Don’t be a Chicken when you could be a Lark

                                 Don’t be a Chicken when you could be a Lark

There is a popular saying in Sanskrit,
“ Knowledge found in the books and one’s money locked in the hands of others is of no value and use until and unless one owns them and has it in his own possession.”

          The only security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. The beautiful thing is that no one can take it away from you. Human life is a splendid opportunity to acquire this treasure for enjoying the eternal joy , and radiating the same to others. Life without knowledge, learning , and endeavor is like entering a jewel mine and coming out with empty hands.

We acquire knowledge in two ways-   by active learning  from outside sources and from the heart by quiet introspection. Both are needed. Infact, learning, reading without thinking or reflection cannot lead to proper and clear understanding but is a burden, boring and cannot give inner joy.

In good olden days , when there were no written books, listening to the teacher was the first step. Then comes reflection, reflecting on it led to understanding and pondering over it again and again, the knowledge got assimilated. These steps are well-known as Shravana, Manana, and Nididhyasana especially emphasized in realizing the philosophical truths.

Love of reading and learning should be inculcated in children from their early age. Schools and homes should focus on creativity which comes as a result of love of learning. Learning is more than absobing facts. It is acquiring understanding. Thus teaching is more than imparting, it is inspiring change. In the words of Socrates :” I cannot teach students, I can only make them think.”
When you make Reading of books your company you will never feel lonely. But reading without reflection is like eating without digestion.
Reading is an important aspect of learning. If you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything. Writing adds to more understanding.. Writing is a creative process of distilling your thoughts in the still of your mind and collecting their essence of whatever you have understood. To quote Sir Francis Bacon , “ Reading maketh a full man;conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. “

Any work is creative work if done by a thinking mind. For learning, the learner should stay motivated. This motivation is there when he feels that he is accomplishing something great in life.
 When learning is purposeful, creativity blossoms, thinking emanates. When proper thinking emantes, knowledge is fully lit, inventions take place, economy flourishes. The German writer Goethe said,
“ We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.”

Learning or knowledge should be undertaken as a pleasurable task because learning or knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind. The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled. Learning should be the training of the mind to think of something that has to go beyond the learning of textbooks. Imagination is the highest form of research. All knowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind only. The infinite library of the universe is our human mind. It is marvelous and unique. Exploration is really the essence of human spirit.
Steve Jobs said, “ I would trade all my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.”

Anyone who stops learning is old whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning always stays young. This is true.
When one develops a passion or insatiable thirst for learning, he will enjoy the process of learning also. The end positive results will come naturally and easily and one will feel more motivated to do more and more. The beauty is the brain ‘s ability to absorb increases as one lears more and more.
Learning becomes fun and the time you spend working seems to fly away. Learning expands the mind into a reservoir of inexhaustible joy within.
Albert Einstein, once sent a message to motivate the students of a college in Brazil at the request of the college authorities. The message was:
“ He who knows the joy of understanding has gained an infallible friend for life. Thinking is to man what flying is to birds.
Don’t follow the example of the chicken when you could be a lark.”
 Many students learn by rote and pass the examns but they may not have understood the subjectat all. The chicken makes cackling sounds only, not sonorous. To understand something one should start thinking and keep on thinking until it is understood. Teachers should help students to think and understand the subject. When one understands the subject, he or she feels happy and carefree like a lark otherwise the lessons become a big bore. Great discoveries are made through thinking and understanding. The bird lark is the symbol of the joyous spirit of the divine. It soars high into the sky singing happily.
The joy from knowledge acquired for the sake of knowledge is immeasurable. A lone flower still blossoms for its own purpose not looking around for admirers.
Inside every human being there are innumerable treasures to unlock. When a person finds the key of learning and thinking to it , he finds joy, joy and joy only.

The spirit of service- The essence of worship

                                    The spirit of service- The essence of worship


    A king, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, built a big tank and ordered all his countrymen,especially cowherds to bring their entire milk and fill up the tank to the brim on every Monday ,once a week, so that he could worship the idol of Shiva in the nearby temple with continuous ablution of milk as a gesture of devotion. All the cowherds, out of fear for royal punishment brought all their milk and poured into the tank. They did not feed their children or sell the milk to the public to earn their livelihood. But still the tank was not full. Atlast, an elderly cowherdess came with a small cup of milk and poured it into the tank. What a wonder ! Immediately, the milk level in the tank rose to the brim. The king also observed this for two weeks. He stopped the lady after she poured the milk and turned back to go back home and asked her the delay in her coming and pouring so little milk that it zoomed to the brim. He wanted to know whether it was normal milk or something extraordinary. The woman replied, “ Oh king, there is no magic in the milk I bring. I milk the cows and take out fresh milk. I give a cupful to my husband and son who go to fields for work early in the morning. I give it to my grandkids who go to school, to my daughter-in-law first who does all the household works from early morning till night. I drink a cup for my health and sell to a small family nearby to earn some money for my family. Whatever is left, that is a small cup of milk, I bring here in obedience to your order. I pour this into the tank with faith and prayer that what I do is in tune with the inner dictates of my conscience. I cannot see my family starving and suffering at the cost of my worship. Infact, I firmly believe that Lord Shiva, as a kind father of this universe would enjoy and accept this faithful symbolic worship with a pure heart than taking the entire milk, cutting the only means of livelihood, causing distress and suffering to his own children, his created beings.” The king realized the truth and the real essence of worship, and was highly grateful to that lady.

Ritualism in any religion is to inculcate the idea of worship and to discipline the body and mind and involve one’s entire being-physical, verbal, mental and spiritual in worshipping the Lord. The principle, is to bring about a change in our attitude, mental thinking, and everything. Our family is our temple. We have to take care of them.
Devotion or worship is not a mere practice but a faithful and constant atmosphere around our head and heart.
In all our contact with the world outside, in all experiences, we must keep constantly a clear picture of our goal in our mind and live with devotion at all times in all activities.
Worship is not a part-time activity. Worship cannot be restricted to any particular time or day. Constant practice and frequent association with good thoughts are essential for the purification of the mind.
This unique bliss does not depend on any external things, beings or circumstances. Family is the cradle of spiritual values- love and togetherness, caring and sharing, then society, and then the entire universe.
Diversity of creation teaches that the spirit of service is the essence of worshiping the creator of this beautiful universe. The evolved human being’s mission is get the glimpse of divine bliss through his selfless, kind and loving service to his fellow creatures.
The best way to allign oneself to the divinity is through service to the created beings of the universe. This is the practical method to realize the divinity rather than the mechanical visits to religious places without any feelings.

In giving only, we grow rich

     

                                  In giving only, we grow rich




           There was a big majestic tree with thick branches of leaves spreading out, with beautiful flowers and delicious fruits on the banks of a river on the outskirts of a small town and looked joyful in serving others by its cool shade, fragrant flowers and sweet fruits.

Once, a small family of four members came and rested under the tree for awhile. The parents were resting underthe tree. Their children,a boy of seven or eight years and his little sister of four or five years old were playing around the tree. The little girl called her brother by name John. After sometime, the family left the place

The little boy John started coming almost daily and played under the tree, plucking its flowers and putting them on his head. He enjoyed picking its delicious fruits and eat them.

The tree developed an affection for that little boy. The unique feature of this created world is love. Love is the universal language which every creature animate or inanimate understands,longs for and fosters.
The boy grew up and had other activities to concentrate upon. After a long time, when the grown up boy was passing by that side, the tree asked him, ‘ John, why you never come here.?’
The boy said, “ I am grown up. I need money to buy things. What do you have except leaves and fruits.’ The tree said tenderly, ‘ You can pick and sell my fruits, you can get money that way.’ John plucked the delicious fruits and went away. The boy did not even feel grateful or thanked the kind tree. Years rolled by. As an adult, he was passing by the side of the tree without even looking at it. The majestic tree lovingly posed the same question to him. The man said that he wanted to build a house and asked the tree, ‘ You keep on calling me. Can you give me a house?’ The tree smilingly replied, ‘ yes, you can cut my sturdy branches and build a beautiful house.’ Without any hesitation, the man cut down the branches and took them for his building. After sometime, when John was passing by that side, the tree enquired about his welfare. Instead of expressing thanks for its concern, he poured out his problem to the tree , telling that he wanted to go to distant lands to earn more money and settle down there comfortably. So, he needed a boat. The tree cheerfully offered its big, strong trunk. The selfish man made a boat out it and sailed away.

The tree became a stump. With rains and grace from above, the tree got regenerated into a vast encompassing majestic one, fully laden with delicious fruits, fragrant flowers,and green luscious leaves offering shade to the travellers. Any person passing through that side could never miss the positive vibration of the joy and richness of the services rendered by that majestic tree to the travellers.

The tree did not forget John who, as a boy would come and play and whose desires it could fulfill. It had developed an affection for the little boy and was eagerly waiting to hear good news about his setttlement in a foreign land and nothing else.

Love is a universal language. Without words, one can feel the depth of the tree’s unselfish, unconditional love, kindness.
Man is gifted with words to express his beautiful thoughts of love, kindness and gratitude. But in modern times, the freedom of expression and speech and birthright is exploited to one’s own selfish ends.
The motherland is also like the tree. And, a y land where people come to earn their livelihood is like this great tree. It is only ungrateful men destroy the lands, fellow countrymen to satisfy their insatiable greed. The height of this greed can be seen in today’s politics. Election is nothing but a reshuffling of the same crooked politicians. The party men fight the election to defeat the rival candidates. Their object is never to take care of the country. They forget that they are mere representatives of the people , elected to govern the country, protecting the rights and safeguarding the people by providing healthcare, education, livelihood , and protection from the enemies. They are mere caretakers for a stipulated period. But they behave as if the country is their own property and loot taxpayers money to fulfill their whims instead of spending on the welfare and development of the country.
The unbridled power,  corruption of the politicians, instigation of the youths by fanatics, unemployment,poverty, illiteracy all create migration issues. The world belongs to everyone. Nature is common. In a country, people belonging to different religions live. Practice of religion is a private affair. The country belongs to all. Dividing the country on the basis of religion, driving them out of their own country by the powerful ones is a stigma and a shame on the humanity as a whole. In every country, people should realize that by giving space, help and love to one another, they don’t lose anything, but gain only, get the bounty like the majestic tree.

Cup of life

                                                  Cup of life




       A group of students, then well-placed in senior positions in various organizations, went to meet their professor. The professor was very happy to see them. The students poured out their problems, anxiety and stress they were facing, inspite of holding a high position and having monetary comforts. They pointed out that they could not find any joy amidst these.

The professor simply smiled, and prepared fresh coffee and poured it into different types of cups- some were of decorated porcelain ones, some plain, some made of glass, some plastic and some paper cups, and placing before the students , asked them to taste the coffee. Almost all of them took the beautiful looking, decorated, heavy porcelain cups containing hot aromatic coffee.

The professor said, “ I noticed you all preferred to take decorated heavy porcelain cups. Remember, cups are just medium to hold the essence i.e. is coffee and not the essence itself. The aroma and taste of the coffee does not vary according to the container. It is the same. Only the containers are perishable. Likewise, post, position, power, money are like soap bubbles in the air and at any time can disappear and be lost. But your innermost being, your eternal treasure which holds the values of joy and serenity and guide you with the same is eternal and is always with you. So realize this, worries and anxiety will never touch you. External riches in the form of money, position, house, cars and electronic devices are essential for a comfortable life. But they are not the only goal of life. But ,with the acquisition of these physical comforts, worries and anxiety are natural to mind like waves in the ocean. Waves are seen on the surface of the ocean only. Whereas the ocean in its depth remains calm and unperturbed by the external waves. But there are many ways to calm a negative energy without suppressing or fighting it. Try to recognize it, smile at it, and replace it with good thoughts and wisdom.

Now this is the right time to test your real knowledge you have acquired and prove your worth.
One should not lose the internal treasure by being caught in the external pleasures. Even the honey bee knows how not to get caught in the sticky honey it makes. The man of understaning, finds lasting pleasure in the positive achievement, and the acquisition and exercise of wisdom. Righteousness and enduring riches of internal life should be the driving force of your life. Committing your life to nurturing highest values of life like simplicity,serenity, love, kindness, and discovering a purpose to serve humanity, radiating the same, you will find the true riches. Wish you all the Best! .”

Real strength comes from love and co-operation

                               Real strength comes from love and co-operation



    There was a saintly man. He looked fragile but would roll down the big boulders on the path into the valley down without any effort. A man was curiously observing this for a long time. One day, he went to the saintly man and asked him the secret behind his strength. The saintly man smilingly said, “ My dear son ! I don’t know. I don’t make any effort. I just address the big boulders that have fallen down on the walking path from the nearby mountain, with love and kindness, asking them for permission to co-operate with me in rolling down them from the path as they abstruct the people from walking on the path and not for any other personal motive. “  Then without much effort, I roll them down far away from the path.
This demonstrates that the real strength comes from kindness and co-operation. Real strength does not come from mere physical control or out of ego that others should obey us. This is an important principle in management techniques. A team’s strength and success depends on these qualities only.

Great things are achieved by team work in any organization. Team work is the art of giving people a common platform for spreading ideas that work towards a project undertaken by a group of people.
All should love the common work they are sharing to achieve a common goal. All the members may not be of equal calibre. They may be from diverse background. With mutual understanding, trust, respect ,and concentration on single mission, all boundaries will disappear. Infact, the diversity should impart a richness to the work. The focus should be on the action rather than one’s ego. One should not cut others and ride over. All have to be avid learners. If we enjoy doing together, everything can be achieved. Achievement of excellence in the form of unique and real contribution should be the purpose, keeping in mind the reputation of the organization and benefits to the society at large.

When the goal is set, the will and love to work,ability to communicate and resolve conflicts before they get out of control,importance of timing, taking advantage of opportunities and available resources , a unique joy of togetherness, a sense of belongingness ,self-motivation ,  commitment ,integrity,loyalty to the organization will naturally be there, like the ant who is a self-starter and needs no manager to keep it on task.

In a team, a leader and members have equal role. With varied knowledge and experience, the members can offer information and novel insights into a project which a single person alone may not possess.
The leader should not be interested in the privileges of power rather than its responsibilities.
Leadership is not about one’s power, it’s all about one’s ability to empower, encourage and elevate others.
The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not ,rude or cruel,be kind, but not weak, be bold, but not bully, be thoughtful, but not lazy, be humble, but not timid, be proud, but not arrogant, have humour , but without folly and without being silly.
Such a team becomes strong, successful and is an asset to any organization.

Wisdom from the kingdom of plants

                                        Wisdom from the kingdom of plants

•  When the axe came into the forest the trees said, “ The handle is one of us.”
• I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we  do.
• The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.
• Just as a coconut tree bears the weight of coconuts on its head and gives nectarine water throughout its life in return for a little water that was given to it during the first year of its growth, a good person never forgets the help he had received and tries to return it to others in manifold forms and ways.       
•  Though the blue water lily, lotus, fish, and white lily are born in water, they have different odors.
• Plants are more courageous than almost all human beings. An orange tree would rather die than produce lemons.
• A lone flower still blossoms for its own purpose not looking around for admirers.
• If you love a flower, don’t pick it up. Because if you pick it up, it dies and it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be in the plant itself. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.
• The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit.
• Don’t chase the butterfly. Mend your garden, let the butterfly come.
• Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your garden and decorate yor soul.
• The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge, and it becomes another’s , smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.

Value of things

                                     Value of things


 Children,from the early age should be educated about the value of things and not money.

A boy had a beautiful piece of cloth with exquisite workmanship. He took it to a shop in antiques with the intention of selling it. The shopkeeper, looking at the unique artistic piece, was ready to offer him twenty gold coins for that. The boy became greedy and tore the beautiful cloth, a table spread, into two pieces and asked him for the price. As both the pieces had beautiful motifs weaved on them intact, the shopkeeper was eager to have them and was ready to offer twelve gold coins each. The boy, not being satisfied, tore the beautiful pieces into small, small pieces and wanted to know the price for all. The wise antique dealer declined to give anything for those small insignificant pieces and addressed the boy, “ Oh my dear boy ! You don’t know the worth of this beautiful cloth. You tore into small pieces without any regret. You don’t seem to realize as to many hands have labored in making this unique artistic cloth. The farmer grows and cultivate cotton in the fields, fighting against the vagaries of weather. The merchant buys it and gets the cotton in the form of threads and gets them  colored in different shades. It is the weaver who weaves it with patterns and gives  it  to the merchant, who fixes the price and ships it to shops for sale. This is the case with everything manufactured.
When a person realizes this, he would never waste a thing or underrate any worker. The worth of a thing, appreciation of the same will develop the qualities of reverence, honesty , and love towards all. Automatically, the necessity and importance of money will also be realized in due course as it is needed for a comfortable living of one's own and to support and preserve others and other things. This realization will motivate earning of money through rightful means without exploitation."
In our modern, hectic and consumer-oriented lifestyles, competition and profit motivate business. Our society attributes status, position, power to people rich in terms of money. Since with money, everything is bought, children take everything for granted. Money is necessary, but money is not everything. Money masks everything. So people have no hesitation in wasting food, throwing out the clothes and other things. Children and even adults don’t understand the value of things, the labor undergone and the sweat shed by The laborers. They provide us the basic things for our living like food, clothes, shelter and other things. These things are modified into various forms by big business houses, who thrive. As we have multiplied our possessions but reduced values, we’ve learned how to make a living but not a life.

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize that all the creatures that inhabit this earth- be they human beings or animals- are here mutually inter-dependent and are here to contribute each in its own particular way, to the beautty and prosperity of the world. We will understand others, we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance and care. We will also realize that in diversity, there is beauty and there is strength.
If we want to continue to enjoy varieties of food, clothing and other amneties of life, we need to help farmers and creatures carry on and preserve the pure environment, the bountiful Nature has provided us with. This will teach and value other people’s skill and knock out any thought of our superiority out of our head. We will realize that we all share a common thread and mutually depend on each other, our lack of healthy connection to each other, our inability to see the full dignity of each other is the underlying cause of lot of our problems.

When we understand the value of things, we will not waste food, clothes, toys, books or anything. Either things will be bought according to the needs or if more, will be distributed among the needy.
Even thinking of the wastage will be a shame, when many on the planet are starving, under-nourished, underclothed and uneducated.

We will consciously care for our planet and limit the damages we create and this will become a prioritized habit in our daily lives.
Value teaches the worth of everything. When we learn to respect even the smallest being of creation, whether animal or vegetable, nobody has to teach us to love our fellow human beings.
If we are able to see life from a broader perspective, we will thoroughly enjoy this place called Earth, our great common benevolent mother. All people, especially children will not feel isolated and glued to electronic devices for comfort, they will find their family-world has been transformed into a joyful fairy land of big , comforting, and loving world-family of "Live and Let live" resulting in boundless feelings of gratitude. This boundless gratefulness will lead to a total love to the Divine, who is our resource and who is also our refuge.