Signs of an accomplished person

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

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

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

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

My Share Too

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

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

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg. 

Age is not a Barrier

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

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

Clara Barton headed the International Red Cross at 83.

Robert Frost wrote famous poems when he turned 80.

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

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

Toscanini was a world-famous orchestra conductor at 87.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright did his best work at 86.

Indefatigable John Wesley was still preaching at 88.

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

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

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

Indian Thoughts Archives

Local Repair Shop

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

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

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

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

Indian Thoughts Archives

Reviving Old Values

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution’.

Impaired Judge and an impaired Judicial System.

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

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

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

Swami Snehananda Jyoti  

Find Ways

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

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg