Why Should You Quit?

Smart Plus - Rakesh Mittal I A S 

The incident relates to November 1978. I was posted as the Additional District Magistrate (Development) of Meerut and also the Chief Executive Officer of Zila Parishad. In that month a mela used to be organised at Garh Mukteshwar on the occasion of Kartika Poornima, on the banks of the Ganges. People came to the mela in large numbers with great devotion. As CEO of the Zila Parishad, I was to look after the arrangements at the mela. I planned everything meticulously and everything started off well. My effort was to put the available resources to optimum use. Naturally, this required some cuts in the expenditure incurred on the members of the mela committee. At the same time, I decided to give some more facilities to the staff, who had to work hard during the mela. I also observed that more complaints came from the members themselves rather than the public who accepted everything in the name of Ganga Maa. The nature of complaints from the members was more personal than of public interest.

The mela committee used to meet periodically in the evening under my chairmanship. At one such meeting, some members complained about the cuts in the facilities provided for them. At first I tried to explain the position but they were not prepared to listen. After some time I lost my temper and told them that whatever I had done was in larger interests. I also said that under such circumstances, it was not possible for me to continue to remain at the mela site and that I would be leaving for the district headquarters. I was really angry and did not listen to anybody. I immediately went to my camp, where I dictated a wireless message for the Collector and also booked a telephone call to him.

Fortunately, the call matured at once and the Collector was also available. I explained the whole situation to him and sought his permission to leave the mela site. Firstly, he tried to console me saying that such happenings were the hazards of public administration. When I persisted in my resolution, he became tough and asked me not to leave the mela site. He said that if my objective was to fight against the negative elements, it would be defeated by my leaving the site and that was exactly what they wanted. In such a situation the positive elements would get disheartened and the purpose of the vested interests would be served. The argument appeared very convincing to meand my agitation had died down; I accepted the advice of the Collector. Meanwhile, the positive elements in the Committee too came to me and pleaded for not leaving the site. Taking all these factors into consideration, I decided to stay back and thereafter there was no problem. The administration of the mela went on very smoothly. We were not only able to provide more facilities to the public but were also able to do so at a lesser cost. Incidentally the budget of the mela ended in a surplus against all previous records of deficit. Naturally it was appreciated by all and gave me a lot of satisfaction as well as confidence.

The morale of the incident is obvious. We all come across situations in life when we feel that positive elements are being harassed by negative elements. Quite often positive elements tend to quit and leave the field free for negative elements. This is what negative elements want. They know that they can never conquer the positive elements in a fair battle and want to win by default. At times positive elements may not be prepared to fight but in that case they should make preparation and not give up the idea of fighting. Ultimately, the triumph is always of the positive elements. In this battle the numbers are not very important. In the Mahabharata war five Pandavas were stronger than one hundred and one Kauravas. Here it is a question of moral strength which is missing in the negative elements. Normally, the negative elements flee once they find the positive elements ready to fight.  Even if they are able to muster the support of other negative elements, they are internally weak. The battle should never be lost to them by giving them a walk-over.

This is what my Collector meant when he asked me to stay back.  His exact words were “Why should you quit?” I feel these are applicable to all positive elements in all situations. The only exception can be a tactical retreat. After all, at time, battles are lost to win a war and games are lost to win a match.

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Chathurashram for a New Age – 3

Blooming Stars - Swami (Dr) Snehananda Jyoti

2. Sevashram (the life of service): After the completion of satyashram a person is able to leave one’s family of origin. The person has acquired the necessary skills and tools besides self-confidence and a sense of direction to negotiate the various twists and turns, ups and downs of life.  He/she is independent, fearless, is able to face life, and fend for oneself. Typically the person gets a gainful occupation, gets married, and begins a family of one’s own. A few decide to stay celibate and become sanyasis (monks/sisters) living under the tutelage or training of other sanyasis or join a religious society and live in community with common rules serving others or in silent prayer life or join a diocese to undergo training to become priests. In this ashram one’s obligations to family and society are dispensed.  Intense pleasure and joy is experienced from marital bliss, extended family and close relationships, and friendships. One also undergoes intense pain and heartaches from disappointments, betrayals, tragedies and traumas. Children are brought into the world in one’s own likeness to continue one’s genes after great pangs of labor. It is a joy to see them bloom, grow, and develop, and mature to play their role in life and society, and to achieve their aims. Contributing to society through the most creative years to make this world a better place to live in is very gratifying. In this ashram one experiences the agony and ecstasy of life, the perils and vulnerability of intimacy. One gets a chance to leave one’s unique mark in this world. Sevashram beginning at 22-25 years and ending around 60 years roughly corresponds to Grihastashram. Sevashram marked by seva (service) is immensely helped by artha (wealth) and kama (pleasure) to go smoothly through life. Dharma and sathya (righteousness and truth) are lived; purity is practiced; moksha is always in view.
  3. Paramarthashram ( Life guided by ultimate good/meaning). In this ashram a person, man or woman, is grasped by the ultimate good: union with God – the final return to God for beatific vision or merger with God (sayujyam). Truly this is a preparation for Siddhashram (setting for realization). As such, one bids goodbye to active involvement with the world and worldly affairs after having experienced life in its various dimensions. Now, one has a fair understanding of what the world can offer and what this life is about. One had ample opportunities to know the heart of humans. Unfinished business and various obligations are taken care of. There is gradual removal of oneself from worldly life and detachment from worldly and societal affairs. In that sense it takes the function of vanaprasthashram – a retired life. There is greater urgency with regard to one’s purpose in life as one is in the setting stage of life.  Ascetic practices and disciplined life (sadhana) to attain an experience of greater unity of humanity and closer union with God are sharpened. One becomes very aware of the oneness of humanity and goes beyond ties of blood and clan relationships, caste and religious affiliations. (To be continued)

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The Worst Winter

Life's Lessons - Joseph Mattappally

This story is from a Red Indian settlement. The villagers asked their new Chief if the coming winter was going to be too cold or moderate. The new young Chief was not taught the secrets of forecasting weather. He behaved to be modern but was not much educated. He looked up at the sky, but could not connect himself to the cosmic secrets. However, he boldly replied to his people that the winter was indeed going to be cold and the people began collecting firewood. A few days passed by, the Chief wanted to make sure what actually was going to happen. He went to a telephone booth and called the Weather Forecast Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?" "It seems that it is going to be the same as the previous," the meteorologist answered. The young Chief knew that the previous winter was somewhat cold. The Chief went back to his people and told them to collect more wood in order to be prepared. A week later, he called the Weather Forecast Service again. "Is it going to be a very cold winter?" "Yes," the man replied, "It's definitely going to be a very cold winter." The Chief returned to the village and ordered his people to collect every scrap of wood they could find. Two more weeks passed by and it was winter but the weather was still not as cold as expected. The Chief called the Weather Forecast Service once again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?" "Damn sure," the man replied. "How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked. The man replied, "The Red Indians are collecting all scraps of wood." 

This story crossed my mind, as I thought of the present status of the fast increasing crimes all over the world. No political leader dares to move out without at least some category of protection, most portion of wealth are on bonds of insurance and every moment of human life is technically unsure. If we ask the State Crimes Statistics Department, what they might say is that the upcoming year is definitely going to be worse. Do not ask them why? They might reply that a man by your name is turning increasingly resistant to the laws of the land.   

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Violence and Centralization

Views and Words - Dr K S Radhakrishnan 

 Effective communication is a necessary precondition for the maintenance of peace and harmony, because if one does not understand the other he is inculcating fear in the other. If the other inculcates fear in me, naturally I will be getting away from him and there cannot be effective cooperation. So if I want to cooperate with the other, I must be able to understand him. To understand means, there should be effective means of communication between I and him. If this effective communication is not possible, then naturally the other becomes an unknown continent; an unknown continent always creates fear and fear provokes one to conquer and the control the other. 
Anything that is unknown in the world creates fear and fear is the reason for the violence against the other. Violence really is the creation of fear and fear is due to lack of effective communication. If one is able to understand that there is nothing uncommon between I and you then naturally that person must be able to get in touch with the other because there is a level of identity between the two. If such a level of identity is not able to be experienced by the person, then such a person will naturally turn to weapons as a means of protection. What I am telling is that similar persons are in need of effective tools of communication and effective communication should be the essential precondition for the maintenance of peace in oneself as well as in others in the society. Only then a peaceful society can be a free society. 
Freedom can be attained only when one is able to practice non-violence and the moment one practises violence, he/she must be imprisoned by fear as well as the other entities which make anyone incapable of getting in touch with the other. So, a free man must be a man of non violence; non-violence in the sense that one should be able to make use of the minimum for himself as well as for others. So, the idea of sharing is the essential part of non-violence and freedom. A free man must be able to share everything with him with others. That’s why Jesus has once made it clear that if you have got two with you, you have to spare one to the other. This means that there is identity between one and the other. This identity has to be realized. That identity can be realized only by means of effective communication. The moment one is not able to understand the identity between oneself and the other he has to keep everything for himself because he never sees any reason to share whatever he has. The moment he sees that he has to keep everything for himself, he is centralizing them be it money or position. 
Centralization of money position etc. can easily be the necessary and the most explicit form of violence. Wherever there is centralization of power and money, such a place can never be free from violence. So, violence means centralization and decentralization means non-violence. If you want to share whatever be with you with others, then you have to realize that there is identical element in yourself and the other, just because one realizes that, one must be able to share whatever be with him, with the others. In a non-violent activity, a free man must be able to share whatever has. So a free man must be able to share money and food with others.  A society that shares everything with others can be treated as a free society. Advaita System firmly believes that a non-violent society can never be a society that believes in centralization of power, money etc. Power and money can be decentralized in the sense that it must be shared with the rest and such a sharing process alone will be able to guarantee freedom. This is the basis of pluralism. What I mean is that a pluralistic society must be a free society, a free society must be a non-violent society which does not believe in centralization of anything. Such a de-centralized society that is capable of sharing resources with the other alone will be able to maintain peace harmony. 

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Bhaje Govindam -

Health and Happiness - Dr Dwarakanath

The pleasures of worldly life, such as wealth, friends and youth, are deceptive appearances, do not boast of them. Understand that each one of these is destroyed within a minute by the unchangeable factor called ‘time’. Be detached and dispassionate from the illusion of the world of maya and cultivate renunciation and realise the state of Brahman. If fortune begins to frown on one, one should not, therefore, be proud of one's wealth, youth, health, etc. all the arrogance born out of these false attachments will change in a moment into shame, because of their instability. One invites problems when one maintains relationship with the world of objects, feelings and thoughts through one's body, mind and intellect.

Indulgence in sense enjoyment will lead to miseries, the desire to possess and enjoy will one day end in dissipation, as these sense objects will wither away with the time, wealth is neither constant nor stable. Many human beings are slaves to this aspect of maya, as the materialistic world is completely dependent on this. In the same way the other faces of maya are youth and friends. The youth of today will be an elderly person of tomorrow, one cannot escape from the kala-chakra, i.e., jaws of the wheel of time. With the passage of time, the body decays and perishes. Sankara, therefore, warns that one should not dissipate one's energies in these false vanities. instead, realising the illusory nature of these world of objects, one should concentrate and realise the state and true nature of Brahman, only that will give relief from the vicious cycle of birth-death-birth.

Both pleasure and pain must be borne with equanimity. A person leading a dharmic life must also submit to sorrows as willingly as one accepts pleasures. Following the words of Sankara sincerely, one shall acquire the courage to bear the sorrows of life unperturbed. In the silent march of the wheel of time, days and nights and with it the age slips unnoticed and unrealised. One may escape any or all other hardships, but death and the parting of ways are inevitable. Time will never stop for any person and under any circumstances. Present will become past and the future will become present. While the past disturbs the present, the future worries it. It is true with almost all human beings that when the luck is not in favour, any amount of manoeuvre will not yield desired results and all plans get defeated and routed. One must acquire the true knowledge to bear these vicissitudes of time and life with fortitude.

Sankara is teaching and preaching, Nachiketa's exchange of words with Yamaraja (lord death), rejecting all gifts that he offers to him for learning the same true knowledge, which Sri Adi Sankaracharya is preaching, will bear the true testimony. Time cuts off the days of life and the death snatches away the life. The jiva will ultimately depart with painful bundles of vasanaas acquired in one's desire-ridden selfish life. The mind makes one to believe that all objects of glitter with an illusory beauty will give happiness, but time proves it otherwise. Life steadily ebbs away, but the desires only grow due to sense gratifications. Although with the age, human being becomes infirm from disease ridden body, desires and sense-enjoyments, worries and anxieties still haunt one. It is not too late to realise the truth and follow the path shown by Shankara to reap the benefits in this birth and in the forthcoming ones.

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HAH 34 250612 - Bhajagovindham - An Analysis - 6

Renunciation does not lie in external appearance, but in inward thought, feeling and attitude. One has to renounce everything; surrender does not mean barter system, and it has to be total. As the head and body bows before the deity, the mind and the words should also portray the same attitude and this attitude should continue to grow deeper and deeper, till one completely forgets what the negative feeling is.

Swami Vivekananda beautifully expresses this while describing his Guru, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. He says that, "In the presence of my master, I found out that man could be perfect, even in this body. Those lips never cursed anyone, never even criticised anyone. Those eyes were beyond the possibility of seeing evil, that mind had lost the power of thinking evil. He saw nothing but good. That tremendous purity, that tremendous renunciation is the secret of spirituality". That is the pinnacle of surrender or complete surrender to God and with such a one-pointed spiritual practice, nothing becomes impossible. When the desires for materialistic pleasures burning in the heart are not weeded out, these external forms mean nothing.

In another sloka, Sankara elaborates, whatever activity one may be engaged in, that should be governed by the spirit of renunciation in the heart. The mind should always be kept pure; whatever may be the external form, to give up truly is to abandon the desires that work up the mind. It is possible by only one method, i.e., by keeping the heart and mind pure. the only possible way out is that one should become pure in heart and mind by meditating on the all-pervasive almighty in whatever form one likes or closer to ones heart with love and devotion. One should cry for god as incessantly as a small child cries for her mother.

As one progresses, one will get enlightenment and acquires power in some measure to ward off desires. The state of renunciation cannot be attained and one will not get enlightenment by mere book learning without having devotion and complete surrender to god. The power of desire to enjoy through sense objects is irresistible. As we learnt in before, we spent our energies in games and play when we are children, in youth, we waste our energies on sense-passions and when we grow old, we keep thinking about the children and their welfare and the life in the old age. In spite of dilapidated physical form with tottered age, hair grown grey, toothless mouth, leaning on a stick for support, we still cling on to desires. The mind does not get controlled, as it never learnt, when the body was young, the intellect plans for future still, but unfortunately the body does not support these. Thus, suffering from the ravages of time, one leads an agonising life.

The essence is that when one is young, one should learn and put into practice the art of renunciation of desires, which is the basic reason for all sufferings, so that by the time one gets old, it becomes a habit to adjust oneself to the situation at that time and one retires with peace of mind and ultimately leaves the body in tranquillity and inner joy. Once, an aged gentleman approached Swami Vivekananda for his guidance in Vedanta and renunciation. Swamiji asked that person to go and play foot-ball and come back to receive the lessons. The aged person expressed his inability to do so, because of his old age. Swamiji explained to him that one should learn Vedanta, etc., when one is young enough to control the mind, body, senses, etc., as it is of no use even if Swamiji teaches him at that old age. The old habits will overtake the mind and it is difficult to control the mind at that age. 

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Refuse to Dislike

Smart Plus - Rakesh Mittal I A S 

          Once I went on an official tour to Assam and Meghalaya. In Shillong my colleague and I had some spare time and so we decided to drive up to Cherrapunji. The drive was very beautiful and we came across some rare natural beauty on the way. We ate our packed lunch on the way, sitting on a parapet wall on the roadside. The sight of the hillock on the opposite side was superb. So much so that despite being a steel man, I started thinking how beautiful the earth would have been without any steel. Anyway it was a momentary thought and after sometime we drove further.
At Cherrapunji we sat in a small restaurant, looking at the surroundings and tasting some local sweets. There we met a person who must have been in his fifties. By his looks and expression, he appeared to be an educated man hailing from North India. Perhaps he was the owner of or a frequent visitor to the restaurant. When asked he told us that he was from Punjab. One of our colleagues asked him how he had decided to settle down in Cherrapunji and how he liked the place. He did not like being asked all these questions saying these were personal matters and required a long time to explain. However, he told that he had retired from the BSF and most of his family members were settled in Canada. Since he did not like going there, he decided to stay back at Cherrapunji. He also said that he did not dislike anything except dishonesty and fraud. Though he did not hold a very good opinion about the locals, on the whole he liked the place.
This attitude of the man impressed me a lot. Obviously the matter was not so simple. He must have had deep wounds within him. Yet he had adopted a positive approach to life by refusing to dislike his environment. While driving back to Shillong we talked about him and we all appreciated his attitude. The whole thing set me thinking that there was a great lesson to be learnt from him. I, myself, believe in the same approach to life. When I decided to come to Calcutta, many friends and well-wishers asked me whether I liked the place. My answer had always been that I had never thought of disliking the place. And believe me I meant it too. I do not mean to say that there is nothing to dislike in Calcutta. In fact, there is plenty but what is the point in dwelling upon them? One can always identify so many likable things in any given situation and need not pay attention to others. If one can adopt this approach to life, life becomes much more beautiful.
To be fair in my assessment of the person we met at Cherrapunji, I would say that though he was apparently happy, there appeared to be some bitterness within him. That is why he did not like being asked about his personal life. This dislike was against his claim that he did not dislike anything. He also said that he did not like dishonesty and fraud. While he was correct from a worldly point of view, going a little deeper would reveal that even this dislike is negative. While things like dishonesty, fraud, ugliness, etc., are to be opposed, there is no point in disliking them. The thought of disliking adversely affects us and creates disharmony. This way we become the victim for no fault of ours. It is like saying, ‘hate the sin, not the sinner.’ If we follow this advice, peace will never be lost.
There is one more way of looking at things. The whole creation of God consists of opposites. In fact, without opposites, there will be no existence. For example, we can talk of the good only so long the bad also exists. Similarly, there is no meaning of pleasure without pain. This logic can also be extended to all other things. Beauty has to co-exist with ugliness. Piousness is to coexist with wickedness. Honesty is to co-exist with dishonesty, so on and so forth. If we accept this fact of life, we have no reason to dislike anything. All things have to be accepted as they are. The only freedom we have is to play our own role in the best possible way in given circumstances. Whatever way we approach, there is no point in our disliking a situation and by refusing to dislike it we can turn every situation into something we like.

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Plots on Mohammed

Message of Peace - Justice P K Shamsuddin 

After the evacuation of Banu Al Nadir from Medina and the campaigns of Ghatafan and Dawmat Al Jandal, Muslims restored to security. Their preoccupation with the city and war prevented them from carrying on their trade and agricultural works. However, Mohammed was always vigilant about the possible attack from Meccans, at any moment. He therefore had to maintain a channel for communication throughout the peninsula of Arabia, in order to secure information on the movement of the tribes, for they had to prepare defense in case of an emergency.

The Meccans under the tribes of Banu Qaynuqa and Banu Nadir, together with the tribes of Ghatafan and Hudylu were all trying to reach for Mohammed and his companions. The leaders of Banu Al Nadir and others together with Hawdah and Abu Anian went to Mecca for consultation with the Meccan leaders. The Meccans asked Huyayy about his tribe. Huyayy told them that he had left them between Khybr and Medina awaiting the arrival of the Meccans. He asked the Meccans to join them in this battle against Mohammed and his companions. When the Meccans asked about Banu Qurayzah, he said that they were still living in Medina, in order to attack Mohammed and his men from behind, once the Meccans launch attack on Muslims. The Meccans however was reluctant to move. They thought that there was no difference between them and Mohammed except in the nature of Mohammed’s routine.

The Meccans asked the Jews to tell them whether the religion of Mohammed was better than that of the Meccans. The Jews answered that the Jews give preference to the religion of Meccans. Doctor Israel Wahtnhon wrote: “The Jews in Arabia, it was the duty of the Jews not to allow themselves to get involved in such a scandalous mistake that would have never declared to the leaders of Quraysh than the worship of idols was better than Islamic monotheism ….. The Jews who had for centuries raised the banner of monotheism in the whole world, among the pagan nations, remained true to the tradition of their fathers, who had to suffer throughout history the greatest misfortunes, misdeeds and persecution for the sake of their faith in the one god, stood, in loyalty to this end have sacrificed greatly to bring about the down fall of paganism. Furthermore, they aligned themselves with the pagans. But they were fighting themselves contradicting the teachings of Torah which commands them otherwise.” 

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Chathurashram for a New Age – 3

Blooming Stars - Swami (Dr) Snehananda Jyoti

The four ashrams presented here neatly order the life of a person, indicating the tasks and duties characteristic of each ashram. They are not exclusive of one another; they amply overlap.  While elements of all ashrams may be present in any one ashram, the focus or emphasis is on one predominant aspect. The revised and modified Chathurashram parampara (the traditional four stages of life) is described here. They are:
1. Satyashram: Especially in the modern culture of lie, bribe, corruption and ridiculous pretensions, that is universal and spreading ever ingeniously for gaining material wealth and advancement, and special privileges and considerations, sathyashram focusing on truth and integrity can play a vital role. This focus really is the need of the day before our current civilization turns us all into barbarians and monsters literally killing and devouring one another as the recent (May 2012) revelations of political murders in Kerala have indicated. In this stage preparation and training for life are given by parents, teachers, religious preceptors, and other important family members. The person is trained in necessary requirements and skills. In olden days a person is supposed to have ideally lived especially after the age of five with others in a gurukulam (the household of a guru) in strict supervision. Right living was modeled by the guru. It was truly an apprenticeship to life. In this very important impressionable and imprinting stage, a child or youth is well-protected from harmful influences causing confusion and distraction. Basic education comprising of reading, writing, and computing (arithmetic) is given; basic skills for a meaningful and holistic life are imparted. Nutritional eating, basic hygiene, clean and healthy environment are taught. A value system that can benefit individuals and society is instilled. A special emphasis is placed on common good and social obligations. A work ethic that combines adequate fun and leisure is emphasized. Great importance is given to the formation of a conscience guided by dharma (righteousness, duty), that can not only discern what is right and wrong for oneself but also enable for all persons the enjoyment of the fundamental rights of equality, liberty, fraternity/sorority, justice, and freedom of expression and association. Persons are trained in self-esteem leading to acceptance of themselves and others as they are, unconditional positive regard for others as members of the human family, human relations, non-violent conflict resolution, scrupulous avoidance of violence and abuse, tolerance of healthy differences in belief systems, customs and manners, clothing styles and food habits in a multi-cultural society. In this ashram one is provided opportunities for the full development of the body, mind, and spirit. A person emerging out of this ashram has a good grasp of the golden rule: “Do to others what you like others to do to you”. This person is committed, positive, and full of zest. He/she is able to work and have fun, to enjoy and celebrate life, and to love and be loved. He/she, above all, is characterized by an intense search for truth and respect for others. This person is a gentleman/gentlewoman always professional and ethical in conduct and business affairs. One is discrete, respects others’ rights, keeps boundaries and personal space, does not take advantage of others, is reliable, and trustworthy. One also honors trust entrusted to him/her. In this ashram one masters a solid value system, virtues, and skills necessary for a meaningful, purposeful, peaceful, and happy life.
From three years to twenty years of age may be considered to be the critical years in terms of forming and solidifying one’s personality. During these years, life is modeled in terms of the best humanity can offer. One gets a clear grasp of one’s purpose in life. One makes a suitable election of state in keeping with one’s abilities, interests, and aptitude. Thus one gets clarity with regard to one’s vocation. One is trained to discern with regard to pros and cons, and make critical choices in life. In a world of consumerism, onslaught of violence, and exploitation of sex one is able to stand on one’s own solid ground. In a culture of allurements constantly bombarded by television, world-wide web (internet), and mobile, one lives according to one’s own values. The age-old sathyam vada (speak the truth) and dharmam chara (walk the righteous path) become so ingrained in oneself that these two become one’s second nature. To these two I might add a good measure of sneham bhava (be love), a love that casts out all fear. A solid spirituality indicative of unity of humanity under one God or Supreme Truth will color everything one does. The duration of this ashram may be from 3 and half years up to 22 to 25 years. (To be continued).

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Chancellor of Nalanda

Life's Lessons - Joseph Mattappally

I have heard many Indians say that they are proud of India. Slowly, I realized that their love is confined to just some degree of slavish patriotism or to the best attachment to that religious environment in which they were brought up. To a great extend, this is true of people from all over the world. How nice it would have been if people clearly knew their rich heritage and had chosen to follow the values and life style of the great forefathers of that country and tried to create a richer heritage.

If we take India for example, it can easily be said that it is a land of Great Masters. Aryabhat of India, the man behind ‘pi’, was the first to proclaim that the earth is round and it rotates on its axis, orbits the sun and is suspended in space – one thousand years before Copernicus published his heliocentric theory. Nagarjuna was an extraordinary Indian wizard whose dedicated long research contributed greatly to Chemistry and Metallurgy. It was Nagarjuna who discovered the alchemy of transmuting base metals into gold. He also made significant contributions to the field of curative medicine. Because of his profound scholarliness and versatile knowledge, he was appointed Chancellor of the famous University of Nalanda. Again, Bhaskaracharya of India was the first to invent the secrets of gravity, centuries before Newton. Acharya Kanad founded the atomic theory two thousand five hundred years before John Dalton did it. T.N. Colebrook once said, "Compared to the scientists of Europe, Kanad and other Indian scientists were the global masters of this field."  Acharya Charak is called the Father of Medicine. His renowned work, the "Charak Samhita", is considered an encyclopedia of Ayurveda. He revealed the facts on human anatomy, embryology, pharmacology, and blood circulation. Varahamihir was an eminent astrologer. He has also given cures for various diseases afflicting plants and trees. Acharya Bharadwaj is precisely a pioneer of aviation technology. He has given astonishing and outstanding discoveries in aviation science, space science and flying machines (Yantra Sarvasva). Maharshi Patanjali is the Father of Yoga; the list continues....., and J C Bose is not the last of the series. Almost in every faculty, Indians have contributed greatly.

It was with much enthusiasm that they all worked for global welfare. It is this sort of enthusiasm and quality of intention that the world misses now; most people live limited to a small society of spouse and children. What we have in full is curiosity, which is perhaps the only sin, according to me. I wish, if all the Indians would have first learned about those great forefathers, before choosing to continue blind worshippers of an unknown heritage. It only creates more chancellors and Nalandas. 

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Tools of Communication

Views and Words - Dr K S Radhakrishnan 

            Everyone accepts a fact that we are living in a multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-formal world where plurality is a reality. There are cultural plurality, religious plurality, political plurality, economic plurality and even plurality in food, dress habits etc. The question that arises is how it is possible to get an effective means of communication in a pluralistic world. Is no meaning in saying that a monolithic or a uniform world is better than a pluralistic world because nature never provides a uniform world or a monolithic world; there are differences and diversities. All such differences and diversities mean proper means of communication. How is it possible to make communication effective? The modern philosophical trend in philosophy, literature and media etc. have got a very firm opinion that  communication is something that is different from what it is intended by the author. The text here is a different entity and the author has no role to play in the text or the intention of the author need not be considered as a proper element in communication, whatever be the intention of the author, the intention that has been explained explicitly or implicitly there in the text. We, the readers or the hearers have got full freedom to understand it in a way which is in tune with our context. It is well and good that if a particular term has been written by a particular author, has a specific meaning. This theory gives us the right that it can be understood in a different meaning. Suppose a term ‘mother’ has been used to explain the lady who has given birth to me, the meaning can be interpreted as mother-in-law, who is the mother of my wife. So, mother cannot be mother-in-law. That is a very serious aspect. But they simply says that any term be interpreted in any manner. This   results in anarchy in the very experience of communication. 
In an anarchical state where there is no communication at all, there must be some specific order communication and communication can be easy only we are able to establish some common elements between ‘I’ and ‘you’. Where there are no common elements, there is no communication. The post-modern trend says that there is similarity but nothing common between them; this makes communication ineffective or it creates chaos in the field of communication. Hence, what makes us more difficult is that the other remains as a mysterious entity as far as I am concerned. Such a trend in philosophical life as well as in cultural life really creates a serious problem. In his context it is essential to look into all possibilities to overcome this crisis and establish a dialogue between ‘I’ and ‘You’. Take for example the inter-religious dialogues. The Western Christianity developed based on a trend given by the Greek philosophers especially by the Aristotelian logic.
Thomas Aquinas was instrumental to make it possible to adopt the Aristotelian logic in Christianity through his theology. He said that the Aristotelian logic is enough to incorporate Christ experience. But it is a proven fact that one cannot be able to understand Christ with the tool provided by the Greek forefathers, especially Aristotle. Hence, we have to find out a new tool. When we make a comparison between Hinduism and Christianity, there is the question, ‘should we follow the tool as developed by either Hinduism or Christianity’. With Hindu tools, your assessment of Christianity need not be correct and vice versa. So, whenever we are in need of an effective communication system, we have to develop a new epistemology which is able enough to keep up identity at every level. Such a logical identity can be developed by the Advaitic System of logic. Advaitic System says that differences are not deficiencies but are the marks of nature; hence, we can be sure of the fact that there are diversified objects and all such diversified objects have something in common and it is that common element which helps us to make communication, more easy and possible. If we are not able to realize and recognize that common element then it is not possible to establish a meaningful dialogue in a pluralistic world.
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Bhajagovindham - An Analysis 5

Health and Happiness - Dr Dwarakanath

The pleasures of worldly life, such as wealth, friends and youth, are deceptive appearances, do not boast of them. Understand that each one of these is destroyed within a minute by the unchangeable factor called ‘time’. Be detached and dispassionate from the illusion of the world of maya and cultivate renunciation and realise the state of Brahman. If fortune begins to frown on one, one should not, therefore, be proud of one's wealth, youth, health, etc. all the arrogance born out of these false attachments will change in a moment into shame, because of their instability. One invites problems when one maintains relationship with the world of objects, feelings and thoughts through one's body, mind and intellect.

Indulgence in sense enjoyment will lead to miseries, the desire to possess and enjoy will one day end in dissipation, as these sense objects will wither away with the time, wealth is neither constant nor stable. Many human beings are slaves to this aspect of maya, as the materialistic world is completely dependent on this. In the same way the other faces of maya are youth and friends. The youth of today will be an elderly person of tomorrow, one cannot escape from the kala-chakra, i.e., jaws of the wheel of time. With the passage of time, the body decays and perishes. Sankara, therefore, warns that one should not dissipate one's energies in these false vanities. instead, realising the illusory nature of these world of objects, one should concentrate and realise the state and true nature of Brahman, only that will give relief from the vicious cycle of birth-death-birth.

Both pleasure and pain must be borne with equanimity. A person leading a dharmic life must also submit to sorrows as willingly as one accepts pleasures. Following the words of Sankara sincerely, one shall acquire the courage to bear the sorrows of life unperturbed. In the silent march of the wheel of time, days and nights and with it the age slips unnoticed and unrealised. One may escape any or all other hardships, but death and the parting of ways are inevitable. Time will never stop for any person and under any circumstances. Present will become past and the future will become present. While the past disturbs the present, the future worries it. It is true with almost all human beings that when the luck is not in favour, any amount of manoeuvre will not yield desired results and all plans get defeated and routed. One must acquire the true knowledge to bear these vicissitudes of time and life with fortitude.

Sankara is teaching and preaching, Nachiketa's exchange of words with Yamaraja (lord death), rejecting all gifts that he offers to him for learning the same true knowledge, which Sri Adi Sankaracharya is preaching, will bear the true testimony. Time cuts off the days of life and the death snatches away the life. The jiva will ultimately depart with painful bundles of vasanaas acquired in one's desire-ridden selfish life. The mind makes one to believe that all objects of glitter with an illusory beauty will give happiness, but time proves it otherwise. Life steadily ebbs away, but the desires only grow due to sense gratifications. Although with the age, human being becomes infirm from disease ridden body, desires and sense-enjoyments, worries and anxieties still haunt one. It is not too late to realise the truth and follow the path shown by Shankara to reap the benefits in this birth and in the forthcoming ones.

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Life and the Rubik Cube

Smart Plus - Rakesh Mittal I A S

Some years back the Rubik Cube came out as a popular and interesting game. It is a cuboid with six faces of six different colours. Each face consists of nine squares and each square can be rotated on two different axes. The game involves rotating of these squares in such a manner that each face of the cuboid becomes a single colour. Overall it is a complex exercise and most players fail to achieve the desired result. However, many have acquired such a skill that they can achieve the desired result in a surprisingly short time. It is a beautiful sight to see the six faces of six different colours presenting a harmonious look.  Some books have also been written on this game and shows held to demonstrate it. I myself however never got much interested in the game and therefore did not often play it.

Once I had gone to Trichur on the occasion of Guru Poornima. In the evening I was on a walk with another devotee who is settled in Muscat. He told me about the craze for this game in certain countries and how some of the players had acquired a great skill in it. And then we started comparing life with the game of Rubik Cube. We felt that life too was as complicated as the Rubik game and that it was a question of acquiring a skill in living if we wanted to make it harmonious. In the Rubik game, as one proceeds, one finds that despite one’s best efforts different colours intrude and it becomes almost impossible to bring the same colours on all the six faces. Some are able to achieve success on one and some on two or three faces. Very rarely does one find a player who can restore all the faces to a single colour.

In life too, as we proceed to achieve harmony, some event or the other breaks it and we have to start afresh. It is only after we have learnt the art of living that such events do not disturb us but in a way make life more interesting and challenging. With the growth of wisdom, the time taken to accept these events gets reduced further and further. Thereafter, all events of life are accepted in a very natural manner. Eventually one becomes like those players of the Rubik Cube who reach the six~face stage within a very short time. For such people life becomes harmonious and nothing can disturb them.  Such persons are the yogis in the true sense.

Reaching such a state of harmony is the ultimate purpose of life.  For this one has to understand the principles of life, believe in them and practise them. There is no short-cut to it.  However, once this skill is acquired, no one can take it away from you. You will then be able to play with life in the same way as a skilled person plays with the Rubik Cube, notwithstanding its complex nature.

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Peace and Awe

Message of Peace - P K Shamsuddin

Until the exit of the Jewish tribe Banu Al Nadir from Medina, Mohammed’s secretary was a Jew who helped Mohammed in communicating in Hebrew and Cyriac as well as in Arabic. After the evacuation of Banu Al Nadir tribe, Mohammed changed his secretary and appointed Zayd Ibn Thaeid and asked him to learn Hebrew and Cyriac languages. Peace was restored in Medina after the evacuation of the tribe Banu Al Nadir. This continued until the following year. Mohammed remembered the pledge of Abu Sufian to destroy Muslims. Mohammed also remembered that Abu Sufian has challenged to meet once more to meet the Muslims at Badr. However, Abu Sufian postponed the proposed attack to another year till he sent a messenger to Medina to inform the Muslims that the Meccans have collected a huge army such as Arabs had never achieved before and that they would destroy the Muslims once and for ever and inflict upon them untold miseries. The Muslims reacted with apprehension but were eager to remain in Medina and not to go out to meet their enemy at Badr. However, Mohammed said differently and with some hesitation decided to march to Badr to meet the enemy. Mohammed appointed Abdulla Abu Qubaay to look after the administration of Medina in his absence.

Muslims arrived at Badr and waited for the Meccan army. The Meccans sent two thousand fighters under the leadership of Abu Sufian. However, Abu Sufian was not enthusiastic to fight and decided to return to Mecca. He advised his people that since they could not do well in war outside Mecca, it was better for them to return home. Accordingly they returned to Mecca along with the army. The Muslims remained at Badr for eight days. During that time, the Muslim army got engaged themselves in some trade and made huge profit for which they thanked God. Mohammed and his army returned to Medina. Mohammed was happy that the Muslims recaptured their prestige. In the meanwhile, news came to him that a group from Ghatafn was leading an army to fight him. Mohammed planned to attack and surprise them before they could complete their procession. Gathering a force of four hundred, Mohammed led the army to Dhat Al Rik, where the enemy had rallied. The Muslim army took initiative to make the surprise attack and the army of the tribes ran back leaving their equipments and properties. The Muslims returned to Medina. Mohammed established night and day sentry. The enemy however never showed up their force and Mohammed also returned to Medina after fifteen days.

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Chathurashram for a New Age – 1

Blooming Stars - Swami (Dr) Snehanand Jyoti 

The Chathurashram (the four stages of life of an individual in traditional India) Parampara (tradition) is modified, reinterpreted, and adapted for the needs of the modern person. In the present scheme, sathyashram (training in and living truth) more appropriately takes the place of brahmacharyashram (moving in God); grihasthashram (family life) is more aptly replaced by sevashram (life of service to family and society); vanaprasthashram (retreat from worldly pursuits and desires) is substituted by paramarthashram (the pursuit of the ultimate good); sanyasashram (the life of renunciation) is replaced by siddhashram (place for realization). What is the need for change?  Brahmacharyashram, which is very broad and general, and should be applied to all the ashrams. Everyone should be living and moving and having being in the ultimate reality, Brahman. Brahmacharya is wrongly reserved to celibate life with some kind of prestige attached to it. Brahmacharya is not anyone’s monopoly; all should practice it. Grihasthashram is also given a broader meaning in sevashram which should be uniquely characterized by service to others including one’s family. Sevashram culminates in paramarthashram (retired life) that focuses on the ultimate good as well as a preparation for siddhashram (a place for complete renunciation and realization. The modified ashrams are also more in tune with current needs and aspirations. Besides that there was a wide-spread living of these ashrams in practical day-to-day life is very seriously doubted. Women were excluded from these ashrams.

The old Vedic tradition did well in the past, and partly or wholly influenced the life of the Indian people. It was more theoretical, conceptual, and ideal than real and practical. Currently it can provide a much-needed frame-work for a new model that preserves the good elements of the old tradition. It is only fair that everything old as well as new is thoroughly scrutinized and adapted for our times. I strongly feel that is what the seers of old did in their life time. As they passed on what is worthwhile, i. e., tradition, it is imperative that we pass on what we find useful and valuable to later generations. After all the very Latin word tradere from which the word tradition comes means to hand over or to pass on. We are not mere static vehicles that uncritically just hands over our past. We are dynamic conveyors who dare to modify and adapt the useful past, and pass it on with our own findings culled from our lived experience. We alone are the authority of our experience. To give undue importance to any other epoch or time neglecting our own does justice to no one. Therefore we thoroughly scrutinize and evaluate the past, take what is relevant and good, and add our own findings before passing on. It would have been utterly foolish, for instance, to pass on the evil practices of caste system as they were handed down to us. We have a right and an obligation to make the necessary corrections of any tradition, rituals, and customs.

It is important to give a few pivotal concepts to place the four ashrams in their proper context. Brahma sathyam (God is absolute, real, and unchanging truth); jagan mithya (the world is unreal, changing, and illusory). There is Nirguna Brahma: the absolutely unreachable, undefinable, and static, Brahman who cannot at all be predicated with any attributes, and there is Saguna Brahman:  the Brahman that is dynamic and heaped on with anthropomorphic forms and attributes. There are three kinds of truth: parmarthika sathyam (the absolute and unchanging truth), vyavaharika sathyam (the truth related to everyday life in the world that is constantly changing), and prathibhasika sathyam (the truth that is illusory and confusing). All material objects and persons are composed of three gunas (qualities): satva (being, order, purity), rajas (atmosphere, change, movement), and tamas (darkness, inertia, ignorance). All persons will have these qualities. The level of consciousness will depend on the proportion of these qualities in each person. The more the satva tendency in a person the higher the consciousness. The four purusharthas (the aims or objectives of human life) – dharma (righteousness, duty), artha (wealth), kama (pleasure, desire), moksha (liberation) complete the list of the key ingredients that make the life of a person rich and purposeful. The varnashrams that resulted in the ugly, destructive caste system did enough damage to humanity, and is better confined to the garbage can of history, and is not included in the key concepts. (To be continued).


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Generous Damage

Life's Lessons - Joseph Mattappally

Donate generously; this is one of the advices people generally hear, perhaps on a daily basis. The very thing generated in every mind is always an amount of money, carelessly thrown out. A donation is precisely a gift given in cash or kind, mostly for charitable purposes; it may take various forms. Attitude to share is one of the basic passions in any human being. The present day donors know that they haven’t enough time to locate the needy and share a part of their fortune with them; they are more or less compelled to endorse choice agencies to do the job on their behalf. Modern agencies are bright enough to assure the donors all the credits in their karma account with Cosmic Central Bank. They know such an offer will help them fetch more. Since donations are considered to be a heavenly act cleansing the spirit, it always is considered a pretty good spiritual deal for the busy. But, does such an attitude serve the purpose? Look at this story.

This story took place in Bandar, a remote small town in Andhra Pradesh state. One day, a person was walking through the streets of the town. His walk was peculiar, as if that of a person who never needs to lower his head anywhere. As he walked, he noticed that a young boy, who was sitting outside his house aside the street, is crying aloud. The man approached the boy and asked him the matter. Sensing the empathy in his eyes, the boy spoke, still sobbing, “Swamiji, my father died quite recently, leaving my mother and two brothers. I am the eldest of the children, who has to earn for the rest. I searched a lot for a job, but I was not able to get one anywhere”.

The person thought for a while; he wanted to help the young boy somehow. He said, “Come with me”. They went to a Bank, the manager of which was known to this man. The man requested the Manager to train the boy on some Bank related work. It was done and the boy began learning the work with great devotion. The man gave the boy some money before leaving. Next month also the man came to the Bank to give the boy some more money. On the third month, since the boy had acquired enough experience, the Bank recruited him to the job and thus the young boy was enabled to stand on his own legs. The person was none other than Dr. Bhogaraaju Pattaabhi Seetaaraamayya, one of the frontline freedom fighters from Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Seetaaraamayya was a man of values who never compromised with the outside world of masks. His statue is still in front of the Andhra Bank branch in Bandheri, but I doubt if there is any viewer who lives by the theory as laid down by this great man. 

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Bhaje Govindam 4

Health and Happiness - Dr Dwarakanath

In a Sloka, Bhajagovindam, Shankara says, “Do not fall prey to maddening delusion and get enticed at the sight of the physical glamour & sex having full bosom of young maidens and their naval, as these are nothing but a modification of flesh and fat. The same suits for women's attraction towards men. Do not fail to remember this truth and think over and over again in your mind. One understands that one's wife is another's daughter or sister or some such relation. Having born independently, in the journey from birth to death, one acquires many such relations and bonds and when the death descends, all these relations vanish in thin air. Ultimately, one realizes the truth that one belongs only to the divine father or mother and nobody else. All relations other than the relation with the main source of universe is false, causes unhappiness, anxiety and worry. It means these relations are transitory and temporary in nature and as such do not give any permanent happiness by any means.” Sankara asks his younger brethren in this sloka to ponder over the weakness of extreme attachment to things of the world outside and the futility that it brings ultimately. 

In another sloka Shankara says that the company of the good weans one away from false attachments; from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, when the delusion ends, the mind becomes unwavering and steady and from an unwavering and steady mind comes jeevan mukti (liberation even in this life). It is very clear from what has been said so far that to live in attachment is, certainly, an ill rewarding program of existence. To waste one's life in lust and in passion of one's flesh is definitely dissipating oneself in all faculties. One has to withdraw from all such activities and spend the energy so conserved in seeking and serving god. the best, easiest and the only way for such a conduct is to associate oneself with good and enlightened men, which provides occasion for one to practice withdrawal from desire and attachment. As desires and attachments become less and less, the delusion diminishes and calmness and equanimity descends upon oneself. As we have understood from the earlier slokas and their commentary, desire and delusion wrap the mind and cloud the perception, obstructing the power to discriminate between the good and the bad, between the lofty and the low and between shreyas and preyas. Desire and attachment are the cause of delusion and delusion leads to confusion. As the mind ceases to agitate, internal purity ensues. At this stage, one reaches the state of equilibrium and enjoys divine peace. It is a step by step struggle like the elements of good slowly occupies the place vacated by the elements of bad and evil thoughts, as one occupies oneself in satsang. So, one must always cherish the company of the devotees of God to attain salvation at the end. At the same time, one should not indulge in criticism of others, who do not believe in God or who are not devotees, as despise them would be arrogance. One day they also change the path and they must also receive the grace of God. The hearts of those devotees should melt for the welfare of those who do not believe in God. We must grieve for those who are not blessed with devotion, if a person, who is not genuinely distressed at the sufferings and pain of others, is not a godly person at all. Of course, it is very difficult for a beginner, for a devotee, who has just started his spiritual journey like me, to understand, appreciate and put into practice such noble intentions. 

Sankara, having understood this practical difficulty of the beginners in devotion, has given a ladder-of-progress, by carefully climbing which, a seeker can comfortably reach the pinnacle of perfection. IN spite of all this discussion, the fact remains that we are living in the midst of tremendous temptations of life, whether it is amassing wealth or running after men/women or artificial life or pretentious postures, etc. the objects of fascination are so numerous and their enchantments are so powerful that it is too difficult to resist and fight against. It is, therefore, advised by Sri Adi Sankaracharya to keep company of good people or look always for satsangs; only with good thoughts from within one can keep on fighting against the predating bad habits of this life and 'prarabdha' of earlier lives. One has to fight against the hordes of temptations every day, at the same time, and for that one has to look for association with the good people. (Continued)

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Whom Do We Address To

Smart Plus - Rakesh Mittal I A S 

After taking over as Development Commissioner (Iron and Steel) at Calcutta in July 1994, I paid a brief visit to Madras on my way to Trichur. On my return also I stayed at Madras for a day. I had flown from Calcutta to Madras and from Madras to Calcutta by Indian Airlines. Incidentally both the flights caused some anxiety and inconvenience. The flight to Madras took off from Calcutta almost in time but as soon as the plane was airborne, the captain declared that it had developed a technical problem and landed back at Calcutta. There was no immediate announcement of the alternate arrangement by the Airlines. I was to catch a train from Madras to Trichur in the evening and it was already noon at Calcutta. While all the passengers became anxious, I was all the more so. However, I was sure that some alternative would come soon and fortunately it did. Contrary to expectations, an alternate plane was arranged by Indian Airlines and we again left Calcutta at about 13.00 hours so as to reach Madras in time. As a result, I could attend to some of my official duties as well as comfortably catch the train for Trichur.

On my way back, initially the flight was announced to be on time. The passengers passed through the Security Check and were waiting in the lounge for boarding announcement. However, after some time an announcement was made about the plane having developed some technical problem and the consequent delay. The passengers were advised to come out of the lounge, get new boarding passes and also some refreshment from the snacks-counter. The flight was a late evening flight and this delay made it very inconvenient. Naturally the passengers were very upset at this announcement and reluctantly left the lounge to follow the instructions. I too felt the same way but within I was keeping my cool. After going through the drill of surrendering boarding passes and getting new ones, we stood in a queue for light refreshments. We were expecting something better to be served so as to partially take care of our annoyance but what we were given only added to it. On a big paper plate there were two small biscuits along with the choice of a cup of tea, coffee or cold drink. There was visible annoyance on the faces of all the beneficiaries of this hospitality and the ripples were widening in the queue also. So much so that one of the passengers standing in the queue lost his temper and started abusing not only the Indian Airlines but the whole of India. Of course, most of us were doing so silently. He appealed to a co-passenger to take him to a good city restaurant so that he could eat something better. However, it was not feasible at that time but any way, he refused to accept the snacks offered by the airline. I watched all this with amusement and in the process got a better deal from the counter staff who gave the share of such passengers to others. Overall I did not dislike the refreshment as I was quite hungry. Fortunately soon the plane was declared to be fit and our hopes of reaching home the same night revived.

Well, the point I am making here is about the outburst of the gentleman in the queue at Madras airport.  Such outbursts are not uncommon. We come across such incidents almost daily. Only the victim and the target of the outburst vary. If such outbursts are carefully analysed, one would come to the conclusion that we all are victims of one another. ‘A’ may curse’B’, ‘B’may curse ‘C’ and ‘C’ may curse ‘A’. The net result is that sometimes we are victims and sometimes the cause of such outbursts.  We forget that after all the quality of human beings in a given set-up is the same and that we ourselves are no better than others. If we are not prepared to see any faults in us and remove them, what right do we have to expect perfectness from others? In such situations, it is very difficult to understand to whom we should address our outburst.

I am not saying that inefficiency or bad service should be accepted. By all means it should be resisted and resisted forcefully. But mere cursing does not help. In all probability such outbursts make the system worse. The right approach would be to understand the situation coolly and if found that it has arisen as a result of willful neglect or callousness on the part of an individual or system, the same should be dealt with in an effective manner. That way we will not only save ourselves from agony and anger but will render a service to the system as well as to other possible victims. In short, the problem should be addressed to a definite target, and not in the air which helps no one.

The second lesson to be learnt from such events is to consider whether we ourselves are not a cause of such situations, when it comes to our dealing with others. As a matter of fact, this is a better way of addressing the problem and, if all of us do so, there will be no occasion for situations which upset us. We may also be a cause of such situations and if others cause so much agony to us, why should we not avoid such situations? This approach will not only help individuals but also the system.

Thus, whenever a situation upsets us, the problem should not only be addressed to the relevant authorities with an objective mind, it should also be addressed to oneself. But most of us do not do; and thus add to the problem instead of solving it. No wonder, we increasingly face such situations and make our lives more miserable. Let us, therefore, approach problems with an objective mind. Afterall the purpose of all progress is to feel more peaceful. But if instead of feeling peaceful, we feel upset and anxious like the friend at Madras Airport, the purpose of the progress is lost. In all probability he was a successful person in life but that success became the source of his trouble because he did not address the problem correctly.

So next time you come across a situation which upsets you, remember to address it correctly.  That way you will help yourself as well as the system.

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