Importance of Ethics

In life, one must think whether being ethical is a choice or something we would like to to all the time.. Observations in the country show us in this article how morality began to take a plunge because of immoral leaders, both in politics and business. Everywhere, we must think whether we can play a role and become ethical in all our choices and only then will the world change. Do read Success Sans Ethics at http://newindianexpress.com/opinion/article542130.ece

Be happy always

Thinking about Comparisons, it could be comparisons of your health with others, comparison of your life style with others, but ultimately in every area of life, there are some people who are better than you and some people who are worse. Let us learn to focus and pray for those who are worse. Automatically, our issues will become manageable then..

The same thing is said in Vedanta...

All happiness in life is beyond the limited consciousness and is experienced when that activity is forgotten. All the delight that comes from response to beauty, love and truth in the world, and from the powers of will, love and thought in consciousness, lie in the Self beyond, when the world and the limited self are forgotten, and time and space have been swallowed up in something greater, beyond their limitations. Beyond common consciousness, in a state better than that limited consciousness, we are, and all clinging to mental ideas about oneself, pleasurable or not, bars the realization of that truth. That unchanging I is ānanda, happiness, the one reality. To know this directly, not by logic, is the high purpose of the Vedānta.

Hope you all also remain happy forever

Anna Hazare - the new hope..

Gandhi was not really perfect when he started the satyagraha movement.. So, why do we have so many people objecting and not supporting Anna Hazare, all because he is not seen as a perfect being?

Let us join hands in a worthy cause, and if India is rid of Corruption, we will have a new freedom movement...

Jai Jagat - the clarion call of Vinoba

I recently got the biography of Vinoba Bhave and found it really inspiring - the bhoodan movement I did mention in my previous post and was also most impressed at his efforts in Post Partition India. In Pakistan, his response to "Jai Pakistan" was always "Jai Jagat" - Victory to the World. Who can dispute that peace is possible only with this approach ? If only the entire world were to move out of their limited vision and realize this..

Marathi manoos who went to Telangana

Today, when the fire rages in Telangana and a debate on a Marathi Manoos rages on in Maharashtra, perhaps we need to remember and pay a tribute to people like Vinoba Bhave, who had seen the anguish of the Telanganites much earlier and yes incidentally happened to be a Maharashtrian.

In 1973, When Acharya Vinoba Bhave decided to see how he could help the landless people in India, he went to one of the most poverty striken areas, Telengana.

Setting himself up in the courtyard of a prayer compound, he was soon receiving visitors from the entire village. The landless people told Vinoba they had no choice but to support the people fighting for land, because they had no land. They asked him if he could ask the government give them land so they could grow the crops.
Vinoba replied, “What use is government help until we can help ourselves?”
Late that afternoon, by a lake next to the village, Vinoba held another prayer meeting that drew thousands of villagers from the surrounding area. Without really expecting a response, he said, “Brothers, is there anyone among you who can help your landless friends?”

The people were all silent, but they did realize Vinoba had no selfish interest, only their own interest at heart. “Why else would he coming walking all the way?” they thought.

Slowly, a prominent farmer of the village stood up. “Sir, I am ready to give one hundred acres.”
Vinoba could not believe his ears.

A farmer willing to part with 100 acres out of simple generosity. And Vinoba was just as astounded when the landless people declared that they needed only 80 acres and wouldn’t accept more!

Vinoba suddenly saw a solution. .

So began the movement called Bhoodan—“land-gift.” Over the next seven weeks, Vinoba asked for donations of land for the landless in 200 villages. “We do not aim at doing mere acts of kindness, but at creating a Kingdom of Kindness,” Vinoba Bhave used to say.

Yes, Bhoodan did not succeed as much as Vinoba wished, but surely, a remarkable way of solving problems through simple kindness had been shown..

The spirit of enquiy

An article from Life Positive I deeply cherish.

Both science and spirituality rely on, and benefit from, the mental attitude that is widely known as 'scientific temper'. More

Listening with love and compassion

Long ago, in ancient India, Angulimala - "the one wearing a garland of fingers" - struck terror in the hearts of all. He virtually controlled the whole forest. Once, the Buddha set off on the route frequented by Angulimala.

"Please do not go on this route. Angulimala does not spare anyone," people begged, but the Buddha merely smiled and told them to be at ease.

As soon as the Buddha had traversed a little distance, he could hear thundering footsteps. Angulimala had seen him and was trying to catch up. The Buddha walked steadily while Angulimala ran desperately. Strangely, Angulimala was just not able to do catch up with the Buddha. Utterly frustrated, he cried out, ''O Bhikkhu (monk), stop, stop!'' though he did not really expect the monk to stop, thinking there was some magical power in the monk.

To his surprise, the Buddha stopped, turned around, and replied calmly: ''I have stopped. It is you who have not stopped.'' Totally bewildered, Angulimala looked on as the Buddha continued, ''I say that I have stopped because I have given up killing all beings. I have given up ill-treating all beings, and have established myself in universal love, patience and knowledge through reflection. But you still have not given up killing or ill-treating others and you are not yet established in universal love and patience. Hence, you are the one who has not stopped. You could, however, stop anytime you wish to.''

Nobody had ever spoken to Angulimala in such a calm and compassionate manner. The peace that he felt just by being in the Buddha's presence was overwhelming. With tears in his eyes, he threw away the necklace of fingers and his weapons. Choked with emotion, he pleaded with the Buddha to admit him to the order of the bhikkhus. The Buddha willingly did so.

Many in the order were aghast. Bound by Buddha's order, they did not oppose the decision but avoided interacting with Angulimala, the dreaded bandit. Observing this, the Buddha counselled Angulimala: "Be patient. Your bad karma will cease to haunt you if you remain calm and composed.''

Angulimala understood and continued serving in the community patiently and lovingly.

Over a period of time, he realised he was especially skilled in helping women in labour as blood, pain and shrieks did not unnerve him. Gradually, his past identity dropped and he became known as the person who was very skilled in helping women deliver babies.

This tale reveals many truths. The statement of the Buddha, "I have now stopped", that was crucial in effecting Angulimala's transformation, is a wonderful message of compassion and empathy. It says: "I have been there and I understand what you are going through." There is no fear or pity, just deep understanding.

Once transformed, Angulimala struggled to earn the respect of others. The Buddha counsels him to keep going, for, in due course, by following the path, he is sure to gain acceptance of the community. This shows us that penitence may be tested severely but, if it is genuine, there is acceptance at the end of the struggle. Redemption happens only with time and sincere effort.

At the societal level, this tale is eternally relevant in showing us that even a hardcore criminal can turn into a socially responsible and caring individual if he is approached with understanding and empathy. Buddhahood is within reach if only we take the path of love and compassion.


Published in Times of India's Speaking tree, 01 August, 2009

Focussing on the happiness of others

Sometimes, profound truths are exceedingly simple. Suma Varughese says in her book that the moment of her step towards a greater plane of existence happened when she decided to focus on the happiness of others and not herself.

If only all of us could do the same.

For instance, in the area of parenting, parents would be a true support and not people causing stress to their children. Children in turn would respond by realising their complete potential and not being robotic in their chase towards so called success.

The same analogy applies in governance, business and indeed all areas of life.

We may not have a role to play of these but certainly, we can begin with ourselves.

Bhagiratha Prayatna - Raising the consciousness of India

All great tales have a message for all time.

One such tale is that of King Bhagiratha.

The sons of King Sagara had been burnt into ashes by Sage Kapila for their arrogance who pronounced that the only way the souls of the dead princes could rise to heaven would be through the waters of the sacred Ganga river, which was then flowing in the heavens. Bringing Ganga back to Earth required tremendous dedication and many years of tapasya. Many Kosala kings of successive generations tried, but failed. As a result, the sins of the princes multiplied in their destructive energy, and began resulting in natural disasters. The kingdom began to lose its peace and prosperity.

It was then that Bhagiratha ascended the throne. Realising that single minded pursuit of the goal of bringing down Ganga was essential, Bhagiratha turned over the kingdom to trusted ministers and set off to the Himalayas, embarking on an arduous tapasya. At the end of one thousand years, Brahma came to him and Bhagiratha asked for the boon of bringing down the river Ganga to earth so that he could set the souls of his ancestors free. Brahma cautioned Bhagiratha that Ganga’s fall would be colossal and it would be impossible to contain the destructive impact of this event unless Lord Shiva stepped in.

Bhagiratha then began to propitiate Lord Shiva, living only on air. The compassionate Shiva appeared relatively soon, after only a year's penance, and assured Bhagiratha that he would take care that Ganga's fall does not become destructive.

As the mighty Ganga flowed down, Lord Shiva captured her Ganga in his matted hair or jata, and let her flow from there at a gentler pace. Different streams of Ganga flowed through to release all the princes and at long last, the souls of Bhagiratha’s ancestors were freed and peace returned to the land.
Due to this, Ganga is also known as Bhagirathi (daughter of Bhagiratha) and Bhagiratha's herculean effort, Bhagiratha Prayatna, is a term that symbolises a dedicated effort to do something noble despite facing overwhelming odds.
Another message that the tale brings out is the responsibility we have to correct the wrongs of the past.

There are many parallels between the story of Bhagiratha and the situation we find ourselves in, while grappling with the creation of an inclusive society where the labels of caste based identity are not a deterrent to progress..

Indeed, we stand at the threshold of correcting wrongs committed and perpetuated, knowingly and unknowingly, in the past. Although the caste division has not been created by the present generation, we certainly have inherited the inequalities and negative ‘karma’ that the practice of this system has brought in.

The first step to a solution is accepting responsibility. By just blaming each other, we will again create a cycle of karma where the oppressor and victim could have different labels, but we will still be far away from an inclusive society.

Reservations and quotas were introduced in our constitution mainly to correct caste driven imbalance. However, these are only one part of the solution. Just focusing on quotas has only lead to vote bank politics that have resulted in further divisions of society. In this process, the core goal of the creation of a society that enables every child, irrespective of birth, to have equal access to education and career options, seems to have been forgotten.

Unfortunately, just like the kings of Kosala before Bhagiratha, we lack determination. Concern on the need for educational and employment opportunities is often raised, but soon forgotten, by the media and by the general public.

Further, just as the Ganga flowed in different streams all over India, the issue requires a multi pronged approach. While not rejecting affirmative action outright, we must examine where the lacunaes lie. Similarly, the provision of quality primary education to all is absolutely essential.

Social change is very challenging and therefore, not one Bhagiratha but a collective consciousness to undertake a “Bhagiratha prayatna” is essential.

We do know that none of these issues have easy solutions and the path would be long, but it must be undertaken with an unstinting focus on the key goals. There will be upheavals like those with Ganga’s mighty fall into the Earth. For this, we need a calm, non partisan voice of reason, playing the role of Shiva, who stemmed the forcefulnesss of the fall.

With all this, perhaps we will ultimately be able to bring in the ‘Ganga’ of oneness, solidarity and equality into our land.

No barriers in art

V V Sadagopan, my grandfather, was a great musicologist, musician, lyricist and a hero of his times.

Yes, I can honestly say he was one of a kind not just for his talents but for the person he was. I was very lucky to be with him at a young age and what remains in my mind and whole psyche is his openness in accepting all faiths, cultures and traditions. He used to take us to all holy places and ask us to observe what is best in each. All music was heard and appreciated. No preaching but just opening the windows of our mind.

“When we appreciate, the differences are rarely seen, “he said. “Art transcends all human differences, “ was another dictum he believed and lived by. He revived many traditions, like Vaishnavism (devotion to Vishnu) and Pasurams (devotional songs in Tamil), not because he thought them to be superior to the others, but to present that dimension too to the world. As a lyricist, he sought to convey secular values in a non obtrusive way.

Incidentally, the name of this blog, Jai Joy was his standard greeting. As for him, joy and music were synonymous. Yes, Jai ho, today’s buzzword would have appealed to him, too.

Even today, whenever confused, I always ask myself "How would Appaji have responded?"

Jai joy, Appaji, Thanks for the wisdom you imparted to me.

Value of Trust

“How could she do this?” was my first thought when I saw my old watch on Sheela, my household help. Her deceit and with my foolishness in trusting her whirled through my mind, all at once. She was a person I thought I knew and trusted.Slowly, I asked “new watch?”. “Oh, its an old one but for me it is new, as it was gifted to me by my niece, “ she replied with a happy smile. Was it over-confidence or lack of guilt? I sat down and assessed the situation again. Surely, she would not have flaunted the watch in front of me had there been an iota of guilt in her. I refrained from confronting her and searched all over again for all the likely places my watch could have been lost. Finally, to my great relief, I did find the watch in a remote corner. Was it a strange coincidence that she had happened to own the same model or was it a test of trust ? I think it was the latter for, I have never felt as gratified as I did today in not allowing my trust to break down. If I had doubted her, we would never had the same equation.

This is really important for eveyone. Each person wants to trust and be trusted, for without that, a sense of well being is virtually impossible.

Teaching Stories

With its different layers, a teaching story gives us new insights every time we read it ..and we begin to see the world, and even ourselves, differently. At its heart a teaching story encapsulates the wisdom and truth of life and transmits it to the reader in the most pleasurable, palatable way. These timeless tales will offer you hours of entertainment, but more importantly, it may well change your perception of life. These tales from Sufi, Zen, Hindu, folklore have something for who read them, irrespective of age, gender, creed or race.

For me, editing this volume has been a God sent opportunity, read, interpreting, understanding these timeless classics.

Surrounded by gurus

A European lady was wonderstruck when Swami Chinmayananda once answered the precise questions she had in her mind. “Could he read her mind?”, she wondered.. "I cannot read your mind and neither do I wish to," the Swamiji replied, "In life, your answers could be from a bus conductor, a man on the street or in this case, me. That is the way the universe works."

Truly, the universe has numerous lessons for us. Perhaps one of the greatest teachers is nature itself. The sun shines everyday at the precise hour and gives light to the entire world without expecting any returns. The birds chirp whether or not someone claps and applauds. Trees give shade and succour to millions of creatures and never tire or get bored of doing this. As a bonus, they add beauty too, the sun by giving us the rainbow and beautiful patterns of the sunrise and sunset, trees and plants by giving us different types of flora.

Every creature too has its unique lesson for us. One of the verses of the Thirukkural says, "The crow does not conceal its food from its fellows and calls them and willingly shares it with them. Only men of like nature prosper." To constantly remind us of this principle, people are encouraged to offer some food to the crow every day and observe how it shares it with the entire group.
Geese fly in a "V" formation. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. If a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies
Such teaching stories abound in nature. Even the much detested cockroach teaches us resilience and determination. Apart from this, the little coincidences of life, the people one meets and situations one encounters constantly teach us the lessons we need at any point in time.

Of course, saints and prophets have inspired and guided humankind in every era and if we have the good fortune to be blessed by such guidance by a human guru, it would be a wonderful bonus. As it is said, when the time is ripe, the master will appear without any effort on our part. In the meantime, let us recognize that the entire universe is constantly conspiring to teach us the lessons, the ones we seek actively, and the ones we may not voice but do need for our spiritual progress. All we have to do is to tune our senses to receive them.