Be positive, Be happy.

Be positive, Be happy. This is not a piece of advice nor preaching. It is something which I am yearning for and struggling hard to incorporate in my life. Always think positive is all situations and getting rid of the negativity which puts pressure and stresses you from all ends that you are unable to even breathe. I am writing after such a long time. It has taken this much time for my mind to awaken and be productive.

There is so much of negativity surrounding us. Things just are not happening the way we expect them to be. People don't help out or act according to our expectation. The problem is we expect too much and in the end we get disappointed. This is the first form of negativity and the only solution to this is to stop expecting in the first place. Just spreading out our arms and letting go of any situation beyond our control helps. Nobody is responsible for our peace of mind except ourselves. Who am I to expect? I am but a speck of dust when compared to this vast universe. Spread out the arms, let go, be free, be happy.

Calamity. Chennai floods for example. The negative thought about will we survive? This is caused due to fear, hallucination. No electricity, no network, water water everywhere but not a drop to drink, such hard pressing times. The solution to this is Yes! we will. The belief, the faith which we must have that lights like a torch dispelling all darkness. We must never lose our hope and our faith that things will move to the better. When we have faith, we rise above the ground, we become stronger and when we lose it we sink below, energyless, weak, to death and destruction. The same thing holds for failure as well. Failing to secure marks in the exams, failing to win a race. The belief in ourself, the never give up attitude and our strong will power will help us rise towards success.

Discontentment. Oh I have loads of those. I am just not contented with life. I have a good family, decent standard of living, but still I am dissatisfied, bored and always feel there is something lacking. This sucks out my energy so hard. I try to escape out by grabbing a chocolate or fulfilling my sugar craving. But this provides only temporary relief. The permanent solution to this is gratitude. When our hearts are filled with gratitude, thanking each precious moment for what it is all the negativity is dispelled. We should keep thanking the sacrifice of our ancestors. They were in a much worse situation than us and still lived their life to the fullest. We should look at people who are below us who don't even have a roof and quality food to eat, not the Ambani brothers.

Greediness is a close cousin of discontentment and is a major setback to happiness. The impulsive nature to keep hoarding our cupboards and carpet area with things which we really do not need. The new level of greediness is to keep buying property which we really cannot maintain. Our greediness causes us to go against nature, like cut down the trees and make a concrete jungle. The solution to this is Charity. Keeping a check on what we don't need and use and giving them away to the deserving is the key to happiness. The more we give the more we loosen the burden. Clear away the clutter. Do not be disappointed but be proud in giving away the things even brand new. This can be an exercise to never be greedy and engage in wasteful purchases. The same applies to eating as well. Hogging on food causes disease, whereas sharing the same brings about happiness.

The best and the foremost of things is to be totally unaffected by all the negative and demotivating things that people say. By practising meditation and pranayama we strengthen our inner selves to be immune to the negativity that surrounds us. I keep reminding myself this quote by The Mother, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, "What people think, do or say is of little importance. The only thing that counts is your relation with the Divine"

Any other personal experience on staying positive is welcome to be shared in the comments section.

Approximation of truth

It's either one - truth or zero- false. There could be nothing in between. But what does it mean by approximation? Is there something in between? Is truth that fuzzy? Well we could say.

I am posting after such a long time. My work takes away ninety percent of my day. I am unable to channel my thoughts on a particular topic of interest. The only leisure time I get is on Sunday when we all watch Mahabharata aired on star plus. Now it has reached the end- Duryodhana's death.

Now the question arose why at all this blood shed, this war? To fight for justice? Dharma? But at one stage there were so many rules broken! Lord krishna himself broke so many rules. Is this what is dharma?

All that is happening around us, all the doubts that we have on what to do and what not to do,  are answered by the Lord himself. 'Do but don't cling on to what you do'. I have already mentioned this in a few other posts; but these are powerful words and they answer most of the fuzziness and give clarity to all our confusion.

Anything that you do, if you are ready , unaffected, with equanimity, without fear, agitation, or even the least bit of worry to face the consequences, then that is the truth. In other words truth is not bound by rules or judgement., It is within us and prevails at all times even if you try to run away from it.

We humans are basically weak. We try to cling on to everything and won't give up our comforts for anything. That's how duryodhana was, clinging onto the kingdom, and sakuni to his sister. We have the kauravas inside each of us. The sense of attachment, binding onto everything we find. It is only with the help of lord Krishna driving our five senses- the pandavas can we truly be free.

This is not easy, even with tremendous effort we can't be without tying ourselves to something. Buddhists say leave everything and live an ascetic life. But that's not the solution. By avoiding something you are clinging onto 'avoiding it' which is still clinging.

Back

It has been such a wonderful year for me. So many changes in my life. It is truly irresponsible for not having updated my blog. Even now I do not know what to write. Loss for words you might say. Today I got the time(and mind) to at least say this that I am finally back after such a long gap..Phew! 

When I decided to blog I had wanted to post at least twice a month so 24 posts in a year on an average. But this year 2013 has been below average(on the posting front only not otherwise ;-)). 

So what was I busy with? Nothing in particular. I got married on Sep 9. My soul got linked or united with another through the chanting of vedic mantras. The ceremony went well. As for me, I didn't have much preferences, everything was decided by my parents. 

I met so many new people. I learn't-(a few tips from grandma, ma, ma-in-law) and  I am still learning to cook. I am discovering that I have an interest in cooking. But not to the extent of cooking all day and doing nothing else and I hate dishes with too many details. I prefer mix everything and wallah!- ready. I am learning and slowly adjusting to a new life away from parents. I visit them once a week on an average. I have discovered that I am utterly butterly lazy and the worst part is my partner is lazy too. Thankfully we both are lazy to do different things- our priorities are different so that sets the balance.

I had written on a diary the list of topics I would like to post on. I don't know where that is now.  :-(. Dislocation, Relocation, Mismanagement, Disorganisation is the order of the day. Half the things I own are junk and meant to be given away and the other half are in many places where I can't remember. My mom had once told me.. "You will know how you are when you lead a life on your own! You will surely find it difficult." Yup! she is right as always. But I am somehow managing thanks to the principle of "minimal things, minimal size, lead life simple" Of course all the junk is elsewhere namely our parents house.

On the work front, some odd famous company is eating up twelve hours of my day. But I am giving to it gladly. I love my job. I love working there. Its a great feeling. The feeling of economic independence. Its almost like having a second backbone. Its not only about that. Its about learning so much at your workplace and in accomplishing the tasks successfully. It is slowly becoming my passion. I even blog there and read and comment on others blogs whenever time and mood permit. 

Need I say more. I will continue to keep posting. Have a great season!

ThankYou!

I have spent many sleepless nights crying, worried sick. I have sunk into the deepest, darkest and deadliest of all depressions. Failures, inhibitions, losses are so temporary. It would have been a case of permanent mental and physical illness if you had not been there to wake me up, to help me rise and see the sunshine. Thank You, My Lord!

Sometimes I feel so lonely, so alone and unable to fit into the system, even when I am surrounded by so many people. I just feel so awful when I think that I am left alone to face this terrible battle called life against a million opposing forces. But then you somehow come to my rescue. You are my hero charioteer and give me new hope, energy, courage and strength. All I do is just call out to you and you instantly come. Thank You, My Lord!

I commit so many sins, mistakes knowingly or unknowingly. So many tiny, miserable creatures die under my clumsy feet everyday. I have been rude and mean to so many people. Yet, you are so kind and considerate towards me and you are always ready to protect me just by the mere utterance of your name. How fortunate am I to receive such mercy. Thank You! My Lord!

When I am hungry, you feed me. When I am cold you gift me a blanket and a cupboard full of clothes. When I am happy or sad, you smile and reassure me that you are always present. You quench my thirst, give me clean water to drink and bathe, clean air to breathe. Above all, you give me the discriminating capacity-the capacity to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. When I need you the most, you come to me as a thought, a flash of lightening, a bright spark of idea. What did I do, to receive such a blessing? What will I do to repay you? You struggle, suffer, hope and endure all for me. Will everything get settled by just a mere thank you. I know not!

I am nothing. I know nothing. I see nothing. I am just a lazy old fool. Everything I have been getting throughout, solely belongs to you. I am uselessly clinging on to objects when I should instead be dedicating them all to you. 

You do all the things I ask as well as things unimaginable, things which I cannot even dream of asking. Yet I am forever discontented with mind and heart full of greed, dissatisfaction and petty desires. And still yet, you do not punish me. You are so steady and smiling with your kind eyes, looking at me always, shielding me always. 

I only have my ego, my useless stupid thoughts to give you. Take them. Take them all. I place them at your feet. Just one thing I ask of you. Give me gratefulness, give me the realisation, give me the mind which is only filled with thoughts about you, your smile, your kindness, your peace and this way let me fulfill the purpose of my life. Thanks again. Thank you, my sweet  Lord!

It happens...

• Out of a collection of n similar looking boxes I always open the wrong one at least n-1 times to search for the thing I want.
• Out a bunch of keys, never will I choose the correct key when I try to urgently unlock the door.
• When on the telephone and want to urgently note down a number, the pen and paper will always be at an uncomfortable distance from you.
• Out of a stack of clothes, the top one always get to be used the most, as they say old faded clothes are the most comfortable.
• I feel as if I haven't slept for days just before the day of the exam and opening the book for the first time. The more the portions the more the sleep. Once I even fell down unconscious and I thought I had died.
• Always freshen up and comb your hair before you sleep. God knows whom you will meet in your dreams.
• Out of a list of n things to do, well planned according to priority, always a task of least priority and not in the list gets done first.
• Rain will come on those days when I don't carry the umbrella or raincoat thinking its sunny and sky is clear.
• Always the person whom you don't want to meet or interact will pop in front of you completely surprising and embarrassing you.
• The minute one is required to do an important task is the minute one would want to use the toilet.
• You really want to test whether prayers work, just ask God, "I want more challenges!". That prayer never goes unanswered.
• Thoughts are divided into two disjoint sets-PAST and FUTURE. Both consume you and drain away your energy. Never give way, they pull you away like the sea. Act, Act don't let your mind wander. In short idle man's brain is a devil's workshop.
• You might wear costly make-up or even buy a Belgian mirror but you can never see how you look with closed eyes in front of the mirror. So there is more to life and you.
• The joy you get when something strikes you at the right time.We work hard and pay hefty sums for our education just to have that little thing-PRESENCE OF MIND.
• When you're angry, your bass and treble automatically gets set to the maximum, please switch to manual mode instead of auto-mode.
• More than 95% of the troubles will be avoided, if you just step back and ask yourself, is this really what I want to do/be in life.
• My dad's quote: "Happiness and contentment comes only in giving, expectations, frustrations, disappointment come if you want to only keep receiving." 
• My mom's quote: "The worst punishment you can give to a person who hurts you a lot is to completely ignore them and not think about them at all."
• My favourite story: "Once a king employed a very talented mason to build a palace for him. The mason who was very proud to have got the contract built the most exquisite for the king. The king was extremely happy with his work but he neither praised him nor paid him for his hard work. The king kept on extracting more and more work from the mason. This made the proud mason really angry and he thought "I am no slave!". Once the king called the mason and said, "This is your last task. Build this mansion for me." The mason decided to seek his revenge and he wasted all the materials given to him and constructed the most pathetic mansion ever which had leaks and holes everywhere and not fit to even enter inside. The mason stood before the king and said, "Your mansion is over!". The king was so happy and said, "Here is the key. Take it. Its all yours for the hard work you have done for me."
• Another of my favourite stories. A man asked God that he wanted to win 1crore in the lottery. After waiting 3 months he got extremely frustrated and asked God with tearful eyes about why he didn't win. What kind of a God are you? And God said, you would have won, had you even thought of buying the ticket!  
• I like Dumbledore's quote: ""Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it."
  

Suddenly!

Suddenly!
I wake up in the morning
Breathing heavily
Feeling hot and sweating hard
What did I just dream?

Suddenly!
I stop to think
These roads are never ending
Full of twists and bending
Where am I heading?

Suddenly!
I am out of breath
Thoughts clouded and confused
Hammer my head open
What did I just say?

Suddenly!
I get an inspiration
Like a flash of light
Swallowing the darkness
Why didn't it strike me before?

Suddenly!
I get a feeling
Why should things happen suddenly?

Birth, Life and Death
Are but a process
A part of a greater plan
Well laid out and structured.

Yes I accept.
Surprises, Shock Waves and Flashes
Too are well planned
If not by me
By someone else!

Hey! March.

March is one of the most beautiful months of the year. It is the start of the spring-summer season. Skies are clear giving way to hot, humid nights and the increasing demand for air conditioners. March is also the month to begin on new projects especially construction activities. To forget not, it the end of the financial year and closing of accounts and busiest and the most stressful time for accountants. 

To me, March is the time to make decisions. I don't know, may be the weather or something, you can never feel lazy during this month. See even I couldn't resist the temptation to post in my blog being usually too lazy to type. Those who have slept for the first two months of the year suddenly wake up in a crisp morning of March and say 'Hey, already a quarter of the year is over, I must buck up and achieve something!' Either the person signs up for classes or decide to go for a job or fix some small goals and tasks and try to work on them. 

For students especially, this is the tension period. Yes! BOARD EXAMS!! Very mention of the word scares me even today. I even remember the dates. 1st March-Chemistry, 3rd March English, 6th March Maths, 9th March Physics and 21st March Biology and all in the afternoon session 1:00 to 4:00. I remember resolving with a few of my friends never to touch Physics again in my life. They kept up their promise but I had to suffer as I had two semesters of Physics having taken up B.Sc. Maths. These exams are capable of draining out the little interest you have in the subject.

You either love or hate the month of March but you can't ignore it. Please do add some of your own experiences that happened to you during this month in the comments column.

Come rain or shine

Come rain
Or shine

Come thunder
Or lightening

Come sweet
Or sour

Come hills
Or plains

Come white
Or black
Or even grey

Never go astray
Keep moving on

Keep doing
Your job,

Never forget
Your purpose,
Of Life!!

2013: The Year of Surrender

2013: The Year of Surrender.

To My Dearest Lord!

I write this post to you as a declaration and a complete consecration of all my assets and liabilities, of all that I own and all that I ever hope for. I feel as if I am nothing in comparison to this vast and magnificent universe. More and more, I am starting to feel that everything is predecided and  I am an actor in this play of which you are the director, the producer in charge of everything. You are the Kartha and the Kaaran, the doer and the thing to be done. The past, the present and the future. All that is known and yet to be known. You are my guide, the best of all friends, my philosopher, my mother, my father, my sibling, my soulmate, all my well-wishers, relatives, everyone I see and admire.

My country India is in trouble. It is surrounded by unfriendly neighbours and is held by asuric forces. Please protect my motherland.  Help it to rise and open to your golden grace and protection.  Help it to be a leading spiritual torch to the world. Please deliver and relieve it from all evil. Help the citizens of my country to rise for there is need for a revolutionary change in the system. I hereby surrender my whole country, the city in which I live in, the electricity problem, the Kaveri water issue, all the farmers woes and worries, the food shortage, price rise, the pain and suffering of the poor, the negligence and lack of concern of the rich and moneyed, the job market, the economy, terrorism, everyday battle to earn a living, social media like facebook, twitter, the workings and non working of the government, businesses, profits, losses, intellectuals, youth, senior citizens, uneducated, unemployed, deserts, forests, rivers, wildlife, the flora the fauna, culture, belief and traditions, all celebrations, festivities and times of despair, the sincere workers as well as the rule breakers and even the tourists who visit my country. The audacity, vulgarity, perversity, disrespect, inequality, racist and caste feelings, everything to mention and not to be mentioned, everything I place them at your feet.

My family-So Supportive, understanding. How can I ever thank you? Especially my mother who knows me inside out, my preferences, my likes, my dislikes and who loves me unconditionally. Without her I wouldn’t be the person I am today. A mother not only gives birth, but is a person whom one can turn to at all times. My father!, who is my guide, my teacher, my financier, my guiding Light, who becomes happy when I am happy and who consoles me when I am in tears and who takes responsibility for all my actions.  Let this year be the most profitable year for my parents in terms of health and prosperity. Their happiness is my sole aim and when I serve them I serve you. 

My sister turns ten this year. Please help her to make the bet use of her childhood years. Let her not waste time watching meaningless programs on TV. Let that urge and stupidity die with me. She has got a lot of friends, teachers love her, her speaking and writing skills are excellent. Please do help her to make full use of her capacity and capabilities. Let her be surrounded by good companions who are ready to help her and guide her at every stage.  To start with, I offer all my sisterly feelings that I have got towards her to you. Please help me change my attitude towards her and set an outstanding example for her to follow. Let not my failures and mistakes affect her. Help her to grow tall and reach the highest shelf in the room cupboard. Give her all your energy, confidence and your protection.

My friends, my well wishers, my critics, those who think good as well as evil of me, those who misunderstand me, those showers of praises, that storm of insults, every word-remarks and comments spoken in front of me, behind me, every good and evil intention and opinion that people have of me,  let that not go into my head, I place them at your lotus feet.

Those, whom I think about, I care as well as not care, who occupy my thoughts in sleep as well as in wake, those whom I fear, dread, detest, those whom I hurt knowingly and unknowingly, those whom I take for granted, those whom I crave, all those people are forever and only yours. Let me not possess their lives.

Everything starting from the smallest drop of water, to the most elephantine of my possessions which you have placed under my trust, I surrender and offer them to you.  Let me neither get attached to them nor ill-treat them. In the past, I have foolishly vented my frustration and anger on them by mishandling and throwing them around.  Let me treat things with gentle care and affection for they are yours and a symbol of your omnipresence.  Overspending, hoarding and wastage are foreign to your temper and must be at all costs, completely avoided.

Now comes the most important part. I hereby surrender each and everything that I do, each step I take, each word I speak, my errors and so-called achievements, each of my thoughts and feelings-positive, neutral and negative, especially jealousy, envy, ego, arrogance, laziness, anger, irritation, intolerance, doubts, fear, suspicion, opinions, judgement, habits, addiction, obstinacy, stubbornness, passion, lust, craving, worry, anxiety, inhibitions. I completely open myself to you. All the openings of my body are open to you. My cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, hormones, each and every tiny chemical reaction, the workings of my brain, my stupidity and intelligence, my laughter and tears, take everything and everything. Leave nothing to me. It belongs to you always and shall work only as per your will.

Help us all to overcome all our barriers-hurdles, trials and tribulations. Let this year 2013 be the most progressive and fruitful of all the years.

The whole of my lifetime shall be and only be dedicated to your service.                                                                                                                                         

                                                                             With a heart full of gratitude,   

                                                                                       Your loving child.

Math Doodling: Magic of perfect squares

I know! I know! I am perfectly jobless. Somehow these perfect squares never fail to fascinate me. You might be already knowing this and great mahaans would have already discovered this but I take pride in posting this in my blog. Certain facts are really intriguing. If someone could explain, I would be grateful.

Take a look at the chart below:

GROUP 1 : DIFFERENCE 1
4 X 4= 1|6
5 X 5= 2|5  also (1+1)|5
6 X 6= 3|6  also (2+1)|6
7 X 7= 4|9  also (3+1)|9
----------------------------------------------------
GROUP 2: DIFFERENCE 2
8 X 8=   6|4
9 X 9=   8|1 also (6+2)|1
10X10=10|0 also (8+2)|0
11X11=12|1 also (10+2)|1 and so on
12X12=14|4
13X13=16|9
---------------------------------------------------
GROUP 3: DIFFERENCE 3
14 X 14= 19|6
15 X 15= 22|5
16 X 16= 25|6
17 X 17= 28|9
---------------------------------------------------
GROUP 4: DIFFERENCE 4
18 X 18= 32|4
19 X 19= 36|1
20 X 20= 40|0
21 X 21= 44|1
22 X 22= 48|4
23 X 23= 52|9
--------------------------------------------------
GROUP 5: DIFFERENCE 5
24 X 24= 57|6
25 X 25= 62|5
26 X 26= 67|6
27 X 27= 72|9
--------------------------------------------------
GROUP 6: DIFFERENCE 6
28 X 28=   78|4
29 X 29=   84|1
30 X 30=   90|0
31 X 31=   96|1
32 X 32= 102|4
33 X 33= 108|9
--------------------------------------------------

AND SO ON...

Notes:

1. Just  take a second look at the ones marked in red, thats where the shift happens.

2. Whats with the 4 and 6. Cardinality of even numbered groups is 6 and odd numbered groups is 4.

4. Again coming back to the red ones. Take a look at the squares 49, 169, 289, 529, 729. Leave out the 9 we get 4, 16, 28, 52, 72,..... Again divide the series by 4 we get 1, 4, 7, 13, 18,.... Finding out the difference between two consecutive terms, 3, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9,.... See the alternate terms, odd number series and multiples of 3.

5. In the units places of odd numbered groups we have 6, 5, 6, 9...6569 is  a prime no, in even numbered groups 410149 which is also prime. I dont know what to make of this.

6. If you find some more interesting facts based on this please add in comments. I am still searching for more.

Algorithm to Worship God! ;-)

I never usually visit the temple. Because I tend to look at other things rather than concentrate on the worship of God. Even when I have the darshan of God, I tend to notice only what he is wearing and how the priest is chanting mantras rather than feel him in my heart. God, it is so hard to concentrate in my prayers with all this crowd. I prefer to pray alone.

Its all so mechanical. Doing pranams, buying the archana token, doing pradakshinams(getting irritated with people moving slowly in the process). Thats why the word 'Algorithm' in the title.  Visiting the temple is a standard algorithm. Where is the question of Bhakthi in this process?

INPUT:      I, Enough Money, Full of worries, Temple.

OUTPUT:  I, little or no money, Peaceful mindset.

CAUTION:  Do not wear new chappals

                    Do not go during special occasions like Vaikunta Ekadasi or New Year unless you

                    want straight mokshaa.

                   Do not buy prasad from sellers especially if you have a weak constitution

PROCEDURE:

Step 1:  The hardest part. Make up mind to go to temple.

Step 2:  Clean up, dress neatly and modestly. Preferably Indian wear. Else you will spoil the other

            person's concentration.

 

Step 3:  Preferably don't take another person for company. Its always lovely to visit the temple alone.

Step 4:  Travel and reach temple.

Step 5:  Leave chappal/shoes outside at your own risk.

Step 6:  Buy materials for archana like tulsi, bananas, coconut etc. Very clever business people will do     the needful. Just pay the buck.

Step 7:  Silently enter the temple. Do not step on the nilapadi. You will attract unnecessary attention.

Step 8:  If there is a wash area and if its clean, wash feet and do not slip.

Step 9: Do pranams to Lord Ganesha, the beginning and end of all. Do > 4 pradakshinas if you          want something from him. If you do 108 then you really facing a serious situation. May God bless you.

Step 10: There are lot of people ready and waiting to irritate like gossiping maami's, bulldozer women who literally push to get a better darshan, over enthusiastic freaks chanting or singing loudly creating a raucous. Ignore them. Look at the idol and only the idol.

Step 11: Communicate with the priest to get work done. It is better to take a small book and read the      strotra silently rather than relying too much on the priest.

Step 12: Put the money on the thattu/plate, wait patiently for the deepardhanai. Apply kumkum, vibhuthi   on forehead, carry some on a packet and time to leave.

Step 13: Before leaving do namaskara at the main entrance, sit for a while in a shady place and then out    you go.

A temple is not a bad place to visit. It is very important to choose an appropriate time. Since it is a public place it tends to be very messy but one must learn to tolerate it. Nevertheless it does give you some amount of happiness, a collective consciousness-that all turn to the One and a strange peace of mind.

Some of my favorite temples are Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple, Adyar, Karpaga Vinayagar temple Adyar, Maruntheeswarar temple-Thiruvanmiyur, Paarthasarathy temple-Triplicane, Irresistable Kapaleeshwarar temple-Mylapore, Nanganallur Anjaneyar temple, Madhava Perumal and Kesava Perumal temple near Mylapore, Breathtaking Prithyangara Devi temple, Chollinganallur, Massive Madurai Meenakshi temple, Kamakshi temple Kanchipuram, Powerful Chamundeswari temple, near Mysore. 

If you have any other names of must visit temples, add them on the comments below.

Rudeness is a weak person's imitation of strength

No, I am not going to give case studies of rude people. But in general what do people gain by being rude to others? Why do I point at other people? I am myself unbelievably rude at times. Those who have interest in me have told me frankly. "Mira, Why are you being so rude?"

I have put much thought into this-the reasons for people being rude and mean. It is nothing but an expression of inner frustration. Some unfulfilled desire which leads to irritation and anger. 

Desire? What desires? It has got to do with attitude and upbringing some say. Its too complicated. 

Whatever it may be there must be a permanent solution to deal with rude people. And that solution is IGNORE!! Whenever I find somebody rude to me or my parents or sister, it affects me deeply at first. But then I think, it must be because I know what is level of rudeness and I must have been mean or rude to someone else that it is hurting me a lot. I will try to remind myself, "Be kind!, Be patient!, Do not stoop low!, Be calm! and most importantly Be polite how much ever others irritate you!" Of course life can be testing at times but at the same time it gives a lot of scope for improvement. 

People can be consciously rude to others. This is very dangerous and such category of people should be avoided at all costs. As my Mom-ananda always says "The best punishment you can give to people who insult or hurt you for no fault of yours is to ignore and forget them". I mentioned before that unfulfilled desires is the main reason. They might be jealous of something or someone. Why analyse this? Instinctively one can find out easily and drop them under the CR-Consciously Rude category. They hate you, but dont hate them back; just push them out of your sanctum sanctorum. 

Other people are brought up that way. They are inherently or unconsciously rude to others. It is again a weakness and attitudinal problem. They think because they possess something which others don't have they have the freedom to poke others the way they feel like. They need counselling. Sometimes I feel I fall into this category. But thankfully I have many well wishers who openly point out this and counsel me which helps me to analyse and correct myself.

Whatever the reasons, the conditions, nobody has the right to be rude to anyone. If you are rude at any time, you are a weak and a frustrated person. Do not be rude to even the person who insults you. Its not necessary. Why waste energy? I find people especially being rude in a telephonic conversation or chatting or while texting. The list includes me. The worst form of rudeness or rather weakness is when you are not face to face or in eye contact with the other person. Never ever ever ever in any situation do that. There are numerous advisory sites about etiquette and netiquette like how to speak in a telephone and so on. Ultimately it is all a part of personality development and cultivating inner strength.

Kannamoochi Aattam-Hide and Seek game

Lord! I appeal to you! Please show yourself.
I can't stand this Hide and Seek game anymore!

When I breathe,

Just like how the dirty air is pushed out,
Please cleanse my mind of all the dirty thoughts
So that you become visible to me.

When I sleep,

Just like how I forget myself,
Please come in my dreams
So that you become visible to me.

When I hear,

No matter how terrible the sound is,
Let me only listen only your melodious flute
So that you are clearly visible to me.

When I walk,

Just like how a companion eases the journey
Let me feel you walking with me holding me tightly
So that you are clearly visible to me.

When I eat,

Just like how a baby is fed by mother,
Let me feed you lovingly with my hands
Your naughty smile clearly visible to me.

In short,

Lord! Let me be now and forever your perfect instrument!
Doing at each moment only what you want me to do
I know you hold the strings and I am a mere puppet!
But can't this puppet be reminded always about its controller?


This Karthigai Deepam,

Lamps were lit, Streets and houses shone bright
Let me use this light to search for you,
So that you become clearly visible to me.

At the battle of Kurukshetra,

You rode the five horses and steered the chariot to victory
Let my five senses be those horses, my body the chariot
So that you the rider becomes visible to me.

Lord! I appeal to you! Please show yourself.
I can't stand this Hide and Seek game anymore!

Memorable Freshers Day 19-10-12

I am posting after such a long time. It is such a crime to keep a blog inactive for so many months. I had ideas in mind but couldn't implement them. This time I had to post since the events are so fresh in my memory. 

We II M.Tech DB decided to host an exclusive DB freshers party for the first time in the history of SRM. The juniors had arrived on 3rd Sept 2012. They were 46 in number with 4 girls and the rest all boys.

It had been a hectic semester for us. We had to shuttle between classes, project work and training sessions. Our classmates had all taken different electives. It was so hard for all of us to get together. But we planned a day, stayed back after MBA class and discussed about keeping a freshers party. We each contributed Rs. 500/- and so the total amount collected came upto Rs. 17500/-. I was wondering what we were going to do with that much money. But it was just right, since we had invited and ordered food for about 150 people- all faculty, staff, juniors and seniors. The food coordinator was Venkat-(Mahesh Baabu Gaaru).

Chaitu, Sundeep, Sireesha, Kiran were among the most prominent coordinators of the event. They conceptualised many fun activities like paper dance, filler questions, cherry cream, balloon blow-burst, dirty picture and so on. Arunkumar designed a short video presentation showing the pictures of teachers and the pictures we had taken throughout the year. It was like reliving those happy memories. The star of all the photos was Sundeep as he was there in almost all the pictures. This presentation was shown twice once during the beginning and the second time for our HOD who joined us later.

Vishal and I were the emcees for the show. We prepared our speech for 3hours the previous day but in the end it all went haywire as we had not expected the turn of events. So we had to adapt to the change and did everything on the spot.

We had booked the M.B.A seminar hall but in the last minute weren't allowed to use. This certainly reminded of my struggles with Sr. Hilda in my previous college where we werent allowed to use the main block because we were making too much noise and instead had to shift to the stuffy room above the canteen which had no mic facilities. 

Of course the MBA department was kind enough to allot another room which they called the VIP room. Magesh jokingly commented "The VIP room with broken chairs". He was the tall hunk of the class and enthusiastically helped with the decorations. Not only him Prem, Narendra, Kiran, Monika, Srikanth, Krishna, Krishnapriya, Thilaka, Vishal, Ramesh and Vaishu too speedily decorated the room within the limited time we had. I urgently made a chart that indicated the new venue and the boys hanged it outside in the reception area. The room was not bad and it had all the necessary facilities. We had bought a mic and Arunkumar being the overall technical-in-charge took care of everything with ease. 

I wore a blue saree for the show which matched with the balloons tied up. It wasn't my decision. My friends literally forced me and Hemavathi maam too wanted all the girls to wear one since the M.Tech I.T. students had done that and it had looked grand. Thankfully I wasn't alone. Simy and Vaishu too shimmered in their outfits. The worst part is that the juniors started addressing me as ma'am which kind of embarrassed me. It just struck me that my childhood days had disappeared. I am an adult now and I took an oath to be more responsible and act with maturity.

The event started with just around 4 teachers-Our coordinator Vadivu maam, Our class-in-charge Hemavathi ma'am, Sujatha ma'am and Razia ma'am. We welcomed them all to the show. Vadivu maam and Razia maam addressed the gathering and wished us all well. Then we asked the juniors to introduce themselves. Some of them felt very shy. But most of them were so happy and confidently spoke. I was simply amazed by Swagatha's self introduction. She had a work experience of 3years before joining here and undoubtedly she was given the Ms. Fresher award at the end of the show for the best self introduction. Ananya Chandrashekar participated with zeal in all the events and he knew the most senior names 6/35. So he was awarded Mr. Fresher.

We gave gifts to all the teachers who taught us. Vicky Vignesh-The terror was the photographer for the event and clicked pictures with his borrowed camera -Thilaka being the owner. The events went on for a long time mainly because we had to keep changing plans based on the sudden arrival and departure of the guests. Nevertheless the arrangements were well appreciated and the juniors cheered and enjoyed till the end.

Most of the faculty members like Subburaj sir, HOD, Mukesh sir, Srinivas sir, Hemavathi ma'am, Kayalvizhi ma'am as well as a few staff members who attended spoke and praised us for having arranged this and also requested the juniors to arrange a farewell show at the end of the year. Hemavathi ma'am and Kayalvizhi ma'am especially mentioned that we were a bunch of intelligent, enthusiastic students and created a record for 100% pass percentage in DBMS paper. Subburaj sir- our senior most faculty spoke that marks were not at all important and stressed on the understanding of the subject and quoted some of his own experiences. Our HOD Prof. Rajendran humbly admitted that he knew very little about database systems but it is a very useful course and urged and encouraged all of us to excel in it. In the end we coordinated an event for the teachers. Blow maximum balloons and burst within time given. Kayal maam and Mullai maam played very well and this was the event which the juniors enjoyed the most.

Another highlight of the show was the display of Sakthi's artwork. The hero of our class and a wonderful artist. You get reminded of the talent Jack-(played by Leonardo di Caprio) possesses in the movie Titanic. He had drawn realistic pictures of all that had inspired him. I hope he puts his talent to very good use and creates more and more on different themes. I earnestly wish his art should be made immortal and displayed on a special gallery.

The best part was that in the end, after serving to all the juniors and faculty members we as a whole class sat together and had lunch. The feeling of togetherness had suddenly come to us. The rarest of the rare occasions and some of us who had cameras took photos of it. We gave the left over food to the working women-aayaahs along with money and kindly requested them to clean the place.

Some other highlights of the day were Sundeep wearing a veshti sattai and looking like a Maapillai-bridegroom, the responsible team Magesh, Prem, Sakthi, Nilesh who distributed samosas to all the guests as they were arriving, Badges, roses with quotes, chocolates distributed to all the guests, Funny photos being taken by Benita and Thilaka after lunch. 

Overall it was a memorable day indeed. This will surely be etched in our hearts forever as it was the first and perhaps the last time that our class got together, cooperated and had so much of fun and frolic. Thank you all buddies...!!!

Darshan of His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya -Sringeri

One fine evening, my grandfather who is an avid, regular reader of the newspaper exclaimed with an excited tone that Sringeri Mahaswamigal is coming to Chennai. For all of us in the house, joy knew no bounds. My father who had seen Acharya from a long distance 17years before at Sri Ananthapadmanabhaswamy temple described the Darshan as a life changing experience for him. He added that only the truly deserving and the fortunate get the glimpse of His Holiness. There is a saying in Tamil, 'Avan Arulal Avan Thaal Vanangi' which means he who seeks the Divine has already been chosen by the Divine. Even the mere glance of Jagadguru Mahaswamigal is enough for this lifetime and for many more lifetimes to come. On hearing this, I became pensive. 'Will I be the fortunate one? Will I at least get a view of him?' I prayed and aspired from the bottom of my heart, to Lord Ganesha and to Paramacharya (Kanchi Chandrasekara Mahaswamigal) whose photo is stuck on the refrigerator and who I often turn to whenever I am troubled. My prayers were not demanding. I just simply stood before him and prayed truly without expectations. And it happened....

On 20th June, I returned exhausted from college. I found that my parents and my sister had gone to Rathnagireeshwar temple- Besant Nagar as His Holiness was visiting there. They returned back worn-out and said they were crushed by the huge crowd and couldn't get a proper Darshan of Him. I felt bad and this time we all of us prayed strongly to at least get a small view of Him. 

On Thursday, 28th June, one of my sister's classmate's driver knocked and gave us a card. "Wow!! A personal invitation to visit Mahaswamigal!!". I became overjoyed. All of us couldn't contain ourselves. My mom went to the prayer room and did pranams exclaiming "Thank you God Thank you!!!". I was ecstatic. It was one of those days that God reminded me of His constant presence. Tears came out my eyes. 

Today, 1-7-12, being Pradosha has been a landmark day in my life. I had the golden opportunity to see Lord Siva himself in the form of Sringeri Jagadguru. I constantly repeated:

Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Deivo Maheswaraha, Guru Sakshaath Para Brahma Thasmai Sri Guruvey Namaha!

The program at 6:05 pm started with an invocation by Smt. Sudha Raghunathan who sat right behind me the whole time. The place was huge. Many people had assembled. There was even a big screen arranged so that people seated far behind can have a good view of His Holiness. My mom, sister and I were asked to sit in the ladies section right beside guruji and just 10m away from Him. Mahaswamigal glanced at everyone in the audience. His very presence carried joy, peace, lustre and immense tranquillity. The moment His compassionate glance fell on me, it was a feeling as if my whole body, mind was dipped in pure amrithatheertha. I felt so peaceful, so rejuvenated. Nothing else was important to me. I was born for this. My whole life I had been wandering aimlessly swinging to and fro like a pendulum. His penetrating look steadied my nerves, refreshed me brought immense peace and happiness to my heart. 

I felt so contented and thought this was enough and was preparing to leave when my mom stopped me saying that His Holiness is about to speak. What? A double blessing? What have I done to receive all this? Such thoughts wandered my mind and then His Holiness started to speak. 

His Holiness' speech in brief:

A sanyasi should always adhere to non violence. Especially these four months being a rainy season, he must not wander out as he might disturb small living creatures under His feet. He said that this Chaturmasya Vrata, he would have simply loved to stay indoors at Sringeri and being an Ekanthapriya would not have mingled with the crowds. But, it is truly because of the devotion of the people residing in Chennai that has brought Him here. He knows how each and everyone struggle and fight in crowds and don't mind even waiting for hours in queue to have a Gurudarshan. He blessed  each and everyone present and said His only prayers are that each person should uphold the highest Dharma and Cling to Truth. On July 1st 1966, His Holiness had got introduced to His guru and he remembered that day and on this very same day year 2012 he feels immense pleasure to come to Chennai. 

His Holiness spoke just for 20 minutes and while he was leaving to perform Sri Sharada Chandramouliswara pooja, my father did pranams to Him and had a close glimpse of the Guru's Holy feet. Acharya swamigal smiled at my dad and retired inside. 

Most beautiful things ever heard- II

Part 1-Glimpses of God

1. Lord Rama...

For a long time this question had been churning my mind. Should one live life for one's own sake or for the sake of others? Srimath Ramayanam gives the clear cut answer to this. If I live life for my own sake, only I am happy and it won't last long because people around me are not going to be happy and it creates conflict. If I live my life entirely for other's sake, sacrificing my small petty desires for the larger good, I start to feel a strange sense of peace, security and happiness. Lord Rama has exactly demonstrated this principle. By taking the human birth the Lord has taught us how to lead our life. It is impossible to be 100% Rama but even if we try to be 0.01% we are through. That is the greatness of the Ramayana. Reading any other story- one tends to feel bored easily. Ramayana never makes us bored. It rejuvenates, recuperates and replenishes our hearts as many times as we read or hear. 

Lord Rama has done nothing for selfish purposes. If one notices, his actions have always been for his people's sake. As a prince of Ayodhya, his top priority was to obey his father's words. As a husband his priority was to rescue Sita. As a king/ruler his priority was to protect his people and take care of all their needs. Never has his actions deviated from Dharma. 

Also in the Ramayana we find the opposite. Soorpanaka wanted to possess Rama, her nose and ears got cut. Ravana wanted to possess Sita, he could not control his desires and did not let go even though he knew she was Rama's wife. Ravana was a tapasvi, a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva, the minute he lusted for someone else's wife, his power lost and he was doomed. 

*****

Another symbolism is that Lord Rama represents the Ultimate, the Purusha, the Lord of the universe and Sitadevi, the goddess of wealth, the Prakriti. All wealth, the entire universe belongs to the Lord. When one tries to possess wealth have an egoistic desire and greed towards it, one meets with downfall and sorrow. So 'Sri' must always be united with her Lord 'Rama'. Rama should never be seen separated from Sita and vice versa. How much the child suffers when its parents are not happily married together or divorced. Similarly, we the children of the Lord suffer when Sri is not with Rama. Who is behind the unison? Who helped reunite Rama and Sita? Anjaneya or Lord Hanuman!! He represents Sakhi-best friend or Sathguru. 

To accomplish any task we need human effort and the grace of the Lord. But most importantly we need motivation-either internal or external. Our best motivator is our teacher. If we are successful in our life today it is because of our teacher or guru who has guided us very well. Even a good friend is our teacher in one sense. I developed an interest in Biology and Maths because my teachers were my motivating factor and kindled my interest in the subjects. 

To attain the highest ideal namely unison with the Lord-(jivathma (Self/Sitadevi) to be united with the Paramathma(universal soul/Athman/Purusha/Lord Rama) one needs the help of the Guru. And that Guru is Lord Hanuman. Lord Rama himself tells Hanuman, "I am indebted to you forever, how am i ever going to repay you for what you have done to me! Whether people worship me or not, they will certainly worship you and celebrate you for ages to come!".

Buddhir balam yaso dhairyam

Nirbhayatvam arogata

Ajaadyam vaak patuthvam cha

Hanumath smaranaath bhaveth

Meaning:

You will be blessed with Wisdom, Strength, Fame, Valor, Fearlessness, Health, Determination, articulativeness (gift of the gab) by praying to Hanuman.

Anjaneya is immortal or Chiranjeevi and meditates in the Himalayas. Whenever, wherever hymns are sung in the praise of Lord Rama in Bhakthi or the Ramayanam is read he would be present there. He undoubtedly motivated me to write this post.

Most beautiful things ever heard

Introduction

In the next few posts, I would like to briefly relate the many beautiful things I have heard so far, which made me feel so happy, which cleansed my heart and motivated me in times of failure and depression. I want to document them and I found my blog the best place to do so. I hope you too as a reader get benefited by this and may it act as a medicine to all your sorrows. The source of this information is from lectures by Sri Krishna Premi Maharaj, Smt. Vishaka Hari, Amar Chitra Katha(IBH Publications) and my wonderful father who has instilled in me an interest in spirituality.

PART 1 Glimpses of God

1.  Lord Rama…

 King Dasharatha’s court was always filled with sages and yogis. It was no surprise. The king was always generous and hospitable to all guests, serving them the best of delicacies entertaining them with the best of dancers brought in from Indra’s court. (Indra, the Lord of the Devas was a good friend of Dasharatha. He used to ask his help to beat the Asuras). But for the sages and yogis, it seemed so immaterial and they did not crowd the king’s court for all this. They were neither interested in the affairs of the court nor the pomp and celebrations. They were only immersed in Rama nama japa. Their eyes closed, lips were always dry with the utterance of the sacred karna mantram ‘Om Jai SriRam!’

No splendour, no richness present in abundance in Dasharatha’s court would ever distract them, except for one thing. The king being extremely fond of his son Rama would often call him to sit by his side or on his lap. He would call out “Rama! Rama! my dear child please come here.” When Rama walks into the court, eyes like lotus and beautiful thick curly hair, the whole proceedings would come to a halt just to catch a glimpse of the young boy Rama along with his brother Lakshmana. The sages and yogis too would stop their utterance with their eyes fixed in admiration on Rama, their purpose of meditation now standing right in front of them.

*****

Sage Vishwamitra took Rama and Lakshmana to the forest to kill the Rakshasas who were spoiling his yagna and tormenting all the sages in the forest. Being an extremely tough, knowledgeable and disciplined sage himself, he knew that Rama was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He could not resist being attracted to the Lord and he felt a little sorry, that he had dragged a boy who was just “Oona Shodasha Varsham”(Rama had just completed 16 years at that time). He lay three beds of dharbha grass on the floor and asked Rama and Lakshmana to lie down and rest.

Lord Rama being extremely obedient lay down on the grass. But Sage Vishwamitra could not sleep that night. He kept on fanning the Lord and could not stop admiring His thick eyelashes, His curly hair, His face which resembled the full moon and exclaimed that only the Lord himself would see both the comforts of the palace and this terrible forest floor with equanimity. The next morning the sage woke Rama up by singing this beautiful verse

Kowsalya supraja Rama poorva sandhya pravarthathe!

Uthishta narasardoola karthavyam daivamahnikam

Sage Vishwamitra has taught the whole world how to wake up in the morning to the sound of these auspicious words or Suprabhatham.  His bhakthi and affection towards the child Rama was so intense that he wanted to make sure that Rama didn’t miss his mother Kausalya. He had taken moral responsibility for the boys and looked after them with the best possible care and concern.

*****

How well did Rama and Lakshmana guard the yagna performed by the sage? Should this be asked as a question? There is a beautiful comparison for this. Just like how well our eyelids guard our eyes from the dust. The upper eyelid is compared to Lord Rama and the lower eyelid- Lakshmana, the light that enters - the fire of the yagna and the dust - the Rakshas. The upper eyelid has thick eyelashes just like the curly hair of Lord Rama. It comes down and bats the lower eyelid often. Just like how Rama kept circling and often gave an encouraging pat- “Lakshmana, take care!” while Lakshmana kept a keen watch standing in the same place. This is quite true and it encourages us to repeat his name Rama as often as we would blink our eyes.

*****

Lord Vishnu had played his part so well as the human being Rama that even the goddess Parvati became doubtful of whether Rama was truly Lord Vishnu incarnate. Once the goddess asked her husband Lord Shiva on what he was meditating with so much concentration. Lord Shiva replied, “On who else, but the golden name of the Lord Rama of course!” The Goddess laughed, “Him! See how he roams the forest crying out for his lost wife Sita!”

The goddess wanted to keep a test. Sita was just kidnapped by Ravan and Rama screams out in pain and intense grief. He roams about just like any ordinary man and starts to ask the birds, the trees and the clouds whether they have seen Sita in deepest desperation. Just then Goddess Parvathi taking the form of Sita walks towards Lord Rama and says “My lord! I am here.” Lord Rama stops and looks at the goddess, does pranams to her and enquires about Lord Parameswara! The Goddess was taken aback and felt ashamed of having doubted her own brother Lord Vishnu.    

Look at the big picture

This is the latest sensational tag line that has been going on in my mind. I was in a data structures lecture class listening intently when my professor explained a concept and mentioned these words. Then he posed a question: "What is the philosophical meaning behind these words?". I immediately delved into deep thinking. Somehow though these words look attractive and catchy it just doesn't agree with all situations in life. Thats what I strongly feel.

Firstly I will briefly tell what you mean by "Look at the big picture!". It means one must not get bogged down by trivial and insignificant things in life. One's purpose in life is different. One must not forget the purpose or in other words the big picture. We must stick to our priorities. Everything else that happens to us, which makes us forget our purpose and distracts us from our course is to be omitted. It is what we call the 'neti' shastra in Upanishads. Neti means Na iti or 'not this'. One must repeatedly do a self analysis and ask oneself before doing something Is this my purpose? Is this what I am born for? Will this make me happy? How happy will this make me? Then one can eliminate most of the things in life as insignificant. No not this! No not this! This is not what I really want! My purpose is different. Thus by this we can eliminate all our desires and truly be at par with the Lord Buddha or a sanyaasi if we go to the extreme level. 

But looking at the big picture is only like a beginners level in the game of life. If you succeed in it you can proudly proclaim you have passed L.K.G. in school. This is a line mean't for those who are so deeply into materialism and money making to get the initial opening into spirituality.

In life, every aspect of nature, every teensy wheensy microscopic thing is important and is very much significant and has a beautiful part to play, in the general scheme of the whole universe. Nothing should be treated without due respect and shunned as insignificant. An ant, even bacteria in the curd or a mouse which munches up the kitchen stores is necessary and is not created without a purpose. The whole cycle of life is so wonderful and each is dependent on the other. Not a single part of nature is created and wasted.  

On our side, in spite of our busy schedules, we must treat our possessions, our friends, our family and all others with respect, care and consideration. The respect and care must not be egoistic and vain. We must care with all our hearts but not be too much attached. That is one must love unconditionally and not be affected whether the same is reciprocated to us or not. Krishna paramatma himself has mentioned in the Bhagavat Gita and it is mentioned as well in the 2nd shloka of Ishavaasya upanishad:

   Kuruvan Neiveha Karmaani, Jijivisheshatam Samaha
   Evam tvayi Naanyathetosti, Na Karma Lipyate Nare.

Actions do not bind to those who do them without expecting the fruits. So I would like to conclude by saying: "Look at the big picture but pay attention to the details!!"

Still waters run deep

The year 2012 just seemed to have begun and so soon has two months passed by as quick as a lightening bolt.  I have become too pensive these days. Most of my thoughts are unwanted, causing more damage than doing good to my physical and mental wellbeing. I am unable to concentrate and finish the work I plan thanks to these thoughts which drop on me like acid bombs. I must not let these little devils cloud the brilliancy in me. I must continuously work hard and clean the dirty, stinky sewage within me. Must Work, Work, Struggle! Struggle!

Everyday we face so many problems, an uncountable number of them. Mostly and almost always we ourselves are a problem to us.  Its because we assume a lot which are not true, expect a lot from others and consequently these tatakas and soorpanakas rule over us and creates a rusty layer over our intellect. If we remove this rust we are safe else we are drowned for ever in this huge ocean of problems or more aptly "sufferings".

The next point is our desires. They are such vicious creatures. Desire for sex, for material objects. Her necklace is good, I want the same one. I want to watch this movie with my friends. I want this, I want that. Our wants keep expanding and growing exponentially. Someone said that the very point of going to the temple is to satisfy some material desire or the other. Who ever prays for world peace, permanent happiness and unison with God? With desire comes envy, jealousy, anger, pride all holding hands and ruining our mental balance. Honestly speaking the very reason for composing this post is my desire for everyone to read and appreciate which must not be the true motive behind any action.

Reactions? What about them? It is our vague and false assumptions that make us react to situations in life. Jumping at the first opportunity to argue and fight with others. So what if the other person said something wrong or has committed a mistake? Who are we to correct and have silly arguments? Our every effort to correct others be it our own kith and kin is a colossal waste of time.

I am slowly discovering that every teensy-weensy thing in this universe is not at all what I think it to be. My whole mental attitude needs to be changed. I need to get a new perspective, a different angle, or an angle which does not spoil my peace of mind.

Simplicity is a beautiful quality which we must cultivate at a very young age. Living simply is what our great leaders like Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi have always proposed. This means our surroundings must be uncluttered, have only the minimal necessary items and a total abolition of consumerism. When the surrounding environment is clean, our thoughts also become clean and there is a lot of positive energy generated within us.

After changing our mental attitude, controlling our thoughts and keeping things simple comes the challenging part. That is to be still, calm, unagitated at the face of even the perilous situations. How do we master being calm? How can we resist speaking those words you shouldn't have spoken and doing things which cause us indescribable misery, sadness and regret? It is actually quite simple. That is why we have the power of imagination which no other creature possesses on earth. We must imagine a strong transparent barrier between us and these trouble makers. Everything that happens is on the other side of the barrier. We are only witnesses, we don't need to worry and get too involved. Just observe, don't react. All the harsh insults hurled at us by others will bounce back at them. The evil asthras mean't to destroy will backfire. The more calm and cool, the more will the torch within us burn brightly.