Month: November 2012

My Piece of Mind for Peace of Mind

Ensures1 Comment

Limited application of a Profound knowledge is gross under-utilization and sheer waste of invaluable Knowledge itself.

Happens especially when our focus is “supply” instead of “apply” and knowledge is theoretical (as compared to experiential)

Reminds me of Art of Living‘s Silver Jubilee celebrations in 2006 An event that brought together 25 Lakhs people from across the whole world. The venue was buzzing with a lot of spiritual activities with stage measuring 3.5 acres accomodating 3800 musicians performing on a single platform along with hundreds of dignitaries. Millions meditating together in a 243 acres open ground Jakkur Airfield) rendering it an inimitable celebration involving Music, dance and Spiritual practices.


And then comes a particular English News Channel to cover the event. What do they focus on majorly on the 3 days of the event? Just on a few thousands of sqft area – finding all kinds of faults. Yes out 243 acres and total of about 12-15 hours of event, they covered toilets at the venue for 75% of their air time!!! Long Queues, inadequate numbers etc. All this when other channels were beaming unique and record breaking event and happenings on the rest of 243 acres, to the world.

Is it only the media who indulges in this? No. Seen many seekers doing this too. Pick a knowledge that transcends time and apply it to some mundane task – just to spite someone in a moment of defeat. Is the point made? No again. They appear so silly and make a fool of themselves

This is no Wisdom

To my Teacher who taught me How to Learn

Ensures6 Comments

bus

Rewinding back to 1996. We had just moved back from Nasik to Bangalore. After settling down in our new nest, and upon getting a telephone connected at home (those were the good old days, when you had to apply and hang in there to get a telephone connected at home – you were considered lucky if you got it in your lifetime – another example of things change and today it is doesn’t take more than a day to have a telephone ringing at any place within a day after you apply for one – things are not gloomy always nor is it shiny all the time).

This piece of blog is both a tribute and a message for all of us and wouldn’t be complete if I don’t write a few words about this great soul on his Birth Anniversary, a very special teacher, Mr. Basudev Ganguly known behind his back as “Gang”  He was a principal by designation, Professor by occupation but more than anything he was a great thinker and a guide to each and every student who passed by him. Still remember the way he put such a complicated engineering concept so clearly (Electronics Engineering at that time of our student life was full of complications anyway) and how did he do it? – by not teaching us anything about it .

No, he never taught any lessons (in the traditional sense any teacher is expected to do). He was a person who wanted everyone to be independent of a teacher from Day-1. It was quite frustrating for us when we go to him to clear some doubts – we were bombarded with more questions and on hindsight we realized the beauty of this approach – he made sure we found our own answers. He was teacher who never taught lessons, but made us learn ourselves. He redefined a teacher’s role in my eyes (and surely in many of his student’s eyes). I forayed into some technical writing (textbooks for Computer science) and I didn’t have to look far to find a person to dedicate this humble work and the dedication line that I wrote on the whole series of these textbook explains this person, “To a teacher who taught not lessons, but taught us how to learn“.

He gave us the best survival skill “HOW TO LEARN”. He always was around when we needed but not with answers, usually it was more and more of questions for which we were expected to find answers and in the process, find answers to our questions ourselves. Therefore any success that a lot of his students, including me achieved, is directly attributable to this great soul.

Now, the purpose of this story – after we moved back to Bangalore, we tried to renew contacts and wanted to meet Mr. Ganguly and family and personally thank them for having sculpted me into a piece of art from the raw rock that I was. We called them up (a sweet 2 months after we moved) and then for some silly reason could not meet them up on the appointed Sunday – silly reason like going out for dinner or a movie, something like that, what I mean it was easily avoidable). We called them and rescheduled the visit to another day and then the most unfortunate thing happened. Sometime during the middle of the week, I received a call from a friend of mine saying Mr. Ganguly had an attack of Asthma and choked himself to death and his wife discovered him dead upon her return home in the evening. He had left his mortal remains sometime during the morning itself. The news couldn’t have been more shocking for us- we were to have met him a couple of days earlier and now we are never going to express our gratefulness in person  and why? only because we put of expressing to another day. We missed the BUS!!!

We learnt a few valuable lessons that day.

  • Express your gratefulness – it makes someone else’s day, even if they are above such mundane things. Deep inside and some day they realize their effort after all was worth it
  • Big or small people, make sure you are grateful to anyone who made a difference to your life.
  • The Last lesson most valuable one – Express and Express it NOW!!! Never put off thanking someone to another day. Like us, you may never get a chance to do it ever after.
  • If at all you want to put off expressing your feeling, postpone brickbats but not accolades!!! Handout the praises right away – it is better people carry that to the grave than your tears or acrimony.

Do It Now….

Ensures4 Comments

Here is a story of how brawn and brain go together – Yes, a story that I happened to receive from a friend, about Bhimasena. He sent it because I put off our Deepavali holiday trip to Mumbai and told him that we had to postpone the trip.

When Dharmaraja was ruling over Indraprasthanagara, one day a brahmin came to meet him. He met Dharmaraja and after a while he returned back. As the brahmin was going out of the main gate, Bhimasena saw him. He saw the brahmin while going in also but he did not talk to the brahmin because it was usual for several people to come and seek from Dharmaraja what they wanted. But this brahmin was empty and did not appear to have received anything from his elder brother. Bhimasena asked him, “Sir, you are returning empty handed. Have you met my brother? Or shall I take you to him?” The brahmin was happy at this courteous enquiry from Bhima. He replied, “Yes, I met your brother. As he did not have with him what I asked immediately now, he asked me to come tomorrow. He promised to keep it ready by tomorrow”

Bhimasena was surprised. His elder brother postponing a good deed till the next day! He thought over for a minute and smiled. He went near the big drum kept at the main gate and started beating the drum thunderously. The drum at the main gate was not usually used. It was meant for special occasions when something very important happened and all had to be immediately informed of it. When the big drum was beaten, it was a summons for all in the palace to stop doing whatever work they might be engaged in and rush to the main gate. When the drum went on sending loud sounds played by the powerful hand of Bhimasena, Dharmaraja hurried towards the main gate from the court, Draupadi from the kitchen, Arjuna from his weapons, the twins from their studies, all people big and small gathered there. Still Bhimasena did not stop beating the drum. In great ecstasy he was playing with vigour, until Dharmaraja put a hand over his shoulders and said, “Stop it, Bhimasena. All of us are here. Now tell us why you summoned us all here.”

Bhimasena saluted his elder brother and then turned towards the others who gathered there. “I have gathered you all here to make an announcement about the greatest victory obtained by our elder brother here. The victory is so great that all of us should rejoice and celebrate it.”

Dharmaraja was surprised. What victory was Bhima talking of? Today he did not even leave the palace. He asked in bewilderment, “What are you talking, Bhima? I did not have any victory at all.”

Bhima laughed and said, “Let me announce your victory. Hear you all, my brothers and kinsfolk; today our brother conquered the unconquerable death. Who else can have greater victory? When the BrahmIn asked for some favour, our elder brother promised to keep it ready by tomorrow. Now, our brother is sure that he will be alive till tomorrow.”

As soon as he heard the words of Bhima, Dharmarja understood what his mistake was. He admitted his mistake and said, “Yes Bhima, you were correct to remind me. Postponement of good deeds is very bad. I should not have done so.”

He took the brahmin inside and gave what all he wanted and sent him away fully satisfied.

LET US RESOLVE DURING  THIS AUSPICIOUS SEASON NEVER TO PUT OFF DOING GOOD THINGS TO ANOTHER TIME.