ON WEALTH AND OTHER THINGS

On Money and other things

Money or wealth is a very important thing in life! One cannot live without money! Money makes many things we say. Money is necessary to acquire even a small need for our existence. it is said there is no difference between a dead person and a man without money!  It is for money and wealth that man struggles throughout his life. But too much of money or wealth is dangerous.There is suffering in earning, saving, and spending money.Then why should people earn such money? Money cannot bring happiness to man. It can give him pleasure and luxury in life. It may lead to robbery and even murder at the hands of the greedy and the envious! “ ma kuru dhana jana yauvana garvam” counsels Adi Sankara in his Bhajagovinda stotra. Money is not stable. It moves from one person to another. It is as unstable as the bubble from the wave of the sea. Money misused destroys man.That is why it is advised that one should have just the money required for his existence.

The first wealth is health according to Emerson as nothing can be enjoyed without it. According to Chanakya, “ Give your wealth only to the worthy and never to others” as they may misuse or abuse it. “ Seek not greater wealth, but simpler pleasure; notmjmy the other higher fortune, but desperation felicity”says Mahatma Gandhi. Wealth without charity cannot be called ideal possession. “ The wealth which you will keep for ever is the wealth you have given away” says Marcus Aurelius.

Scholarship is a quality cherished by quite a few people. The essence of true scholarship is its originality. Creativity is its soul. One has to struggle to acquire scholarship. ‘ A scholar who loves comfort is not fit to be called a scholar in the words of Confucius. Mere memory cannot constitute scholarship. It is proper judgment that is required. He will be a walking dictionary if he has all the books in the world in his mind and nothing else. Sans originality or creativity, erudition is just ‘dust shaken out of a book into an empty skull.’

Every individual is endowed with imagination. But it varies from one individual to the other.Imagination takes you to a different world altogether. When imagination runs riot poetry comes into being. Imagination is poetry according to  Shelley, the famous English poet. “ Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.” says Albert Einstein. Jonathan Swift, the famous novelist, calls imagination as the art of seeing things invisible, and ‘ the preview of life’s coming attractions.’ Art and poetry would not have seen the light of the day without imagination!

“Wealth,scholarship,intelligence-- all become worthwhile only when used in the right way” states Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba. Wealth accrued in  an illegal manner becomes black money. Earned through bribery it is tainted. Used for mere pleasures and luxuries, it degrades man! Spent for charity and righteous causes, it ennobles the human being. Scholarship that tends to mere criticism of other scholars and their work is not scholarship at all. Intelligence when it contributes to the welfare of humanity is ideal. But when it takes a devious turn and aims to destroy humanity it ceases to be worthwhile!  Most of the scientific inventions and discoveries, though well intentioned, are now turned into tormentors of mankind! Invention and imagination of such kind is better avoided. It is not important that we have these possessions, but it is of paramount significance how they are utilized for the good of society at large.

DOES GOD LOVE YOU?

DOES GOD LOVE YOU?

We visit temples and think we love God. We perform religious rituals and imagine we are virtuous and love God. We go on pilgrimages , bathe in holy rivers and think that we he have washed off all our sins because we love and offer worship to God! But even as we do these seemingly pious acts our minds are elsewhere without concentrating on the deity. Our ego does not leave us. It is as if we are on picnic to holy places to spend some pleasant time. We pat on our own back and call ourselves devotees of God! Is this a correct assessment? It cannot be. “ It is not all that important how much you love God; what is more important is how much God loves you!” Declares Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba. It is only when you are dear to God and he runs to you at your call you can call yourself a real devotee!

On an occasion creator Brahma, Indra and other devas visited Vakunta. Indra asked Lord Vishnu who was the Lord’s favorite devotee. The Lord replied that Rantideva, son of Sanskriti was dearest to him. Brahma and others were shocked and surprised at this and thought that they were all belittled in spite of their devotion to the Lord. The Lord explained that the way of Rantideva’s devotion was extraordinary. Not satisfied with the remarks of the Lord, Brahma, Indra and other devas wanted to test king Rantideva’s devotion. Soon famine engulfed the kingdom of the king. Rains became scarce. People suffered without food and water! The king opened up his palace and treasury for the use of his subjects! Seeking the grace of Lord Vishnu, the king decided to fast and meditate on the Lord.He became lean and emaciated after 48 days of fast. His ministers and others persuaded him to break his fast and secured some food and water. The King agreed reluctantly to end his fast.

Just at that moment came a man tottering and requested for some food. Kind and compassionate, the king gave a portion of his food to the man who thanked him and went away! As the king prepared to eat the rest of the food, a man with tattered clothes approached him and and collapsed before him.Rantideva gave him a share of the remaining food and saved him. Surprisingly, a third person came with his dogs and demanded food for him and his dogs! The King gave away the last portion of the food he had and sent the person satisfied. There was now water alone for the king to drink! Rantideva was extremely satisfied that he had helped people in great distress!

Then came a chandala of very low caste and said that he was dying of thirst! Without a second thought, the king gave away the little water he had, to save the life of the man! But he said that he was an untouchable and unfit to get water from the king! King Rantideva said that all are children of God and that he saw Lord Vishnu in him! The moment the king uttered these words, creator Brahma, Indra, Varuna and Yama, the God of death stood before king Rantideva! They were struck at the compassion he showed to the poor and the downtrodden. They wondered at the selfless sacrifice he had made to save the lives of the needy and the deserving!

They now understood how Rantideva was one of the best devotees of Lord Vishnu and why the Lord loved him dearly!The first three people who pleaded for food were devas! The God of death came as a chandala to test whether the King would accept him! God loves only such people who are selfless, kind and compassionate to all living creatures”ekahparatama bahudehavarthi”-  The atma is one but manifests in all creatures in the world! One should see God in every object in the universe! Lord Vishnu granted moksha to Rantideva for his ideal qualities of a true devotee!

PARITHRANAYA SADdHUNAM.......

 “Parithranaya Sadhunam”………

Lord Vishnu killed Hiranyaksha and

Hiranyakasipu in Krutayuga and saved the earth from the demons! Later in Threthayuga Ravana and Kumbhakarna were got rid of during his incarnation as Sri Rama. Dwapara yuga was infested with a number of demons like kings Sisupala and Dantavaktra whose atrocities could not be endured by  mother earth. She appealed to the Lord who promised to incarnate soon and rid the world of these demons! Thus the Lord incarnated as Krishna  and chose Vasudeva and Devaki as his parents! It was Divine  conception for Devaki and the child Krishna an absolute incarnation of Vishnu-’ Swayam Bhagawan. Unlike the others, Krishna’s is a ‘ purnavatar’. Krishna was born on the eighth day of the waning moon of the month of Shravan as per the lunar calendar. The Lord was born in his original form, with four hands and the disc and the conch, in the prison cell but soon became a child!

Krishna was exceptionally beautiful. The word means ‘ black, dark,or dark blue. ‘ karshati iti krishna’-means one who attracts others. He is called  Govinda, finder of ‘go’-cows or Vedas, Gopala-protector of cows or souls. Like cowherds who protect the cows, the Lord protects the souls of the living beings! Krishna is described as an infant eating butter, as a young boy playing flute, as a  young man with Radha and other women and also as a mentor clearing the doubts of Arjuna in the Bhagavad-Gita!  Krishna is depicted as a God child, a prankster, a model lover, a Divine hero, and the Supreme being! Srimad Bhagavata glorifies Krishna’s sports as a child. He is all pervading in the Mahabharatha. Vishnu Purana and Harivamsa enumerate the greatness of the avatar. Whenever Dharma is endangered and adharma raises it's ugly head the Lord takes avatar to destroy evil and protect the good!

The first act of destroying evil commences with the killing of Putana, sent by Kamsa. Child Krishna sucks her life along with the poison from her breasts! A series of demons like Bakasura, Sakatasura and others are despatched to death playfully.Kamsa is killed next along with the wrestlers and the elephant that had run amuck. Later Krishna kills Sisupala and helps Bhima to kill Jarasandha who were terrorizing the people. Many other rakshasas were eliminated by Krishna as and when it became necessary. The most important role of Krishna in protecting Dharma commences during the Mahabharatha period. He becomes the friend, philosopher and guide to the Pandavas who were the embodiment of Dharma.It was Krishna who came to the rescue of Draupadi when

she was disrobed in the court in the presence of her husbands and the elders like Bhisma and Drona and others.

In the great Kurukshetra war that lasted for eighteen days, Krishna becomes ‘ parthasarathy ‘- driver of the chariot of Arjuna and leads him to victory! He dispels all the relevant doubts of Arjuna over killing his teachers, kith and kin. He counsels Arjuna to give up attachment and understand that the atma or soul is Indestructible, eternal and all pervading and manifest in every living creature.The paths of Karma, Bhakti and Jnana are explained to the Pandava warrior. In the forest Krishna saves Draupadi from the anger of sage Durvasa by just taking a morsel of food from her. Again and again he goads Arjuna to kill the Kauravas as they are the personification of evil and deserve to be killed mercilessly.

Krishna even goes as a messenger of peace to avoid war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas but as fate would have it they refuse to listen to him. Krishna plays a crucial role in killing Jayadratha who along with Karna and others killed Abhimanyu in the ‘Padma vyuha'. He brings him out of his hiding by covering the Sun with his Chakra when Arjuna beheads him with his arrow! He persuades Arjuna to kill unarmed Karna when his chariot sank into the earth by reminding the cruel manner by which Abhimanyu was killed. Finally he saves the foetus in the womb of Uttara from the terrible arrow of Aswatthama! Thus the only heir of the Pandavas, Parikshit, was left to rule after the all destructive war! Thus the Lord was always by the side of Dharma or righteousness, established it, and true to his word, destroyed the  evil and sinister forces!

A PEEP INTO THE GAYATRI MANTRA

A PEEP INTO THE GAYATRI MANTRA

The full moon day of the month of Sravana of the lunar calendar every year is celebrated as the day of ‘Upakarma’. It is the day when all the Brahmins put on the new sacred thread discarding the old one and perform GAYATRI chanting. They are expected to chant the mantra 108 times normally and 1008 times the next day! GAYATRI mantra is one of the oldest and most powerful of the mantras and is revered as ‘ maha mantra’. One who fixes and establishes it firmly in his mind is assured of a happy life. It protects the individual who chants it with faith and devotion and hence is called Gayatri! “ gayantam trayate iti Gayatri.”

Gayatri is called as the ‘ Vedamata’ of all the Vedas, Rig, Yajur, sama, and Atharvana Vedas. The mantra is composed of 24 syllables arranged in triplets of 8 syllables each. This metrical arrangement is called ‘tripathi’ and also Gayatri chandas. The mantra is from the Rig Veda (mandala 10:16:3). Om signifies the Pranava emanating from prana. The letter A indicates sound starting from the navel and emerging from the throat. The letter U represents it rolling over the tongue while M ends the sound on

the lips! The three avasthas of waking, dreaming, and  sleeping are indicated by the letters A U and M respectively! Pranava is thus the primordial sound symbolizing the universal Absolute.

In chanting the vyahrutis, ‘Bhu’, ‘Bhuvah’ and ‘Suvah’ the chanter meditates on the glory of God that illuminates the three worlds. ‘Savitur’ in the mantra is not the ordinary Sun but the ultimate light of wisdom. ‘Bhargo stands for illumination. The three vyahrutis represent the following as per the deeper meaning: ‘Bhu’ stands for earth, the past, morning, tamas,and the gross body. ‘Bhuvah’ represents the atmosphere, the present,  the noon, rajas, and the subtle body. ‘Suva’ shows space beyond the atmosphere, the future, evening, satwa, and causal body!

“ Gayatri is described as having five faces. The first is Om. The second is ‘Bhur Bhuvah Suva’. The third is ‘tat savitur varenyam’.The fourth face is ‘Bhargo devasya dhimahi’ The fifth is ‘Dhiyo yonah prachodayat’. The Five faces represent five pranas. Life forces protect the five pranas in man.When intelligence and intuition are developed, she is Gayatri.When life forces are protected she is the guardian deity Savitri. When speech is protected she is Saraswathi. Thus she is called ‘ sarvadevata swarupini’ the embodiment of all devas” explains Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba (sss vol 16,06,March,1983)The meaning of the Gayatri mantra is “ we meditate on the adorable glory of the radiant Sun; may he inspire our intelligence”

Every brahmin bachelor and the family man, after his ‘upanayana’, has to perform ‘Sandhyavandanam’ thrice a day, in the morning, afternoon and the evening. But it is observed more in the breach than in the observance. It is pity that the brahmin community has lost its glory fascinated by the attraction of modern life, customs and manners. According to the  pramana it is a terrible sin not to know Sandhyavandanam or perform it daily as he is considered impure and unfit for any karma. Whatever karma he does will not bear any fruit. According to the pramana he shall suffer a punishment called ‘tamisra’ in the underworld or hell! He will be considered as a sudra during his lifetime! He will be reborn as a low animal. Our ancestors thus considered Gayatri in such great respect and esteem. The brahmin is called ‘ dwija' which means twice born. He gets his second birth only after Gayatri upadesa or Brahmopadesa by his father! Only then he is qualified to perform religious rituals and other karmas. Let us protect our dharma and follow the footsteps of our ancestors as far as possible!

EDUCTION-- WORLDLY AND SPIRITUAL

Education --worldly and spiritual

While knowledge and education in all fields is open to man,it is his interest and passion that leads to his choice of a particular field. It is of interest to know whether the education man has received so far has made him happy and wise! The way man has been living and behaving indicates to us that he is none the wiser for all the knowledge he has amassed! The so called civilized world is full of violence, deceit, hatred, greed,selfishness materialism and other negative qualities! Why is man, in spite of his knowledge and education, unable to free himself from these  evil propensities? It is because of the worldly education that he has been receiving continuously!” Worldly education makes man great, whereas spiritual education makes him good” declares Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba!

All branches of knowledge cater to the physical and material needs of man! “Udara Nimittam  bahukruta vesham” says Sri Sankara in his Bhajagovinda stotra. The very purpose of life is forgotten by man. No doubt, he has become great physically and mentally but has neglected his ethical, moral and spiritual side.He has learnt all about the earth, sky and nature but has forgotten to study his own real nature! Thus there is a lopsided development in man! All the ills of the present day world and society are because of this total involvement in material existence without any thought on the spiritual side. While attachment to the body is needed,excess of it is detrimental.True spirituality exists in ‘understanding the unity of the entire humanity and giving up the sense of attachment and hatred. Cultivating moral values and acting righteously and love for all are  absolutely essential for resolving the conflicts in the world.

What is this human life? It is ,’a combination of morality, spirituality and righteousness.’True education is expected to confer virtues, good intellect, duty, devotion and discipline. Mere accumulation of wealth, scholarship and intelligence is of no use. They become worthwhile only when utilized in the right way! Spiritual education can be cultivated personally. There is no need to join any college or university. Love is present in all of us but it is only selfish and showered on our children and kith and kin. If that love is enlarged and shown to every human being in the world it becomes spiritual. Love is the prime component in human values!

What are the other components of spiritual education? Service to humanity is the first and foremost requisite since the same eternal spirit or atma manifests itself in every living creature! ‘ ajayamano bahudha vijayathe’, ‘ekah paratma bahu deha varthi’-- are the golden words of our Vedas and the Upanishads! Spirituality does not require going to the forest abandoning all and performing tapas.It demands compassion, mercy, and pity for the suffering teeming millions in society. We should see God in every person or thing as service to man is service to God! In case we are unable to help others, at least we can express our sympathy for them. An aspirant for spirituality should be ready to sacrifice to save people in distress. He is expected to be totally selfless in doing his work. This will rid him of his ego and elevate him to higher plane consciousness.

There is serious moral degradation in the present society in the world. No amount of material comfort and pleasure can help man. One day or other he has to think about his spirit or soul. He should realize that he is not the body but the Indestructible atma or the spirit. There is nothing that he can take with him when he dies! It is the effect of his good and bad deeds that follow him. He should maintain ceiling on his desires lest he cannot free himself from the cycle of birth and and death.He can achieve spirituality by keeping company with devotees, chanting the glorious names of God,and reading scriptures. He should combine his daily duties with some of the cardinal principles of spirituality to avoid the stress and strain of this mundane world.Being a social and rational animal, he must realize the significance of spirituality in his life and conduct himself accordingly. Man bereft of spirituality is no better than the animal!

ANGER--ENEMY NUMBER ONE

ANGER-- Enemy Number one

Of the six inner enemies or ‘arishadvargas 'anger’ is the worst and the most dangerous.It is the root cause of the downfall of many a person and also many great men including the sages and saints. Is there anyone in the world who is not angry at any point of time? It is impossible. Even the child, when the toy is snatched away from it, grows angry and expresses its anger very clearly.A friend of mine noted for his calmness,and absence of anger broke into anger when I asked him a question repeatedly! Anger has the quality of upsetting even the most serene and calm person in life! probably God has granted these six inherent adversaries to MAN to test if he can manage this formidable foe. Anger to correct erring children seems good lest they may go astray. To be angry needlessly and for silly reasons is not correct.

Along with desire or ‘kama’ anger works havoc. Unfulfillment of a desire leads to anger. The angry man loses his temper and balance of mind. Lord Krishna warns of the effects of anger: “ krodhat sambhavati sammohaha sammohahat smruti vibramaha smruti bhramsat buddhi naso buddhi nasat pranasyati” (Bhagavad-Gita). From anger, complete delusion arises and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool. So stage by stage the person is deranged and is capable of maximum folly! Examples are not far to seek. Sage Durvasa had to fall at the feet of the great bhaktha Ambarisha to save himself from the remorseless Sudersan Chakra of Lord Vishnu. In his anger, he had deployed a demon to destroy the bhakta! King Parikshit, in a fit of rage, put a dead snake over the neck of sage Samika since he did not offer water to drink.The sage was immersed in his tapas! Thus the king invited death for himself when Srungi, the sage’s son, cursed him. We have to be wary of anger and its consequence but unfortunately most of us fail to do so.

Neeti Shastra classifies anger into three types! “ uttamam kshana kopsya”-momentary anger is the best! It disappears in a moment like the anger between the husband and wife or that of the lovers and children.

”madhyamamtu ghatika dwayam”--Moderate is the anger that prevails for two ghatis or about an hour like that of the parents and children.”adhamamtu ahoratram”-the worst type of anger is that which remains for the whole day! The anger that persists throughout one’s life till death is ’papishti'-most sinful! Anger doesn't solve or build anything but it can destroy everything! “Anger is like an acid that can do more harm to the vessel it is stored than to anything on which it is poured” says Mark Twain.

Can anger be right? “ Anybody can become angry --that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose and in the right way --that is not within everybody's power and is not easy” says Aristotle! Indignation for the right cause makes anger noble and lovable.”Satyagraha”righteous indignation by the Mahatma for Indian freedom thus glorified anger! Everything Aristotle said fits into what Mahatma Gandhi did against the British in India! This anger brought Independence to India without spilling a drop of blood! According to Benjamin Franklin “Anger is never without a reason  but seldom with a good one.”

How to deal with anger? Can it be controlled? A moment of patience in a moment of anger saves you a hundred moments of regret according to  the wise! Words are free. It's how you use them that may cost you! For every minute you remain angry” says Emerson,”you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.” “When angry, count ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred” is the advice of Thomas Jefferson. “The greatest remedy  for anger is delay” counsels Seneca! Being silent when you are angry can solve many problems. “ mounena kalaham nasti” is the word of our elders! Let us ponder over these statements and conduct ourselves wisely!

MY VISIT TO GRASMERE LAKE

MY VISIT TO GRASMERE LAKE ( Lake District)

After our memorable visit to Shakespeare’s home at Stratford upon Avon, Oxford and the city of London, we returned to Newcastle and had the desired rest after the hectic tour. The beautiful sights that we saw in London still linger in our minds.we spent time visiting a few Sai devotees and attending the Sai Bhajan at the Sai Center in Newcastle. No visit to England can be complete without visiting the Lake District. We planned to go there as early as possible since it was nearer to Newcastle and we could leave in the morning and return by the evening. A relative of mine, Arun, offered to take us there at a convenient date. Finally we set out on August 6,2016 in the morning at about 11. 30 am. It was a two hour drive from Newcastle and we enjoyed the drive all the way witnessing the breathtaking scenes of the mountains and the valley!

Also called Lakeland, Lake District is a mountainous region North West of England and a popular holiday destination famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains or fells as they are called. Finishing our lunch on the way we reached the famous Ullswater lake the second largest lake in the district. Nine miles long and 197 feet deep, it is the most beautiful of English lakes. It is compared to lake Lucerne in Switzerland! This ribbon lake was formed after the last ice age when a glacier scooped out the valley floor and when the glacier retreated, the deepened section filled with ‘ melt water' which became a lake! A total of three separate glaciers formed the lake.Ullswater lake forms the border between the ancient counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland. William Wordsworth is said to have composed his poem ‘Daffodils’  at this lake!

Windermere lake is the largest ribbon lake in England formed in a glacier trough. A part of the border between Lancashire and Westmoreland, it is now in the county of Cumbria. With a length of ,11.23 miles and a depth of 219 feet, it is one of the finest lakes! Windermere town, the popular tourist spot is a mile away from the lake. Grasmere is one of the smallest lakes in the Lake District and the village gets its name from the lake.  We reached Grasmere by about 4 pm and went round the places nearby.

Grasmere is immortalized in English literature by its association with the early Romantic poets who lived and moved about this village. Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey lived and wrote a few great poems here. We went to the Dove Cottage where the poet Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy lived. The hallowed home is preserved very well by the Trust.we saw the drawing room, kitchen,and bathroom used by the poet. We also saw the bed used by Dorothy and a few of the utensils used by the poet and his sister. It was a very interesting experience.

Next we walked into the Wordsworth Museum where his works and writings of his sister and Coleridge were preserved! I went back to those years when I taught my students the poems of Wordsworth! I also remembered the great poems ‘The Prelude’, ‘Ode on the intimations of immortality from recollections of early childhood’ and others that I read. Wordsworth was inspired by Nature and he is rightly called the Nature Poet. He turns spiritual in his ode. He saw life through the eyes of Nature and said ‘ Let Nature be Your Teacher' in one of his poems! We saw the photos of Southey and Coleridge also. We concluded our visit to the lakes with a hot cup of coffee and drove home reaching Newcastle by 7.30 pm the same day.

WHAT AILS INDiA?l

WHAT AILS INDIA?

Our Bharat completes 69 years of Independence on August 15, 2016!  This period , in the life of a nation, is not a long period. It has weathered many a storm in the past, undergone many vicissitudes and is bracing up to the stark realities of modern challenges! It was Abraham Lincoln that defined Democracy as the government of the people by the people for the people! But what about Indian democracy? It can be called government of half the people to buy the people and for the political class! It is with sadness that we have to declare this! Political parties have tried to entrench themselves to rule the country but have not done enough to govern the nation well! Much could have been done if only they had devoted their time to serve the people of the country! Much attention has been bestowed on garnering votes to govern the nation and its states. promises made were not kept up and the bureaucracy has failed miserably in implementing the promises made.

India has failed very badly in creating a classless society! On the other hand various castes and communities are granted reservations in schools, colleges, and government jobs to the detriment of the really deserving and meritorious aspirants! Those people take advantage of the concessions provided by the state and the center! Merit and excellence is not duly recognized in appointments! Schools and colleges are established on the basis of castes and communities. In short, various political parties that have ruled the county have perpetuated casteism and there is no chance in the future for casteism to disappear! There is no dignity or decorum among the political class. Their conduct in the Parliament leaves much to be desired! They quarrel and fight like children in the House. They stall the proceedings of the Parliament and proceed menacingly to the well of the house and tear certain documents and throw them. By these acts they bring down the image of the Nation in the eyes of the world! Much of the tax payer's money and time is wasted in this manner. Important bills are held up.

No government, so far, has succeeded in containing corruption which has grown into a Hydra headed demon with tentacles far and wide! It has become an endemic disease. From the grass root level to the topmost it is corruption that plays the leading role but the government says that it is fighting the malaise! Scams have become a regular feature and the vigilance personnel are themselves corrupt! Nothing moves in the revenue department without oiling the palms of the clerks and others! Chief ministers and highly placed officers are charged with corruption! Strict laws, rules and regulations exist but they are not implemented to root out corruption. Nepotism has become a common thing and partiality and favouritism have come to play a vital role in appointments. How can the Nation be free from Corruption in such circumstances? We have to think very seriously about this.The days of honest and sincere leaders who sacrificed themselves for the Nation are gone and there is political dishonesty and intrigue in political circles. politics has become a business and a bargaining profession bereft of ethics and morality! Terrorism is another headache sponsored by our neighbor Pakistan and internal anti national groups like the Maoists and others are active to disrupt peace and stability in the country!

Elections to the State Assembles and the Parliament have become frequent and regular as the governments are toppled by selfish parties that hold the trump card! Though governments change, it is the same wine in the new bottle! Elections are rigged, polling booths attacked, ballot papers seized,and voters threatened! Most of the elected representatives are crorepatis who have no concern for the common man on the street! Quite a few of them have criminal background and are involved in heinous crimes! They are involved in land grabbing and every activity that is of personal benefit to them rather than to the society! Election Commission requires reforms very badly! They should bring in the power to recall the members for failing in their promises! No Person with criminal background should be allowed to contest! The pity is all MLAs and MPs object to these reforms!

How about the present society in India? There is a degradation in ethics and morals. There is no fear for Law. Violence, atrocities, robberies abductions,and murders have increased. Rapes have become frequent and are perpetrated with impunity.Vagaries of Nature, floods, earthquakes and others have brought intense agony and suffering to the people. Suicides of farmers and others in employment have increased! Mumbai and Delhi have the dubious reputation of being the capitals of rape! Women are not safe in such cities. people are no longer wedded to our ancient culture, customs and habits. They are fascinated by the dress, customs and manners of the west. Mobiles and digitalization have almost revolutionized the society which is drifting to what destination they do not know themselves! This ailing India has to cure itself.The panacea for all the ills is to bring in a new generation of sincere and honest citizens into politics who can serve the country selflessly! There must be electoral reforms disallowing those with criminal records. The electorate must have the power to call back the representative if his promises are not delivered. There must be speedy and deterrent punishment for the violators of Law without dragging on for years together! Corruption must be crushed ruthlessly irrespective of the persons involved! Above all politicians must realize that they are the servants of the people and the Nation, not their masters! Let our India shine with all its glory henceforth and be the envy of all its neighbors and other Nations!!!

MY TRIP TO LONDON

MY TRIP TO LONDON

Inscrutable are the ways of God! Having taken my B.A (Hons) English Language and Literature Degree from the Presidency  College, Madras in 1953, I never, in my wildest imagination, thought that I would visit London in 2016! I Had retired as a professor and settled in Chennai. My grand daughter had settled with her family in Newcastle and that gave me an opportunity to visit her this summer during the months May and September. They had specially planned a visit to London for me and I was delighted to recollect and see for myself some of the celebrated places in the city of London immortalized through history and literature. Soon after our unforgettable Safari journey we drove directly to London from Birmingham with my grand daughter at the steering wheel! It was a memorable drive all the way with  meadows and pastures offering a feast for the eyes! It was all the more enjoyable as the weather was excellent!

We touched the famous city of Oxford and my thoughts hovered over the the famous Oxford University. I stopped at the Faculty of English and saw the School of Medicine and the school of Arts! It was interesting to see students using bicycles more than any other mode of transport! It's. churches and towers impressed me much! We moved on to Stratford upon Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare,the Elizabethan dramatist. It was a strange coincidence that the 400th centenary the poet was being celebrated! I went round the old house where the Bard lived,his garden, and certain materials he used. The old house was maintained excellently by the Trust. I visited the Exhibition that was on. A few scenes from one of his plays were being enacted by a few performers! I remembered the days when I taught my students in the college, a few plays like The Tempest, Macbeth, Hamlet and Julius Caesar!The town is beautiful and we went round the city centre for a while. We took a few photos and continued our drive to the city of London. We reached the city by night and went straight to the house of a close friend of my grand daughter for a short stay! We had a well deserved rest after a long drive for six hours.

We took the early morning underground Metro to see the renowned Madame Tussaud's Gallery. There was terrible crowd already and we managed to get entry! It is an indescribable collection of the wax models of world famous politicians, poets, painters, chief ministers, philosophers,  Royalty, sports persons, film celebrities and many others! Visitors are allowed to to take photographs with the wax models and I took many photos with the  British Royalty, Mahatma Gandhi, Mandela, Modi, Indira Gandhi, Shah rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and others!There was was a terrible craze for taking photos. It took us a full three and half hours to go round the gallery and come out of its mazy circuits! Next we went to see the Big Ben and what a  tall building it is! We heard it's resounding bell,saw the Thames Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Parliament buildings, and the St.,Paul’s cathedral. I remembered the description of the visit to the Cathedral by Joseph Addison in his Coverly Papers! It was an amazing experience to see the entire city of London and its suburbs through the London Eye!

The next day we visited the famous Swaminarayan Temple, a marble wonder, dedicated to its founder! In the midst of the din and dust and buzzle of the city it stood as a monument of peace silence and faith! The Tower of London, where King Charles the second was beheaded and the seat of many horrible tortures was our next place of visit. It was a dazzling sight to view the various golden crowns, swords, vases and the regalia since the fourteenth century exhibited in a part of the Tower! It was difficult to forget their glitter and brilliance for along time! We had a look at the Buckingham palace from a distance, went round the Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park before we returned home. It was the period when the talk of remaining or leaving the EU was in discussion. We saw a massive demonstration in favor of remaining near Trafalgar Square! On the whole the trip was very successful and I will cherish its memory for a long time to come!!

THE STORY BEHIND THE BHAGVATA PURANA

The Story Behind the Bhagavata Purana

After codifying the Vedas and writing the Upanishads and the Mahabharatha sage Vyasa was not happy! Something ailed him and he sat depressed on the banks of the Ganges. Sage Narada visited him and knew the reason for Vyasa’s dejection. He said Vyasa, in spite of his voluminous and astonishing work, has failed to sing the glory and greatness of Lord Narayana which alone can lead man to his emancipation! He counseled the sage Vyasa to write about the Divine sports of Lord Narayana that would release mortals from the shackles of samsara and lead them to God. He stressed that Vyasa would be peaceful and satisfied only after doing this noble work.

After the great Kurukshetra war and the demise of all the Kauravas and Pandavas and Lord Krishna, it was the rule of King Parikshit. He was the grandson of Arjuna and the son of Abhimanyu. He was saved from the terrible astra of Aswatthama by the grace of Lord Krishna! He ruled the country righteously and was full of devotion. On a particular day he went out for  hunting and chased a deer which eluded him. After a long chase he was very much tired and reached the ashram of the sage Samika who was in deep penance. He asked for water not realizing that the sage was in his tapas. He repeatedly asked for water to quench his thirst but the sage, in his deep meditation did not answer. Infuriated at the sage’s indifference, arrogant Parikshit lifted a dead snake lying by and put it round the neck of the sage in deep penance and left!

This matter was reported to shrungi, the son of sage Samika! He grew wild with anger at the misdeed of King Parikshit. He never expected the king to conduct himself in such an ignoble manner.This deserved the maximum punishment,thought Shrungi, and he cursed the king to die on the seventh day from that day! Meanwhile he went to his father, sage Samika and related about the curse. The Sage felt extremely sorry for what had happened and admonished his son for being too emotional and cursing such a great and noble king. But the damage was done and information regarding the curse was conveyed to king Parikshit. In the meantime the king cursed himself for the rash and instinctive act that resulted in the fatal curse

Soon king Parikshit prepared himself for the coming death. He crowned his son Janamejaya, released himself from all his family and royal obligations, and prepared to welcome death.Great sages like Viswamitra, Parasurama and even Vyasa Maharshi visited him.The king felt it was his fortune to have so many renowned sages in his company on the eve of his demise. It was at this juncture that the most revered sage Suka happened to come. King Parikshit was immensely delighted to see the Sage for  none was more competent than him to offer jnana and solace at the time of death. There was no second opinion on this and all others present approved.The king requested Sage Suka to narrate the Divine glory and the sports or Leelas of Lord Narayana within the deadline of his death on the seventh day according to the curse.

Thus began the great Bhagavata Purana as a spiritual and inspiring discourse for the benefit of not only king Parikshit but millions of mortals in future! Sage Suka narrated the glorious stories of the various avatars of Sri Hari and those of His dear bhaktas.Embedded In the Bhagavata are the stories of the child devotees Dhruva, Prahlada and that of Gajendra,the elephant king rescued from the crocodile by Lord Vishnu. The most important part of the Bhagavata is the tenth part or the Dasama Skanda where the Divine sports of Lord Krishna are described!  Various other narrations are also included and it is a compendium of spiritual Vedantic discourse at once interesting and inspiring! King Parikshit listened with intense faith and devotion to the Bhagavata even as the curse had its effect on the seventh day! The story of King Parikshit is also an illustration of one of the nine types of devotion or bhakthi, namely ‘sravanam.’ It indicates that by listening to the glories and Leelas of the Lord one can attain salvation or mukti as king Parikshit did!

A FEW THOUGHTS ON SIN

A FEW THOUGHTS ON SIN

Christianity speaks about the first disobedience of man and the loss of paradise on account of his original sin. Milton glorified this through his epic poem ‘ Paradise Lost’ and later described in 'Paradise Regained’ man's redemption through Jesus! God created Adam and the Garden of Eden exclusively for his happiness.Adam created Eve the first woman from one of his ribs and they lived a happy life of bliss till Satan came into their life. Aggrieved and angry with God for throwing him down to Hell as he rebelled against him, Satan wanted to avenge God and as he could not approach God, decided to spoil the happiness of the original man, Adam! That was how he wanted to avenge God. He sneaked into the Garden of Eden,hoodwinking the guardian Angel. He entered into the carcase of a snake and approaching Eve praised her celestial beauty.He argued that she is fit for heaven and that Adam does not want her to ascend to heaven because of selfishness!  He persuaded her, by his wiles,to taste the forbidden fruit and Eve, in a moment of weakness, plucked the fruit and ate it to the dismay and shock of Adam! Thus man lost his pardise as shame and guilt overtook him! Naked until then, they covered themselves!

“ There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable” according to Mark Twain the renowned novelist.The desire to disobey is prominent when something is forbidden.Is there any person without sin? It is doubtful. Mae West says “ To err is human--but it feels divine!” The only sin is the sin of being born in the words of Samuel Beckett. When people wanted to stone a sinner, it was Jesus who remarked “ Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to cast a stone!” In short, it is rather impossible for man to lead a sinless life.

According to Swami Vivekananda, “ The Vedanta recognizes no sin. It recognizes error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta, is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that.” What is Sin? It is a sin “when the glory of God is not honored: when His holiness is not revered: when His greatness is not admired: when the Truth of God Is not sought: when the wisdom of God is not esteemed: when the commandments of God are not obeyed: when the wrath of God is not feared: when the grace of God is not cherished and when the person of God is not loved! (John Piper) These   sum up, in essence, the general way in which sins are committed.

While these acts are considered as individual sins, there are a few for which society is responsible! These are called social sins. They are: wealth without work: pleasure without conscience: knowledge without character: commerce without morality: science without humanity:worship without sacrifice: and politics without principles! Present day society is definitely guilty of all the sins stated above! People earn money without any work and indulge in pleasures without any conscientious scruples! Knowledgeable people have no character. Morality is significantly absent in modern commerce and trade. Humanity is endangered by the tremendous advancement of science and technology and nuclear devices that may go off at any time! Worship too has become more commercial and there is no sacrifice at all.

Pride, arrogance and indulging in lies are denounced as sins. According to John Maxwell,  “There are two kinds of pride both good and bad. Good pride represents our dignity and self respect. Bad pride is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit, and ignorance.”Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all! says Edmund Burke!The inner enemies of man compel him to commit sin. It is a formidable task to withstand their pressure.We find many in the world who live comfortably and thrive on their sin! “ Some rise by sin and some by virtue fall” says Shakespeare! But eventually it is the sinner who comes to nothing.The rise of the sinner may be meteoric but he has to fall and meet his doom finally! Let us be aware of the pitfalls of sin and avoid them as far as possible!

ON CIVILIZATION

ON CIVILIZATION

We hate other people, other religions, castes, communities, faiths and languages! We cheat others, involve ourselves in frauds. We loot the properties of others, and are greedy for them. We murder others for gain. We are violent and have no tolerance for anything against our opinion! We do not respect the feelings of others or try to understand them. We have become slaves of the machine and worship Mammon, the God of wealth! We are ready to do anything for the sake of  money. We have forgotten the great values inherited from our forefathers!  Lust has overtaken most of us! We gloat over our city life and the tremendous advancement of science and technology! Rapes, abductions, robberies and other activities have become the order of the day! Yet we call ourselves civilized human beings! Are we really qualified to call ourselves a civilized society? That is the question that every single individual has to ask himself and pause for an answer!

“We wear clothes, and speak, and create civilizations, and believe we are more than wolves. But inside us there is a word we cannot pronounce and that is who we are”  says a renowned writer. According to another writer there is no such thing as civilization. The word just means the art of living in cities! “ Civilization is like a thin layer of ice upon a deep ocean of chaos and darkness” remarks Werner Herzog. Roy Bradbury says that our civilization is flinging itself to pieces!The great saint Ramalinga Swamigal commented that many wild animals have come as human beings! The Industrial Revolution ushered in a new era of comfort and convenience leading to the spectacular and incredible advancement of science and technology. In a craze for easy life and luxury, man has given up many of his essential qualities! He has begun to control and manipulate many things in nature but has lost control over himself! He has forgotten the true purpose of his existence and the values he should cherish!

Who are the civilized people? They respect human beings as individuals. They are tolerant, gentle, courteous and amenable.They do not make you feel they are confering a great benefit on you when they live with you and they don’t make a scandal when they leave. They cannot see scams and cases of bribery and corruption. Compassion for all including beggars and dogs and cats is the quality of a civilized human being. He will not throw puppies or kitten from the third or fourth floor of the building! Their hearts suffer the pains of what is hidden to the naked eye. They respect other people’s properties, and pay their debts and taxes. They don’t evade taxes and stash away their money in foreign banks and havens! They do not tread devious paths and fear lies as they fear fire! Even in trivial matters they speak the truth. They never put on airs. They do not show off  to impress others! They never try to elicit the sympathy of others.

Vanity is not in their blood. They are not elated by praises or ruffled by criticism. They regard praises as absurd. They know that empty vessels make the loudest sound! They are talented and value it the most. They are proud of their talent and realize their responsibility to exert a civilizing influence on others! They are fastidious in their habits. They work at developing their aesthetic sensibilities as Anton Chekhov puts it. They are mostly devoid of egoism which is the seed of greed, envy, anger, malice, conceit and a host of other tendencies that drag them down. “ A man without human qualities is like a  flower without smell, a fruit without juice and a cow that cannot give milk.” Says Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba.!

“Civilization is built on what is required of man, not on that which is provided for them.” declares a great writer!  Much of the present misery of society can be mitigated and overcome if there is a curb on desire. “ Reducing desires is the true mark  of civilization” says  Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba. The present day conflicts between nations is because of a desire for power and position.China desires to have all rights over the South China Sea!  America and other nations have a desire to have rights over it! The ISIS has a desire to convert the whole world to Islam! This unusual retrogressive desire has plunged the entire world into chaos! Terrorism has taken the toll of millions of innocent lives and there is no respite. Pakistan wants Kashmir and India has to bear the brunt of cross border terrorism because of Pakistan’s desire! Where is the end for this desire?  Unless there is a ceiling on desires among nations and individuals, society cannot remain peaceful! Civilization has no meaning and the world cannot be peaceful if the present situation persists! Let us remind ourselves that we should remain civilized and keep the society too civilized!!