Wednesday 26 September 2007

when will we stop over-reacting?

It is a history now that India has won the 20-20 championship. When cricket is slowly transforming into baseball, winning in such sports makes one wonder whether we are the champions of cricket or baseball or golf (this is because, nowadays cricketing strokes are similar to the strokes of baseball or golf).


As usual, the entire country is reacting or rather over-reacting to this incident. The winning team was received with much fervor and they will go on a victory lap from airport to Wankhade stadium in an open bus.


State Governments after state governments are declaring a bonus amount of Rs 5 lakhs per player for this feat! Maharashtra Government has gone overboard to announce Rs 10 lakhs to the players while their farmers are dying out of starvation! One TV channel went on criticizing mr. Narendra Modi who kept cool and did not announce any such bonus to the cricket players. I may not be surprised if Modi subjecting to such pressures might declare bonus (may be more than any State).


At the outset, why these players need bonus? Are these cricket players are running out funds that they need such bonuses? Have they been to Mars on an expedition and came back with more scientific truths? What have they achieved? Are they contributing anything towards the nation or its development? On the contrary, the BCCI do not pay income tax for the hefty sum they generate and rotate in the name of cricket!


If sports person were to be facilitated, why did not we do this to the Indian Hockey team who had won the Asian cup with comfortable margin (unlike a cliff-hanger cricket we saw). Why not Vishwanathan Anand and Narain Kartikeyan were facilitated? Even Goswami, the only Indian Woman cricketer to appear in the list of ICC awards was not given such a priority by the BCCI. Why this bias?


Let numerous films like Chak De or Goal be screened in India all over! We will neither change nor our attitude towards a sport. This reminds me that during the last scene in film Chak De, a small sikh boy will come forward and erase the word “gaddar” from the wall and he will be presented with a hockey bat. Surprisingly, (or ironically), one of the audience shouted, “Come on Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh, a cricketer) come on”. Cricket has invaded our life indeed!

Tuesday 25 September 2007

India 2020 - not of Kalam's but cricket's

At last, the Indians have won the first T20 World Cup tournament in a cliff-hanger thriller finish. Or one can say, the team of 2020 has born. Whether ex-President Kalam’s visionary 2020 India is made or not, but India is capable of building a team for 20-20 at the least!


Now, for another 48 hours, no news is too big for our entire media channels that will cover nothing but the historic (?) win of India in 20-20 World Cup. Even the news of Rahul Gandhi becoming the general secretary of INC (though it is a known fact and was only a matter of time) has taken a back seat. The media even covered the Kabirkhan aka shahrukh Khan congratulating the winning Indian team (dont ask what did SRK do to Indian cricket team)


Nothing succeeds like Success! This is proven in this episode. A man, who was questioned of his wicket-keeping skills or lack of it and was supposed to be dropped from the team, is turned into a sudden hero. He has become wisdom of cricket, leader of future and everybody says now that Indian cricket is in safe hands now!


It is a known fact that we, Indians are highly reactive and when we react we go to the extremes and always go over board! Be it hailing some one or criticizing, we knew only the extreme. Never our comments were in analytical mode. We have stopped thinking by brains and are doing with emotions.


Let’s go hypothetical now. Had the 18th, 19th and 20th overs against Australia had gone the other way – or worse, had Joginder was hit for runs on the 20th over, Mahi, our hero today would have been pulled from all corners for that decision. Even those who knew no cricket would give a comment on his captaincy!


Same way in the finals too! Pakistanis had the match in their way all the time. 6 runs from 4 balls. They could have chosen to take singles and an odd couple, but they thought otherwise. The batsman thought an innovative shot (made popular by Johnson of Zimbabwe) only to be caught! Had the bailed sailed across, today Mahi would have been ripped apart by our media and so-called experts of the game!


Thankfully for Dhoni, Lady Luck smiled on him. He is now hailed as the greatest captain India ever had. Though I agree that he kept his cool, I doubt, he would prove to be a good captain. He still has a long way to go and it is too early to burden him as a captain. He has to learn keeping, has to improve his batting skills (though he literally bullies the ball around, he does not play the game) and most of all, of course, the cricketing skills.


It was good decision that the trio had ruled themselves out of this tournament. Perhaps, they never thought that this game would get so much of publicity! Had they were genuine; they should have said the same no to even the ODIs.


Its all in the game. We have got a good, young team who has potential. Now one has to wait and see, how far this potential takes our cricket in 2020!

Friday 21 September 2007

T20

T 20 or twenty-twenty is the buzzword that keeps the cricket fans all around the world hooked onto. From a long, tiring, (or sometimes boring) 5 day affair this game has taken changes - sometimes accidentally and at times forcefully into a faster game. Efforts are on as to give a facelift to this game as good as soccer or hockey. The game is fast and so is the result.

Cricket has started taking leaves out of the others books as to make it attractive and entertaining. “Ball-out” is one feature similar to the penalty stroke and so is the “free-hit” concept.

I vaguely remember that 24 years back a tournament (named as Double-wicket tournament with each side having only 2 players and common fielders) was held with similar rules in Chennai Chidambaram Stadium. L Siva was spotted there as a good fielder and Robin Singh was spotted as another Kapil dev (however he entered the national side much later, courtesy politics, is another story).

With newer rules, cricket seems to be attractive and one has to wait and see how long people accept this. However, the purists would find it hard. Why all the new rules are favoring only the batsmen and invariably they are against the bowlers? Would some one be motivated to be a bowler if they are going to be beaten like this?

One should not bowl slightly outside the leg side or else it will be called a wide.
One should not try to bowl a beamer or else you will be warned.
One should not try to bowl a bouncer more than once in a over.
One cannot have the fielders as they liked and have restrictions for them.

Going by this, I would not be surprised if one day the rules would state, the ball should not be pitched before reaching the bat. One should not spin the ball. Or slowly Cricket would deviate and take the shape of baseball so wider reach of audience and more money?

I badly miss those flights, arc of the spin, inviting the batsmen to drive through extra-cover and trap them by catching, those late out-swingers that beats the bat, late-cuts. Those were the days when cricketers would not appreciate ball being hit in air but this is the walk of life in cricket now. I hardly saw ball rolling on the ground and it was sailing all the time in air.

The height of the show is the cheer leaders. More than the players, they would be the most tired members as they have to come shake their booty for every boundary or six scored or every wicket taken.

Indeed this form of cricket is more an entertainment than a game but I miss one thing on the whole – that is cricket, the gentle man’s game. Did I hear some one saying the gentleness is lost years back!



Wednesday 19 September 2007

Ram Setu - Matter of Faith and Science

It is almost 10 days now that the Ram-Setu project has stolen the limelight. Every channel, every newspaper and every website covered this subject in full details. There were discussions between the so called learned men, rationalists and religious personnel.

The public memory is too short and in another week’s time, all of us would forget this and would be discussing something more sensational. When the whole world is into this, why should I lag behind? Let me also blog on this but would like to be different.

Science and Faith are two extreme poles. In fact I had already blogged regarding this subject – or just reproduced the conversation between Albert Einstein and his professor. http://ngkjrs.blogspot.com/2007/09/is-god-dead.html
The argument between Science and Faith has no end to it. Science says that nothing is true unless it is proven by experiment or you can say to disprove what other claim! However, the irony is, almost all the scientific statement are re-written. What accepted one day was refuted after some years and people still followed the new concept!

Faith is different. One does not dare to make amendments to the religious texts. If Science says the hypothesis is false even if one out of the thousand conditions is not proven whereas faith is other way around. Science can theorize anything but cannot explain what caused it!

I do agree that there is no proof that God exists but at the same time, I would also like to reiterate that there is no proof that God does not exist. The so called rationalists of India who take the support of science to uphold that Sri Ram never existed can provide us a single proof that He did not exist?

Let them say that there is no proof for the existence of Sri Ram but they cannot go overboard and say that Sri Ram was not a real person! Rationalists do have their own rights to condemn the superstitious believing but my question is why they are selective? All religions survive on faith but the so-called Indian rationalists attack only Hindus' myths and question only Hindu faiths. They turn a blind eye to other religions.

This selective-rationalization or pseudo-secularism drives Hindus to be irrational. Tolerance of diversity is the hall-mark of Hindus however, this is abused or undue advantage is taken by the rationalists. It is not an exaggerated if we called the so-called Indian rationalists are spineless cowards.

This is because Hindus are soft-targets. If you attack Hindus political parties would support you. Even if they don't, they will be labeled as communal. The entire media would depict as a barbarian communal!

As to obtain a certificate of a secular from these media and political parties, the so called learned men also will keep quiet in this subject. Whereas had the rationalists questioned the faith of other religions (read minorities), the heaven would break loose! The government, the political parties, the media the learned men all would pounce on you and beat you to death.

Since the time of Nehru, there has been no respite from the attacks on Hindu beliefs. This drives Hindus to be isolated, they feel they are threatened and they are ready to give up their culture of tolerance.

I am neither supporting Ram Setu nor oppose it. I would like to raise a voice for Rationalism versus Selective rationalism!







Monday 10 September 2007

Born Again - Twice Born - Dwija

According to the injunctions of the revealed texts, the first birth of an Aryan is from his natural mother, the second (happens) on the tying of the girdle of Munja grass, and the third on the initiation to (the performance of) a (Srauta) sacrifice. II.169

(Now a days a thread replaced this Munja grass - Darbai is another story)

Among those (three) the birth which is symbolised by the investiture with the girdle of Munja grass, is his birth for the sake of the Veda; they declare that in that (birth) the Savitri (Goddess of knowledge) is his mother and the teacher is his father. II.170

They call the teacher (the pupil’s) father because he gives the Veda (knowledge); for no body can perform a sacred rite before the investiture with the girdle of Munja grass. II.170

He who has not been initiated should not pronounce any Vedic text excepting those required for the performance of funeral rites, since he is on a level with a Sudra (meaning unlearned) before his birth from the Veda. II.172

The student who has been initiated must be instructed in the performance of the vows, and gradually learn the Veda, observing the prescribed rules. II.173

In the eighth year after conception, one should perform the initiation (Upanayana ceremonies of sacred thread) of a Brahmana, in the eleventh year after conception (that) of a Kshatriya, but in the twelfth year that of a Vaisya. II.36

The initiation of a Brahmana who desires proficiency in sacred learning should take place in the fifth year after conception, that of a Kshatriya who wishes to become powerful in the sixth, and that of a Vaisya who longs for success in his business in the eighth. II.37

The time for the Savitri initiation of a Brahmana does not pass until the completion of the sixteenth year (after conception), of a Kshatriya until the completion of the twenty-second, and of a Vaisya until the completion of the twenty-fourth. II.38

After those (periods men of) these three (varnas - classified by their deeds and not by birth) who have not received the sacrament at the proper time, become Vratyas (outcastes), excluded from the Savitri (initiation) and despised by the Aryans. II.39

With such men, if they have not been purified according to the rule, let no Brahmana ever, even in times of distress, form a connection either through the Veda or by marriage. II.40

Let students, according to the order (of their varnas), wear (as upper dresses) the skins of black antelopes, spotted deer, and he-goats, and (lower garments) made of hemp, flax or wool. II.41

The sacrificial string of a Brahmana shall be made of cotton, (shall be) twisted to the right and consist of three threads; that of a Kshatriya of hempen threads; and that of a Vaisya of woollen threads. II.44

A Brahmana shall carry, according to the sacred law, a staff of Bilwa or Palasa; a Kshatriya, of Vata or Khadira; and a Vaisya, of Pilu or Udumbara. II.45

Having taken a staff according to his choice, having worshipped the sun and walked round the fire, turning his right hand towards it, the pupil should beg alms according to the prescribed rule. II.48

His girdle, the skin (which serves as his upper garment), his staff, his sacrificial thread, and his water-pot he must throw into water, when they have been damaged, and take others, reciting sacred formulas. II.64

The ceremony called Kesanta (clipping the hair) is ordained for a Brahmana in the sixteenth year from conception; for a Kshatriya, in the twenty-second; and for a Vaisya, two years later than that. II.65

This whole series of ceremonies must be performed for females also, in order to sanctify the body, at the proper time and in the proper order, but without the recitation of sacred texts. II.66

The nuptial ceremony is stated to be the Vedic sacrament for women (and to be equal to the initiation). Serving the husband (equivalent to) the residence in the house of the teacher, and the household duties (the same) as the daily worship of the sacred fire. II.67

Thus has been described the rule for the initiation of the twice-born, which indicates a (new) birth, and sanctifies. II. 68

Without the Upanayana none could call himself a twice-born. One who would not undergo these ceremonies (Samskara) was excommunicated and debarred from all the privileges of the race. The initiation was a passport to the literary treasures of the Hindus. It was also a means of communion with the society, because without it none could marry an Aryan girl. Thus the Hindu ideal made universal education the indispensable test and insignia of their community. The most striking fact in connection with the Upanayana is that by virtue of its performance the initiated ranked as Dvija or twice-born.

This transformation compares well with the Christian rite of baptism, which is regarded as a sacrament and carries with it a spiritual effect to reform the life of man. If we look beneath the surface of the ceremonies, we cannot but recognise in it the ex-pression of a deep human conviction that man, due to his contact with the world, loses his native purity, and that he must be born again to enter the spiritual kingdom again.

The Acharya (teacher) tied round the waist of the youth the girdle with the verse, "Here has come to me, keeping away evil words, purifying mankind as a purifier, clothing herself by power of inhalation and exhalation, with strength, this sisterly goddess, the blessed girdle." The girdle was made of triple cord, which symbolised that the student was always encircled by the three Vedas.

After the tying of the girdle came the most important item of the samskara, the investing the student with the Sacred Thread. The very name of the Sacred Thread, "Yajnopavita" supplies a clue to its original nature.

The Sacred Thread is spun by a virgin Brahmana girl and twisted by a Brahmana. The composition of the Sacred Thread is full of symbolism and significance. Its length is ninetysix times as the breadth of the four fingers of a man, which is equal to his height. Each of the four fingers represents one of the four states the soul of a man experiences from time to time, namely, waking, dreaming, dreamless sleep and absolute Brahmanhood (Turiya or the fourth state). The three folds of the cord are also symbolical. They represent the three Gunas (Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas) reality, passion and darkness, out of which the whole universe is evolved. It was done, so that the Sattwaguna or the good quality of reality may predominate in a man, and so he may attain spiritual merits. The three cords remind the wearer that he has to pay off the

Three Debts he owes:
1.To the Rishis (ancient seers),
2.To the ancestors and
3.To the gods.

The three cords are tied together by a knot called Brahma-granthi, which symbolises Brahma, Vishnu and Siva (the trinity of gods, Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer). Besides, extra knots are made in the cords to indicate the various Pravaras of a particular family.

The Acharya (teacher), while investing the student with the Sacred Thread repeats an appropriate Mantra, asking for strength, long-life and illumination for the boy, the boy looking, in the meanwhile, towards the sun. A Brahmachari (student) can put on only one set of the Sacred Thread. A householder is given privilege to wear two, one for himself and one for his wife. There are different methods of wearing the Sacred Thread at different occasions. While performing an auspicious ceremony one should be Upaviti, that is, the Sacred Thread should hang from his left shoulder. At the performance of some inauspicious ceremony one should be Prachnaviti, that is, the Sacred Thread should hang from the right shoulder; and at times he is called Niviti when the Sacred Thread is worn round the neck like a garland.

Is God Dead?

I am just reproducing an argument Albert Einstein had with his Professor on the above subjectThis story was in circulation since long in internet. I am just reproducing that.

The professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From...God...

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No , sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelled your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't. (The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, megaheat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.
Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light.... But if youhave no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the
argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelled it?.....No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it, sir.. The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

Monday 3 September 2007

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's Speech

This has come several rounds in the internet. Still, as the memory of the public is very short, i felt it sharing after a decent gap. So the public speech of Dr. APJ Kalam goes.....

I have three visions for India. In 3000 years of our history people from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds.

From Alexander onwards, the Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other nation. We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their culture, and their history and tried to enforce our way of life on them.

Why? because we respect the freedom of others. That is why my first vision is that of FREEDOM. I believe that India got its first vision of this in 1857, when we started the war of independence. It is this freedom that we must protect and nurture and build on.

If we are not free, no one will respect us. My second vision for India is DEVELOPMENT. For fifty years we have been a developing nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed nation. We are among top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have 10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are falling. Our achievements are being globally recognized today. Yet we lack the self-confidence to see ourselves as a developed nation, self-reliant and self-assured. Isn't this incorrect?

I have a THIRD vision. India must stand up to the world. Because I believe that unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. Only strength respects strength. We must be strong not only as a military power but also as an economic power. Both must go hand-in-hand.

My good fortune was to have worked with three great minds - Dr.Vikram Sarabhai of the Dept.of space, Professor Satish Dhawan, and Dr. Brahm Prakash, father of nuclear material. I was lucky to have worked with all three of them closely and consider this the great opportunity of my life.

I see four milestones in my career:

ONE: Twenty years I spent in ISRO. I was given the opportunity to be the project director for India's first satellite launch vehicle, SLV3. The one that launched Rohini. These years played a very important role in my life of Scientist.

TWO: After my ISRO years, I joined DRDO and got a chance to be the part of India's guided missile program. It was my second bliss when Agni met its mission requirements in 1994.

THREE: The Dept. of Atomic Energy and DRDO had this tremendous partnership in the recent nuclear tests, on May 11 and 13. This was the third bliss.
The joy of participating with my team in these nuclear tests and proving to the world that India can make it, that we are no longer a developing nation But one of them. It made me feel very proud as an Indian. The fact that we have now developed for Agni a re-entry structure, for which we have developed this new material - A Very light material called carbon-carbon.

FOUR: One day an orthopedic surgeon from Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences visited my laboratory. He lifted the material and found it so light that he took me to his hospital and showed me his patients. There were these little girls and boys with heavy metallic calipers weighing over three Kg. each, dragging their feet around. He said to me: Please remove the pain of my patients. In three weeks, we made these Floor reaction Orthosis 300 gram calipers and took them to the orthopedic centre. The children didn't believe their eyes. From dragging around a three kg. load on their legs, they could now move around! Their parents had tears in their eyes. That was my fourth bliss!




Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them.

Why? We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat. We are the second largest producer of rice. Look at Dr.Sudarshan; he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters. I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert land into an orchid and a granary.

It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news. In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.

Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign TVs. We want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 years old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is: She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with vengeance. Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.....................

YOU say that our government is inefficient. YOU say that our laws are too old. YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage. YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke, the airline is the worst in the world, and mails never reach their destination. YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. YOU say, say and say.

What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS.
Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground Links as they are.

You pay $5 (approx. Rs.60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU comeback to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity. In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, "see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else." YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 kmph) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, "Jaanta hai sala main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?).I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost." YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.

Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU - who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own! You - who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. You can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country why cannot you be the same here in India.


Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay Mr.Tinaikar had a point to make. "Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place," he said. "And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that here?"

He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place or are we going to stop to pick an up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms. We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff that is known not to pass on the service to the public.

When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse - "It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry." So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand. Or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system.

When New York becomes insecure we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system.

Our conscience is mortgaged to money. Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.
"ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY"

Self - Awareness

The greatest gift nature has bestowed on us is "self-awareness" – the ability to know what is happening in us at any given point of time! This faculty of knowing oneself is not given to plants and animals and hence they do not know that they exist. Obviously they can not modify their way of life or behavior at their will. This explains why the plants and animals are as they are for many millions of year. The concept of evolution and civilization doest and can not exist in their kingdom!

This faculty when used can help to bring dramatic changes in ones behavior at will. Every human being is unique in their own way and that is the plan of the nature! What we are today is the result of various conditioning that happened right from the day we came into this planet. The parents teachers , society and religion are the mediums through which we have been conditioned. The beliefs and values ultimately guide us as the light house. Some of the conditionings are good and some of them are bad and hence needs change.

Unless until the un-conditioning of the mind takes places, we will be helpless to modify our behavior. The un-conditioning is the reverse process of conditioning. This can be achieved only with the faculty of "Self-awareness". The following steps will help to modify our behavior at our choice using the faculty of "self-awareness":

1. The first step is to catch ourselves about the particular behavior of ours that is unacceptable to us and acts as a stumbling block for our material and spiritual growth. (both are complimentary to each others!!!)

2. The second step is to believe that any behavior of ours can be changed at our will. This is the biggest gift nature has given to human beings to evolve.

3. Identify the faculty of self-awareness present in you with which you can witness all that is happening in you through out the day. This is what Lord Buddha calls as "Witnessing" and this can not be done by animals! Please imagine that you are sitting in your balcony and watching the
traffics with out getting involved in judgements. Here the witnessor is "you" and the traffic is the thoughts that comes and goes in your mind.

4. Having developed the ability to catch what is happening in you at any point of time , you are ready to work on the behavior.

5. We need to consciously shift our paradigm - the new belief frequently and remind ourselves of our project to modify our chosen behavior - for example - not to get triggered by un-controlled anger.

6. Catch yourself just before the emotion can take over from you. This can be done through self-awareness and constant witnessing.

7. Exercise your will to chose a different response than the usual stereotyped response of yours. Soon people will find lot of change in your pattern of behavior and you will start getting positive feedbacks.

8. Having succeeded in one behavioral change of yours, now take another and another and so on!

God bless you for a successful future through self-awareness and evolution of personality.

A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back.

Then they all turned around and every one of them went back. One girl with Down's syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better."

Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the Story,,,. Why? Because deep down we know this one thing:

What matters in this life is more than winning for us.
What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course.

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle!

Spiritual Quotient

In the mid’90s Daniel Goleman started talking EQ or emotional quotient. Danah Zoher and Ian Marshal in their recent work SQ: connecting with our spiritual intelligence observes, “While computers have IQ and animals can have EQ, it is essentially an SQ that sets human being apart.

Therefore, ‘the wheel of life’ to roll smoothly, all the spokes of the wheel –IQ, EQ, SQ represents moving from gross to subtle, infinite to finite and from tangible to intangible.

SQ has several dimensions: Compassion, wholeness, self-esteem, gratitude, spirit of surrender, service and the ego. Handling the ego is one of the critical dimensions of enhancing SQ. Ego issues, if not handled with care, can create problems in our personal, social and professional lives. Hence for better relationships, it is very important to understand and handle the ego - both of self and others.

Ego stems from our bundle of memories. It gets further reinforced when we repeatedly embrace a particular thought for extended period of time. We tend to take ‘ego position’ based on what happened to us in the past. One of the key aspects of handling the ego is to analyse the way in which our thoughts are organized because our ego is embedded deep in to our thought process.

Our thoughts are often organized in a hierarchical order. First of all there is a primary layer of thought which constitutes the core, then there is a second layer, a third layer and so on. The primary layer represents objectivity of thoughts and maturity where as the subsequent layers represents subjective interpretations often arising out of perceptions, which may be far away from reality.

One should contemplate primarily on the inner core rather than on the secondary and tertiary layer; for once we concentrate on the core thoughts, we will naturally look at the events of life more objectively. Once we are objective and deal with issues with all gentleness, care and with a satvik approach, all our transactions become free from the Ego.

J Krishnamurthy calls this state of mind as one of “All conclusive Awareness”. Staying in this state soften our ego. To handle the ego, one has to therefore promote objectivity, for, with objectivity comes truth. This in turn dilutes the ego. Once our actions originate from the depth of our heart representing the primary layer, the path for ego free relationships will be paved.

Dealing with the ego becomes easier if we can instill a spirit of ‘Surrender’ in our psyche. The environment around you becomes tranquil and peaceful. Surrendering essentially means crucification of our ego, but surrendering becomes a rather difficult and painful process because of our worldly attachments.

Krishna in the Bhagvad Gita Chapter 18 says: “fly unto him for refuge with all your being, O Bharata; by his grace you shall obtain supreme and eternal abode”

Krishna advises Arjuna to surrender his ego unto him. “The surrender unto the lord should not be a temporary self deception; it should be done with a total spirit of devotion and with a state of ego-less ness.” This was the spirit exhibited by Radha, Prahlada and Hanuman.

The surrendering of ego is often construed as weakness. On the contrary the spirit of surrender enhances our quality of goodness, which ultimately leads to godliness.

But where is God? Vedanta says He resides with in us. By surrendering the ego we will be able to perpetually experience Spiritual Actualization, leading to a higher SQ. For “we are not human beings, having spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having human experience”.

புதுமை புதிர்: குணா - பார்த்த விழி

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