ANECDOTES.... 3

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60           OVER    CHARGED
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          One orbit of the planet earth around the sun takes one year.  After Seventy such orbits, I found out that the future is mobile. The latest model of Android phone was a great gift, kindling a lot of curiosity and interest to learn the techniques of using the slick gadget.  I learnt all the loaded applications and made the most of its use. Literally my life was now interesting and exciting, thanks a lot to the Mobile technology. I found a lot of new things to learn every day.  In handling the mobile, many of my younger friends would help me to handle the internet and other applications. One day my friend was struggling with my mobile and his son, a small boy, switched off my mobile and restarted it and solved the problem easily.  It was so simple and we did not know it.

         While we were watching a Marathi film in the Mall, I was disturbed by someone playing Tamil songs.  Annoyed and angry, I was looking around showing my annoyance. The song was quite familiar to me but that was not an excuse for anyone to disturb me in a Marathi film show. When the next Tamil song started, it was also a familiar Tamil song and when the third song started I discovered that the songs were loaded in my own mobile. Meanwhile people around me were also cursing each other. I quietly put my hand in my pocket and found my own mobile playing the songs recorded by me. I quietly stopped the play and was wondering how the mobile started playing songs on its own. Is it out of my control or in the hands of an invisible monitor ?  Later I learnt it may be due to its sensitive touch screen effect.  Even a little touch here and there activates the programs loaded therein.

            Another interesting thing happened recently. I was sitting in the residential park and wanted to browse the latest arrivals in whatsapp. I switched on the mobile and found the screen running wild with all applications viz., whatsapp, google, videos, news, Radio, images, songs, etc.. each one chasing the other.  Something like, all events of RIO Olympics happening at a time in the same ground.   I tried to stop it but could not. I could not even switch off the mobile. Luckily I found one young friend who was a journalist and showed him. He immediately dismantled the mobile, by removing the cover and also the battery.  Now everything went blank. He moved his fingers over the battery and declared that the battery is damaged. I said “  No.. it was working well in the morning also ”. He never listened and placed a call to one of his friend and asked whether the particular battery is available.  He gave some details and also took a snap of my battery and sent it to him.  He said that he will let me know later. I asked him to fix the battery once again into my mobile and I found it was working properly now.  I was wondering what to do.

           This incident disturbed me so much that I wanted to consult the mobile shop owner who was regularly recharging my mobile. In the evening when I showed him my mobile, he opened it once again and removed the battery and swirled it on his table. It was swinging beautifully like a table fan in horizontal position.   “It is gone.  You have to buy another.  I will find out whether it is available.”   I told him how such a new one has gone wrong.  He said you might have over charged it. “ Over-charged ” Something I heard for the first time. I asked him whether I can use it as it appears to function normally.  “ Yes.. You can.. as long as it works..”  I thanked him and got the battery fixed into it again.  It was working.  I was happy but uneasy.

            Before entering my street, I found another mobile shop where many youngsters used to frequent.  I wanted to check once again. He opened the mobile and by simply looking at the battery declared that it is gone.  It appears he was an expert with x-ray eyes. I told him that it was good even a few hours ago.  He also said, “ You might have over charged it. Anyway, the original one may cost 1200 and duplicate is available for 450”.  He was looking at my face scrutinizing my reaction.  “Can I use it as long as it works.”  He admonished me.  “ NO .. Never .. Do not put this battery into it again. It will explode.” I was scared and shivered a little. I looked at my fidgety gadget nervously…. and put it in my right pocket.  I took the battery and put it in my left pocket and came home wavering. 

            On the way, I found four of my old friends were sitting in the bench and chit chatting. I explained to them my predilection. “ Yes.. it happened to my mobile also. I left it charging whole night and found it damaged in the morning. The glass cover broken to pieces.”.. The second friend exclaimed “ My God. Really… I always keep my mobile charging whole night. Nothing like that ever happened.”  The second one warned him. “No.. No  Don’t do it.. You are lucky so far ” The third friend asked “ What brand is your mobile ?  Is it China made ”.  The fourth one said “ You have to allow the battery to discharge itself to the maximum until the message of warning starts blinking. That is the correct way of charging the battery.”  was just listening and perhaps absorbing.   I found that the matter was getting murkier and murkier. To be on the safe side, I kept the mobile in my bedroom and the battery in the hall.

         That night I had wild dreams and explosions.. I woke up with a start many times, upsetting my wife.
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59               O N L Y     W A Y
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      The Spiritual Centre was a place of peace, tranquility and awakening. The Acharya who was running it was a pious and enlightened Guru whose daily lectures on ethics etc., was a great attraction. The place was open to all and many in distressed minds could find solace and salvation. The disciples of the Acharya were running the Ashram with great devotion. On certain days the Acharya used to  listen to the personal problems of his devotees and guide them

       A notorious thief used to attend the lectures and in course of time got reformed. Out of reverence, he wished to confess his criminal career to the Acharya and take his ’DIKSHA’ for transition  towards noble path. Fortunately, he got his chance that day and the thief started confessing to the Archarya in his private chambers. The disciples of the Ashram watched the confession secretly and were astonished at the firsthand detailed account of his criminal career, multiple atrocious methods adopted by him and the numerous assaults, injuries, damages caused by him to his victims.  With tears flowing from his eyes, he prostrated before the Acharya in utter remorse to his misdeeds and confessed for pardon and redemption. The Acharya tried in his usual ways to pacify him but nothing worked and the sinner would not get up at all. He was haunted by the spirits of his misdeeds and was inconsolable, desperate and hopeless. The Acharya was at his wit’s end.

       In an unusual way, the Acharya declared to the utter surprise of the thief, “ Do you know, that I was once a notorious cheat, robber plus murderer. I have done more heinous crimes than you. Look at my transformation. It is possible. If I can do it, why not you. ”

      The thief was shocked and stunned at this revelation by the Acharya. He got up slowly and looked at the Acharya with wide eyes. Slowly a look of contempt appeared in his face and left the place with a strange look.

       The disciples were astonished at the developments. “ Swamiji.. Why did you tell a lie that you were also a criminal and now reformed ? The thief has a wrong impression about you.”

     The Acharya said, “ This man was incurably distressed and tormented.  He would not listen to my pious words and there was no other way to influence and make him realize that even a bad person can turn good.  I thought, this was the only way to shake him off from his despondency, make him realize and redeem himself.… Look at the way he came to me. And look at the way he left this place confidently. Now he knows that he also can become one like me… That is what is important… Not my self-respect or prestige.”

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58           P A Y    B A C K 
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The problem with having problems is that sometimes, someone always has it worse. Simply acknowledging the awful incidents can empower people to heal themselves and, much more than that, to grow from their experiences. They get well adjusted to this deranged world gradually.

                                                                        

The shopkeeper had a tough time handling his customers all alone. Too many customers were demanding various things at a time. In the crowd there was one man who was new to the area and appeared to be slightly disturbed. When the shop keeper noticed him, he attended to him promptly. After receiving the article, the new man asked for the bill. He paid the bill and slapped the shop keeper suddenly.  The shopkeeper was stunned in utter disbelief and the sound of the slap shocked the waiting customers. Recovering himself, the shop keeper shouted at the irate customer. Other regular customers also joined and admonished the man who slapped for no reason at all. Caught in an aggressive situation, the eccentric man suddenly became normal and started apologizing profusely for his misbehavior.        
       

The shopkeeper was mature enough to understand the mental disorder of this man and cooled down. ‘ It is alright.. Take care.. Better go to a psychiatrist for a checkup.’  The relieved customer instantly agreed and said he will. He left the place murmuring apologies.   

It was a bizarre incident and for the shopkeeper this was the most unexpected public relations experience of his life. He had come across persons afflicted with mental disorders who respond, out of fear or anger,  in an unpredictable manner to certain situations. He knew that their action was not under their control. He also knew that they could not judge whether it was appropriate for the situation. Sometimes mood disorders also interfere with their normal functions. People with such impulse control disorders are unable to resist urges, or impulses, to perform acts that could be harmful to themselves or others. The worldly-wise shopkeeper, consoled himself and  forgot this incident in course of time.

After a month, the shop keeper was surprised to find the same irate customer standing in front of him.  The shop keeper was alarmed and tense.  The customer ordered a few things and later asked for the bill. The shop keeper gave the bill and was  expecting the same treatment. Anything unpredictable might happen anytime.  He was however alert.  The customer now paid the bill quietly.  He did not slap him. The shop keeper was looking at him nervously expecting any other sudden development.

The customer said quietly                    “ I took your advice, seriously ”

The shopkeeper :                  “ Oh.  Did you consult the psychiatrist ? ”

The customer said,                   “ Yes.  I did consult the psychiatrist.. ”

Shopkeeper :                                           “ Oh..You did have a checkup ”

Customer,   " Yes.. After checkup.. I paid him the bill..and  slapped him..."

Shopkeeper:                      “ My God..You slapped the psychiatrist..? ” 

 

The shopkeeper was not prepared to hear anything more from this idiosyncratic man. There is a limit for Bizarre things getting bizarre.                            

The shopkeeper asked         “ Then, what happened  ”

                                                                                              

Customer.                        “  He slapped me back, in retaliation..”

Shopkeeper looked at him with wide eyes. Another bizarre thing.

Customer.. “ I got cured..  I am  OK  now .. Thank You ”       and left the shop.

       The shopkeeper learnt another worldly wise lesson of his life. 

         What the psychiatrist did was perhaps the right treatment.

                                          Point to ponder.

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57                  P  A  R  R  O  T
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It was a beautiful, multi colored parrot and he was very proud of it.  He spent all his spare time, talking, playing and feeding the parrot.  Its diet used to be seeds, nuts, fruit, buds, and other plant material. One of the reasons why he loved it passionately was because of its ability to talk.  He loved its vocalizations, though it was prone to screaming sometimes.   He enjoyed the feeling of communicating with this intelligent, beautiful creature. For him, it was a talking genius. The old lady, who was his neighbor,   was very appreciative of his affection for the pet.

His next passion was books and he used to smoke and spend hours reading. He thoroughly enjoyed his pastime. While reading comics, he used to laugh loud and the parrot used to laugh with him, giving company.  He loved it for its camaraderie. The old lady, after hearing uproar of laughter, came to find out what was the matter and after finding the scene, she also joined them.

This wonderful partnership came to an abrupt impasse during the rainy season and continued until the onset of winter.  In the beginning the parrot started sneezing, or making sounds similar to sneeze, as if it caught the winter cold.   He started noticing its uneasiness and did not know what to do. He started consulting friends and later bird doctors who advised certain prescriptions. He started giving those prescriptions.  The old lady also visited and was feeling anxious about the health of the parrot.

A few days later the parrot started coughing and it was a frightening experience for him to see his parrot in such a state of helplessness. To make matters worse, he did not know what to do in this situation. He was not able to determine what was causing the indisposition to his parrot. He wondered whether it was the food  or the weather. One expert told him that some parrots may do it for no particular reason at all, but he should keep a close eye on the parrot to ensure no other symptoms present themselves. If they do, he should take his parrot to an avian vet for a closer inspection. It made him worry a lot and anxiety made him sleepless. The parrot continued to bother him coughing in his presence. 

The old lady who was away on a small pilgrimage was astonished to find the state of affairs. It made her sleepless for a few days and she continued to visit his house frequently to find out the latest state of affairs.

“ I am very much worried today.  The parrot keeps coughing..  nonstop…  

I do not know what to do..”   He confided to the old lady.  The old lady stood there for a long time contemplating and surveying his house.

“ I think, you should stop smoking ’ she said.  He was disappointed with her irrelevant remark.  She was always admonishing him for smoking and this was not the time for such a casual remark.

“ I said, you should stop smoking forthwith.Otherwise,your parrot will die.” she said finally, before leaving.

The mere thought of his favorite parrot dying, made him languish in grief. He became sentimental and thought seriously about the old lady’s remark.  He decided to stop smoking for the love of his parrot. Within a week, he found the parrot, recovering from its sufferings. After a month, he was relieved to find the parrot, totally free of cough.  He admired and thanked the old lady profusely and asked her, how she knew this solution.

“It was very simple.  It is only a parrot. It simply imitates. In the rainy season, you got cold and sneezed frequently and the parrot imitated you. Your constant smoking and coughing was the next thing the parrot started imitating.  We were fooled into thinking that the parrot was sick, when it was merely mimicking you. It was not sick. You were sick due to your constant smoking. Now that you are cured and stopped coughing yourself, the parrot is now normal. ”

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56                    Y   O    G    A   शवासन
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     Incompatibility in marriage is not so much how compatible you are ;  but how you deal with incompatibility, especially the taste for domination.  The chemistry between you may be out of this world !  However, if the two of you are both too stubborn to compromise, then you are in an incompatible relationship. In spite of your love, you make a hell of each others life.

    Jonny and his wife were quite incompatible and had a turbulent life altogether.  She was always fault finding, critical and dominating and Jonny found it unbearable. It was a cat and dog life, distraught, disoriented, hysteric and what not.  All the efforts from relatives and friends to bring them to an “adjusted” “normal” state failed. But by a stroke of luck, the advice of a yoga fanatic played the trick. Jonny dismissed it and as usual his wife embraced the idea. Thanks to TV and Yoga craze, she learnt all the postures, “pranayam”, and deep meditation techniques. She found “ savasan  शवासन ” ideal  to dispel irritability and restore calm.     "  घरमे  अच्छे   दिन   आगई  "

     In course of time, Jonny found these things eccentric, especially her

 “ savasan  शवासन ” for hours that disturbed him wondering whether she is alive. Once alarmed, he awakened her from “savasan  शवासन ” and bore the brunt of it for next two hours. This small mistake made her revert to old ways of nagging, cursing etc., Jonny swore never to repeat that mistake. But to his bad luck, after a few days, he found her immobile for hours together. Alarmed, he called her relatives and the village doctor.  It was concluded that she was no more. It was a shock to one and all.

    By evening all rituals were completed and she was carried by four pall bearers to the riverside for cremation. Jonny was carrying a vessel followed by relatives and mourners. Near the riverside crematorium, the front side pall bearer accidentally stumbled and all of them crashed down together, including his dead wife.  The impact of the fall brought his wife to senses and she woke up with a start. The crowd of mourners, including Jonny, was shocked to find her getting up from the ground and staring at the mourners, with wild wide eyes.  All of them got scared and ran away from the scene. Only poor Jonny stood there stupefied and facing her wrath. Slowly she surveyed the surroundings, situation etc., and understood what has been going on. She became wild with fury. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned like this.

     For the next few months, life was miserable for Jonny. The fury of his wife was unbearable and no amount of explanation would satisfy her. Jonny was upset, mentally disturbed with stress, depression etc., and cursed the elusive side effects of yoga that brought him to this stage. He swore never to repeat this mistake again. But the worst was yet to come.

      On 21^st June, International YOGA DAY, she went for “savasan” and even after 8 hours of “savasan”, she did not move an inch; but Jonny was not willing to take the risk. Her relatives and neighbors took the lead. Even when the doctors and others convinced him, that she was no more, he would not agree to repeat the same mistake. He would neither trust YOGA nor his wife. Finally, under great pressure from the villagers, she was once again carried by pall bearers and Jonny followed them.  He went on warning the bearers, in a trembling and nervous voice,  to walk, slowly, steadily and at any cost,  not to stumble down.  There was no hurry to reach the crematorium. The terribly worried, anxious, tense and hyper sensitive Jonny was looking pale and nervous all the way.  The flashback of previous incidents haunted him leading to a nervous breakdown. Every step towards the crematorium made him gasp for breath and his heart beat could be heard by all. The suspense was surging towards a crescendo and leading to some climax or the other.  They were just near the crematorium, when the most unexpected thing happened. Jonny stumbled and fell down. It was Jonny who stumbled and crashed down, never to rise again.

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55                         C R A F T Y 
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            In our daily life, we come across people who are selfish, deceitful, interested only on satisfying their own needs.  Sometimes we wonder whether our generosity was well placed or misplaced. Let us see what happens in the following incident.

            It was a very hot day and a man was walking bare foot in a barren road. It was very hot and there were no trees around even to take rest in the shadow. Suddenly he heard some strange sound and found a man riding a horse coming behind him.  He was well dressed, wearing nice shoes and also carrying an umbrella to protect him from the hot sun. He was also proceeding in the same direction of the bare foot walker. What a contrast.  One man is walking barefoot and another well dressed man is riding a horse, wearing shoes and also holding an umbrella.  The horse man crossed the bare foot walker.  The bare foot man ran towards him and requested him to stop. The horse man looked at him sympathetically.

            “ Sir. Can you please give me your shoes..?  It is very hot.. You are already riding a horse.  You may not need it as bad as I need it ”

            The horse man was kindhearted and therefore gave him his shoes.  The barefoot man wore the shoes and looked at his benefactor gratefully. The horseman smiled at him compassionately.

            “ You are so nice Sir. I am thankful to you for your kindness.”

            “ Oh  That is alright.. Do you feel good now? ”

            “ Yes Sir.. I shall be very grateful to you if you could give me your umbrella.  It is very hot and excruciating and a long way for me to go. I hope, you would not mind.”

            The horseman was taken aback by this request.  It was really slightly too much to demand, but still he was gracious enough to accede to his need. He handed over the umbrella to him.  The man was quite happy with this additional help received without much effort.

            The horse man was now getting ready to move, when the man came running towards him.  The horseman stopped and looked at him quizzing.

            The walking man said “ Sir.. You are so nice and helpful. I am sure you will not mind, if I ask you to give me your horse…..”

            The horseman was astonished at this brazen request.  Wisdom dawned on him now, even though a little late.  He took the whip and thrashed the man with a few lashes.  “ Take this ”

            The man who was whipped, did not cry or even flinch with pain.  Instead, he started smiling when being whipped.  The smile on his face made the horseman to stop whipping him.  “ Why are you smiling, when I am whipping you for your audacity in demanding my horse..?.. You should have either cried or apologized for your greed. You are not even ashamed of yourself..”

            The man replied quietly  “ Sir.. I am thankful to you for teaching me a lesson.  There is a limit for desiring.. There is also a limit for begging..  I found you an easy option. So I kept coming back to you, for more and more favours. Your lashes have taught me a lesson, I shall never forget..   It was just in time.  I am now enlightened…   I am sorry..  Please take back your shoes and your Umbrella also..”

            This incident may appear to some as quite out-dated.  So let us see, how a modern version of a similar situation may be appropriate during these days.

            The moment the barefoot man asked, “ Sir.. Can you please give me your shoes..?  It is very hot..  ”  the horseman took his whip and thrashed the man with a few lashes.

             “  Sir.. Why are you thrashing me ?  I merely asked for your shoes..If you don’t want, don’t give  ”

            The horseman replied  “ Now you will ask my shoes, then my umbrella and  then my horse ? If I don’t give, you will report to the Police claiming horse as yours …and  then …”

           The barefoot man cried   “ Sir.. What are you talking ?  This is too much..  Who will do all this..?  ”

            The horseman replied   “ Why not?   I know it. This is what they do…  I have myself done it.   That is why I understood you the moment you asked for my shoes..      Now get out and get lost..”

                                                    Take it from me…

       If they keep coming back to you, it isn't love, esteem or honour.   It is because you made yourself an easy option. The moment the thing they want becomes not difficult to obtain from you, is when you will realize, that you are on sale.

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54.                    PUPPET  MASTER
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            He was earning his livelihood by changing roof tiles and was on his way to the house of an old lady for his day’s work. He was in dire need of this assignment as he was desperately in need of money for his family requirements. While passing through a remote area, he came across a small temple of the village Deity. He stood there and worshiped sincerely for better days.  To his surprise,  he got a divine message asking him to dig the ground below his feet. Quite surprised at this divine hint,  he started digging and found a small pot full of gold pieces of grain size. He was thrilled to find a fortune, never dreamed of, gifted so easily on mere asking.  He did not expect even a sprinkle, but the shower of fortune was unbelievable. He spread his cloth and bundled everything. He prostrated before the Deity in gratitude when he got another message.  “Do not  take everything. Keep  something in the pot.”   Quite reluctantly he left about a spoonful in the pot and buried it back. He was so happy about his good luck and he decided that this day will be his last day for work.  He reached the old lady’s house to finish the job as quickly as possible.  After tying the bundle in the beam of the house, he climbed to the roof for changing the tiles.

          The old lady who was kind hearted,  wanted to cook meals for his lunch and found herself short of rice at home. She was about to go for shopping when she found the bundle hanging in the beam and out of curiosity asked the worker what it was.  The worker was very clever and said that it was just rice. The old lady wanted to start her cooking by using it and later buy and replenish the quantity. When she opened the bundle, she found it full of sparkling gold pieces. She could not believe that what she dreamed previous night about a messenger bringing a fortune as a reward for her prayers would actually materialize.  A long awaited fortune after years of prayers.  She quietly took everything gratefully without any feeling of wrong-doing. Later she went to the shop and bought enough rice to fill his bundle and also for her cooking.

          When the worker left in the evening he checked his bundle and was shocked to find rice  instead of gold pieces. He asked the old lady.

     “ What happened to the gold pieces kept in the bundle ? ” 

          “Are you mad ?     You only said rice was inside ”            

He was crestfallen at this predicament and  was unable to pursue the matter further. He was very much upset and even a bit confused about the day’s happenings. While returning home he cursed the village God out of frustration,      “ Why did you do this to me ? ”.    

          The message came to him. “Actually the gold is destined to go to the old lady. You were also advised not to take everything with you.  Anyway you can dig again and take what was kept back by you”.  He dug again and retrieved only the spoonful kept by him in the morning. 

Life has a cruel sense of humor, giving you the thing you never asked for and snatching it away after a brief interlude of incubating dreams. The only consolation is some perverse and binding justification that WHATEVER YOU GET IS ACTUALLY CHOSEN BY YOURSELF.   The hidden hand behind everything is probably your own.

Good Luck or Bad Luck is apportioned in some fixed ratio in this world.  If you escape from the bad Luck, somebody else will have to get it, in your place.  If you miss your Good Luck, probably somebody else will always get it, instead of you.  There is always the same amount of Good and Bad Luck going around, playing an interesting and intoxicating game of dice.  The game goes on forever so that Good and Bad Luck do not get tight and consolidated at one place forever. It does not happen by chance or by coincidence, but intermixes in some equation  to change the positions held so far

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 53.                     E  N   I   G   M   A
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        Two Sanyasis were proceeding on a pilgrimage, walking many miles, talking and discussing spiritual matters.  They were crossing a jungle engrossed in philosophical discussions, all about attachments  detachments  etc., The younger one was quite a novice and enjoyed in engaging the elder one in arguments to overcome the tedious walk.

        The elder Sadhu was patiently explaining in a detailed manner.  “  Detachment is an important principle to get release from desire and consequently from suffering.   At every step,  life presents us with choices.    We have to make a decision and move in one chosen direction.    Spiritual path is essentially a path of sacrifice and renunciation of the soul from all else but God. Detachment means giving up the world and leading a holy life. "

        The young Sadhu kept the elder one busy by engaging him in argument.  “ It is not possible  to renounce attachments and desires for things. To lead a holy life,  it would suffice to reduce selfishness,  have few desires without getting influenced by it and practice simplicity in living.      Detachment is being aggressive, apathetic and aloof to things to which we are attached.

        At this juncture, they came across a river and wondered how to cross.  At a little distance they found a boatman collecting money from persons for crossing the river by boat. A moment of crisis for the sadhus and a look of suspense appeared in their faces. It appeared that the boatman would demand money for the boat ride.

        The young sadhu said, “ As I was saying, total detachment will lead us nowhere.  We will be stuck up in the jungle.  A little money is necessary without which there is no salvation. At least keep some money hereafter. ”

        He gave some money to the boat man and they crossed the river.

        The senior sadhu said,   “You are wrong.  It is only by detachment that we get salvation.   It is because you detached with your money that we were able to cross the river.  Detachment is a delicate subject.  True renunciation or sanyas denotes freedom from desires,  not renunciation of action  but renunciation of desires and attachment to actions.  Karma yogi neither hates nor desires but performs desire less action.  It is by detachment that you reach your goal.   ”       

Spiritual aspirants are forced to lead a dual life. 

 You cannot serve two masters at the same time

It means that you cannot serve God for good and Satan for evil, at the same time. When two masters oppose each other, no man can serve both. Where your heart is, your master will be. If your heart is money, then money will be your master. There cannot be two masters in your heart. When you serve money, nothing else matter to you but money, as money is now your God. You can't be serving both the devil and God. One's true loyalty will soon be revealed when circumstances conspire to force a choice between them.  When you choose the one that you really love, the other you will "hate" by comparison.   You cannot "mix and match." If you do it, you lead a dual life. 

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52           PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE
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     It was an ominous moment. Sanjay was standing exactly there on the spot in the Kuruskshetra,  where the GREAT WAR OF MAHABHARATA took place. It is said in the texts that 80% of the fighting young male population of the civilization was wiped out in the 18 days of the war.  It was a momentous moment. He was looking around wondering whether the war really happened there, whether the ground under his feet was soaked with the blood of the millions who died there, whether the Pandavas and Great Krishna really stood there, where he was standing. He was lost in reverie.

“ You will never know the truth about that ..” said an angry voice.

Sanjay turned around to find an old man in saffron robes appearing out of a column of dust. “ I know, you are here to find out the truth about the Kurukshetra war,  but you cannot know about that war, till you know what the real war was all about…” said the old man enigmatically.

 

“ What do you mean..?”

“ The Mahabharata is an Epic, a ballad, perhaps a reality but definitely a philosophy..”  The Old man smiled luring Sanjay into more questions.

“ Can you explain what exactly is the philosophy, all about..?” Sanjay requested.  “ Sure..here it goes..” began the old man.

“ The Pandavas are nothing but your five senses, sight, smell, taste, touch and sound.  Do you know what the Kaurawas are..?” he asked narrowing his eyes.  Sanjay shook his head again..

“ The Kaurawas are the hundred vices that attack your senses every day.   You can fight them.  Do you know how..? ” Sanjay shook his head again.

“ When Krishna rides  your chariot..”  The old man smiled brighter and Sanjay gasped at the gem of insight.

“ Krishna is your inner voice..  your soul..your guiding light.  If you let your life in his hands, you have nothing to worry..”

Sanjay was stupefied but came around quickly with another question.  “ Then why are Dronacharya and Bhishma fighting for the Kauravas, if they are vices personified..?”

The old man nodded sadly,  “ It just means that as you grow  up, your perception of your elders change. The elders who you thought were perfect in your adolescent, growing years,  are not all that perfect.  They have their faults.  One day you will have to decide, if they are for your good or for your bad. Then you may also realize that you may have to fight them for the good.  It is the hardest part of growing up.  That is why the GEETA is important.”

Sanjay slumped to the ground, not because he was tired, but because he was struck by the enormity of it all. He was overwhelmed with a realization and understanding that was unique’

“ What about Karna..?”  he whispered.

    “Ah”  You have saved the best for the last.  Karna is the brother to your senses.  He is DESIRE.  He is part of You but stands with vices.  He feels wronged and makes excuses for being with the vices,  as your desire does the same all the time.  Does your Desire not give you excuses to embrace Vices.”

Sanjay nodded silently.  He looked at the ground, consumed with a million thoughts, understanding the relationship between cause and effect, trying to put everything together.  When he looked up after some time,  the old man was gone. He seemed to have disappeared in the column of dust, once again… leaving behind the great philosophy of Life.

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51.                              R  O  M  E  O
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       Love is indescribable. It inspires the most beautiful, starry-eyed gestures.  It makes us swoon and do things that other people might even think as a little crazy. The emotion can leave us eager to express what is in our heart and communicate our feelings to our partner. It also inspires some of the most poetic and romantic words ever uttered. It makes us want to write sonnets and dance until dawn.  We want to tell them how much we truly love them, yet we often cannot find the right words.

        

         I came across one such limerick going round in the internet, a form of poetry with a strict rhyme scheme quite humorous and funny.  I reproduce it below for your reading pleasure.  It is in Marathi, not difficult to follow.          Quite pedestrian and prosaic ....  but exotic ..

 

        

tu sui mi dora,                        tu poli mi bhaat,                    tu bashi mi cup,       

tu kaali mi gora                      tu football mi laath              tu ushi mi zhop.        

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 tu ball mi bat,                        mi mungla tu mungi,             tu love mi prem
 tu undir mi cat...                    tu saadi mi lungi..                 tu photo mi frame

---

 tu doka mi kes,                      tu nisarga mi fiza,                tu ghubad mi pankh,

 tu saban mi fhes                    tu kavita "Mi Maazha"        tu vinchu mi dankh,

---

 tu sambaar mi dosa                tu kanik mi poli                  tu petrol mi car,             

 tu boxer mi those                    tu aaushad mi goli            tu daru mi bar.                 

---

tu dudh mi saai,                      tu chaha mi lassi,                tu toop mi loni,
tu kes mi dye ..                       tu Kumkum mi Jassi...         tu dravid mi dhoni            

---

tu barfi mi pedha,                  tu computer mi C.D.,             tu dahi mi loni,
tu bavlat mi veda...                tu cigaratte mi bidi ..            tu kes mi pony…  

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tu computer me mail              tu tiger mi lion                     tu takkal mi kes..

tu niranjan me tel                   tu dadar me sion                  tu canteen mi mess… 

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                            tu kes me konda,                    
                                                tu dagad me dhonda                                           

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50                           FLASHBACK
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          My first love was sports and it served as a great stress buster in my hectic official career. I never went home without playing Volley ball, Table Tennis and Shuttle cock games in our 0ffice club. It was always Volley ball first and many of my staff members were very good players. Once the ball is served, the other team gets as many as three touches to return the ball, the first two touches are used to set up for an attack by the  hitter. While I liked “passing game” others used to play “direct” game and we enjoyed the mix. Pawar  was a good hitter and Khadse was quite versatile.  He was older than me and always admired my way of playing especially the clever placings, lifting the ball high, sometimes more than 30 feet  to the annoyance of opposite side. Salvi from the opposite side would always tell me “ Sir.. Do not hit so high.  We cannot receive it ”.  Khadse used to defend me and enjoy the fun when the opponents struggled to handle it.  After playing about an hour of volley ball, I used to move to the Recreation Hall for Table tennis. Volley ball continued daily for almost 15 years until I moved away on some assignment.

         Forty years later, retired life was totally different.  I was nearing my Seventies and the annual gathering of retired seniors was a refreshing event, where we used to meet old colleagues and staff members and enjoy recollecting good old days, reliving memories of those little experiences that make up the fabric of our lives. The three hours of gathering followed by LUNCH was an eagerly expected event.  I was not able to attend the gathering for two years and  this year I reached the place with great expectations.  For almost an hour I was engrossed with all friends and colleagues when I met Pawar, the volley ball hitter.  He was excited when I started talking about volley ball games of the good old days.  “ Sir.. Khadse has also come.. He has been enquiring about you for the last two years.  He came to see you but you were not there.  I will bring him”.  Pawar now quite old went away to bring Khadse.  I got busy with other friends.  I did not know when Khadse came. I was only looking at an old man wearing goggles, accompanied by a teenager.  Suddenly the man wearing goggles exclaimed, “ RaoG ”  as if he had recognized me,  by my voice..  I looked at the old man wearing goggles who was looking at me aimlessly.  It took me sometime to realize that it was my Khadse.  “Khadse” I exclaimed and reached him extending my arms.  He was excited but could not see me and I was shocked to realize that he was blind.
  

        The teenager took Khadse’s hand and put it in my hands. A sudden gush of memories galvanized him and he started talking excitedly about those days.  Memories of volley ball lying dormant in the storehouse of his mind whizzed past his lips like bullets. Treasured memories roused this old man of Eighties to such an extent that apart from narrating, he started imitating my action of lifting the volley ball to more than 30 feet high.   Visualizing something from his inner mind, he relived the scene at the volley ball court and recalled with nostalgia,  “ RaoG   used to lift, like this,  and the ball used  to touch the second floor of our office.“ He clasped his two hands, brought it down and lifted it so fast as if the ball should rise 30 feet high. A robust action for his age.  The teenager who was accompanying Khadse was astonished at the sudden unexpected action of his grandfather.  I was overwhelmed at the marvelous outburst of memories of the past giving boost to the sagging morale of a blind 80 year old man. I hugged him affectionately for retaining such sweet memories for so long. The surprised grandson disclosed to us “ Grandpa used to be very calm and quite at home.. I did not know he was a volley ball player. I have never seen him so happy and excited like this.”

         
    Take it from Khadse.  Eyes are useless, when the senses are blind. What you actually lose in blindness,  is the space around you.  What the blind person needs is another self. With that another self , you relive sweet memories. The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched; they must be felt with the heart. Take care of all your memories.  Memories are the only paradise from which you can never be expelled.

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49                DO   NOT   FORGET
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         To err is human; to forgive divine… It is better to forgive and forget.  Keep moving….  You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past and do not dwell on it using your time and energy. If you have an unpleasant incident in the past, soaking yourself in fears or tears, then it is better to forget it.  You must try to block it from entering and disturbing your mind.  Blessed are the forgetful ;   because it restores sanity and peace from a recollecting minds, torturing your present. Those who can monitor strategic forgetfulness are twice blessed; they can let slip such things away from their mind deliberately.

 

       It’s all easy to say, “Time will heal everything, this too shall pass away. You will forget”—and things like that when we are not involved. But we do not forget as long as we are in the middle of the same set up. Trying to forget really doesn't work. In fact, it's pretty much the same as remembering and we know it's impossible to forget, especially the hurt, humiliation, loss, etc.,  Forgetting irrelevant trifles of short-term importance is not to be misunderstood vis-à-vis serious emotional setbacks.  It is a natural phenomenon for human memory to eventually erase data that is no longer pertinent to us. But that is not the problem. The recurring obnoxious ones are. Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember.

        The advantage of not forgetting is many. As long as we remember, we are unlikely to fall into the trap once again.  Memory helps a lot as a warning signal preventing us from repeating the mistakes. The brain plays a vital role in alerting us constantly against known traps.  Forgetting it will not help us.      
                     The stupid neither forgive nor forget ; 
                          The naive forgive and forget ;     
                      The wise forgive but do not forget.

                                              

                                            ANALOGY 

       Exactly at 9 am she used to reach the Bus stop to proceed to her office. She was young and beautiful.  Having noticed it once or twice, he started waiting for her arrival.  After a few days, he smiled at her, spoke a few words and got closer and familiar. She also responded and in a few months they became very intimate. They were madly in love with each other and she was quite reckless. When she pestered him for marriage, he disclosed that he was already married.  She collapsed with its impact and could not recover from the breakdown and trauma of jolt.  It took many months of self criticism, meditation, prayer and psychiatric treatment to recover from the fiasco.  Due to some medical effect, the entire episode at the Bus stop got erased from her memory and she forgot the affair totally. She was back to her old bubbling self.

       Yesterday she was at the Bus stop exactly at 9 am.  The philanderer was standing there and tried to smile at her.  She  smiled at him, since she lost memory of the earlier episode with him. The philanderer was pleasantly surprised and spoke a few nice words as usual and the affair started once again.  To err is human;  to forget is stupidity.    

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48                FORGIVE   THEM
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          "To err is human…to forgive is divine "  wrote Alexander Pope.  It is very human to make mistakes. To blame someone else for the mistake would be politics. But to admit it, would be super human.  It’s very difficult for a human to forgive someone who caused injury, damage or hurt.  “To forgive divine” means that, it would take a divinity or a divine being, i.e., God to truly forgive. While anyone can make a mistake, we should aspire to do as God does, that is, show mercy and forgive them who harm us.   Many of us would rather hold on to our hurts, resentments and anger and suffer the negative emotions forever, than forgive him who has done us wrong. The Devil in our Mind says, the one who is forgiven is relieved of any guilt and is free from remorse. But what about the forgiver ? Does he benefit at all ? A wiser man will know the worthlessness of leading a life consumed by bitterness, resentment, depression and misery of a powerless victim forever. Forgiveness frees you from the burden of anger and resentment and enhances your self-worth.  You feel exalted.

( MISTAKE )       The teenager was facing the Judge who announced

“ You drove the car and maimed a man. You will be in Remand Home for ever. You will pay costs of injury. You are guilty.  Do you understand what it means to be guilty  ?”  The boy wept, cried and admitted his guilt. The Judge softened and looked at him kindly. The remorseful boy felt a ray of hope, of redemption. Remorse of a tormented conscience,  is the real punishment of crime, to a soul changed for the better. To err is human.    Humans are fallible.

( GUILTY )  A scene from Bible.  The Scribes brought to JESUS, a delinquent woman and said to him   " Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the Law commanded us that such a woman should be stoned to death, but what do you say..?"  But Jesus did not reply and when they continued bothering him, He said to them, " He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her..."    And those who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went away one by one.  JESUS was left alone and the woman was still standing there. Jesus said to her,  " Woman, where are those accusers..?  Has no man condemned you..?"
"  No man......  Lord  "  she said.
And JESUS said to her," Neither do I condemn you; Go and sin no more"
 The woman ashamed of herself,  prayed

" Forgive me......  My Lord "  she said
And Jesus said..       " To err is human...To Forgive is Divine..."

God’s mercy is greater than your mistakes.

 (INNOCENT)  They crucified Him, along with the criminals, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God ”. Jesus Christ, even on the cross, during his last moments, was able to say : “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing”  about the people who had put him to death. Grace is when God gives us what we do not deserve; Mercy is when God does not give what we do deserve.

Lord Rama showed no hatred against his stepmother, Kaikeyi, for sending him to the forest for 14 years so that her son, Bharat, could be the king.

 “The quality of mercy is divine ”.  Indeed to be able to forget the evil that others have done to us and to forgive them needs strong will power.   Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. The weak can never forgive….

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47                   चिरंजीवी
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          The Yoga classes attended daily by a few enthusiasts in the Society Hall early in the morning, used to conclude with some prayer. On this day I was pleasantly surprised to hear a new one "Chiranjivi,   चिरंजीवी ”  about the seven immortal living beings who are to remain alive on Earth through this Kali Yuga till its very end.       The hymn was…

अश्वत्थामाबलिर्व्यासोहनुमांश्च विभीषण:कृपश्चपरशुरामश्च सप्तैतेचिरंजीविन:।

   Ashwathaama Balirvyaaso Hanumanshach Vibhishanha 

   Krupascha Parshuramascha    Saptaitey Chiranjivinaha  

The resounding voice in which it was recited, sent me into raptures, recalling sweet memories of my childhood. 

 

         I was about five or six years old living in a village agricultural family, with my brothers, sister, parents, aunt and grandparents, in a very big house under one roof, eating food cooked at one hearth. There were cows, buffalos, poultry, mango and coconut trees, vegetable and paddy fields to support our livelihood and servants to take care of our needs.  My grandfather was a very tall and commanding person and literally the Boss of the house .  My father was attending to all the daily work as directed by my grandfather and my mother was under the control of my grandmother.  The joint family system of those days was in perfect operation.  My Aunt used to look after all of us children as a disciplinarian.  My mother used to be the only source of affection and love.  The atmosphere at home was judiciously designed to bring up the children in a disciplined and orderly manner. In the night, I used to sleep with my grandmother as I was her favorite and my sister used to sleep with my grandfather, my second brother with my Aunt and  all other members in one big hall.

          SATURDAYS used to be OIL BATH DAY for all.  There used to be a big brass vessel filled with water mounted on few bricks and dry firewood used to be placed below. The servant will be busy burning the firewood until the water boiled hot enough.  My grandmother will be there with  TIL OIL heated and fried with red chilies.  The boys will be ordered to be present there and the ritual will start with me first.  My grandmother  will make me sit on a wooden plank and ask me to close my eyes and start applying the hot til oil, squeezed and  mixed with red chilies on the top of my head.  She will start reciting the above CHIRANJIVI mantra in a methodical manner, as a form of prayer and blessings.  The first  handful of oil will be applied on the top of my head with the words   “ Aswathama” and the next two on my shoulders with the words “ Balirvyasa.. Hanumanshcha..” and the next two on my chest “ Vibhishamana … krupashcha” and the last  “ Parshuramscha” applied on my stomach.  That was the privilege of my grandmother to do this ritual every Saturday as the Senior most person in the family.  When it is over, I will move away and my brother will take over the seat for repetition of the ritual.  My aunt will take over me and massage my body with the til oil in a pleasing and organized manner so that the oil would penetrate the skin and spread all over the body. After proper completion of the job, my mother standing near the hot water vessel will take charge of me and the bathing ritual will start by mixing the hot water with cold water in a separate bucket.  I used to touch and feel the warmth of the lukewarm water and my mother used to bath me after my approval. The warmth of the hot water mix would be so pleasant and it would be great fun and pleasure to go through the bath. Some herbal mix will be applied later to remove the oily surface of the body and final bath will be complete. By the time I am released  from the bath room, my brother would be ready to enter.  My father will receive me and cover my body with a big towel and dry and put me in new dress. After two decades, when I was staying with my aunt  while working at Bombay, she used to replicate the same Saturday Oil bath ritual to me on every Saturday, exactly the same way my grandmother used to do it in her village. .The flash back of those unforgettable SATURDAYS got revived by this CHIRANJIVI mantra,  after so many decades. 

         The grand old joint family system consisting of many generations related to each other, living in the same house under one roof, dividing all household work among themselves, enjoying mutual rights and obligations, under the trusteeship of the eldest male member had greater generation depth and possibilities.   The elders were always cheerful, relaxed, free of stress or strain and always available. On important social events, there used to be more than hundred relatives at a time in the house and the Patriarch was always an expert in event management of this magnitude. It is very strange how this age old system collapsed during our own life time and the present 3 in 1 hectic family with a stressful job for both the father and mother, a chaotic home life with little or no time for the child has  emerged in total contrast. Practically there is no real home life at all as enjoyed by my  generation. The break up of this system  to such a small unit is alarming even in agricultural families.

         Despite my own sincere attempt  to replicate my childhood experiences,  after two decades in a different city in another part of the country, I found it did not work at all in my own family;   minus the space, time, ambience,   atmosphere, absence of aunts, uncles, grandmother, grandfather and others.  Only the memory remains with me and I am aware many of the present generation may not even comprehend my feelings of deprivation.

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 46               WIRELESS  CONNECTION
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       Gautama Buddha used to preach under a tree and a large number of devotees and disciples used to gather and listen to his sayings. Sometimes Buddha used to sit in meditation and the people used to join him and wait for his preaching after meditation.

     One day Gautama Buddha  came to the place and sat down.  He was holding a flower in his hand. People started gathering and sat down eagerly awaiting his usual teachings. Buddha closed his eyes and started meditating.  People were waiting patiently for his eyes to open so that they could hear his words of advice.  But this day, Buddha was deep in meditation for a long time.  It was more than four or five hours and people were getting disheartened by this long session of meditation. Some people thought that Buddha may not talk this day.  Others were getting impatient as it was already lunch time and the disciples were feeling hungry and wondering how long to wait.    

     It was at this moment, a devotee in the crowd started smiling. Those sitting nearby started looking at the smirk in his face. After some time, the devotee started grinning as if he was hearing something. He began shaking his head  up and down as if agreeing to certain suggestions made to him.  In a few moments, he started chuckling loud with great enjoyment.  In that totally silent atmosphere, the loud laughter of this devotee was incongruous and disturbing.  The other devotees started looking at this strange man with suspicion. The devotee’s eyes were closed like Buddha but he was glowing and beaming as if he was dreaming or imagining something.  However, they kept their focus on Gautama Buddha, eagerly waiting for his discourse.  The man continued to chuckle and laugh intermittently. 

     A smile appeared in the gracious face of Gautama  Buddha.  The crowd was now alert and attentive.  Buddha opened his eyes slowly.  The devotee, who was laughing so far with closed eyes, suddenly stopped giggling as if he has also noticed it, even though his eyes were closed. 

     Gautama Buddha looked at the crowd of disciples.  There was pin drop silence. Buddha signaled the man who was laughing.  The man was already on his feet as if he knew that he will be called.  The crowd was skeptical as to what was going to happen ;  whether  the errant man was going to be admonished for disturbing the meditating Buddha.  The disciple reached Buddha and prostrated before him.  The smiling Buddha,  gave the flower held in his hand all this time,  to the disciple and blessed him..  It looked as if they were in deep discussion of some matter for a long time and that the dialogue and discourse  between them were now complete.  It was evident that the disciple  got the message from Buddha without any verbal conversation or dialogue.  The crowd was awe struck looking at them in wonder, realizing the long session of counseling between them, through a special transmission, not based on words or speech. They were astonished at the harmonious vibrations exchanged between the two from the beginning.  They were enlightened. This is true meditation.   Meditation is the world’s greatest wireless connection. 

    All that we are, arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world. We are what we think. We are shaped by our thoughts…... Happiness depends solely on what you think…..  Buddha only points the way..... You yourself must strive.

    The disciple was Mahakasyapa,  one of the most revered of the Buddha's early disciples, foremost in ascetic practices. He was a top master of ascetic training. After the death of Gautama Buddha, he assumed the leadership of the SANGA, compiled the Buddha's sayings and became the first man who preached the Buddha's teachings directly.
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45.               THREE   MISTAKES
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        He was more than 80 years old and leading a simple, pious life. His habit of visiting Hanuman temple on Saturdays was a decades old ritual. While it was so easy for him a few decades ago, now he finds it a Herculean task, not only because of his advancing years but also aggravated by the chaotic traffic in the roads, making it difficult for him to cross the road to reach the temple. While the temple was just across his street, the traffic these days make it a real test of his will power. Sometimes he wished he could fly like Hanuman to reach his temple. 

        That Saturday the traffic was chaotic and a few policemen were also engaged in regulating the flow. The erratic behavior of drivers, motor cyclists, autos, tempos and cyclists weaving their own ways to reach their destination and the crazy efforts of policemen trying to discipline them made the old man to simply stand and stare at the goings on.  He was worried whether he would be able to cross the street to enter the temple just in front of him on the opposite side. The policemen were getting mad trying to regulate the flow and the errant traffic was testing their patience. One cop was even threatening a violator with his “ lathi”. All this did not seem to have much impact on the wayward traffic and for almost half an hour the old man was staring at the going on helplessly. The bag in which he was carrying the flowers, garlands, oil, fruits and other offerings was getting heavier and hurting his muscles.

        Suddenly one policeman retired from his scene of action and retreated to the footpath where this old man was standing… just to take a respite. The old man took the opportunity to talk and seek help from the policeman. The policeman was already under stress and strain, but still listened with due respect to the old man.

“ Dear Sir,  you see the scene yourself.. There is no signal installed here.. Traffic is chaotic and undisciplined.  Why do you want to cross? ” 

‘ Today is Saturday.. I have to visit  Bajrangbali and Shani Bagwan to offer my prayers and seek His blessings.. Please help me to cross the street.. God will bless you..”

“ Dear Sir.. It is very risky to cross this street now..  You go back and come some other time…”

“ No.. I have to visit the temple now.”

“ Sir…Why don’t you offer your prayers from here?..”

“ What are you talking.?  I have come all the way to this place to visit the temple. How I can pray from the footpath and go back.. It is not proper.”

         The policeman was still surveying the traffic and talking with the old man.  " You are such a senior citizen and I cannot advise you.  You must understand yourself. Is it worth the risk crossing this road ? God is Merciful.  He will understand your problem.  God will not mistake you.. You pray from here and go back. ”

         Meanwhile he rushed to one scooterist driving in the wrong lane and hit the vehicle with his 'lathi' and pushed him back. He was losing his temper and the stress and strain was visible. The old man was still hesitant and continued to wait. The policeman came back.

“ Dear sir. You are a well read person. You know God is everywhere..  Not necessarily in that temple there.. He is Omnipresent..  He is everywhere. You just close your eyes, think of Him and call him and He will be in front of you.  He is inside all of us.  Nothing is wrong in praying from here.  He is watching your prayers from wherever you are, not necessarily from inside that temple.  His Omniscient.. He knows.. Listen to my request   ”

 The simple words of the policeman made the old man realize with a sudden jolt what he had read decades ago. He recalled the prayer of VYAS RISHI,  atoning for his three mistakes.

1.   Oh. GOD. You have no shape or appearance. But in my meditation, I have always viewed you as an image or person.

2.    You are far beyond words and mind. But I have always worshiped you in songs, hymns and mantras.

3.   You are everywhere but I went on pilgrimages to many places to worship you.

Please forgive me for these faults and grace me with your Blessings.

In the midst of all the chaos and noise, the words of the cop and the Mahrishi kept ringing in the ears of the old man.

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44.                           SPORTSMANSHIP
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                    Being junior-most in age and size during my college days,  I could not get entry into outdoor sports, even though I was too good in basket ball, volley ball, foot ball, hockey etc.,  My Sports teacher introduced me to Table tennis which was a turning point in my sagging enthusiasm. Here the size and age did not matter at all. Soon I mastered the game and started tormenting the stalwarts. Every hour of leisure was utilized to master the game of speed, agility and quick action. The coordination of mind and the whole body was remarkable. Many times I used to wonder how I returned the startling shot of the opponent or executed the most cunning and deceptive shot,  to make my opponent wonder in disbelief.

                Later when I was employed in a large Establishment,  the three Tables in the Recreation room sent me in raptures making me spend 3  to 4 hours daily in the evening to my heart’s content. I used to participate in tournaments, where my spectacular stunts and extraordinary shots used to excite the spectators in the gallery exploding in thunderous applause.  Frankly, I liked playing to the gallery.  In later years, I was a member of the District TT association and organized all India TT tournaments mingling with the top players of India. I recall three instances which every sportsman should keep in mind.

                Once during an All India TT tournament, I reached pre-Quarters and had to face the National champion, whom I knew as the Secretary of the tournament. I was already in my mid-thirties and was no match for him. Before the match, I smiled at him jovially and told him not to defeat me in straight games, out of best of three, but to grant me at least one game as a gratis.  I really thought of it as a sporting gesture. But to my shock, he declined and said it should never be done, in a match. It was an eye-opener for me, even though I was myself doing it many times, when I found my opponent less challenging.

                This reminds me of an earlier incident, when one of my clerk who used to observe my play, requested me to coach him. After a few years of coaching, where I used to win the first game, loose the second and tease him in the third and final game and finally win him. I found this method quite challenging to both of us and ultimately he became a good player. In a local tournament, when I reached the semi-final, he turned out to be my opponent. As usual I won the first game and deliberately yielded the next game. In the third and final game, I was holding the winning point but started yielding points to him willingly. The crowd was shouting disapprovingly. I was confident and allowed him to level the point. Now I have to score two points successively to win the game. I allowed him to take the first point and I took the next point and leveled the score once again. The excitement in the gallery was building up. Disregarding the risk, I did the same again. At this stage, looking at the anxiety and desperation in his young face, out of soft-hearted tenderness I lost interest in winning the game and went on risking further points until he won the grueling semi finals. I sat in the gallery next day to watch him play the finals.

                The third incident was a lesson.  In another all India tournament, I reached the fourth round and my opponent was a boy from another state. When our match was announced, I reached the table and waited for my opponent. When I saw him reach the table, my heart sank and I did not want to play at all. He was handicapped.  The Umpire announced that the player was permitted, by the Sports Federation, to hold the Table by one hand and play.  I was known for playing tricky stunts and the situation was disheartening. I started playing with great compassion and leniency; within a few minutes I was shocked and stunned to find the opponent a Master of the game.  I lost the first game in utter confusion and disbelief. In the next game, all my tricks and stunts went up in smoke. I lost the match in straight games.  Unforgettable experience and I learnt another lesson that day.  

            There is a lesson in almost everything that you do and getting the lesson  is how you move forward.      It is how you enrich your life.

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43                        G U R U K U L
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          Education as the means to knowledge originated with the Gurukul  system  in Ancient India, with the disciples and the Guru  living within the same house. The students resided together irrespective of their social standing.  Education was free, no student was required to pay any fees and no outside agency could interfere in the matters of education. There was perfect autonomy in a Gurukul or Ashram.

            Human brain is a powerful organ, and the Guru was aware of how much the mind is truly capable of expanding its capacity and get sharper through deliberate training. It was possible to change and optimize in novel ways to reduce their tendency towards negativity and make them the architect of their future.    A small simple incident in Gurukul would show the way the students were inculcated with abiding knowledge and their intelligence tested frequently by the Guru.   

            Guru had about four disciples under his tutelage in his Ashram for some years and  he used to   evaluate their learning at frequent intervals.  One day the following incident took place.The Guru asked the boys to bring an empty pot.  The boys brought an empty pot and they were asked to turn it over, upside down.

            The Guru asked the boys,  “ What is inside ?  ”

One by one, three students answered that there was nothing inside.  One student was wondering why the Guru is asking this strange question and thought there must be something tricky in the question. He thought over it for some time.

            The Guru asked the boy to answer.

The boy said, “  Air is inside the pot .. ”

The Guru was happy with the answer with an approving smile, the other boys were surprised.

            The Guru posed the next question.  

            “ Can you remove the air from the pot..? ”

One by one the boys said that it is not possible to remove the air from the pot. The fourth boy was wondering once again, why this strange question is being put. He was applying his mind in various ways to find an answer.

             The Guru asked the boy to give his answer.

The boy said, “ Yes.. It is possible..” The other boys were wondering how  it is possible to remove the air from the pot.

              The Guru asked the boy   “ How it can be done ? ”

The boy poured water from the nearby vessel and filled the pot to the brim and declared that this is how air can be removed from the pot.

            The Guru was pleased with the smart answer of the boy and continued his teachings for the day..             "Mind is like the empty pot full of unwanted air.  Once you start filling your mind  with knowledge, you will be free of ignorance tormenting your life. If you pay attention, you learn something new every day. The purpose of learning is to turn an empty mind into a vigorous one seeking for knowledge.  The kindling of the flame begins a  miracle process that  remains a life long pursuit for enlightenment."

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42                               I    BEG    YOU
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It was irritating to see a beggar standing in front of his Bungalow when he drove in from the party. The beggar waited politely till he came out and asked him for some money.  The man was upset and stared at him annoyingly.  The beggar pleads again and the man gets angry and scolds him for begging. The beggar tells him humbly not to insult him.

             “ If you like, give me something.. but do not insult me..”   

The man is taken aback and says  “ That is fine.. If you have so much self respect, why are you begging ?”

            The beggar said   “  Sir.. I am not a blessed man like you, owning a sprawling bungalow and a car”

            “ That is none of your business.. You are a born beggar.. loafer.. parasite..”

            “ Sir..You are losing your temper and insulting me.. I am only begging.. I am not coercing you or threatening you “

The raging man shouts  “ Do not irritate me anymore.. simply get out…I do not want to see your face  here again ”

            “ Sir.. Now I have to warn you.. You are exceeding the limit”

The stunned man flares up and shouts “ You beggar.. You are warning me…” 

          “ Yes sir..Take my advice.. Control your anger and also your words”

The man flared up  “ You stupid beggar.. You are teaching me.. What do you think you are ? “

                     “Really..You want to know who I am or I was..”

                                 “  You were a millionaire or what  “

 

“ Yes I was one .  Much more than you..  You have one house and one car.. Do you know I had three Bungalows, five cars, seven servants and what not. All earned by my skill  “

 “ Very interesting…  go ahead..  ha   ha  haa”

“ But one bad habit.. I was short tempered.. I flared up for everything   that happened against my will...  my arrogance.. my vanity  .. I quarreled and insulted everyone..  My anger outbursts were uncontrollable… intolerable…..  I thought I was righteous.  But the chain reaction started. Nobody liked me.. They avoided me.. My wife left, children and friends abandoned me and I was left isolated.. Court cases... misfortunes... lost all my wealth,  fighting with one and all.. My anger punished me and destroyed my life and wealth. I was burnt by my own anger. Today I am on the streets,  totally subdued  and enlightened. “

                             The man  became attentive.

“ Today I am seeing one like me.. I am afraid of you.. You may land up like me one day, if you continue this way..  Do not give anything to me.

At least control your anger… Learn to be kind.. You can even ignore me.. But don’t insult a poor man, for Heaven’s sake.. Do not threaten a beggar.. Be calm and composed.

 Take it from me..  I know what I am saying..  good bye.. take care.”

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41         IF YOU  ARE  LUCKY
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              Even though I was very careful with the keys of my car, I cannot forget the three incidents when I was in serious trouble and providentially scraped through . It was Kartik Purnima day and festivities were going on as usual in the temple located on the top of Parvati Hills.  My friends invited us and we did not want to miss the occasion, where we would meet all old friends with their families and participate in the festivities, followed by a grand feast.  It was the first time I drove to that side of the area of the hills and I was able to reach the place where the steps ascending to the top of the hills. As I was recently hospitalized with heart problems,  I was very much concerned about climbing so many steps to reach the top of the hills. By the time I parked my car, I saw  a few of my friends already climbing up. In my anxiety to catch up with them,  I locked the car door and forgot to collect the key.  I shouted at my friends and joined them, without realizing that the car key was left stuck in the front door of the car.  We reached the top and met all my friends and got involved in the celebrations.  After about half an hour, the secretary of the festival took the mike and made an announcement.  “ Has any one left his car keys at the bottom of the hills?”  I just heard it without knowing that I have myself left it there. My friends, who had seen me parking the car, asked me the same question. I just checked myself and found the keys were not there in my pocket. I was shocked and went to the Secretary and told him. The secretary pointed out Mr Kumar, whom I knew very well and asked me to collect it from him. I could not believe my luck and asked Kumar how he thought of bringing the keys up there. He said  “ I saw the keys in the front door and presumed that one of us must have forgotten to collect it.. So I took it and brought here.”  I could not believe my luck as no one would have done the unusual way Mr Kumar did it.  

           For the second time,  it happened when I parked my car in front of  Mala Medical Store and hurriedly went towards the market to buy some milk products etc.,, leaving the keys in the front door. The owner of Mala Medical store happened to watch it.  He sent his helper to go and collect the key and kept it with him.  After half an hour, we came back and I was searching for my key in all my pockets and found it missing. I thought I must have lost it in the market area. The owner of Mala Medical stores was watching the fun for quite some time. Later he sent his helper and called me to his shop.  After harassing me for some time, he handed over the keys to me and explained what happened. I could not believe my luck and obviously he became my favourite supplier of medicines.          

         The third time was even funnier. I wanted to send some parcel to my son at USA and had to go to GPO in the city.  I took my car for the trip and for some reason my wife did not join. Anyway I drove the car to the GPO and parked it inside. But this time, without removing the key from the ignition slot, I closed the front door which got locked automatically.  My mind was focused only on sending that important document to USA. Somehow I was lucky to sort out everything and I was told that it will reach within a week by SPEED POST.  I could not believe because the reputed couriers were demanding five times charges.  In my happiness, I took a bus and came home. When I reached home, my wife asked me “where is the car”. I was shocked and could not believe that I had forgotten my car and left it at GPO.   I searched for keys in my pocket and its absence made me scared.   I thought it is gone now. I took an auto rickshaw and rushed to GPO with all prayers in my lips.  I was shocked to find my car was still there but without the keys sticking out in the front door.   I was baffled, perplexed and desperate, not knowing what to do.  Fortunately by chance, I was able to see it inside the car sticking in the ignition slot.  The problem now was how to open the door and get the keys.   At that time another car of my make drove in and the driver parked it near my car. I told him the problem.  “ Oh..it is nothing..Let me see whether it works.”  He tried his key with my car front door and by GOD, the door opened. I could not believe my luck.   I thanked him profusely.   He was so gracious.           “ It is alright..     Sometimes it works, you know…    if you are lucky  ”
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