Archives November 2012

15th August, once again, the national flag is hoisted at countless official and formal events all over the country. Indian citizens are also allowed to fly the Tricolour on rooftops and courtyards all over India. It is a symbol of our nationhood. Our national flag can once again become a beacon for ordinary people, especially the youth and children. The three colours of the flag—saffron, white and green— represent three pan—Indian values. And it is those values that will stand the test of time for the country, the nation and its people. Saffron has a special cultural context in India. It is the colour of intellectual search by the sages of yore and of the Buddha and his renunciation and the Middle Path. Thus saffron represents sacrifice and passion. Nation— building in its essence requires passion and sacrifice. The concept of a common goal beyond individual vanities requires commitment. There more...

Let us examine the concept of peace in Judaism. The infinite longing in Judaism for peace and goodwill finds expression on many an occasion. For instance, the form of greeting shalom Aleichem (peace be unto you), figures not only when Jews meet one another but can be heard as a form of greeting by people of other religions as well. There is hardly any prayer where the world shalom (peace) does not occur. Many of the prayers are supplications for forgiveness of sins and comprise readings of sublime truths and principles of ethical loving. And thus, it was that prophet Isaiah in his vision of peace declared: "And it shall come to pass in the last days. That the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow into it. "And he shall more...

Man is basically a member of social community. And socialize he must. Not only ought he to take care of himself but he should take care of other's needs too. You can see how happy are folk who have done service in religious places. The pleasure is really uplifting. Social service can be defined as service rendered by an individual or an institution to improve conditions of society. The service is rendered where the need is most felt—it is on humanitarian grounds with no profit consideration. Only good-natured person can serve others— only those who serve for service sake. In modern times Social service is being introduced at the school and college levels. Social service is based on the concept of brotherhood of man. It is natural to help out a person in distress. It is a noble urge. It cannot happen without an element of self-sacrifice. One's time and more...

I have a craving to visit a foreign country. The very thought thrills me. I feel that a visit to some foreign country will do me a lot of good. I will know more of world geography. I will come back with new ideas. I will be called 'foreign-returned'. There are a number of countries where people usually go. There is the USA, the richest country of the world. It is a land of crime, skyscrapers, and affluence. It is said that out of every two families there, one owns a big car. Then there is the UK, whose inhabitants are very formal—they ruled over India for over a century and fleeced her of most of her wealth. The Britishers are still our friends. There is Russia, the erstwhile USSR, once a super power, the leader of the countries with communist ideology. Japan, too, is a country that holds fascination more...

"Are there any Presbytarian lilies? Are there any Methodist landscapes?... My religion is a religion of nature, I call it the Common Path..." announced the young professor of mathematics, whose interpretation of Vedanta made a mark on the intellectual and spiritual milieu of his times. Professor Tirath Ram's evolution from an academic to a monk-apostle of Vedanta was an intense search for the self. The man who wanted to serve God through mathematics became destined to serve humanity first, through his transformation into the "Lion of Vedanta", Swami Ram Tirtha. Swami Rama Tirtha rekindled the poetic vision of the Upanishads. His exposition of Vedanta through lectures and talks imparted a transcendental perspective to the ancient text. He advocated greater brotherhood and bonding through a realization of the true meaning of the spiritual law. The essence of this is captured in a beautiful composition called The Faith: "What care I for more...

Human resources are very important for a country. But it may not be fully tapped resulting in unemployment, India gives importance to this question, as it has a ministry on Human Resource Development at the Centre, Qualified people are available but there may be no avenues for them to work which results in unemployment, More the unemployment, more the frustration and restlessness in youth. We have acute unemployment or under-employment problem in this country. If there is one vacancy, more than a hundred people may have applied. Or if the qualification asked for is secondary pass, B.A.s and M.A-s apply and are ready to work. The registers of Employment Exchanges do not give a correct picture of the extent of the problem of unemployment as the employment exchanges cover only the urban areas. As there are no Employment Exchanges in rural areas, a correct estimate of the number of the more...

The gap between the two generations—young and old—is what is called the generation gap. It has been there since time immemorial. The young generation is inexperienced, rash and impatient; the elders have wisdom through experience and are cautious and steady. Those belonging to the old generation wonder as to what has gone wrong with the new generation. They feel their own times were much better. Youngsters on the other hand feel they can manage their affairs on their own and do not need to depend on elders at all. This gap is widening with the passage of time. First, young people feel the present system of education has little relevance with the realities of life. It is not employment oriented. Second, life is so busy that parents find no time to be with their children. Efforts to promote intimacy and understanding between the young and the old are lacking. Third, more...

Brahma was upset. Things had not gone as he had planned. His creation was not as wonderful as he had expected. There were too many glitches in it and he was starting to get worried. It was then that sage Narada appeared before Brahma and reminded him of something he had forgotten. According to Hindu practices, Ganesha is worshipped before the beginning of any new venture. Ganesha is regarded as the remover of obstacles, thus ensuring the success of a new venture. Brahma had forgotten this and now his new venture—his creation was not turning out as he had planned. Immediately after that Brahma commenced praying to Ganesha and requested to be forgiven. Ganesha was quick to forgive Brahma and explained to him the reason for the tradition. He said that as one prayed to him, especially before a new venture, all the thoughts were oriented toward the job on more...

Conventionally, going on a pilgrimage is believed to present an ideal occasion for soul-searching. Blessed are the souls who have a chance to become pilgrims. The more arduous and long the journey, the greater the chance to reflect. A yatra is a good time—when the temporal and the timeless meet—to try and expand our understanding of our own selves and the Almighty. This is the spirit of the yearly pilgrimage to the hallowed precincts of the cave-shrine of Amarnath. The Amarnath yatra's high point is the full moon day of Sravana (August). Detailed in the 12th century textofKalhana's "Rajatarangini", and later vividly described in Abul Fazl's "Ain-i-Akbari", the Amarnath Yatra has attracted sages and householders since time immemorial. This year, more than lakh pilgrims, despite hazards, made the difficult trip to Amarnath to pray to the Shiva lingam that is completely of ice, deep inside Kashmir, in the dizzy heights more...

The midday recess, though a short one, is so welcome in the school timetable. It gives much relief to the students after continues study of four or more periods. As the recess bell rings, students, rush out of their classes to go to the school canteen, while others go elsewhere to settle down on benches with their lunch boxes or go to their favourite spots with their packets. The school canteen and tuck shop is a much-liked place. The students actually surround the canteen counter or the canteen boys and ask for what they need. The teachers too come here but in their vacant periods. During the recess time the teachers and students sit in their respective common rooms to relax and do things other than mental. Some teachers utilize the recess period for correcting exercise books of pupils instead of doing it elsewhere. The students are not allowed out more...