Few months ago in Gangotri, i met Fabrice who is from france. We trekked together for three days and became good friends. He has lived an extremely adventurous life and would need a seperate book to describe all what he has done. Just to give a hint , he spent 6 long months among the nomads in Ladakh. Other travels are equally crazy. I hope he writes soon about it.Since we both were in Delhi , we decided to meet again and visit Akshardham together. From past experience i was aware that Akshardham is heavily crowded during weekends and if you can weekdays are best to go for finishing everything soon. We reached Akshardham and due to normal rush quickly finished all security checks and i started showing him the place. Its marvellously developed and more than than 12 million man hours of 900 skilled craftsmen have created this magnificent monument. The sanctum sanctorum of temple is extremely beautiful and mind stops to wonder at the beauty of the place. I dont remember having seen any more beautiful architecture in my life.
We passed through sahajanand which was an exhibition on goal of life as portrayed by Neelkantha ji, the founder of Swami Narayan sect. Neelkantha ji's life details have been presented using the latest modern technologies and creativity. It appears that events portayed are happening in the front of the viewer. We soon passed through India exhibition, where details of contribution of India are beautifully portrayed. In not so recent past, India had mastered the art of surgery and had many world renowned universities like Nalanda and Takshashila. Again full marks to the creativity in their portrayal. The star attaraction of the place was the evening water show and upanishadic story. Using ultra modern technolgy the show is intricately designed. Fabrice explaimed that its the best water show he has seen till date. I overheard an american too saying he has seen nothing like it. I approached him and explained soon the significance of the upanishadic story which was portrayed in the water show.
When both the american tourist and my french friend fabrice exclaimed that have seen nothing like it, i was a proud host. We have enough places of glories to become a world's tourist attraction but its sad that they have not been portrayed well. What Akshardham has done can be reciprocated in major tourist cities to make experience of India more lovable and remarkable for tourists who visit India. Whenever i meet tourists from abroad and i have met many, i try to follow the ancient teaching of atithi devo bhavah i.e, guest is God. Once while travelling with an israeli couple and on realising the boy was sick, i arranged in the bus so that he can sleep. Days later i received a mail of thanks from them. True potential of India is much more than can be imagined today. I am sure the words of Swami Vivekananda of India becoming a vishwa Guru will be realised one day and each one of us has to play a part in that. India is not just a country, its a consciousness. And i belive that unless you connect with spiritual India, you have not seen much about India. Just one last thing to one who is reading the blog, any day if you are feeling depressed or sad or are unsure about your life, spend a day in Akshardham and you are sure to feel better.#IncredibleIndia
Many of those who thought world will not run without them are below the grave today, yet the world is running. The political bigwig who once controlled the political destiny of India, for whose son even Prime minister said i am ready to work under leadership of your son. And Union ministers used to curry favour by calling her as “Desh ki Maa” and when her son in law was attacked, he was fiercely defended by every political member seeking elevation. Who figured among the topmost powerful women of the world. Today she was humbled by court and has been released on bail on charges of corruption and forgery.
Man deludes himself and considers himself as all powerful and all controlling yet time humbles all. Women who are proud of their beauty are humbled by time. Men proud of their physique and intelligence are humbled by time. Kings become paupers and paupers are too seen to become kings.
What to say of normal humans even continents move in time. What is Asia today was attached to Africa once in time. What is Sahara today the greatest desert was once a fertile land with rivers. Once a flourishing city Dwarika today lies submerged under sea.
We are born in time and vanish in time. We know nothing about our existence before birth and not know what will happen after death. They say earth was created 4.6 billion years ago. Time existed then too. If we can go back till infinity in time ( which logically we can) then even our existence is in doubt. More one tries to understand time , more one is confounded.
Whenever man sings in conceit
Among all only i can do this feat
Time smiles and says my dear son
in Past you cried and said i cant run
you said, you must be a wretched fool
but then I knew, you will also rule
Today you again hop and sing
But till when is next suffering
Since eternity time is keeping watch
He is the watch, He is the watch
Many will come in future as they came in past
In the flow of time is moving our raft
From whence i came and where will i go
Its a great mystery and i dont know
Who else can make diamond from coal
O time, you play a powerful role.
You are not born in past yet you exist
I try hard but can't see through this mist
Fresh in Delhi after staying for many years in Europe i was completely relying on the metro system for travel. Metro system of delhi has better frequency than any rail systems i have seen in world be it of Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Vienna or Budapest. I think our metro system is among the best in world and i found that colour identification of route has been taken from Italy(Milan).
Nevertheless to feel at home, I decided to explore the bus system also :-) . Although metro was available i queried for the bus for my route and soon boarded it. Bus was fairly crowded and was barely able to move and was stuck around conductor seat. Had recently got some food coupons from my company and they were in my pocket along with one ten rupee bill. With great difficulty i purchased a ticket for Rs 5 and kept ticket and change(coins) in pent pocket. I asked something about the route from a traveller but he looked perturbed and didn't reply anything which was strange. They were around 3-4 people together and deboarded at next stop.
Some time later after many people had deboarded and bus was somewhat less occupied, i noticed some papers on bus floor. On closer look i found that they were the food coupons i had in my pocket. I picked them from the floor and found all to be intact. I was able to connect the dots now. The person whom i had enquired was actually a picpocketer. With his one hand he was holding the railing and with the other hand on his chest hidden behind the other hand he emptied my shirt's pocket. However after fleecing my shirt he found just worthless papers and threw them on bus floor with disgust. Wish i had some currency notes too so that he would not have thought me as Kangla (One with no money :P ). Since it was morning i wasted his “boni” too :) (No english word for it, Its a belief in rural India that if your first task is failure you will meet failure the whole day).
However if he was educated and would have known that using food coupons he could have got excellent food or could have even sold them for money. He had the skills of theft but no education and he lost this deal. I feel sorry for you dear friend. Wish i had some currency notes for you :). Anyways get educated and leave this profession :-)
P.S : Some afterthoughts.
1. If you realise that you are being fleeced in Delhi buses dont react impatiently. They are in group and may attack you. Just move away from them and raise alarm.
17 Dec 2015 - Delhi :
Whatever you believe you start seeing that thing outside. How many times it has happened with you that you expect a question to come in exam and during the exam you end up misunderstanding a question(due to you trying to expect something). If something is going on in your mind, you answer it on that basis and not on what the person has asked.
Last night before sleeping i set up an alarm to wake up early morning at 4 am and the last thought that i had was to wake up at 4 am on hearing the alarm. Soon in time Alarm rang, and in half sleep stage (when my consciousness is still in dream world and yet to become aware of the visible world) i dismissed the alarm. I was feeling tired and decided to sleep a little more. I looked at time and it was 4 am. I remained in bed and decided to sleep a little more. Woke up after some time and looked at my digital watch it said the time as 4.45 am. My roommate in next room was awake and it was unusual as he normally wakes up at 9 AM. Did he not sleep the whole night ? Unusually today i was feeling tired and decided to use the bathroom. While using the bathroom i checked my mobile and saw the time as 11 pm. OMG .. what has happened ? I was shocked. I came to know then the alarm bell i wake up to was actually a call from a friend which i had dismissed and the time i saw later was a projection of my mind which wanted to believe it was 4. I only saw the minute part of digital watch and made up the hour part. i.e 11.45 became 4.45.
Now look at this image and see the train will follow your expectations. Direction of train will depend upon your desire and way of looking.
Did you get it ? If not please try again.
Sometime i wonder if everything that we see is influenced by our way of perception. If perception depends upon perceiver , what is this world? Is this world really Maya as the vedantic scriptures declare. One sees pleasure in something while other finds pain in the same thing. Pleasure appears in sense objects yet no one is happy in the world after seeking sensual objects. Vedanta declares that when we fix the perceiver , perception becomes perfect. (Jaisi Drishti Vaisi Srishti)
A story connected with Akbar and Birbal is worth sharing here,
One day the Emperor Akbar saw a woman hugging and kissing a very dark, ugly and unattractive child. He was very surprised to see that. He thought and thought but could not think why? He asked Birbal that why she was doing that to such an unattractive child. Birbal replied innocently, “Huzoor, he must have been her own child. For every mother her own child is the most beautiful child in the world.”
The Emperor did not seem to be convinced with this explanation, and Birbal had guessed this from the Emperor’s face. Next day, in the presence of the Emperor, Birbal ordered a Guard to present the most beautiful child in the world in the court. Next day, the Guard brought a more unattractive and ugly child with buck teeth and his hair stood like a porcupine and presented to the Emperor. “This is the most beautiful child in the world, Your majesty.” the Guard stammered.
The Emperor asked, “How do you know that he is the most beautiful child in the world?” “Your Majesty, I went home and posed my problem to my wife. She told me to bring our child to the court.” the Guard replied meekly.
P.S : Regarding the friend who called from today onwards i will consider him as close friend as only a close friend can disturb so late -:).
Opposition has a pertinent role in a democracy and is part of checks and balances of democracy. However today the role of opposition has been reduced to opposing anything the government is doing. This has caused huge loss to India as important legislations like GST, Electricity Bill, Real Estate Regulation bill are pending to be passed.
Parliament session is on verge of being wiped out and huge taxpayer money is at stake, as each minute of running Parliament in sessions costs Rs 2.5 lakh.
Parliament's principal purpose is to debate , discuss and legislate on laws which affect the whole country. While the responsibility of passing the legislations lies with the government in power, the responsibility to behave in national interest lies with individual members who are each representing a part of India.
It appears opposition wants to stop all development so that they can later claim that #AccheDin never came. It might work for them but will decelerate India and we wont allow this to happen.
Citizens came out today protesting against the opposition's “opposition for the sake of opposition” and participated in #SansadChalneDo or#LetParliamentRun march today to make their point. I hope our legislators listen and parliament is able to do its business.
If there has to be intolerance let it be towards corruption. #LetParliamentRun #SansadChalneDo
Yesterday night i slept at 10
o clock with the thought of getting up at 3 am. I struggled to sleep
and later ended up postposing the alarm to 3.30 to be able to
complete my 5 hr sleep. I had to do early morning mediation and
accounted thus for bus to be caught at 5am.
I saw something in night that
i was in some strange city and and lost my bag. I was reacting and
acting in the same manner i do while during the day. Later somehow i
found my bag but my purse which contained my currency collection was
not to be found. I was bewildered as it contained lot of money
including high value currency notes from Europe. Somehow a doubt
arose to me then that i have the purse with me now and while in dream
i realised that its a dream. I soon woke up and i was surprised that
it was 3 am sharp(Remember i wanted to wake up at 3 am and alarm was
set up at 3.30 am). My physical body had run for 2.30 hrs yesterday
yet i woke up when my mind wanted. Mysterious are the ways of the
mind.
What if i realise someday that
what i am watching today is also a dream. Anyways in the infinite
time my life is even smaller than a drop. Whatever can be measured
stands no place when compared to immeasureable. Vast stretch of space
and time are immeasurable infinity. Whatever a man watches and things
that he possesses them including even his body are lost when he
leaves his body. Its certain that someday what is seen and imagined
to be possessed by me shall not be there. This visible world looks
similar to the dream world in this respect. Both the visible world
and dream world appear for a finite time. One lasts for few hours and
the other for hours in waking. Against infinite times they both stand
no chance.
Also sometimes dream during
night is created due to objects from visible world. Sometimes both
are continuous. During the time dream world is experienced one does
not realise that this experience can be untrue also, however its only
after one wakes up from it that one realises that it was creation of
his mind. This belief in reality of visible world is also true and
whether it will be untrue after one leaves his body or dies is a
matter of speculation.
In dream too one imagines the
sorrow, suffering and happiness on experiencing the dream world.
Similar experiences are had when during experiencing the visible
world. Am i acting in dream ? Or i am merely witnessing. Although i
act in the same manner in dream as i would be acting during waking
state. The objects that come in dream although are not in my control
and even in this visible world objects that are seen are not in my
control and seem to have independent existence. Both the dream world
and visible world are similar in this respect.
Is this visible world too a
dream ? I dont know but one thing is certain a something obtained
during dream world can't be carried to the visible world , it is seen
that man even leaves his body when he leaves this planet. Although
deliberations like these do not add any new knowledge to the jeeva
yet jeeva realises on cogitation that what he considers so important
are actually not important. Indian philosophy has thus declared that
Dharma is of supreme importance and is only carried with the jeeva.
Therefore some ancient Indians gave all but didn't give up
Dharma(righteousness) as it can survive even the waking state.
Human race or even higher set of animal race or even higher set of living beings including plants, since time immemorial have always desired to be happy. Man desires to have more money so that he can secure his future and also flaunt his possessions. Flaunting his wealth is also a concept which he has linked to happiness. Desire for fame, power and women also have happiness as their root cause. Whatever be the activity of mankind , search for happiness is reason behind it.
HAPPINESS IS A CONCEPT
However one very interesting thing about happiness is that it follows your expectations. As a child, one gets happiness through toys. A grown up person with hobbies as stamp collection feels elated on getting rare stamps. A sportman loves when he breaks his own targets. Happiness hence follows expectation. Bhutan a relatively poor country has been found to be amongst the most happiest country in the world. Hence it can be safely said “Happiness is within and is based upon mental concept. We are setting limits to our own happiness”. Sometime getting the perfect girl is happiness and sometime later getting seperated from her is happiness. Happiness is but dependent on concepts that a person has. The soul is described as made of happiness or “Anandam” and yet its a big surprise that how come only few know real happiness.
WRONG CONCEPTS MAKE YOU MISERABLE
Nevertheless, Man in ignorance has come to believe that getting more money leads to happiness even if it is earned by using foul means. While desire to have more money is natural for most, when wrong means are used it eventually leads to misery. For a wise one who is awake he can see that money earned using wrong means lead to misery from beginning to end. One is always afraid that he might be caught, looses his self respect and it is seen that money using foul means is not respected and leads to corruption of family members. One ends up living a very artifical life on surface.
A SAD INCIDENT
I am reminded of a story of an IAS officer from Bengal who was involved in chit funds scam and unable to bear pressure of investigation ended up committing suicide. Just imagine what troubles he would have gone through earning money using foul means. Later on protecting that money would have been difficult. His troubles were exacerbated when investigations into the scam were started and day and night he would have thought how to save himself. Day and night pondering on how to save himself might have increased stress until he could take no more and ended up committing suicide. Oh my God, what a sad life. Pain from beginning to end. Just one wrong concept that more money is more happiness and not looking at life holistically made it miserable.
Living a life with character will earn you something infintely beautiful and that is “Self respect”. When one respects himself he is able to hold his head high and walks with confidence in all circumstances. His eyes have a spark of life. Such a man not only contributes to his well being here and hereafter, he also contributes to emancipation of society. Even after he leaves this earth he is remembered for his good deeds and contribution. He may face some difficulties in standing up to his ideals but very soon he gains strength to overcome all difficulties. Ancient Indians discovered this by observing this though centuries and declared “Yato Dharma Tato Jaya” i.e “Where there is righteousness there is victory”. Such a wise man eventually discovers about himself and eventually realises “Who he is really”. He automatically lives a life in conformity with all scriptures and has an amazing relationship with himself.
One should therefore not be moved by temporary temptations and know with the deepest core of his being that where there is dharma there is victory.
Few months ago in
Germany, i was on travelling spree and Budapest was to be my next
destination. It was after work on a friday evening and i reached the
bus stand with my lugagge for my next 2 days trip. As there was not
much time for a proper dinner i decided to buy some fruit juices and
bread to satisfy my hunger. I rushed for the nearby Indian shop and
quickly selected my goods and stood at the counter for my turn for
billing.
A person was ahead
in queue and i remembered the face as familiar one. However i soon
dismissed these thoughts and concentrated on on my travel plans and
my bus which was to depart in next few minutes. The person ahead of
me bought beer (Yes unlike India, Alcohols are sold in local general
stores) . When he was being billed he offered all the money in coins
of small denominations. Looking at the unique nature of his payment
it immediately striked to me that he is the begger who begs near the
Frankfurt railway station.
Once the identity of
person was clear to me i wondered, this person begs all day and in
the evening spends all the money (or a major portion) on alcohol. He
tries to emulate an object of pity in order to invoke compassion and
in night he uses the money earned in this manner on alcohol. Alcohol
today has made him an object of compassion. He thinks he is drinking
alcohol but its the alcohol which is actually drinking him. I
wondered “Who is drinking whom”.
In India too we have
many such people especially in the lower income groups who spend most
of their hard earned income. A man toils all day only to fritter away
the hard earned money in this manner. Yesterday morning on noticing
that my Rikshaw puller was drunk even in early morning i told him, do
you know this is harmful for health. He said “Bhaiya sab jaante
hain lekin ab chodi nahin jaati” (Sir, everybody knows that it is
harmful but i cant leave it now). These habits once acquired dont
leave a man easily.( offcourse supreme will power can achieve
anything).
Man seeks
everything for happiness and he mistakenly believes that alcohol
gives him happiness. Some people start acting as life gurus and
advice young men to enjoy and drink. However on close look there is
no happiness in it. Once one of my friend was heavily drunk and spent
his whole night in bathroom vomiting. When i saw him during middle of
night, his face was inside bathroom pot. Another one got intense
desire to urinate, opened his wardrobe and urinated on his clothes
:). I have also seen countless friends promising to never drink again
when their head reels in hangover only to realise that they are
helpless against this vicious habit.
A person with weak
will power remains a slave to his instincts and can not realise the
purpose of his human existence and forever remains bound to the
world. I would like to ask young men reading this to be aware of the
harms of Alcohol. Not only it takes away your hard earned money, it
takes something much precious that is your enthusiasm and health.
With good health and cheerful mind, my friends you can win the whole
world. With control on yourself happiness is yours at all times.
P.S : This post has not been written with an intention to offend anyone but my intention behind this is to to show the true picture of an alcoholic naked of all glory, that sometimes is imagined. This glorification is especially harmful for my young friends who are the future of my country and also our existence on earth.
The
article is titled with this ancient vedantic sutra which means
whatever you can see is susceptible to be destroyed by time. This
vedantic aphorism intends to make it clear to the spiritual aspirant
that visible objects with whom he is so attached, shall not last
long as the objects themselves are ephemeral. Hence attachment that
is today will certainly result in pain once the object is destroyed
(read transformed) by time.
However
today i am here to speak about some realisations that i got from a
movie “Drishyam” that i watched few mins ago. It was beautifully
picturised and is an amazing suspense thriller. A movie by its very
design engrosses you in its scenes and characters. Pain and pleasure
showcased by characters is felt by the person watching the movie. But
i didnt experience any such emotions as i had already read the whole
script of the suspense movie on the wikipedia :). Its not a good idea
to know the script of a suspense movie before watching it, but as a
result of this some realisations clicked about this movie of life. If
you are already aware of the script of this life movie nothing can
touch you. After a number of experiences i am convinced that future
telling is a possibility and the world is not just an accident. Some
years ago when a colleague of mine who harbours an interest in
astrology predicted a future event which happened exactly as his
predictions surprised me. Patanjali Yoga sutra also talks about
siddhis of trikaldarshi in which an evolved yogi can see past and
future perfectly. I have read , heard and seen many yogis who have
some siddhis like mind reading and prediction of future among others.
Even Jesus christ, yogi of west knew all that was to happen to him .
If future is already decided then the world is more like a movie
rather than an evolving planet.
In the
movie Drishyam, Ajay Devgan skillfully saved his daughter from being
prosecuted for the accidental death of a boy who died due to her.
Ajay created a perfect other story to present that his family was not
even in town when this accident happened. Although this was not true
but his facts made it appear this (what is seen)“drishyam” as
true. Whatever we know and perceive about this world depends upon
what we see with out 5 sense organs and logically conclude. So its
possible that whatever we know and perceive about the world is just a
projection and untrue. Confused ? Ok just remember that vedanta talks
about world as a dream as real or unreal as the dream we see in
night. Just as when you awake from the night dream you realise that
dream experiences have not touched you , in the similar manner when a
person awakes from this he realises this experience also as dream.
One doesnt remember events before his birth and after his death, in
this infinite existence of time and space 100 years is like a drop.
OM.
We come in this world through parents but know nothing about where we have come from and where do we intend to go. A newborn opens his eyes and starts wondering about the visible world. He sees the familiar objects which feeds, loves and cares for him and soon calls them as mother and father. The goals and aspirations of a growing child are the product of how his individuality adapts to his surrounding environment with which he associates. He starts running a race to seek this and that depending upon his aspirations which are awoken through association with his immediate outside world. For ex i became an engineer because i came to know that good students should become engineers. Next was the desire for a good job which will help me satisfy my desires. We all know beyond doubt that life on earth is transient but seem to overlook this fact in running behind this and that. We seem to avoid the basic question “Who we are ?”
Seeking an answer to this basic question has led to development of various philosophical systems. One of the foremost tools in helping one answer the question of “Who am I” is vedantic technique of “neti neti”. Neti is a sanskrit word and is formed after joining “Na” and “Iti” which means “not” and “this” respectively. The technique does not answers directly the question “Who am I” but removes the false associations that “I” has deluded himself to think. After all false associations are removed it is said that “I” shines on its own accord as sunlight reaches the earth once clouds are removed.
YOU ARE NOT THE BODY
One of the foremost doubts that a person has his considering himself just as the body. The illusion is so strong that the birth and death of the body is taken as the birth and death of the individual. The person even from his birth is greeted by outside world who say that he is looking good or bad and gradually a man begins to take himself as the body however on enquiry this is found to be incorrect. Lets enquire into it.
If the I is the body then does the “I” sense also suffer harm when physical body suffers harm. For ex Man who loose their limbs in accidents dont suffer any incompleteness in sense of I.
The body initially was of the size of an ostrich egg at birth and grows bigger later. The sense of “I” does not grows with the body and remains static. Food which is taken becomes part of body. Food inturn comes from earth so in reality earth becomes body. What was earth yesterday has become body today. Earth becomes the body and body later become earth.
When a man is dreaming during sleep, he although does not have a body but still the sense of I is there. The feeling that “I” was there persists even through the dream.
I therefore cant be body. Who am I then ?
This is the biggest wrong association and when it collapses it takes away all other associations with persons, job and emotions along with it. Nevertheless lets ponder on other associations.
YOU ARE NOT YOUR ROLE
People also often identify themselves with the role that time gives them. A person who takes cares of his child often takes the role of a mother and identifies herself with it. A little pondering on it will reveal that role is something which does not touches sense of “I”.
When someone is asked who you are ? The person often replies the role that he is playing. When a person who is working as a software engineer is asked who you are ? He replies that i am a software engineer. This also is not correct because if he leaves the job of software engineer I will still remain.
Pondering on these questions remove the false "I" and what remains shines as real "I".
It happened around 3 years ago in Lucknow when me and my friend Rohendra were doing a 4 day advanced meditation course of Art of Living in Lucknow. As service helps to purify the intellect, every participant was assigned certain service for an hour every day. Rohendra had tried to lift a heavy carpet alone and suffered back pain, however he chose to silently bear it. Since we were in silence so there was no way that he could share it with anyone. Next day as part of course we were instructed to delay breakfast as some doctors of Nadi Pareeksha were to come and examine the participants state. Pulse diagnosis is better on empty stomach as otherwise food digestion disturbs the normal pulse flow. Me and Rohendra silently waited for our turn(we had no option as we were in silence :) ). Doctor diagnosed the pulse and started giving his analysis on ailments and general condition of the body. He first of all told about the prakriti (Nature) of person. I was surprised when he said that Prakriti largely determines how a human being behaves. His analsyis of mine pretty astonished me for its correctness. He was able to predict the condition of stomach, some diseases like cold with which i usually suffered. He also told about some future diseases that might happen with my body and prescribed Ayurvedic medicines to balance my doshas (impurities in body). He said balancing the doshas would ensure that the seeds of the diseases wont sprout in the body.
Few days later after the course had ended, me and Rohendra had discussion about Nadi Pareeksha examination. Like me Rohendra too was satisfied with the diagnosis. He shared something which will indelibly remain a part of my memory, doctor by merely examining his pulse has also told him about his temporary back pain that he had acquired.
Since then i have always got myself diagnosed from time to time and followed the prescription of Naadi Pareeksha chikitsik. The Ayurvedic medicines dosctor prescribes are free from side effect and lead to general well being of body. Practising yoga since last 9 years regularily and taking Ayurvedic prescriptions from time to time has ensured that body functions well and rarely there is need to visit a doctor. Infact in last 7 years i have visited doctor only 2 times and both the times it was for getting a medical certificate which was required by my workplace. I have discovered that balanced living and living close to nature, gives a gift of health and sense of well being which is normally unseen in an adult.
Interested as i was i started enquiring more about Nadi Pareeksha and its origin. Nadi Pareeksha as a technique was very famous in ancient India and used by nawabs too. India had few very accomplished doctors who were reknowned for their expertise. A nawab wanted to mock a doctor and invited him to diagnose his wife. Since there was a rule in muslim world that an outsider male can not hold the hand of female hence a thread was to be tied to female hand and given to doctor. The Nawab with an intention to mock the doctor instead tied the thread to the leg of a goat. The doctor examined the pulse and said, this pulse is not of a human but of a goat and the goat is 3 months pregnant.
Naadi Pareeksha is an established traditional medication system and I feel that even medical doctors should be taught the art of pulse diagnosis along with other medicines. Treatment through Ayurveda should be given priority. While this will reduce the financial burden of expensive medicines on those who cant afford, it shall also shover on people the gift of good health. We will also be developing the culture of coming near to nature by promoting Ayurvedic medicines which are created from tree preparations.
In these troubled times when religious fanaticism threatens the existence of peace, Chicago address of Swami Vivekananda has much to offer to the world.
This was an event which i organised in Frankfurt and this address of Abhinandan where he emulated Swami Vivekananda Chicago address was inspiring to all. Swami ji's message is very much relevant even today due to never before seen multiculturalism due to enhanced modes of communication and travel in this era and has brought societies closer.
Sisters and Brothers of America,
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.
My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance.
We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."
The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth.
They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.
The World's Parliament of Religions has become an accomplished fact, and the merciful Father has helped those who labored to bring it into existence, and crowned with success their most unselfish labor.
My thanks to those noble souls whose large hearts and love of truth first dreamed this wonderful dream and then realized it. My thanks to the shower of liberal sentiments that has overflowed this platform.
My thanks to this enlightened audience for their uniform kindness to me and for their appreciation of every thought that tends to smooth the friction of religions. A few jarring notes were heard from time to time in this harmony. My special thanks to them, for they have, by their striking contrast, made general harmony the sweeter.
Much has been said of the common ground of religious unity. I am not going just now to venture my own theory. But if any one here hopes that this unity will come by the triumph of any one of the religions and the destruction of the others, to him I say, "Brother, yours is an impossible hope." Do I wish that the Christian would become Hindu? God forbid. Do I wish that the Hindu or Buddhist would become Christian? God forbid.
The seed is put in the ground, and earth and air and water are placed around it. Does the seed become the earth, or the air, or the water? No. It becomes a plant. It develops after the law of its own growth, assimilates the air, the earth, and the water, converts them into plant substance, and grows into a plant.
Similar is the case with religion. The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth.
If the Parliament of Religions has shown anything to the world, it is this: It has proved to the world that holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character.
In the face of this evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and the destruction of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart, and point out to him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written in spite of resistance: "Help and not fight," "Assimilation and not Destruction," "Harmony and Peace and not Dissension."
My
city Aligarh was selected as a smart city in the list of 100 smart
cities of my country. I was invited to give a presentation on the
same and am very happy that my long experience in Europe was of some
help to my birthplace.
Frankfurt has regulaily featured among top 5 livable cities of the world and i gave a introduction of a smart city to the administration and people based on my travel and stay in Europe. I was lucky to have top administration of Aligarh including ex Mayor and Nagar Aayukt on the podium.Following were the areas on which i touched in my presentation. My presentation is available to anyone who wants to have a look. Please contact me for that.
Some characterstics that may be a part of smart city are1. Robust public transport : A person should be able to go to location of his choice using public transport and dependence on private transport should be minimum. You will find good public transport in almost all cities of Europe however in USA dependence is more on private transport. US is also bigger and less populated as compared to Europe. This will also help in minimising the time people spend on travel and make them happy. We also save on petrol and diesel costs which ultimately brings our oil imports down and help improving Indian economy. We also save heavy emissions which are released in environment. Government earning revenue and providing employment to people is icing on cake.2. Wide Roads , Footpaths , Cycle Track : Wide roads ensure that cars move swiftly and their is no traffic jam.Footpath is for use of citizens who wish to walk / run for health.Cycle track is for people who cycle. To tailor this to needs of Aligarh we can have seperate track for Rikshaw on either side of roads.Possibility of parking cycle at bus stands and near tram stops (Tram is local railways) which can be underground and above ground also.3. Electricity Underground : Well lighted streets and electric cables are underground. Reliable electricity 24x7.
4. Garbage disposal : In Europe and USA cost of polythene bags is high , 15 euro cents (almost 12 Rs for one bag). This ensures that people dont throw polythene here and there. Every building has a garbage dumping area where people throw garbage after putting it in bag. Garbage is divided into degradable and biodegradable. Bags are taken away by municipality and processed outside the city and recycled.Garbage is like treasure and can be used to make manure and natural gas for fuel, other can be recycled. Polythene usage can be minimised by motivating people to use bags and by increasing the cost of bottles. In Europe Bottles can be returned for money. 25 euro cents for a plastic bottle.Liquid waste from house is managed underground. In my 4 years stay and travels i never saw a single open garbage drain.5. Greenery , Parks , Sporting complex : In every city its important that citizens can enjoy in company of nature. Children should have a place to play outdoor games. We have a naqvi park in Aligarh but many more are needed.
Exhibition ground is another park but lack of grass maked it counterproductive for health as flying dust can lead to harmful diseases. 6. Parking complex : Every shopping complex should also have facility to park vehicles and task of parking vehicle should be effortless and citizen should be happy.7. Preserving Cultural Heritage : If a city has some cultural touch like Varanasi, it can be preserved which will create a seperate identity for the city. Aligarh fort can be developed as historical place for Aligarians to see and reconnect with their past. This caters to cultural needs of citizens.8. Use of E-Services : For saving time of citizens which is spent in standing in Queues and travelling for submission of bills. There should be minimum need for a person to visit a bank or electricity company, he should rather visit park or museum or meditation centre.
After spending almost 20 days in Himalayas as i was returning by bus from Uttarkashi, i took the window seat near the entry gate. The window, gate and the wide driver screen offered me almost full view outside and i was lost in appreciating the Himalayan beauty and inhaling fresh air which i miss in New Delhi. A grey haired man who should be approximately 45 – 50 yrs, was sitting in a nearby seat in front and was discussing politics with a fellow traveller. I was enjoying the mountains but few words about him blaming government not taking new initiatives and not constructing new road routes entered my ear from time to time. He was continously telling and complaining about what government should be doing and what's not being done properly.
It was a long journey of almost 6 hours and as the moving bus negotiated a turn somewhere, i observed some movement in his hand and saw something falling from the bus. After almost a second i realised that the same man has thrown the empty plastic bottle he used outside. I was aghast and said spontaneously but respectfully “Aap sarkaar ko gaali de rahe ho aur yahan himalaya ko ganda kar rahe ho. Kaun saaf karega yahan jungle main? ” translated means, You are blaming government for everything and here you are making the himalayas dirty. Who will clean here in Jungle?”.I am usually careful when i proffer advice of any kind so that i dont trample on someone's ego as it will defeat the purpose. However i think that he realised his fault, for the rest of the journey he was silent and didnt speak a word. (I presume these were moments of introspection for him).
Some days later as i was travelling from Delhi to Aligarh in a bus, during the night. Most people were consuming groundnuts and throwing shells on the ground. I also had groundnuts at a halting station but threw the groundnut shells only in dustbin although the whole area outside too was full of shells. My fellow seatmate was looking at me with surprise as perhaps he thought it was meaningless. However small drops make up an ocean and someday perhaps the seeds of cleaniness will bear fruit.
Based on my experiences in Europe for years, i have concluded that, that part of world is cleaner because the people there are responsible and garbage is thrown only in dustbins. People and governments there are partners in making their country clean and tidy. If we consider our country to be dustbin and throw garbage wherever we like, it will become like dustbin. Its our country and if we wish to make any success in the direction of clean India, we have to inspire the mind of people to stop piling garbage and to make efforts to see that country is clean. Educated youths should skip no opportunity to provide the gyan daan of inspiring people, every such thought will be like samidha (material for yagya) in the mission of clean India and will be great service to mother India.
Lets Educate without any anger and with Humility for instructions hit deeper. I wish you all the best in your service to Mother India so that your children inherit a clean India. Jai Hind !
The story of Lord Rama is widely known not just in Indian subcontinent but also in nearby countries like Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Indonesia among others. Infact Laos is named after lava, son of Lord Rama. Ramacharitmanas written by Tulsidas, is widely known as devotional text for aide of Bhakti Yogis who seek God realization by devotional practices. While being replete with devotion, Ramcharitmanas also contains most abstruse wisdom in simplest of language.
There are number of places in Ramcharitmanas, where mind stops on its own to marvel at skill of Tulsidas to make understand the highest truth of life in simple words. One such place is Lakshaman Gita of Ayodha kand (Ayodhya canto of Ramcharitmanas).
After Lord Rama, prince of ayodhya goes to forest to fulfill the pledge of his father Dashratha. On seeing that Lord Rama the crown prince is sleeping on ground and has matted hairs like yogis , Nishadraaj (Tribal king) felt distressed. Sorrow soon turned into anger towards kaikeyi (who used an old promise to oust Lord Rama from kingdom to make his son as King). Lakshaman who was wise on watching sorrow ridden face of Nishadraja speaks in compassion.
1. Kau na kou sukh dukh kar data, Nij krit karm bhog sab brhata (Ramcharitmanas, Ayodhyasopan)
No one is the source of delight or pain for other, Everyone bears the fruits of his past actions.
Srimad Bhagvatam notes various previous events associated with Lord past incarnations and one can get a hint about the present leela of Lord Rama. The present reality as we see for us, is a result of our past actions and desires. Just as origin of dream can be traced to desires or actions of a man during waking state , one's present reality can be traced to the past lives.
2. joga biyoga bhoga bhala mandå, hita anahita madhyama bhrama phandå.
janamu maranu jaha° lagi jaga jålμu , sampati bipati karamu aru kåalu
dharani dhåmu dhanu pura parivårμu, saragu naraku jaha° lagi byavahårμu.
dekhia sunia gunia mana måhi ° , moha mμula paramårathu nåhi ° ..
Lakshman further says Nishadraj ,Union and separation,pleasurable and painful experiences, friends, foes and neutrals - snares of delusion are these. Even so birth and death, prosperity and adversity, destiny and time and all the illusion of the world; lands, houses, wealth, town and family, heaven and hell, and all the
phenomena of the world; nay, whatever is seen, heard or thought of with the mind has
its root in ignorance: nothing exists in reality
The highest knowledge which is present in advaitic texts like Yoga Vashistha can also be found above in ramcharitmanas which is primarily assumed to be devotional text. Life is compared to a long dream like the one we see at night. After one is awake, one realises that all what he felt was unreal and creation of his mind. Similarily when one awakes from this life dream, one realises that he whatever he saw is due to the mind.
3. sapane hoi bhikhåri nripu ranku nåkapati hoi
jåge° låbhu na håni kachu timi prapa≈ca jiya° joi
Suppose in a dream a beggar is crowned king or the lord of paradise is reduced
to the state of a pauper; on waking, the one does not gain nor does the other lose anything. So must you look upon this world
Reasoning thus be not angry nor blame anyone in vain. Everyone is slumbering
in the night of delusion, and while asleep one sees dreams of various kinds. In this night of mundane existence it is Yogis (mystics) alone who keep awake. Yogis who are in quest of the highest truth and remain aloof from the world. A soul should be deemed as having awoke from the night of the world only when he develops and aversion for the enjoyments of the world of sense.
One should therefore not blame anyone for his present misfortune as is perceived by him, Everyone is asleep and is propelled to perform various actions according to individual Gunas. One thinks of himself as a doer however its the Gunas which perform all activities while the individual is merely a witness. Like in presence of sun, all happenings happen in earth (Seasons, rains and movement of rivers). One should be considered as having awake from this dream if he loses all taste for enjoyment of objects of senses and thus his perception will be free of their impressions. He will thus perceive the reality as it is.
Having attended durga pooja in Frankfurt year after year which was organised by Frankfurt bengali association with great devotion and planning, i was missing celebrations this year being in Delhi. I decided to go to chittaranjan park Durga pooja which is residential place for Bengali community settled in Delhi after partition. After the partition of India, many migrants from east pakistan (present Bangladesh) settled here. The area was named after deshbandu Chittaranjan das one of the great freedom fighter.
Durgapooja is the most important festival for bengali community and is celebrated with pomp and splendour. Festive mood of calcutta during this festival is second to none and resembles “mahashivratri of Kashi” or “Holi of Vrindaban”.
The theme this year was “Ancient Rural Bengal” and the pandal was made using bamboo and jute sheets. The clay idols of devi Durga wore thermocol ornaments. Even the color used was natural colors to prevent environmental degradation after immersion of idol.
Bengal has contributed immensely to India in the past and it was said that “What bengal is thinking today, India will think 50 yrs hence”. Many spiritual and intellectual giants took birth in this land. Sri Ramkrishna paramhansa was one of the greatest devotees of Mother Kali (One of the forms of Mother Durga) and teachings and work of his foremost disciple Swami Vivekananda resulted in spiritual and political resurgence of India. Netaji Subhash chandra bose led the armed freedom struggle against the british. Aurbindo ghosh was another spiritual giant.
I hope to visit the holy land of my country at Bengal soon.
