Know that turbulence is a blessing

Very often, the painful situations in our life are seen as a burden upon our existence. Tensions within the family, the office stress, the grueling situations in our lives are all but a pain. This pain effects our body and the mind. Too much of stress, will trouble the mind. Everyday tensions with people around, especially when experienced on a daily basis, proves to be brutal on our emotions. Too much of emotional and mental turbulence may even lead to loss of vitality, the very energy which is the basis of life. 

When every day is a turmoil, the natural consequence is suffering. We can either choice to endure this suffering or maybe even react to everything that comes by. By choosing to react to all the obstructive situations in life, we only choose to increase our suffering. We only turn into a victim of our emotions. When we choose to react, our behavior is controlled by our state of mind during the time of fear, anger and all the negative emotions we go through during the times of conflict and tensions. In a way, we become slaves to our emotions. 

The alternative, is to feel blessed. Blessed that the natural turmoil is preparing us for something immense, something higher. It is natural to have an emotional outburst while being in situations of anger, fear, sadness and despair. But a true warrior is one who not just endures, but controls the emotions and the behaviors during the turbulent times. The choice is whether to react, or not to react. By choosing not to react, we shield ourselves against enormous emotional upheaval.

Whilst we live in a bed of roses, we are unaware of the thorns of the life. The comforts and conveniences thrown to us will knock us down to a hallucinated living. Every moment, every day, is a test of our patience, of our endurance and of our strength to command our body, mind and our emotions. Every reaction and every response are a choice we make in display our strength, or as the case may be, our weakness. Enormous strength comes from choosing not to lose our control, and choosing to be strong. We are put to this test time and again. We face situations in families, in offices and other places.

We are put to scrutiny on a daily basis. Every situation brings a fresh opportunity to manifest our fortitude. But when this turbulence happens on a daily basis, remember that it is a blessing. A blessing to test your character; a blessing that the providence has showered upon you, to provide an opportunity time and again to increase to your muscle, your strength and vigor. It is blessing in disguise that has come to help rise.

We are responsible for our own life

All that we encounter or experience in life, is our own making. We never realise the results of each thought, each action. Everything looks really good and seems our own making, as long as experiences are sweet and our surroundings are filled with comfort and luxury. 

When tested, troubled & in difficulty, it is hard to digest or even see what has brought the agony/discomfort. Even a simple thought or deed, too far to imagine, although semmed right/good long back, hits it when we never imagine it will. Nothing should be attended care-free. Not all that we think is good, for us or for the people around, will bare fruit or do good. 

Each step is a making for the new beginning to come. The past is not just to learn, but to realise how deeds, good or bad, will turn into things of various forms and shapes. The present is to be executed always with caution & with full consiousness. The future is a consequence only. To be mindful of each thought, word or action, however rightous or good we may think it to be, is the right way to take charge. We are our own friend, or our own foe in this sense. 

उद्धरेदात्मनाऽऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। 

आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः।

Ganapati: The Lord of Learning and the remover of Obstacles!

Maha Ganapati is the lord of the devas. He is the supreme God of learning. He is also Vara-Siddhi Vinayaka – the one who is blessing.

The worship of Lord Ganesha was prevalent all over Bharat and south-east Asia as well. It is only the last century that we only know a distorted history of our true past.

Anyway, Ganapati is the Lord of the earthen element (he is the bhumi element of the Pancha Bhoota). He was born from earth (we all have heard the story of how Parvati molds him through mud and then he is given prana - life). Every year he is made from earth and them worshipped.

The earth element is dense. The denser you are, the more determined and tough you are in life. Density can also cause inertia on the other hand. Hence Ganpati, being the symbol of density, is both the creator and the remover of obstacles.
He is also said to reside in the muladhara i.e. the first among the 6 kundalini chakra. Hence, for doing any sadhana / any work, we must first get the blessings of Vinayaka to make our (spiritual or material) tasks free from all obstacles. He can help us fare through all the difficulties or stop us at the beginning itself.
He is also the God of leaning. Any student or a sadhaka (devout spiritual practitioner) must worship him. He bestows memory and concentration. Again, concentration is the quality of earth element (density). His blessings will ensure that tough problems can be solved effortlessly.

Today is the special occasion of Vara-Siddhi Vinayaka vrata. Our prayer today must be more concentrated and devout than ever. I am sure all us prayed to him today with all humility and complete submission.

He is also the manifestation of the “pranava” or the “om kara”. If you can imagine Ganesha idol from sideways he is clearly visible like the syllable “Om”. The ganaptya tradition of Sanatana Dharma hail him as the parabrahman himself. He is all pervading and all knowing.
Below I have attached some of the idols of Ganesha from Japan, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. Many other countries worshiped him. May he bless us all by removing all the difficulties and obstacles being endured by the humanity.

ॐ गणेशाय नमः।



Prambanan (Indonesia)




Ankorwat (Cambodia)


Ganesha in Thailand


A carving in Laos


Kangiten of Japan

Book Review: "Master & Pupil" by Anup Vittal

Life throws upon us many encounters & challenging situations. Further, there are so many things we are eagerly curious about. The author has tried to answer such daunting questions & expressed them in the form of a rejoinder. Questions like What is the purpose/goal of life?, What is anger / desire?, Questions on food & sleep, What or who is God (in my view)?, What is success & failure?, On Womanhood etc. This book is an honest effort to deftly express my views on vivid topics.

Life is full of curious questions. The questions are never ending. Very few have known the innate meaning of life; the truth! This earth is place where we have come to make ourselves stronger and better. Life brings in new situations, people and different turns. In the classroom of life, we learn more than we learn in our schools and colleges. Experiences are our teachers! There is no end to learning.The pupil within the author seems curious to know more; to experience more. The curious pupil always questions and sometimes laments about the state of situation(s). It is a package of void! The urge to know leads us to the answer. Every question is answer either by external guidance or through internal introspection. This book contains the answers to all those questions in life that the author has tried to address until now.

In this book, both the Pupil (Seeker) & the Master (One who answers) are the author's inner voice.
The master is both the tutor within and the Guru without.
This is a very short book. You can read this in your travel time, or before going to bed, or simply read it when you are bored to feel a bit motivated!

You may purchase your copy at: "https://pothi.com/pothi/book/anup-vittal-master-pupil"

For e-book, your may purchase at - "https://www.amazon.in/…/…/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8aUMDbTB6ZT7Z"

(Note: No physical copies are available for purchase through Amazon. It can be read only on Kindle App / Device).

Interested people should definitely read this quick read book. 

Keep your kids away from from Addictive Gadgets!

Most of us have this idea that children seeing TV, mobile phones etc often is harmful just to their eyes. Sorry, it is not so! Addiction to electronic gadgets at a small age is far more dangerous than just adding spectacles to the eyes.

A human life is born with abundance of something precious called as "Curiosity". Children are always curious about things around them! We have always wondered how our children catch conversations although they are engrossed in their own world playing with their toys. The immense curiosity to know the world around, and also the kind of attention they can give to anything around them, is just amazing! Immense curiosity and high level of attention, these are the treasures of children. It reduces gradually due to prejudices and mental disturbances.

Now watching TV, mobile etc kills both curiosity and attention. The cartoons give them ready made answers to all situations. The possibility to explore new terrains in diverse situations is simply gone! Just because "Chota Bheema" eats laddus or "Shiva" rides a bicycle, they want it. There choices are influenced by the character on screen. Further, they are always attentive to one particular show on screen and their ability to keep attention on diverse activities in their surroundings is thwarted.

World Health Organization (WHO) has recently made an interesting observation that lack of physical activity reduces sleep and thereby impacts health of infants. It is time to take parenting more seriously, as a responsibility, rather than facing it as and when situations arise.

Holistic view is needed. Our ancient art of parenting must be revived. There is a famous adage in Kannada which translates as - "The child restricted to a room / house rots; whereas the child that plays (in mud, in streets, in park) flourishes!"

It is not just the eyes; don't kill your child's potential. Bring him up with care and with responsibility! Choose games over gadgets for your child!

#Parenting

Link for reference:- https://indianexpress.com/article/parenting/health-fitness/screen-time-for-children-below-5-not-more-than-one-hour-who-5693853/?fbclid=IwAR023ZsV340eIl5ONKgyWguiEKozsebRRAQAZTu_2ezvByX-vC0OWmLKe70

Candidate or Party: What matters this Lok Sabha Election?

In Bharat, we have adopted the “First Past the Post System” of Electorate. This means that in a particular constituency, the candidate who secures the highest votes is elected as the Member of Parliament or Legislative Assembly, as the case may be. So, in our Parliamentary democracy voter chooses his candidate! Candidate is an important factor in making the choice!

On the other hand, we have a multi-party system, where people can form political parties to field candidates representing their party. Each political party has its own ideology and vision of developing Bharat. The vehemence in politics, primarily comes from differences in ideology among political parties and not their fundamental drive to contribute to the welfare of Bharat (if they have such a thought)!

In our country, the party (or allied parties of similar ideology) that secures more than 50% of seats can form the Government (whether in the State or the Centre). The person nominated by the party which secures more than 50% of seats becomes the Prime Minister. Effectively, the Lok Sabha elections is to choose the Prime Minister and also which party will lead the country.

So, is the candidate important or the party? Candidate becomes an important factor when the quality of individual candidature is high across all parties. We need intelligent and empathetic people to represent us so that they listen to the problems of people and also try their best to find solutions. In a case, where there is difficulty in choosing the best candidate, NOTA (none of the above) option is definitely not the solution. By choosing NOTA, the best candidate in the race is getting so much less votes and his chances of winning are being reduced to that extent.

In local body elections, the candidate becomes an important factor, as she / he must listen to our day to day problems. In Lok Sabha Elections, what matters the most are the security of the Nation (internal and external), our foreign relations (how world views Bharat), an ecosystem to encourage research and enterprises, overall economic performance etc. The Prime Minister and his council of Ministers play an important role here. Hence, the Political Party and its Prime Ministerial choice must be most critical scrutinized in Lok Sabha elections, rather than the Candidate. Although one feels a particular person is a good candidate and she / he does not choose the Prime Minister capable of heading our Nation, it will be a disaster for Bharat. Hence, the party and its leadership are two most important factors to consider while voting this Lok Sabha elections.

The future of our Nation depends on the kind of leadership it gets. Committed, Determined and Patriotic Political leadership can steer the Nation to greater heights! Hence, choose the party that has a decisive leadership; the leadership which motivates the people of this Nation to partner in governance and development; which is against giving freebies and making the population lazy; which is tough against the corrupt and the criminals; and which is uncompromisingly patriotic!

#BharatMataKiJai

Development Discourse _ Bharatiya Perspective

There is beautiful movie “Gods must be crazy” picturized around the tribal community in Africa. The movie shows how an empty coca-cola bottle dropped from a chopper gets into the hands of the tribals. With the coming of an object from so called modern world, the peace and order in the tribe is destroyed. Although they find the unbreakable glass useful, it becomes the reason of their fight and animosity.

This has become exactly the case of development today. Nobody is saying soft drinks are anti-development. It is equally wrong to say that having a soft drink itself shows the level of development. Soft drinks are a measure of standard for the community in which the pilot lives; the tribals have a different standard. Not one template of development can suit all communities, cultures, Nations and people. Universalization of anything can have miserable ends.

Today, when we talk of development, we are only talking about economic development; in other words wealth creation. A satire goes like this -

Development today means:-

1. Vertical development - of concrete buildings, industries etc.
2. Horizontal development - of human fat through the sedentary lifestyle.

What about intellectual, emotional, spiritual development?

Further, is economic development justified by pollution and damage to atmosphere.

It is high time to think, what development actually means to the humanity at large.

Can we give a Bharatiya way to address this issue? Do we have an answer in our age old culture? The answer is yes. Let us look into it.

Popular view of development

• Fulfillment of basic needs - food, clothing, shelter.
• Wealth creation. 
• Industrial development
• Economic progress. 
• Human well-being

Fault lines in the popular view

• Exploitation of environment:- industrial development has led to grave challenges like environment pollution causing threat to flora and fauna. It is also causing human illness. That which was started for human well being is not ensuring that itself.
• Centralized governance:- in all modern means development is centralised. In capitalism, economy is in the hands of a few. In Socialism, it is in the hands of government. Governance, in both the cases is centralised.
• Technology Transfer:- With increasing stress on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), knowledge is also restricted to a few. Transfer of technological knowledge is restricted.
• Imbalance in growth:- a few city centres are given focus and remote villages are ignored.

Let us now look into the Bharatiya view of development.

Bharatiya perspective

Environment centric:- all our technologies are environment friendly. For example organic - cow based farming. Cottage industries ensure distribution of output, rather than large scale production causing damage to environment in industrial areas.

Decentralisation: In Bharat, businesses are primarily run by families. Generations after generations the technologies of metallurgy, architecture, Vedic / Spiritual Knowledge, have been transferred through the family system.   

Self governance:- Grama Swaraj & the panchayat system of self governance is an ideal system wherein local issues are addressed locally. Systems centred around a single place, or a group of people cannot confront the challenges in far off places. For example people sitting in a remote village in Nagaland will get better solutions locally than from lofty suggestions of experts sitting in Delhi.

Temple economy:- Temples in Bharat have not only been places of religious worship, but also centres of economy. Many people have and are making a livelihood out of the temple viz. the architects, priests, flower vendors, caterers, service sector, artists, etc. 

Stone Chariot at Hampi (It is said diamonds and pearls were traded in & around this place). 

Gau Mata & Organic Farming:- Cow is the center of Bharatiya culture and economy. Cow is worshiped as mother; she is also sine qua non for agriculture in Bharat. Pesticides used in farms have destroyed the fields and the lives of people living in and around the agriculture areas. Whereas, some researches have proved that even pesticide free organic farming can yield rich dividends. Cow manure is known to enrich the quality of soil and thereby the crop. The presence of cow in farm land has multiple benefits.

Dharma : Holistic Vision A holistic vision is what is needed for anything subject to see it's peak. As seen earlier, there are certain weaknesses in the present discourse of development. In fact, destruction of environment and spoling human health cannot be termed as development. In Bharatiya vision we have a complimentary approach :-

1. परम वैभवं - Reaching the pinnacle.
2. सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः - May all be happy.

Hence, economic accomplishments may not be at the cost of something else. Reaching the glory or development in another sense is all inclusive. “Inclusive Development” is the Bharatiya model of development. Inclusiveness is not just of all the segments of human society; it includes plant life, animal life and the environment at large. Only a person with such an inclusive vision can create technology that is eco-friendly, at the same time immensely beneficial to mankind. This is Dharma - attaining the crest/peak by fulfilling one's duty, at the same time including inclusive development of all along with individual self development of a human being.

This vision can be inculcated only through sanskaras (values). These values must be inculcated from childhood so that each individual blossoms into a contributor rather than an exploiter.

#DevelopmentDiscourse