Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Random Reflections of Restless Ratiocinations: IF I COULD BE
Random Reflections of Restless Ratiocinations: IF I COULD BE: "This will surely require some explaining. I do mean that say “if I could be superman I will change” … or “if I could be someone else I will ..."
This is a good literary composition. Imagining, visualising and day-dreaming are good for one's happiness and in inducing creative thinking. Well done! Shekhar.
This is a good literary composition. Imagining, visualising and day-dreaming are good for one's happiness and in inducing creative thinking. Well done! Shekhar.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Theist and Atheist
One who believes in God and the one who does not - besides these two, there is a third category of persons. For this class of people, I don't have a single epithet; you may call them believers who do not really believe. A vast majority of people belong to the third category.
Many of us proudly declare ourselves as God-loving and God-fearing persons, yet in our actions we hide our deeds from Him, act in an arbitrary manner, forgetting that God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. It is this vast majority of people who are responsible for for the sufferings of the common man.
Both the true believers and the true non-believers do not harm others. The atheist, in my opinion, is a very noble person because instead of believing in God he believes in himself. In the final analysis, faith in one's own self is, in effect, faith in God. Those who call themselves theists because they perform 'Yagyas', offer prayers and 'namaaz' without listening to their inner voice are doing great harm to themselves. A true believer in God is a lover of his fellow beings, kind and liberal. Love of God is the real source of happiness. The Sufi, the devotional singer like Mira and Tukaram experienced this happiness. You cannot convert a non-believer into a believer, and vice versa, by logic and arguments. It is a matter of personal experience. Thereis nothing more convincing and scientific than your own experience.
Let there be more and more of true theists and true atheists.
Many of us proudly declare ourselves as God-loving and God-fearing persons, yet in our actions we hide our deeds from Him, act in an arbitrary manner, forgetting that God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. It is this vast majority of people who are responsible for for the sufferings of the common man.
Both the true believers and the true non-believers do not harm others. The atheist, in my opinion, is a very noble person because instead of believing in God he believes in himself. In the final analysis, faith in one's own self is, in effect, faith in God. Those who call themselves theists because they perform 'Yagyas', offer prayers and 'namaaz' without listening to their inner voice are doing great harm to themselves. A true believer in God is a lover of his fellow beings, kind and liberal. Love of God is the real source of happiness. The Sufi, the devotional singer like Mira and Tukaram experienced this happiness. You cannot convert a non-believer into a believer, and vice versa, by logic and arguments. It is a matter of personal experience. Thereis nothing more convincing and scientific than your own experience.
Let there be more and more of true theists and true atheists.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The most lasting Relatioship
I look around myself, my relatives and my friends and I notice that most of us, of my age group are lonely. We all have married and have sons and daughters. Now the sons and daughters have their own families. They cannot look after their own children and at the same time devote some time to their parents. The irony of the situation is that these young men and women are neither selfish nor lack concern for the elders; they simply cannot be much helpful. They have to devote considerable time to their professions and money earning activities. They have to plan about the education, professional training of their kids. They also need sometime for their spouses. The elders who have nostalgic memories of the good old days of joint families are dismayed at the lifestyle of today.
Now most of us find ourselves left with our wives/ husbands. These seniors have their own houses, their own cars and other mdern amenities; but are lonely and insecure. Thus the wife-husband relationship is the most lasting and enduring. But what about old widows and old widowers? May God help them.
Now most of us find ourselves left with our wives/ husbands. These seniors have their own houses, their own cars and other mdern amenities; but are lonely and insecure. Thus the wife-husband relationship is the most lasting and enduring. But what about old widows and old widowers? May God help them.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
26/11 By Shekhar
Today we mourn at the first anniversary of attack on Mumbai. On this day many programs are being organized- news channels are conducting special debates, radio stations are asking people to speak out, graffiti is being painted on city walls. Even some companies are running offers based on the event. I know my musing are meaningless, but this atmosphere of speaking out is surely contagious.
One thing is particularly interesting this time around, page 3 intellectuals are very vocal. These attacks were definitely not the first nor the last. There have been similar brazed attacks in the past. Attack on Indian parliament and hijack of Indian Airlines plane are easy recall. Even Mumbai faced serial train bombings. The reason for the momentum this time around is because on 26/11 the elite were targeted. Till now this class was under the impression that they cannot be touched. This realization has made them very vocal.
I was also bemused to see Shobhaa De debating very excitedly in many of these TV shows. If my memory serves me right she is more known for her filthy writings than her intellectual capacity. I think she is better at writing soft porn stories than serious thought provoking articles. Few weeks back the same woman was very subtly arguing in favor of Raj Thackeray! Oh no, I am not against her, there were many other Bollywood characters present. I just find it sordidly funny.
Now consider this, yesterday a channel called our home minister and audience were asking him questions. This person was behaving distinctively snobbishly. Refusing to answer questions, he even asked a person "how you would behave if you were in my position". Sir, if I will give you the answer will you vacate your seat in my favors.
I strongly feel that terrorists are more passionate and simply more honest about there job and purpose. While we continue to pass the buck and make dirty money these terrorists have nothing to fear. How come our motherland has eased to be a uniting & igniting factor?
Amen,
Shekhar
One thing is particularly interesting this time around, page 3 intellectuals are very vocal. These attacks were definitely not the first nor the last. There have been similar brazed attacks in the past. Attack on Indian parliament and hijack of Indian Airlines plane are easy recall. Even Mumbai faced serial train bombings. The reason for the momentum this time around is because on 26/11 the elite were targeted. Till now this class was under the impression that they cannot be touched. This realization has made them very vocal.
I was also bemused to see Shobhaa De debating very excitedly in many of these TV shows. If my memory serves me right she is more known for her filthy writings than her intellectual capacity. I think she is better at writing soft porn stories than serious thought provoking articles. Few weeks back the same woman was very subtly arguing in favor of Raj Thackeray! Oh no, I am not against her, there were many other Bollywood characters present. I just find it sordidly funny.
Now consider this, yesterday a channel called our home minister and audience were asking him questions. This person was behaving distinctively snobbishly. Refusing to answer questions, he even asked a person "how you would behave if you were in my position". Sir, if I will give you the answer will you vacate your seat in my favors.
I strongly feel that terrorists are more passionate and simply more honest about there job and purpose. While we continue to pass the buck and make dirty money these terrorists have nothing to fear. How come our motherland has eased to be a uniting & igniting factor?
Amen,
Shekhar
Friday, September 25, 2009
Who Will Come To My Aid If Something Bad Happens To Me?
I regard the title of this note as the name of a serious psychological disease. A vast number of persons who have come in my contact suffer from this syndrome. Aged and young alike are the victims of this syndrome, though the seniors suffer more. The answer to this question is that God will come to my aid and for the non-believers, my past actions ('karmas') will come to my aid if something bad happens to me. "Bad" also needs to be defined and clearly understood. Nothing that happens as a result of the working of Nature is bad.
Indian culture and tradition has inculcated in us the concept that father and mother are gods (Pitra devo bhava, Mtra devo bhava) and we have to be loyal, respectful to them. Serving the parents and the grand parents in every possible manner brings us divine blessing. I find it difficult to accept this concept in toto. We should be thankful to our parents and elders for all the sacrifices they have made for us. It should give us pleasure and satisfaction to serve and help the seniors. If the father is corrupt and debauch, we need not be loyal to him. Our loyalty should be for certain ideals and values and not for individuals.
I am loyal to my boss because he holds the key to my promotion. I am loyal to my party President for he will nominate me to Rajya Sabha. Personally speaking, I am now from this burden of loyalities. At 73, I have no professional promotion to seek and I do not nurture any political ambitions. This is one of the many reasons why I feel so light and unburdened these past many years. Still there is one aspect of this 'pitra devo bhava' concept that causes lots of problems for old persons of my age group. They expect too much from their sons and daughters, and, being disillusioned, indulge in self-pity and frustration. My message to fellow greys is that the children are now Papas and Moms and their first priority is to take care of their families. Let us accept the one and the only truth - God will come to our (and everyone else's) aid if something bad happens to us. Chances are that nothing 'bad' will happen to anyone of us.
I regard the title of this note as the name of a serious psychological disease. A vast number of persons who have come in my contact suffer from this syndrome. Aged and young alike are the victims of this syndrome, though the seniors suffer more. The answer to this question is that God will come to my aid and for the non-believers, my past actions ('karmas') will come to my aid if something bad happens to me. "Bad" also needs to be defined and clearly understood. Nothing that happens as a result of the working of Nature is bad.
Indian culture and tradition has inculcated in us the concept that father and mother are gods (Pitra devo bhava, Mtra devo bhava) and we have to be loyal, respectful to them. Serving the parents and the grand parents in every possible manner brings us divine blessing. I find it difficult to accept this concept in toto. We should be thankful to our parents and elders for all the sacrifices they have made for us. It should give us pleasure and satisfaction to serve and help the seniors. If the father is corrupt and debauch, we need not be loyal to him. Our loyalty should be for certain ideals and values and not for individuals.
I am loyal to my boss because he holds the key to my promotion. I am loyal to my party President for he will nominate me to Rajya Sabha. Personally speaking, I am now from this burden of loyalities. At 73, I have no professional promotion to seek and I do not nurture any political ambitions. This is one of the many reasons why I feel so light and unburdened these past many years. Still there is one aspect of this 'pitra devo bhava' concept that causes lots of problems for old persons of my age group. They expect too much from their sons and daughters, and, being disillusioned, indulge in self-pity and frustration. My message to fellow greys is that the children are now Papas and Moms and their first priority is to take care of their families. Let us accept the one and the only truth - God will come to our (and everyone else's) aid if something bad happens to us. Chances are that nothing 'bad' will happen to anyone of us.
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