In case I become famous,
I must have you in handy,
So that she'll sigh "Why did I miss this dandy?"
In paintings, I see you in elan,
in cheques, very sober, rather than.
It's tainting,
people do forgery,
their values are fainting,
I mean it, very very.
You are strong yet weak,
I still don't understand that streak.
My sign is Latin and Greek,
even to the geek!
To some, you are like ECG,
Shall I compare thee?
Nay, you are way too sleek!
Reading makes an ideal man, they say.....but writing is said to make an exact man (and woman)
Gaining knowledge through the vistas of a good book is one of the wise ways to spend one's early 20s and to sweep out boredom.
I'd read somewhere that youth is not a time for languishing in pleasure but a time for adventure. Always on, and on in search of new ideas, perspectives and dimensions of understanding anything and everything of the world around.
And what better way to adventure than to read (and write)!
As one of Amazon's bookmarks says "the bliss of being lost in another's imagination..." Quite true that.
All the ideas garnered and the opinions established tend to get you mentally saturated. And I have found that one way of bringing down that fatigue is to share with others what you have gained.
Interestingly, this exact saying is attributed to Goddess Saraswati of Hinduism:
Jiddu Krishnamurthy is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of all time.
For more than 60 years, he travelled across the world giving talks and holding dialogues, not as a guru, but as a friend.
His teachings are NOT based on book knowledge and theories, so they communicate directly to anyone seeking answers to the present world crisis as well as to the eternal problems of human existence
Given below are some of his impressions on the "New Mind"
1. Not ambitious
2. Extraordinarily active
3. Efficient
4. Questions every day
5. Intense and Passionate
6. Curious
7. Alive and unprejudiced
8. Clear, simple and strong
9. Fresh
10. Innocent and Young
11. No fear
12. Completely Awake
If a mind has these qualities, JK assures that person will be a different kind of living being.
In Sanskrit Literature, a student is encouraged to build up 5 habits: (with inputs from Gaur Gopal Das- a lifestyle coach and monk)
1. Kaaka Chesta : Efforts of a crow
Most of us have read about the story of the thirsty crow that quenched its thirst after a relentless pursuit of hard work putting stones into the pitcher. Similarly, a student needs to work hard like a crow to satisfy his/her intellectual thirst for knowledge and wisdom.
2. Bako Dhyanam: Focus of a crane
A crane is known for its keen eye on the fish. It waits patiently for a big fish, letting go of the smaller ones. Similarly in life, we need to let go of smaller and trifle issues that distract us and keep an eye on the bigger things in life like education, family and society- that too a keen, intense and focused eye.
3. Schwaana Nidra: Alertness of a dog
A Dog is said to be alert even in its sleep. An alert mind is a pre-requisite for wisdom and knowledge for it enables us to do our work and carry on our dharmic duties
4. Alpahari:
Literally, it means to "eat less". Metaphorically it means to keep a watch on the inputs from our 5 senses. In other words, let only noble thoughts come from every side.
5. Grihatyaagi:
Again literally it means to "leave home". Metaphorically, it means to leave our comfort zone as that is where the magic of growth and abundance lies.
A Scholar's Fragrance
Learned Men and Women radiate purity of knowledge and life. Being in their company is always a contentful experience, for the ones who are always happy are the ones who think the most interesting thoughts.
This quality of theirs is bound to increase with higher education as the view at the higher rungs of the scholastic ladder is better than the view from down below.
A learned man is welcome everywhere.
You can hate him or love him, but you can never ignore him.
That's the sublime nature of educated minds.
This is a poem on the opulence of the rain, penned by Kahlil Gibran...
Myriads of poetry have tried to express the divine nature of the rain. Only some of them have invigorated readers' hearts and made them sensitive to its importance, efficiency and avail.
Some of the most beautiful expressions in any language come autobiographical.
Here, the rain tells its story incorporating the things it does to nature's creations.
This analysis attempts to paraphrase the whole poem with the properties of a descriptive essay.
The rain thinks too high off itself (and why can't it). This is evident from the tone of the lines in the poem.
The intermittent fall of the rain has been crystallized by calling it dotted threads. It is dropped from heaven (the abode of God and his minions) by the gods. Here, the divine inclusion is done so as to realize that rain is a special offering from divinity itself.
Nature then takes it to adorn her fields and valleys on the blue planet. Then we have an important interesting stanza that tells us more about its origin from the places high in the troposphere.
Lord Ishtar is invoked in the same stanza. He seems to be a contradiction in himself. He's the God of War and love.
The "pearls" are then used to embellish the "garden" that is the earth.
We see the cocky demeanour of the rain in the next stanza.
It says, "when I cry the hills laugh" referring to those physical formations that get elated during rain.
The flowers rejoice and all of them make merry.
The fields and the clouds are called lovers. In this romantic association, the rain acts as an aid in their courtship.
A "messenger of mercy", it calls itself. Thunder declares its arrival and the rainbow, its departure.
The rain is like the cycle of earthly life, it begins at the feet of wild natural elements. As we all know, it emerges from the sea due to the physical process of evaporation.
When it sees a field in need, it descends to embrace it. It touches the windows with its "soft fingers" and its arrival becomes as merry as a welcome song.
"All can hear it but only the sensitive can understand" This is explained as follows: -
The smell of the rain, when it rains, is wonderfully aromatic. Rainy days are the ones that children enjoy playing, lovers exchange romantic gestures, and old people reminisce about their childhood.
The flowers show off their colours, some animals mate to give light to the next generation, etc.
There is bliss born in every creature and inanimate thing on this planet.
A sensitive and receptive mind can appreciate value which is important in the lives of God's creations.
It is understandable and natural that something of such a calibre to get cocky in a suave manner
Some of my thoughts on the poem "On His Blindness"
- by John Milton...
God works in mysterious ways.
For aeons, one question remains unanswered-- is God benefiting from humanity?
This essay tries to answer that proposition and discuss how Milton's personal experiences are universalised as justification of the ways of God to men.
Milton goes blind age of 44 (roughly half his lifetime).
Losing one's eyesight is obviously a profoundly troubling one. The blind person is suddenly at risk in all kinds of ways.
The special tragedy of this particular speaker is that he loses his sight at an unusually early stage of his life. He now inhabits a world that seems "dark" as well as "wide", thus doubly challenging.
Predicaments happen to all. Whether one gets out of it or gets inundated in it largely depends on one's outlook. Here we are given an example of a physical disability of Milton.
To help his/her creation God or nature has designed the human psyche in such a way that it has its own distinct way of compensating for a physical disability.
At the dawn of the new millennium came the news of the human genome had been decoded. All the 20,000 genes that we carry today are similar to those of our ancestors.
It is said that God or nature has given us this instinct because the need to achieve, like the need to reproduce, the need to eat, and the need to drink, is too important to be left to chance.
History shows that the hunger for achievement is a highly evolved one and undoubtedly the strongest. Humans have succeeded in the battle of survival of the fittest only due to this inherited psyche.
It has given man the throne of blue marble.
Losing one's physical ability is a deeply troubling one. For a lucky few their disability can be rectified but others find themselves in a challenging position. For the latter, it is only acceptance that takes them forward. Their worlds are depressing for a while but as they say, time heals everything.
All of us get frustrated at times and many blame the creator. Milton in his poem too gets frustrated and angry at God, but only during those periods of nebulous drift that one introspects and gets an understanding of life.
Thus, every problem is an opportunity.
At the volta of the sonnet, the answer to Milton's foolish question is given by patience- a virtue that has been decorated by Christian art because of its role in helping one to achieve courage and wisdom.
God does not need man's work (= his own gifts), it is like a child trying to feed its mother. Of course, the love is appreciated but it is obvious.
Milton, for example like a true Christian desires, to work for God by serving him, but this desire of his stems from his wish to avoid being chided on the judgment day.
Milton compares God to a king. Kings have unlimited resources, especially if they control land as large as earth (= God).
The comparison is done to contrast God with the Lord in the biblical parable.
He has plenty of minions to do their bidding. It does not matter if one fulfills the role or not.
To answer the proposition posted in the introduction, we must understand why we are on this planet. Charles Darwin made a monkey out of us and the theory of evolution given by him 150 years ago says that we are here by chance, from inanimate things life evolved; so the question of whether God benefits from humanity is answered in the negative.
They only serve him who "best bear his mild yoke".
When we exercise humble acceptance of the circumstances and rely on God to sustain us, we inevitably become stronger.
This article is based on talks given by Devdutt Patnaik in his TEDx Speech...
The beauty of Hindu mythology is that you are allowed to 'create' your own interpretation and bequeath them to others.
Think about it, each person has different ideas and notions generated by his/her own thought process. This means each and every time a different whole new perspective on the same old issue.
But, there is a central problem with India that there are more reviews than views available.
How does the concept of womanhood from Hindu scriptures stand in the 21st century India and what does it hold for India we looking to in the future?
Conjecture this, Hindu mythology talks about women, no doubt. Kali & Lakshmi give you different thoughts. Kali stands on top of Shiva, her husband, while Lakshmi is at the feet of her husband.
So, two notions, but how are we trained to see this?
The latter is a subservient woman while the former the more powerful.
So, what does the idea of womanhood in ancient Hindu land say? This article explores that based on a talk given by the world-famous Indian historian Devdutt Patnaik.
One thing that struck me was in his talk, Pattanaik, says about Ardhanareeshwra, that he is half a woman, that is the god is half the goddess. Now a question surfaces- is the goddess half the God?
Pattanaik leaves that to the listeners.
Which is the first Ramayana, Devdutt is asked. He says that it is the one the mother says to her child that is the most powerful Ramayana the child will ever hear. She incorporates her own views, prejudices, etc. and presents mélange to the child.
Should all women idolize Sita? To be a perfect woman, a perfect wife, daughter and mother? Yes, only if men will be like Rama. Only then will things start going the way we want.
When was the last time you penned a letter? Ages ago? or probably never!
To all those who skip this wonderful activity, here is a remainder- you are missing out on a beautiful experience.
Letters are the physical representation of your mental status at a particular moment in life, addressed to someone to whom you want to convey it.
Nothing like a good old letter! It would be a reminiscence of your erstwhile feelings as much as the command of your language used.
Unfortunately, the art of writing letters has depreciated with the advent of instant messaging.
A letter comes as a package packed with emotions and personal touch. letters hurtle through your mind, giving an iota of nostalgia when you read them after much water has flown under the bridge.
Letters have a Midas touch upon you when you read them. Feelings are impalpable but with the letter, things always get less complicated.
You have in your hands the feelings of another person.
In the good old days, children used to have pen pals across mighty seas and mind you, they'd say that it is one of the most engaging and riveting experiences they'd ever had.
One would be brimming with curiosity in knowing what an unknown person would like to share with them.
Both of them extract joy in this process. Letters are things of more moment that give you more of those kodak moments and Kronos time in your lives.
“If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with women” – Mahatma Gandhi.
As a ceaseless crusader of women’s equality, Mahatma Gandhi had an unshakable and profound faith in one beautiful thought – that God sent women as messengers of the gospel of non-violence.
Gandhiji’s lifelong ‘experiments with truth’ served that very purpose. According to the Mahatma, calling women the weaker sex is a false credo. He even called such a belief system an ‘injustice to women’.
He worked for a society in which women will be born empowered and not struggle for empowerment. In this realm of thought, he called women the ‘epitome of Ahimsa’.
Ahimsa, as it has been bequeathed to the modern world by Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, is the belief and practice of non-violence – the supreme dharma. Ahimsa means infinite love and infinite capacity for suffering. He felt only women could show it in the largest measure. No other pain can be compared to the pangs of labour faced by a woman.
Think of it dear reader, she actually forgets the pain in the joy of creation.
I think this is why the Mahatma had such an opinion on women.
He called out to women to participate in the national struggle for freedom. Inspired by his ideals of non-violence, women came out in large numbers to take part in big movements. For example, Civil Disobedience Movement saw the energetic, large-scale participation of women.
Their participation actually became an important feature of the movement. They used the dharma of Ahimsa to protest in marches and picket foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many even went to jail. Women began to see their participation as a sacred duty. This did not mean that they had to neglect their duties as mothers or housewives.
He rightfully recognized at the same time that a woman’s role finds completion only in motherhood and in being an equal partner in her husband’s joys and sorrows.
Not surprisingly, Gandhiji frequently invoked the great women of India like Sita, Savitri, Draupadi and Damayanti in his speeches concerning women and Ahimsa.
If we notice any purity in Gandhiji, it is only because of his mother.
His mother was instrumental in initiating him to a spiritual way of life upholding Ahimsa dharma.
Annie Besant, Oliver Schreiner, Millie Graham Polock, Margaret Cousins, Sarojini Naidu, and Sushila Nayyar are examples of women who upheld Ahimsa in India and around the world.
How can we forget Kasturba Gandhi when talking about Ahimsa?
An integral companion to Gandhiji, she was significant in his change of attitude towards women. His change from a dominating husband to a lovable partner and motivator in her life is a story that has to be read by every married man.
Gandhiji acknowledged his flaw and corrected himself. From then, as said before, he became a ceaseless crusader for women’s dignity. The first cabinet of independent India consisted of two women members only because of Gandhiji’s ideals that were followed religiously. If the world has to prosper, it is not only through the cessation of wars but through the promotion of non-violence or Ahimsa. Women have an important role to play in this regard.
There is no need to look elsewhere for motivation and empowerment when the ‘soul force’ is already innate in her- the force that brings prosperity in a non-violent way.
Ahimsa should the bedrock principle and philosophy in every person’s life and most importantly in a woman’s life for if she grows violent, a whole generation and its successors disintegrate in morality.
Women have always been on the side
of Ahimsa. Certain exceptions may be there, but women should look beyond those
vicissitudes and think long-term for solutions to a better tomorrow. It is here
where Gandhiji’s lessons should be promptly incorporated.
As always, there will be a gang of ‘intellectuals’ who say that Gandhiji’s ideals of Ahimsa are old-fashioned and not pertinent to the modern world. To all those people, I present a testimony: Recently, Ria Sharma, a 26-year-old Leeds University student started a rehabilitation venture for acid attack survivors.
I do something from 5 o'clock,
even before it yells: the cock.
I do something from 5 o'clock,
that adds years to my depleting stock.
I do something from 5 o'clock
that makes my bone, as hard as a rock.
Anyone troubling me now gets no knock,
but a long peaceful talk.
to thank the creator a tonne.
I raise my arms at 5:02,
to look up the sky - so blue.
I bend my knees at 5:03,
I feel my health on a winning spree.
I close my eyes at 5:04,
"I am Happy", I silently roar.
I touch my legs at 5:05,
Nay, I have nothing to shrive.
I start jumping at 5:06,
giving the earth - light kicks.
I end my afternoon the same way,
Through this way, all my worries, I slay.
You don’t let me sleep,
As you play in my mind like a beep.
Dear dream, what reality you hold?
Trust me, this is what I’m told:
To some, you are their past,
To the ripe, their future;
Like the mighty seas, you are vast,
Desire and Reality, you suture.
Dream and dream, as dreams transform to thoughts,
that untie those mental knots.
For an empty mind seeks pleasure,
Whereas a beautiful mind is vast beyond measure!
Thoughts result in action & good deeds give you bliss,
Trust me friends, this is something you should not
miss!
When terrorists attacked Uri,
on a day in September,
We showed them our fury,
that they’ll always remember.
The State of Kashmir is ours,
Don’t worry terrorists, we’ll soon put you behind bars.
While the terrorist is a coward,
it is our soldiers who need to be flowered.
To our Jawaans, here is a salute,
your efforts have borne fruit,
as our patriotism that day grew,
just out of the blue.
Bharat’s northernmost state,
Will always be within our gate.
There may be hundreds of them – the
death,
But we’ll keep fighting till our last breath.
With the enemy so small, yet strong;
the Men and Women in khaki and white,
I see them working all night,
in a 24-hour fight,
to ensure no virus is at the site.
We hope you’ll be safe and nothing will go wrong,
in this deadly war along.
What other praises can I say?
I salute you people - the Anti-Corona Squad,
You are nothing less than a living God!
With the spreading of the virus, insane
I know you will break the chain,
So that we end this hide-and-seek game.
Garbage garbage everywhere,
Not a spot clean.
Is this habit of pollution
Within our gene?
“Cleanliness is Godliness”,
Where has that jargon gone?
I’ve heard it since provenance;
Since pollution was born.
We should blame ourselves,
It is our shame
As we treat our environment insane.
You now know cleanliness wins,
When we throw our trash in the bins.
So why don’t we work as a team👪?
To make the surroundings gleam✨.
It’s up to you, it’s your choice,
So come on, change your poise
And “keep your surroundings clean”
Teach this virtue to our teens.👦👧
