The Cosmic Dance The Cosmic Dance The Cosmic Dance

The Cosmic Dance Last year on Navami at the Art of Living Ashram, Bangalore, fifty thousand devotees rose in divine delirium and joined the chorus as Padma Shri Ananda Shankar Jayant and her troupe danced to the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram. The atmosphere reverberated with ecstasy and was surcharged with drama and emotion as the ensemble choreographed by Dr Ananda was performed at the sanctum sanctorum where Navaratri Pujas had taken place. To my mind this is the place where Shiva (the auspicious) performs. Shiva performs the Tandava, a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. In a way it mirrored the life of the protagonist. I marveled at the thought that this was a rambunctious performance by a colleague who conquered mammary cancer and was perhaps in the midst of what can be termed as a concert of a lifetime. “I have not been afraid to take risks and I have not been afraid to follow a dream. That is the essence of who I am”, once remarked Ananda. Dr Ananda Shankar Jayant, believes in freeing the mind and spreading the wings to achieve what is not possible. She invests a lot in the power of the mind to think positively and being grateful and counting our blessings. To her it is imperative to transmit positive signals to the universe so that in return, the cosmos bestows us with abundance. The cycle is incomplete if we are not grateful. So the trajectory is, “Law of Attraction “, followed by “Law of Gratefulness”. All this leads to a spiraling effect which Daren Hardy terms “The Compound Effect”. Dr Ananda Shankar Jayant, an Indian Railway Traffic Service Officer learnt dance under the tutelage of Rukmini Devi Arundale when only 11 at Kalakshetra. Ananda is a multi-faceted personality, donning several hats- prolific dancer, choreographer, leading a talented ensemble, Artistic Director of Shankarand Kalakshetra, poet, writer, championing women’s issues, inspiring figure for youth and students, delivering lectures to the corporate world and a TED talker. She is a post graduate in Ancient Indian History, an MPhil in Art History and holds a doctorate in tourism. Her body of work in Kuchipudi and BharatNatyam, earned her the Padma Shri. She is also a recipient of the much acclaimed Sangeet Natak Akademi Puruskar. But then, strange are the vicissitudes of life. It is packed with peaks and valleys. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2008. But for her, cancer was merely a zodiac sign and not a serious malady. For a performer, such an affliction may seem to be the end of the road, an abyss .The mind gets clogged by negativity and fear. Fear to her was one of the Navarasas to be portrayed in a show and not something to live with. The malignant lump became a part of her physical and mental self. The Bold and Beautiful overnight transformed into Beautiful and Bald. An affable personality became enfeebled by pain and agony and the mental chatter was depression. But she was a woman of substance who was mentally strong to combat the challenge. In such a scenario only faith can perform miracles. Faith is confidence or trust in a person. She trusted husband Jayant (her pillar of strength), chemotherapy and dance talent. This was the imagery to overcome the crisis of lifetime. Martin Luther King writes, “Faith is the taking first step even when you do not see the whole staircase.” From dancing three hours at a stretch, Ananda could barely climb a flight of steps. Such was the debilitating impact of the disease. By her own admission, she believes in the power of positive thinking and has used it not only to overcome the disease but opened new avenues in form of writing and inspirational talks. Statistics reveal that 1 in 22 urban Indian women suffer from this malady. Through her motivational TED talks the danseuse is spreading awareness about the affliction and encouraging people not to be subsumed by the illness but be proactive in life and focus on positive aspects of life.

MIND and HEALING

MIND and HEALING My Mother “The rain drop from the sky: if it is caught in hands, it is pure enough for drinking. If it falls in a gutter, its value drops so much that it can’t be used even for washing the feet. If it falls on hot surface, it perishes. If it falls on lotus leaf, it shines like a pearl and finally, if it falls on oyster, it becomes a pearl. The drop is same, but its existence & worth depend on with whom it associates.” Always be associated with people who are good at heart. This is what Swami Vivekananda said. My mother shares her birthday with Swami Vivekananda ( 12th January). Association and Satsang have been her strong points . She nurtured strong bonding with all religious faiths and spiritually inclined people . I recall her association with Satya Sai Baba, Ganapathi Sachchidanda Swamiji, Raghavendra Swami Mutt, Swami Chinmayananda , Jiddu Krishnamurthy Mahesh Yogi and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar . Not to forget her association with Mother’s International, Mother Teressa , CBCI and CARITAS. She wanted to pursue medicine but life did not take that trajectory. ” Faith plus action becomes unstoppable” writes Jonathan Lockwood Hue . So she upend the pyramid and became a qualified medical social worker and worked diligently at the Rajan Babu TB Hospital , Delhi . Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says,” Open your hands and sky is in your hands.” Inorder to combat and challenge the disease of tuberculosis she initiated several rehabilitation projects. This included creche for the children of those afflicted with this malady, stitching centre,candle and match making units. She used to tell patients and their children that” Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” Thus patients afflicted with TB , but not bed ridden participated in the projects . This was what she called ” Diversionary Therapy.” The patient’s mind was diverted from the disease and recovery rate was rapid. In these endeavors she was extended tremendous support from eminent people like Shri A Rama Rao of Khadi and Village Industries , Professor sh Pathak of Delhi School of Social Work, Shri AVK Chaitanya a Trade Union leader and confidante of Shri George Fernandes , Bibi Altussalam a veteran Congress leader , Shri Dhanraj Ojha a RSS leader and Bishop Remegius and Bishop Rego of the Catholic Church( CBCI and CARITAS). The mission was to serve . And religious barriers did not pose any problems. As the objective and goal were so lofty the universal energy ensured that the left, right and centre all collaborated with certitude . ” Mind is not a dustbin to keep anger, hatred and jealousy . But it is the treasure box to keep love , happiness and sweet memories.” said Swami Vivekananda . Thus RB TB Hospital became the melting pot of all religions to forge hands and assist in the mammoth task of rehabilitation of the afflicted . The TB Hospital became a unique template for the methods adopted by doctors, para-medic staff , social workers , government bodies and NGO’s all to contribute in the rehabilitation of the patients. Climate changes, civilizations collapse , government change , political affiliations alter and even the best possible model collapses . This is inevitable . As Buddha says.” The only permanent thing in life is impermanence.” The lofty objectives were not approved by a new set of hospital administrators and the beacon of hope collapsed . This was extremely traumatic for my mother and she became a patient of paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia( PAT) . This is a type of arrhythmia ( irregular heartbeat) . Paroxysmal means that the episode of arrhythmia originates and terminates abruptly. Atrial implies the arrhythmia starts with atria or in the upper chambers of the heart . The tachycardia results in significant increase in the heart beat per minute. It abnormally increases the pace , like an athlete on a treadmill. PAT significantly increases the heart beat of an adult from the normal 60 to 100 to 130 to 230 and among infants and children it shoots up from 100 to 130 to 220 beats per minute. It is accompanied with severe sweating, dizziness,palpitations, angina and acute breathlessness. Normally a patient suffers from such a condition owing to emotional upheavals , physical exhaustion, deep anxiety , consumption of caffeine or alcohol. I saw my mother suffering from this condition on several occasions and being admitted to the ICU. It was a distressing and disturbing sight . While it is not life threatening affliction , it certainly disorients the psychology and attitudes of the patient. During her suffering we saw her clutching on to her rosary as a life saver , while we prayed fervently for her recovery. She was administered medication but it worked only to an extent . The real help came in form of a pentagon shaped talisman. That is through Siddha Healing, Pranic Healing , the 10 day Vipassana Course and the Part1 and Part2 Art Of Living courses. This is the infinitesimal power and scientific power of breath. Breathing techniques , meditation , medication and proper diet changed the trajectory of the life of the patient and brought back the mojo in her life. ” When you take breath in , let become your meditation that all the suffering of all the beings in the world is riding on that incoming breath and reaching your heart , and see a miracle happens” says Osho. She has retired now but continues with her Sadhana unfailingly. Senior citizens , those in pain and agony and even the able bodied should undertake the courses mentioned. Swami Vivekananda took Yoga to America and spread the Ramakrishna Mission. He was the Arjuna of Shri Rama Krishna Paramahamsa. This article is a tribute to Swamiji and also to my mother both born on 12th of January. My mother imbibed the trait of service to mankind by reading extensively about Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda.

The Old Farmer

The Old Farmer That life is not easy , is something we can all agree upon. It provides us with numerous challenges and along with that problems and disappointments. Who helps us in such inhospitable and adverse situations? Who provides succor during our trials and tribulations? Our families, friends and loved ones! Most importantly it is the faith in the Guru and Divine that bails us out from refractory situations. It is the unflinching faith and surrender to the supreme power which acts as a lifeboat during our inexpedient moments. Guru and Divine impart us immense knowledge and little realizations to circumvent trying circumstances. Humans can fortify themselves by practicing the Art of Detachment during obstreperous situations . Once lived an old farmer who had a horse. One day the horse ran away. His neighbors and other villagers commiserated the loss. The farmer laconically replied’ May Be’. Next day, villagers were astonished when the horse brought along with it three other wild horses.Villagers and neighbors congratulated the farmer. The farmer replied simply.’ May Be’. It so happened , the enterprising son of the farmer mounted one of the wild horses…. Unfortunately he could not reign in the horse and thus happened to break his leg. The retinue of villagers and neighbors expressed their sorrow and grief about the incident to the farmer. The farmer remained detached and merely remarked.’ May Be’. Shortly some army officials visited the village to draft strapping youngsters to the forces. But the differently able son of the farmer was not recruited. Congratulatory messages poured in from the villagers and neighbors. ‘ How fortuitous you and your son are’ , they claimed. Once again the farmer replied ‘ May Be’. The old farmer remained stoic and unruffled in all situations and maintained Zen like cool and was detached to the events which were unfolding. Instead of becoming cranky as he grew older , he was shielded by optimism , peace and detachment. Buddha says,’ Believe nothing , no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your reason and your own common sense.’ The old farmer imbibed this enlightened quote of the Buddha. Buddha expects humans to learn from personal experiences and not from the reviews ( read villagers and neighbors) of others. What suits one person may not

*Woody Allen's sense of humour is a class apart!*

*Woody Allen's sense of humour is a class apart!* "In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you wake up in an old people's home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day. You work for 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby until you are born. And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa-like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!" Brilliant Woody Alle

From X:

From X: South Korea has played really smart with India. FDI Comparison- Korea total investment in Vietnam is 13-14 times higher than in India. Vietnam economy is only 1/10th India's size. Samsung alone exports $54 billion a year from Vietnam. India has huge market but gets less factories and jobs. Vietnam got the real manufacturing boom. Even Recently Samsung going to build new factory there in Vietnam, in case of china we know the problem but in case of South Korea they do business under Radar, even this is bigger than i Imagine How South Korea Used free trade deal with India is just a Case study - when yu read it in detail yu will get it. Korea got a free trade deal (CEPA) in 2010. Under that deal, Korean goods entered India at zero or low duties. Samsung, Hyundai, LG used this to sell massively into India - phones, cars, appliances. India's imports from Korea went from $10B to $21B. India's exports to Korea actually fell - from $8B (FY22) to $5.8B (FY25). The trade deficit tripled from $5B to $15.2B. But selling wasn't the only play. The real play was value extraction: Hyundai - Paid itself a ₹10,782 crore special dividend (7.2x its normal payout), then did India largest IPO - 100% offer-for-sale. Every rupee of the $3.3B IPO went to the Korean parent. Then raised royalty rates from 2.5% to 3.5% per car. Three moves, one after another, all designed to drain cash from the Indian subsidiary to Seoul. LG - Same template. 100% offer-for-sale IPO, $1.4B to the Korean parent. The Indian subsidiary now trades at $12.5B market cap - higher than the Korean parent itself. LG used Indian investors money to value an Indian business that it still controls and still pulls dividends from. Samsung - Royalties paid to Korea jumped 50% to ₹3,322 crore in one year. After Korea changed its tax law in 2023 (no tax on foreign dividends coming home), Samsung pulled ₹22B worth of dividends from all overseas units in 9 months. India was one of the biggest sources. Combined - Hyundai + LG alone pulled $4.7B out of India in 12 months. All legal under CEPA. Best way to fuck RBI stricter Foreign Outflow What Korea did in Vietnam (same period) Korea put $92B of FDI into Vietnam. India got $6.7B. India economy is 10x Vietnam size. Samsung alone runs 6 plants in Vietnam, employs 100,000 people, exports $54B/year from there - that's 13% of Vietnam's entire exports. Vietnam got factories + jobs + exports. India got imports + deficit + cash extraction. Why Delhi stayed quiet for 15 years Diplomatic politeness. Also, during 2010–2020, India negotiating leverage was weaker. India needed Korean investment, Korean tech, Korean defence platforms. So the imbalance was a known problem that time but that time of dealmaker didn't think of long term MEA Secretary Kumaran publicly named the $15.2B deficit before President Lee landed. Commerce Minister Goyal called the 2010 CEPA irrational and lopsided. This was intentional signaling. What India wants in CEPA 2.0 - Four things: Services access - Indian IT exports to Korea are only $200M (vs $200B globally). India wants visa quotas for Indian engineers in Korean semiconductor/AI projects, and recognition of Indian professional qualifications. Pharma access - Indian generic drug exports to Korea are just $167M. Korea has rules that kill generic price advantage. India wants those removed. Forced local content - Like what Vietnam and Indonesia did. India wants 50% local value-addition by year 5, 70% by year 10. If you want to sell in India, build in India. Reciprocal sourcing - For every $1B defence/steel/shipbuilding contract India gives Korea, Korea must buy equivalent value of Indian services, pharma, components.

A real story shared by A ola Driver of Kolkatta ...

*Just read it*👇 A real story shared by A ola Driver of Kolkatta ... I drive for Ola. I mostly work night shifts. Last week, around 11 PM, I picked up an elderly gentleman. White kurta and dhoti, tired eyes—but a strange firmness in his voice. As soon as he sat in the car, he said: “Tonight, you’ll have to take me to five places. I’ll pay you ₹5000. Cash. But don’t ask the reason until the end.” He handed me a piece of paper with five addresses written on it. First stop— An old house in South Kolkata. I stopped the car. He didn’t get down. Just lowered the window and kept looking at the house… for ten minutes. Tears kept flowing from his eyes, silently. “Let’s go… next.” Second stop— A primary school. The gate was locked. The playground inside was dark. He got down, slowly walked to a swing, sat on it, and gently started swinging. After twenty minutes, he came back and said— “I taught here. For 43 years. The best time of my life.” Third stop— A small old coffee house. He went inside, ordered a cup of tea, and sat alone at a corner table. He didn’t even touch the tea. Just looked around. After fifteen minutes, he returned with a faint smile— “This is where I first met Mitali… my wife. In 1969.” Fourth stop— Nimtala cremation ground. He got down, stood near a memorial, and softly said something I couldn’t hear. After half an hour, he came back. His eyes were red. “It’s been three years since she passed away.” Fifth stop— A large government hospital. He asked me to park. Then looked at me and said— “Now I’ll tell you the reason. I have stage four cancer. The doctor said… a few weeks… maybe just days. Tonight, I wanted to see my entire life one last time.” I put my head on the steering wheel and started crying. He said— “That house—where I raised my children. That school—where I found my purpose. That coffee house—where I found love. That cremation ground—where I said my final goodbye. And this hospital—where I will now be admitted. There will be no return home.” He placed ₹5000 in my hand. “Thank you. You took me through my life once again. My last stranger… who treated me with kindness.” I said— “I can’t take this.” He replied— “Take it. I have no one left to give it to. My children have grown so distant, they don’t even talk anymore. Friends are all gone, one by one. You gave me three hours—three hours of humanity. That is worth more than money.” He picked up his small suitcase and went inside. The next day, I went to the hospital. I asked— “Mr. Aniruddha Mukherjee. Cabin 412.” I went in with flowers. He smiled when he saw me— “You came?” “I couldn’t just leave you like that.” We talked for two hours—about Mitali Devi, his students, his estranged children. I started visiting him every day. I would bring tea, read the newspaper to him, or just sit quietly. One day, he said— “I thought I would die alone. But you are here. In my final moments, a stranger became my family. You have my blessings.” I held his hand— “You are not alone.” On Tuesday, at 3:17 AM, he passed away. I was sitting there, holding his hand. His last words were— “Tell everyone… look at strangers. Truly look at them. We are all going somewhere—some fast, some slow. Show kindness along the way. You did. You made my last days worth living.” The monitor turned into a straight line. At his cremation, there were only six people: Me, three nurses, a lawyer, and one former student. *43 years of teaching.* *52 years of marriage*. *81 years of life.* & *Six people*. I said— “Mr. Aniruddha taught me— Every stranger is someone’s entire world. Every passenger is a story. Every human being is living, dying, waiting… for someone to truly see them.” He gave me ₹5000 to drive on the road of life. But what he taught me… is worth far more than money. “Humanity is not an extra thing. It is everything.” Even today, those ₹5000 remain in my glove box. I have never spent them. Because every passenger might be on their last journey. Every stranger might be saying their final goodbye. So now, I drive differently. I ask. I listen. I truly see people. Because one elderly teacher once asked for a gentle night— and a stranger chose to stay. *Silent moments, unspoken truths.*

Dr. Abraham, a well known cancer specialist,

Dr. Abraham, a well known cancer specialist, was once on his way to an important conference in another city where he was going to receive an award in the field of medical research. He was excited about the award and so boarded a plane to the venue. However, two hours after the plane took off, it made an emergency landing at the nearest airport due to a technical problem. Afraid that he would not make it in time to the conference, he immediately went to the reception to make enquiries. He found out that he would have to wait ten hours for the next flight to his destination! He rented a car and drove himself to the conference city which was four hours away. Soon after he left, the weather changed and a heavy storm began. The downpour made it difficult for him to see so he missed a turn he was supposed to take. Driving in the heavy rain on a deserted road, feeling hungry and tired, he frantically began to look for any sign of civilization. He came across a small tattered house and knocked on the door. A beautiful lady opened the door. He explained his situation and wanted to use the lady's telephone but she had no telephone. She however asked him to come inside and wait till the weather improved. The doctor who was hungry and exhausted accepted the offer. The lady offered him something to eat and drink. She asked him to join her in prayers but he declined. According to him, he believed in hard work, not in prayers! Sitting at the table and sipping his tea, the doctor watched the woman pray many times beside a baby's crib. Feeling that the woman might be in need of help, the doctor asked her what exactly she needed from God and asked if God ever listened to her prayers. When he inquired of the child in the crib, the woman explained that her son was down with cancer. And they had been advised to see a doctor named Abraham who could cure him but she did not have enough money to afford his fees. She said that God had not yet answered her prayers but said that God would create some way out one day. She added that she would not allow her fears to overcome her faith! Stunned and speechless, Dr. Abraham began to weep! He was forced to say out loud, "GOD IS GREAT" and recollected to the woman, all the sequence of bad events: malfunction on the plane, a thunderstorm and how he lost his way. All of which had happened because God answers prayers, wanted to give him a chance to come out of his bondage of materialistic career pursuit and give some time to a poor, helpless woman who had nothing but rich prayers! Oh! What a God! *God may not answer your prayers YOUR WAY but he will always answer HIS way.* _*Behind the scenes, he will move men, the weather, events, circumstances, etc. in order to work out the best for you!_* Do not stop trusting! Do not stop hoping! God is busy planning your dancing this year! Hold on! Hold out! Look up daily! This touched and still touches me. I hope it touches you too,