Dear friend, times are tough and dull. I know, you are trying hard to make everything fall at right place, but it isn’t happening.
Don’t you worry as this will change. Fresh air will fill up your life, replacing the baggage and burdens. Once again, the life will present you with its vivid beauty. There will be liveliness, cheerfulness and peace all around. Your hardwork and efforts will reap into a giant tree.
Meanwhile two things you need to hold which are patience and hope. Have patience, continue to live each day with positivity and hold your hope very strongly in addition to it. It’s always motivating to have dreams, do dream. Do you know why? It is because dreams act like blueprints of your project named “life”. Hope gives you confidence to execute it. Patience acts like a catalyst to move just a little bit more.
Self clicked
Believe it, there is the rising Sun, waiting for you just a little far away, I can see it. Its eagerly waiting for you to meet. Its having full faith in you and so is alone standing there. I too am having faith on you. Come, hold me and walk!
When we will reach there we will see the beautiful world. From there the sky will be more blue with a reddish tinge. The birds will fill in melodious music in the background. The nature will be lively, colouring vibrance in the landscape. We will feel serenity and peace comforting us. You and me sitting on top of a hill along with the rising reddish orange sun will cherish the happiness and contentment embracing us.
Some college friends were chatting amongst themselves. They all started a game where each one had to define “modernity aspects” in their life.
There were numerous viewpoints of modernity ranging from shopping brands, having stylish phones, using slangs, doing adventures, getting drunk, having numerous relationships, nuclear families, increasing divorces and break-ups, exploring new places, being loud mouthed, having short temper, maintaining a classy lifestyle, intolerance etc.
There were few more opinions like being educated, application of knowledge, having healthy lifestyle, better jobs etc.
One answer surprised everyone in the group. A simple minded girl said, “The aspects of modernity in her life are having patience, relaxed mind, very less anger, no shouts or slangs or foul words in language, tolerance towards others, respect for all humans, animals and nature, employing knowledge in life, stepping in other’s shoes and understanding their life, non aggressive and non-violent debates, even if the opponents are howling at the top of their voices, dedicated and trustworthy relationships, healthy lifestyle, no alcoholism etc, taking adventures, having fun and enjoying every part of life.”
There was an absolute silence. Everyone in the room was aghast with her points. Ultimately out of curiosity and restlessness, one of her dear friend asked, “Don’t you feel that’s not modernity but boring old fashioned pattern of living?”
“Who defined it?”, asked the girl.
Her highly impatient friend now said,” Everyone does the opposite these days. These characteristics are no longer practiced or applicable. They are dead now.”
“No, they aren’t. It’s just people have started blindly following what everyone else is doing, without understanding whether that thing is necessary or not. We humans are behaving as per others perception. Shout, cheat, be angry because that shows one is courageous. Have drinks, maintain many non serious relationships because that shows how cool one is. Maintain brands, classy lifestyle or speak slangs or foul words, tell lies every second for no reason, be egoist, do not respect others as all this signify high status and superior attitude. This is the reality. We have to be broad minded and analytical. Understanding real meaning of quality modern life is absolutely necessary”, replied the innocent girl.
To her amazement, her dear friend asked, “But how can one with less temper, being patient, soft spoken, having less arguments, maintaining low pitch be modern?”
“Just have a look around yourself. What do you find? People are stressed, full of anger, hurt, sad, shattered, extremely impatient etc. They aren’t relaxed and calm. Style, class, status are exhibited when fewer individuals practice it amongst many. When individuals are few and different, they outshine. How many people have you seen happy inside-out, soft spoken, social and successful but not egoist, intelligent but not arrogant, efficient non-violent debators etc? Handful right! So, who is having higher standards? It’s pretty difficult and adventurous to be calm and pleasing person among shouting, fighting, lying, arrogant dark images. That’s why it’s stylish to be different”, answered the naive girl.
Her friend asked, “Two final queries, how can one imbibe these qualities? And secondly, can one sustain in modern society with these attributes?”
The simple girl with a broad smile said,” It’s very easy to imbibe. Just keep your eyes and focus on judging yourself rather than others. Criticize and correct yourself. Introspect, change, grow and work upon yourself each day. Compete with yourself to overcome lures and wrong habits. Each individual on this Earth has a positive point, start searching for that very point, try and understand other’s life, respect and tolerate relationships as you are also tolerated by others. It’s a mutual effort to be happier. Spread smiles for free, people need it.
And for the second question will these characteristics sustain in present societies. Yes of course, it will perfectly shine and succeed. These are the golden gems of all time. These characteristics were established and made to sustain in any era. Do you know we celebrate 30th January as Martyr’s day in India. It’s the death anniversary of the great Mahatma Gandhi. You know why he is called great because he helped India to achieve its freedom on the foundation pillar of unity and non violence. These characteristics do not make one dumb and exposed. Rather these give a person valuable insights to surpass any blocks or situations. The ones who practice it become more learned and proactive, becoming a brighter people with sharper minds.
Life is uncertain and small. We humans just run behind materialistic and lifeless aims and objects such as money, status, power, luxury, assets, high profiled work etc. The reality is all this doesn’t worth in front of relationships and inbuilt happiness. We in this mad race have forgotten the real virtues such as smile, joy, care, sharing, ethics, respect, fun and taste of all types of emotions. We don’t know what’s next then why to take stress, worry about unknown and get depressed. Come let’s start living our life. Let’s spread the most precious gifts like smile, love and happiness with all our open hearts.
In a world full of numerous lives, humans often feel lonely in crowd. Loneliness is becoming a potential future threat for the civilization. In many research globally, it is often concluded that non communicable diseases are emerging as most encountered ones.
But have you ever imagined what is the reason behind this? The major issue with most of us is that we are not internally happy or we consider our lives as a baggage or we aren’t satisfied with ourselves, our life, or those surrounding us. This in turn make us more aloof and lonely. We feel sad. This emotional low triggers our physical fitness. Due to our prolonged, continuous stressed and depressed condition, we give invitation to someone. Not humans, but to the diseases and illness. And it’s a vicious cycle, until and unless we help ourselves, we just keep on walking in the darkness.
The above image holds a truth. We are not alone. Believe it, we do have a lot of well wishers. It is just people (all of us) are so preoccupied and engrossed in our not so busy lives that we have no time for others. Sometimes it is irony that we have time for technology and gadgets but not for real living humans and nature.
In India, there was a very good culture where everyone used to wake up before the rising sun. Left for work by the sunrise. Each one performed all the tasks dutifully and cheerfully. Then took out the time to cherish the handmade chapatis and sometimes raw onion or any local vegetable with some jaggery (gud). Thereafter by sunset all were back home. Had dinner. Thereafter people sat in groups outside of their houses. They had discussions, chats amongst themselves. Also, they used to sing songs, crack jokes and had fun during this sociological interaction. This is still practiced in few parts of real rural villages of India.
This lifestyle of rural India was the essence of physical well-being and long lives of people. They had a social life apart from individual life. Today, our life is much easy and sorted, but we have missed an essential component of our life – the social aspect.
There is this proverb “Man is a social animal.” Yes, we are and our mind, heart and soul needs interactions to be happy and lively. It charges our discharged batteries just like a charger.
Year 2020 is approaching. Why not we just adopt a small part of rural Indian lifestyle? Let’s interact wholeheartedly. Okay, we can’t spend each day sitting outside of our homes. But we surely can call or meet one person. Don’t talk for hours. Just tell the person that you remembered him or her today. Make the person happy and glad. Let the person feel special for that day. Let the person live the real life that day. Let the person know that there is someone who is around and that he is not alone. Life is a circle, start and take the initiative. One day no wonder you will also get a call to feel special.
Come let’s go back to our valuable, natural, scientific and worthy rural lifestyle to be healthy and cheerful once again.
ELSA Meet was organised on 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on 17 November, 2019. The topic covered was “Contemporary Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi”.
Many distinguished literary scholars discussed many issues related to the topic. Following is my perspective on the same.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was not a man of values but a whole lot of values were born as a collection and in collaboration inside a man. It is often said that Gandhian values are old fashioned and are worthless with the changing politics. But there seems a loophole in this sentence itself. We hear some illicit practices in Indian political arena such as horse trading, defection of politicians, freebies, electoral corrupt funding, political funding, casteism and class-based politics.
Was this type of India imagined by the great nation makers or the citizens of India?
Mahatma Gandhi is credited to be one of the nationalist leaders to play an important role in India’s freedom struggle. Often addressed as “Bapu”, the father of nation, his preaching and values are of utmost importance. One of such important value, which he mentioned in Seven Social Sins in Young India was “Politics without principles.”
Not being directly involved into politics, he was one of the best political guru who exhibited excellent political neetis during early 20th century. If his decisions, the pathway of his quest towards attaining freedom, are analysed with an open mind, then the sharp and witty politician can be seen.
Politics in any nation helps it to get shaped in a refined manner. Even after years of independence, politics in India still plays a major role. And so does “Gandhian Political Style” which was excellent in attaining freedom struggle is also most efficient today if applied very wisely. There are many citations of his political decisions. Few of which are discussed over here.
In 1915, when he returned to India from South Africa, he was a famous personality and so was invited to join the political front. Yet he, without getting lured, chose to travel the whole of India to explore its conditions and study the scenario from scratch for a year. Like today’s pseudo neo politicians, he could have easily joined any leading front and would have bargInained for high status in the party.
Second example is he always worked for and with the sufferers directly. In Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad mill strike etc., he always closely worked with masses. Masses have always been the key to the success of any struggle or event. Also, he took one goal at a time and left it only when it was achieved unlike the pseudo neo politicians, just introduce or rename the names of numerous schemes that sadly either do not start or just hang like pendulum sluggishly during beginning years itself.
Thirdly, when he saw the up-surging demands of separate electorates for minorities, he in spite of facing criticism, changed the functioning of the Congress politicians. He saw the liking of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar among the masses and so adopted the concept of “Harijan.” He introduced the concept, “One should do all work by oneself.” He very ardently followed it to the core of his heart.
A leader is a great leader when he brings in change as per the need and legitimate demand. When he introspects and if finds wrong functioning, he adapts the new system whole-heartedly. One’s growth and improvement stop when the person considers oneself and one’s decisions as ultimate over all others. And we do find this as a common ill habit among shallow politicians.
His speeches and their words were free from irresponsible statements, foul language, sharp criticism, egoist authoritarian decisions etc. He always had soft pitch and a decent way of conversation both with the supporters and opponents. The status of language in speech has degraded to the lowest of all time in India. Most of the time in debates, discussions, interviews and above all on the floor of Parliament, monkey-like behaviour and unmeaningful baseless foul or false statements are encountered. And this is not over, the shame is that on the next day one word of apology is published in media and actions are again repeated.
Gandhi, even if he was the “Chanakya of Politics,” his actions and decisions always ended at great aims focussing on societal benefit, self-reliance and Indian rural industry upliftment. But now parochial and self-focussed aims overpower the Pseudo neo politicians. Their objectives are always the gratification of self needs.
He was considered as the person who tried his best in bringing in Hindu-Muslim unity. For this he took many initiatives, one of them was Congress Khilafat Movement. This was the first time after a long period where Hindu-Muslims worked in sync and harmony. Divide and rule based on caste, religion, race, colour, class is the new culture of neo politics. There is absence of ethics or value system now a days.
Political field once valued and seen with respect is now considered as the worst profession. It is often stated that people with shrewdness and wrong practices can enter this field. There is no room for the intelligentsia, a person with aims of societal benefit and a person working as clean as white colour. Gandhi never gave up on ethics, value system, morals, upliftment of society, non-violence and simple living and high thinking. If a survey is done about how many youth see political field as their future objective, the sad fact is that only a handful will agree. Out of those 70-80% will be pseudo neo politicians and the remaining would be blank about how to join the field and their success rate.
It is ironical that India with a rich cultural background and political heritage is devoid of “politicians with values and principles.” To take the nation to highest peaks of success, it is essential to have more and more quality, intelligent, well learned and broadminded young politicians with high valuable goals.
The need of the hour is to have more and more open-minded political Gandhis in the nation as the Gandhian values are not archaic or old fashioned but well framed, everlasting set of virtues similar to the constitution of India.
Once brain was idle and so it noticed the existence of one, other than itself and it was the soul. Yes, during all these years, the brain was so engrossed in itself, that hardly it paid any attention to this existence.
Brain: Hey buddy, who are you? How come you are here?
Soul: Finally you noticed! What a great day! Let me introduce myself, I am Soul, I am also one of the important part of the body in which you live.
Brain: Okay, is it so. I am amazed I never saw you. So, what’s your work? I am sure you must be having some meagre work, that’s why couldn’t notice you.
Soul: (laughing) That’s the sad fact. Both of us share very important position and work. You, being the brain, is the master and controller of man’s physical, psychological and emotional well being from the day he is born till his death. A big task I must say! And as you say I have a very little role? I am responsible for your existence, before you were born and will be there beyond your existence. I am also responsible for man’s spiritual well-being. In short, I am the one who empowers you to complete your duties.
Brainwas astonished and speechless. By this time it was taken aback. It could barely believe that even its existence is depended and mastered by someone else. But it could never feel the authority, hold, pressure and no egoistic boss (as the brain itself was).
Brain: Am I dreaming? I hope you are not joking, right?
Soul: No in both cases (replied peacefully)
Brain: So, why we never conversed?
Soul: It’s because you were have been self engrossed. You think that you are so powerful that you have everything or anything in your tight control. And it is not a case that we never conversed. Do you remember all your mistakes, wrong decisions or ill-doings? (Humbly replied)
Brain: Yes, I do. My memory is my power. I keep an account of each and everything.
Soul: Then you must also be remembering that feeble voice having suggestions and corrections in all the above cases.
Brain: Let me think. Oh yes, I do remember. That meek pitched, once a time suggestions. Yes, yes now I remember. Those responses came just for few initial seconds and later vanished. But I agree that they were correct for most of the time. Wait….was is it you all that time?
Soul: Yes, it was me (Smilingly).
Brain: And yet you aren’t angry. You never ever shouted on me. Are you not mad on me? Still you are so calm and composed. I am feeling a different kind of serenity and peacefulness all around myself while conversing with you and it’s for the first time. Look at you, you are so balanced and young, no dullness, frailness, no wrinkles. How is it possible?
Soul: Let me answer all your queries.
I never get angry or anxious. That’s not my characteristic. I am always balanced and live the middle lifestyle, not very excited nor dropped due to anything. My work was to check you whenever you were wrong. I know you are quite responsible and perform your duties really well. So, I spoke whenever you needed me. But due to yours little weakness of ego, you always ignored my voice.
Calmness and serenity, everything is due to the fact that for the first time you are living at present moment.You are not worried about past or planning about future. You are just enjoying this very moment. This is our aura and it’s power is this peace. Whenever you will be relaxed, happy without any reason, in present moment, you will feel this bliss. It’s your energy!
Last but not the least, reason behind my youthfulness even at such an old age is as explained above, I enjoy my life. Of course planning is little bit necessary. But it’s not your life. Life is way beyond that. Life has facets, where we often slip from our present to past or future. It’s just we need to recollect ourselves and again remind ourselves to be in present, be whatsoever circumstances are.
Tell me, what’s the use of being angry. It’s just when you become angry, things fall apart more. More mistakes are done. There is chaos and confusion everywhere. You do your own loss such as extremely chemical reactions takes place, our organs are damaged, our blood is burnt excessively. In a business man’s term, it’s a total loss!
Instead enjoy every moment of your life. You are blessed this life. Being the human brain, you are bestowed this wonderful opportunity.
Spread love open heartedly. Be humble. Be realistic but also believe in imagination and do dream. Meet new people cheerfully. Be confident about yourself, your capabilities. Explore yourself. Learn new things. Take full breaths. Enjoy whatever meal you are given. Be thankful to howsoever conditions, you are living in. Be both thoughtful and thoughtless. Wait for the right person or place or time or opportunity patiently. Look around yourself. Rise way above I, me and myself; observe and feel life of others, their problems; step in their shoes and you will know that you are in far better situation. Be proud of your bodytype, colour, race etc; introspect as much as you can. Travel the world. Help those in need. Respect the nature, the flora and fauna. Be thankful to the Almighty for this life.
Just spread your wings and fly. Start living truly. Laugh wholeheartedly. Live in present!
“I dream and I am made that ways”, said the brain. Man replied, “No, you are not allowed to as you don’t think about difficulties, adventures, challenges or for that matter the failures before dreaming.”
Most of us have experienced the above scenario at one or the other point of life. The way we deal and react in the situation sets our journey. Our future rests on one small powerful decision. It makes or breaks us.
Why is the thing we fear about? Why many of us don’t dream? Why we are afraid of failures, shortcomings? Why we look forward to only a well settled plan and if there is a minutest problem, our world is topsy-turby?
Let us take each thing one by one.
Dream
It’s essential to dream. When we dream, we are indirectly honing the analytical skills of our brain. And so, the more it practices, the better it becomes. Initially, a dream may sound weird or out of the box, but it is ok. At least your mind is trying hard to utilise it’s potentials. Secondly you never know your dream may convert into reality with all perseverance and effort. Also, by constructive dreaming, one may get to know more about himself or herself. There will be more clarity in life. One can learn many things from experiences.
Fear of failure
Failures are the stepping stones to success. If someone is failing, the person is far better than those who are not even trying. For winning anything, one needs to step in the arena. When one will tire oneself, his or her sweat and blood will flow , only then the chances of success can develop.
Remember failures are one of the best mentors. They guide us towards our potentials, the areas to brush upon, new avenues to venture upon, our traits and personality, our mistakes. Failures are like the analysis in mid journey.
And journey is never ever restricted to one goal or path. Our life in itself is a journey. We need to understand that each day is a new day, a new beginning, a new chance to start afresh. Each day has one or few goals to deal with, each day we either win or miss few things. Our whole life is a combination of numerous uncountable goals to be dearmt or succeded about.
Don’t restrict yourself in the shanties and bondages of restricted thinking. I would like to write self written lines which often give me strength to rise again after each failure:
“ए इंसान, ये ज़िन्दगी का परवाना है, यहां रोज़ संभलना और संभल के गिरना, और गिर के फिर उठ जाना है। मजबूरियां भी होंगी, कठिनाइयां भी होंगी, किन्तु तुमको चलते जाना है। चुनतियों को पार करना है, और हिमालय की चोटी पर , अपने साहस का परचम लहराना है।
Here is a motivational video, please have a look at it. It is quite inspiring and reminds us to introspect. The best lines in this are:
“Imagine you are on your death bed and standing around your death bed are the ghosts representing your unfulfilled potential, the ghosts of the ideas you never acted on, the ghosts of the talents you didn’t use. And they are standing around your bed, angry, disappointed and upset. They say we came to you because you could have brought us to life and now we have to go to the grave together. So I ask you today,how many ghosts are going to be around your bed when your time comes?”
It is often said that “a healthy mind leads to healthy body.” But do we actually focus on this. In today’s fast lifestyle, our well-being related to mind is often ignored. The result is increasing rate of diseases related to our mental health rather than physical.
Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki experimented and discovered the easiest way to keep our mind healthy and strong by just investing few minutes of our daily life for ourselves. Please have a look.
“Being a saint! Oh, not my cup of tea.”; “Saints are different”; “To be saints, you need to leave everything, live in mountains and spend 20 years in austerity.”
We often encounter similar statements in our life. Whenever there is a discussion about whether saints are similar to us or how a person can be a saint. Due to lack of proper discussion, we go remote from the above topic and seal the question in an envelope.
We need to understand firstly that who is a saint? There can be numerous definations, but let’s keep it simple.
Any person who lives in present, is thoughtless, is above the cycle of joys or sorrows, speaks the truth, has love and compassion for all, is detached while living with people, is innocent, has no ego, is balanced and ethical in his behaviour, is creative, respects all living beings and nature equally, is away from all the ill habits, wrong practices, and greediness can be said as a saint. This defination may have many additions as per the individual.
Yes, Saints are different from others. But the journey to be one is not different. A saint is a saint not because he wears some different coloured clothes or lives in mountains, eats less, speaks nothing or very less. The person is a saint due to his attributes, characteristics, inner values, ethics, habits, behaviour etc.
We need to understand that each individual has two sides: the positive and the negative. A person with inclined more to his positive side is saintly than others and vice versa. In 21st century, any person with the above characteristics and still living a normal life amidst the world is a saint.
In a world full of greed, if a person is not greedy, he is similar to a saint.
Any person with equal and unconditional love, care, compassion for others, known or unknown is like a saint. Example: a mother’s love when extends to other children along with her own children, she becomes a universal mother.
If someone has the daring enough to say that the negative thing is wrong, is courageous enough to speak the truth, he is saintly in nature.
A person who dosen’t swing on the pendulum of past and future, and remains in present, is of course saintly.
A person who does not swim in the river of thoughts, and try and remain thoughtless, is really different. Just think, how many of us have absolute silence inside us, we always are entangled in a chain of endless thoughts?
Amidst the world full of shrewdness, falsehood, hypocrisy and artificiality, if a person is innocent yet intelligent and knowledgeable, is definitely different from others.
Any simple person or the one holding an important position, and yet not having ego for the work he has done or for some other reason, is saintly. These days, even when there is nothing, people have big superficial, virtual crowns of huge ego. They are unable to surpass “I, myself and mine.”
It’s not that we don’t know what all characteristics the saints posses. It’s just we don’t have the courage to accept and abide these practices in our daily life. We fear of what people will say or we may be excluded or neglected.
In present world, any human being with saintly attributes, living among the people is no less than a saint. Only the thing is he or she needs to discover himself or herself. He or she has to believe in himself or herself that, “These characteristics of mine are precious indeed. If l am having these attributes, I am the blessed person in this world.” Appreciate, adore and accept your values.
And those who aim to be one, don’t worry. There is one simple formula: “practice, self introspect and change.” That’s it! One day you yourself will feel that there is a change. It’s just about playing with the balance of positive and negative inside oneself. If one achieves it, drastic improvements are possible.
October 2nd, the great day when Mahatma Gandhiji, the father of India and former Prime Minister of India Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastriji’s birthdays are whole heartedly celebrated.
Both of them showed directions to achieve a better future.
Who doesn’t know reverent M. K. Gandhiji, his weapon of non-violence is effective always. His four pillars ie power of non-violence, truthfulness, focus on self service, importance of villages in society are the building pillars of any nation. His perseverance and stress on these drastically helped two nations and many others indirectly, who followed these principles.
Shri Lal Bahadur Shastriji was a simple man with great virtues. His simplicity, dedication towards people, commitment to his work, humbleness in nature were a few qualities which stood him different from other good Prime Ministers. Being a very fair person, he never misutilized the amenities he got with his designation.
Both Gandhiji and Shastriji are reverently remembered even after so many years with the same or more fervor. It is not an exaggeration to say that they were not only two personalities but a whole bundle of many good characteristics and values. Those values which are present in every human being, knowingly or unknowingly.
We all have a “Gandhi” and a “Shastri” inside us. If we identify them, we make a better and sorted tomorrow for us and the society. If not, then we need to self introspect. These values were, are and will always be the key to problems of any society and its citizens. And yes, it may seem easy to just talk about them, but these are really one of the most difficult values to follow in life. A person need to have a lot of courage, valor and will power to pursue these values in his or her life. Many of the societies will get sorted and balanced if most of its citizens will recognise these values in themselves.
So this October we can give a thought that whether we just continue to celebrate their birthdays or let them be born inside us for a better tomorrow.
The Journey to Learn 