He was admitted in the hospital when we (me and my wife, Reeta) went to see my father before leaving for Zambia to take up a new assignment in 1979. As we entered, he looked at us with a childlike smile on his wrinkled face. He was very happy to see Reeta for the first time since we got married. We bowed our head and touched his feet to seek his blessings and sat down on the side of the bed. He then got up and asked me when we were leaving for Africa and few other things. When I asked him about his health and the treatment he was undergoing he smiled and said “Apna Dhyan Rakhna, Meri Chinta mat karo, Main Bilkul Thik Hoon Aur Jaldi Hi Ghar Chala Jaunga” (take care of yourself and do not worry about me, I am perfectly alright. I will be going Home soon). When we were about to leave he looked at us with the same smile, but I could see tears in his eyes and voice choked with emotions. He kept looking at us until we left the room. And that was the last time I saw my father. Who knew that I will never see him again? He departed from this world soon after I left for Zambia.
A year later exactly on the same day my mother died. And again I was not there with her. I was told that my mother was so desperate to hear my voice that my younger brother has to mimic my voice to assure her that I was there with her.
I knew about her illness well in advance. I could have gone and spent some time with her but I could not make it. Reason: I was too scared to lose my year old job. Whatever might be the reason, I still blame myself and carry the burden of guilt of not being with my parents when they needed me most. It is indeed a very painful memory.
Once an elderly woman said: “I wish I would have put as much emotion in to my relationship with my mom and dad as I do now in my memories of them. We should pay more attention when we are making our memories. If we did, we wouldn’t have so many regrets when all we have is memories.”
Friday, August 7, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
"If...
If a child lives with criticism,
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame,
He learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance,
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
He learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
He learns to find love in the world.
-Dorothy Law Nolte
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame,
He learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance,
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
He learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
He learns to find love in the world.
-Dorothy Law Nolte
Monday, August 3, 2009
Changing face of Hindutwa
I was reading the text of the speech delivered by Swami Vivekananda in the world parliament of religion in 1893, and suddenly I remembered the infamous speech of Mr. Varun Gandhi in March 2009 in an election rally. If you compare the two, you will find that One talks about the essence of Hindu region: tolerance and peaceful co-existence of all regardless of their faith. And the other talks just the opposite. Varun Gandhi’s out-burst in his impudent speech is a manifestation of his deep rooted hate against other religions. It has been rightly said, "hate is born out of fear; that which we fear is that which we hate. The cruelest paradox of the power of hate is religion. All religion begins by teaching universal love; all religion end up preaching and practicing hatred and intolerance of those who belong to other sects. We must figure out why we love to hate each other."
In the recent past, religion has been politicized which has added fuel to the fire. If not controlled, it will engulf and destroy the basic foundation of our social fabric in which our forefathers have invested so much and nourished so dearly.
Swami Vivekananda's Address to the World Parliament of Religions September 1893 AT CHICAGO.
Sisters and Brothers of America,
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.
My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."
The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.
- Swami Vivekananda
And the speech of Mr.Varun Gandhi:
In March 2009, in an election rally the youngest BJP member Mr.Varun Gandhi addressed a crowed of BJP supporters and said “If anyone raises a finger towards Hindus or if someone thinks that Hindus are weak and leaderless, if someone thinks that these leaders lick our boots for votes, if anyone raises a finger towards Hindus, then I swear on Gita that I will cut that hand.” Continuing in the same vain he said" this is not a 'Hand' (Congress symbol), it is the power of the 'Lotus' (BJP symbol). It will cut the head of ....... Jai Shri Ram."
Recently I read a book , ”THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION” by Karen Armstrong. This is one of the best books I have ever read. The book is about axial age and reveals how ancient philosophies can help us in solving our contemporary problems. In one of the paragraphs it says and I quote:
“The explosion of the first atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki laid bare the nihilistic self-destruction at heart of the brilliant achievements of our modern culture. We have found to our cost that a great university can exist in the same vicinity as a concentration camp. Auschwitz, Rwanda, Bosnia, and the destruction of the World Trade Centre were all dark epiphanies that revealed what can happen when the sense of sacred inviolability of every single human being has been lost. Religion, which is supposed to help us to cultivate this attitude, often seems to reflect the violence and desperation of our times. Almost every day we see examples of religiously motivated terrorism, hatred, and intolerance.”
THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION
By: Karen Armstrong
In the recent past, religion has been politicized which has added fuel to the fire. If not controlled, it will engulf and destroy the basic foundation of our social fabric in which our forefathers have invested so much and nourished so dearly.
Swami Vivekananda's Address to the World Parliament of Religions September 1893 AT CHICAGO.
Sisters and Brothers of America,
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.
My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."
The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.
- Swami Vivekananda
And the speech of Mr.Varun Gandhi:
In March 2009, in an election rally the youngest BJP member Mr.Varun Gandhi addressed a crowed of BJP supporters and said “If anyone raises a finger towards Hindus or if someone thinks that Hindus are weak and leaderless, if someone thinks that these leaders lick our boots for votes, if anyone raises a finger towards Hindus, then I swear on Gita that I will cut that hand.” Continuing in the same vain he said" this is not a 'Hand' (Congress symbol), it is the power of the 'Lotus' (BJP symbol). It will cut the head of ....... Jai Shri Ram."
Recently I read a book , ”THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION” by Karen Armstrong. This is one of the best books I have ever read. The book is about axial age and reveals how ancient philosophies can help us in solving our contemporary problems. In one of the paragraphs it says and I quote:
“The explosion of the first atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki laid bare the nihilistic self-destruction at heart of the brilliant achievements of our modern culture. We have found to our cost that a great university can exist in the same vicinity as a concentration camp. Auschwitz, Rwanda, Bosnia, and the destruction of the World Trade Centre were all dark epiphanies that revealed what can happen when the sense of sacred inviolability of every single human being has been lost. Religion, which is supposed to help us to cultivate this attitude, often seems to reflect the violence and desperation of our times. Almost every day we see examples of religiously motivated terrorism, hatred, and intolerance.”
THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION
By: Karen Armstrong
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Hindu way of life: Science of salvation
Numerous definitions of Hindu religion and hindutwa have been put forward by so called custodians of this faith to suite their own personal gains, but I personally feel that following article gives the clear picture of what Hindu religion stands for.
The Hindu civilisation was born on the banks of the river Sindhu, known as the Indus today. When the Persians came, they introduced the term 'Hindu', derived from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, to denote the people who live beyond the river Sindhu. It was a geographical and cultural identity. It had never been a religious identity. Basically, the culture was oriented towards realising one's full potential. It is only recently that attempts have been made to transform a geographical and cultural identity into a religious identity. Hindu was never an 'ism', and the attempt to organise it as a religion cannot succeed because the Hindu way of life, Sanatana Dharma or universal law, is inclusive by nature. It is not an organised belief system; it is a science of salvation. The conflicts in the world have always been projected as good versus bad, but really, the conflict is always one man's belief versus another man's belief. In the past, religion was far more important to people than it is now, but still there were no theocratic states in this culture; the ruler had his religion and the subjects had the freedom to follow theirs. There was no conflict. There is no belief system to the Hindu way of life. You can believe in God or not. Individuals can work out their own way to salvation. If there are five people in your family, each one can worship a god of their choice, or not worship and still be a good Hindu. The Hindu culture is rooted in the spiritual ethos of each individual working towards ultimate liberation as the fundamental goal in life. In the East, spirituality and religion were never an organised process. Organisation was only to the extent of making spirituality available to everybody - not for conquest. A farmer worshipped his plough, a fisherman worshipped his boat; people worshipped whatever aspect of life they related to most, and that was perfectly fine. Essentially, in the East, religion is about you, it is not about God. Religion is about your liberation. God is just one more stepping stone that you can use or skip towards your ultimate liberation. The essential purpose of the God-belief is to create reverence in a person. What you worship is not important. It is not about liking something or disliking it. The object of reverence is irrelevant. If you make reverence the quality of your life, then you become far more receptive to life. Life will happen to you in bigger ways. Hindu culture recognises human welfare and freedom as being of paramount importance as against the prominence of God. People understood that God is of our making and not the other way around. Hence the whole god-making technology evolved into the science of consecrating various types of forms, energy forms and spaces. Hindu gods and goddesses are numerous, from the subtlest to the weirdest. Everything has been explored. The best compliment for this culture came from Mark Twain who had heard so much about Indian mysticism that he decided to travel to India and spend some time here. He said: "Anything that can ever be done either by man or by God has been done in this land." If you explore mysticism in India, it is incredible because it does not come from an organised belief system. It happens as a scientific means to explore dimensions beyond the physical.
Sadhguru .
The Times Of India
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