FREEDOM OF THINKING IS DIFFERENT FROM POWER OF EXPRESSING-ESSAY

We are blessed with a brain that gives the power of thinking. This possibly is the best gift, the creator has given us. Not that other organs of our body are not so important but brain outsmarts them all. All our senses are controlled and commanded by our brain. But are we really free to think? I don’t think so. Having power is one thing and using that power per choice is entirely different thing. In our day to day life we do what is expected of us and not what we really want. Right from our childhood we have been conditioned to act and react under some circumstances in a predetermined way. For centuries we have been repeating these expectations without a break. As a family man we get married, have children, provide for them and retire to obscurity. Nothing really changes the pattern. Even the circumstances are not of our making. In our conduct as a member of the civil society we think and act in a familiar pattern and walk the beaten track. What is therefore freedom of thinking? Freedom of thinking comes from freedom of attachment. Independent thinking is a precondition for free thinking and for independent thinking detachment is essential. Our thinking process is biased because of our attachments. Since we do not want to harm our interests caused by attachments, we think and act in a familiar pattern. Another precondition for free thinking is the courage to take personal risk. Our free thinking may cause us social boycott, personal injury or even threat to life. Only when we are prepared to take these personal risks, we are in a position to think freely. Many a times we abjure free thinking because of our so called reputation, social status or our very existence may be at risk. People who have made huge contributions for the good of mankind were free thinkers. They thought differently or were in today’s lingo ‘out of box thinkers’. They did not walk the beaten tracks. Gandhiji could think freely because he thought truth must prevail. This is what he said in his autobiography ‘My experiment with truth’:- “The instruments for the quest of truth are as simple as they are difficult. They may appear quite impossible to an arrogant person and quite possible to an innocent child”. All throughout his life his followed the path of truth and non violence. He thought that the only way to fight the might of the British Empire was non- violence. He was ridiculed for his thinking which was not on familiar pattern of violence for violence. Finally his FREE THINKING got freedom to India. This idea was successfully adopted by Nelson Mandela in South Africa and before that Martin Luther King in America Galileo thought differently and finally proved that the earth resolves round the sun and not the other way round. All inventions are result of free thinking. Newton watched the falling apple and propounded the theory of Gravitation. Mansoor braved the wrath of religious heads when he said ‘I am God’ on the lines of “Brahamam aham”. All changes in the religious and social are the result of free thinking. Gautama Buddha detached himself from family obligations and proceeded in search of Truth. Swami Vivekananda was an embodiment of detachment and free thinking. It is not enough to have power. It is important to use that power differently for the benefit of all.

I UNDERSTAND- MOTIVATIONAL

1. I will stop asking “why me God” for my troubles and start asking “why me God” for my blessings. 2.I understand the one within me believes in me even if no one else believes in me. I will still cross the finishing line. 3. I understand it does not matter how much I have, but what really matters is what I do with what I have. 4. I understand when I lift others, I automatically move to the higher rug of the ladder. 5. I will express my love for my Creater for caring for His Creations in all the possible ways. 6. I understand deep relationships are created through investment of time and communication. 7. I will go into any relationship looking at what I can give and not what I can receive. 8. I understand small beginning, incremental improvement and sustained progress will result in monumental possibility. 9. I will creat a legacy for working for a goal that is larger than myself. 10. I understand my life is my responsibility and no blaming is allowed. 11. I will go as far as I can see and I know when I reach there He will show me further. 12. I understand it is not a question of how powerful my ‘God’ is but it is a question of how powerful my ‘faith’ is.

THE OTHER SIDE OF PROSPERITY INDEX

(Our locality is prospering. Residents no more worry about two square meals. Above all there is more to the mundane affairs of food, clothing and roofs.) Sample this: 1. Within a span of just two years four Unisex Saloons have come up in our locality not counting the numerous beauty parlors we already have both for men and women... The oldest one has two portions one for ladies and other for gents. The newest one has one open hall for both visible through the glass doors. This is women empowerment at its best where they can sit side by side with men and be pampered by male hair stylists and beauticians. Gone are the days for ‘Ladies only saloons’ may not as yet because I find more such ladies beauty parlors are opening. One such has just opened namely “SPLENDED BEAUTY STUDIO- YOUR BEAUTY SOLOTUION”. I guess the miss-spelled words are on the advice of some astrologer.(Yesterday on the eve of karwa chowth when wives fast for the welfare of their husbands, all the beauty parlors were crowded) 2. Every next lane has at least two boutiques dealing and designing ladies garments. Who says readymade garments will make tailors redundant? 3. The last five years have seen the opening of two liquor shops. And liquor shops are there, non-veg- snacks stalls cannot be far behind. It’s an office complex with some five or six banks around and a couple of shops. There is quite a big open space in the center of the complex which, in the evening when the sun goes down, turns into a bar for sundowners. With hidden support from the authorities, tables are laid in the open. Urchins become helpers and in addition to tips collect the empty bottles also. Once in a while, as an eye wash, some raids are conducted and then it is business as usual. 4. Almost every household has at least vehicle, two or four wheeler. Some have more. All ground floor houses on the road side have turned into business ventures of some kind. All Kothies (houses built on individual plots) with some exceptions have turned into high rises. God stopped creating land from the day of creation but continues creating people. All in all the density of population has gone up. More people and more vehicles have burdened the limited road space. Walking on the roads is a nightmare particularly when no one follows the traffic rules.

RICHNESS IS WHEN YOU NEED NO MORE

RICHNESS IS WHEN YOU NEED NO MORE In 1923, eight of the wealthiest people in the world met. Their combined wealth, it is estimated, exceeded the wealth of the government of the United States at that time. These men certainly knew how to make a living and accumulate wealth. But let's examine what happened to them 25 years later. President of the largest steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed capital for five years before he died bankrupt. President of the largest gas company, Howard Hubson, went insane. One of the greatest commodity traders, Arthur Cutton, died insolvent. President of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, was sent to jail. A member of the President's Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from jail to go home and die in peace. The greatest "bear" on Wall Street, Jessie Livermore, committed suicide. President of the world's greatest monopoly, Ivar Krueger, committed suicide. President of the Bank of International Settlement, Leon Fraser, committed suicide. What they forgot was how to make a life! Money in itself is not evil! Money provides food for the hungry, medicine for the sick, clothes for the needy. Money is only a medium of exchange. We need two kinds of education. One that teaches us how to make a living and one that teaches us how to live. There are people who are so engrossed in their professional life that they neglect their family, health, spiritual life and social responsibilities. If asked why they do this they would reply that they were doing it for their family. Our kids are sleeping when we leave home. They are sleeping when we come home. Twenty years later, we'll turn back, and they'll all be gone. Without water, a ship cannot move. The ship needs water, but if the water gets into the ship, the ship will face problems. What was once a means of living for the ship will now become a means of destruction. Similarly we live in a time where earning is a necessity but let not the earning enter our hearts, for what was once a means of living will be become a means of destruction. So take a moment and ask yourself....has water entered my ship? RICHNESS is not Earning More, Spending More Or Saving More, but "RICHNESS IS WHEN YOU NEED NO MORE" Have the best of weekends ahead... Once Again Please Remember The reality of Wealth: "RICHNESS IS WHEN YOU NEED NO MORE"

IS LIFE JUST TICKING AWAY?

IS LIFE JUST TICKING AWAY? I am approaching my 72nd year on this planet earth and I am wondering IS LIFE JUST TICKING AWAY OR HAVE I BEEN IN A POSITION TO ASSIGN SOME MEANING TO IT? AM I SILENTLY WAITING TO FADE AWAY? It is said that a lion after covering some distance looks back, pauses and walks on majestically. On the other hand other animals just keep walking or running, pausing and looking back only when there is no perceived threat. As a human I too had my fair share of love, anger and worries. Did I have time and inclination to look back, review and proceed or did I simply kept walking and running away from threats and pitfalls? There were moments of love and when the whole creation seemed to be in love. Even the birds, trees, rivers and stars were singing love songs. When one is love, an unexplainable feeling, he /she experiences a different kind of bliss. The whole universe seems to be collaborating with and sharing in that bliss. Love has many manifestations. Sometimes passion, infatuation or even natural affection is confused as love and I had all of them. I had also the moments of being in love with myself. I had no conflict with what I am, who I am and how I am. There were moments of desperation too but they were external circumstances. I crossed the situation by simply convincing myself that these circumstances were of my own making and I have to share the burden too. I continuously reviewed my equation with others and tried to balance it with best of my capabilities. Many a times I failed. Many a times I lost the love of someone whom I had taken for granted. Many a times I was loved by strangers too. Despite all misunderstandings and misgivings, love won. Without love, I would not be a human. I got angry with or without reasons. I tried my best to be calm and composed in all circumstances but failed. There was something inside which did not agree with my efforts and I fell prey to temptations and luxuries of being angry. At times I was angry on myself for my weaknesses. I was angry with myself for my strengths too. I despised myself for being too principled and theoretical in a practical world. I was angry on others for their indifference towards me, for their too much of reliance on me or for using me. I was aware that anger is corroding me but I somehow could not resist. On hind side I feel anger is necessary as it helps you to vent your true feelings. It helps removing the false curtains of civility and mannerism you have hanged around you. It was also just human to be angry. The worrying part is the most difficult part. It was easy to love and ask to be loved. It was easy to be angry and ask for forgiveness. But it was not easy not to worry. There were worries of all shades. Worries borne out of sickness of self or someone in the family, worries relating to job or finances and worries about children and their future. There were worries of the past affecting the present. There were worries of future making the present irrelevant. Worries of all sorts followed as a shadow of my own. There were worries of the past on which there was no control then and no control now but they still followed. I tried to get rid of them, at times taking unpredicted turns to dodge but they were too powerful. Worries of future thankfully did not come true but worries of the past were real. One could make plans for future worries but what about worries of the past particularly when your own people keep on reminding you of your follies and the resultant misfortunes of the present. You are not allowed to forget of the mistakes of your past, never. Worries of the present are as important but can be tackled with experience from the past. You do not have to commit blunders every now and then on the same issue! I think the worries were just a prelude to proactive actions to be taken to ward off against real or perceived uncertainties. It helped as is evident from the carefree life I am leading today. In this context all those worries were worth the trouble. Looking back I can say with utmost certainty that I was just a human. The life would have been meaningless without love, anger and worries. Life would have been monotonous without the thrills of unpredictables. Love, anger and worries add spice to life. Without love, anger and worries life would be just ticking away. Life is not ticking away because of the number of years lived and to be lived but because of the years lived without love, anger and worries. Life is mix of so many emotions, wonderful !

VALLEY OF FLOWERS- UTTARAKHAND

“ High in the Himalayan ranges of Garhwal hills of Uttaranchal lies an enchanted Valley.” About 600 kilometers from Delhi, in the Chamoli district of Uttaranchal can be found The Valley of Flowers, a breathtaking array of over 500 different species of wild flowers spread over an area of 87.5 km². It is situated a height of 11,000 feet to 14,000 feet above the sea level in the Western Himalayas. This mysterious valley was hidden from the outside world, with only locals frequenting the place. Initially, it was avoided by the shepherds who believed this magical valley to be the celestial playground of the Gods, nymphs and fairies. The Valley was discovered by Frank Smith, a mountaineer, botanist and an explorer who came across it quite accidentally in 1931. He was so captivated by its outstanding beauty, which was in its full bloom at the time that he wrote a book about it called “Valley of Flowers”. Thus, the Valley remained a secret no more much to the delight of nature enthusiasts all over the world. The Valley itself is flanked on either side by imposing peaks, capped with snow. It is divided into two sections due to the Pushpawati River which cuts through the valley. The major portion of this valley is on its right bank and is every trekker’s dream come true. The entire trek from Govindghat to the valley via Ghangharia is a feast to the eyes. The Valley of flowers changes color almost every day, as it blooms with hundreds of new different flowers along with the changing shades of the old flowers as time passes by. It has been acknowledged by botanists, mountaineers and nature lovers as one of the most picturesque high altitude valleys in the world. It was only in 1982 that an area of 8,950 hectares of the valley was declared a National Park. In July 2005, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is mainly due to the fact that the valley contains so much rich diversified fauna within its area especially as it is a meeting point of Zanskar, Himalayan ranges and Eastern and Western Himalayas. The importance of this beautiful valley is furthered as many endangered flower species and medicinal plants can be found here. From November to May, the valley is covered in a bed of snow but the flora here is well adapted to the harsh climatic conditions. The best time to visit the Valley of Flowers is in the months of July and August after the snow has melted. The flowers are in full bloom during this time, giving you ample opportunity to enjoy the never ending charm of this place.

Value of Time

 

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with 86,400.

It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part

of the balance you failed to use during the day.

What would you do? Draw out every rupee, of course!

Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.

Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds.

Every night it writes off as lost whatever of this you have failed to

invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.

Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day.

If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.

There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow."

You must live in the present on today's deposits.

Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success!

The clock is running. Make the most of today.

To realize the value of ONE YEAR,

ask a student who failed a grade.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH,

ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK,

ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of ONE DAY,

ask a person who was born on February 29th.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR,

ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE,

ask a person who missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND,

ask a person who just avoided an accident.

To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND,

ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have, and treasure it more

because you shared it with someone special, special

enough to spend your time. Remember that time waits for no one.

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is a mystery.

Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present!

 

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  OUR NEPAL TRIP

We have returned from our four days/three nights Nepal Trip on 29^th April 2012. We have been thinking of taking this trip for sometimes and as they say there is time for everything we too were on our way to Kathmandu on 26^th April 2012 by Jet Connect flight from IGI Airport Delhi and landed on time at Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu.

                                                                              IGI Airport Delhi
We checked in Vaishali Hotel in Thamel, the tourist district of Kathmandu in the afternoon.  As there was nothing scheduled for the day we explored the Thamel market on foot. I had visited Kathmandu in 1979 and had a vivid memory of Central Park (Ratna Park). We tugged our way to the Park through the busy, crowded and badly maintained streets of Thamel and on reaching Ratna Park all our hopes of a well maintained Park were dashed. It was in a shabby condition. We did not even enter the Park. Thamel Market is full of shops selling handicrafts and other gift items. I am not sure it they are locally made or brought from outside. Similar items are available on janpath Road in Delhi.

Nepal is a land locked country with 56827 sq miles of area and about 35 million population. Some 2 million Nepalese live outside Nepal doing lowly paid jobs. Nepal has a troubled history that culminated in the sad massacre on June 1, 2001 in the Royal Palace that killed King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and seven other members of the Royal family by Crown Prince Dipendra. Allegedly he took the step in a drunken state as he was not being allowed to marry a girl of his choice. He too committed suicide three days after. The truth however never came out. No wonder, Royal Palaces are full of unsolved mysteries and untold stories.  Nepal is a Republic now ruled by Maoists coalition. The constitution is in the making for the last 5 years and may come into reality any time soon.

Nepal is a destination for trekking and wild life enthusiasts. Most of the mountaineering expeditions have been successfully taken through Nepal. Eight of ten highest Mountains in the world are in Nepal.  Our main purpose of coming to Kathmandu was to take the mountain flight to Mount Everest. As the saying goes, if you cannot have the best, grab the second best. This is exactly we did. Since we could not/cannot climb Mount Everest, the next best thing was to fly over it. So we took Mountain Flight operated by Agni Air at 6.30 in the morning on 27^th. It’s an half an hour flight that takes you to as close as possible to the mountains. On a day when the sky is clear, as was in our case, it was an experience beyond words. The snow covered peaks shining with the rainbow colors of the sun rays appeared to be so mystic.  The Everest (8848 m) looks like a Pyramid tugged in between two mountains.    Other mountains are Gosaithan -8013 m, Dorjilhakpa-6966m, Choba Bhamare-5993 m, Gauri Shankar- 7115 m, Melungtse- 7023 m, Chugimago-6297 m, Mt. Numbur- 6956 m. It is said that Mt. Gauri Shankar has not been conquered as yet because Shiva Parvati reside on this mountain.  So much for FAITH.

Boarding

                                                    In side the Aircraft

                                                                            Boardig the Mountain flight

                                                          Everest Range

We had also planned to visit Pashupatiinath Temple in Kathmandu. There are many temples in Nepal but Pashpatinath is the main attraction for the Shiva-devotees. That possibly is the reason why people from South India and Shiva Devotees from as far as Singapore visit this temple in large groups. We visited the temple in the afternoon .We could have the Darshan peacefully. There are many legends attached to the temple. It is said that once Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati visited this place and were mesmerized by its natural beauty and decided to stay. They turned themselves into deer. Gods were worried as to where Lord Shiva could be found. They finally located him at this place and persuaded him to return to Mount Kailash, his abode. He agreed on one condition that thenceforth he would be known as Pashupatinath, the Protector of animals. I guess legends have some hidden message and here the message is to protect the animals. We also visited Buddhists Temple called Swayambhu on the hill top.

 

 

Pashypatinath

Pashupatinath

Swayambhu

Swayambhu

28^th was kept a free day for exploring Kathmandu. It is believed that when the Mother calls, the feet automatically move towards the Mother’s abode. Looks it happens with us too. Somebody suggested that we go to Mankamana Devi temple some 100kms from Kathmandu. Mankamana Devi in Nepal is equivalent of Vaishnodevi is in India. Hundreds of devotees visit the temple everyday hoping that their wishes will be fulfilled. Saturday attracts huge crowds. Knowing well that we may have to face a huge crowd we still took the plunge. We hired a car and left for Mankamana at 8 in the morning and reached there at 10.30 only to be greeted by a long serpentine line of about half a km. Mankamana is on the hill top (1302 m) and is presently reachable by cable car that takes some 15 minutes to cover the 3 km cable way. Before the start of cable car, it was an arduous journey on foot that took hours.

Queue of Devptees

                                                               Mankamana Temple

                                                          Cable car

Cable car

There is this practice of pleasing the deity by offering animal sacrifice. In olden times buffalos were sacrificed. They have now been replaced by goats and cocks. Fortunately this practice is fading away not because people’s faith has somehow taken a shift but because, I think, the costs of animals have become prohibitive. Whatever may be the reason, it is a good sign.

                                                       sacrfificial goats
We managed to have Darshan of the Mother and returned to Kathmandu at about 9.30 pm.

Clouds on board

                                                         Clouds on board
The above photographs of moving clouds were taken on board Jet Connect return flight. The scenario was so beautiful that I could not resist the temptation of capturing it. I have a very good video too.

We reached home on time.

HOO HAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOO HAAA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jai Sriram ! Jai Sriram! Said the group just passed by. I
know they are among the regular morning walkers and I have been seeing them for
few years now but in the list of regular
Hi and Hello wishers. This was not by any design but somehow it simply did not
happen. It was therefore difficult for me to figure out why this sudden attempt
at familiarity. OMG ! it’s 1st
April. Are they playing any prank with me? Not really because they were
exchanging pleasantries with each passerby. I was not the selected one. Then
what could it be? Courtesy demanded that I respond happily and so did I. The
question still remained unanswered.
Before I could put my fingers at something tangible, today I
see them with party stoles hanging around their necks and a huge man covered
with garlands walking in front of them with folded hands.
IT’S ELECTION TIME FOLKS!!!!!!! Enjoy the new ‘Kolaveri D’ for Election to the Municipal
Corporation of Delhi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hari Lakhera @05-04-2012

THE RECIPE FOR PERFECT GRANDPARENTS

Ingredients:
One box needed of crazy birthday cards you give to me.
Three cups of daal and roti you make for me.
Two trips to the store to get me my nail polish.
Four different pairs of earrings you lake for me.
Nine games of card tricks you taught me.
Twenty minutes of time we spent on walks.
One package of all purpose love.
Directions:
Preheat oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit.
Mix all purpose love with three cups of daal and roti.
Take crazy birthday cards and mix thoroughly with nail
polish from the store.
Pat twenty minutes of walks with nine games of card tricks
and mix all separate mixtures together.
Put on two separate trays and put in the toy room.
Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes.
Wait for it to cool and serve into seven little bite size
pieces.
Now you’ve finished making the perfect grandparents.
Love,
Ruhi.

1.WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN AT DIU BEACH 2. AT HAJI ALI