Day 33. Review-2

Chasing success is a book of mine published in 2010.

One thing is common to all of us- then, now and forever  i.e. Chasing…….what though differs. 

A review of the book at that time by an Economist is reproduced more so to reiterate on the larger issues covered in the blog-

Success, however, defined, is the one goal of all human endeavour. Yet, few achieve it to their satisfaction. Among the few who do achieve it, many savour it only for a brief time. The book under review is an earnest attempt to look into the dynamics of achieving sustainable success, work-life balance and ecstasy in life. Highly practical, it highlights certain facts of life, which have to be accepted if one were to progress towards enduring success.

Written by Dr. Bala Chandran, the book covers a vast array of topics ranging from the esoteric to the contemporary and offers a veritable feast of information, rejuvenating ideas and insight. He has brought out finer aspects of life, especially for the present-day youngsters, as would help them lead an excellent and ecstatic life.

The author, whose other works include some really inspiring books like "Nurturing Excellence", "Living/Leaving Gracefully. "Winning the Game of Life" and "Making a Difference" declares that "only a spiritual way of life would ensure lasting happiness for people in this fragile world.

This is remarkable coming at a time when divorces, attritions in reputed organizations, and rampant discontent even among the rich, have afflicted all countries, including the so-called developed India.

According to him, eventual success requires happiness in life, grace from the Supreme power and a realistic approach to problems. Ups and downs of life only reinforce one's firm belief in the hand of the supreme power in all actions. Accepting this reality would help one to attain peace of mind, the pre-requisite for lasting happiness. When bad things befall even good people, one has to accept the same stoically with grace as no amount of recrimination or weeping could undo the thing. One has to accept the bad thing, remembering that God had willed it that way and all things happen only for the good.

The author does not advocate inaction. Our efforts are necessary but one should do only one's duty and not think about the result. The result has to be left to Him and accepted as it comes. This is the realistic attitude to life and world, according to him. Without trying to pontificate, the author has deftly handled the subtle truths of life in a simple and cogent manner. Steering clear of the spiritualistic jargon, he has presented his ideas in a refreshing manner so that even a layman can easily understand them. It is indeed commendable that the author, who is by no means a philosopher, has been able to put together his thoughts on the subject in an insightful and thoughtful manner. For the young generation of today, relentlessly chasing success all the time, the book is a must read. And for the spiritually inclined, the book only reinforces many of their views on philosophical issues and should serve them as good reading material.

V Raghuraman,Former Chief Manager, Union Bank of India

(Corporate India, October, 31,2010)

Chasing Success, Taxmann Publications(P) Ltd,2010, pages, 240

The reviewer has culled out the essentials from the book which if pondered will give much solace in a world full of turbulence, violence, crime, fear, doubt, anxiety, uncertainty and above all discord/ disharmony.

Be happy. Be safe.

7.30 AM

 

Day 32 . Review - 1

Let us review briefly ,the philosophical poems covered under Reflection earlier. Being a spiritual blog, our goal is to achieve joy and happiness ere long.

Some ten poems were covered viz.

Name	Theme
1 The Turkey and the Ant	Bias/prejudice
2 The Indispensable man	Ego /Narcissism
3 Don't Quit	Confidence
4 Smile	Behaviour
5 The most beautiful flower	Gratitude
6The Happy Man	Contentment
7 After death	Remembering/Love
8 Living a life that matters	Contribution
9. Father forgets	Compassion
10 Daffodils	Serenity

We started with a Saint Kabir Bhajan on Fearlessness . 

These poems will provide enough inputs to strengthen one’s resolve and preparedness for the spiritual path, which is definitely not an easy one. 

Spiritual path is compared to walking on a Razor’s edge, which is time and again repeated only to focus on the road ahead.

Spiritualism is meant for the brave is also repeated in the Vedo-Upanishads.

Be happy. Be safe.

8.30 AM

Day 31. Reflection -11

This section’s aim was to reflect on the larger aspects of life. All want to achieve serenity and tranquillity , at the end of the day or the evening of life.

For this one must strive . It is like saving for the old age, one should start early.  Similarly, one must acquire good memories, especially when one reaches the old age. 

Constantly remembering that "This Too Shall Pass Away" will help much to remain focused.

The following classic- mere reading of it - will help to rejoice with memories.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

 

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

 

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

 

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.( Internet)

Reading of good poems, will help to focus on the spiritual path more easily. More so, when such poems are easily accessible on the net.

An eye and  love for poetry can be cultivated at any age. The rewards will be immense.

Be happy . Be safe.

9 AM

Day 30 . Reflection - 10

This is not a poem. But a classic on parenting. Very appropriate for reflection to one and all.

 I read it in Readers Digest article in the seventies. Since , then, I have not been able to read without becoming melancholic.

 We are all guilty of finding fault with others(rightly or wrongly)—the other keep changing, but the blaming nature goes on. And then when we look back, often too late, only regrets will linger on.

Father forgets, originally appeared as an editorial in People’s Home Journal and showcased in Dale Carniegie’s “How to win friends and influence people”,is a classical and evergreen poem by W. Livingston Larned

Listen, son: I am saying this as you lie asleep, one little paw
crumpled under your cheek and the blond curls stickily wet on your
damp forehead. I have stolen into your room alone. Just a few
minutes ago, as I sat reading my paper in the library, a stifling wave
of remorse swept over me. Guiltily I came to your bedside.
There are the things I was thinking, son: I had been cross to you. I
scolded you as you were dressing for school because you gave your
face merely a dab with a towel. I took you to task for not cleaning
your shoes. I called out angrily when you threw some of your things
on the floor.
At breakfast I found fault, too. You spilled things. You gulped down
your food. You put your elbows on the table. You spread butter too
thick on your bread. And as you started off to play and I made for
my train, you turned and waved a hand and called, “Goodbye,
Daddy!” and I frowned, and said in reply, “Hold your shoulders
back!”
Then it began all over again in the late afternoon. As I came up the
road I spied you, down on your knees, playing marbles. There were
holes in your stockings. I humiliated you before your boyfriends by
marching you ahead of me to the house. Stockings were expensive –
and if you had to
buy them you would be more careful! Imagine that, son, from a
father!
Do you remember, later, when I was reading in the library, how you
came in timidly, with a sort of hurt look in your eyes? When I
glanced up over my paper, impatient at the interruption, you
hesitated at the door. “What is it you want?” I snapped.
You said nothing, but ran across in one tempestuous plunge, and
threw your arms around my neck and kissed me, and your small
arms tightened with an affection that God had set blooming in your
heart and which even neglect could not wither. And then you were
gone, pattering up the stairs.
Well, son, it was shortly afterwards that my paper slipped from my
hands and a terrible sickening fear came over me. What has habit
been doing to me? The habit of finding fault, of reprimanding – this
was my reward to you for being a boy. It was not that I did not love
you; it was that I expected too much of youth. I was measuring you
by the yardstick of my own years.
And there was so much that was good and fine and true in your
character. The little heart of you was as big as the dawn itself over
the wide hills. This was shown by your spontaneous impulse to rush
in and kiss me good night. Nothing else matters tonight, son. I have
come to your bed-side in the darkness, and I have knelt there,
ashamed!
It is a feeble atonement; I know you would not understand these
things if I told them to you during your waking hours. But tomorrow
I will be a real daddy! I will chum with you, and suffer when you
suffer, and laugh when you laugh. I will bite my tongue when
impatient words come. I will keep saying as if it were a ritual: “He is
nothing but a boy – a little boy!”
I am afraid I have visualized you as a man. Yet as I see you now,
son, crumpled and weary in your cot, I see that you are still a baby.
Yesterday you were in your mother’s arms, your head on her
shoulder. I have asked too much, too much.( source: Internet)

Youngsters should read this with attention. Needless to add, young parents should not miss it at all.

Be happy. Be safe.

8 AM

Day 29. Reflection-8

Live a life that matters is a poem pregnant with beautiful ideas, worth meditating on.

So no additional comments are made.

(I had carried this in my book Living/ Leaving Gracefully (2008) ever since , this has been a constant reminder to me)
Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else

.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire

.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant
Even your gender and skin colour will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?

How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what

.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance, but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters. Author unknown

Be happy. Be safe.

8 AM

Day 28. Reflection - 8

 The following poem is now viral attributing to Sir Rabindra NathTagore.

 But the real source is not certain going by the information available on the net. Nevertheless, the poem has great relevance to all times, more so  to the current one.

*When I'm dead. *

*Your tears will flow*

*But I won't know*

*Cry with me now instead*.

*You will send flowers*

*But I won't see*

*Send them now instead*

 You'll say words of praise*

*But I won't hear*.

*Praise me now instead*

 You'll forgive my faults, *

*But I won't know*....

*So, forget them now* *instead*.

*You'll miss me then, *

*But I won't feel. *

*Meet me now, instead. *

*You'll wish You could have spent more time with me*,

*Spend it now instead*

 *When you hear I'm gone, you'll find your way to my house to pay condolence but we haven't even spoken in years*.

*Look, listen and reply me now. *

*Spend time with every person around you, and help them with whatever you can to make them happy, your families, friends and acquaintances. *

*Make them feel Special because you never know when time will take them away from you forever. *

*Alone I can 'Say' but* *together we can 'Talk'*.

*Alone I can 'Enjoy' but together we can 'Celebrate*'

*Alone I can 'Smile' but together we can 'Laugh'*

*That's the BEAUTY of Human Relations*.

*We are nothing without each other*

*So, Stay Connected*

·         Having seen the contents and relevance of the poem, all should reflect as to how we are dealing with near and dear. It has been shown in this blog earlier too, the people are happy to be aloof today, more so in the social media era.

·         Will that change in the short run? The most realistic answer will be- no, though the heart wants to hear -Yes as an answer.

·         People are not happy to receive a call, an SMS, a What Sapp message, unless there is something there in for them.

·         So, where is the scope for social interactions?

·         During the pandemic year that we passed, even the neighbours are not keen to say good morning, ditto with the people in the society. They also feel that even by looking or uttering some words, the virus will pass on.

·         What a fear, the pandemic created. The PPE, the protocol, the treatment of afflicted, disposal of deceased all created mortal fear.

The causality is social interactions. Even when the normalcy returns, one day it will, the social fabric may not restore as in old days. Or it may take unduly long period.

Hence the exhortation in the poem, each line is relevant to the mankind today.

One must be grateful to the author for the depth of feelings conveyed in such a short/crisp poem.

Be happy. Be safe.

8 AM

Day 27.Reflection - 7

A Happy Man by Edwin Arlington Robinson is a poem with an unusual title considering the theme is death of a person.

Then the poet writes from the perspective of total contentment and preparedness for the final journey.  So beautiful indeed. When the innings end, one should be able to take a bow and depart with grace as done in plays or music concerts.

When these graven lines you see,
Traveller, do not pity me;
Though I be among the dead,
Let no mournful word be said.

Children that I leave behind,
And their children, all were kind;
Near to them and to my wife,
I was happy all my life.

My three sons I married right,
And their sons I rocked at night;
Death nor sorrow never brought
Cause for one unhappy thought.

Now, and with no need of tears,
Here they leave me, full of years,--
Leave me to my quiet rest
In the region of the blest.

How the death strikes none can predict -its time, manner and the victims. There is no discrimination in regard to age, sex, religion, position etc., when it comes to  make the final call.

In the last 15 days many unnatural deaths have happened in the world.

·       The saddest was due to the capsizing of a barge near the ONGC oil rig. Some 71 persons lost their lives, without any warning.

·       The other was from the Israel- Palestine conflict where some 260 are reported to have died. Final figure is yet to come. The injured are in thousands. But then it was part of a long-standing conflict with periodical escalations. The outcome is not unknown, but who all will suffer is uncertain. Many kids even lost lives. When thousands of  rockets are showered day and night for some 10 plus days, what else one expects?

·       Let me not digress. In both the cases precious lives were lost.

First was due to cyclone- nature's fury, the second was War, due to mans’ fury.As people from all religions have perished in both the tragedies, related Gods are neutral and mere observers from Heaven or places of their abode.

·    Whom one can blame for these events. Creator of course. Both are done by his creations only. Hinduism, states, the World-Prapancha- is created by God (vide Purusha Suktam).Will that give any solace to victims and their families?

The point for pondering is how to develop contentment ,as cited in the poem at each moment of life ,when the life on this earth is  highly fragile and uncertain.

Worth pondering.

Be happy. Be safe.

7.30AM

Day 26. Reflection - 6

 

^{World consists of crybabies with all their attainments. Man has never been happy with all the possessions he came to amass ever in history. So, we cannot expect that today, with the imagination running wild.}

^{Some famous examples are given to drive home the point-}

^{·        Alexander the Great}

^{·        Napoleon Bonaparte}

^{·        Julius Caesar}

^{·        Genghis Khan}

^{·        Hitler}

^{·        Aurangzeb… list could be endless.}

^{What did they have to say/carry in the end? What type of legacy they left behind? So, the craving will not end.}

^{Hinduism advocates, abandonment of desires fully to realize spiritual freedom and happiness. That may be beyond the call of many.}

^{Yet, one must strive somehow to reach some reasonable level of contentment, such that when the end comes- as it will come, many a time even unannounced-one is not  caught napping. Hence the need to cultivate a mind set with an Attitude of Gratitude for all that the creator has given…as conveyed in the poem below-}

^{The Most Beautiful Flower by Cheryl Costello-Forshey  captured   my mind way back in 2004, when I first read it. A full reading of the poem will be a game changer for anyone. Try …}

^{“Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see
The problem was not with the world; the problem was me.
And for all of those times I myself had been blind,
I vowed to see the beauty in life,
And appreciate every second that's mine’……}

^{·       Our lamentations will look rather ridiculous in comparison to the trials and tribulations of many other fellow beings. When the Lion curses its plight, what about the plight of the poor deer or zebra in the open jungle.}

^{·        Ditto with many billionaires and millionaires crying for more and more. Will any one considers billions of destitute in the world?}

^{·       Billions of dollars are spent annually to build and accumulate weapons of destruction, that are used at regular intervals to test their efficacy and replenish stock such that the production units will have new orders.}

^{If those money is directed for human welfare, how the world will be?}

^{At least, one can wonder.}

^{Be happy. Be safe.}

8.40 AM