastey!

Wishing you good health & happiness,

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

The State of Fearlessness

I remember an incident in early 1979 when I was posted as Additional District Magistrate at Meerut. Once the Commissioner of the Division visited the district and I accompanied him on his tour. The visit went off very well and he was quite happy with the work done. In the evening, we were returning in the same car on our way to Meerut. The Commissioner was a very good man and the success of the tour gave me some courage to speak frankly during the journey. At that time I was a young officer with only three years of service and was unaware of many realities of public administration. However, I was aware of the interference of vested interests in administration, as a result of which most officers were not able to work fearlessly. So I asked him certain questions about this aspect, curious to know whether it was possible for an honest and sincere civil servant to work fearlessly despite outside pressure. The answer was, naturally, not that simple but he said that though it was definitely possible to work fearlessly it required a lot of wisdom and other virtues like ability and perceptiveness, for an honest and sincere civil servant to reach that stage. 

The matter ended there but the question occupied my mind for a long time. As far as I can introspect, I have always tried to work sincerely and honestly. I was not troubled by people who had vested interests, as most of the time I could get my way through them. Not only this, I have often been able to get their appreciation. But to say that I have reached a stage of total fearlessness is not correct. Therefore, the issue still occupies my mind as I wish to reach this state. In my subsequent years of public service, I constantly strived to reach that stage of fearlessness and the process is still on. I believe that a civil servant should not make mere survival his target though he must survive to achieve the target. I also have a feeling that in the ultimate analysis, it is our own vested interest which fills us with fear, and it is not fair to blame others for not reaching the stage of fearlessness.

With this background, one can quote numerous examples from the past and present when individuals have shown tremendous courage, displaying total fearlessness in their work. After all, these persons also worked, or work, in a similar environment but obviously developed enough inner strength to stand against vested interests, including their own. They could not have done so without being unselfish themselves. This brings us to the fact that fearlessness is a state which is achieved by long introspection and constant striving, Such a person has to equip himself with all the qualities which can give him a command over his environment. Such a person never blames the situation he is confronted with, but creates his own circumstances. He sees an opportunity in all difficulties and turns them into stepping-stones. However, merely a state of fearlessness is not sufficient in itself. It should be accompanied with certain other qualities too, in order to benefit the society at large. A tyrant ruler may also be called a fearless person but his fearlessness is a negative quality. In fact, the fearlessness of such a person is only his disguised fearfulness. It is not fearlessness in the true sense. A truly fearless person will also be equipped with other qualities like compassion, justice, kindness, forgiveness, etc. Society benefits by the actions of such persons and it is these people who lead and change the society for the better. At present, we need such persons all the more. Let us strive to achieve such a state of fearlessness.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Give Encouragement

Many of the greatest achievements begin with the empowering words of encouragement. When someone is feeling insecure, unsure or apprehensive about taking constructive action or pursuing favourable opportunities, you should convey to them that you believe that they are capable and that their efforts are worthwhile. Everyone has times when they could use some support or motivation from others. There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good friend.

Look for someone you know who has been disappointed or is going through a tough moment in life. Showing an interest in them can be very encouraging even if there may not be anything you can do to improve or fix their situation. If someone dear to you is putting in a great effort or doing a great job, you just have to take notice and show an interest. Your encouragement will reinforce the actions of that individual and may give him the strength to do even greater things in future. Encouragement can do wonders for students who wish to achieve in class.

In addition to encouraging someone through a personal conversation, hand written notes are also a great way to encourage someone. Keep the note positive and do not criticize in anyway. The note should genuinely express your true feelings. Encouragement is most effective when you say things that you really mean. Undue flattery may produce unrealistic expectations and ultimately cause more harm than good. Honestly expressing your desire for the person to succeed can help motivate them to take action. You should indicate confidence in their abilities and focus on what can be accomplished.

When someone you care about, has a stressful situation, tell them that it will be okay. Knowing that someone believes in them can help someone overcome the obstacles in their life. If you see someone faltering or thinking negatively about something, give them something positive to think about instead. By changing their attitude from negative to positive, you will enable them to think positively about other things as well.

Always be willing to share a smile. When times are hard, the toughest thing to do is smile. By sharing your smile, you are helping them to overcome the negative feelings and probably they will smile in return. You can encourage people by giving them a hug or helping them with something. It can keep them from falling into depression and put a bright smile on their face.

Dr(Mrs) Archana Bharat

Formless GOD

One of my reader’s comments on my last article ‘O Rama! O Krishna!’ forced me to write this article. The reader advised me to believe in a formless GOD. The debate about the form of GOD has been happening since long. Here I would like to quote the great thinker and scientist of our generation Professor Stephen Hawking. “When people ask me if a GOD created the universe, I tell them that the question itself makes no sense. Time didn’t exist before the big bang, so there is no time for god to make the universe in. It’s like asking directions to the edge of the earth; The Earth is a sphere; it doesn’t have an edge; so looking for it is a futile exercise. We are each free to believe what we want, and it’s my view that the simplest explanation is; there is no god. No one created our universe, and no one directs our fate. This leads me to a profound realization; there is probably no heaven and no afterlife either. We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe, and for that I am extremely grateful.”

This was said by him just about a year back in April 2013, while delivering a lecture at Caltech, USA. One may also note that this was one of the most crowded moments in the history of this most prestigious Institution devoted to science and engineering. I do not know whether my ‘Sanskaars’ allow me to subscribe to the idea propounded by Prof. Hawking. What I definitely know is that, this new thought has augmented my mind’s capacity to think beyond what I have been thinking all these years. Since I studied engineering, management and medicine (naturopathy), I had been one of the luckier ones to get a feel of the world of science as well the world of practical aspects of everything. But! Whenever this question of GOD comes in front of me, I become like a primary school entrant. With the statement like Professor Hawking, I start asking myself whether even the primary knowledge about GOD is possible. Somehow! Whatever some people may argue, I have a faith in this concept of GOD. I feel whether He is formless or formed, this concept helps me in my day-to-day life. For me, this simply means that if I am a selfish person, I would definitely believe in GOD. Let me confront with people, who call their love for GOD as a selfless love.

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

What’s Going On?

Everything, except the rule ‘everything changes’ changes. Last day, I was riding through an emerging Indian city. On the way I saw a hoarding outside a School Compound which read, ‘No home works, no tuition’. Then … then … what business will be going on inside? Do they mean no books and no teachers too? I asked myself again and again. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” That is what William Butler Yeats, once said. Could he be the patron of this School? I thought. However, I felt my consciousness murmuring ‘Cool down man….you are yet to hear more of the same’. May be everything part of an emerging culture, I thought. I knew that overloading children with homework and tuition are forbidden in some advanced countries. I found myself unable to accept it for I still could not forget a Dad in USA finding it hard to get a space for communicating with his daughter, who every time was found busy on her mobile. What that disturbs me are the possible accompanying damages that follow. In those practical countries, where food means junk, shelter means a concrete box and dress means something transparent, things are not as pleasant as we envision. They are not going to continue long without ‘love parlours’ on every nook and corner, which sell loving words for cash. Essentials in human life have already been forcefully replaced across the world … yes, replaced with TV, Internet and Smart phone. There is perfect order everywhere as we see the world. Carlos Fuentes said, “Perfect order is the forerunner of perfect horror.”  How meaningful his comment is! 

According to psychologists, the major cause of divorce by 2018 will be the smart phone. That is, our future is going to be a paradise of parentless children. Already friends and family members turn so close and yet so far at a time. The smart phone today is not dissimilar to opium in the last century. It kills off our communication skills, and poisons our hearts and souls. You don’t have to wonder any more why so many young people don’t read, can’t spell or write decently and are often inarticulate. Thanks to TV, evening home prayers have disappeared. Thanks to computer, a family never sits together for the dinner. Now, people cannot think about a city without Wi-Fi. Thanks to internet, books and teachers also are disappearing, so are values and our capacity to love. A 24 hours power cut may end up psychologically killing many. Is humanity advancing or slowly perishing? 

Joseph Mattappally

Build or Ruin

“Someone has said that it is not great sorrow, disease or death which clouds over the sunshine of life but the little daily dyings. Therefore, if we properly handle our seemingly ordinary activities we would not only be winning the battle of this life but also that of the hereafter…. The narratives contained in the present collection of Shri R.K. Mittal relate to the everyday occurrences. He possesses the enviable faculties of keen observation, dispassionate analysis and clear expression. He has understood the mathematics of life and is able to cull the fundamental truths and lessons from the unfolding events and human behaviour.” This is what Hon. Shri. T. P. Tewary, Former Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh and Lt. Governor, Pondicherry wrote in a foreword to one of the books of Shri. Rakesh Mittal. The posts we had been sharing through ‘Smart Plus’ is ready in a book – ‘Power of Positive Anecdotes’. This book is available from Sterling Publishers for Rs. 200/- Contact mail: mail@sterlingpublishers.com. If anyone of you feels like saying a note of thanks, kindly write to Shri Rakesh Mittal: rakesh_mittal_2000@yahoo.com. Next Saturday on we will be continuing his thoughts from another collection.

While I was the commissioner of Lucknow, a woman aged about 35 years came to see me alongwith an elderly lady. The elderly lady was a reputed person, known for her good social work. She told me that the young woman was undergoing a dispute with her husband and despite several years of separation, the divorce case was not coming to an end. The woman had no source of income, as a result of which, she was on the verge of ruin. She wanted me to intervene in the matter and get the divorce case decided early so that she could start getting some alimony. In this process she had become very weak as well as bitter and wanted to see her husband completely ruined. 

I listened to the lady carefully but expressed my inability to intervene in court proceedings. After some contemplation, I offered my help to the lady in a different way and put two alternatives before her. The first was that she uses her energy in ruining her husband and the second was to use the same for building her life. I also added that the first alternative was detrimental to both, while the second would benefit them. Then I advised her to choose the second one. She felt that my advice was appropriate and requested me to advise further. Fortunately, the lady was educated and had a place to live. A friend of mine had very recently set up a school in the same locality. I had a hunch that the school might have some vacancies for teachers. Immediately I rang up my friend and talked about it. In fact, I insisted him to provide this lady a suitable job in the school and he agreed to do so. 

The very next day the lady went to the school and was appointed as a teacher. Naturally, I as well as the lady were quite happy at this development. Few months later, this lady met me at a function of another branch of the same school. By that time her personality had transformed completely. She was happy as well as healthy. There was no mention of her divorce case and she was no more worried on that account. It gave me great joy and satisfaction to see that she had really deployed her energy in building her life rather than in ruining her husband’s life. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Do Not Criticize

One key to a successful life is – “Do not criticize anyone”. When you criticize others you weaken yourself. If you truly want to be successful, you should begin by being honest with yourself, recognizing your own behaviour. When we recognize our behaviour we are on the path to correcting it. Everyone who corrects his own behaviour is inevitably successful. The person who often blames others for his failures and never recognizes his own self destructive behaviour will not be successful.

Criticism is useless because it hurts the pride of others and provokes resistance. It provokes an inevitable reaction against its author. The person who knows how to live without criticizing does not provoke resistance or reaction on the part of his fellow beings and consequently, creates an atmosphere of success and progress. On the other hand, those who do criticize others have many enemies. The world is full of critical people who find faults and are irritable and sometimes intolerable. Their bad behaviour makes them impatient, angry, egotist, proud and arrogant and they have no patience.

As employers they become the executioners of their employees. Workers who are compelled to work under such fault finding people end up hating the job and the employer. No discontented worker works his best under duress. Many times enterprises fail because the workers are discontented, dissatisfied and do not work efficiently because of the criticism they must endure. On the other hand workers who seek any occasion to criticize their employers, sometimes end up losing their job. Employers have pride and vanity and feel offended when criticized by employees. The one who wants to correct others should begin by correcting himself. This gives better results. Try to see the best in all human beings and take responsibility for your actions to lead a happy, healthy life.

Sometimes people who criticize have an upper hand on the people with more knowledge of the subject. It is only because people do not want to pick a fight with them when they are yelling loudly and are irrational. In fact they are the ones who are misrepresenting themselves and fail miserably. We need to analyze our own life and actions before criticizing actions of others.

Dr (Mrs) Archana Bharat

Ferguson: Break-Down of Law And Order

Ferguson, Missouri, USA, a suburb of Saint Louis, about two miles away from Siddhashram Center for Realization where I reside presently, has attracted unwanted attention from all over the world on account of painful events unfolding there in the last 10 days. Years go, a psychiatrist friend and I had a clinic in that town where we treated emotionally disturbed persons. As I am at the ashram in solitude and retreat, events there have deeply troubled me. A brief description of events, not necessarily in chronological order, follows. On August 11, 2014, an unarmed 18-year old African-American (black) Mike Brown was shot dead in Ferguson by a white police officer. The officer fired more than 6 times. The circumstances that led to the shooting are not clear. Three independent investigations are going on. Demonstrations of protesters into the shooting demanding action against the police officer as well as the release of his name followed. When the name of the police officer was released after a few days, some footage of Mike Brown stealing an item worth more than $40 (Rs. 2400) from a store nearby and shoving a store-attendant, who tried to stop him, before the shooting was released. The robbing and the shooting were not related as the officer did not know of the robbery before the shooting incident. During the several days of ongoing demonstrations, mostly after dark into late night, confrontations between protesters and police, violence, looting of shops, and destruction of property took place. Initial hard-line tactics by the police was replaced by a softer approach which was taken advantage of by criminal elements to loot and destroy property extensively. The store-owners felt they were not protected by the police from the looters. To control violence, highway patrol, and later on national guards were called. Curfew also was imposed from midnight to 5 am. It may be important to note that while Ferguson has about 70% of blacks, and only 3 out of 53 police officers are black.

What lessons can we learn from these happenings?  Not releasing available information by the police department early on did not help. Demonstrations needed to be orderly and peaceful. Demonstrations and protests need to be non-violent; they need to stop once a fair process to redress complaints and grievances has been instituted. Protesters had a duty to stop opportunists and criminals from hijacking peaceful protests. The intentions of some of the protesters were questionable. Police officers need to be trained in human relations, diffusing tensions, and impulse control.

Blacks have legitimate grievances. They are racially profiled. They are more frequently stopped and searched. Their civil rights are more frequently violated. They have fewer opportunities for economic advancement. I wish the enormous amount of  money spent in waging war by the previous president in Iraq, for instance, were spent in improving the quality of life of the blacks and the poor in the inner city and the poor neighborhoods. While the blacks have legitimate grievances against racist elements in a white society, they are their own worst enemies. They need to take responsibility for the violence and killings they perpetrate on themselves. Recently a black woman walking with her grandchildren was caught in a crossfire between two rival black gangs and killed in north Saint Louis.

Ten years before I came to the USA in 1974, there was segregation. Civil rights laws granting civil rights to blacks were passed only in 1965 after considerable violence. Since then we have enormous progress. We even have a black president. The American society still has a long way to go. I have experienced discriminations from whites as well as blacks. There are also Indians who are covertly racists. I must also say that my experience in general with the police has not been good. America needs to do a thorough soul-searching and reorder its priorities. It does not have a healthy life-style. Over seventy percent of its population, for instance, is overweight or obese. Its constant and unhealthy anxiety or preoccupation with things such as security, weight-loss, erectile dysfunction, suing others, and looks need to go. Coming out of its smug self-complacence and an air of superiority, it needs to lay the foundation for healthy spirituality and human relations from a global perspective and value system.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti

O Rama O Krishna

After doing the midnight pooja on the day of Janmashtmi, I sat down on my computer to write these words for you. This whole day I was busy in decorating the Janmashtmi Jhanki, but the article in the morning news paper about comparison between Rama and Krishna kept on striking my mind. The writer wanted to prove that the character of Rama was that of a Superhuman and was more like God who was deliberately framed for the purpose of worship only. On the other hand, Krishna was more like a real human being with all sorts of possibilities of doing errors like a real human being and was also an exceptional in context of showing his divinity whenever situation demanded.

All our religious, traditional stories are full of characters, that we are made to worship because they had some super natural powers. The Oh! Factor is common to all idols we worship. I personally follow a practice of idol worship on a day to day basis, as I believe that I have been told to do the same since my early childhood. Today, I do not question this practice. Anytime if such contrasting questions come to my mind, I carefully avoid them. I feel as if I would risk my image of being a theist or a believer. I perform many religious rituals on daily basis and quite detailed rituals on festivals. I feel satisfied; ok I did these rituals once again. I feel disturbed, if the statue of Idol I am giving a holy bath suddenly fells of my hand. My sadness is doubled if the lamp I light before offering the prayers suddenly gets extinguished. O Rama, O Krishna, do you feel bad, if this happens.

Are you somewhere in between us, or are you just a ‘Devta’ inside a sand statue. Can I worship a broken statue. If I fix your statue with fevicol, can I worship you again? O Rama! O Krishna! Are you responsible for this conflict inside me? Someone says, I am normal, if I think it this way. Others also think the same, but they do not express it this way. I kept on thinking, thinking and thinking. Some moments I feel that Rama and Krishna themselves are there to answer me. Sometimes I try to answer it myself. O Rama! O Krishna! Are you me?

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

In Dependent India

Early morning on the last Independence Day, aside an Ahmadabad Highway, I saw a very old lady selling small national flags. Just yards away, I witnessed an old man in tattered and soiled dress filling a century old scooter tank with drops of petrol that were still dripping from a small soft drink bottle. In the School compound to where I followed my grandson for the flag hoisting ceremony, there were music and aesthetically attractive displays. The Chief Guest of the day was a young lady, who hoisted the flag. She stood saluting the flag for a while, her eyes closed. From the few words this high profile lady shared, I understood how serious a patriot she is.  She said that freedom does not mean that we are allowed to create and follow weird laws and regulations like dying in the parliament house is illegal in England. 

Every time I see people stand prayerfully listening to our National Anthem, tears use to roll down my cheeks, because it takes me to solid memories of our fighter heroes willingly surrendering to supreme sacrifices. That day, I heard this Chief Guest asking the listening public if there are any freedom fighters there. I saw an old man and his wife slowly raising their heads from behind the gallery. The lady stopped her speech, slowly walked towards them and respectfully presented the beautiful bouquet the School leader had given her. Further, she bowed her head before the old couple and boldly gave them a salute. This was the first time I saw a New Age Indian offering such a gesture of respect to another lay Indian who could not resist attending a national flag hoisting ceremony. I earnestly wished if I could have stopped aside the old lady with the plastic flags on her hand and given her a big salute.  She could have been a ‘no less freedom fighter’.

In the afternoon on the same day, I happened to read the story of an 84 years old Abidali Lakhani, a devout Muslim, living in Mumbai, which was published in the Times. Lakhani lived a happy life and he eventually decided to make others also happy after his death. In 2002, while he was 74, he collected an organ donation form from JJ hospital Mumbai. After his death, he wanted his body as a whole used by medical students or his usable organs appropriately utilized. The clerics in his community ruled out his plan and his family also refused to endorse the document. Even after 12 years, he is still waiting to hear from somebody who might help him. It is not occasional incidents like this that touch me. I am worried about the quality of consciousness that cover the nation. Who doesn’t know that it is the earnest wishes of patriots like the old lady with the flags and humans like Abidali Lakhani that still keep the nation safe on track? If we do not get a bill for the freedom we enjoy, remember that there is a good reason for it; somebody already paid for it. This is just one thing that I remind my Indian friends all over the world. Though slightly tattered is my ambitions on India, drops of hope still keep dripping down.

Joseph Mattappally

The Janmashtami special!

Krishna – the History 

Krishna appeared in the world in the year 3.227 B.C (on the eighth day of the second fortnight of the month of Sravana of the Visvavasu year) between the intermediary points of the beginning of one day into the next. His birth was extremely auspicious and marked with great predictions from the respected signs that the Jyotisha Vedic Astrology. As per the Shrimad Bhagavatam, Krishna had great features and signs. He was physically good looking, of delicate facial skin, he was tall, thin, broad wide and muscled shoulders, with large beautiful seductive and magnetic eyes. His character was obstinate, firm, he did not change his opinion and he showed himself to be indifferent to contrary opinions, as he did not let himself be influenced by anyone. He was critical with quick psychology to find the defects and errors in others for which his advice from master to masters of Yoga was profound and direct. He was an idealist, with a heart harmonized with reason. He was always ready to sacrifice everything for his family, friends. He valued with preference action to words of false negotiations. He was both loathed and loved. He had a plan that he followed with firmness without ever deviating. There was never a “tomorrow” because for him only the present existed. His mind was absolutely free.

He managed his life with precision. He was the king to a beautiful and mystic kingdom called Dwaraka, which today partly under the sea & some parts in the present state of Gujarat. Dwaraka means “The door of Freedom” in Sanskrit. Krishna lived in Dwaraka close to 100 years. He was the great leader of his subjects who acclaimed and followed him with absolute royalty, given that he was an attentive governor to the needs of his subjects. His family life was especially unrepeatable. He was loved and he loved beyond all conventionalisms. His mother adored him and her example of love was converted into a guide of devotional love for the Vedic tradition. His sense of freedom was also reflected in his life. Krishna is a name full of mystic and philosophical content. Krishna means “black”, a symbol of Eternal Plenitude. Etymologically Krish + Na means “what is taken to the earth, to happiness”. Krishna is the “Most Attractive”, he who seduces everyone to keep them away from Adharma. Krishna is called the divine flutist that plays the flute of the 7 chakras on the Yoga body of the yogis granting them Moksha of Liberation.

Krishna was a Maha Avatara, a Great Divine Complement. An Avatar penetrates energy in the world to reincarnate taking on a body that not always has to have a human appearance or conceivable to the mind and perceptible to the senses. His material body is a vehicle for the divine manifestation (reincarnation). The advent of the Avatar is the complement through the material energy taking on a body of a special nature that allows the expression of the Maha Maya Shakti, the immense power that interacts in all material plains. The ancestral books of the Puranas tell that Shri Krishna lived 125 years, leaving his body in the year 3.102 B.C during the new moon of the month of Phalguna and when the darkness disappeared in the world of man and the era of Kali opened. In Kali Yuga, mans memory is weak, life short and the confusion of Dharma creates a disjointed society, the loss of historical memory, the loss of spiritual references and the beginning of barbarianism. The great teaching of Krishna and his great power is concentrated in the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita, the All-powerful Song, contains the instructions given to his disciple Arjuna in the middle of the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where Yoga, Vedanta and the essence of the Vedas were synthesized. The Gita is actually the path which Vedic Dharma flows through. The Sadhana of the Advent has as its objective to give happiness to the Sadhaka, eliminate the sadness caused by pain in life, give potential to the capacity to do Karma Yoga, the integral Yoga of Karma, Bhakti and Gñyana Yoga united in Raja Yoga: correct action, Supreme Devotion, and Perfect Wisdom in the Sovereignty of the Mind.

Wishing you good health & happiness,

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

Black Figures

The decision-making process in Government is still carried out on files. A file generally moves up and down several times before a final decision is taken on an issue which may or may not be the most appropriate one. Several considerations are looked at intervening levels and often at the decision-making level also. That is why Indian bureaucracy is so maligned and notorious for delays. Yet, to be fair, the system has its merits and the accountability in decision-making is one of them. Sometimes the observations or notings at the higher levels hurt us when our viewpoint is not well-appreciated. This is part of the game and those who are in the game take it that way. However, at times the observations can be very depressing and if one is not mature enough, it can take away all the initiative and enthusiasm of the person. It is at this point of time that our inner development has to undergo a test. To pass this test is a difficult proposition and once I had a first hand experience of the same. 

At that time I was the Principal Secretary of an important department and had full confidence of my minister. In one of the matters, the question of revoking the suspension order of a senior officer was involved. The suspension had been ordered in haste and there was a general feeling that it was not only unjust for the officer concerned, but also against public interest. The general reputation of the officer was good and I as well as the minister were in favour of revoking the order. 

Accordingly, a note was prepared on the file supported at all levels including mine and that of the minister. As a matter of fact, the minister wrote a much bigger note in support of mine and the file was sent to the Chief Minister for final decision. When the file came back from the CM’s office to the minister, he was very upset and one day called me to show the observation of the CM. When I went through it, I was also crestfallen. It was so damaging and demeaning that I had to read it several times before believing it. However, in the meantime, my inner strength had taken over my outer weakness. Our proposal was very objective, free from any fear or favour. There was, therefore, no need to feel offended personally. Surely it was due to some communication gap or mischief. I thought that few black figures (words) should not take away my peace. I mustered all the inner strength and shared my feelings with the minister. The minister also was gracious enough to take full responsibility and again sent the file to the CM with greater conviction. This time the proposal was approved and the matter ended.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Keep Your Promise

Very few people realize, or wish to accept that one of the worst experiences in the life of an individual is a broken promise. We all have moments when we make a promise to someone and cannot keep it, for a variety of reasons. However, when there is a definite pattern in breaking promises, it suggests that the person making the promise is trying to please too many people, perhaps to impress, but failing miserably.

Promises mean a lot to people because they suggest appreciation, value and empathy and carry some pleasure in fulfillment. The effect of broken promises is resentment, undue anxiety, missed opportunities and lack of trust in future promises for one person and a chain of guilt and feelings of incapacity and inadequacy for the other. Broken promises also give a feeling of regret and are rarely associated with success. The most successful people tend to value others and keep their word because it demonstrates integrity – a key attribute for achievement. If not handled sensitively, broken promises can cause ill feeling, damage friendships and even lose business.

Keeping your promises is a way to live your life with integrity. You should especially keep your promises with children. Sometimes parents try to soothe a child’s temper and placate him by making false promises which they have no intention of keeping. Children are too gentle and vulnerable and a broken promise can cause devastation, hurt, grief and frustration in them.

If you find yourself prone to breaking promises, try to limit yourself to genuine promises which you can keep. Do not be forced or pressured and commit yourself only when you feel like it. It is our desire for approval which makes us promise to too many people and when we end up keeping none of them, it makes us feel miserable and we lose our credibility and friends. Be realistic and make promises according to your capabilities. If you value someone’s friendship, or truly respect them, or you value your customers don’t make promise you can’t keep. We can only command respect and be appreciated when we are consistently trustworthy and choose someone else’s interests over our own.

Dr(Mrs) Archana Bharat

Holy Scriptures: A Holistic Perspective – 2

Holy Scriptures play a uniquely important role in the life of the followers of religions. Nobody knows for sure how they are revealed, if they are revealed. I believe they are written by human beings under some kind of special divine inspiration. They may contain errors depending on the world view and the science prevalent at the time. Certainly Galileo would not have been condemned and imprisoned by religious authorities today for concluding that the earth is round against the prevailing scriptural view of the time. I do not believe that certain sections of the Holy Scriptures are inspired. I do believe, though, that the Holy Scriptures as a whole contain teachings that nourish human spirit,  guide faith, and morals.  Certain teachings from these scriptures are invaluable in molding character, conscience, and spiritual life, and guiding humanity along the course to it destiny. There are human flaws of lies, deceptions, and trickeries engaged by important scriptural characters of the Old Testament of the Bible, Ramayana, and Mahabharata. To cite a few instances, the great patriarch Abraham, the common ancestor of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, in order to save his life, lied and presented his wife Sarah as his sister who then is taken by the Pharaoh in Egypt to his harem. God intervenes with a plague to save Abraham and Sarah. The great king David, the author of Psalms, in spite of having several hundred concubines and, for that matter, any beautiful woman in his kingdom, causes his general to be killed in order to have is wife whom he coveted. Ram, an Avatar (incarnation) of God,  and the hero of Ramayana put his wife, Sita, through a fatal ordeal (agnipariksha) to prove her purity. Not satisfied with that,  he, later on to please his subjects, unfairly and mercilessly abandons his pregnant wife who finally in great sadness ended her life by being swallowed by the earth from whose furrow (sita) she came into this world to begin with.  Krishna, another Avatar of God, gets Yudhishtira, the embodiment of Dharma (righteousness, morality) to trick Dronacharya, the bakbone of Kauravas' army, to his eventual death. Drona, the greatest teacher of Pandavas and Kauravas, was himself unfair in dealing with Ekalavya and Karna. Bhishma, the greatly reverered ancestor of Kauravas and Pandavas, knowingly sided with evil in the great Mahabharata war.

It may be of interest to note in passing that Koran, coming several hundred years after Christ, combines themes from the Jewish and Christian scriptures. Koran says that the Jews are deserving God's anger; and Christians went astray; both corrupted scriptures given by God; both are losers, and are worthy of hell fire. In the prevaling atmosphere of wide spread fear and violence and lack of feedom and human rights caused by    fundamentalist Muslims, it is difficult to make any comment on Mohammed without creating strife and controversies. Yet it is important to have an adequate knowledge of Muhammad to make a fair assessment of Koran. Therefore I recommend a biography of Muhammed: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings. This biography was recommended to me by a physician of Islamic origin from Turkey.  It is also important to note that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on June 29, 2014 established a Caliphate with the avowed purpose of establishing Sunni Islam all over the world by killing all other humans including non-Sunni Muslims. ISIS is a terrorist army currently slaughtering Christians in Iraq, who interestingly speak the same language (Aramaic) as Christ did. (To be continued).

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

Raksha Sutra

Many times wives have to tie Rakhi’s to their husbands which are sent by their sisters. This is a common scene in the nuclear families we see these days. This year I decided to search for the origin of this festival of Raksha-bandhan. When I asked many elders in my reach, most of them referred to the Incidence of Rani Karnavati and Mughal Emperor Humayun, where the Chittor Queen wanted to save her kingdom from the invasion of Sultan of Gujrat with the help of the Mughals.

When I sat on my friend lappie to get into the googles and wikis, I traced back the festival’s origin to Indra’s wife sachi, who got a holy cotton bracelet from Lord Vishnu to tie it on the wrist of her husband ‘Indra’ to win over the demon king ‘Bali’. I also came across many mythological and historical references of using the ‘Raksha Sutra’ by ladies to encourage their husbands or brothers in order to boost their confidence while they prepare for action. References are also found where Pundits and Brahmins tie such a raksha sutra to the warriors and their kings who are going the battle field. 

Our festivals are full of such symbolic props. Raksha-sutra is definitely one such symbol to remind a person that he is meant to guard the honour of his family members and his motherland. Passing this symbol to us with the hands of sisters or our wives is a good way to remind us of our duties. Hope we all make good use of these festivals as a great reminder system for our duties.

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Experiments

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” We know that no being is complete and there are unique problems that are to be amicably handled and experiments always have a chance. It is clear that Emerson was talking about experiments that you yourself have to do and not with experiments others are allowed to try on you. Galileo Galilei also does not contradict this statement. But he went a step ahead and said, “I think that in the discussion of natural problems we ought to begin not with the Scriptures, but with experiments, and demonstrations.” What did he mean by suggesting not to begin with Scriptures? Could he be talking on his unpleasant experiences with the Church? Whatever, I think his advice is relevant in a world in which most people are born into religions. 

A body is always the expression of the mind; experimenting with the mind is dangerous. The story of two high schoolers who experimented with drugs is famous. Both ended up trying heroin and getting addicted. Both wanted to stop. One died and the other fortunately found a second chance at life. People are wise, they refuse to experiment and prefer to move by the inferences most others recommend. Here come Scriptures and the gimmicks religions play. Most religions do not allow their followers to experiment on individual level. They stitch gowns at common sizes and have only one tablet for all ailments. This is addiction, the most harmful of all sorts, into which the common public is pushed into. Once if a follower asks, ‘who in this world can offend an unconditionally loving God’, these religionists may not give any answer. Scriptures talk about noble lives on solid virtues. When these holy verses roll through anointed tongues, they may mean designing a universe with only light in it. Emerson is right, the one who dares to attempt individual experiments only is destined to Realization and all its’ Bliss. 

Joseph Mattappally

Remaining Unperturbed- 03

Once a guy visited my Guru and said that he was very worried about his addiction to coffee. My Guru told him, “it seems you have divided yourself into 2 parts, one of which is addicted to coffee and the other is addicted to worrying. Otherwise how is it possible that you drink mugs & mugs of coffee and worry together? Either one is possible but not both. Since you do both together, it is obvious there are two ‘You’, two selves in you. One of whom goes on having gallons of coffee and the another who keeps repenting it, condemning it and cursing it. And the problem is, the one that has coffee will continue till the end of life and the other part of you will go on repenting all along the line. The repenting self will go on taking vows and pledges again and again to quit coffee.” So my Guru said to him, “You should do only one thing- either have coffee without repenting or quit coffee. If you try both, you will always be in hell. If you have coffee, be totally involved in having coffee without sparing an iota of your being. Don’t allow even a fragment of your being to stand aloof like a judge condemning coffee or justifying it.”

And then my Guru said, “If you can become integrated and whole in drinking coffee, then a day will come when the whole being in you can quit coffee, and quit it effortlessly and completely. The one who is addicted to coffee totally can quit the coffee as totally. He will never live perpetually in conflict of to be or not to be. And he will enjoy coffee and not having coffee.” A fragmented person is neither here nor there. He is miserable when he is having coffee because his other part condemns him as a sinner. And when he quits coffee, the addict in him asserts, saying that he is missing a great pleasure and luxury. There is no need for this conflict, misery and restlessness. Ne among us who is complete, who is total, who becomes one with any and every situation comes his way, such a person ceases to be witness. That person transcends witnessing. Witnessing is a means not an end. Krishna is not a witness although he exhorts Arjuna to be a witness. In Krishna there is no alienation between the subject and object, between the observer and the observed. Now there is only observing, a process of observation. And this is total.

Let us contemplate in this line of thinking and meet next week with more observation!

Wishing you good health & happiness,

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

Utilize Time

Time is one of the most precious things in this world. Once it is lost, you cannot get it back. Time and tide never wait for anybody. Time is life and money and if you waste it you are wasting your life and money. If we know how to manage time, which is a precious limited resource, we shall be able to lead a happy life.

First of all, you should list all the tasks you need to get done in order of their priority. Set your goals long term and short term to enable you to decide which tasks contribute to your goals and which don’t. Where difficult tasks exist, break them into smaller tasks with smaller goals to make them less cumbersome. Critical and urgent matters should be dealt with immediately. You may delay jobs where immediate fulfillment is not necessary. You may take short breaks during difficult or mundane chores.

Do not waste time as every minute is precious and doing whatever portion you can of your listed tasks brings you closer to the finish line. Review your schedule against what you have achieved to assess your planning and scheduling.

Time slips like sand through your fingers. It always moves forward and does not move backward. If you do not keep up with time, it creates lots of problems. An employee always coming late may lose his job. A student always coming late to school may fail in his exams. If we are late, we may miss our bus, train or plane and be put into a lot of tension and stress. If we get up late and do everything hastily, specially swallowing food, it may lead to indigestion.

The person who wins is the person who properly utilizes his time. Avoid watching excessive T.V., sleeping too much, watching long matches, gossips, junk mails and unnecessary phone calls. Also avoid arguments and unnecessary meetings. Whenever you have free time, relax, have fun or spend it with your loved ones to decompress from a stressful day. Exercise or take a walk to keep fit.

Time management is just a discipline – a way of life. It comes with practice and can be your greatest asset – a strategy that helps you make the best use of your time.

Dr (Mrs) Archana Bharat

Holy Scriptures

(Swami Snehananda Jyoti (officially known as Fr. John Thekkedam) has a Christian Catholic (Syro-Malabar) background. He has degrees in philosophy, education, psychology, and theology from Jnana-Deep Vidyapeeth (JDV), Sardar Patel University, and Delhi University. His doctorate in Clinical Psychology is from St. Louis University (USA). He taught psychology in Lindenwood University (USA) and JDV, Pune (India). He was a Jesuit for 25 years. His ashrams in India and the USA spread the message of East West Awakening (eastwestawakening.org) and Vishwa Shanti Internastional Mission: an integration of the best in the East and the best, and spirituality beyond religions to develop Unity of Humanity rooted in the Kingdom of God. In his headquarters at Shanti Sadan Siddhashram in the outskirts of Munnar, Kerala, India, he models a modified version of Chaturashram life.)

In my ashram located at St. Louis, USA, near the idyllic confluence of Missouri and Mississippi rivers, I retreat and muse these days on the Holy Scriptures of world religions.  In my long life span I have studied and seen how various religions representing God destroyed and still destroy humans made in the image and likeness of God. Fights and killings among religions have taken place all over the world. Currently, for instance, the war between Israel and Hamas (Palestinians) taking place in the Holy Land makes that place a very unholy land indeed. God wants a healthy, loving, and sacred relationship with people. Such a relationship cannot be had in a place where injustice, hostility, hatred, war, and bloodshed prevail. No relationship can thrive without understanding, trust, peace, and, above all, compassionate love.

All religions  made their scriptures at some point in history canonical, dogmatic,  and unalterable as they insist that they contain the very words of God. That scriptures contain holy and wholesome inspiration for faith and moral living is not disputed here. But that they cannot be adapted, interpreted, and, therefore, changed to meet the challenging demands of modern living is not accepted. It is absurd to think that a living God does not continue to send inspiring messages through his prophets and special spoke-persons to correct, when needed, the course of humanity. Christians believe that God spoke to the world through prophets at various times before God finally spoke through God’s son, Jesus the Christ (the Anointed).  Jews believe that they are a people specially chosen by God, and that they are expecting a future Messiah (anointed savior) who will save them. Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last prophet through whom God’s definitive message is revealed. Hinduism believes in a Supreme Being that is Consciousness-Bliss. Every human is also that Consciousness-Bliss in some degree. Hinduism also believes its scriptures to be revealed.  Buddha did not believe in God. He did not think God is necessary for human liberation. As the one who showed the path to liberation, only his teachings are enshrined in Buddhist scriptures.

My purpose here is not to examine the various claims of religions except to state that I do not believe in a God who discriminates by having a specially chosen people at any time in human history. I believe that everyone who wants to surrender one’s life in utter humility and selflessness to God, and discern God’s will in order to live one’s life for others as well as for oneself, and therefore for God, is capable of being a prophet, a messenger of God. After having said this, I do not want to take anything away from or diminish the special position or role accorded to certain guru or teacher in a particular religion. I strongly believe that God is as active in history now as God was before, and God communicates needed messages through fine-tuned human consciences. As the Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist scriptures influenced me the most, my reflections in the coming weeks will be on them. As I offer a critique or share my thoughts on them, I do not intend to diminish their perennial worth.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti

Teacher’s Preparation

Few days back, I happen to attend a reunion of my school alumni. I met many old friends and old teachers. As usual, there was an introduction session of everyone present. The introduction session of my old Hindi teacher was quite unusual for me. He remembered my name and declared in front of a large audience that due to this particular student in my class, I used to do special preparations before coming to the class. After hearing this I was a little embarrassed. He further clarified, that I used to ask so many questions that time that He always felt it challenging to answer all of them. In a way this was one of the great compliments I was getting from an old teacher of mine. But, I can also tell you definitely, that after hearing this, my regard for my Hindi teacher also grew a lot. Great teachers, always prepare well.

Today while taking classes, I feel the same about some pupil of mine. I do extra preparations before every class, to find out what could be possible questions of learners listening to me.

Recently, I met one renowned motivational trainer at his residence in Mumbai. He gave me a “Guru Mantra”. He said that if he has to deliver a one hour lecture on a topic he has been delivering since long, he prepares for at least eight hours. If the topic is new, this preparation time would be at least sixteen to twenty times the duration of delivery. I was truly impressed. He further said that he doesn’t want his learners to know about this preparation time, but the definite success formula for a teacher is certainly his preparations. He explained to me that every learner wants his teacher to be an embodiment of “Google” search. In fact the real life requirements go way beyond the goggle search, as a learner needs only the intelligently filtered relevant links with easily understandable results. Knowledge is vast, so keep preparing and keep sharing.

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Locked from All Sides

This is an old story. A scientist wanted to cook a frog alive. He first put the frog in a pot of cool cozy water, in which the frog remained happy. He then took the pot to the stove and began heating the water very gently. The temperature of the water increased slowly and it came to a point at which the frog was unable to escape. This frog story came to my mind as I was going through a facebook post on the ongoing absurdity of the media, which hesitate to give what we need and focus on what we would not resist. If what we have now are disoriented communities of sub-standard values, medias are the first to be blamed.  

We know that two coins, one we were gifted and the next we have earned through our hard work are not the same in value. What we have earned is more precious for us. Freedom in India was not gifted; it was earned after more than a century of fights and supreme sacrifices. But today, what we see around is freedom limited to corporate, religious and political mafias whose lineage never claim any share in this holy struggle.  The general public is looted by all measures; they are tortured and locked from all sides. The machinery of democracy seems to be quite committed to feed the bureaucrat; the law makers, we know, are the best fed. Justice from the judiciary is tinted with scratches of suspicion. According to Swami Sachidananda Bharati (Dharma Bharati Mission), who is set for another Freedom Struggle in India, the poor in India grows into more poverty; the racially discriminated continues to be ridiculed with gifts like reservations and clauses of special privileges and corruption has become the byword for success. What we need is not a suicide squad, ready to ambush on the red bulls but squads of citizens courageous enough to live in the freedom for which our ancestors fought for.

Joseph Mattappally 

Sthitaprajna – Remaining Unperturbed- 02

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 understand it in another way. What is meant by total sensitivity? This needs to be understood in depth. We divide everything in our life, and this is not the right thing to do. Life is really indivisible. When we say to someone “I love you,” the statement is linguistically correct, but existentially it is all wrong. When we are in love with someone we really become the love itself in respect to that person. Then we are wholly love, that means no part of our being remains outside of love. Even if there is a fragment in us that knows or says I am in love, it means we are not totally in love. And if we are partially in love we are not in love at all. 

Love cannot be fragmentary, partial at all. Either we love or we don’t. Fragmented is incomplete. Since we fragment everything, it is our problem and is our misery. When someone says he is happy, know well that his happiness is not complete. Happiness might have visited him with or without his knowledge and he might have been really happy in that split second. But the moment he comes to know he is happy, is the moment when his happiness has left him. Who is the one who knows he is happy? It is certainly the unhappy part of his being which knows and recognizes happiness. If a person is integrated and total in himself, then there will be no one to know or say that he is happy or unhappy. Then he will not be happy, he will be happiness itself. Then and only then his sensitivity will be at its highest, at its peak. 

In such a state of total sensitivity, every fiber of my being, my total being will be happy or unhappy, loving or hating, quiet or restless. Then there will be no one disturbed about it, or even to know it. If I am totally in happiness or unhappiness, if I am happiness or unhappiness itself, then I don’t evaluate it or compare it. I don’t identify myself with it or condemn it. I don’t cling to it or resist it. Then I don’t even name it. When sensitivity is total, the question of being agitated or disturbed does not arise. Let us contemplate on this … 

Wishing you good health & happiness,

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

Most Worthy Son

I came in contact with my spiritual master in the year 1991 in Delhi. With him were two young disciples who were married to each other. Both of them were highly qualified and were in the process of taking full sanyasa. The husband was an Assistant Professor at IIT Kharagpur while the lady used to teach at the Kolkata University. In fact, their association with Swamiji was a great assurance for me which reinforced my faith in him. In due course, both of them took full sanyasa and devoted themselves to spiritual service of the society. The younger Swami was named Swami Nirvisheshananda, nicknamed as Naya Swamiji. His parents lived in the steel town of Jamshedpur where his father was an engineer. After retirement he had settled down there only. A few years later, I got posted at Kolkata as Development Commissioner, and in that capacity, I visited Jamshedpur a few times. 

On one of these visits, I was keen to meet Swamiji. My curiosity was to know the impact of Naya Swamiji’s sanyasa on his father. Normally it is believed or assumed that if a young son turns to sanyasa and that too after marriage, it must be a kind of shock for the parents. With this background, I visited Naya Swamiji’s home at Jamshedpur. His father had a very pleasing personality and received me very affectionately. Naya Swamiji’s mother was also there. After initial pleasantries and some professional discussions, I came to the question I had in mind. When I asked as to how he responded to the sanyasa of one of his sons, who had settled so well in life, he had no hesitation in saying that he was proud of him. He also added that he considered him to be the most worthy son. While his other sons had brought only money and fame to him, this son of his brought him true glory and salvation. I was highly influenced by his feelings and realised the true impact of spiritual life. 

India is a country which has countless spiritual seekers. In them lies the true greatness and glory of this country. Science has to rediscover this dimension of human personality if its gains are to be deployed for human welfare in the true sense. The ultimate goal of human life, which is peace and happiness, is possible only when science and spirituality play a complementary role in our life. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS