Meditation: Its Importance and Benefits

23. Meditation: Its Importance and Benefits Dispassion is the key to meditation. In such a state the mind is not hankering after materialistic goals or objectives. When the human mind drops all desires, it reaches a state of true jollity; it is sanguine and tranquil. In this state of stillness and quietude the mind is no longer manipulative or strategising. There is no feeling of restlessness. As Lord Krishna said, “An authentic yogi is one who drops all desires and hankerings and reposes in the self.” This is meditation. Question-answer session “O, Monarch of Zen, I have been privileged to listen to your erudite lectures for several years,” a mentee remarked during the question-answer time following an intense discourse, “however I am not perspicacious enough to imbibe the nuggets of wisdom that you have imparted thus far. Therefore, I would be truly beholden if you can encapsulate the essence of Buddhism in a single sentence.” This irreproachable comment provoked uproarious scenes among the other monks and novitiates at the Temple of Knowledge. However, the Zen Master cogitated on this comment, and soon a resounding silence descended on the monastery following the uproar. Finally, in an earnest and grave tone he said the quintessential truth of life is that everything is undergoing constant transformation and transmutation and therefore everything in life is impermanent. With that he signaled that he was ready to field other questions from the assembled gathering. Impermanence is an integral part of life Among the various aphorisms in Buddhism is the singular hypothesis that everything in life is impermanent. The Zen Master deftly and tactfully referred to the concept of impermanence by stating that “everything in life is ever changing.” This percipient teaching is the bedrock of Sakya Muni Buddha’s teachings and leads one to unearth the secrets of meditation. An individual could contemplate and muse upon this truth for hours together and yet be unable to grasp the pivotal and cardinal tenets of impermanence. It is a striking feature of all aspects of one’s life. An individual is impermanent, his/her emotions and feelings are transient, the family that he belongs to is evanescent, the dwelling place is momentary, even the majestic universe is not enduring. This is a formational aspect of life as it teaches us the art of detachment. In such a state one learns to become a witness or a spectator to the events unfolding around us without getting emotionally involved. The mind is at deep rest and ripe to meditate. If, however an individual clasps on to the platitudinous platform of permanence it leads to statis in life, where it is not evolving and consequently melancholia and dolor set in. Thus, an authentic seeker assimilates this exemplary and prototypical knowledge and is discerning enough to treasure the value of impermanence. The practice of mindfulness and awareness are twin techniques and characteristics to remain unattached to events, people, situations, possessions and emotions. The triad of awareness, mindfulness and detachment are the pivots from which emerges the ballast for an individual to meditate. So, what is meditation after all? His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the spiritual Guru, incisively captures the phenomenon and practice of meditation. The Spiritual Master has elucidated that effort is an act of the body, while meditation is essentially a state of no-mind, an act where there is no striving or assay by an individual. It is singular to state that through vigorous meditation human’s repose in themselves, reaching a state of deep rest. It is primarily an act of doing nothing. Benefits of Vipassana The skill of being able to consciously relax by unflinching practice of the unique rhythmic breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya, Kriya Yoga, Sahaj Samadhi meditation or Vipassana helps one to slip into deep meditation. In such a state of jollity there is seemingly an umbilical cord with the Divine. Such a communion is the singular objective of meditation. This can verily be termed the Gangotri from where the Ganges of self realisation flows. Regular meditation helps in mastery of various subjects as it improves the concentration levels of the mediators. It must be appreciated that meditation is not concentration, but is primarily an act of de-concentration. As demonic thoughts and cobwebs get purged, the mind becomes unsmoked and unblemished. It is interesting to note that while awareness and mindfulness help in enhancing the quality of meditation, paradoxically the reverse of this is true too. Quotidian practice of meditation helps an individual to develop greater awareness and mindfulness. With enhanced awareness comes the ability to discover oneself and improve interpersonal relationship. Through the techniques of cogitation and introspection, individuals become benignant and clement to one another. We begin to see a mirror image of ourselves in fellow human beings. This enables us to metamorphose from animal instincts to more genteel ones. Authentic meditation teaches us compassion. It has been scientifically proven that meditation helps in assuaging frayed nerves and enhances physical and mental well-being of an individual. Studies have shown that meditation also helps in managing cholesterol levels by reducing LDL levels and increasing HDL levels. Regular meditation helps in reducing blood pressure and various coronary ailments too. Over a period of time through unflinching practice of meditation, individuals are endowed with humungous clarity of thought and perspicacity. The human mind attains the 3Es, of equilibrium, equipoise and equanimity. In such a state, it is not agitated and is always sanguine. Efficacious thoughts spring to the mind. With high levels of intuition, open mindedness, clear channels in our system, gargantuan mental diminution and composure, we are able to enhance our aura. This amplifies into unprecedented happenings. This is essentially grace bestowed on us by the divine cosmic energy. Buddha was once questioned as to how he had profited from meditation. He replied, “I have gained nothing!” However, Buddha went on to say, “Let me tell you what I lost: anger, anxiety, depression, insecurity, fear of old age and death.”

ATTAINING TRANQUILITY

ATTAINING TRANQUILITY Efficacy of Mantras Truly, the Almighty is all-pervasive and omniscient. Let us take the case of devout Hindus. Each day is dedicated to a deity and a mantra is chanted to invoke divine benediction. Chanting Om Namoh Narayana on Sundays, the faithful beseech Lord Vishnu for love, opulence, strength, power and glory. Mondays are dedicated to Lord Shiva. The mantra Om Namah Shivaya helps to banish all attachments and material consciousness. Om Sri Subramunyaya Namaha chanted on Tuesdays is a potent mantra to expatriate evil influences from the human mind. This mantra assists in seeking spiritual victory in all combats. In the Hindu pantheon of Gods, Lord Krishna is all pervasive, with humungous authority. Chanting the mantra Om Namoh Bhagavate Vasudevaya on Wednesdays bestows the munificence of Lord Krishna. Indisputably, parents are our first teachers. One can continue to receive the grace of the Guru/teacher by chanting Om Namoh Bhagavate Shivanandaya on Thursdays. The shakti which fuels and propels energy in humans is only through the divine orison of Devi shakti. Goddess Lakshmi provides humans with prosperity, truthfulness, sagacity and perspicacity to strive for the quintessential truth and by chanting Om Sri Mahalakshmiyai Namaha on Fridays the seeker traverses an error-free path. Lord Hanuman makes the mind brawny and provides strength, unparalleled success in devotional activities and helps the human mind attain elevated realisation. Chanting Om Sri Hanumate Namaha on Saturdays unflinchingly assuages frayed nerves and a distraught mind. Enveloping the mind and body with the divine tattva By way of our actions and non-actions, the human body, mind and soul become fragile, enfeebled. Chanting mantras with utmost concentration and purity of thought enables the mind regain vigour and robustness resulting in an alchemical transmutation. Consequently, we are able to enhance the Shiva Tattva, Narayana Tattva and Guru Tattva in our selves. This is further buttressed with orison to the Goddess, making the mind aerobicized. Mantra – the bedrock of all organised religious groups The above narrative was regarding Hinduism. However, all religious orders and spiritual organisations endorse chanting of words and syllables. The intent of these words is to silence the mind, helping it move from cacophony to symphony. Among Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs it is the cantillation of OM. Those professing Islam undertake incantations of Qur’anic passages, or the Names of Allah. Christians offer praise to the Lord by chanting scriptural texts, especially the Psalms. Jews too chant from the biblical texts (Old Testament). Practitioners of Sudarshan Kriya, a rhythmic breathing technique, inhale and exhale to the syllables Soham. The entire exercise is to expatriate negativity. The mantra acts at the subconscious level of the mind and amortises turbulence. Mystery behind the mantra Aeons ago lived a Zen Master who specialised in teaching mantras. The foundation of his teachings was absolute faith in the mantra being chanted. Two young tutees once approached him and expressed a desire to learn a mantra that would help them fly in the sky. The wise Master wanted to know if they were sure that they would carry out his instructions in toto and with absolute faith. The mentees eagerly agreed to do so and regularly practise the mantra. Very soon they began to levitate and over a period of time began to fly like majestic birds and gain momentous heights. Somewhere in the stratosphere one day, the two postulants met and exchanged notes. Said the first novitiate, “Brother, what is the syllable imparted to you by the Holy Master?” “La,” replied the second freshman. “Oh! I was given the mantra “Ba,” remarked the first greenhorn. They surmised that if they were to combine the two mantras, surely their powers would get magnified and they could then circumnavigate the universe. In their minds they thought it extremely unfair on part of the Master to impart only one half of the mantra to each of them. Their energy and enthusiasm doubled, but faith punctured, they chanted the mantra “Ba-La”. Much to their surprise they came hurtling down and landed with a big thud. The enlightened master in his percipience had disseminated the sacred words his students. The power of the mantra lay in selfless and unswerving chanting. However, avarice and doubts deflated their faith and led them to make the first wrong move. They were consumed by venomous vipers like in a game of snakes and ladders and their virtuosity dissipated in the sands of time. Upend the pyramid Meanwhile there lived a young boy, whose mother appeared to be on the last leg of her life. His father and the entire family were traumatized and overwrought. The young boy overheard the doctor tell his father that only a miracle could save the patient. In all innocence he rushed to the chemist housed in the hospital and placed all his savings, adding to a few paltry rupees, on the counter. He wanted the magic drug called “miracle” to treat his dying mother. Taking pity on the child, the chemist gave a few vitamin tablets. The child prayed to Almighty God and handed over the “miracle” medicine to his father, certain that his mother would now be saved. Much to the amazement of the medical fraternity and the family, the lady of the house regained consciousness and slowly recovered. The “wonder drug” had a placebo effect in the mind of the child and the entire family was subsumed with positivity, which resulted in the startling recovery of the mother, much to the amazement of the medical fraternity. This was the power of the mantra – Miracle Drug. Thus, the efficacy of a mantra is not in merely parroting it but imbibing its intrinsic pristine quality.

A Judgmental Person

A Judgmental Person Aeons ago lived an old farmer in ancient China. He was once a brawny grazier and a propertied landlord. On account of certain misadventures, and fallacious decisions taken by him in his profession and personal life, the agriculturist fell into bad times. Woeful times of the landlord His entire bounty was usurped by covetous relatives and venal usurers. As events unfolded dramatically, they had a detrimental effect on his health. His coffers depleted and he became infirm in the winter of his life. Once a landlord, he was now a mere peasant, no longer commanding the respect he once did. Therefore, he would spend the majority of his time sitting on the porch, regurgitating the past. His son, now having to work in the fields would look up in disgust and imprecate him under his breath. A man of little use One fine day, the son got so frustrated by the turn of events that he constructed a wood coffin. Virtually dragging the coffin over to the porch, he commanded his father to get into it. The nonchalant father climbed into the coffin and mentally prepared himself for the end. The son then dragged the coffin to the edge of a high cliff. The prescient peasant Just as he was about to drop the coffin, the son heard a light tapping on the lid from inside the coffin. Opening the coffin, he found his father wearing a beatific smile. Looking up to his son he ventured to add, “As I approach the end of my life, in all humility I wish you to do something at my bidding, which in your present mental state you may loath to do.” “What is it?” the exasperated son questioned. “Throw me over the cliff, as you have predetermined,” said the father, “but save this sturdy wood coffin. You and your children might require it during trying times.” Learning the lessons We must accept people and situations as they are. This is a percipient aphorism given to humanity by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in various Art of Living courses. Human beings are plumb judgmental by nature. By dwelling on this sutra, we can trigger efficacious emotions such as compassion and love in the mind. When the mind is encapsulated by such emotions, it makes us embrace people and situations as they are. Another noteworthy and pithy observation by Gurudev is that it is the very nature of human mind to cling on to the coattails of negativity. An individual would be eulogised by his kith and kin, friends, acquaintances, peers and colleagues for his karmic deeds, but one negative act is all that it takes for those very people to drop him like a hot potato. Similarly, the son could not arise from alcoves of his hostile thought process and was determined to wreak vengeance on his hapless father. Normally, antipathetic and Sisyphean tendencies arise in individuals singularly on account of two cardinal factors. One, the prana or energy levels are woefully low and second, humans do not live in the present moment and are unable to accept people and situations as they are. The son was not compassionate enough to appreciate the frailties of his father. Thus, he hatched a plot to eliminate him. Sagacity of the deadwood Yet the father was perspicacious enough to impart wisdom to his son, urging him to think about the financial utility of the wood and how serviceable and handy it would be to the family during vexatious times. Certainly, the old farmer had committed his share of mistakes. Despite his infirmities, he was perspicuous enough to continue watching out for son and his immediate family. Just as it would be fallacious and short-sighted to judge a book merely by its cover, it would be equally judgmental and unjust to label a person based on a single act of omission. After all, to err is human. In the larger picture, it is the sum total of pluses and minuses that should be viewed. The dead horse theory – not a contrarian view Generation after generation of Dakotan Indians have passed on their wisdom, “When you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.” However, modern management and several corporate organisations have advocated a different approach to extract work in such a case. It would be prescient to perhaps adopt a stronger whip or change the riders to garner extra mileage. One could even examine the true potential of the animal and set different goals altogether. It would be worthwhile to examine the conditions and mark their performances. In the process, one can reset the bar. This is indeed an inclusive approach in life. Some corporate entities intelligently take to reclassification. This is a useful way to extract work from purportedly dead wood. Yet another tactic is to positioning in an advisory capacity, in roles where they can contribute in a suitable manner. Thus, it is easy to jettison, but a wise one uses the wisdom of supposedly deadwood. This is what the son ought to have done with his father. “A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another, the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden,” said Gautama Buddha.

Hourglass

20. Hourglass To move ahead in life, one should learn to act like an hourglass. Become hollow from one side and let go of the past things, just the way sand flows down through neck of the sand timer. Yet another year passed by as the sun sank for the 365th time in a rather tumultuous year gripped with violence, rioting, economic collapse, rapes and molestations, numerous charges of corruption, perhaps the only silver lining was India lifting the World Cup as “Captain Cool” M.S. Dhoni lofted the glitzy cup. The cup was filled with champagne, being savoured by a delirious Indian cricket team. The crimson red sun which had lit up the skies with extraordinary speed had sunk and the skyline was soon dotted with stars and the majestic moon had made an appearance. The rapidity with which celestial bodies exchanged places gave fodder to thought that they too seemed depressed and oppressed with the clamorous events which unfolded in the society and the languor on part of the countrymen of accepting the woeful events. Yet there was hope for a better morrow. Meanwhile the weather was freezing cold as a group of friends from Delhi University heralded the New Year with their unabashed revelry. Bottles were uncorked as they gyrated to some hard rock music. Among them were two students of Zen Buddhism who eschewed hard drinks but did dance. Simultaneously, they were also involved in an animated conversation on the esoteric subject of Zen Buddhism and mindfulness. “Zen Buddhism is an amalgam of Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism. China is the country where this philosophy took birth and soon spread to Korea and Japan. It became extremely voguish in the West from the mid-20th century. The essence of Zen is attempting to understand the meaning of life directly, without being misled by logical thought or language,” proffered one student one to the other. “Tell me friend, how one equates Zen Buddhism with an hour glass,” was the riposte of the second student. “I am not quite sure,” was Lee’s response to Wangchuk. The two tutees of Zen Buddhism were from Tibet. On the first day of the year the two students wished their master and raised the question of the hour glass and its relationship with Zen Buddhism. The erudite scholar was indisputably surprised at the question raised by his mentees, Wangchuk and Lee. “Well, looks like the demon cannonaded your mind during the New Year celebration instead of the celebrations,” remarked the professor. “Well, an hour glass is a timing device with two connected glass bulbs containing sand that takes an hour to pass from the upper to the lower bulb and Zen Buddhism is observing the process,” uttered the professor. “This is the puzzle of Zen Buddhism and the hour glass,” added the professor. “Simply put it is nothing but mindfulness and keen observation,” guided the polymath. Aeons ago in ancient China a learned man once went to visit a Zen teacher. As the Zen teacher talked, the learned man frequently interrupted to express his own opinion about various aspects of life. Finally, the Zen teacher stopped talking and began to serve tea to the learned man. He poured the cup full, and then kept pouring until the cup overflowed. “Learned Zen Master, please halt,” said the learned man. “The cup is already full and there is no more room to pour in additional tea,” observed the educated man to the highbrow Zen Master. “Like this cup, you are brimful of your own opinions,” replied the man of letters. “Unless you do not first empty your cup, how can you taste my cup of tea?” The learned one accepted his ignorance and realised that he was too self-opinionated to grasp any fresh knowledge and there were a few things he had to remember before acquiring any knowledge. To reboot, re-invigorate and reengineer his mind, even a learned one needed to surrender, become humble and through intense meditation and breathing techniques become genuinely hollow and empty. Further he needed to become observant and follow the principle of mindfulness to the core. “As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being,” observed the noted psychologist Carl Jung. This is the mystery behind the hour glass...

Importance of Change

Importance of Change Often, conventional and commonplace way of thinking only results in clambering the ladder. A person leading a ho-hum existence is invariably complacent and satiated with the prosaic lifestyle. Those with a curious mind and an unconventional or atypical thinking process try to refashion their personalities by re-engineering themselves from inside out. They possess the assiduity to carve a niche and become role models. Tale of an old man Aeons ago, lived an elderly gentleman who in the winter of his life decided to embark on a spiritual journey to re-engineer his personality. The immediate family of the geriatric gentleman was solicitous of his welfare and simultaneously perturbed at what they thought to be an unusual desire. The Pater now embarked on the spiritual sojourn and enrolled in a monastery. Upon completing his tutelage, armed with various nuances of Zen teachings, he left for his bijou town. Once an emaciated and enervated looking individual, he had transfigured his mind and was suffused with jollity. Miraculous escape or metamorphosis He stepped out the portals of the Temple of Knowledge and involuntarily slipped into a rivulet. “Oh, the old monk falls in the river!” chortled some young tutees. However, the senior gentleman emerged from an up-surging stream. He was to dramatically declare that the re-engineering processes and techniques he acquired had enabled him to accommodate water into himself and not the other way round. Thought process, thinking patterns, building blocks of thought, organised thinking and goal direction are five keys to re-engineer the mind in order to metamorphose and refashion our lives. Strategy of the astute and perspicacious An ingenious individual in order to re-engineer his life to change the existing pattern begins with identifying the problem. In the swathes of his mind, such a process represents and delineates the problem; as he or she is mindful and discerning, solutions and set of sub-goals are outlined. Once the inventory of plausible expositions and elucidation is prepared, those are evaluated. It was the time of Sakya Muni Gautama Buddha, when an animated group of denizens were involved in a rambunctious argument about Divinity and various religions. Much as they attempted, none could zero in on a suitable answer. In sheer exasperation they arrived at the feet of Lord Buddha. The compassionate and enlightened one smiled and ruminated for a while. Lord Buddha then asked his disciples to arrange for an elephant and for four persons to be blind-folded. And so, it happened that the first of the blind-folded persons felt the elephant’s leg and exclaimed that God appeared as a pillar. The second person touched the elephant’s tummy and opined that Almighty God was a wall. The third gentleman stroked the elephant’s ear and made an observation that God was a piece of cloth. The fourth man grazed the tail and described that God was as a piece of rope. Once again, the group of four was engaged in a raging debate on the form of Almighty God. After the exercise was completed, Buddha asked the assembled disciples and citizens. The four blindfolded individuals felt the same elephant, but provided varying answers, so what could be the correct answer? The episode just proved that no one individual or thought process is complete. One should always be prepared to accept that one might be correct in parts and that other streams of thought could be complementary. Pearls of wisdom Human mind views the vastness of the Universe through one’s own perception, delineated as it is by limited thinking and understanding. The four blindfolded individuals and those bestowed with vision appreciated the point made by Lord Buddha that they carry much baggage of past impressions and limited thinking that they end up wrangling about the form of Almighty God, when they are unable to even comprehend and envisage the form of an elephant. However, a trained mind, which looks within, gains insight, becomes wakeful and mindful. In an unfeigned manner undertakes the process of re-engineering the mind and the baby steps necessary to undertake a change in their lives to make it pregnant with possibilities. Techniques for training The spiritually inclined can re-engineer their lives undertaking the bouquet of courses imparted by the Art of Living, or pursue Vipassana; attempt to mutate their minds through the practice of yoga, pranayama and meditation. There are others who have a logical bent of mind and charter a different path. They need to develop a passion, or take up a sport, read inspirational literature among other things. But it is elemental and foundational to reengineer the mind and thought processes at regular intervals to live life with gusto.

Breathing and Meditation

42 years ago, when I first started to travel across foreign countries, yoga and meditation were colored with prejudice. While the stigma around these practices is waning, there is still a long way to go. Breathwork and meditation hold the key to eliminating stress and restoring balance in all aspects of life. Our breath has many secrets that have not been explored fully. Each emotion corresponds to a distinct breathing pattern. If emotions can impact how we breathe, the reverse is also true. From ancient times, people have been using breath as a way to relax and strengthen their minds. A strong mind can carry a weak body. However, a weak mind cannot even support a strong body. Meditation helps individuals experience a rare state of outer dynamism and inner calm. It is no longer a luxury, but a modern-day necessity. Meditation and breathwork are not just cures but also preventive measures for maintaining mental and emotional well-being. Even if one person in a family is disturbed, it affects the entire family. Inner peace is key to the peace in family, society and eventually in the entire nation. - Gurudev

I CANNOT CHANGE THE WIND

I CANNOT CHANGE THE WIND It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85 My first sponsor told me there were two things to say about prayer and meditation: first, I had to start and second, I had to continue. When I came to A.A. my spiritual life was bankrupt; if I considered God at all, He was to be called upon only when my self-will was incapable of a task or when overwhelming fears had eroded my ego. Today I am grateful for a new life, one in which my prayers are those of thanksgiving. My prayer time is more for listening than for talking. I know today that if I cannot change the wind, I can adjust my sail. I know the difference between superstition and spirituality. I know there is a graceful way of being right, and many ways to be wrong. ************************************************** Can We Choose? We must never be blinded by the futile philosophy that we are just the hapless victims of our inheritance, of our life experience, and of our surroundings – that these are the sole forces that make our decisions for us. This is not the road to freedom. We have to believe that we can really choose. << << << >> >> >> "As active alcoholics, we lost our ability to choose whether we would drink. We were the victims of a compulsion which seemed to decree that we must go on with our own destruction. "Yet we finally did make choices that brought about recovery. We came to believe that alone we were powerless over alcohol. This was surely a choice, and a most difficult one. We came to believe that a Higher Power could restore us to sanity when we became willing to practice A.A.'s Twelve Steps. "In short, we chose to ‘become willing', and no better choice did we ever make." 1. GRAPEVINE, NOVEMBER 1960 2. LETTER, 1966 As Bill Sees It, P. 4 ************************************************** Acceptance A magical potion is available to us today. That potion is called acceptance. We are asked to accept many things: ourselves, as we are; our feelings, needs, desires, choices, and current status of being. Other people as they are; the status of our relationships with them; problems; blessings. Financial status. Where we live. Our work, our tasks, our level of performance at these tasks. Resistance will not move us forward, nor will it eliminate the undesirable. But even our resistance may need to be accepted. Even resistance yields to and is changed by acceptance. Acceptance is the magic that makes change possible. It is not forever; it is for the present moment. Acceptance is the magic that makes our present circumstances good. It brings peace and contentment and opens the door to growth, change, and moving forward. It shines the light of positive energy on all that we have and are. Within the framework of acceptance, we figure out what we need to do to take care of ourselves. Acceptance empowers the positive and tells God we have surrendered to the Plan. We have mastered today's lesson, and are ready to move on. Today, I will accept. I will relinquish my need to be in resistance to my environment and myself. I will surrender. I will cultivate contentment and gratitude. I will move forward in joy by accepting where I am today. *********************************************** Acceptance frees us. Conflict can result from trying to change a person or situation that we don't like. And conflict causes stress and agitation, both of which limit our lives. They steal our ability to be open to opportunities for growth and change. Why is it so hard to accept situations we don't like? Our Twelve Step Program tell us it's because of our ego. We feel diminished when others don't agree with our plan or our opinion. Our self-worth is tied to other people's reactions. But we can change. We can let the success stories we hear in this program inspire us to let others be. We will discover how much better we feel when we're not on the battlefield with our friends and loved ones. I don't have to have conflict with other people today. I can let others be themselves and do what feels right to them. I'll feel more at ease too. ************************************************* ~*~A.A. Thoughts for the Day~*~ ^*^*^*^*^ (\ ~~ /) ( \ (AA)/ ) (_ /AA\ _) /AA\ ^*^*^*^*^ Acceptance ^*^*^*^*^ "And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way, it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition p. 417 Copyright 1976 A.A.W.S. Inc

FORESIGHT AND HINDSIGHT

FORESIGHT AND HINDSIGHT Around the Year with Emmet Fox November 1 When you have to make a decision or take a certain action, all that you can do is to do the best you know at that time, and if you do that you will have done your duty. In the light of after events it may turn out that you made a mistake, but that will not be your fault because you could not possibly do better than the best you know at the time. Claim that the Christ is guiding you; and believe it, and the ultimate outcome will be favorable even if things seem to go wrong for a time. “And the Lord shall guide thee continually” Isaiah 58:11

Who is the biggest enemy of Lord Vishnu?

Who is the biggest enemy of Lord Vishnu? Biggest enemy in terms of :- (1) Physical strength - Hiranyakhsa, who was an Asura, had galaxy destroying level powers. Hiranyakhsa took the Bhudevi 🌎 and dropped it under the cosmic ocean 🌊. Hiranyakhsa had the power to rip entire solar structure using his brute strength. Bhagwan Vishnu took the form of Varaha to defeat Hiranyakhsa. (2) Acquiring the status of God - Hiranyakashyap. Hiranyakashyap became a god by creating havoc among the Vishnu worshipers. He defeated the gods and at a point there was no one to challenge his supremacy and thus he was worshipped. (3) Brain - Ravan - Ravan was indeed the most genius and highly knowledgeable being. He was Rāksas, born from Maharishi Vishrava and demon queen Kaekasi. This is was the reason he had high intellect with superhuman strength. Ravan not only acquired celestial weapons but also created some deadliest infallible arrows for defeating Devas. Ravan was master in warfare and used the best ways to counter opponents who were more powerful than him (4) Time taken to defeat - Madhu & Kaitab - The Asura brothers with their boon, became powerful enough to fight against Bhagwan Vishnu for 7000 human years. It is mentioned in the Bhagwat Purana that they had boon, they would be killed by their own consent. (5) Successful in target - Hayagriva - Hayagriva wanted to steal the Vedas from Bramha and acquire everything from it. This was finally done by him which resulted the destruction of the first Manavyuga and start of Maha Pralaya. Hayagriva was defeated by Bhagwan Vishnu in his Matsya avata

– Stress at the Workplace

– Stress at the Workplace HE wAs AN EXTRAoRDINARY JAPANEsE ENTREPRENEUR, educated at the Lakeland College and the International University of Japan, who possessed a Midas touch and magically amassed trillions of Yen. As a youngster he was fearless, but soon his mind gave way to the lucre of money; indulging in forbidden activities, he perilously ignored the tenets of Shinto and soon succumbed to Karoshi. Karoshi is a Japanese word which signifies sudden death by cardiac arrest or stroke, triggered by overwork.This is a piquant situation arising when a person is worn out to a mere shadow of himself. In the Land of the Rising Sun, which is dominated by frenetic work schedules spanning almost sixteen hours a day, it can lead to bizarre situations where tens of thousands of employees commit suicide on account of this modern day ailment called karoshi confronting Japan. “The present moment is inevitable,” is a sutra which is articulated by several enlightened Masters. And only by living in the present moment can an individual annihilate the cobwebs of fear and stress which mushroom in the mind, banish fear and become truly joyous and radiant. Life is a long journey and everyone is a traveller. It is 364 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa prudent to live and traverse purposefully and mindfully, rather than think about the past or the future and lose track in the byzantine labyrinths and consequently mislaying precious peace of mind. The Japanese entrepreneur became deceitful and snuffed out his life. Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraint, or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be uncertain or unimportant. It is this element of uncertainty that leads to gathering of stress in the minds of employees at the workplace. Contrast karoshi with a Hindustani word called khamoshi. Khamoshi,simply put, implies silence. “Silence is essential. We need silence, just as much as plants need light. If our minds are crowded with words and thoughts, there is no space for us,” writes Thich Nhat Hanh. “Noble silence” envelops our minds through the practice of mindfulness and soon the human body and mind stop chattering. To appreciate the virtues of a quiet and composed mind the rectitude of silence needs to be juxtaposed against accumulated stressful conditions prevalent in our lives and organisations. Stress over a period of time has acquired a negative connotation. However, there are high end achievers who rekindle their passion to excel in high pressure conditions. Sportsmen, defence personnel, scientists, politicians or artistes rise to the occasion and deliver high octane stuff in what is referred to as ‘clutch situations’. Tension or stress in these individuals increases tautness or stretch in the mind, which make them deliver at the world stage. Even if they are girdled with negative emotions, their minds are robust and resolute enough not to capitulate and instead Tranquility, Silence and the Mind | 365 blossom like a lotus in a lake that is otherwise overflowing, and live in the present moment to accomplish their Holy Grail. These progressive minded individuals maintain a positive disposition and oust negative thoughts by remaining jaunty and cheery. Their mantra in life is to visualise the glass as half- full rather than half-empty. Thereby they become positively inclined achievers. Those not blessed with such an attitude flounder to clamber the summit and accumulate stress due to the constraints and demands they face. Constraints act as an encumbrance and a hindrance to achieving the targeted goal, while demand (high expectations) typifies a misplacement of a venture that humans crave for, which results in accumulation of stress. This occurs when high expectations do not match the desired results. In an organisational set up an excellent performance review normally triggers a jump in emoluments or even a promotion, while a below par presentation review may be interpreted as a lackadaisical performance which can even tantamount to being fired from the placement. This can be an extremely hazardous and demanding situation for the employee. Environmental factors such as economic and political uncertainties and technological changes may result in an exacting situation for the employees of an organisation. An organisation is akin to an organism which has its own limitations and can lead to intriguing situations. These include various tasks, roles and interpersonal demands. The corporate body could be hampered by structural and leadership muddles which generate worrisome conditions. An employee can also suffer from family, economic or personality misadventures which may disorient his performance and thus result in a tardy end result. Many a times privation 366 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa of adequate social support system or hostility and perceived malevolence of co-workers affect the performance of employees and thereby lead to stressful situations. The tragic consequences of such situations are dangerous as it more often than not leads to physiological disorders like migraines, insomnia, spondylitis, diabetes, obesity, infertility, and hypertension/hypotension which can result in cardiac problems or strokes. Dreaded psychological symptoms can also arise in the form of anxiety, depression, and diminishing interest in the job at hand, which leads to Brobdingnagian vexation. The employees become careworn and haggard. They are a demotivated set of personnel whose productivity is singularly low and the organisation is plagued by a high percentage of absenteeism and turnover. Employees can also get addicted to alcohol, drug abuse or excessive smoking. Organisations need to follow a two-pronged strategy to winch the problem. Actuate the employees by offering suitable apertures and resort to mid-course corrections by stimulating the mind through proper time management, prioritising activities, rescheduling work and offering packages of mental diversion. Alternatively, employers could set up gyms and swimming pools on the premises, which exhort employees to take to physical exercise to soothe frayed nerves and also undertake wellness programmes such as the Happiness Programme of the Art of Living, Vipassana breathing technique or proper counselling and hypnosis by trained psychologists. “Know your enemy, know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster,” wrote Sun Tzu. Truly then, khamoshi will prevail over karoshi. and Silence “NEVER hATE YoUR ENEMIEs. IT AFFECTS your judgement,” wrote the talismanic author Mario Gianluigi Puzo. He wrote several iconic novels about the Mafiosi, crime, greed and jealousy among other antipathetic emotions. Prominent among his works were, The Godfather,The Sicilian and Omerta. Omerta refers to a code of silence imposed by the Mafia upon its members, not to divulge any secrets about their nefarious and criminal activity to the law enforcing agencies. Adherents to the cardinal principles are provided sanctuary by the Mafia, while turncoats are swiftly silenced. Silence, on the other hand, is quietude and tranquillity of the mind and self. Omerta is an enforced, an imposed silence, born of fear. Whereas in true silence, the hush and shush are voluntary. The seeker attempts to silence the mind to delve into the depths of peace. In an Advanced Meditation Course conducted by the Art of Living, a seeker asked H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that his mobile phone was cannonaded by WhatsApp messages, emails, tweets, Facebook and LinkedIn requests. “What should I do Guruji?” he asked. Gurudev smiled in his inimitable and enigmatic manner and asked the seeker not to charge his smart 368 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa phone for a few days. The hall reverberated with applause and laughter. The purpose of the Advanced Meditation Course is to recharge our inner batteries and to connect with our true selves. This is true celebration, the best possible holiday, where the mind does not wish to break out of the tranquillity and one remains absolutely contented. The meditations are indeed so effectual and vigorous that the mind becomes truly hollow and empty. Recently H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conducted the Advanced Meditation Course across the country at various places simultaneously through Skype, where, besides the normal hollow and empty meditations, he conducted hour long meditation sessions every day, which had a salutary impact on the mind. I happened to meet a colleague at Bhubhaneswar, who was singing paeans about the efficacy of the course and specifically mentioned that his mind was indeed truly silenced. But no sooner does such a course get over, that the devout, seekers and sadhaks scramble for their smartphones. This is not a particularly intelligent act. Incidentally, this has nothing to do with the knowledge imparted, or the technique of the teacher. It is purely disrespect and feverishness displayed by the seeker. In our daily existence, it is well-nigh impossible to remain perpetually silent, but by undertaking such courses over a period, the mind becomes aware, wakeful and mindful enough to become detached from the cause and effect of various situations. This is acquisition of genuine knowledge. Knowledge can be acquired by the seeker and sadhak through relentless practice, a feeling of detachment, slaying emotions of anger and arrogance, remaining in perpetual Tranquility, Silence and the Mind | 369 dynamism and, most importantly, acquiring and inculcating traits of humility. Sage Ashtavakra through his profound knowledge and wisdom, after vanquishing Acharya Bandi in the court of Rajarishi King Janaka, was to impart some important homilies. One, shaastra (true knowledge and wisdom) is more important and lethal than shastra (weapons in an individual’s arsenal) and second, it is always bankable and worthwhile to conquer the emotions of anger and arrogance. These negative emotions and traits drain the quality of silence and rectitude from an individual’s personality. The silence and tranquillity which permeates every cell of the mind and body gets transformed into clangour and hubbub. Cacophony in the mind, which ought to have metamorphosed into symphony, does not occur. One is reminded of the film Dhoni – The Untold Story, wherein the protagonist informs his girlfriend prior to the commencement of a test match – an important cricket tour – that his mobile would be switched off. This differentiates and individuates Dhoni from other cricketers and sportsmen. His focal point was the game. All achievers do that. They see to it that their minds are not hacked by innuendoes or irrelevant issues. Or else the mind remains a prisoner of Omerta and is not truly silent. According to the Bible, Jesus was questioned whether He was the son of God. Jesus maintained silence, as it was the sagacious and prudent act to do. It is like a human wishing to explain tribulation and suffering in the body and the listener demands a testament. Just as pain cannot be explained, similarly, noble silence too cannot be demonstrated. It is an experiential 370 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa feeling which the seeker needs to necessarily perceive through his sadhana. Buddha upon attaining enlightenment spoke about the Four Noble Truths: a) There is dukha or misery in life, which individuals experience from within and without. b) There is a cause for misery. c) It is possible to eliminate this melancholia. d) There is a path out of the wretchedness or misery. Besides the Four Noble Truths, Buddha expounded the Eight-Fold Path too. This includes – right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right meditativeness or samadhi. He further stressed upon sheela (proper conduct), samadhi (an equanimous meditative state) and pragya (implies enlightened awareness and mindfulness). Buddha was first and foremost a psychologist. In a methodical manner, he dissected the human mind and its various shades and functioning. The mind is essentially noise; the source or origin of the mind is silence.Therefore, Buddha accentuated the concept of nomind. A chain of thoughts constantly originates in the mind. So the mind keeps wandering in search of peace, silence and tranquillity. The true nature of all living beings is to appreciate the compass of peace, compassion, love and affection.The property and competence of silence is to subsume negative emotions such as guilt, fear, arrogance and ignorance. Thus, inner jollity and radiance encompass us with wisdom, beauty, strength, knowledge and bliss. In such a state, mental chatter in the human mind is reduced and silence subjugates Omerta in the human mind. 97

Tranquility, Silence and the Mind | 365

– Stress at the Workplace HE wAs AN EXTRAoRDINARY JAPANEsE ENTREPRENEUR, educated at the Lakeland College and the International University of Japan, who possessed a Midas touch and magically amassed trillions of Yen. As a youngster he was fearless, but soon his mind gave way to the lucre of money; indulging in forbidden activities, he perilously ignored the tenets of Shinto and soon succumbed to Karoshi. Karoshi is a Japanese word which signifies sudden death by cardiac arrest or stroke, triggered by overwork.This is a piquant situation arising when a person is worn out to a mere shadow of himself. In the Land of the Rising Sun, which is dominated by frenetic work schedules spanning almost sixteen hours a day, it can lead to bizarre situations where tens of thousands of employees commit suicide on account of this modern day ailment called karoshi confronting Japan. “The present moment is inevitable,” is a sutra which is articulated by several enlightened Masters. And only by living in the present moment can an individual annihilate the cobwebs of fear and stress which mushroom in the mind, banish fear and become truly joyous and radiant. Life is a long journey and everyone is a traveller. It is 364 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa prudent to live and traverse purposefully and mindfully, rather than think about the past or the future and lose track in the byzantine labyrinths and consequently mislaying precious peace of mind. The Japanese entrepreneur became deceitful and snuffed out his life. Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraint, or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be uncertain or unimportant. It is this element of uncertainty that leads to gathering of stress in the minds of employees at the workplace. Contrast karoshi with a Hindustani word called khamoshi. Khamoshi,simply put, implies silence. “Silence is essential. We need silence, just as much as plants need light. If our minds are crowded with words and thoughts, there is no space for us,” writes Thich Nhat Hanh. “Noble silence” envelops our minds through the practice of mindfulness and soon the human body and mind stop chattering. To appreciate the virtues of a quiet and composed mind the rectitude of silence needs to be juxtaposed against accumulated stressful conditions prevalent in our lives and organisations. Stress over a period of time has acquired a negative connotation. However, there are high end achievers who rekindle their passion to excel in high pressure conditions. Sportsmen, defence personnel, scientists, politicians or artistes rise to the occasion and deliver high octane stuff in what is referred to as ‘clutch situations’. Tension or stress in these individuals increases tautness or stretch in the mind, which make them deliver at the world stage. Even if they are girdled with negative emotions, their minds are robust and resolute enough not to capitulate and instead Tranquility, Silence and the Mind | 365 blossom like a lotus in a lake that is otherwise overflowing, and live in the present moment to accomplish their Holy Grail. These progressive minded individuals maintain a positive disposition and oust negative thoughts by remaining jaunty and cheery. Their mantra in life is to visualise the glass as half- full rather than half-empty. Thereby they become positively inclined achievers. Those not blessed with such an attitude flounder to clamber the summit and accumulate stress due to the constraints and demands they face. Constraints act as an encumbrance and a hindrance to achieving the targeted goal, while demand (high expectations) typifies a misplacement of a venture that humans crave for, which results in accumulation of stress. This occurs when high expectations do not match the desired results. In an organisational set up an excellent performance review normally triggers a jump in emoluments or even a promotion, while a below par presentation review may be interpreted as a lackadaisical performance which can even tantamount to being fired from the placement. This can be an extremely hazardous and demanding situation for the employee. Environmental factors such as economic and political uncertainties and technological changes may result in an exacting situation for the employees of an organisation. An organisation is akin to an organism which has its own limitations and can lead to intriguing situations. These include various tasks, roles and interpersonal demands. The corporate body could be hampered by structural and leadership muddles which generate worrisome conditions. An employee can also suffer from family, economic or personality misadventures which may disorient his performance and thus result in a tardy end result. Many a times privation 366 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa of adequate social support system or hostility and perceived malevolence of co-workers affect the performance of employees and thereby lead to stressful situations. The tragic consequences of such situations are dangerous as it more often than not leads to physiological disorders like migraines, insomnia, spondylitis, diabetes, obesity, infertility, and hypertension/hypotension which can result in cardiac problems or strokes. Dreaded psychological symptoms can also arise in the form of anxiety, depression, and diminishing interest in the job at hand, which leads to Brobdingnagian vexation. The employees become careworn and haggard. They are a demotivated set of personnel whose productivity is singularly low and the organisation is plagued by a high percentage of absenteeism and turnover. Employees can also get addicted to alcohol, drug abuse or excessive smoking. Organisations need to follow a two-pronged strategy to winch the problem. Actuate the employees by offering suitable apertures and resort to mid-course corrections by stimulating the mind through proper time management, prioritising activities, rescheduling work and offering packages of mental diversion. Alternatively, employers could set up gyms and swimming pools on the premises, which exhort employees to take to physical exercise to soothe frayed nerves and also undertake wellness programmes such as the Happiness Programme of the Art of Living, Vipassana breathing technique or proper counselling and hypnosis by trained psychologists. “Know your enemy, know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster,” wrote Sun Tzu. Truly then, khamoshi will prevail over karoshi.

The Tyrant Capitulates

The Tyrant Capitulates AEONS Ago LIVED A BRAVE CoMBATANT. Upon slaying several of his kinsmen, the intrepid warrior ascended the throne. He imposed a series of taxes on the denizens of his kingdom, to raise a professional army. Seeds of an expansionist ideology germinated in his febrile mind. The king had now assumed the mantle of unassailable monarch and inviolable emperor with a missionary zeal. The peasantry, traders, artists, writers, farmers and dancers, all had to bear the brunt of an array of imposts and tithes needed to raise the hefty army. Intimidated and fearful, the denizens of the land obeyed the diktats unflinchingly. The ruler was surrounded by feeble and puny ministers, who tried to ingratiate themselves by conforming to the decree and not being antagonistic in any manner. In the process they could luxuriate with the largesse and bounties showered by the despot. The iron clad administrator brooked no dissidence. Those ministers and bureaucrats who dared to challenge his authority were imprisoned or exiled; the recalcitrant were eliminated. Several intimidated kings brokered peace by accepting his suzerainty, assuming the role of willing vassals. Taxes were 372 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa raised on their populace to supplement the needs of the now gargantuan army. To protect their fiefdoms, a few minor kingdoms ingratiated themselves by conceding to matrimonial alliances. A vicious smile that swept across the face of the aggressive oppressor said it all. Sycophants were soon to equate him with the creator, the very Lord of the Universe! His busts and statues dotted the landscape of the entire country. Edicts eulogizing his achievements, panegyrics and paeans penned by supplicant poets and writers further fuelled the desires of the malevolent ruler. John Wooden has written,“Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” The tyrant defied these cardinal principles, becoming hubristic and haughty. He began nurturing delusions of conquering the entire world. Arrogated with absolute power and corrupt to the core, he issued a diktat that he was to be worshipped by all the subjects of the land. Places of worship mushroomed across the countryside, with vast strips of the newly acquired land, where people were forced to venerate new ‘Divine’ power. Priests and monks took to rewriting the scriptures in praise of the ‘new lord’. Every evening he indulged in merry making. He was also beguiled and enthralled by an array of danseuses. On one full moon night as the revelry reached a crescendo, an attractive danseuse was presented before the despot. Though she made her livelihood by dancing on occasions for men held in low esteem, the handsome lady maintained her Teflon coating. Never did she succumb to carnal instincts and always pined for Lord Krishna. Dance for her was not Tranquility, Silence and the Mind | 373 merely an exhibition of talent or entertainment, but her way of expressing indebtedness and gratitude to the Almighty. She danced to the strains of the magical flute of Lord Krishna. Her mind and self were filled with exemplary courage and conviction because of her unalloyed love and devotion to the supreme lord. The inebriated and autocratic ruler asked her to gyrate to the music played. She was not to be intimidated and defied the king, much to his chagrin. “I dance only if my mind is suffused with Narayana tattva,” she proclaimed emphatically, “and in you I see only the attributes of Kamsa and Duryodhana.” The tyrant was not amused. “I am the new Lord, more potent and formidable than your Krishna.” Piqued with resentment, the tyrant asked the dancer to prove the existence of a lord other than him. The lady asked for a bowl of milk, which was promptly provided. She asked the ruler what he saw in the bowl. “Milk,” muttered the ruler, impatiently. The dancer gently uttered, “An ignorant merely sees what is on the surface. A wise man or gyani probes deeper. A discerning observer sees not only milk, but its multifarious attributes too – butter, cheese, buttermilk, curd, sweet preparations made of milk, among others. Thus, almighty God has various attributes which a normal human being, even a king cannot appreciate. You have to transcend from the gross to the subtle.” For the first time in several years the king’s mind was challenged. “But this does not prove the existence of Krishna or God,” he added instantly. The danseuse asked the king to darken the dancing hall and provide her with a candle. The palace was darkened and the lady held aloft a lit candle. “What do you see now, O king?” she asked. “A candle,” he replied. 374 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa The dancer exclaimed, “Just a candle! This is not a mere candle providing light, but the flame that dispels darkness and the seeds of doubt from the human mind, to make it resolute and robust.” This dialogue ignited the intellect of the king. “But, it still does not prove the existence of God, that there is one more powerful than me.” “To acquire this eternal truth, you need to descend from your throne and permit me to sit on it,” was her retort. Mulling it over for a few minutes –parrying protestations of acquiescing ministers – he offered his throne. The dancer gracefully took her place on the throne and at her feet was the indomitable king, hitherto unchallenged. “Yes, now you are on the path of pursuing the reality,” she remarked. “Arrogance, conceit and egotism had ossified your thought process. Today you have surrendered,” remarked the dancer. She politely added, “Today you are at my feet, in your own kingdom. This is nothing but the miracle of Lord Krishna.” Much to the astonishment of all present, the king broke down and wept inconsolably, accepting his defeat. Donning ochre robes, he left the palace in search of the truth, to discover the creator of the universe. Rising from the throne the danseuse broke into Tandav Nrtya…

Compassion

Compassion A ZEN MAsTER AssEMBlED HIS TUTEEs at the Temple of Knowledge. The monks had completed a vigorous session on meditation were suffused with efficacious thoughts. It was time to question their cerebral robustness. “What do you mean by compassion?” he posed. Replies from the disciples varied from love, generosity, affection, care, kindness to liberality. The Zen Master went on to narrate a story. Once near a Temple of Knowledge lived a mendicant. One day an old lady dropped a coin in his begging bowl. A little later a propertied prince happened to pass by and looking at his pitiable condition dropped in five gold coins and walked away in a haughty manner. Subsequently, a small monk who lived within the precincts of the Temple of Knowledge emerged. He was carrying a few coins to buy flowers for a function in the Temple. On his way back, he handed over the bunch of flowers to the mendicant. “So friends, who was the most compassionate of the three?” In unison the tutees proclaimed that it was the opulent prince since he had parted with five gold coins as alms. The Zen Master shook his head in disagreement and remarked, “The old lady gave a coin as an act of pity, the 376 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa deep-pocketed prince brazenly displayed his haughtiness, while the young monk was deeply touched at the pitiable condition of the individual and gave the flowers meant for a ritual to be performed in the Temple of Knowledge. He felt a deep empathy within his being and parted with the flowers without a degree of hesitation and could invoke a smile on the face of the alms-seeker. “Compassion springs from the fountain of love, while lust is the bedrock of passion,” exhorted the Zen Master to the assembled disciples. Aeons ago lived a young prince named Siddhartha, belonging to the fearsome Sakyan kingdom, a noteworthy republic of the period. Sage Asita forewarned King Suddhodhana that his son would indeed become the emperor of the world, but not in battle fatigues, rather by donning ochre robes, as compassion was in the very DNA of the child. This forewarning acted on the overwrought Sakyan sovereign. He encircled Siddhartha with a luxuriant life, inciting carnal passion in him, simultaneously goading him to be brawny enough to take part in warfare. The monarch assumed that matrimony and parenthood would veer the mind of the strapping youngster away from monkhood. However, Emperor Suddhodhana could never truly encircle the mind of Siddhartha, as the Prince pined for the quintessential truth. One fine day, without any warning, the young heir abdicated all gross and corporeal things in life and plunged headlong into a life of tapas. The Sakyan prince not only discarded his battle fatigues but also transfigured his mind. The robust and intrepid mind had to sift through the nugatory thoughts of sorrow and happiness, logic and feverishness to become pristine, and full of compassion, love and non-violence.The transmutation of his Tranquility, Silence and the Mind | 377 mind and self was an arduous journey of deep introspection. It was not largesse bestowed by the Universe. Non-violence became the springboard to complete the transformation into a compassionate human being. Planet Earth hosts myriad life-forms. It is the only planet which nourishes life, deriving vital prana from the Sun. Degradation of the environment and ecology on account of man’s avarice and rapacious covetousness is torpedoing the process of exterminating life. We are no longer compassionate to ourselves, or to the flora and fauna or even the rivers, seas and farmlands. Humans spewing negativity will soon turn the host of creation into a ghost land. Once, Buddha was in the midst of an assembly. Those present were engrossed in meditation. A raging and wrathful businessman reached the spot. The magnate hailed from an opulent family and was distraught that his wife and children had given up the luxuriant ways of life and spent hours meditating at the conclave. He saw Buddha sporting a beatific and serene smile. Wrenching his fists in vexation, he spat at the compassionate one’s face, much to the chagrin of all present, before rushing out. But it was a tumultuous night for the entrepreneur, who barely snatched a few winks. He recalled that this was the first occasion in his life that a person on whom he spat maintained remarkable poise and equanimity. His body shivered and he felt that there was an earthquake in his mind. Deeply distraught, he reached the conclave the next morning, apologising profusely. ”Holy Sire, please forgive me. I did not know what I was doing.” Buddha, maintaining his calm demeanour, merely remarked, “I cannot excuse you.” The assembly was taken aback. 378 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa Buddha looked intensely into the eyes of the industrialist and merely stated, “Why do you ask for pardon? You did nothing counterfactual.” “Holy one! I was the mentally wrecked person who had the temerity to spit on your face.” The businessman added, “And for this wanton act I am devastated.” Buddha parried the question, dexterously stating, “Oh! That individual is no longer in our midst. In case I ever meet that gentleman, I shall ask him to pardon the person who is currently amidst us. Son, you have done no wrong, remove the heavy stone of repentance from yourself and your heart.” Compassion never mushrooms from not pardoning someone or making a person feel the victim or inducing guilt. The act of forgiveness is so subtle that the individual granted clemency is unaware of the charitable act. Compassion stands for lenity which emerges from love, while animosity and tyranny appear from lust and covetousness. Love exudes warmth and embraces all animate and inanimate objects, while lust embarks an individual on the path of sabotage and often self-destruction. “If you want others to be happy practice compassion. If you want to be happy practice compassion,” says the Dalai Lama.

Unlocking the Mind

Unlocking the Mind WE shoULD REsolUTElY woRK hARD oN understanding the various characteristics and colours of the mind. By rehearsing regularly everything that we know about the human mind we can unravel its mysteries and we can make it a friendly liege, or else it will be a recalcitrant retainer. Through practice we can harness the potential of the mind and thereby unearth the latent wisdom, truth, and its inconceivable capacities. The power of the super conscious mind is not explored by ordinary human beings. A seeker can perhaps realise that the human mind has infinite power and its enormous potential. “There are many kinds of medicines, but most medicine only eases the suffering in our bodies and minds temporarily. It does not heal the source of illness. Through mindful breathing we can apply a healing balm to heal ourselves and our planet,” says Thich Nhaht Hanh. That is the power of breath and mind, as both breath and mind are interlaced. H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “Breath is like a string and mind is like a kite. Through breath we can unlock the potential of the mind.” Our inflated egos act as a hindrance and a roadblock to understanding these qualities of the mind. The mind has 380 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa tremendous intuitive ability, which can guide us in performing both mundane acts or pursuing the path of spirituality. The mind has immense power of both physical and spiritual healing, which unfortunately is not tapped by human beings. Thus, it becomes incumbent upon us to research, rewind, relive and resuscitate the power of the mind. Our past experience can act as a guide and be a beacon of light to live the present moment effectively. By sublimating to the Divine, to Nature, to the Almighty, to God, we can fathom the depths of the mind and its hidden vastness. Humans need to realise that the present moment is inevitable. If the mind is vacillating between the past and the future then we fail to recognise the character of the mind. Quite often, the past is full of regrets and the future is brimming with worries and anxieties. If the mind is struggling to be in the present then we are certainly failing to recognise the existence of a supernatural power. We may call it God, Nature, the Almighty or the Universe. Sadhana, seva, pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, observing silence and meditation are tools and techniques to bring the mind to the present moment. And in the present moment we unlock the potential of the human mind. To be perpetually glancing over our shoulders and looking at the progress of fellow human beings and other seekers is a fatalistic tendency. Our own orderliness is what truly matters. Our progress, which is unique to us, is paramount. We ought to realise that no two individuals are similar. Since we keep mulling – like a cow chewing the cud – over small events we fail to make any headway or betterment.

Tranquility, Silence and the Mind |

Tranquility, Silence and the Mind | 381 It is also evident that we are not giving quality time to God and we are failing in the regularity of our spiritual practices. Our object is to navigate the mind and feel the bliss and the sublime moments. Even if it is for a few seconds or minutes… Over a period of time it will become our true nature. The obduracy of thoughts cannonading the mind can be combated by the thought of the Divine and our spiritual practices. The mind is like the seven colours of the rainbow, VIBGYOR: the colours – violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. These colours disperse and get absorbed in nature and provide it with a wonderful hue and dispensation. Similarly, to unlock the potential of the mind and to advance in the spiritual world, to bail us out of all negative thoughts and troubles, we can use the following simile; the mind has seven colours:V for Victory, I for Incandescent, B for Brilliant, G for Gay Abandon, Y for a Yes Mind, O for an Open Mind and R for a Robust Mind. If we embrace these seven colours in our mind, it will become resolute and strong to remain in the present moment. It is also evident that we are not giving quality time to God and we are failing in the regularity of our spiritual practices. Our object is to navigate the mind and feel the bliss and the sublime moments. Even if it is for a few seconds or minutes… Over a period of time it will become our true nature. The obduracy of thoughts cannonading the mind can be combated by the thought of the Divine and our spiritual practices. The mind is like the seven colours of the rainbow, VIBGYOR: the colours – violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. These colours disperse and get absorbed in nature and provide it with a wonderful hue and dispensation. Similarly, to unlock the potential of the mind and to advance in the spiritual world, to bail us out of all negative thoughts and troubles, we can use the following simile; the mind has seven colours:V for Victory, I for Incandescent, B for Brilliant, G for Gay Abandon, Y for a Yes Mind, O for an Open Mind and R for a Robust Mind. If we embrace these seven colours in our mind, it will become resolute and strong to remain in the present moment.

Creation , Destruction and the Sublime Silence : Tandav

ion, Destruction and the Sublime Silence: Tandav Creat THE EXPectant AND FRENZIED DENIZENS – oPUlENT, pauper, devout, seekers and tourists all lined up in the labyrinths of Varanasi to witness the astonishing and stupendous road shows of Shri Narendra Damodardas Modi, prior to the 2017 assembly elections in the most populous state of India, Uttar Pradesh. Manic and tumultuous crowds had similarly greeted Shri Modi in 2014, when he was still to scorch the electoral tracks during the epoch-making hustings that year. The ancient town ofVaranasi is a paramount spot for tourism and the celebrated Ganga – Jamuna culture or tehzeeb. The legendary ancient town is also notable for Raja Harishchandra, the fabled and iconic Indian king, who appears in several texts, such as Aitareya Brahmana, the Mahabharata, the Markandeya Purana, and the Devi Bhagavata Purana. The most famous of these stories is the one mentioned in the Markandeya Purana. Legend has it that Raja Harishchandra gave away his kingdom, sold his family and agreed to be a slave – all to uphold a promise he had made to the sage Vishwamitra. Myths and history apart, the mellifluous strains of Bismillah Tranquility, Silence and the Mind | 383 Khan’s shehnai, quite similar to that of an oboe and Pandit Ravi Shankar’s sitar still strike a resonant chord with lovers of Indian classical music. Women of all hues, shapes and sizes swarm the ancient town to drape themselves in Benarasi sarees. Pilgrims throng the now expanding town to pay obeisance at Kashi Vishwanath, Kaal Bharaiv and Sankat Mochan Hanuman temples to parry all misadventures in life. Aeons ago and for several years thereafter, the devout in the Vanaprastha (the third of the four ashramas as per Hinduism) stage of their lives retired to this township to cast away their mortal selves and to seek salvation from the perennial cycle of birth and death. The sutra of the Art of Living that opposite values are complementary is ideally epitomized and emblematized at the ghats of Varanasi. As the dead are consigned to the flames at the Manakarnika Ghat, at the other end of the spectrum the high priests of Varanasi chant mantras to invoke the benediction of Lord Shiva and Ma Ganga. This dynamic equation represents the creation and destruction of human life, which a discerning seeker can perceive. Some distance away is the pious place of Sarnath. Prince Siddhartha, who metamorphosed into Gautama and upon attaining enlightenment became the Buddha, delivered his first sermon on the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold path to his first five disciples. Buddhism gifted to humanity the Vipassana meditation, a technique to understand the true nature of reality by maintaining sublime silence. Varanasi, Kashi or Benares, the bustling town is a cradle of cacophony and symphony. Through continuous creation, destruction and experiencing sublime silence, the human mind is transported from the clangour of modern life to the calm of the sublime. EPILOGUE What Impacts the Mind? THE BENgALI sIBLINgs wERE MY CLosE companions; their staple diet was fish curry with rice. Our conversations veered around politics, girls, religion (Durga Pooja) and sports. The older one idolized Amitabh, Netaji Bose and Imran Khan. He was an idealist and the younger brother was the pragmatic one.The elder sibling was pushed into pursuing sciences, much to his disapprobation. Their father died of Alzheimer’s and mother succumbed to abdominal cancer. Though they seemed to have recovered from the twin tragedies and proceeded with their careers and lives, they could not realise their full potential. The mind of the elder one, especially, swayed like a pendulum between the past, present and future. There are many of us like him, who continue to be regretful of the past and anxious of the future, never living in the present. Marketing lexicon talks of 4Ps: product, place, promotion and price. I choose to add a few more to the cocktail that impinges the human mind. These are our past impressions, partaking of food and the path of time we traverse on this planet. All the Ps are inextricably interwoven. Human talent spans from the ordinary to the exceptional. This is the product available. It is genetic and must be accepted. 386 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa Richards and Sehwag were exceptionally gifted batsmen – something a less accomplished batsman cannot quibble about. Now, the product can be harnessed and developed through tapas. Resolute practice embellishes and burnishes the product. Sadhana and breathing techniques can magnify the mind’s potential so that it can be high yielding and profitable for the self and society. Let us envisage a house enveloped in positive and negative auras. This is the place where the mind resides. The quality of the mind to be in the present moment would appreciably increase when affected by positive thoughts, incantations, meditations, inspirational speeches or soulful singing.The same mind becomes unsettled and distraught by provocative speeches, squabbles and contretemps. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to protect the positive disposition and aura of the house. How does one promote the mind? The mind loves challenges, however daunting they may be! Maj DP Singh runs with a prosthetic leg. During the Kargil conflict he lost his limb but resolved to acquit himself with every activity that those with normal limbs can undertake. The organization of amputees was suitably christened, “The Challenging Ones” (with a membership of 800 runners). Oscar Pistorius is of course the original blade runner. The price of the mind is directly proportional to the quantum of sacrifice the body is willing to undertake. Both mind and body are conjoined in this endeavour. The mind may be willing, but the body may not submit to its authority. Or the body is disposed to take up the combat, but the mind declines to undertake the activity. If the mind becomes the parachute to transport the body to scale greater heights it will command a greater price and approbation. We are all blessed with remarkable discriminatory power. Epilogue | 387 It is for us to break the barrier and exit the comfort zone to become achievers through sacrifice. Stephen Hawking, despite suffering from motor neuron disability, is a cosmologist and physicist, unravelling the mysteries of the universe. Past impressions have a profound impact on the mind and its performance. Tulsidas wrote, “Our destiny was shaped long before the body came into being.” Impressions or karmas are impacted not only by our thoughts, attitudes, acts, and actions, but equally by those which others undertake under our orchestration and administration. As per Hinduism there are three types of karmas or impressions, namely, Sanchita (accumulated karma – which we cannot bear all in one lifetime), Prarabdha Karma (fruit bearing karma) and Kriyamana Karma (this can change our destiny). The first is carried on forward to the next lifetime. Prarabdha Karma can be mitigated through meditation and yogic techniques, while proper action (Kriyamana Karma) can reduce sufferings. Positive impressions lead to positive intent and a healthy impact on the mind. Negative impressions have an antipathetic and gloomy impression on the mind. Practitioners of yoga, pranayama, and Sudarshan Kriya develop the wherewithal to annihilate impressions/karmas. This needs to be fostered through knowledge, awareness, service and positive company, among others. Partaking of food has a consequential impact on our thoughts and thereby minds. Thoughts are opinions or conceptions. We can have brooding or glum thoughts, celebratory ones or meditative ones. Augustus Hare writes, “Thought is like the wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the vessel.” The human vessel consumes three kinds of food products, namely Sattvik, Rajasik and Tamasik. Sattvik food is easily digestible, generally consisting of fruits, nuts and vegetarian 388 | Make the mind Mt. Kailasa fare. It keeps us alert and aware. Disciplined practitioners of yoga consume this food. Rajasik foods are neither overtly beneficial nor harmful. It includes oily, starchy, aerated drinks, caffeine products, overly salty and sugary items. Individuals who have such food are excitable or irritable and generally not at peace with themselves. Tamasik food consists of meat, alcohol, tobacco, onions, garlic, and fermented and canned food items. These take a long time to digest and make individuals sluggish and torpid. Therefore, generally speaking, those consuming Sattvik food attain a contemplative or a meditative state of mind in comparison to those partaking Tamasik or Rajasik food. The trajectory path of time traversed has an expansive influence on the mind. Various times of the day, months and years impact us. The incidents and events that occur shape the thought processes, alertness and decision making capabilities of our minds. Further, during this span of time, we are likely to encounter many people, friends and associates who also influence our thinking pattern. The human mind through

A BRAND NEW CHAPTER “Silam Parama Bhusanam”

A BRAND NEW CHAPTER “Silam Parama Bhusanam” A milestone – Breakthrough in 2010 “During my misadventures I spent numerous nights famished without any food, sleep and other essential amenities. There were innumerable afternoons and evenings spent traversing miles and miles endlessly for my sustenance. It appeared a road to nowhere. Frankly speaking I was blindfolded and hurtling into a precipice. As the daughter of a rickshaw puller, I never had the opportunity to attend school as I belonged to a poverty-stricken family and was at the bottom rung of this feudal and caste-ridden society. I yearned for books to pursue education, but lady luck ignored and seldom smiled at me. My parents pawned whatever little jewellery my mother wore on her frail body to ensure that I could pay my examination fees in order to earn to secure a graduation degree which I had finally managed after several swedges. My caring mother in her life endured monumental pain and agony to provide basic amenities for the family and me. At a tender age of 14 in sheer desperation in order to pursue my dreams I bolted away from home. It was a daunting task which stared at me. However, in a few years I could somehow manage to complete my studies during daylight, metamorphosed into a dishwasher in the evenings where lecherous eyes peered lasciviously at my body and transfigured into yet another personality at a call centre at night. I was leading three gut wrenching lives in a day. In some ways I was a schizophrenic while multitasking. I was genuinely concerned about my safety as prurient men passed salacious comments and was often physically touched and literally molested by debauched men of all ages. I learnt martial arts to overcome the demons in my mind and could combat perverted and promiscuous men with aplomb.” “All that I can say is that this is a brand-new chapter in my life where I have walked hours to travel places so that I could save rickshaw fare to learn martial arts to protect my modesty, study and reach the summit. Today, I am here at the VLCC Femina Miss India 2010 podium to fuel spirit in my parents’ and younger sister Supriya’s life and to demonstrate to the world that everything is achievable if a person is committed to oneself and cherishes the realisation of a dream. It is not merely holding aloft this trophy and showcasing the crown but beyond the realm of achievement. The quintessential idea is to live life kingsize and in my case it was to emerge as a queen, overcoming various Gordian knots on this stage of the world.” These were the cathartic words of Vrushali in her acceptance speech to a thunderous applause as the crowds rose up in unison. “To some I may look as a buxom beauty, to others I appear in their fantasy dreams to satiate their carnal appetite in dreams, while for those grappling with vicissitudes of life I may be a beacon of hope or inspiration. Few would know that, I belong to the family of the Nishad community (the one’s who row the boats of the devout on various rivers of this majestic country), whose father was compelled to pull rickshaws to earn a measly earning. But I was possessed by a dream to upend the pyramid break glass ceilings and carve a niche for myself in this glitzy world of razzmatazz where grey turns into dark as I look for luminosity in the tenebrous canvas of life,” added Vrushali. The euphoric crowds continued to hail the achievement of this well-endowed woman of substance, from the lower strata of a caste ridden society in the new emerging India. A lady who belonged to a bijou town but scorched the ramp. This also occurred in 2010 “I never thought think I would ever fall in love again. I know that everyone says that after a heartbreak, but the difference is that I decided not to be heartbroken. Indeed, those were depressing moments after being robbed of something precious my dear love. However, I’m not cynical or pessimistic or sad. I’m just someone who once felt something bigger than anything else I’d ever felt and when I lost it, I honestly believed that I would never have that again. But... I was a mere 25 then and life is long. And I’m feeling right things now. The frame of my mind is that which I haven’t had in a long, long time,” said Karan. Three characters in the tale Parshati Singh was a blue-blooded winsome young woman who hailed from the valorous state of Rajasthan. She was royalty. Her father Raja Dhrupad Singh was now a successful and affluent hotelier. Arjun Dubey twice born from the most populous state in the country, Uttar Pradesh was the son of a ripped bureaucrat. Like several members of his brood, he too received an education at estimable educational institutions in India and overseas. And had acquitted himself honourably. Karan Kumar was born in an indigent family which could scarcely survive on a meagre park of land for sustenance. The family from the lower lode of the social ladder could barely keep their body and soul together in unendurable debilitating social and economic conditions. Meanwhile in the sylvan surroundings, crowned by salubrious weather and an idyllic setting the three were to meet. They were strangers from varied backgrounds. But destiny had plotted that they were seated next to each other at the peerless Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy for Administration at Mussorie. Parshati Singh wearing a marigold-coloured saree. She wore royalty and beauty on her sleeve. The prepossessing young woman was promptly the cynosure in the Sampoornanand auditorium. She was sandwiched between a fidgety Karan Kumar on her left and Arjun Dubey on her right. Karan Kumar was overawed by the place and occasion, his mind was cannonaded with both efficacious and antipathetic thoughts, and there was a nervous flow of energy like a flaccid being, moving through his veins. Karan’s mind was flooded with emotions of gratefulness and gratitude towards his parents, who despite their humble background played a pivotal role in shaping the career of their son who joined the coveted service in the country. He was among lakhs of contenders who grappled hard to clear the exalted examination, and the strapping youngster was selected braving all odds. Overnight he became the toast of the Teli community to which he belonged and was felicitated at a number of functions, which was featured prominently in several vernacular newspapers and media. A few months ago – an inexplicable encounter Vrushali was to read and see about the attainment by Karan Kumar and so did Karan about Vrushali’s achievements. The Nishad and Teli communities of the villages and towns of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Bihar feted the two young achievers and they became iconic and inspirational figures of their respective communities. Supriya, accompanied Vrushali for the felicitation function. The organisers of the function asked Karan to address the gathering and galvanize the youngsters to pursue education and carve a niche for themselves in the society. “Shri Ram Manohar Lohia, a Gandhian and freedom fighter and was known for his anti-caste mobilisation through his Socialist Party. Lohia ji appreciated that caste, more than class, was a stumbling block in India’s progress. It was Lohiaji’s prognosis that India had suffered reverses throughout her history as people had viewed themselves as members of a caste rather than citizens of a country in a generic manner.” spoke Karan with passion. “This country was deprived of fresh ideas, because of the narrowness and stultifications of thought at the higher echelons, which comprised mainly of the upper castes. I do not proscribe to the prevalent caste system, where we are addressed as Telis, Sahus and Nishads and believe in an alloyed manner that almighty God has created man as his manifestation. We are all humans. But unfortunately, our dreams and aspirations were suppressed by the powerful. But in this age of globalisation and technology our time has arrived to make tectonic changes and contribute to the society. Look at Vrushaliji’s meteoric rise by scorching the ramp. Who would have thought that a daughter of a Nishad would one day be crowned as VLCC Femina Miss India 2010 in this country? This indicates we are not inferior in any manner and the country is on the cusp of a significant change,” an evocative Karan spoke to a rambunctious crowd. Vrushali and Supriya were indisputably impressed with the impassioned speech made by Karan which fired their imaginations. Both the sisters were smitten by the rendition by the civil servant as their hearts fluttered. Coup de grace “So, the trouble is that, you know, you have rapes, you have these brutal men who are raping women. Of course, Hindus are raping girls, Muslims are raping girls, everybody’s raping girls, and so there’s no question of it belonging to only one community. But what is new over here is that, aside from the fact that the girl was not just raped and killed, she was held in a temple—according to the police reports, held in a temple, drugged, raped and then bludgeoned to death. There’s a sort of ritualistic, Satanistic part to it, which is terrifying, you know. But leaving aside the criminals, the fact that people are marching in support of the rapists—men and women, you know, are marching in support of the rapists, marching, demanding the charges be withdrawn. This is what is frightening,” Vrushali quoted Arundati Roy the noted social activist and author. The eyes of women and young girls belonging to the Nishad and Teli community welled up as they heard the VLCC Femina winner speaking in a charged manner. Several young women for once had decided to pursue their dreams. This was to be their brand-new chapter in the drudgery of their lives. The soul-stirring speech of Vrushali stirred Supriya to complete her master’s in history, which she was pursuing through a correspondence course. She was not as well-endowed or charismatic like her sister, but was sedulous and unflagging by nature. Though she was always overshadowed by her more voguish and illustrious older sister. Supriya was nevertheless galvanised by achievements and the thought process of the police officer from the Teli community and decided to traverse the same path. She shared her unfulfilled dreams to be a bureaucrat with Karan Kumar. The son of the chauffer encouraged her to channelize her energies to become one. Back to the academy Karan looked at Parshati and was bewitched and awestruck by the lady sitting to his right, as he nodded his head apprehensively. The alluring bureaucrat was neatly attired in marigold saree, and her swanlike neck was adorned with a pearl necklace from the land of the Nizams. Further she embellished her look with sparkling diamond studs on her ears, as she merely nodded with a streak of arrogance. To her right was Arjun Dubey, neatly accoutred in an exquisite black bandh gala. He spoke flawless English with an impeccable accent and struck an animated conversation with Parshati as Karan looked on. Parshati and Arjun were to share several common interests like books, swimming, polo, cricket, soccer, and their peregrinations in India and overseas. Soon the Director of the academy entered Sampoornanand Hall and all the probationers rose to the National Anthem with the eyes transfixed at the motto of the institute “Silam Parama Bhusanam”, Character is the highest virtue. This was a brand-new chapter in the lives of 700 odd probationers of various civil services and Parshati Singh IFS, Arjun Dubey IAS and Karan Kumar IPS stepped out of the Sampoornanand Hall with great expectations. The glaring disparity between the superabundant and the hoi polloi was apparent as they formed separate groups while sipping a cup of tea. Karan Kumar was a proverbial rebel, a dreamer and visionary who entered the civil services to break glass ceilings and upend the pyramid. The marginal farm land owner and chauffer’s son was unsettled as he saw the English speaking and the affluent civil servants ensconced in a separate corner. “You know Parshati, the guy who was sitting next to you is an OBC. These guys make it through quota backdoor while we slog it out on meritocracy...,” Arjun remarked. The royal woman-turned-bureaucrat was amazed at the triumphant performance of Karan Kumar. A few days later all the probationers had once again assembled in Sampoornanand Hall where they were handed a series of instructions by the faculty and the administration. It was a public forum where the probationers spoke on a variety of subjects. And then Karan rose to speak … on how it all began. “I hail from a very poor family. My father owned hardly an acre of land and we grappled for survival. He left everything as we moved from Munger to Delhi where he became a chauffeur. He was the chauffeur of our batch-mate Arjun Dubey’s mother’s vehicle. I am not ashamed to admit it. My eyes well up in tears and are moist as today my parents luxuriate in the success of their son once I cracked the civil services examination. It will not be out of place to point out that my father drove me to Mussoorie in the very car once owned by the Dubey family,” Karan spoke with panache but with a characteristic Bihari twang. A section of uproarious officers much to the consternation of an elite group were ecstatic and in raptures. Parshati Singh stood up and began to clap vociferously and soon the entire assemblage joined her much to the consternation of Arjun Dubey. She finally met a person who though not blue-blooded like her, was unparalleled in several ways. He was swarthy looking, but handsome in an atypical manner, sagacious and well-informed. This occurred in Dwaparyuga in the court of King Dhrupad But seeing Karna, Draupadi during her Swayamvara exclaimed loudly, ‘I will not select a Suta to be my lord.’ Then Karna the tutee of Parushurama and an exalted archer was exasperated and in a state of vexation, cast a glance at his favourite deity the Sun God, and threw aside Lord Agini’s bow which he had upraised and taken aim, ready to shoot the eye of the rotating fish which was perched on the ceiling of the majestic hall of King Dhrupad’s court. धृष्टद्युम्न उवाच|| दुर्योधनो दुर्विषहो दुर्मुखो दुष्प्रधर्षणः | विविंशतिर्विकर्णश्च सहो दुःशासनः समः ||१|| युयुत्सुर्वातवेगश्च भीमवेगधरस्तथा | उग्रायुधो बलाकी च कनकायुर्विरोचनः ||२|| सुकुण्डलश्चित्रसेनः सुवर्चाः कनकध्वजः | नन्दको बाहुशाली च कुण्डजो विकटस्तथा ||३|| एते चान्ये च बहवो धार्तराष्ट्रा महाबलाः | कर्णेन सहिता वीरास्त्वदर्थं समुपागताः ||४|| In Mahabharata, though Karna who was known as Radheya, a mere charioteer’s son, a Suta Putra, he was invited to participate in Draupadi’s Swayamvar along with preeminent Kshatriyas Kings which included Duryodhana, Durvisaha, Durmukha among others. King Dhrupad had obviously invited Karna to participate in the Swayamvar or else he would not have been seated among nobility and blue-blooded kinsmen. It also indicates that Dhrupad did not quite consider Karna unqualified for the Swayamvar. This was a brand-new chapter in Karna’s life. Karan Kumar of the Teli caste, whose father was a chauffeur was not invited to the Swayamvara at the Sampoornanand Hall because of his inherent talent. His passport was not meritocracy but the caste he belonged to and that was the brand-new chapter of modern-day India. Some intriguing relationships It was one of those inexplicable relationships. Parshati was smitten and indisputably impressed with Karan Kumar. He was fascinated by her class, nobility and intelligence. But she was hesitant to carry forward the relationship as His Eminence, her father, would not have permitted such a relationship. Yet, the two were extremely matey and enjoyed each other’s company. He was a budding police officer but a flotsam and jetsam in the eyes of her estimable family. Friendship in the exotic valley of the Queen of Hills between the two was slowly but surely developing into an intimate relationship. Meanwhile there was a third angle to the triangle in form of Arjun, who despised Karan as he was not one of them. He lived in the same Narmada Hostel building in the academy and partook food at the same dining table. That was commensality, a defining moment during Kalyuga in modern times. And he did not regard it as a brand-new chapter. “Some politicians of peerless pedigree have been known to share a meal with women like Ramavati of the Dalit community to garner votes and bureaucrats too were compelled to follow suit rather unfortunately,” regurgitated the pandit from Uttar Pradesh in his elastic mind. He had read exhaustively about the elasticity of the Brahmanical mind which made them dominate Indian politics and bureaucracy for a long time and was not willing to concede space to the lower lamina of the society. There were two more edges in this pentagon in form of Vrushali and Supriya. Both were interested in a fellow backward class mate, Karan Kumar. Sometime in 2018 in Washington A distraught Parshati held a wailing Abhimanyu in her hands as she saw her husband Arjun Dubey being wheeled in to Evergreen Health in Kirkland at the University of Washington Medical Center. He was bleeding profusely after being felled by bullets. Arjun Dubey was in a precarious condition. Abhimanyu, her son had been born with a congenital impairment in his heart. Sampoornanand Hall At Mussoorie, 10 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Washington, around the same time a lady walked up to the podium tentatively and addressed freshly inducted officers to the prestigious civil services of India. “I rise to speak about Barack Obama’s rare personal account about how he has been affected by racism, during a town hall meeting on race and policing.” “The former President of America spoke of how when he was a child growing up in Hawaii a female neighbour once refused to travel by a lift with him.” “‘She was just worried about riding the elevator with me,’ Mr Obama candidly remarked.” “The remarkable former President talked of that sense of being feared as a black man that continued as he grew older.” “‘Over time you start learning as you're crossing the street, suddenly the locks start going on doors,’ Mr Obama added.” The young lady officer who was selected to the preeminent Indian Administrative Service named Supriya, spoke with candour and conviction. A few faculty members who taught at the academy in 2014 recalled a similar kind of impassioned speech made by an officer named Karan Kumar. A Few Years Back, 2013 While Vrushali clambered the ladder of the fashion industry, Supriya painstakingly prepared for the Civil Services Examination. They had both secretly nursed an interest in the Indian Police Officer. Vrushali scorched the ramp and also made a foray in the tinsel world. There was a sudden inflow of wealth in the Nishad family living in a village in the vicinity of Pratabgarh . Meanwhile Karan on completion of their respective probation period, made a formal proposal to Parshati Singh. He was always bewitched by her brains and beauty and smitten with love. Parshati too was attracted to the intellectual acumen of the police officer and his emotive speeches and writings about the impoverished and unequal conditions of the backward communities in the northern parts of India. The two married much to the consternation and indignation of Raja Dhrupad Singh. The Rajput communities of Rajasthan and Bihar were outraged. This was a brand-new chapter in the emerging India. Arjun Dubey who always fancied himself to be the rightful suitor of Parshati was dismayed by the turn of events and established contact with Parshati’s father to seek retribution. Karan Kumar’s parents too were astonished with the decision taken by their son and the former chauffeur was left helpless in the defining moment. Vrushali in Mumbai was appalled as Karan Kumar whom she considered as one of them chose to marry someone from the upper caste. Parshati was excommunicated by her family and community as the tearful foreign service officer left for Paris on her maiden assignment. Karan was allotted Tamil Nadu cadre and posted as Superintendent of Police at Dharmapuri. The two had celebrated their honeymoon at Carlton Hotel, Kodaikanal unmindful of all the chatter and clangour about them. At Dharmapuri Jail Sometime in the first week of May 2013, a group of robbers reportedly broke into a firm in Dharmapuri district and robbed the cash stored in the locker. The financial firm provided loans to women’s self-help groups. According to some sources, employees at the firm, who arrived for duty on May 6, found the doors broken open and cash missing from the locker. On receiving information, the Bommidi police registered a case and suspected the role of the firm’s staff in the incident. The staff, which had left after work the previous day, were found to have deliberately left the main grill gate unlocked with a plan to carry out the heist. Inquiries with around ten employees at the firm led to the police zeroing down on the suspects. The role of Salem Central Prison Warden, Perumal was suspected in the burglary, and a special team of police picked the 28-year-old as he emerged out of the prison in Salem. This incident triggered a flutter as news spread that Perumal was kidnapped. The Dharmapuri police, however, revealed that he was taken for an inquiry. The police also detained a thirty-year-old Senthil, a staff of the financial firm, and Ilavarasan, the car driver, in connection with the case. “They along with notorious thief Saravanan, who was then in the Salem Central Prison in connection with a different case, had executed the burglary. We also suspect the role of the prison warden,” the police said. The police had recovered Rs 10 lakh from the suspects of the Rs 1 crore stolen and plans were afoot to take Saravanan in custody to inquire into the incident. Further investigations revealed that a senior police officer had actually masterminded the case. This information was revealed to the prying media by the District Magistrate Arjun Dubey. News Channels, social media, newspapers and magazines had all reported about the heist and soon the culprit was found behind bars. He was none other than Karan Kumar, the Superintendent of Police of Dharmapuri who had pleaded guilty. The castigated and maligned police officer was suspended and imprisoned for the misdemeanour. He was sentenced to a jail term. The Year, 2014 District Magistrate Arjun Dubey, though not wearing battle fatigues or khakhi became the toast of the town for his scrupulous pursuance of the case, through the Deputy Superintendent of Police, an officer named Selvan. The twice born officer was feted at various functions for his exemplar performance in the arrest of Karan Kumar, though it led to a turf war between the IAS and IPS officers. It was at Mumbai that he addressed a large gathering of people and encountered Vrushali who was now the toast in the fashion world and an emerging starlet of the film industry displaying both talent and her curvaceous body. At Dharmapuri Jail “Dear Karan, I had always pined for you, but you never paid attention to my entireties as you were attracted to Parshati. We travelled different paths. But for once I seek redemption from utter humiliation. And for once I invoke caste and kinship feeling to avenge the opprobrium I faced. The person who is drawing all media attention and arrested you molested me. I know he is now the husband of your former wife who deserted you upon the purported crime you committed, which I am sure would have been for a motive, not to merely make money but for a purpose which I am sure a lofty purpose,” was a WhatsApp message sent by Vrushali. Karan Kumar, the suspended IPS officer was mortified reading the message. The chauffer’s son was aware of the roving eye of his batch mate, the twice born IAS officer Arjun Dubey. He recalled those romantic moments during honeymoon time at Carlton Hotel with Parshati. During one of those love making nights, Parshati whispered something sensational which rattled Karan. “I have a confession to make dear hubby. I do not wish to live with a guilt all my life. Prior to our marriage in some weak moments at Mussoorie, I had shared some passionate and physical moments with Arjun.” Once Karan was suspended and jailed, there was whopping pressure on Parshati to seek separation from her husband which she had done and was readmitted by Raja Dhrupad Singh and her clansmen in the feudal society to which she belonged and the twice born Arjun Dubey tied the nuptial knot with his love. Sampoornanand Hall, 2018 “Our struggle has reached a decisive moment. We call on our people to seize this moment so that the process towards democracy is rapid and uninterrupted. We have waited too long for our freedom. We can no longer wait. Now is the time to intensify the struggle on all fronts. To relax our efforts now would be a mistake which generations to come will not be able to forgive. The sight of freedom looming on the horizon should encourage us to redouble our efforts. It is only through disciplined mass action that our victory can be assured. We call on our white compatriots to join us in the shaping of a new South Africa. The freedom movement is a political home for you too. We call on the international community to continue the campaign to isolate the apartheid regime. To lift sanctions now would be to run the risk of aborting the process towards the complete eradication of apartheid. Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way. Universal suffrage on a common voters’ role in a united democratic and non-racial South Africa is the only way to peace and racial harmony,” continued Supriya, quoting Nelson Mandela as the rapturous assemblage rose in unison . In Washington at the same time The life of chauffer’s son like his namesake life 5000 years ago, the charioteer’s son was filled with vicissitudes. But this Karan, the IPS officer requited himself something which Radhey could not do. This was a brand-new chapter in Karan’s life. There was a wry smile on his face as he surrendered to Washington Police. “I may lose Arjun whose life is hanging tenuously as he was fatally wounded, but I thank you once again for the 90 lacs you sent for Abhimanyu’s treatment,” Parshati was to inform Karan as she met him in prison. This was a defining moment and a brand new chapter in the lives of Parshati, Karan and Abhimanyu.