Much Adoo about Nothing | Thoughts on Fame | Mini Series

 It has come to me as a revelation as to how stupid it is to pray for fame. Fame, I realised, is very transient. Now, this may seem like a universal truth held in various religions, but realising the temporary nature of the allure and glory of fame is an experience by itself. The people who praise you today may talk ill of you tomorrow and might even spread negativity about you the day after. 

It takes a lot of expenditure on time and energy trying to live up to the positive fame that you have created. Some people even guard their fame with their lives. This paean was not meant to say that praying for fame is wrong, but praying for fame alone is the mistake we commit. 

In other words, when you pray for fame alone, you have already given up your peace of mind and sense of self-worth to other people who, at the least, would not even care about it. 

Why you should read poems | Mini Series

 There is indeed a beauty, a simplicity in truth that can superlatively be experienced through a poem. In this sense, a poem is nothing but a doorway.

What separates poetry from prose is more a function of perception rather than mere literary infrastructure. Prose may get you hooked, dreaming and the like; but reading poetry releases you from a cage that is wide open already and always.

It is the poem that gives you access to the beyond. 

It is by far the easiest medium of transmission for some of the noblest and most pristine emotions that can occur in a human. 

Reasons are obvious- a poem is precise, it has a song to it, can be mellifluous and meaningful, thoughtful and transcedental. 

src: Google Gemini AI

Mini Series | Why you should write.

 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: 

             "Knowledge when hoarded, is reduced but when shared, grows"

Mini Series | Jiddu KrishnaMurthy | Mind

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.

We all can try to practice these qualities one by one consciously to have a mind worth admiring!

Mini-series | Characteristics of an Ideal Student

 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.

Miniseries | How Poetry Quietens the eye

When one reads any poetic work, one's mind, emotions and energies try to harmonize with the poet's literary expressions. 

Indeed a poet needs to "burn" the clamour of unnecessary thoughts to write poetry that resonates in pristine glory. This is because such thoughts reside in the milieu of all thoughts - both useful and useless. 

The essential point is to look at things the way they are and not in an interpreted or prejudiced sense. 

To grasp hold the cosmic band, and to be receptive to the emotions of the poet, needs a quiet mind. And the window to the mind is the eye; which explains why the eye loses its frenetic movement- both in reality and metaphorical sense

Mini series | A Scholar's Fragrance

 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.