A strange Foreword

(This foreword to Spiritual Learning from Life written by Shri RK Mittal, which we had been sharing since a few months, was written by Shri. T. P. Tewary, Former Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh and later Lt. Governor, Pondicherry. The copy of the second edition of this book is available at Kabir Peace Mission, Lucknow. Contact: Tel: 0522-2309147, E-mail: kabirpeacemission@yahoo.co.in)

Someone has said that it is not great sorrow, disease or death which clouds over the sunshine of life but the little daily dyings. Therefore, if we properly handle our seemingly ordinary activities we would not only be winning the battle of this life but also that of the hereafter.

The narratives contained in the present collection of Shri R.K. Mittal relate to the everyday occurrences. He possesses the enviable faculties of keen observation, dispassionate analysis and clear expression. He has understood the mathematics of life and is able to cull the fundamental truths and lessons from the unfolding events and human behaviour.

The present achievement is not the first of its kind. He cultivated the quality of positive thinking as a basic ingredient of his sadhana and, as a result, was able to compile the Dictionary of Positive Thoughts. An optimist endeavours while a pessimist loses a battle before it begins. Shri Mittal has equipped himself well to derive positive lessons from life and has been able to place some of them before the seekers through his Positive Learning from Life. These two brilliant collections are now supplemented by the present one. It is note worthy that Shri Mittal’s observations are not only replete with practical wisdom but also bear the imprint of the Indian philosophy and way of life.

Fearlessness is a great virtue, but it can cause injury to oneself or injustice to others if it is not tempered with equipoise, kindness, forgiveness and humility. In chapter XVI of the Bhagavad Gita, divine virtues have been enumerated in the first three shlokas. Fearlessness comes first and humility comes at the other end. In between there are 24 other virtues. Shri Mittal has rightly come to the conclusion that fearlessness has to be cultivated along with compassion, justice, kindness, forgiveness, etc. In another chapter, he sees a silver lining in poverty also. It reminds me of a saint’s wish: ‘Once we know ourselves — the mathematics of life — its alpha and omega — will reveal itself’. When Shri Mittal says that one should live like an asymptote, he is in fact reminding us that we should live in this world in a dispassionate manner, following Anaskta Karmayoga and all the time remember the ultimate destination of the Self meeting the Universal Self. In the essay on the dialing code of God he again tells us that it is by overcoming ego, greed, passion and anger that one qualifies oneself for liberation and the realization of the Supreme Being.

Shri Mittal’s background of science, particularly Mathematics, and Engineering, lends greater authority to his spiritual observations. I am confident that their study will prove most rewarding and beneficial. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

KABIR PEACE MISSION — Brief Introduction

Today, there is an atmosphere of despondency all around and most of the people believe that the evil has overtaken the virtue. Though this in itself is a subject of discussion, but even if it is true, such belief only strengthens the negative forces and in the process, the positive forces get discouraged. The problem is further compounded by the fact that most of those who believe like this take no steps to change this situation. Even those few who think of taking some steps, do not proceed much as they do not find the atmosphere conducive. In such a situation the question arises how to solve the problem and further, who would do so.

We feel that the situation is not so horrible as it appears. No doubt that today the negative forces are raising their head but such has been the situation always in one form or the other. It is also true that in the end, the negative forces have to face only defeat. Therefore, firstly, it is necessary to believe that the negative thinking is a symbol of ignorance and those who think negative only harm themselves. On the other hand, though the positive thinking may not appear rewarding in the short run, eventually our welfare lies only in the positive thinking. It is also true, there is no dearth of positive forces in the society. Had it been so, the creation would have ceased to exist. If at a point of time, negative forces appear to be flourishing, it is only a process of their destruction.

Therefore it is very essential that, first of all, we make our thinking positive so that the process of establishing peace in the society is expedited. `Kabir Peace Mission' was established in the year 1990 with this objective in mind and since then, this mission is humbly endeavouring in this direction. The results of our endeavour have been very encouraging and this gives us motivation to work further. We believe that more important than ‘Gross National Income' is `Gross National Happiness'. In the absence of peace, money loses its importance and happiness eludes us. The purpose of naming the mission after `Kabir' is that our central point is man and we consider him above any religion, caste or nation. For us peace has a comprehensive meaning and we see it as an integrated development. This is possible only when our life has a clear mission.

`Mission' is taking several steps for achieving its objective. Among them, publicity and extension of inspirational books is a major one. From this viewpoint, the mission has published many books and the process is on. We also promote the publicity and extension of other similar books. The mission is specially engaged in making the thinking of young students positive. We believe that the future of the country and the world is in the hands of today's children. The effort made on them, is therefore, the best investment. In addition, we are trying to make every work place, be it in any field, positive. For this we organise special lectures, seminars, discussions and other programmes. We also honour the positive forces of the society from time to time. In this humble effort of ours, we need the cooperation of all. We believe that essentially every man or woman is divine and virtues are hidden in all. If their virtues can be brought out, every one's contribution becomes positive. Our request is that we must also see the positive side of every situation so that inspiration and the strength to overcome the negative side is generated. We shall be very happy to extend any cooperation in this effort of yours. Our mission has the cooperation and the blessings of many and this is our real asset. This is what we expect from you also.

(Those who are intereste to join Kabir Foundation may kindly contact :

Rakesh Kumar Mittal IAS (Founder & Chief Coordinator)

‘UPVAN', 1/14, Vishwas Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow-226010

Tel: 0522-2309147, E-mail: kabirpeacemission@yahoo.co.in).

SP 229 150815 Who Needs God?

I am closing this book with this lesson. Many years ago, I read a book titled Who Needs God? written by Harold Kushner, the author of a famous book called When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Since then I have been contemplating over the subject deeply, but frankly speaking, the true concept of God is still not clear to me. I think that it is a mystery for most. Everyone has his own perception of God and proceeds from there. Perhaps, God is not comprehensible for mortals like us. All my contemplation has led me to believe that there is a higher being like God whom we need sometime or the other. Even those who deny the existence of God think of Him, though in a different form. I shall try to give an answer to the question ‘Who Needs God?’ and for this I quote a portion of the introduction from the book which goes like this: 

“I deal with bright, successful people, people I genuinely like and admire, and I sense that something is missing in their lives. There is a lack of rootedness, a sense of having to figure things out by themselves because the past cannot be trusted as their guide. Their celebrations, from their children’s birthday parties to a daughter’s wedding to a business milestone, can be lots of fun but rarely soar to the level of joy. And as they grow older, I suspect they either confront or actively hide from confronting the thought that ‘there must be more to life than this.’ 

“There is a spiritual vacuum at the centre of their lives, and their lives betray this lack of an organising vision, a sense of “this is who I am and what my life is fundamentally about.” Some look for that centre in their work, and are disappointed when corporations choose not to repay the loyalty they demanded or when retirement leaves them, feeling useless. Some try to it in their families, and don’t understand why they are so hurt when adolescent children insist, ‘Let me lead my own life!’ and adult children move to another state and call every other Sunday. And for some reason, it never occurs to them to ask, ‘How did previous generations find meaning in their lives?’ 

‘For almost thirty years, I have tried to show my congregants how much more fulfilled they would be if they made room for their religious tradition in their lives. I have urged them to do it, not to make God happy but to make themselves happy. I have told them the Hassidic story of the man who got a telegram telling him that a relative had died and left him some valuable property. He was to contact the rabbi for details. Excited, he went to the rabbi, only to be told that the relative was Moses and the valuable property was the Jewish religious tradition. And much of the time, they reacted as I suspect the man in the story did, disappointed that their legacy was religious wisdom and not downtown real estate. 

“This book is the product of those years of thinking and teaching on the issue of what we lose when we become too intellectual or too modern to make room for religion in our lives. It is about what has happened to the souls of modern men and women under the impact of modern life, what we have lost in the process of gaining personal freedom and material comfort. But more than that, it is the summary of what my own life has been about, what has gotten me through bad times and taught me how to celebrate the good times, how I have learned to recognise the extraordinary things that even the most ordinary lives contain.

 

“The thesis of this book is that there is a kind of nourishment our souls crave, even as our bodies need the right foods, sunshine, and exercise. Without that spiritual nourishment, our souls remain stunted and undeveloped. In the physical realm, we understand that our ancestors’ hard physical work built muscles and burned off calories, but today we are the victims of a modern lifestyle, so we need to diet, to jog, to work out at the gym. So, too, the kind of spiritual communion our forebears knew is less accessible to us because the world is so noisy and full of distractions, because we are so dazzled by our power and success, because religion in the late twentieth century is often badly packaged or presented by people we cannot trust or admire.” 

I feel that this extract is enough to convey my message. We all have some vacuum in our lives, howsoever fulfilled we may feel. It is only God who can fill this vacuum and make our lives meaningful. It is a different matter that some of us may fail to see or pretend not to see the vacuum, but all of us do need God. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

GOD AND THE GOVERNMENT

For all rational people, God is the greatest mystery despite the fact that He is said to be omnipotent and omnipresent. It is also said that God is present in all things sentient as well as non- sentient. If it is so what is His form and where does He live? This is a question which comes and should come to every thinking mind. Most of us accept God in the form, our mind has been trained to believe by our observation of family and social traditions. Some form their opinion by the study of books both authentic and not so authentic. No wonder God is conceived in different forms by different people resulting into more and more confusion. I have myself been quite confused about the concept of God and have contemplated a lot on the subject. In this brief write up I am trying to narrate the outcome of my contemplation on God.

In India, most of the people still believe in personal Gods. For them God has a definite form either human or non-human. They believe that God is a kind of super ruler and behaves that way. He has the power of rewarding as well as punishing. People also believe that God can be pleased by their external acts and in order to seek His blessing they indulge in all sorts of rituals. If their wishes are granted fully or partially they feel that the God is kind and just. But if their wishes are not granted despite their rituals, they even call Him cruel and unjust. Those who think rationally refuse to accept such an arbitrary God and in the process stop believing in the existence of God itself. I feel that this write up may be helpful for them though I also feel that many such rational people must have their own concept of God. The problem is further compounded by the fact that God is invisible through external senses and any discussion about Him can only be appreciated at level higher than that of senses. With this background let me speak about my concept of God.

According to me God is akin to a Government. As a Government runs the administration of a country or a province or a district, in the same way God also runs the administration of the Universe. We must appreciate that there are laws of Universe which have to be followed or complied with properly. If it is not so there shall be greater disorder and the living will become impossible. There has to be some power which must be controlling all these laws of the Universe. I feel that God is this power and that is why it is called omnipotent. However, here omnipotent does not mean to be arbitary. Such a great power like God can never be arbitrary. God's purpose is to ensure that Universal laws are followed by everyone and if there is any defaults, corrective action is taken accordingly. We may call such actions by any name like punishment or cruelty but God does not inflict them with any such intention. He only ensures the enforcement of laws in order to run the Universe. Similarly there is no such thing as reward and everyone only reaps the fruits of his or her actions. This way God is the most neutral entity which neither distributes any awards or inflicts any punishment but only ensures that everyone gets his due. There may be phase difference between our timings and His timings and that is why at times there is delay in the system of awards or punishments. Some of us may interpret it as God's injustice or arbitrariness but the fact is that virtue is always rewarded and evil is always punished. While there may be exceptions and failures in the system of human Government, there is no such chance in God's Government. Thus while God is all powerful, His exercise of power is governed by fixed Universal laws and there can be no arbitrariness. This way God is very much like an ideal Government, which is supposed to make laws and ensure their compliance in order to run the society smoothly.

Now we come to the omnipresence and invisibility of the God. For this also we have to understand the nature of the Government. After all whom do we call Government in a geographical unit be it a country, a province or a district. If we think deeply no single person can be called Government and whosoever is carrying out the function of the Government, he or she is the Government at that place. It may be a Minister, a Collector, a Police Official, a Tax Official, a Peon or any other functionary of the Government. While the nature of their jobs or level of powers may vary, but all of them perform the duty of the Government at their respective places. This way Government instead of being concentrated in a single person is spread in all its constituents. This is not the case only with sentient constituents, it is so with non-sentient components also. That is why a vehicle, a piece of furniture and all the articles belonging to a Government office also become part of the Government. Seen this way, Government is something which is manifested in all its constituents while as a single entity it is always invisible.

The same thing applies to God. God being the Government of the Universe is also manifested through all its creation sentient as well as non-sentient. Whatever God does is through its constituents only. When God helps someone, He does so through some of its creature and also when He punishes some of us, He does so through some different creature. Thus the whole system of creation is so interwoven that each of the units carries out the function of God only. This is perhaps each creation is said to be a part of God only and one who sees God in all is Godly in true sense. This way God is nothing but the sum total of the creation and that is why it is called "Paramatma" while its constituents are called "Atmas". Since the creation of God is present everywhere, God is also omnipresent. Also God is so subtly present in its creation that it is not possible to see or experience Him easily. That is why it is Invisible to most of us.

Somehow I find that this explanation of God clarifies all possible doubts about Him. Hence I am sharing it with others. However, everyone is entitled to his or her own version of God. Surely it does not affect the reality and God will continue to be what It is. To me it only shows that God is really incomprehensive for little minds like us and even we all together fail to describe God in totality.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

GURU-POORNIMA

I was in the holy company of my spiritual master Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha on the auspicious occasion of 'Guru- Poornima' on 5th July, 2001 at 'NARAYANASHRAMA TAPOVANAM' in Trichur (Kerala). Every year, on this occasion, close devotees of Swamiji assemble in the Ashram and spend about a week in his holy company. The first time, I attended this spiritual retreat, was in July, 1994 and thereafter it was my second visit during 'Guru-Poornima'. This is a very sublime occasion and in India the tradition of 'Master-Disciple' meet on this day has been a long one. This is a time when a devotee assesses his progress on the path of spiritual journey and seeks necessary guidance from his master individually as well as collectively. On this day, after the worship of the Guru, a message is given by him to his disciples. The message is always deep and helps a lot for further progress. I am hereby giving the extract of my master's message on this 'Guru-Poornima', pointwise and in brief.

1. We should always keep in mind that we are not body. Body is mortal but we are not. This thought alone can take us to the pedestal of wisdom and our life can become truly fulfilled.


2. Only our 'Guru' can address us as immortal and no one else including the parents and school teachers. Guru sees the immortal in us and can make us feel immortal.


3. The truth of our being immortal was discovered countless generations ago and will remain so for countless generations. This is the true spiritual wisdom.


4. All wealth perishes but the wealth of spiritual wisdom does not and lives from generation to generation. Only if we are able to realise this truth in life, life becomes meaningful.

5. This knowledge is the key to all problems of life and changes its course for the better. In fact, this alone is the central message of Bhagvad Gita.

6. We should remember that destruction is never in the nature of nature. Nature only knows transformation and evolution. This being so, whatever happens in life should be welcome.


7. Spiritual infection has to begin in everyone's life some day or the other. This call of spirituality is the most important call of life. Fortunate are those in whose life this call comes early.


8. Guru-Poornima is an occasion to assess our progress and make necessary correction or modification in the journey of spiritual progress.


9. Loss and Gain both are parts of life. Take them as they come. The fact is that we learn more from the loss than from gain. Also, ultimately all that is mundane is to perish. Then why to grieve on loss or hail the gain.


10. Our suffering is on account of cause and effect. There is no option to it except to exhaust it. Tragedies of life are not to be ignored or laughed upon, they are to be endured.


11. We should take necessary care of body. It should be fed, clothed and kept appropriately. All this should never mean that we become the body and neglect the immortal part of us.


12. Desire, fear, greed and all other negative impulses are part of life. They have to be understood well and transcended. Once we understand their genesis, the transcendence becomes easy.


13. 'Guru-Shishya' relationship should grow with time. It is a very precious association. A Shishya is a member of Guru's family.


14. All duties carried out with devotion is a part of divine service and a step towards spiritual progress. The purpose of each activity is to dissolve ego and become weightless. This is the essence of entire spirituality.

15. Progress in spiritual path means expansion of mind so that the entire creation of God appears as one family. Guru helps in such an expansion of mind. Once this happens, realisation of our immorality is a natural outcome.

With this message Swamiji blessed all the devotees

Rakesh Mittal IAS

The Photograph Has Changed

I belong to a town in district Muzaffarnagar of U.P. After initial education in my hometown, I studied there for five years before going to Roorkee University for my Engineering degree. Fortunately I have kept myself in touch with all these places and frequently visit them. As a result I have a good number of friends and well-wishers at all these places. 

As is its nature, life has seen lot of changes during this period. Perhaps it has been more so in my case. After passing Engineering, I did not stay in that profession for long and shifted to Indian Administration Service. In this service also I was assigned U.P. Cadre which provided me opportunity to visit my home town and the district frequently. I also developed interest in the spiritual aspect of life and its relevance to day to day life. This made me to think deeper and I started interpreting day to day event from spiritual viewpoint. Soon these thoughts took the shape of books which draw attention of many. This also became helpful in adding my friends and well-wishers. 

One such addition is in the form of a group at Muzaffarnagar consisting mostly of local doctors. All of them are not only successful in the career but are also blessed with the quest of seeking truth. This common interest brought us together and whenever occasion comes we meet to share our views. It is always an elevating experience and greatly helps me in contemplation. 

During one of such interaction a very interesting observation was made by one of the participant. Two of my books had different photograph at the back cover. There was a gap of about eight years between them and naturally they appeared different. Noticing this difference, he made a very natural saying "Your photograph has changed." Somehow this phrase drew my deeper attention and we shifted our discussion to this interesting aspect of life. 

We all know that out photograph is only a sketch of our outer personality and that too of only the body. The body keeps changing every moment but the change is so slow that we hardly notice it. Only over a period of time, these changes of body are noticed and a day comes when it totally vanishes. However, all through this period from birth to death, there is something which is permanent and does not change. That is why we always address ourselves as 'I". Most of us waste our time and energy only on the vanishing part of our existence that is the body. Only fortunate few pay attention to the permanent part which is beyond bodily existence. Once our quest is directed to this aspect of the personality, all conflicts which belong only to the body start disappearing and we reach the state of bliss in increasing manner. Greater is the quest and effort, greater will be the achievement in this direction. We then rise above the changes of the body which in any case has to undergo this process. If so, why not to spend our energy on the development of our inner personality which gets refined with time, contrary to the outer personality which diminishes with time despite all our efforts. This is what is known as spiritual search or the process of self-realisation. Once on this path, photograph changes cease to be the cause of worry and we make best use of our energy both physical as well as spiritual. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

The Entropy Law

We all know that the society has passed through its four stages of Satyuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparyuga and Kaliyuga. At present we are in Kaliyuga and it is said that even this stage is reaching its last phase. The present is considered bad because the evils in society have assumed gigantic proportions and there are very few who think of the larger good. Most people have become selfish and think only of themselves. The result is that society is in a hellish state and nobody knows how to come out of this chaos. We also hear that the situation was most ideal in Satyuga but then deteriorated over the centuries. Thus values have fallen with time. Dwaparyuga was better than Kaliyuga, Tretayuga was better than Dwaparyuga and Satyuga was better than Tretayuga. I have been thinking about the reasons for this fall in values and was seeking a scientific explanation of this phenomenon when I found a book, which gave me the answer, which tallied with my own intuition.

The above phenomenon is explained by the second law of thermodynamics. There are two laws of thermodynamics. The first one is the ‘Law of Conservation’ which says that energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can only be transformed from one form to another. The second law of thermodynamics says that every time energy is transformed from one state to another, there is a loss in the amount of that form of energy, which then becomes available to perform work of some kind. This loss in the amount of ‘available energy’ is known as ‘Entropy’. For example, if we burn a piece of coal, the total amount of energy remains the same but, due to the process of burning, some part of the coal is transformed into sulphur dioxide and cannot be reburnt to get the same work out of it. This kind of ‘loss’, 'wastage' or ‘penalty’ is called Entropy.

The second law of thermodynamics explains that the total entropy in the world is constantly increasing. An entropy increase, therefore, means a decrease in ‘available energy’. Further, not only does the available energy decrease every time something occurs in this world but the unavailable energy spreads as pollution. Thus, the world is moving towards a dissipated state and pollution is constantly increasing.

Now, this has very great implications for the society. In practical terms, it means that the society deteriorates and becomes disorganised gradually. There is a degeneration in its’ moral force, its spiritual stamina, the vigour of its character, the effectiveness of its religion and the sense of law and order. Thus the moral and spiritual energy of the society goes on degenerating so that, ultimately, it reaches a stage of maximum entropy when God has to intervene. The trend has to be reversed to bring about Satyuga or Golden Age when all material things have maximum energy concentration, i.e., are Satopradhan and the souls also have maximum ‘available’ moral and spiritual energy. The process of degeneration then begins again and the cycle goes on. The need for God’s action in such a situation is evident because, according to the Entropy Law, in a closed system, entropy increase cannot be reversed without increasing the entropy in the surroundings and, therefore an outside source of energy is required to raise the energy concentration without lowering the energy level in the surroundings.

Thus the ‘Entropy Law’ explains the degenerative process of the society. This is a natural process and need not unduly upset us. The only option we have is to mould ourselves into a closed system so that our own entropy does not increase and our moral and spiritual stamina is maintained. As far as the whole or universal system is concerned, God will take care of it at the appropriate time. Therefore, it has been rightly suggested that we should live in the world but the world should not live in us.

 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Answers of Our Problems

Life is like a book of mathematics. There are many chapters in it and as we go to higher classes the lessons become more complicated. If we fail to understand the principles right in the beginning, the lessons appear more complicated. In all the chapters, the principles are explained first and then some solved examples are given. After understanding both, we are supposed to solve unsolved problems. The real test of our knowledge comes there. Based upon our understanding of the principles and the solved examples given in the book we are able to tackle the sums. Every problem has a solution and there is a definite answer for each. The only difficulty is that we may not know them though they are given at the back of the book. 

The same is true with life. What we learn from the book of life and its solved problems is to be used for handling many unexpected and troubling situations. If lessons from the book of life are not understood properly or we are not attentive while our problems are being solved by others, we find life miserable and all its problems remain as they are. We then start blaming the world instead of enjoying it. If, on the other hand, we carefully understand the principles of life and apply them to real-life problems, life becomes enjoyable and enriching. Each problem of life has a solution and an answer. It is a different matter that we may not know it. God only hides it till the end of the book of life.

 

Let us, therefore, not consider that our problems do not have a solution. If the solution is given to us by someone else, the whole charm of life will go. There may not be an immediate answer to some problems but the answer definitely exists, and it may only take a little longer to reach them. Maybe, we have to learn how to read the book of life better. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Variety Not Hierarchy

All of us see so much disparity in this world that at times one doubts the fairness of God. Quite a few of us do not believe in God merely for this reason. However, it is not fair to pass judgment on the fairness of God without going deeper into the matter. I read a book which explained this disparity in a very convincing manner, helping me to see the light. 

The author says that God does not have any bias while creating a particular thing or situation. He creates with objectivity and the idea of disparity does not even come into His mind. For God, everything is a variety and not a hierarchy. It is man who creates a hierarchy and makes God responsible for it. Thus, when we see a rich and a poor person, both are two varieties of God. From God’s viewpoint, no hierarchy is attached to them. Seen from the worldly angle it is true that richness has its own blessings as well as troubles and just as poverty also has. The same axiom applies to the beautiful and the ugly, the strong and the weak, the pious and the wicked, the high and the low, the healthy and the unhealthy. 

When we see the world around us with such an attitude of acceptance, it appears beautiful to us and nothing creates disharmony. We accept it as such while trying our best to improve it. It then becomes like a garden which has a variety of flowers, trees and fruits. The different colours of flowers, the varied shapes of the trees and the different tastes of fruits only add to the charm of the garden. As it would not be fair to create a hierarchy among them, so is it true with the world also. Instead, the disparities should be appreciated as the multifaceted aspects of life and not as higher or lower, better or worse. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Power of Compassion

The Dalai Lama, the spiritual and the political head of Tibet, has lived a long life in exile, struggling for the rights of his people. An ordinary mortal would have broken down in such a situation, which, perhaps, would have brought more misery and indignity to his people. He, however, by his wisdom and moral strength has not only been struggling for them but has also maintained their dignity. He has won the ‘Nobel Peace Prize’, which speaks volumes about him. 

I have read the Dalai Lama’s autobiography, Freedom in Exile. It gives a detailed account of the situation in Tibet, which led to his exile and the troubles as well as indignities thrust upon him and his people. However, in the midst of all this, he kept his composure and led his people with dignity. It was not an easy task and he explains it in another book, The Power of Compassion. While describing the agonies of his life, he writes that it was the power of compassion, which helped him greatly in maintaining his peace of mind and in following the path of wisdom. I am sharing here a lesson learnt from this book. 

First of all the word ‘compassion’ should be understood clearly. This word has a unique meaning and is different from mercy. In fact, it is more than mercy. It is putting oneself in the position of a suffering person and feeling exactly what he does. It is closer to the word ‘empathy’ which means the power of entering into another’s personality and experiencing his experiences. When one has compassion for others, one has great magnetic power and even an enemy can be won over by the power of compassion. This is exactly true in the case of Dalai Lama. He has not only been able to win his people by his compassion, but has also dealt with his enemies in a dignified manner. This in turn greatly helped his cause and won worldwide concern about it. 

Once we understand the power of compassion, it can be used as a tool to deal with others. By compassion, we win not only our friends and well-wishers but our enemies too. Our apparently harsh actions are then seen as kind deeds, and harmony comes to our life naturally. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Strength of Humility

Humility is often a misunderstood word. Many confuse it with meekness or weakness. The result is that they resort to arrogance and waste a lot of energy in the process. This is very unfortunate. Therefore, the need is to understand the word ‘humility’ carefully. While the outer manifestations of ‘humility’ and 'meekness' may be the same, the inner situation is totally different. Humility can be shown only by a strong, fearless and a detached person while meekness is the result of weakness, fear or undue expectation. Humility is an ornament of the brave while meekness is a symptom of cowardice. Once we understand this difference well, we can cultivate humility in a natural manner, thus conserving our energy, which can be used for more constructive purposes. 

I learnt the above lesson from a book on Lal Bahadur Shastri written by an ex-Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie. He was also my Director when I was there for the IAS training course. He had worked with Shastriji for a long time and had known him closely. He also used to deliver a few lectures on the personality of Shastriji to the probationers. I was greatly influenced by his lectures as well as the book. 

Shastriji came from a background of penury but rose to the position of the Prime Minister of India. All through he was a humble but in no way a weak man. He had the courage to own responsibility for mistakes committed by his subordinates and also the nerve to take strong decisions whenever necessary. This was amply evident during the Indo-Pak war of 1965. Even in Tashkent, he had displayed tremendous courage during the talks with Ayub Khan when he refused to budge from his stand on Kashmir. He lived a very simple life and commanded the respect of all. When he gave a call to give up cereals once a week, the whole nation responded positively because of the respect he commanded. 

Who says that humility is weakness? Only those who are humble in the true sense enjoy the strength of humility. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

All Things Are Small

Our scriptures teach us to live in this world in a detached manner. If we are fortunate enough to imbibe this in our lives, we make ourselves happy and little things do not bother us. The greater the degree of detachment, the greater is our capacity to accept things as they are and the greater is our peace of mind. Now the question is, what things should bother us and what not? The answer to this is not easy and varies from person to person. A thing, which is insignificant for one, may not be so for the other. However, a general principle may apply to all. I learnt this from a real-life episode, which was narrated during a training programme which I am sharing here. 

There was a famous cardiologist in US, who was a very busy person. Apart from being occupied in his medical practice, he rushed to various cities to deliver lectures on his subject. All his lectures drew huge crowds and this made him all the more popular and busy. His schedule, therefore, had become so hectic that his health came under great strain. 

Once he flew to a place to deliver a lecture but just before reaching the venue, he suffered a heart attack and was rushed to a hospital. Fortunately, he was attended to quickly and his life was saved. He recovered and went to deliver the lecture on the very next day. The news of his heart attack was kept a secret by his managers and so the audience was waiting eagerly for his talk. 

This time his lecture was altogether different. He did not speak on the complex systems of the heart and the human body and the complicated ways of keeping them healthy. Instead, he said that human life was very precious and should not be wasted on trivial things. Defining what these small things were, the exact words he used were: 

Small things are not worth dying for; And all things are small.


He concluded his lecture with these few lines, pleading that this formula was enough to keep the heart and body healthy. 

I consider that his advice advocated nothing but the principle of detachment. Life is too precious to be wasted on small things, and all worldly things are small when compared to the real goal of life. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Role of the Wicked

Sri Ramakrishna lived at a time when theatres were very popular in Bengal. Sometimes, Sri Ramakrishna himself used to visit them at the request of his devotees. Many of his devotees were connected with theatres as owners, actors or participants in allied activities. At Dakshineswar, in the company of devotees, the master often talked about theatres and drew many deep spiritual lessons from them. One such lesson was about the “Role of the Wicked”.

Many visitors to Dakshineswar used to ask Sri Ramakrishna about the evils prevailing in the society and the purpose served by them. Some of the devotees were themselves not very pious persons and indulged in all sorts of worldly activities. However, those who continued to live in the company of the Master grew fast and triumphed over their weaknesses. Those who did not, left his company and returned to their old ways. Swamiji was never upset at such happenings and gave full freedom to his devotees to choose their path. He confined himself only to revealing truth. Fortunate ones grasped it while others only laughed. He accepted both the responses with equanimity.

Whenever asked about the role of evil or the wicked, Sri Ramakrishna gave the example of a play on the stage of the theatre. According to him we all are actors on this worldly stage. Like a stage drama, we all play different roles on earth and once the drama is over, we return to our permanent abode. In a drama there are all types of roles. Someone plays the role of a hero and the other plays the role of villain. Both roles are equally important and the success of the drama depends upon both. The drama will lose all its charm if any one of them is absent.

The same is the case with the worldly drama also. Here, all kinds of people are required to make it dynamic and interesting. If we look at evil and wickedness from this viewpoint, all our fear, hatred or complaints against them will disappear. Instead, we shall have harmony with them also. Not only this, when seen this way, we shall find their roles as important as those of good persons.

This is how Sri Ramakrishna explained the ‘Role of the Wicked”.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Life Before Death

Human life is the most precious thing in this universe. Also, it is so complex that many have been studying its various facets since time immemorial. There is an ocean of wisdom dealing with human life but still there is very little known about it. Perception about human life differs from person to person and they live according to their individual perception. In a way, this makes the world a beautiful place to live in by the sheer variety of human beings. A truly wise person accepts this variety with equanimity and considers it as a part of the evolution process. 

One interesting aspect of life, which is usually debated, is ‘what happens after death’. Hindu philosophy believes in the theory of rebirth while there are some, which do not believe in rebirth. I am not going into the merits of such belief or disbelief but am touching upon an allied aspect of this. 

Recently I read a book called Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf, a very interesting book written by a young professor of English in Andhra Pradesh. The book consists of letters written by the author to his loved ones on different occasions. Each letter is full of wisdom and indicates the spiritual depth of the author. In one of the letters, the question of life after death has been raised. The author has said nothing about his belief in this matter but has seen the issue from a totally different viewpoint. I greatly appreciated his approach and am sharing it here. 

The author mentions that many people ask him the question, “Is there life after death?” and instead of giving any reply, he poses a counter-question, “Is there life before death?” Now the significance of such a response is to be understood carefully. The issue here is which of the two, ‘life after death’ or ‘life before death’, is more important. Naturally, the answer would be that ‘life before death’ is more important and we should first live it well before we think of ‘life after death’. The intention is not to curb the tendency to question but to give a positive message about the life we already have. 

In today’s world, most of us are not living even in our present lives. We waste time on trivials without caring about the precious nature of life. For such persons, the question of whether there is life after death is meaningless because they are dead even in their lives before death. The relevant question, therefore, is how to live before death. And if we really live well before death, perhaps, there will be no life after death. Thus, in both the situations, the question ‘Is there life after death?’ becomes irrelevant. The only relevant question is whether our ‘Life before Death’ is ‘living’ in the true sense as morally and spiritually enriched human beings, well on the way to the goal of self- realisation and harmony with oneself, other people and the universe. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Knowledge and Wisdom

We often fail to draw a distinction between knowledge and wisdom. This leads to conflicts in many areas. The conflict between generations is mainly due to the lack of appreciation of this difference. At times our knowledge says something but the experience says something else. Those who understand the difference are able to harmonise the conflict while those who do not, lose their peace of mind. An effort is, therefore, being made to clarify the difference between ‘Knowledge’ and ‘Wisdom’ in a simple manner.

Wallace Friday has said: “Real Wisdom is more than Knowledge. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts; Wisdom is the interpretation of facts. Knowledge is culled from textbooks; Wisdom comes out of life.”

This quotation makes the distinction very clear. Wisdom comes by living well, by contemplation and by inculcating values in life. Knowledge can be acquired in a short time, but wisdom is acquired with time. Knowledge is no guarantee of success and harmony in life but a wise person is always successful and in tune with himself and the world. A Knowledgeable person may be literate but not educated, while a wise person is always educated. Knowledge is like ‘science’ while wisdom is like ‘technology’, which is applied science. As technology is more useful to mankind, so is the wise person as compared to the knowledgeable. Knowledge is only one component of wisdom, though an important one.

Having understood the difference, we must strive to grow wise. Then only will our value system become our asset and our lives become successful and harmonious. If we commit the mistake of taking ‘knowledge’ as a complete strategy in itself, we are in for trouble. No purpose will then be served by blaming the world around. On the other hand, a wise person has no complaint. For him, all situations are the varieties of life and he enjoys them all.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Coconut Water

Much is said about “Gratefulness”. To be happy we should not expect anything in return for good done by us to others while we should always be grateful for whatever good has been done to us by others. It does not mean that goodness is not returned by goodness but that such an attitude insulates us from agony of disappointment, if this does not happen. Secondly, the laws of nature are perfect. Here, goodness never goes unrewarded while the evil never remains unpunished. It being so, why should we waste our energy in keeping account of our goodness ? Quite often, our goodness is returned to us through unknown sources and in the same way evil is also returned. Therefore, we should confine ourselves to doing good deeds while being grateful for every good act done to us.

Here, the example of a coconut tree is most appropriate. A coconut plant needs watering and care for the initial two years. Then it takes care of itself and grows into a tree. Once it starts giving fruits, it continues to do so for more than fifty years and needs no watering. All the water given to it in the first two years is returned by it manifold in the form of coconut water. Such should be our attitude towards those who do good to us. Every little helpful deed, kind word or thoughtful gesture should be gratefully remembered and returned to the extent possible. Once we start doing so, our happiness multiplies and so do our friends.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Women and Gold

The Gospels of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa is the detailed record of informal conversations Swamiji used to have with the visitors to the Dakshineshwar temple. This work was very elaborately compiled by one of his close disciples. The original work was in Bengali and was subsequently translated and published in two volumes by the Ramakrishna Mission. They make very lucid reading and give in depth, the philosophy of Sri Ramakrishna through informal chats. While posted at Calcutta,I got these volumes and went through them. One of the commonly used phrases in these volumes is ‘Women and Gold’. Swamiji often used to advise his visitors to shun both of them. According to him, these two are the main causes of man’s downfall. Those who did not understand the significance of these two words and took them literally were often wonderstruck. They could not think of giving up their wealth or wife and many even stopped visiting him on this account. Those who understood the true import of these words were greatly benefited.

Here the two words indicate two tendencies, namely ‘lust’ and ‘greed’. Woman is a symbol of ‘lust’ while ‘gold’ is that of 'greed'. These two are the main weaknesses of man and are responsible for his downfall. Therefore, there is a need to guard oneself from them, though not necessarily to shun them. Lust and greed have to be shunned and once we do it, both of them can be useful instruments in our inner growth. This is what Sri Ramakrishna meant while warning against 'Women and Gold’. In fact, the word used by him was ‘Kamini Kanchan’, a literal translation meaning ‘Woman and Gold.’  Here a clarification is necessary, as some may draw an inference that the woman is being looked down upon. This is not true, even remotely. Hinduism, in particular, has given a very high place to women. It is only when a woman becomes an object of lust that the society gets degenerated. This is very evident in today’s context when lust for women has given rise to many social evils. Swami Ramakrishna meant only to warn against this fact.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Living in the Present

In one book of the Dalai Lama, I got a very interesting interpretation of the ‘present’. We are generally advised to live in the present. This is so, because the past has gone and we can do nothing about it while the future is yet to come and is unknown, so why should we worry about it? Therefore, we should look at the present only so that we make the best and optimum use of our energy and efforts. This approach also helps us to insulate ourselves from the regrets of the past and the worries of the future. While explaining this concept, the Dalai Lama has tried to define the ‘present’. He says that the moment we think of the present, it becomes the past and if we think about a point in time even slightly ahead, it is the future. The difference can be reduced to infinitely small units, as small as in nano-seconds or even less. Going by this logic, there is nothing like the 'present'. It is like a ‘Point’ in geometry which is defined as something which has no length or breadth. The moment we make a point it acquires both qualities. Similarly, with the ‘present’, the moment we try to catch it, it becomes either the past or the future.

This being so, ‘living in the present’ loses its meaning in the literal sense. It only means ‘living beyond time’ or in ‘timelessness’, thus caring neither for the past nor the future, nor even the present. It also means living at the level of consciousness which is beyond time. One may also call it the ‘spiritual concept of time’. Perhaps, the advice to live in the present is only a simple way of advising people to live in consciousness, in order to raise themselves from the worries of the past, present and future.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

State of Flux

Evils prevailing in the society upset most of us and we keep wondering whether a time would ever come when there would be no evil. Some of us even try to reduce, remove or eradicate the evil. Many also regretfully compare the present with the past and worry about the future. Their concern is to be

well appreciated, but the situation has to be seen more objectively. I am of the view that the society has never been free from evil though the form of evil keeps changing with time. When we read history, we find that many evils which do not exist today existed in the past and the reverse is also true, as today we see many evils which were non-existent in the past. Similarly, in today’s society, there are many good things which were nonexistent in the past.

Thus, evil and good are only an indication of negative and positive tendencies. They both have to coexist though their form and effect may change with time. Everything will come to a standstill if either of them is missing. A battery needs both positive and negative terminals if the current has to flow. Similarly, the whole dynamics of the society will come to a halt if any of its components is missing. The situation can be compared with the ‘State of Flux’ which is a continuous beam consisting of positive, negative and neutral particles. Both goodness and evil have a role to play. It is, therefore, pointless to think of a society which is totally free of evil.

The world will not change. You have to change yourself.

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Room for Improvement

I started writing about my experiences of life and lessons learnt from them from the year 1990. In that year the ‘Kabir Peace Mission’ had been founded. The purpose of creating such a mission was to develop positive thinking in the society. The mission also decided to bring out a small quarterly journal in the name of Kabir Jyoti. Basically, it was a compilation work with contents taken from various sources. However, I used to contribute an article in each issue based on my experiences in life. The objective was to draw a positive message from every experience. In due course, I developed a fondness for writing and inspiration came quite naturally. 

In 1991, I went to Delhi on central deputation and since then the process accelerated. By the end of 1994, I had a good collection of my writings. My friends and well-wishers spoke well about the style and the message of my articles. What they liked most was that the message was based on real-life experience and it was narrated in a short and simple manner. They also advised me to get them printed in the form of a book. This encouraged me to think along those lines. By this time I had developed a good communication with my publisher and my first book Dictionary of Positive Thoughts had already been published by him. However, there was a difference between the two books. The first one was a compilation of thoughts taken from various sources and there was hardly anything personal about them except the selection. The latter book, on the other hand, were totally personal views meant to inspire others. Since one could never be sure of their impression on the readers, I decided to further test their effect on various readers. To do so I prepared a few sets and circulated them among those whom I considered balanced and mature enough for a reliable feedback.

Almost all those who went through the articles gave me a positive feedback and, therefore, I decided to go in for their publication in the form of a book. When approached, the publisher immediately agreed to do so. I had also given a set to my spiritual master for his blessings and guidance. While approving the idea of publication, he advised me to pay greater attention towards the editing of the book and I took his advice seriously. Then I was to decide about the 'Foreword’ for the book. For this, I requested my then Director of the National Academy of Administration, for whom I had a high regard and who also knew me well. He gladly agreed and wrote a very inspiring ‘Foreword’. He was generally appreciative of the language and did not mention anything about the editing. At this stage the book was sent for editing. The person chosen for this purpose was someone who had worked for the Hindustan Times. I had a few sittings with him before he started the work of editing. He was very serious about his work and took great pains in doing his job. When the manuscript was returned to me by him, I found it so much corrected that for a moment I was stunned. I could not believe that my language required that much correction. I was also not sure whether the edited draft carried the same meaning I intended to convey.

I discussed the matter with my wife who also felt the same way. Then the thought came to my mind that I should carefully go through the corrected draft and I did so patiently. I noticed that the corrected draft was much better though here and there it also changed the original intentions, therefore, decided to moderate it further and to come up with something in between. My publisher also advised me to do the same. As a result, the whole exercise was carried out again and I had to rewrite the whole thing in the light of the editor’s correction. The final draft, which came out as a result of this exercise, turned out to be much better both in terms of precision and content. The editor himself was quite happy and approved it for publication. 

The lesson learnt from this incident is that there is always scope for improvement in whatever we think or do. Most of us resist the idea of being corrected by others and it creates great disharmony in our lives. The fact is that we are not able to see ourselves in an objective manner, something which is possible only by our well-wishers. Their advice should therefore be taken in the right spirit. If we do so, our lives will turn out to be much more beautiful and harmonious. Someone has rightly said that the biggest room in this world is the room for improvement. Saint Kabir also meant the same thing.  What can be a better lesson for self-improvement!

RaKesh Mittal IAS