THE PARADOX OF OUR TIMES……..

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.
We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more but learn less. We plan more but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.
Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember; say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember; to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.
Remember; to say ‘I Love You’ to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember; to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away..!”

Exploring Eternity….

After decades of ‘dormancy’ why is there is a sudden rush to the moon. Now, I have started doubting the very first landing. “Did we ever land on the moon?” The moon has been a source of allure since eons. The Russian satellite ‘Sputnik’ showed in 1957 that the space can be explored and a series of space missions followed. American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin descended on the lunar surface in 1969.
India is too on a ‘get set go’ with the Chandrayaan-1 and rarin to go with Chandrayaan-2. Forthcoming decades will witness more space missions undertaken by various countries. But the question on my mind is “Did we ever land on the moon?” I am neither a scientist nor a sympathizer but I subscribe to the Russian expert in the field. Bill Kaysing’s view that the historical landing of Americans on the moon was a hoax.
He questions why couldn’t America think of landing again even after the passage of over three decades. With the advent of fast computers and other resources. America could have recorded several trips to moon by this time. But it didn’t happen.
Stars are absent in a snap of earth taken from moon, flag is seen waving although there is no air there, multiple shadows of the same figure despite the lonely source of light that is Sun, the plaque having letters USA written on it is visible in shadow as the sun is exactly behind the satellite, he points out.
Why there is no noise of the engine when the famous line one small step of (a) man and a giant leap for mankind was uttered, he asks. The statement was re-written latter by supplying the article in brackets that had been omitted or swallowed up in transmission. The list of doubts raising everyone’s eyebrows is unending. But my rationale is different.
Scientists all over the world use the term ‘known universe’ and avoid talking about the ‘unknown’. For me, the latter matters most. Exact speed of light calculated by scientists belonging to different centuries was different.
What does it mean? That means every new scientist proved his predecessor wrong and generation after generation were taken for ride. We are still using unscientific expressions like ‘sunrise’ and ‘sunset’. Don’t we know that it is earth that revolves around the sun?
Our knowledge is finite but ignorance is infinite. It dawned on me the other day during a wordy duel with my bachmate. “Science is useless. Live telecast on TVs can take you to Sydney in Australia but often fails to show a crow dropping on your TV’s antenna,” he would say. Another intrusion: Without milestones and name plates we cannot locate which villages we are passing through during our journey even on earth. Then how can we claim that we have landed on the moon?
The duel went on but I was lost in my thoughts. Recent space explorations have revealed that there is a debris of celestial bodies around our mother earth. The lunar module might have landed on any unknown asteroid. The term ‘continuous creation’ is in vogue today. New stars are taking birth due to collisions and explosions. New solar systems are rearing their heads. Why should we explore infinite? Isn’t it better to be a part of it? Travellers of infinity and eternity should not keep track record of such small steps. I console myself!

The lighter side of exams….

The exams are finally over and it’s a sigh of relief for most of us. No more sleepless nights and no more nervous breakdowns. Well, not for sometime at least! I presume that most of us have given over a dozen exams till today, so have I. But just last night I was recalling all those times that I sat in an examination hall and the ‘specimen examinees’ that came to my mind was all worth a good laugh.
No matter how well prepared you are, there is always that little bit of apprehension every time you sit for an examination. You try your level best to remain calm. But then you bump into the worst exam specimen- the nerve rackers.
They are the ones who come up to you 15 minutes before to tell you they ‘heard’ that the question paper is going to be the toughtest it has been in the past 5 years. They will ask you if you have studied a particular question because they definitely know that it’s going to be asked. They tell you a bunch of stories and nail biting will be the best you can do. By the end of the conversation, if you’re unaware of that particular answer, you may not have any nails left!
Now, if you’re thinking that there’s only pre-examination nervousness, then please think again. Can you recall the people who come out of the exam hall and start discussing the paper?! I personally feel that nothing good ever comes about by it.
Once the exam is done and over, there’s really nothing you can do. On discussing you may realize that your answer was wrong, and that can be quite a mood spoiler.
I mean, come on guys, haven’t you heard the phrase ‘don’t cry over the spilt milk’?? Please take my not-so-expert advice…..after your exam- don’t look left or right, shut your mouth, go straight home and go to sleep. If you still desperately feel the urge to ‘discuss’ your paper, do it when all the exams are over!
The next group of specimens are somewhat rare, but they were common during my B.Sc exams. During the 3 years of my college exams, some of the examinees would come 15 minutes late. Half way through the exam, there were a few students pulled up for looking outside the window and dreaming!!
There was also a girl who would shout ‘copy’ instead of requesting for a ‘supplement’. At first I wondered if she was demanding that she be given a right to copy (cheat) or did she really want a supplement sheet?! We science students are always accused of having a casual approach towards our exams and I don’t see any reason why they should think otherwise!!
Then there’s the naughtier lot- the abettors. If I must explain- partners in crime. When I was in class 9, I remember some of my classmates rehearsing their plan for Q. No.2, True or False. It was a well thought out, sophisticated method of cheating. No passing chits, no talking and definitely no mobile phones. A tug of the ear meant ‘true’ and a rub of the eye meant ‘false’ (I hope I am not giving ideas!!). Though the invigilator kept a close watch on us, she didn’t have the slightest idea.
Today, so many years later, it’s a bit funny when you think about all the planning that went on just for the sake of 4 marks!!
Speaking about invigilators, it was my Zoology exam. The invigilator was doing her usual check, walking up and down each row. While she passed by me, I happened to look down at her feet and saw something very queer.
I noticed that she was wearing a blue sandal on her right foot and a green sandal on her left foot. I could not control my laughter. She wore the wrong pair of sandals!!!! Until then I thought it’s only the students who are on pins when they have to enter an examination hall……but the invigilator as well?!?!?!
So the next time you enter an examination hall make sure that you have none of these ‘examination shades’…….and in case you’re the invigilator, make sure you got on the right pair of sandals!!!! :)

Confer The Right To Succeed Upon Yourself….

We Live in a structured orderly world. Nothing happens in this world by accident. There are principles and laws, which have universal application. They govern our existence on this planet. Dr. Wernher Von Braun late German space scientist observed. “After years of probing the mysteries of this universe, I have come to the belief in the existence of some supreme power. I, cannot envision this whole universe coming into being without something like divine will."
Like laws of Physics, Chemistry, there are mental laws that are infalliable. The laws of belief is as good as the Laws of Gravity. These are predictable laws and a direct result of doing specific things in a specific way. There is a price to pay to change life from mediocrity to greatness. The world cannot change us for the better; only we can do that. But we have to begin perceiving ourselves and our world in a different light.
An ancient Chinese proverb says that ‘a walk of a thousand miles begins with a single step’. Each step brings its own reward. But we want to stay where we are, because it is comfortable. Moving forward is difficult because we are programmed to maintain status quo. There are many in this world who take the unknown path, the road less traveled and derive the excitement enroute to the destination.
Many people block out the reality by over-working, overeating, smoking or addiction to alcohol and drugs, because they are not able to cope with the realities of life. We forget that we can create a new reality that meets all our needs and desires. But, it involves a change in our thinking pattern. If we keep doing what we have always done, we will keep getting what we always received.
My English teacher used to say, “If you broaden your basic beliefs about yourself of what you can accomplish in life, it can happen but you have to confer on yourself the right to succeed in life”. So, decide what you want to be, what you want to do and the price you are willing to pay. For example, if you want to solve a crime, follow the clues and if it meets a blind alley, change direction, take a new look at things, some new idea will occur and some new results will follow.
Children for example, cry for something for a long time and when nobody responds, they stop crying. A fox fell into a ditch and struggled to get out but could not. When his friends came and jeered at him, he said, “What is so funny about it? Afterall, I live here.” All the friends left thinking that it is the truth. A lion came and bared its teeth and the fox said, “Its so comfortable here that I would not like to come out. Would you like to try?” The lion jumped in and the fox got out of the hole by grabbing the lion’s back. Well, there are ways and means of getting out of problems and difficulties. It all depends on ingenuity and Imagineering.
A study conducted at Harvard revealed that when a person gets a job, 85% is because of his attitude, 10% because of his smartness and 5% because of the facts and figures the person knew. Suprisingly, many of our people cultivate the wrong attitude, the negative attitude and complain about everyone except themselves. The foundation of success in life is because of positive attitude.
St. Francis of Assissi said, “Start doing what is necessary, then what is possible and suddenly you will discover that you are doing the impossible.” There is a poem which compares the winner with the loser. It runs something as follows:
“The winner sees an answer for every problem;
The loser sees a problem for every answer.
The winner says ‘it may be difficult but it is possible;
The loser says ‘it may be possible, but it is difficult.
Winners make it happen all the time;
Losers let it happen all the time.”
Remember that there are workers and shirkers in this world. When people accept additional responsibility, they are actually giving themselves a promotion. When you give something more to your job without compensation, you are a worker and when you look at the clock and go home because the hour is up, you are a shirker.
These days, people believe that you can gain nothing without raising your voice or an agitation. Afterall, money, leisure, pleasure are all hidden in work and if that work is neglected, you are in search of something, which does not exist. Real gifts are when you give a part of yourself. We possess by nature the factors out of which personality is made and to organize them is everyman’s responsibility.

Oh! Mother....

"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness."
-Honore' de Balzac.
When people talk of women sharing equal rights with men and their fairer sex flying successfully to the 21^st century, it often compels me to think of the diverse roles that a woman keeps on changing. Of all the divergent roles that she plays daily, be it a wife, daughter, aunt, mother-in-law or a friend, the one role that is most gratifying, pleasing and close to her heart is that of a ‘Mother’. When people talk of Women’s Day, my first impression and first image of a woman is that of a Mother. Mother, around whom our lives revolve, around whom we learn the trials of a journey called ‘life’, around whom we first learn the feel of a soothing touch. The touch, which nobody of us would ever forget in our life. That touch eases our all fears and discomforts. That touch takes us to the comfort zone of our life. That touch assures us of our existence. We first learn to walk and take baby steps with the help of that firm yet gentle grip of her hand. This is the most pleasant experience one can ever get in his life.
Mother is the person who nurtures, nourish, and nurse a child for the whole nine months and bear the burden of labour just to see that adoring smile of her little progeny. And the child fulfills her small world. Mother’s worls revolves around three C’s; Care, concern, and comfort. Care, caution, and consideration that the child grows in the right manner, concern that he heads towards the right path, and comfort when the child’s whole world is her Mother and under her comforting wings, the kid learn the lessons of life. God has given both parents an equal role, but has blessed mothers with the power of healing. When a child cries, no soul on the earth is so much concerned and so much moved as that of a mother, her heart cries with him and she would bring the skies down to console, calm, and cheer him up. She is the ultimate world for her child. Those who had the luxury of her warmth, affection, tenderness, and the touch of those soft hands are really the most blessed souls on this planet.
The moment a child is born, a Mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but not a Mother. When God first thought of Mothers, He must have laughed with satisfaction of making souls that are a part of Him, so rich, so deep, so divine, so full of soul and power.
I often wonder that the phrase ‘working Mother’ is neither a duty nor a privilege, but simply the way that humanity can satisfy the desire for physical immortality. Being a full time Mother is one the most highest paid jobs, since the payment is pure love and this love compels a common man to do the impossible. Mothers have the innate power of energy and unending enthusiasm which compels her to rise from the bed however bad her condition may be. I often fail to understand its never ending source.
People have coined a fashionable word called ‘multi-tasking’, which we often hear these days, but a woman has been doing this for generations and with equal ease and love. She is taking good care of her child, taking the charge of her home, managing her husband with similar enthusiasm.
Somebody has rightly said that the door to heaven lies in your Mother’s feet and at her knees you could take lessons from the best school in the world. Unles we realize her diverse roles and comforting care, we cannot sense the existence of God. The Jewish proverb that "God could not be everywhere and therefore he made Mothers", holds true in whichever generation we live. The greatness of a person is directly proportional to the greatness of his Mother. My hearty salutes to all the Mother’s on this Planet for making this world a better place to live!

MAA..

woh diya-e-mohobbat ka woh sayabaan

hai jiski roshni mein main ne

aankh hai kholi, woh kisaya mohabaat

ka woh fishain hai jisme main ne

sab se pehle khud ko hai paya, woh

hasti aisi hai jaise, jalte diyon

mein aise, jaise sab se roshan diya

ho waise, mehekte phoolon mein

aise, jaise ho sab se mehekta phool

ho waise, mehekte khilkhilate

rangon mein aise, jaise roshan

chamakta rang ho waise, chaandni

raaton mein aise, jaise chodhawin

ki raat ho waise, jism ki tamaam

rago mein aise, jaise jism ki sha

rag ho waise, woh hasti tamaam

hastiyon mein hai aise, jaise kisi

hawa ke naram jhonke ne mujh

ko payar se ho thapthapaya, ya

woh hansti hai waise, jisko sab

pukarte hain “MAA" :)

Giving is difficult, receiving is easy..

“They alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.
This is the gist of all worship – to be pure and to do good to others.”

-Swami Vivekananda.

When we refer to ‘giving’, we assume that it is money or some material possessions. Actually it is not at all wrong! I feel Money can buy happiness but when spent on others. Not only this, Giving can include- giving your time, your talents, a patient hearing or even expressing kindness. When you give to another person, you are in essence admitting that you have an understanding of the grand scheme of human kindness. It is living beyond the level of selfishness, beyond greed and personal needs. It is living in your higher self. Leo Buscaglia, the self development writer says: “ You want to be most educated, the most brilliant, the most exciting, the most versatile, the most creative individual in the world, because you can give it and the only reason you have anything is to give it away.” Giving is difficult, receiving is easy. It is because of some divine spark within that you would like to share things with others. Service to others is like digging deep to discover your abilities, talents, personality and finding the opportunity you want to share with humanity.
One of my favorite teacher used to say: “The most fascinating thing about giving is that there is someone to receive. If there is none to receive whom are you trying to give?” Do not stand on a high pedestal and take 5 cents in your hand and say, "here, my poor man.."; but be grateful that the poor man is there, so by making a gift to him you are able to help yourself. It is not the reciever that is blessed, but it is the giver. Be thankful that you are allowed to exercise your power of benevolence and mercy in the world, and thus become pure and perfect. The great Buddha was once abused by someone who wanted to test his reaction. After a while the man asked Buddha why he is not reacting? Buddha replied: “ If you offer something to anyone and he refuses to accept, to whom does the thing belong? Service and humanity begin with empathy. Empathy is when you put yourself in the lives of others. When you truly understand others pain, joy, fears and emotions, it is empathy. Empathy at the highest level is when you know what other people’s needs are, their pain, sorrow, joy and wants. To be a giving person, it will be important to cultivate a sense of empathy. Giving is most sacred, when you give without expecting anything in return.
There is an old saying that goes: “ Teachers touch the future. They never know where their influence ends. As a giving person you never know where your influence ends. When you give, it should be described as an investment for the future. It is leaving a part of yourself to posterity. You can treat it as your living monument when you are gone.
Altruism deals with selflessness. It means having a genuine concern, compassion and kindness towards humanity, caring for the welfare of fellow citizens. Such people don’t require an order from someone, as the feeling of helping is spontaneous n sporadic; altruism does not concern itself with rewards, status, money or power. It comes due to total abandonment of Ego and remuneration. It is rooted in a desire to move humanity forward.
By helping others, you are helping yourself. The more you give, the better you feel. That is why Mother Teresa said: “ Give till it hurts”. Deepak Chopra, the doctor evangelist says: “ Practicing the ‘law of giving’ is actually very simple. If you want joy, give joy to others; if you want love, give love to others; if you want attention and appreciation, learn to give the same to others. If you want material affluence, help others to become affluent.”
Every night, lakhs of people sleep on the pavements of India because they have no shelter. Millions wake up every morning in poverty and millions just don’t know where to get work for a square meal. Millions of children die due to malnutrition, intense cold, intense heat and no one to care for them. Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “ You cannot do a kindness so soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late”. Even the poorest person can give, not money, but his or her services, saying a good word, doing a good deed, making others feel safe in their company and so on. Such gifts are priceless and has to come from the heart. Giving to the world sounds so monumental but it is so simple, i.e. just be available for another’s need. Help someone to smile, laugh heartily, help someone to face a tragedy, help someone to reduce stress, help someone to cry and purify the mind and soul and so on. The saying is: “ If you cannot do it, solicit help; if others come, do render help”.The true treasure of life is togetherness, goodness, searching and the joy of finding. The true riches are hidden in the hearts and minds of men. The Mahabharata describes, the aggressively good person like Lord Krishna, aggressively bad person like Duryodhana, passively good person like Yudhishtir, passively bad person like Dhritharashtra and so on. The difference between winning and loosing depends on what type of software you have loaded into your mind. Remember, that one need not curse or rejoice, because you can be good in any environment, favourable or adverse. So my friends, try to find gifts in everyday life. The saying is: “ Do your best and you will succeed in whatever circumstances you are placed! :)

Playing Our Roles..

The lush green grassy fields, in glitering wetness of recent rains exuded freshness and beauty. The wet earthy fragrance permeating in the air brought a whiff of health to the breath. Neat rows of fresh crops showed up for the sweaty toil of the farmers. The glistening wetness all around was a feast to the eyes as the train passed by.
The shine of the pristine untouched beauty of the greyish outline of the mountains, at once wild and inviting, lent an air of mystery and magnificence that captivated me. I felt good about life.
Yet a feeling of unfathomable empitiness and smallness engulfed me. What am I and what was my life in the context of such wonderful creations around me, so majestic, so compelling, forceful, vivid- each fitting into a self-sustaining system, each potent to carry forward the unparalleled, wonderful beauty for millions of years to come?
I was a child lost in a fair, flooded by the buzzing, purposeful life around me, and over-whelmed by the magic of creation. Everything seems to have a role, justification for existence.
What then is my role? Carrying forward the progeny? Amassing wealth? Enjoying material comforts? To what end?
In the context of the Universe that is infinite in space and time, encompassing varied species of creation and systems, ours is a non-existent existence. What are our achievements within the limitations of our talents and capabilities, it is still a drop in the mighty ocean.
Yet doesn’t each drop contribute? Each of us must have a purpose and must fit into the larger sphere of life around. Everyone is like a cog in the giant wheel of the Universe, making the system work. And it is important that it is important that it fits, is well-oiled, smooth and efficient.
So it is imperative that each of us must offer our best contributions, however insignificant and immaterial it may seem, to make the quality of life around us better.
After watching episodes of air crash investigations, one can realize that major disasters occurred not due to major failures, but due to faults in small screws or nuts or negligence in taking care of small details.
If each of us can realize our own importance, though we may be small screws and perceive our place in the fuller picture, we can fathom how our best efforts can make a difference. And the pleasure is always in contributing.
Lord Krishna in the Bhagwad Gita stressed on performing our karma. This is nothing but perceiving what our’s in the given context is. Arjun was a son, a student and a mentee for elders like Drithrashtra, Drona and Bhishma on the opposition side. But Krishna pointed out to him that he was a warrior first and foremost, once he was in the battlefield. At that time his role was to fight as a brave warrior.
An anecdote narrated in a seminar comes to my mind. Three teachers were asked what they did in their jobs. The first responded, “I teach history”. The second said, “I teach children how to learn from history, lessons for the future”. The other said, “I mould the future of students”.
This speaks volumes about the roles we perceive for ourselves. If we see what we do, not merely as a job but as roles; keeping in view the larger picture, there would be a greater sense of fulfillment and we would be definetly able to comprehend a purpose and meaning for our lives. Perceiving our roles in the larger perspective helps us to love our work and see it not just as a job for monetary gains, but as contribution to a greater cause. It brings out the best in us and we begin to think of creative ideas and solutions in the performance of our work. It then becomes a mission and passion in our lives. There lies the true joy of life.