Discovering Your Desires

Desires are powerful motivators in life - they are the big sources of change and transformation in one's life. Discovering your desires and pursuing them passionately is a sure way to find inner satisfaction - or shall I say "Atma Santushti" in Sanskrit?

What really is a desire?

• It is something you’ve always been interested in.
• It is something you feel not in your brain but in your gut.
• It is something that you immensely enjoy.
• It is something you find meaningful to you in your life.

Desires come in various forms. For some, it is material desires - like lots of money, a luxury car, or a happy home are extremely important. Some others desire positions of power over others - like being a top executive or a politician. Then there are people who want to impress others, crave for praise and recognition from others - like artists, sportsmen. The list of desires is almost endless.

What are my own desires?

Let me begin with what are not my desires. I do not aspire nor hope to be a great man whose name will be remembered in history. I am not craving to buy a multi-million dollar home. My desires are fairly simple.

I do want to feel that I have been a useful addition to our planet - not just a small cog in a huge wheel of a big machine . When the time comes for me to leave this world, I want to go with the feeling that my life has not been in vain, that I have done something useful of which I can be justifiably proud.

I desire happiness not just in me but in fellow-beings too. "Sarve Janah Sukhino Bhavanthu" is my motto. The feeling that I have brought some happiness in the lives of others is sure to keep me happy. I get this satisfying feeling even when I grow a small plant - I get thrilled to see the plant sprouting new leaves, buds and brings forth beautiful flowers! I'm sure the plant is happy too.

Yes - I want many many friends - both young and old. Young for their great enthusiasm to cheer me up and old for their experience and wisdom.

The more I read some of our ancient scriptures - the more I learn. It is delightful and keeps me happy. I desire to read more, write more and perhaps talk more!

My desire to travel around the world is mostly fulfilled; but I do want to visit some places where I have not traveled before - for example China and Hawaii.

Finally, I desire that my home is clean, uncluttered, equipped with all basic facilities, and always blessed with peace and happiness. Is that too much to ask?

With that, my short list of desires is almost complete. How about yours?

Yaksha Prashnam: Path to Wisdom

Have you ever heard of Yaksha Prashnam? It is a series of questions and answers finding place in the Mahabharata as a discussion between a Yaksha, a celestial being and Dharmaputra - the eldest of the Pandavas.

The questions in this discussion may appear to be simple but there is deeper philosophical significance beneath them.The answers that reveal the truths in a subtle manner have a deep undercurrent of practical wisdom. For example, the Yaksha asks Dharmaputra `Which is the right Path?' meaning `When unable to decide between the courses of action available, which path should a man follow.' Dharmaputra's reply is: `The path that great men had traversed in the past is the Path we should follow.' Is it not true that on many occasions, managers face the same dilemma in taking decisions when there are many options. The lesson is to learn from the past deeds of great men who had faced similar situations.

For your interest, here are more questions and answers from the Yaksha Prashnam. You are free to interpret them in ways that are relevant to you.

Q. Which is the greatest endurance?
A. The capacity to be patient and be balanced in situation of both pain and pleasure.

Q. What is swifter than the wind? What is more numerous than grass?
A. The mind is swifter than the wind. Thoughts that arise in the mind are more numerous than grass.

Q. Who is the friend granted by Gods to man?
A. The wife is the friend granted by Gods to man. (I fully agree!)

Q. What is the most valuable of all possessions?
A. Knowledge is the most valuable of all possessions.

Q. Which is the best of all gains?
A. Health is the best of all gains.

Q. Which is the best of all kinds of happiness?
A. Contentment is the best of all kinds of happiness.

Q. What is the best of all things that are praised?
A. The most praiseworthy thing is skill(meaning judgment, reasoning and discrimination).

Q. What is it, controlling which, will lead to no regret?
A. The mind, if controlled, will never lead to regret.

Q. What is that, when renounced, makes one agreeable?
A. Pride, when renounced, makes one agreeable.

There are over one hundred such interesting questions. Dharmaputra answered all of them to the satisfaction of the Yaksha, thus reviving his brothers to life.

Trivial Information

• "Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand .

• "Lollipop" is the longest word typed with your right hand.

• No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

• "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

• The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are palindromes.

• There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous. (You're doubting this, are you?)

• There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."

• TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

• A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

• If the population of China walked past you, 8 abreast, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

• The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

• The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

HOW TO GROW OLD GRACEFULLY?

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.” said Mark Twain. However, to many of us it is a fact that we do mind old age because it matters. I see many people face old age with a strange combination of fear, anxiety, and a sense of insecurity.

Though we have seen old people, none of us has the experience of being old before we really get there.

Aging people often worry about many things such as likely loss of status, loss of hair, reduced income, likely health problems, impaired mobility, and so on. Finally comes a time when suddenly they realize that most of their worries are turning out to be realities; they are no longer young; hair turns grey and/or they become bald; firmness becomes saggy, and we realize that we no longer fit very well in the younger modern society. Before you realize that old age is happening to you, it is time to face it.

The harsh reality of old age cannot be ignored. People who have been in high ranks of power suddenly discover their diminished utility. The whole mindset changes. A sense of fear grips - fear of being dependent and burdensome to others. How to overcome this fear and grow old gracefully? What can we do about it if you cannot avoid it?

Let me provide you 10 easy tips on how to address the issue of old age. These are just my own thoughts. You can modify them as you feel appropriate to you.

1. Accept old age, whatever it may appear to be, without judging it. Do not fret about the past. If you really accept old age with an open mind, it can turn out to be a wonderful and interesting experience.

2. Pursue your interests. Keep your mind and body active to the extent possible. Take a walk, play with a child, listen to some music, sing, laugh at jokes, perform rituals like poojas, read books, write if you can, renew old contacts - do whatever to keep your body and mind engaged.

3. Learn many things over the information superhighway - the internet can serve as a great entertainment and learning process.

4. Take tips from our great religion. Read or listen to scriptures like Bhagavad Gita, Ramayanam or participate in group discussions and bhajans.

5. Cultivate some special interests. For instance, you may like to do some gardening work. It is exciting to watch a plant grow, flower, and bear fruits.

6. Volunteer - perform some social service. Help someone to find a job, teach a student, be a solace to someone in distress - in short, contribute something to society.

7. Strive to reduce your wants and demands, keep them to essentials for your living. Resolve not to buy anything new unless it is essential.

8. Practice austerity while you are still not very old. Learn to cook, prepare your own coffee, minimize wastages of anything that you use. This will be useful to you in the long run.

9. Control your tongue and diet - do not overeat! Avoid drugs - take herbal medicines if need be.

10. Chant divine naamas or slokams as often as you can. Write naamas like 'Rama' on a note book - you may think it is a waste of time. It is better to do this rather than be idle and brood over useless things.

If you are already in the sixties or seventies, you are incredibly lucky. Think and act in a mature way.

After all, how many of us really have the chance to live those “bonus” years with a gracious acceptance of the aging process? Count your blessings and feel good about it.

What's Ahead?

It is human nature to be curious about the future. As we get close to the end of this gloomy year 2009, predictions for 2010 are pouring in from various sources. How far these predictions will come true is anybody's guess. Take a look at some the predictions made ten years ago for 2010:

• "Smellyvision' ... technology will be available to plant microchips loaded with chemicals into our TVs so we can enjoy the aromas that go with fashion, cookery, travel and gardening."
  

• "Kids' dolls, trucks and other toys will use artificial intelligence to talk and "evolve" with your child as he grows, a process you'll be able to track dramatically with holographic photos."
  

• "Land line phones will be a thing of the past."
  

• "There will probably be a single international currency."
  

One thing seems most likely - 3D television will enter the market with both Sky and Panasonic indicating that they will release 3D TVs.

While most of us are concerned about what's ahead in 2010, it is amusing to read the following past predictions on technology in an interesting article in WSJ.

2005: "Next Christmas, the iPod will be dead, finished, gone, kaput" - Sir Alan Sugar, British entrepreneur.

1981: " No one will need more than 637 kb of memory for a personal computer" - Bill Gates

1977: " There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home" - Ken Olsen, founder of mainframe-producer Digital Equipment Corpn.

1959: "The world potential for copying machines is 5,000 at most" - IBM executives to the eventual founders of Xerox.

1946: "Television won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night," Darryl Zanuck, 20th Century Fox.

Whether predictions come true or not, they certainly provide entertainment to many of us. Let's enjoy them.

Wishing everybody a very Happy New Year!

Six Questions and Answers

Going through life's good and bad times, I have often asked many questions to myself. I am sure many others do the same, especially when facing tough times. I have short-listed six commonly asked questions and tried to answer them drawing from my own experience and some advice taken from the internet. Here they go:

Q1. Sometimes not succeeding fast like others seems to hurt me. What should I do?

Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead (direction) is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead of others. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Q2. In tough times, how do I stay motivated?

Always count your blessings, not what you are missing. Be happy at what life has offered you such as a decent living, good health, a family, good friends. Always look at how far you have come in life rather than how far you have to go. Believe in yourself strongly.

Q3. Why do I have to face problems?

Problems are "Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength."

Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards. Consider problems as opportunities for learning. So, face problems to get experience and knowledge.

Q4. But why me?

When people suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me". Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Remember you are not the only one with problems in this vast world. There are people in far worse situations.

Q5. Why has life become complicated now?

Stop analyzing life. Just take it as it comes to you and live it. Probing it and analysis is what makes it complicated. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become a habit with many people. That's why they are not happy.

Avoid whiners and associate with people who think and talk positively.

Q6. How can I get the best out of life?

Face your past without regret. No point in crying over spilt milk. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

The Melodious Month of Margazhi

December 16, 2009.

Today is the first day of Margazhi - the Tamil month that begins in the middle of December. Legends speak about Margazhi as the favourite month of the Gods. Many temples open up quite early in the morning for the ritual worship and devotees singing in praise of the Lord.

Margazhi also marks the end of the rainy days in parts of South India and the beginning of the Carnatic Music Season. In Chennai, the day typically starts with melodious carnatic music from the radio and television stations. Newspapers and magazines talk of music on their front pages. Sabhas announce a series of music, dance and other cultural programs by well-known artists. Bhajan groups become hyper-active with early morning Bhajan singing in a street procession. In some places, streets get decorated with colorful kolams decked with flowers. The whole month is full of celebrations and gaiety.

It is the right season for the lover of Carnatic music - a form of music that takes the music lover to ecstasy and stirs the deepest wells of emotion. Most of Carnatic music blends into devotion (Bhakti). Its melody is something that has to be experienced over a period of time; and Margazhi is the best month to enjoy the melody of this divine music. Over 50,000 listeners assemble in various halls in and around Chennai to listen to thousands of concerts by hundreds of musicians - all in the few weeks of Margazhi rightly called as the "Music Season" or just "Season." a matter of a few weeks. The Season has now become one of the world’s largest musical events.

In recent years, technology has enabled to share the melodious music with people living in various parts of the world. Through satellites and the internet, music lovers can enjoy the melodious music sitting in their homes thousands of miles away from the performers. Digital systems, mp3 players, sophisticated sound systems and online downloads are great blessings to the present day communities - something our ancestors missed.

Another trend that I see in recent years is the growing interest and participation by younger people in music programs. There are many teenagers entering the world of Carnatic music.

Carnatic follows a melodic system based on seven primary notes (12 tonal positions including the flats and sharps). The stress is on melody, the pleasant sensation coming together from different pitches called Ragams following a set of rules or "grammar of the music." However, a ragam is much more than this. Singers inject life into the Ragam through a technique called gamakam, the shaking of a note to sound neighbouring microtones. So, a ragam does not progress as a discrete series of individual notes but in a smoothly gliding journey from one note to another. And it must be learnt, by practice and dedicated listening. Estimates indicate there are over 34,000 ragas. Only a few hundred are sung regularly.

Enjoy the melodious Carnatic music in this glorious month of Margazhi. If you are not a fan of Carnatic music, why not make a beginning now?

Humour in Politics

I just heard this in today's news. In Maharashtra, one of the Thackeray clans called a political rival a 'rat' and the other retorted 'you are a snake', it was reported. It seems the Chief Minister called one of the Thackeray clans as 'frog' meaning `shouts only during election time.'

In good old days, rivalry and political humor had a different class. They were gentle yet very powerful. I can recall a couple of examples.

In the UK, SUN and POST were two popular tabloids in those days. For some unknown provocation, POST in its column called SUN as a dog. This was repeated many times and readers of SUN wanted suitable reply from the management of SUN. Finally SUN in its first page assuaged the readers, by the following statement.

"It does not really matter whatever the name others attribute to SUN but the attitude of SUN remains like any DOG towards any POST."

In the British Parliament, Winston Churchill and Lady Astor never got along. Their insults at each other are well-known.

Once Lady Astor told Churchill: "If you were my husband, i would give you poison." Churchill retorted: "If you were my wife, madam, I would gladly drink it!"

At a dinner party, Churchill had too much to drink. Looking at him, Lady Astor said: "Mr. Prime Minister, I believe you are quite drunk!"

Churchill replied: "I am, Madam. But you are very ugly and tomorrow morning I shall be indisputably sober. But you will still be ugly."

Another instance of humor is an exchange between Winston Churchill and George Bernard Shaw.

Shaw had written a new play, and sent Churchill two tickets to the opening night performance, along with a note reading, "Here are two tickets to my new play. Bring a friend, if you have one." Churchill, ever the wag, replied immediately with the following missive: " I'm sorry, but I can't make it to the opening night performance. Please send me tickets to the second performance, if there is one."

Present day political humor is something like fighting between two teenagers.

Visit to Maharajapuram and Bhaskararajapuram

April 2009: On Chitra Pournami Day, Vidya and I visited Maharajapuram and Bhaskararajpuram in South India. We left Chennai early in the morning and drove the 'Santro' on the national highway to Tiruchy. Enroute, we had two brief stopovers - the first one at Neyveli Township where we prayed at the Bhuvaneswari Temple, and the next one at Vaitheeswaran Koil for lunch at the Hotel Sathabhishekam.

Maharajapuram is my ancestral village in Tamil Nadu. The well-known musician family of Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer hails from this village. The village is located near Thirukodikaval in Thanjavur District. There is a small but beautiful Vishnudurga temple in this village. Unlike most Durga idols that have ten hands, the stone idol in this temple has just four hands with Shanku and Chakram as seen on Vishnu. I am not sure how old this temple is. According to an inscription at the temple, Sage Durvaasar worshipped the Vishnudurga at this location. If this is to be believed, the temple has to be several thousands years old. We were blessed to witness abhishekam, floral decoration and archanai to the deity. We prayed to Vishnudurga for the welfare of all.

The adjacent village is Bhaskararajapuram. This is the village where the great scholar Bhaskara Raya lived. Bhaskara_Raya (1690-1785) is considered an authority on questions pertaining to the worship of the Mother Goddess (Shakti) in Hinduism .The worship of Shakti involves numerous mantras and coded passages. Bhaskara Raya was well-versed in these mantras. His writings number more than 40 and range from Vedanta to poems of devotion and from logic and grammar to the Science of Tantra. His masterpieces include three books: Varivasya Rahasyam, Sowbhagya Bhaskaram and Sethu Bandham - considered to be the holy triad on the worship of the Mother Goddess. The first is a scientific commentary on Sri Vidya mantra and worship. The second is a commentary on Lalita sahasranama. The third is a deeper technical treatise on Tantric practice.

Bhaskara Raya was born in Maharashtra, India. His father was a great scholar who initiated his son in scholarly traditions at an early age. He was taken to Kashi (Benares) and put under the tutelege of a renowned Pundit. He was initiated into the Sri Vidya Mantra and Upasana (Worship) by Guru Shiva Dutta Shukla of Surat. Later he toured the Gujarat region and won a debate against several scholars of the Madhva tradition.

A disciple king of Shivaji who was then ruling Thanjavur invited him to the South and gifted him a whole village on the banks of the Cauvery river. Bhaskara Raya made that village his headquarters for the rest of his life. It later came to be known as Bhaskara-raja-puram. He was challenged by many pundits but none could defeat him.

Today, a magnificent building stands in baskarajapuram in memory of the great Bhaskara Raya. It is a befitting tribute to his scholarship.

The Power of Placebo

Some research studies have confirmed that a fake treatment, made from an inactive substance like holy water, sugar, or saline solution, can have what is called a "placebo effect." It can sometimes improve a patient's condition simply because the person has a strong belief and expectation that it will be helpful.

The word 'placebo' seems to have originated from the Latin for "I will please." The placebo effect is an illogical phenomenon in which a physiologically inert treatment improves a patient's condition. It seems to work because of belief that it will work.

Belief is known to be a very powerful force. People have benefited a lot from belief. When kids get hurt or have some minor ailment, they believe the loving parents can provide the best treatment, even if it is just a fake.

I know of at least one case of an adult - a lady patient who had refused to undergo surgery until she got the 'vibhooti' prasadam from her Guru. A few days later, after she applied the 'vibhooti', the symptoms of the disease vanished. The doctors who treating her were simply stunned. The patient was cured without an operation.

My grandfather was a doctor who practised with the famous Dr. Rangachari in Madras. Though he was an allopath by profession, he took a deep interest in homeopathy and took up many cases of patients who were advocated surgery by Dr. Rangachari. He treated them with homeopathy and cured them without surgery. I am not sure of the secret in the treatment but I guess the patient's belief in the doctor and the treatment led to the improvement.

When I was a kid, occasionally I developed rashes on my skin - perhaps it was due to some insect bites. My mother used to take me to an old lady for treating the rashes through what she called "mantrikkal." The old lady used to apply some 'vibhooti' on the affected portion and chant some mantras. Lo and behold, the rashes were gone after some time.

I have also heard from some of the Sai Baba devotees that the Baba Vibhooti has done wonders and saved many people. How does it work? Is it just the unshakeable belief in Baba or there is some thing more to it. Frankly, I don't know the answer. Perhaps, you know better.

Amma, Anbulla Amma!

February 4 - Today is my 40th wedding anniversary. I sought the blessings of my parents. I thought about my dear Amma. She was instrumental in arranging my marriage. When I became an eligible bachelor, my mother wanted me to marry a girl from a large family with many siblings. Her logic was that girls from large families tend to be hard-working, have better inter-personal skills and know the value of money. She was absolutely right.

My mother was right in many ways. Born and raised in an agricultural family, she had only primary education in a village. She was married very young when my father was still in the college. Her family life started some years later after my father got his first job in Madras.

What my mother lacked in formal education, she made up by her extraordinary personal qualities. She had terrific mental courage, a quick presence of mind, and above all, a great attitude towards fellow humans. Looking back, I think she had some of the most admirable qualities for a human being. I never realized these in my younger days.

She made friends very quickly. Mere acquaintances in travel or public gatherings became long-time friends. Even those who despised her eventually became her life-long friends. She had the knack of uniting people and managing them to accomplish a common goal. Her secret - she took real interest in people and helped them overcome their problems.

Unmindful of her own frail health, she cared for others, specially in times of their distress. She never cared about her own comforts. She kept awake many nights to be at the bedside of her sick kids, hospitalized friends, and suffering relatives.

Thanks to my mother's match-making efforts, many young people got married. As an efficient go-between, she helped mend strained relationships with her communication skills and convincing logic. She helped to reunite broken couples. I remember distinctly how she revived the cancelled engagement of one of my cousins.

She was fond of me and very proud of her family. Whenever I felt low, she was a source of great encouragement to me. Her most important strength was the unshakeable faith in the Almighty. She used to regularly sing bhajans, recite Vishnu Sahasranamam, and write thousands of times "Sri Rama Jayam" in a note book. She never missed celebrating festivals.

My dear Amma - do you know how much I miss you? Though it is many years since you left this world, you continue to inspire me with your love and deeds. Koti namaskarams to you.

In Memory Of My Dear Father

December 9, 2008: This morning, I performed the "shraddham" for my father at the Aurora temple. It is a kind of "Thanksgiving" ritual performed once a year to remember the dead ancestors and pray for the welfare of their souls. I feel indebted to my ancestors for my birth, body, knowledge, and wealth. The least I can do is to remember them once a year through the shraddham ritual.

Memory of my dear father lingers in me everyday though it is over 15 years since he passed away.

My father was not particularly orthodox but when it came to the annual shraddam ceremony, he was a stickler. Every year, on the day previous to the shraddham, he used to clear all the furniture in the living room and prepare it for the elaborate rituals and feast to follow the next day. He will bathe early, count and keep the cash ready to offer to the priest and the invited guests. I guess he too, like me, often remembered how his parents cared for him in his childhood.

Unlike me who changed many jobs, my father worked hard all his life at the same job in a hazardous chemical factory. He felt happy and secure with his government job and never even thought of a career change. He led a simple life with clean habits and never had a desire for luxuries of any kind. He had a buoyant personality with ready wit that could make anybody laugh.

My father was not rich but the love he had for his children and grandchildren was abundant. I distinctly remember how he had bought for me brand new school books (those books had a special scent!), lovingly wrapped each them in brown paper and glued labels on them with my name. Many years later, he continued to do the same for his grand kids too!

When I won a merit scholarship in the first term of my college, he was so proud of me. He presented me a beautiful 'Henri-Sandoz' swiss watch specially procured from one of his friends who dealt with scarce foreign items. I rarely took the watch off my wrist.

The second term scholarship made way for my first bicycle - a brand new, sleek 'Sen-Raleigh' with oil-filled crank case, back carrier, dynamo lights et al. Like a proud peacock strutting around, I used to ride on it even for performing small errands to my mother. Often, I used to carry my kid brother for fun rides, though it was not fun at all times. Once, while I was racing the bike, he pressed the front brakes so hard that it resulted in a sudden somersault of him, me and the bike in the same order.

Thinking back, I was very lucky. Under the love and affection of my dear parents, I was fortunate to spend very happy childhood days.

Later, in my career days, my father was always there to encourage me during my lowest moments. His favourite advice - "Don't be chicken-hearted. Things will work out well for you."

I loved my father more than anyone. He influenced me in so many ways, and I feel it is my duty to express my love and gratitude for him through the 'shraddham' ceremony.

I really miss my dear Dad...

Alphabets and Numbers

Look at some of the wonders in Alphabets and Numbers.

Take the Alphabets A, B, C and D.


Letters 'a', 'b', 'c' &’d’ do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 99

(Letter’d’ comes for the first time in Hundred)



Letters 'a', 'b' & 'c' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 999

(Letter 'a' comes for the first time in thousand)



Letters 'b' & 'c' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 999,999,999

(Letter 'b' comes for the first time in Billion)



And Letter 'c' does not appear anywhere in the spellings of entire English Counting

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Look at the beauty in the following combination of numbers!

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321


1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

There seems to be some mystery behind these observations.

Goodbye 2008 and Welcome 2009!

Season's Greetings to all! It is the best time of the year to enjoy holidays and shop around for the best deals. As I write this, it looks as though I am sitting somewhere in the Himalayas with snow all around. What a beautiful sight! The trees look as if they are dipped in pure white snow. Water fronts are frozen. The ducks seem to have vanished. Wonder where they went in this cold!

In just a few days, we will say Goodbye to 2008 and get ready to welcome 2009. This is usually the time to review events in the current year. For me personally, it was a satisfying year as I had the opportunity to travel to India with my sahadharmini and visit places that I had always wanted to. My wife and I were really blessed to visit Pandharpur - the holy abode of Lord Panduranga in Maharashtra. It was the most exciting experience that I ever had.

Pandharpur is situated on the banks of River Bhima. As the river at this city flows in the shape of a crescent moon, it is called 'Chandrabhaga.' Standing on a small stone-platform is the black idol of Lord Pandurang, also called Vittal. The Lord is believed to be an avatar of Vishnu.Only at this place, I was fortunate to touch the idol's feet and bow my head at the feet of the Lord.

I can write a lot more on other places that I visited but then it would become a travelogue. My intention is just to share a few thoughts on 2008 and my hopes for 2009.

As an old saying goes "Always expect the unexpected." So it was with 2008. The year witnessed some of the most unexpected events such as:

-The subprime crisis in the US leading on to the crash of the financial markets globally.
-For the first time in the history of USA, a black American is elected to become the next president.
-The terror attacks in Mumbai killing over 170 people, and injuring hundreds.
-The steep fall of the oil prices after climbing a record high.

The media had a busy time churning out updates on all these events while people watched with varying emotions.

At the end of every year, I nurture the fond hope that the New Year will bring in peace,happiness and prosperity to all. For Hope is, according to Alexandre Dumas in his famous novel"The Three Musketeers", "the last thing extinguished in the heart of man."

So, with high hopes for a bright New Year, let me say "Welcome 2009!". May God bless all. Sarve Janah Sukhino Bhavantu! Let everyone be happy!

Lord Ganesha

What better way other than starting the New Year with prayers to Lord Ganesha who is believed to be the destroyer of all obstacles.

Most Hindu rituals begin with the chants " Shuklambaradaram Vishnum Shashivarnam Chaturbhujam, Prasanna Vadanam Dyayath Sarva Vigna Upashantaye". In this short prayer, Lord Ganesha is described as one who wears white garments (Shuklambaradaram), who is omnipresent (Vishnum), moon-colored (Shashivarnam), having four arms (Chaturbhujam), and a charming face (Prasanna Vadanam). The prayer seeks Lord Ganesha's blessings to remove all obstacles (Sarva Vigna Upashantaye).

In Tamil Nadu, it is common to see the idol of Lord Ganesha, also called Vinayaka, installed at public places such as street sidewalks/junctions and near tree trunks. Such locations are very convenient for the people in great hurry who prefer to have a quick 'darshan' without any time-consuming rituals.

The installation of one Ganesha idol on the street side seems understandable, and adequate. However, in some of the way-side temples in Chennai, I have seen two idols of Ganesha installed side-by-side. It was strange to me as with many others too. For a long time, I used to wonder why two idols for the same God at the same place? What is really the significance of installing twin Ganeshas in the same place? The Sankaracharya of Kanchi known as "Mahaperiyaval" offers an interesting explanation in the "Deivathin Kural" (Vol.6). Let me share a brief summary of what I have learnt.

There are two idols of Ganesha because they perform diametrically opposite functions. One of them is "Vignaraaja" - He creates vignams or obstacles, while the other is "Vinaayaka" who removes the obstacles; both seemingly opposite functions.

The commonly held belief is that Lord Ganesha is the remover of obstacle. Does it not sound strange that Ganesha also creates obstacles? Not really because the obstacle He creates is really a blessing in disguise. Due to Poorva karmas, it is possible that one can face a major or disastrous obstacle in the course of carrying out a task. In order to avoid it, Ganesha is the form of Vignarajah creates a small obstacle - like a speed breaker to avoid a collision. Thereby, He blesses the devotee to channelize the efforts in carrying on the task further avoiding a major obstacle. It's like giving a medicine to stir up a disease before curing it.

So, Lord Ganesha is a "Vigna Kartha" -one who creates obstacles and also a "Vigna Hartha" - one who destroys obstacles. Next time when you face a small obstacle in anything you do, take it as a blessing!

Remember Vignaraajo Vinaayakah. On that note and prayers to Lord Ganesha, let us begin a peaceful, prosperous and joyful New Year!

Goodbye 2007, Welcome 2008!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To all my friends, let me begin with my Season's Greetings and best wishes for a Happy New Year! Although the date for New Year's Day is not identical in every community, this is always a time for celebration and exchanging good wishes.

Clearly, the New Year's day celebrates the passage of time. It is a time to reflect on the year gone by and set an agenda for the year ahead. For many, this is the occasion to re-evaluate, and set future goals. Promises are made for self-improvement with little intention of keeping them. Here is a sampling of the responses that I got to my query on the resolutions people are planning for the New Year.

1. I'm going to focus on my job do everything to keep it.

2. It's time for me to turn spiritual and learn the Bhagavad Gita.

3. Cooperate and live harmoniously with my husband.

4. Let me think of organizing my library of books, tapes, and CDs.

5. I want to come out of my shell and discover hidden talents.

6. It's time for me to learn how to play golf.

7. I want to examine my financial status and plan new investments.

8. Last year was no good. I am hoping to lose weight in 2008.

9. My goal is to help energy conservation. I will use the car less per week.

10. Get out of bed within 10 minutes of when my alarm clock goes off.

11. I want to change my career path into a new line of activity.

12. No resolution — I'll just continue to be my normal self!


Does any of these resonate with your own New Year resolution?

Well. the most important aspect of making a New Year's resolution is to keep it.
But, keeping at bay the dissolution of resolutions is not an easy task.
For a great many people, the New Year's resolutions do not succeed. There may be several reasons for this but I think any failure should be viewed as an opportunity to learn. Who knows, with some planetary forces working in your favour, you can really make your resolutions come true this coming year. Good Luck to you!

The Wonder of Words and Letters

In my childhood, my friends and I used to play a wonderful game of words. It is an easy, no-expense game that can be played almost anywhere, anytime with no equipment requirements. The game requires at least two players who are conversant with English words and spellings.

The game had two popular versions -one was called 'word-building' and the other 'word-ending'. In the first version, a player begins to build a word with a letter -say A. The second player adds B to the the third O, the fourth can add either U or V, and the last player T or E. The built word turns out to be either ABOVE or ABOUT. In the 'word-ending' version of the game, the first player says a word - for example 'CAT'. The next player picks the last letter of the word that is 'T'. and says another word that begins with T. The game continues this way until some one's vocabulary is exhausted or makes a spelling mistake. I got trapped many times in this funny game. In the process, I learnt new words and so did others who played with me.

Talking about letters, wonder what are some of the most popular letters used today? The most crowded part in my personal phone directory is the section 'S'. It seems to me that more people prefer personal names beginning with S. My Webster's college dictionary devotes close to 200 pages for S out of a total of something like 1660 pages-that is about 12% of all the entire alphabet.

The least used letters are X and Z -the thinnest section in the same dictionary!

In the context of present usages, the letter W seems to be rapidly gaining popularity. Ever since the World Wide Web (www) entered our lives, people seem more concerned of many Ws - like Wealth, Work, Watching Weight, Women, Worry, Winning, Weaknesses .... the list goes on and on. In this law-ridden world, one comes across more questions like Who, What, Why, Where and When.

Newspapers and magazines too carry more of Ws - like Wages, Wal-mart, War, Water, Warming, Weather, Western,Women, Wounds, Wall Street, White House, Whiz-kids, Warnings, and all kinds of Wild things.

My home is located in Warbler Way!

Sure enough, W is getting in the limelight.

Well! Whatever - My mind Wanders! Am I Wrong? or just Worn-out?

Summer Holidays

With temperatures hovering in mid-90s, summertime is in full swing. I have been watching the weather channel on the TV. It has been unusually warm all across the U.S. with record temperatures recorded from coast-to-coast. No matter where you live, you are most likely experiencing heat and humidity that is well above normal.

Whatever be the temperatures, summertime means vacation, fun and freedom for the kids. I recall nostalgic memories of the long summer vacations that I had during my school days. In those days, there were special summer discounts for groups of kids to travel by trains. Parents made the best use of the rail concessions and sent the kids to visit grandparents or uncles. Long distance trains were typically hauled by steam locomotives that used coal for fuel. As a child I was extremely fascinated by the majestic steam locos and the sound of shrill whistles they emitted besides lots of black smoke.

My younger brother and I used to travel over 800 miles by train to visit my grandmother and maternal uncle who were living in a real hot city called Pudukottai in South India. Like us, my cousins will travel from different directions to the same destination. There were about a dozen kids in the age group of 8-15 all congregating in the same house around the same time.

In my uncle's home, there was no TV, not even a radio. Nevertheless, we were never short of entertainment. We enjoyed all kinds of 'inexpensive' fun. There was no swimming pool anywhere in the city but then there was a pond nearby that served as a pool to all. We spent hours in that not-so-clean greenish pond. We enacted small plays at home with a sizable audience of neighborhood kids who cheered us and clapped hands for every little act. With so many children around, I must admit that food was somewhat scarce but we never cared much. After all, with so much fun, hunger was not a priority. We ate whatever was available like for instance peanuts, jack fruit,sugar cane and many other forms of uncooked edibles.

I had my thrills with a 'Kodak' box camera that I considered a great treasure. It was gifted to me by my father after my repeated pleas over several years. Thanks to the kind intervention of my dear grand ma, my father ultimately yielded to the pressures and bought the camera. The pictures that I took with that box camera serve today as a mute testimony to my photographic skills and the wonderful summer vacation that I enjoyed with my dear relatives.

Occasionally, my uncle used to take all of us to a local movie theatre that was nothing but a huge warehouse type shed. It had no side walls but only a sloping roof, a screen and a projector room. Movies were shown in late evening only after it became dark. Typically, a movie lasted about 4 hours that included a long interval during which snack/soda hawkers will swarm inside the theatre. The noise levels used to be atrocious and the mosquitos terrible.

Thinking back, I have nothing but great admiration to my old grand mother who successfully managed over a dozen energetic kids at home. She hardly slept and kept a constant watch on us. She held small contests for the children that kept us out of trouble at least for some time. All the children happily ran many errands for her - getting groceries, vegetables, posting letters and drawing water from the deep well. She was a tireless woman who was a great inspiration to me.

Holidays never last too long. Soon, we all returned to our respective homes to join school and restart our studies. My dear cousins (and their families too) have all grown up and live in different parts of the world. Pitifully, some of them are no more.

Those were glorious summer vacations that would never ever return.

The Power of Perseverance

Albert Einstein said, "It's not that I am so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."

When I was a school boy, homework in mathematics used to bug me. I used to feel frustrated at not being able to solve some of the problems. If homework was not done fully, some of the teachers awarded severe punishments including caning that led to humiliation in the class. When I moved to college, there were no punishments and the fear was gone. With perseverance, I had learnt how to solve the problems. The result was that my grades improved significantly and I received merit scholarships on three occasions.

The power of perseverance is really great. In life, everyone gets discouraged once in a while. It is perfectly normal.

We all have our setbacks. But, at the very point where we give up trying, there is a fine line between the winners and losers. The losers quit. The winners persevere.

I love to give the example of one great man. His biography reads like this:

Age 22 - Failed in business; Age 23 - Defeated for the legislature; Age 24 - Again failed in business; Age 25 - Elected to the legislature; Age 26 - Sweetheart died; Age 27 - Suffered nervous breakdown; Age 29 - Defeated for Speaker; Age 34 - Defeated for Congress; Age 37 - Elected for Congress; Age 39 - Defeated for Congress; Age 46 - Defeated for Senate; Age 47- Defeated for Vice President; Age 49 Defeated for Senate; Age 51- Elected President of the United States.

Looks like a roller coaster ride of failures and successes? Can you guess whose biography is this? The man's name was Abraham Lincoln.

There are many such stories illustrating the power of perseverance. If you want to witness perseverance, take a look at a baby trying to stand up. Read the biographies of some great people like Thomas Alva Edison, Helen Keller, Mahatma Gandhi, and Vivekananda. All of them faced adversities in life but held on to succeed in what they believed in.

Here are some suggestions to lead you on the path to perseverance.

* Face and accept what happens in your life.
* Learn from your experiences, including the failures.
* Express your feelings to someone you love.
* Write about your feelings, like in a diary.
* Get help if you need it from a mentor.
* Pray to God "Give me courage, give me strength."

You win some; you lose some. Never despair, keep pushing on! You have got to realize there is plenty of power in perseverance and it works.

Managing Transformation

In life, our role keeps changing. From being an innocent baby, one grows into an impulsive kid. Learning at home from parents and at school from teachers, we become students and nurture dreams about future. A day suddenly dawns when each individual begins a career to earn a living. I have vivid memories of standing in line and collecting my first salary - in hard cash! It was a wonderful feeling to earn one's own bread. Later in the growth phase, one acquires many other things such as a spouse, kids, new relatives, new friends, car, home etc.

A Challenge: Managing transformation of role especially in mid-life can be really challenging. In today’s fast-growth, high-pressure environment, expectations run high everywhere. I pondered over the big question -What exactly one should be doing to effectively manage transformation in life? The exact nature of the actions will be influenced by the magnitude, urgency, and nature of the transformation; the capabilities and the personal style an individual.

The most important and hardest part of managing transformation is “to convince people of what you believe in and in doing the right things". My observation is that many people often waste energy by "sweating around small stuff" leaving out more important ones. For example, personal health issues are often ignored at the cost of some frivolous pursuits. Some people nurse old grievances and allow these to injure their own moods besides impacting others. With a fast-changing environment, one needs to be clear on priorities.

Change Yourself: Remember the old adage "Charity begins at home". The best approach is to begin with yourself and lead by example. Every move you make, everything you say, is visible and makes an impact on those around you. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “For things to change, first I must change.” It is a process of reinventing oneself by making a short list of personal transformation objectives. In deciding objectives, one might include such items like - learn something new to advance your career/improve life, invest time wisely, avoid time wasters and whiners, keep watch on health issues, cultivate concentration and mental poise through self-analysis and nurturing positive open-minded thoughts. Sadhu Vaswani recommends laughing aloud atleast three times a day to release stress.

As I watch people, some people will go to any length to assert their own views even if ill-conceived with least concern to others. Fortunately, there is another class of people who talk measuredly, careful not to step on somebody's toes, and perform activities so smoothly and quietly. They reflect an inner peace and mental strength. It is often a pleasure to hear them because the words are tailored so beautifully. Such people do not fail to roll up their sleeves when it is needed.

Major part of our waking hours are spent either in talking with people or watching others talk. Effective conversation requires a well-structured agenda, and developing a healthy thought process. Typically it means spending ample time in personal reflection, reading appropriate material including our age-old scriptures like Bhagavad Gita, and interacting with the right people.

Find time to reflect on your new realizations, new ideas, and new insights into life. Then you will begin to see you are not the same person but someone who is better equipped to manage transformation.