Life is a Predicament

When I think of life as a predicament, I am reminded of a poster where a frog high in the air having its legs on two flimsy straws and trying to balance itself on them.  Life is a perplexing or trying situation for those who are trying to live conscientiously. It is fragile and unpredictable. Anything can happen to anyone at any time. To cite two recent examples: two days ago at a police station I witnessed an event that was truly heart-renting. The 24-year old young woman in this case was brought up in a very orthodox, conservative religious family in a village in Kerala. She was educated with great expectations in nursing with a Bachelor of Science degree with money on loans. She was employed in a famous hospital in a major metropolitan city in the country. Last time the woman’s parents heard was just before Christmas from the woman’s supposed to be husband who said that he got married to their daughter in a registered civil marriage. The woman’s parents contacted me in utter despair and heart-broken state. 

I suggested that they file a missing person’s report as they did not hear from their daughter over three weeks, and as she did not come for Christmas holidays as planned earlier. Through my intervention a quick appointment was scheduled at the police station with the girl and her husband that she was living with near the home town of the girl unknown to the parents. The girl’s family had no use for the boy from a dalit (low caste) family and from a different religion, and who originally was from the same village. It was found out at the police station that the registered marriage took place over six months and the young woman now was on emergency leave from the hospital. The reason for the emergency leave she gave was serious sickness of her mother. The young man, now her husband, who appeared to be haughty and arrogant, and who had a condescending smirk on his face, stated that she was having a relationship with her since she was 14 years of age. (At that time he was 21 years of age). He would not even allow her parents to spend some time with her alone. The police were not helpful to say the least. They were needlessly flinging at the parents The Indian Constitution that assured the right of a woman who attained majority to marry whomever she wished. Interestingly, the young woman had spent a month with her parents recuperating from her broken leg after about three months of her registered marriage. The parents did not have the slightest clue about her marriage during the entire six months of her registered marriage. The woman’s father had a brief episode of nervous breakdown while talking to his daughter. While a policeman suggested hospitalization, I calmed him down sufficiently so he could minimally function. He pleaded with her to go home with him. The daughter was not only unrepentant but outright defiant. The second example relates to a young man from the same locality as the young woman above. He was working hard overseas and was financing his wife’s beauty parlor near his native home. Recently he to his surprise and shock found out that his wife had eloped with another man with his investment. 

Times have changed. Things that are happening are not any more fantasies that are topics of story books and movies. The society and the religions are in deep slumber engaging in pompous celebrations and external appearances. They are not equipped to handle real issues and the fast changing times humanely and adequately. Laws validating human right are essential, and they need to guide us all for orderly, healthy, and non-violent living. I would have been the first one to bless the couple and help the woman’s parents to accept the inevitable given some chance and some time to work things out. The woman was not also given the opportunity to take responsibility for the life of lies she was living. The situation could have been redeemed if the woman were to be repentant, and said to the parents: “I am sorry I did what I did. At the moment I thought I had no other choice but to go through a registered marriage as I thought you would not allow me to marry the man I loved. Now what can we do to set things right  so I can live the married life I chose as your loving daughter and you can be my loving and caring parents as you always have been, and  I can also have loving relationship with my younger sisters?” I was waiting for that opportunity to work through deep betrayal of trust from the part of the woman and the rigid, unbending attitudes of her parents, to bring about forgiveness and reconciliation among all. Very unfortunately that did not happen. Now death of a relationship of over 24 years, beginning with her conception and birth till seeing her in a very unfortunate setting, between the woman and her parents occurred. A lot of grief and loss needs to be worked through. Can that relationship be resurrected? I hope so. Only time and proper healing can tell. The present societal structures especially the police system do not allow that. Even in that tragic situation I gave the couple my blessings for what they are worth. I would like to think that I left with them the possibility of a very small future opening. In fairness to the woman I must also say she may have panicked and did what she did in the context of a marriage proposal that was coming from the US from her cousin who is a physician there. Here while I talk about very superficially about life as a predicament, I want everyone to know that no one is immune to the above human situations I have witnessed and narrated. Only a spirituality based on a solid value system can save our society that is running frantically to acquire that almighty rupee or dollar by hook or by crook. 

Swami (Dr) Snehananda Jyoti 

Doubt or Faith

I did my schooling from a public school in Nainital, which is now in Uttarakhand. Our school syllabus was quite advanced and modern mathematics teaching used to begin quite early. I was just eleven years of age at that time. The problem of proving that root of two is an irrational entity was being taught to us. The solution begins with the statement, "let's assume that the root of two is a rational entity". I asked the teacher, "Sir! Why we first assume the reverse to do such a proof". The reply from the teacher still knocks me quite often.

"O my child! Science begins with doubt and lands up finding the truth."

I always remembered this line all along my studies of science and technology. Later when I started debating with people on the subject of religion versus science, I added the corollary that;

"Religion begins with faith and lands up doubting what the truth is".

Now-a-days, I struggle very often to justify these two statements to myself. Is it necessary for people with scientific temperament to doubt the things to know about the truth? Is this doubt another name for 'curiosity'? Why is it so, that most religious preachers are not able to explain the things, the way science explains things. Why do we still talk about ancient books only when we talk about religion? Why don’t we add up or modify the knowledge that has been acquired by the society after those ancient books were written.

The answers I tried to come up with after churning my mind gave me some temporary relief. I write down my feelings as follows. Hardcore doubt and blind faith both are two extremes and are not justified. In science also, we have faith that we will find the result, and only then we are able to move further. In religion too, we are able to gain faith only when our doubts are successfully removed. Let both these assets of human society, science and religion, go hand in hand to grow eternally.

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Repentance

         Rassool once heard his neighbor Mohammed Mansur, a pious Muslim, say that 'for the last thirty years I am repenting for a sin and I don’t know how Allah will deal with me.'

       Rassool did not respond, thinking that he would have committed a big crime and it is better if he himself find a solution. Rassool had great regard for his religious life but the more he thought of his undisclosed sin the less he regarded his neighbor. He listed all possible sins that Mansur could have done and slowly confirmed himself that he is a big cheat who might have done all that. Rassool decided to avoid his company and abstain from talking to him.  This continued for weeks.

In the mean time, an urge to know what exactly the sin of Mansur was began to pop up within him.  In his curiosity, Rassol asked Mansur’s wife what serious crime Mansur had done. 

“His sin?” Subaida, his wife asked him. Knowing that it is exactly the cause of Mansoor’s sad face that Rassool is referring to, Subaida said, 

“It is a sad story that happened some thirty years back. At that time he was running a shop in the big bazzar.  One day when he went to open the shop, he saw that all the shops, except that of his were razed to the ground in a big fire, the previous night. He then said, ‘Al- Hamdo lillah’ (all praise to Allah). Immediately he realized the mistake. He knew that he missed to feel the losses of all others. He many times has asked me how he could be called a Muslim. For the last thirty years he lives in repentance of that big offence.”

(Collections from Folk's Track - Indian Thoughts)

Who Am I?

For all those who seek Realization, there is an easy short cut, according to the Indian saint Ramana Maharshi. He says that the source of all thoughts is the 'I' thought. The thought 'Who am l?' will destroy all other thoughts and finally kill itself also. He asks us to be aware of all thoughts that surface in the mind. His explanation for the same is simple. As each thought arises one must be watchful and ask to whom is this thought occurring. The answer will be 'to me'. If you enquire 'Who am I?' the mind will return to its source (or where it issued from). The thoughts which arose will also submerge. As you practise this more and more, the power of the mind to remain at its source is increased. Simultaneously this practice helps one reach a state of surrender. The first method to surrender is looking into the source of ‘I’ and allowing to merge into the source; the other is feeling that one is helpless and God alone is the source of all power and securing safety by throwing oneself fully into the source is necessary. He also taught that complete surrender is the only means to liberation. 

He talked about the three states of existence, Waking, Dream and Deep Sleep. To him a fourth state of existence called Turiya, is what really matters.

(Collections from Gems Hub - Indian Thoughts)

Second-Class Yogi

Today, there is an ever-increasing craze for name and fame. Most of us feel that these two are the only measures of our success or greatness. Often, we also adopt dubious means to earn name and fame. However, this is our total ignorance because our inner progress or worth has nothing to do with our external achievements. Such persons are also not able to contribute much to the society in the real sense. On the other hand, there are countless persons who have no name or fame. Yet, they are good souls who contribute to the welfare of the society without creating any envy or ill will. Once this truth is realised, the craze for name and fame drops automatically and we pay greater attention to our inner development. In the process, we also grow externally and perform better in our mundane life as well. 

The above lesson was learnt by me from a book on Swami Vivekanand’s life. When Swami Vivekanand delivered his famous speech at the World Religion Meet in Chicago in the year 1893, he became a hero of the meet within no time. In the process, his fame spread all over the continent and many organisations started approaching him for sponsorship. For a moment, Swamiji got attracted to the offers for the cause of his mission, but very soon he realised that the main objective of such offers was commercial and not to serve the cause of his mission. Therefore, he decided to distance himself from them. He told his sponsors that his fame was only accidental and by no means was he a first-class yogi. At best, he fell in the category of second or third-class yogis. He further said that the first-class yogis are never known to the world in general. 

They do their sadhna so silently that nobody comes to know of it. However, by remaining anonymous, they contribute much more to the welfare of the world. For him, fame was an impediment. And, therefore, he would not like to ride on it. This way, he excused himself and went on further in a natural manner to pursue his mission. Here lies the secret of Swamiji’s success. He lived only nine years after his famous speech, but during this short period he revolutionised religion. It transformed from passive dogmas to dynamic ways of living for the welfare of the human society. The message is that we grow best when we work selflessly without any craze for name and fame. It is a different matter if we get them too in due course. Our society has many such silent workers. They may not be well-known but they make a difference to things and people around them. 

Rakesh Mittal I A S

Exit interview

2013 has gently slid away. I believe in the appropriateness of the Universe and it happened to be the turn of Dr Sunil Ji Garg to appear on the New Year dawn, through Indian Thoughts.  What he talked about was on marketing strategies. He wrote, “But in this new age, the phenomenon of marketing has to be used even to establish your point well, even in the context of telling Morals.” He reminds us that we have opted for a dangerous shift in our approach and attitude. On 2nd January, Indian Thoughts came up with a powerful message from Swami (Dr) Snehananda Jyoti, who was a leading clinical psychologist in USA, for a pretty long three decades. He said that he introspected over the goals he had set for the year 2013. I’m glad to see that he is aware of his present status. If both these posts are taken seriously, as the most appropriate messages we are destined to receive, I think that what we most require for 2014 are first an awareness over the changing strategies that might trap us and next a willingness to effectively review over the past year’s activity ledgers. 

I would like to add one more point, the idea of an exit interview. We have heard of many a type of interviews, the latest of the class is exit interview. Exit interview is done between an employer and a departing employee. The idea is to collate useful information on the working conditions of the company and receive proposals for improvement. It is done by companies who consider their employees as assets and regard their knowledge and experience to be of immense help for the future of the company. An overall review over the utility of exit interviews has proved its worth. To all those who are consciously intending to make a thrilling move in this New Year, I suggest an exit interview with all those with whom you were associated with in 2013. Ask them how was their experiences with you. You will definitely learn cost free, the areas where you lost and the dimensions where you need to invest more. Let us make the New Year more promising. 

Joseph Mattappally

New Year (2014) Message

Who am I to give a New Year message? I do not have a regular constituency or platform. Nonetheless, a few persons who are devoted to me want to hear my message. So here it is. I looked at my last year’s three goals: 1. Bhoomi Putran (son of the earth). I am deeply engaged with the earth ecologically, theologically and spiritually, and psychologically. A life that is not centered on this earth is worse than useless. Practically, I do over two hours of hard labor planting trees, vegetables and fruits, and beautifying earth. I am succeeding in this goal. 2.  Shantisheelan (one who is habitually peaceful).  I am a peaceful man, but since I have a habitually strong and loud voice when I talk about things that I am passionate about, persons close to me think I am an angry man. Will I succeed in modulating my voice so I look like a peaceful man? I do not know. I will keep on trying. 3. Mahabrantan (the great mad man).  Some of my near and dear ones think I am a mad man because of what I do or say: (a) I do not go along many of the conventional ways of the world that would bring me the needed approval for a person of high qualification and a great job I left, and (b) I swim against the currents by speaking what is on my mind appropriately but knowing that the listener/s may not like what I say. The first two goals are what I want to work on and keep on perfecting. The last goal is what people think of me since I do not conform to the ways of the world. I live in this world. But I am not of this world. To cite one little example: In the beautiful and curvaceous mountains of Munnar that I am fortunate to live in, the surrounding churches and temples blast their prayers and music and greatly disturb my peace, ears, and surroundings with high decibel blasts. They go to churches and temples to pray. Do they need to impose their prayers and music, however good and meaningful for them, on me who want a peaceful atmosphere, and who is very content to live in the vast, mind-blowing cathedral of God-given nature, and who above all want to enjoy the harmonious music of the spheres as the great philosopher, Aristotle, once indicated. What happens to tolerance wherein one group of persons impose their religious preferences and predilections on others? Is it not microphone invented for people who are attending a function to hear what is going on in that function?  

To change the topic, an admirer of mine (yes, I have a few) who wants to know what the spiritual dimension of success. I told him that it all depends on what one is looking for from life. If a person is looking for fame and glory in this world, then success might be material wealth, status in the world, and a vast recognition and approval by others. By that standard, Christ was considered to be a failure on the day of his death by his own disciples. According to them he utterly failed to establish the earthly kingdom of Israel. Gandhiji, still reeling in the throes of sadness and despair resulting from the partition of India, and the brutal violence and deaths of countless Indians after independence, was engaged in reconciling Nehru and Patel just before he was assassinated as he was reaching his prayer ground. Narayana Guru is reported to have died a sad man. So judging by worldly standards these three great spiritual leaders of the word were failures. That tells us that we need to seriously look at the criteria whereby we evaluate and measure success.

What about my New Year message that I began with? Find your purpose, your goal and aim in life, your aspiration and destination. Find what it takes to attain your purpose. Motivate yourself to attain it. See what gives you lasting satisfaction and fulfillment, what gives you peace. Choose some guidelines or guide-posts for this year from the great array of spiritual guides. Or better, find your own directions from your own inner self and from your vast store of knowledge and experience. Be your own person. Find and live your own bliss.

Swami (Dr)  Snehananda Jyoti