Grand Generation Changing

He is around seventy five. In first look you will mistake him for a person in early sixties. While on his evening walk every day, he used to pass from the lane that crosses the front of my house. Recently I met him in a party. I asked him, “Uncle! These days I don’t see you during your evening walk. Have you changed your route?” He replied in a casual tone, “Look Sunil! Weather is really very hot these days. I like to remain in the air-conditioned room whole day. Even the meals, I take in the room only.”

His reply forced me to write this episode for my readers. All these days this grand generation had been inspiring to me for maintaining their routine, whatever season comes or goes. This person in particular was also quite particular of his routine, as I have known him since many years. Off late, I have been observing a drastic change amongst people of the grand generation. The generation that was always attuned to higher value system and controlled lifestyle is also becoming self centered and convenience oriented. We always respected a grand generation for whom weather was never an excuse to follow their daily routine. We thought that the future generations will follow them at least when they become grand. But somehow the systems are changing very fast. I don’t know if they are changing for the better. I am not saying that conveniences are to be enjoyed only by the new generation and grand generations should be devoid of them. I just think that the guiding pillars need to remain positive example setters.

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

First is not the Best

I was listening to the legendry story of the Scottish king and the spider in the cave, as my little Joe was wrestling with his English text book. For the spider, only the seventh attempt was rewarding. Are ensuing attempts more powerful? I asked myself. As I examined live examples one by one, I had to believe that successive attempts are usually more powerful. I concluded that the more one tries the more one accumulates some extra energy and so the first need not always be the best. 

Winston Churchill was once estranged from his political party over ideological disagreements. This wild appraisal on his integrity was enough to raise his self and he ended up his career as Prime Minister of Great Britain. ‘Too stupid to learn anything’, this was the comment passed by Thomas Alva Edison’s teachers. May be because of this that he could earn more than 1,000 patents in his name. Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first television job as an anchor in Baltimore, but Winfrey rebounded and became the undisputed queen of television talk shows before amassing a media empire. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor alleging that he ‘lacked imagination and had no good ideas.’ Steven Spielberg was twice rejected by the University of California, School of Cinema Arts, but his ‘Jaws’ won three Academy Awards, later. Soichiro Honda's unique vision got him ostracized from the Japanese business community. Honda but could lead an automotive revolution in Japan. Colonel Harland David Sanders was fired from dozens of jobs before founding Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), which is one of the most recognizable franchises in the world. As a child, Albert Einstein had some difficulty communicating and learning in a traditional manner. It’s the same dizzy boy who later won the Nobel Prize in physics with his theory of relativity. J.K. Rowling was a poor single mom when she began writing the first ‘Harry Potter’ novel. Rowling is now internationally renowned for her seven-book Harry Potter series. Charles Darwin was considered an average student and was going to school to become a parson. We see that his writings, especially ‘On the Origin of the Species’ fundamentally changing the world of science. 

In all these cases we find that there were mighty motivating reasons that kindled the fire within, be it pure struggle for existence, a challenge from the community, a wrong remark from around, an obstacle or a failure of some sort. If King Robert Bruce was thrilled by the seventh jump of the spider, we have with us persons who have jumped more than a thousand times. While developing his vacuum, Sir James Dyson went through 5,126 failed prototypes. It was Henry Ford’s 5,127th prototype that clicked. Whenever I roll through stunning stories of people who could accumulate the extra energy, I feel sorry for a generation which believes in shortcuts and which falls dead even before an energetic first attempt. The facts say that it is from challenges and failures that this success deciding extra energy ooze out to the system. What the world needs is a generation which takes failures and challenges in its’ good spirit. For most of us, repeated attempts or a series of disappointments are always personality degrading processes. 

Joseph Mattappally

Krishna on Bondage -11

We all have looked at statue of Buddha. Silence surrounds it, peace permeates it, and serenity emanates from it. Nothing can disturb his peace and silence. Even a pond is disturbed by passing breeze, by the rays of sun which turn it into vapour and takes it to sea as rain. Buddha is so still that he has no desire whatsoever to move to ocean of eternity. He says the ocean will have to come to him if it wants. For this reason Buddha refuses to answer questions about transcendental. Is there God? What is liberation? What happens after death? Questions like these are always shunned by Buddha. He gently laughs them by saying, “Don’t ask such questions that have to do with distant future. They will distract from immediate present, which is of the highest. The thought of distant future will give rise to desire to travel to it, and to reach it. And this desire will give restlessness. I am utterly contended with what I am, where I am. I have nowhere to go and I have nothing to choose and find. ” So Buddha is not indifferent to this world, he is also indifferent to the other world of God & nirvana.

Buddha says, “Even to find God you will have to pass through the swamp of hopes and fears, attachment and jealousies. Whatever I am, I am. I am utterly contented, I am at perfect peace.” So his indifference has no objective, no goal whatsoever to achieve. Look at Buddha’s face, his eyes and there is not a trace of agitation in them. They are as silent as silence itself. It is like a still lake where there is not even a ripple rises. Naturally Buddha’s peace is different. It can have neither Krishna’s outspoken bliss nor Mahavira’s subtle joy. It is true that a man of tremendous silence, who has no desires whatsoever- not even desire to find the ultimate- will attain to bliss without asking. But this bliss will be his inner treasure; this lamp of bliss will shine in his interiority, while his whole external milieu will be one of utter peace and silence. His halo will reflect only harmony, stillness and order. Bliss will form his base and peace will make his summit. 

Wishing you good health & happiness,

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

No Punishment

As students in the University of Roorkee (now an IIT) during the late sixties, some of us were in the habit of playing cards. Our game was a kind of gamble called “teen patti” and we used to play it frequently. However, it was in a friendly manner with low stakes and with no greed behind it. We had full control over ourselves as far as time was concerned. Overall, it used to serve as a good entertainment and didn’t affect our studies in any way. At least we used to think that way at that point of time. 

One day, while we were absorbed in playing ‘teen patti’ in a hostel room, the Dean of students suddenly marched in and caught us red-handed. None of us was prepared for this kind of situation and by reflex we quickly wound up ourselves to face the consequences. I, in particular, was more scared. There was a provision of 100 marks for discipline at that time. Being the topper of my class, any action on account of our act could put me in a great difficulty. I had no explanation to give as our indiscipline was so obvious. However, to our utter surprise, the Dean, whom we used to hold in high esteem, said nothing and silently left the place. We were in great suspense for many days but gradually got over the phobia this incident had put us into. 

Incidently no punishment was inflicted upon us for this misdeed of ours, which only increased our respect for the Dean. Years passed since then, but it always remained a mystery in my mind as to why no punishment was inflicted upon us. I left Roorkee after graduation and joined Indian Administrative Service after few years. Though, with my own experience I could guess the intention of our Dean in inflicting no punishment on us, I always carried a wish to have a direct answer from him. Such an occasion did not come for decades, even though we did meet a few times after that. 

But more than three decades later, when I was attending a conference of distinguished IITians in Delhi, such an opportunity arose. In that conference, both of us were participants. By then I was a senior member of the IAS holding a responsible position and he had quietly settled down after retirement. After the conference, when we both were waiting for our vehicles on the porch, I posed that question to him. I was not sure whether he remembered the incident or not, but he did and gave me a pragmatic smile. His one line answer was that quite often ‘no punishment’ works better than ‘punishment’ and his purpose was well served by not inflicting any punishment in that situation. 

Rakesh Mittal IAS

Be A Good Employee

Do you want to be in your current position for the rest of your life? If not, then you have to learn to accomplish your tasks in order to be a successful employee.

Ensure that the company you are working for has a goal which you believe in. Work for an honourable establishment and if you are not happy after a time, begin to seek work elsewhere.

Behave professionally and keep a smiling face. Do not fool around wasting your time and that of others. Learn to take criticism gracefully and positively. It will provide you with valuable ideas about what people expect from you, any weak areas and what you need to work on first. Learn to do your job and do it well. Whether it is menial and tedious or tough and high paying, do your work efficiently. Cultivate good relationships with your co-workers. Treat all of them whether high or low with courtesy, respect and kindness.

When you get the opportunity to learn a new skill, receive training for a different activity or take a study course paid for by your employer – do it. It shows that you are intelligent and value life-long learning. Keep a clean job history by being punctual, not missing deadlines and keeping customers happy.

Try to reach office before time. Have a positive attitude and do not let things drag up to the deadline and then jump in to get it done in a fast flurry at the end. Do not spend a lot of time on personal phone calls. Never gossip while at work as your employer is paying you to work. Always be productive and get your work done on time and move on to the next thing as quickly as possible.

Dress well and be confident. Volunteer or be active in projects to get the job done , and don’t worry about who gets credit. Be a team player. Stay late when required. Offer junior employees guidance and encouragement.

Never argue with your boss as his opinion is always right for him. A good employee is always dependable and trustworthy. He has tact and decorum and if there is a problem in the office he deals with such issues with privacy and diplomacy. Last but not the least, a great employee has a great attitude and he helps to make work easy for everyone else by having a good spirit about his job.

Dr (Mrs) Archana Bharat

Woe to You, Religious Leaders!

All, except perhaps the power holders and the power-brokers in religions, agree that religions  are badly in need of reformation. Christ unleashed a jeremiad against the powerful Scribes and Pharisees in the Jewish religion of his time. If he were to appear on the world scene I wonder what he would tell the current religious leaders. He would begin something like: Woe to you Christian, Muslim, and Hindu religious leaders, you hypocrites, blind guides! You describe the indescribable God, and create dogmas and doctrines, and trap humans in them inducing fear of hell and eternal punishment. Ignorant guides, you ignore or go against the commandment of love – the only commandment that really matters – and formulate laws and regulations to govern and control every facet of people’s lives.  Masters of double standard, you put unnecessary and unbearable burdens on people, that you yourselves are incapable of carrying. Unfit guides, not having the experience of God yourselves, you train others in God experience. Blind guides, immersed in the affairs of this world, and lacking light and direction to journey in the Kingdom of God, you mislead others. When you do not have sufficient love and the necessary faith in the one true God, you teach your followers the superiority of your religion, and put down other religions in hatred and intolerance. Instead of cooperating with one another in compassion, you compete with one another in pride and arrogance. Instead of discerning God’s will in humble surrendering and submission, you seek this world’s laurels, approval, and recognition in your stubborn self-righteousness. Like the Pharisee of old in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke, 18: 9-14) proud of his virtues, and justifying himself in prayer before God in the temple in contrast to the tax collector (publican) who asks for mercy and forgiveness, self-centered religious leaders, you give the impression that God needs you more than you need God.

After having lived a rigorous religious life for 25 years in a religious setting I think I know the claims of religions, and their many leaders vying with one another for power. Certainly there are many good spiritual persons in religions. However, many canon lawyers and worldly administrators lacking in spirituality, love, and compassion appear to be at the helm of strategic positions in religions stalling long overdue renewal and reformation. We can pray that the gentle Spirit of God blowing over us can renew and transform us.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

The Sales Lady

The door bell mounted at our gate rings. The gate of my house is about twenty meter apart from my bed-room window. I tried to spot the person across the courtyard. It was definitely a lady. I came out and walked towards my gate. Oh No! It was the same sales lady who has been coming to our house since many years. She always says, “Look! This is the last phenyl bottle in my hand. Please buy it from me. My husband is in the hospital. I have to buy medicines for him.” Whether it is me, my wife or my children, she always repeats the same story since ages. We all know that it is just a marketing gimmick. We had rarely bought any phenyl bottle from her, that too quite long back. I do not know why, but she always returns back to our house, asking us to buy her last phenyl bottle. When we ask her to go back, she insists two three times again. We also ask her, why she makes a false excuse every time to make a sale. She just makes a face, but never says that her excuse is false. She never objected to our statement, that she is telling a lie. I do not know what kind of marketing this is.

I have seen “Insistence Based Marketing” by many vendors either coming to the door or trying to make calls. I must have received at least fifty calls in past six months from some people claiming to be representatives of a popular telecom company. These callers ask me to convert my mobile connection from a prepaid service to a postpaid service. The callers do not even know that I am already having a post paid connection. When I enquired from the parent company, they say that many tele-callers are appointed by local dealers on their own who make such requests. For the readers I must put on record, that I already have a “Do Not Disturb” facility enabled. Request to bar the calling number is of no use as the calling number keeps changing, even when it is from the same vendor.

The point I wanted to make here is related to corporate or business morals. This kind of insistence marketing is something that needs to be re-discussed inside every small or big organisation. I did consult few advertising and promotion related books that I studied during my management course. Push based promotion is required, but unless there is a pull the customer satisfaction can never be achieved. Yes! This is a Pandora-box of a long debate. So what! This issue definitely needs a discussion on the moral grounds too.

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg