Signs of an accomplished person

For some months I have been spending Wednesdays in silence and recollection. This Wednesday reflection on the signs of an accomplished person presented itself spontaneously to me. Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew, Chapters 5-7; Luke, 6: 20-49) and in his mission (Luke, 4: 18-19) proclaimed the sum and substance of the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of the prophets; he very clearly set forth what is expected of all in the Kingdom of God. Love for all including one’s enemies stands out.  Sri Krishna exposes the signs of the Kingdom of God in Bhagavadgita; in the second chapter in reply to Arjun, he specifically discourses the signs of a person in steadfast wisdom that is necessary for liberation. In my beginning years with the Jesuits, I grew up with the definition of a gentle person by Cardinal Newman as someone who would not intentionally hurt others.

Meditating on the signs of an accomplished person, this is what I could come up with. An accomplished person has come to terms with his/her own self. He/she is contented with what is going on in and around self. When things go well one is grateful; when things are apparently not going in favor, one is not too upset. Mind, spirit, and body work in harmony among themselves, and as one whole organism function in unison with the environment. This person has a clear purpose that comes out of a definite mission. One is altruistic; lives entirely for others as for oneself. One takes good care of physical, mental, and spiritual health. One works with the creation to enhance it as it evolves. In early years this person will be primarily devoted to immediate family, relatives, and close friends. As one advances in age one moves to a universal vision that concerns with the welfare and plight of the entire humanity, especially the down-trodden and the un-wanted. One befriends the earth as a holy place, and is ever in awe of the beauty and splendour of the universe.

An accomplished person respects all and their rights; considers success as a common enterprise tied to everyone’s destiny.   This person breaks out of layers of programming through ever-deepening awareness, and keeps only those elements in the conditioning that are helpful and necessary for negotiating physical, mental, and spiritual aspect of life. One sheds out the extra baggage that delays and hinders one’s progress. It is all about awareness and careful choices to reach the desired destination. It is about being who one needs to be consciously and celebrating life.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

My Share Too

Asking for share is a trend we find everywhere in today's world. It looks that Darwin's law of survival of the fittest seem to be ruling everywhere. People want share in school or college admissions, share in jobs, share in seats, share in votes, share in income, share in food, share in property and the list goes on and on. In childhood I heard a joke in this context. The train halted at an intermediate station. A man was sitting opposite to a couple, who took out their home food,when the train stopped. This man was also hungry. He got down the train bought a lemon and twisted its juice over the food, this couple was eating. After putting the lemon juice he started eating from the same food, the couple had brought. The couple was stunned. They objected to this action. The man said, "I also have my share in this food, so I can also eat".

The ways to demand for share, valid or invalid creates lots of debates. What we need to groom in our children is the habit of sharing knowledge and sharing resources. Today I find this completely missing from our school level education system. If a child forgets to bring an eraser, he is scolded and punished, rather than a teacher taking this opportunity to train other children to share things. Today sharing of seats in a compartment of train is increasingly difficult. The need for personal comfort has overridden all other social norms. Please don't get me wrong in the literal sense. I don't mean that a reserved seat person must allow all other passengers to occupy his seat. I am just trying to point out the attitude of not sharing anything once I have some how acquired it. My share too! is the buzz word in the form of reservations and quotas. If we want to get rid of these issues, we definitely need to focus on producing much more balanced next generation by improving our places where we build the Generation Z.

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg. 

Age is not a Barrier

Older citizens have made many contributions to their nation and to the world.

Winston Churchill was prime minister of England when he was 81.

Clara Barton headed the International Red Cross at 83.

Robert Frost wrote famous poems when he turned 80.

Oliver Wendell Holmes was a chief justice when he was 90.

Connie Mack managed a winning baseball team when he was 88.

Toscanini was a world-famous orchestra conductor at 87.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright did his best work at 86.

Indefatigable John Wesley was still preaching at 88.

As Chancellor Conrad Adenauer of Germany was approaching the age of 90, he got a bad cold. Even his personal physician could not help him much and Adenauer was impatient with him. “I’m not a magician, sir,” protested the doctor. “I cannot make you young again.”

“I haven’t asked you to make me younger,” answered Adenauer. “All I want is to go on getting older.” Herbert Procimow 

Be convinced, “You are not too old.” It is true, “God hath not promised Skies always blue,” says Annie Johnson Flint, “But God hath promised Strength for the day,” Not time yet to hang the hat. Don’t give up easily simply because one is a bit old.

Indian Thoughts Archives

Local Repair Shop

When my printer's type began to grow faint, I called a local repair shop, where a friendly man informed me that the printer probably only needed to be cleaned. Since the store charged $50 for such cleanings, he told me I might be better off reading the printer's manual and trying to do the job myself.

Pleasantly surprised by his candor, I asked, "Does your boss know that you discourage business this way?"

"Actually, it's my boss' idea," the employee replied, sheepishly.

"We usually make more money on repairs, if we let people try to fix things themselves first."

Indian Thoughts Archives

Reviving Old Values

‘Human life is an on-going process of growth and outgrowth, my son. It evolves through stages. Each stage has its needs and special characteristics….

‘The youthful years are hungry years. There is a deep hunger and curiosity for knowledge. Youth are also very dynamic and creative. Opportunities for a value-based quality education and avenues for giving full expressions to their dynamism and creativity are the needs of this stage…The sex-urge is also very strong during the youthful years….

‘The middle age is a stage for experience of the pleasures and challenges of life. Mutual trust and support are the needs of this period. Marriage and family life can surely help one to find greater fulfillment at this stage. A human child can be brought up well only in such a secure and protective family atmosphere.….

‘The old age is more mature and reflective. It can be used best for teaching and guiding the younger generations…

‘The last stage is the time for one to prepare oneself for the final journey to the beyond…..

‘The ‘Chaturashrama Parampara’ of ancient India had divided human life into four stages. These stages consisted of Brahmacharya, the stage of celibate studentship; Grahastha, the stage of married family life; Vanaprastha, the stage of contemplative life in the forest; and Sanyasa, the stage of renunciation and preparation for the final journey. These stages could find a strong natural basis in the example of the butterfly….. 

‘The larva goes through various stages before it finally becomes a beautiful butterfly. Each stage is distinct yet inseparable with specific needs and characteristics of its own…

‘A compassionate yet ignorant person may venture to help the struggling insect to come out of its cocoon by tearing open the sheath and making things very easy for it. The result would be disastrous…. It will be a fat and ugly insect without its colourful wings. It will die soon….

‘It had to go through the struggle in order to become the butterfly, a beautiful new creation,that it was destined to be….

‘This is also true in our case. We need to go through the various stages in life with its pleasures and pains, its trials and tribulations, in order to be strengthened and purified… and to become a new creation… Only then can we be instruments of God for a new creation….

‘You have learnt that gold and silver are purified by fire. Similarly, human soul is sanctified by suffering, through trials and tribulations…… This is the process of a new creation….

‘Knowledge becomes wisdom only through experience and suffering. Humility is learnt through humiliations…. Our true character can be understood only in adverse conditions. Our divinity shines forth only during times of crises….

‘The example of the butterfly also teaches us that patience and perseverance are two essential virtues and requirements for our growth, and for us to gain strength and beauty. These virtues are also essential for a life of fruitfulness…..

‘Reviving and promoting the Chaturashrama Parampara with necessary modifications to suit the present age will also be an important part of your life-mission….. This is an effective way to challenge the onslaught of materialism and consumerism… 

‘Much of our problems today come from our tendency to cling on to people, things, pleasures and positions of power. Without ‘letting go’ we cannot advance and grow. This universal law allows no exceptions. Learning to ‘let go’ is also a basic requirement for one’s spiritual development…. 

‘People catch monkeys using narrow-necked pots with monkey nuts put into it. The pot will be tied to a tree. The monkey will come and put its hand into the pot and grab as many nuts as it can hold. But when it tries to take out its hand, it will not be able to do so because of the clentched fist with so much of monkeynuts held tight in it. The monkey will scream.. It will jump up and down. But it will not open its fist and let go of the nuts…. People will come and catch it…….

‘The monkey gets caught because of its refusal to let go of the nuts in its hand!.....We too face similar predicaments when we refuse to let go of people and things… We get caught. We get stuck…

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution’.

Impaired Judge and an impaired Judicial System.

I was shocked to read a news report a few days ago of a justice of the Tamil Nadu High Court defying an order of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India transferring him to West Bengal High Court. Challenging the order, he not only stayed the order on his own (suo motu) but also asked a written explanation of the transfer from the Chief Justice of India (CJI). He also ordered the CJI not to interfere with his job in the High Court. From the reports, he had problems for two years with his fellow justices and the chief justice of the state high court regarding assignments of cases.  He accused them of discrimination against him and made complaints to the Commissioner of Human Rights. He also barged into the hearing of judges determining the merits of candidates to become judges. 

How honorable is the ‘honorable’ judge? We are left with the anachronistic titles of colonial times in a post-colonial democracy. In an enlightened democracy, we, the people, determine the judicial system, and the judges are our workers as appointees. The Supreme Court rightly pointed out a few days ago that mercy killing is decided by the peoples’ court (the parliament) and not the Supreme Court. The above-mentioned justice of the High Court in my reckoning is extremely arrogant and has fallen from honor through his own actions. He is not in touch with reality as we know. Even if he was discriminated against, he has poor insight; he was impulsive and made poor judgments. Humans can and do make errors, and no one is immune from them. In my practice, I have evaluated and worked with impaired professionals such as lawyers, doctors, teachers, religious ministers, and even mental health workers. Some can be rehabilitated with adequate supervision at least for some years. I have assessed future police officers with regard to their mental status, and their suitability for the job. It is difficult to assess the extent of the impaired persons’ culpability for their behavior as it depends on the seriousness of their impairment. Does the justice in question know the gravity and the consequences of his actions? His profession is held in such a high esteem. It is the corner stone of any civilized society. I would like to think he had close mentoring and/or on-going evaluations related to his suitability before he was selected for such an important position that dealt even with people’s life and death among other things. It appears that he has a touch of delusion of grandeur or persecution complex. In a society that is looking for good role models, his defiance is unparalleled.

Now what about the judicial system that allowed the dysfunctional judge to go on for two years? Why did it take two years to stop the recalcitrant judge from decision-making? Why did the Chief Justice of India defer his judgment of stopping the defiant judge to the Chief Justice of the state high court? Was it due to collegiality or a traditional but unnecessary nicety? Has not the Supreme Court have jurisdiction over the high courts? Why would a dysfunctional justice be transferred to another state? These questions need clear answers.  I am also aware that there are laws made in the colonial times still extant in our country. Do our legislators and parliamentarians have any time left to make necessary laws for the smooth functioning of all people after they waste enormous amount of time tearing one another down in the most vicious ways, in demonstrations, in destructive and violent strikes? Our legal system that mostly work for the rich takes years to settle a case, in my view, has also broken down. It is the paramount duty of us, the people, to elect the right people based on values and fundamental rights to make our legal and judicial systems to work.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti  

Find Ways

In his famous speech in 1893, at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda quoted a verse from the 4th chapter of Bhagat Gait. These lines as translated by him were: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me". I am quoting these lines today as I see a variety of struggles going in India as well as in the world for the purpose of attaining goals that can give power to some individuals or to a group of individuals. This process is actually quite disturbing for many who are directly affected. For others it is just a matter of TV debates, newspaper reports and social talks. For me it is a matter of writing this piece of discussion with my readers. The war for power is getting severe and bloodier with each passing day. The logic behind these wars is often connected to religion or to castes. As per Gita, the end always leads to him. We just behave like pre-programmed robots who have some limited capability of taking some alternate paths but the end is pre destined. Many of us think that there is a different way out, try hard for finding one, but ultimately settle down with ways that were earlier tried by many others and still reached the same destination. Recently I heard Shri Shri Ravi Shankar talking that even the minds of terrorists can be changed. He opined that even those people are human beings. Examples of dacoits becoming great writers and principled thieves are there in our History, but hardly anyone thinks that the top well known heads of terrorist outfits today have any chance of change towards a positive side. Even a brainwashed university student in his twenties can become a national nuisance. Still I see a ray of hope in making efforts to cool down the moments of heat. Even if all the path have been tried, the paths of talks always gave a better continuity. Even if Mahabharat was actually fought and the contents in Gita does indicate that lifting arms is sometimes required, it never rules out the options of talks for cooling down. Probably in those times wars were also fought on certain principles. So if today is the time of great struggles everywhere, let some principles still prevail. 

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Logical Rednecks

Two rednecks named Bob & Earl were sick of being called stupid, so they decided to go to college and get an education. Bob went in first and got his schedule.

"Math, Science, and Logic." he read.

Now Bob knew about Science and Math but had never heard of Logic, so he asked a professor just what it meant.

"Well," began the professor, "Do you have a weed eater?"

"Yep." answered Bob.

"Ok, since you have a weed eater, I assume you have a yard."

"Yep that's right!" replied Bob

"Since you have a yard, I assume you have a house."

"Yep that’s right too!"

"Since you have a house I assume you have a wife." continued the professor.

"Betty Lu! WOW!"

"And since you have a wife, I assume you are heterosexual."

"Sure am! Thanks sir I understand this here Logic stuff  now!"

So Bob, feeling very smart went back outside and found Earl.

"So what classes did you get?" asked Bob.

"Well, I got Math, English and Logic." replied Earl, "What's Logic?"

"Well I'll explain it to you Earl!" said Bob, "DO you have a weed eater?"

"No." replied Ed.

Bob: "Your answer is wrong”

Indian Thoughts Archives

Learning from the Butterfly

During the next ‘Gruvar Satsangh’ the Baba took his disciple to the riverbank. 

They sat facing each other. They closed their eyes and meditated for few minutes.

‘When a space rocket is launched, my son, it has a number of ‘modules’. The first module after burning out completely sets fire to the second. The shell of each burnt out module is to be ejected after the fuel within it is fully burnt…..

‘If a burnt-out module is not ejected, the rocket will collapse. A similar rule holds good for human life as well’… the Baba told his beloved disciple.

‘Each stage, after fulfilling its purpose, is to be transcended so that life continues its forward, upward and Godward journey’, he continued…

‘Life is like a rocket with four modules that marks the four stages; Brahmacharya, Grahastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa….

‘Each stage has to be transcended after it has fulfilled its purpose….

‘Life is also a multi-stage pilgrimage on this earth from the womb to the tomb with a definite purpose and goal in divine providence….

‘Learn from the butterfly, my son. Human life in this world can be compared to the life of a butterfly….

‘Starting from its early stage as a larva, the future butterfly passes through a caterpillar stage and a cocoon stage before it emerges finally as a beautiful butterfly…..

‘It is impossible for us to imagine how the ugly looking larva or caterpillar will one day be a beautiful butterfly! If we tell so to a person who is ignorant about the evolutionary growth of a butterfly from its larva stage onwards, he or she is sure to call us ‘mad’….

‘But, the truth of the matter is that it is the same larva that becomes the caterpillar, it is the same caterpillar that goes into a cocoon. It is the same caterpillar that finally emerges with great struggle out of the cocoon as a butterfly with its colorful wings fluttering in the air, flying from one flower to another!.. 

‘The butterfly’s example enables one to see life in the world in a very clear and holistic perspective…..‘Realization of this our inherent divinity and dignity liberates us from all tensions and worries in life, and enables us to live a joyful and peaceful life of fruitfulness….

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution’.

Unity of Religions and Unity of Humanity

Unity of religions needs to take place before reaching unity of humanity. That is because that is the way humanity so far progressed through trial and error. We in our freedom made mistakes. We have to backtrack and right the wrongs before we can progress on the right path. When we have a clear destination, we need to be aware of the route to our destination. When we know we have strayed from the right path, we have to either get back on it or re-route our path. It is as simple as all that. Of course, first we have to be aware of deviating from our path - screwing our life – before we can get on the right path. I have no doubt we have strayed from our true path.  God wills that all be saved. God desires unity of humanity that has truly one destiny. God has given humans the right tools to reach the desired goals – humans’ destiny. I discern our main tools to be love, compassion, and determination (motivation) in God-given freedom. Forgiveness and reconciliation together of oneself and others in good measure with God can be a powerful corrective force. Before unity of religions happens, unity of different warring factions in main religions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism has to come. For instance, after reformation that split the Catholic Church in the sixteenth century it took 30 years of war and bloodshed before the main factions – Catholics and Protestants – arrived at some kind of warless (not peaceful) adjustment.

I was very encouraged by a recent report of Pope Francis meeting in Cuba on February 12, 2016 with the Eastern Russian Orthodox Patriarch, Kirill, who wields real influence over some 165 million Orthodox Christians. Violent recriminations and excommunications followed the schism in 1054 especially over worship services such as using leavened or unleavened bread during Eucharistic worship. Prevalent political climate related to Crusades also affected the split. Pope Francis had already met twice with the Istanbul-based Eastern Patriarch, Bartholomew, the ecumenical head of the Eastern Orthodox churches. Altogether the Eastern Orthodox Christians number about 300 million. Besides the use of the kind of bread in Eucharistic worship, the doctrinal differences relate to whether Christ has one or two natures (physis) or the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone or from the Father and the Son. The primacy of the pope is also a moot point. All these separations or divisions are caused by theological disputes, whose answers nobody knows for sure. It is a hopeful sign that Pope Francis has made a priority of improving relations with other Christian denominations, and, for that matter, with other religions. The fact of the matter is that religions stand for one God, however differently they define that Energy. Religions, as they stand for realities beyond this world, are the sure losers if they do not have unity and a unified strategy especially in a materialistic world of consumerist culture, the most whimsical, arbitrary, and irrational culture of affluence that history has witnessed in the midst of dire poverty.

I turned to spirituality bye-passing religions as organized and institutionalized religions typically had and have leaders who failed to deliver the promises that religions made. These leaders, for whatever reason, miserably failed to interpret the spirit and charism of their founders. They failed either to break through their own shield got from powerful conditioning or strong personalities of factions or coterie of official managers and handlers. An exception in modern times was Pope John XXIII who announced renewal in the Catholic Church through the Second Vatican Council. Pope Francis, conservative in some ways, holds some future promise for religions. The Dalai Lama has positively influenced the religious world. We certainly need imaginative and creative religious leaders after God’s own heart - love and compassion - to unite the world for true spiritual pursuits. These leaders, both men and women, need to understand God, discern, and live God’s ways. No matter what religions do, God’s Spirit always hovers over us and guide us.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

GOD for Males

We had already identified the super power with different names based on our beliefs. Now an additional dimension of this identification is coming to the fore. This is GOD for Males and GOD for females. Places of worship have always been like private places defined for the specific purpose of a kind of entrepreneurship in its own way. I can fully understand the view that a private entrepreneur may have certain reservations about his workplace. Temples are no exception. The problem begins when people start treating them as public places and start giving extra ordinary value to these places. If I am discriminated in visiting a certain public place, I raise my voice. If same thing happens at a private place, I tell my friends also to avoid that place. To make my point clear, I would say directly, if a temple stops women to enter its premises citing certain reasons, it is definitely not a public place. If it is treated as a private place and all men also stop going there in support of the better halves, the business model of that place will get affected and it will immediately bow down to allow everyone. There is an argument with different perspective. If GOD is Omni present, why insist on visiting a certain place only. Many of us know that some time we visit a place of worship out of routine habit or to commemorate a success or a failure. There might be genuine reasons behind making proper places of worship, but most of us visit these places as we have developed a belief system that was transferred to us not in our genes, but in our habits. Obviously such systems will be full of caste biases, gender biases. 

The story of saint Ravidas goes like this. A devotee after returning after a dip in Ganges stopped in front of a cobbler to get his shoe repaired. He also said that he had lost his gold bracelet in the Ganges. The cobbler said to him the line that later became a popular quote. This line was, "Man Change to Kathauti mein Ganga", which means that if your heart is clean you can find Ganges inside the water kept in a cobbler's bowl of water. The devotee himself tried to put his hand in the cobbler's bowl of water. A shallow bowl which was earlier carrying nothing inside transparent water could be searched for the bracelet this devotee lost while bathing in Ganges. You may think many things after hearing this story. You might even attribute this happening to racket of thieves who steal valuable from devotees and produce it back as if it was magic. The fact is that history I read treated this as a lesson of preaching to tell us about importance of worshipping with a clean heart and the place of worship is less important as compared to the objective of worship. For time being I would say, what is the point about arguing about place of worship for males or females. Shall we argue, if at all a place is important? 

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Beyond the 5th

We know that a drop of water taken out of the ocean is as powerless as a simple drop and it is not the case if it is in the ocean. There, it is part of the waves; it is the ocean itself. Everything in this universe needs a link with the wholeness of the universe; nothing can exist alone, isolated from everything else. Psychology says that no human being is able to survive, unless he/she is loved by some one or something else. A man having nobody to love is virtually dead, according to them. Self love is only a small solution; love and be loved is the rule. This is the case with all animate and inanimate things in this universe. There is continuous communication going in between everything. The only being unaware of this complex communication network could be humans.

There are endless variety and number of things in this universe, living or dead. Science knows that each element in this universe is capable of establishing communication links with other elements of distinct nature. In the case of living beings, we know that something is connecting them. There are more mysteries connected with bio-energy fields, a subtle energy field that surrounds everything. Don’t we feel scared to stand aside an angry man? Doesn’t a lady become restless with strangers aside? 10th monkey syndrome says that a monkey learning a new experience shares the same with every other being of its’ species, where ever it be. How? It is not proved. All that we know is that there is an energy spectrum through which they exchange their thoughts.

 

JC Bose undoubtedly proved that plants hear us and they even detect our thoughts. It could only be careless deers that grace around a lion’s den. It could only be human beings who do not hear what other things and beings in this universe say or who do not want to care for anything that is beyond audio spectrum. This clearly says that we are not in communication with the universe. We live in isolation and that is one reason why we are prone to all sorts of health hazards. We do not know about a medium other than structured languages using which we can remain connected with everything in this universe. In silence we should have been able to hear, in darkness we should have been be able to see. The more we remain in contact with the universe the more healthy we grow. Loving everything is more pleasing than being loved by everything. There, we go beyond evolution.

Joseph Mattappally

Don’t Rest on Your Old Laurels

One day, a field marshal requested an audience with Napoleon, and Napoleon knew what was coming. But as every good leader must, Napoleon agreed to hear him out. The field marshal brought news of a great victory he had achieved. He talked for a long time about his accomplishment, piling detail upon detail.

Napoleon listened closely throughout the entire narration but said nothing. The officer was disappointed. He had hoped for a more enthusiastic reception, as well as Napoleon’s congratulations. Neither was forthcoming.

Summing up, the marshal repeated much of what he had already stated. As the officer rambled on, Napoleon continued to listen politely, and the marshal interpreted this as encouragement. Surely, he thought, Napoleon will now give me the praise I so richly deserve.

When the marshal finally stopped talking, Napoleon asked him one question, “What did you do the next day?” The field marshal was speechless. But the lesson was not lost on him.

Life is very much like riding a bicycle. To remain on the bicycle, you have got to be moving forward, or you loose your balance and fall off. There is absolutely no question of being static. ‘No progress’ is ‘sure regress’. Remember the case of Hannibal, the Carthagean General. To reach Rome by land with his army was an unimaginable accomplishment. Then he rested complacently on his singular feat – but what a fatal mistake!

Indian Thoughts Archives 

Democracy and Spirituality

Full-fledged democracy can grow only in total freedom free of financial or capitalistic influence and authoritarian or autocratic restraints. Any kind of mental set or coercion whether physical or psychological, whether conscious or unconscious, coming from prior conditioning or programming, and therefore working as strong predispositions, goes against enlightened self-determination. Democracy is the best climate wherein every human can become who he or she is destined to become. It is the best milieu for spirituality to thrive.  Spirituality can fully develop only in settings that are free of pre-formulated doctrines and dogmas, unless they are thoroughly examined and freely chosen. That is why, in the current evolutionary state of religions, I advocate spirituality beyond religions.

When I set out at the age of 17, as part of my spiritual quest, to convert souls to Christ, and joined the Jesuits for that purpose at the age of 18, I was led by a very powerful religious motto: “What does it profit a person if he or she gains the whole world and loses his or her soul”? Little did I know then that I would return to the same state of Kerala I left, a totally changed man, after about 50 years to live a simple life sharing resources in a community of persons from diverse backgrounds and religions! Then I could not even imagine the transformed person that I would become, after honest search and rigorous reflection on, discernment and analysis of my experiences. I had to break through my powerful neurological and mental conditioning to be where I am right now. In effect, I went through different re-births in my one long transformational life. In that sense, one has to be re-born in this life, born of the Spirit as Christ told Nicodemus, not in a narrow religious sense but as an outcome of a broad on-going regenerative and transformative experience.

God allowed Samuel to appoint a king over the people even though God was displeased by telling Samuel: “… they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them (1 Samuel 8: 7)”. So kingly or queenly rule, that pre-dated modern democracy, is not the way to go. It is difficult to fathom that even in the age of democracy there are remnants of monarchy. The earliest democracy we know is the Athenian democracy around 5th century B. C., in which participating citizens voted directly on legislation. I have no doubt in my mind that theologically or spiritually, democracy is the best form conducive to healthy spirituality. Democracy as any human system or institution has its shortcomings. But it is up to us to discern God’s will, and eliminate selfishness and corruption from democracy as far as humanly possible, and to make it an instrument of service for the good of all. Only persons with vested interests can be unhappy with democracy. God wills the good of all. Even in the Catholic Church some limited democracy is there in the selection of the highest authority, the pope, by cardinals qualified to vote. But that democracy needs to come down to the bottom level. What is good for the top level is also good for the bottom level. One can only think that fear and distrust, and for that matter, lack of faith in God, are the factors operating in not facilitating healthy, spiritual, and God- serving democracy. Religions need to take initiative in ushering in and modeling democracy. Democracy and spirituality go hand in hand.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti  

Know What You Ask

This is an old Classroom joke. During class, the chemistry professor was demonstrating the properties of various acids. 

"Now I'm dropping this silver coin into this glass of acid. Will it dissolve?" 

"No, Sir," a student called out.

"And why not?" the professor queried.

"Because if it would, you wouldn't have dropped it in."

If the teacher knows that silver gets dissolved in that particular liquid he will not ever drop the coin in it. 

And if we knew the value of time we would not have wasted time as we did it yesterday. Look at the available time we have. 

There are 365 days per year available for work. 

There are 52 weeks per year in which you already have two days off per week, leaving 261 days available for work. 

Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work, you have used up 170 days, leaving only 91 days available. 

You spend 30 minutes each day on coffee break that accounts for 23 days each year, leaving only 68 days available. 

With a one hour lunch break each day, you have used up another 48 days, leaving only 22 days available for work. 

You normally spend 2 days per year on sick leave. This leaves you only 20 days available for work. 

We offer 5 holidays per year, so your available working days are down to 15 days. 

We generously give you 14 days vacation per year which leaves you only one day available for work and I'll be damned if you're going to take that day off!!!

Joseph Mattappally

The Sinner

Ten Chinese farmers were working in a field, when suddenly the sky darkened. There was thunder and lightning. It began to rain heavily. The farmers, holding on tightly to their large straw hats, ran for shelter to the ruins of a temple nearby. Lightning flashed again and again and the thunder shook the walls of the temple.

“The gods are angry with us,” said one of the men, his voice shaking in fear.  “Why?” asked another.

“Obviously, there’s a big sinner amongst us!” a third voice said with apparent panic. “We must find him and throw him out, lest we all perish!” “I have an idea,” said one. “Let us all hold our hats outside the window. Let the gods show us the sinner.”

So they all thrust their hats outside the window. Immediately a lightning cracked and instantaneously one of the hats was reduced to ashes. The owner of the hat was a quite, middle-aged man who had not uttered a word till then. Now he began to plead with his companions to protect him.

“I’ve a wife and three children and aged parents to support,” he said. “What will happen to them if I die?” But the others were merciless.

“Out, out with you!” they shouted and lifting him, they threw him out of the temple. The man scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could to the shelter of a tree some distance away. Hardly had he reached the tree, when a lightning struck the temple, which collapsed, killing all nine men inside.

Till then they had been protected by the presence of the only good man amongst them. God alone knows how often we are spared due to the goodness of others, whom we make scapegoats.