Deep Thinkers Organization (DTO) organized a Seminar at the Riverside Sports & Recreation Club, Mayur Vihar, Phase-I, Extension,  on the rights of consumers and their protection under the Consumers Protection Act.

The Chief Guest-speaker was Justice S.N. Kapoor, former Judge of the the High Court of Delhi and the sitting member of the National Consumer Redressal Commission, The meeting was presided over by Shri K.P. Verma, former District and Session Judge, Delhi.

Shri Suresh C. Gupta, Advocate, Supreme Court and Convener of the DTO, in his inaugural speech, recalled the time when the consumer was considered as a god or master and said that today the consumer was thoroughly cheated and exploited practically in all fields. The consumer is always at the receiving end and kept in dark. He does not exactly know as to what to do, to whom to complaint, where to seek the remedy, especially against the suppliers of goods and services. The consumer finds himself in a  totally helpless condition and continues to suffer silently. Shri Gupta noted that Consumers Protection Act was enacted in order to protect and safeguard the rights and interest of the consumers but despite it being there for 20 years on the statute book the situation was grim.

Justice Kapoor, in his two-hour speech, threw light on the various aspects and facets of the consumer law, different judgments of the Supreme Courts for redressing of the grievances. He laid emphasis on “collective action” since an individual consumer could not effectively fight alone. For this, he suggested that the consumers should get together and form “voluntary consumers organizations”, which in turn should first create awareness and impart legal literacy, make consumers conscious of their rights as well as duties and then take up cases, which affected a large number of consumers. He said that the Consumer Protection Act itself provided for and recognized such voluntary consumers’ organizations and the collective action taken by them. He congratulated the members of the DTO for taking an initiative in this direction.

Justice Kapoor, exhibiting his vast and rich experience and extensive knowledge in the field, explained in detail as to how the consumers were made to suffer on account of ‘defect in goods,’ ‘deficiencies in service and the ‘unfair trade practices’ carried out by the suppliers, service providers, traders, manufactures etc. He narrated several instances and cases relating to ornaments & jewelry, housing, education, vehicles/car loans insurance, telephones, credit cards & loans, traveling by air and railways, medical services etc. which were brought to the Courts and Consumer Commissions and forums and in which relief had been given to the aggrieved consumers in the form of compensation, replacement of goods etc.

Justice Kapoor’s speech was followed by an interactive session. Ms Rakhi Garg pointed out that people did not even know as to hospitals and educational institutions, which had got land etc. from the Government authorities on concessional rates or free of charge, on their specific representation and assurance that they shall provide free medical/ educationl services to the poor and needy. In fact, they have not done so and therefore, stringent action should be taken against them, including cancellation of their lease grant etc. According to her, several cases of the kind had come to light and would further be brought to notice of the courts only if the people knew the names and particulars of such institutions. Justice Kapoor agreed that such vital information should be widely published and made available to the public either by the Government or by its agencies and by the media, in public interest. The newly enacted Right to Information Act could also be invoked and used for the purpose.

Ms. Kiran Bala and a few others pointed out that big builders and loan providers did not come out clean while dealing with the members of the public. The buyer or the person who availed or avails of such services was/ are not shown the complete terms of the agreement, which  he or she was/ is required to enter into. For this, it is necessary that some model agreements  should be directed to be widely publicized and duly communicated to the consumers before execution. During discussion, Shri Gupta pointed to the provisions of Section 23 of the Indian Contract Act, according to which the Courts could declare an agreement, which was found to be fraudulent, unconscionable and/or against the public policy, to be unlawful and therefore void, especially since the individual consumer was/is never in a bargaining position vis-à-vis the giants.

The seminar concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Shri Arun Mahajan, Advocate and co-convener of DTO.

 According to the members of the DTO and the organizers of the program more often then not we act and do things in life unknowingly. They say, “Being in dark and not knowing or having complete understanding of certain important aspects, we still act and face consequences. Lack of awareness in the particular field is one major cause and ultimately it proves to be detrimental. Further, ignorance of law is no excuse or defense in a court of law. But how much does a common man know about laws to which he is subjected to? Law is an ocean and even the people who practice law do not know and are certainly not aware of all the branches of law prevailing in the country, less to be said about a common man. There is a dearth of programmes or schemes to promote legal literacy and spread its awareness among masses. We grapple in dark and consequently make mistakes, suffer and get exploited. The seminars and the interactive sessions of the kind are humble attempts and a beginning in this direction. Members of the DTO feel encouraged by the participation and tremendous interest shown by the residents of the area and others. DTO has also received valuable suggestions and advices and guidance. Together we may make a dent somewhere and create more awareness and harmony in the society”             

i. Books are prize possessions.

ii. Books have hidden treasures of knowledge- thoughts and feelings.

iii.Books are long lasting- Phool to murjha jate hain kitabo.n ko murjhane ka khauf nahin hota.

iv. Books are best friends of all.

v. For books are more than books, they are the life
The very heart and core of ages past,
The reason why men lived and worked and died,
The essence and quintessence of their lives.
- Amy Lowell

vi. Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill.- Barbara Tuchman.

vii. A wonderful thing about a book, in contrast to a computer screen, is that you can take it to bed with you.-Daniel J. Boorstein

viii. The greatest gift is a passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you the knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination.
- Elizabeth Hardwick.

ix. Books satisfy the hunger of mind- We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the more we gain, the more is our desire; the more we see, the more we are capable of seeing.- Maria Mitchell.

x. Reading is a habit – a good habit; and habits die hard- They say that out of `habit’ if you cut off `h’, `a bit’ is there, if you cut off `a’ `bit’ remains and if you cut off `b’ still `it’ is there.

Do you agree? Do you have more suggestions in this regard? Please do suggest.

Mai.n hindu hoo.n tum mussalmann,

tumhara khuda hai mera bhagwan;

Yeh mandir kee ghantiya, yeh mulle kee aazan,

insaan ko insaan ke karib aane nahi deti,

bar-bar kano.n mei.n gujante hue kahati hai.n,

tu hindu hai wah mussalmann;

mazhab ke naam par har roz hota hai katle-aam,

kitni hee jane jati hai.n, kitne hote lahu-luhan,

dharm kee patti aankho.n par aisi padi hai,

ki insaaniyat bhool chuka hai insaan;

Kya yeh mumkin nahi,

ki hum yeh bediya.n ttod dale.n,

insaaniyat ko hee apna dharm bana dale.n,

na ladaee jhagade honge na jayegi jaan,

na hoga koi hindu na hoga koi mussalmann. 

HERE I WOULD LIKE TO ADD-

All religons were propogated to serve humanity, and humanism should be, and I think it is, at the core of every religion. But unfortunately, because of certain vested interests of few, the basic purpose is forgotten/ abondend, and religion is used as a political tool, especially since people/followers are emotionally involved in it.Their sentiments are exploited and they are made to serve against humanity itself.

Also, every religion has two parts- spritualism on one hand and rights/rituals at the other. Spritualism is the soul of the religion and rights/ rituals are its body. Somebody rightly compared it with a banana and said that infact we have thrown away the flesh and we are moving around with the peel ( Hamne gudda tho phek diya hai, chilka liye ghoom rahe hai.n). 

The famous gazal sung by Jagjit Singh - Koi dost hai na rakib hai , tera shahar kitna ajeeb hai, has one another sher- Main kisko kahoon mere saath chal, yahan sabke sar pe saleeb hai- meaning thereby, whom do I request to come with me since every one carries the cross, burden of life, and there is none to accompany me.

Now, what is this burden of life? Is it real or merely a creation of our particular mind-set? Two small stories here-

A Mahatma was on a pilgrimage. He was carrying with him a small bundle of his personal clothes etc. The temple was on a hill and the path was rough and quite steep. Mahatma and his companions were sweating/panting. Mahatma saw a hill girl, of about 7-8 years, who was also climbing the hill and carrying a small child of about 2 years, on her shoulders. She was also sweating and panting like others. Mahatma, feeling pity on her, said- Beti, tumahare sar pe to bahut bojh hai! The girl looked at him and said with a smile- mahatmajee bojh to aapke sar pe hai, yah to mera bhai hai.

Mahatma jee, while narrating the above says that the small child gave him the real lesson of life which he could not get out of reading of the scriptures, wandering around or interacting with the intellectuals. He learnt from the small child that when we love somebody/something the same is not a burden on us. In fact, we carry many other burdens in life which can easily be minimized/ avoided.

Another one- A sadhu alighted a train. He had some personal belongings, a small suitcase and a bedding.  He sat down on a seat in the compartment with the baggage on his head. People around him found it very strange as there was enough place in the compartment to keep down his luggage. However, nobody dared to tell him that. They thought that after the train starts, he will himself place it on the floor. But, even after ten minutes of the train’s run the sadhu did not do so and continued to keep the baggage on his head. Seeing this and feeling a little uncomfortable one of the co-passengers, very hesitantly, asked the sadhu- why don’t you keep the luggage on the floor? Sadhu said- No, since I have purchased the ticket only for myself, if I keep the luggage on the floor the train will have to bear its burden. On hearing this all the people in the compartment laughed and said – even if you carry the luggage on your head the burden will have to be ultimately borne by the train.   Sadhu smiled and said- I regarded you all to be very ordinary people but I find that you people are real genius. But, why don’t we understand and apply the same principle in life? When we know that we are only a medium and the actual karta is the almighty then why do we unnecessarily carry so much burden on our head?

No explanation required since the story is self-explanatory. The burden is surely caused out of our over-indulgence and interference in life process. It is said, and rightly so, that till a person regards himself as a medium and Him as karta he remains happy but the moment he start considering himself to be karta his train of life derails and his downfall starts.

Sometimes we carry some burdens (bojh) too far in life. A group of young Buddhist disciples were about to cross a river when they saw a beautiful young lady drowning and struggling for life. None of them dared to approach and save her. But one of them could not keep himself back for long. He jumped into the river, carried the lady, and brought her to the shore. After she regained consciousness, the disciples crossed the river and started on their path. After traveling a distance, the immediate friend of the disciple (who had saved the young lady’s life), asked him as to how could he do so, against their teachings/training and whether or not the lady was quite heavy. The disciple looked at him and said smilingly – I had carried her bojh for a while and left it back long ago but you (the friend) are still carrying the burden on your mind.   

Therefore, it is all in the perspective, the way we look at life and understand it.  The above three stories provide us some insight. In life there are three stages of existence and the same are living with- passion, compassion and finally dispassion. The three stages correspond to three energy levels. In the first stage the energy spent/ dissipated is the maximum and in the third it is the least. It is at the third level/ stage that a person finds true and enduring happiness.

Kaun kiska intzaar kare,
knyo haal apna behaal kare,
kisko fursat hai khud se,
jo wah doosro ka khayal kare.

Ek hod si lagi hai
aage badh jaane kee,
kutchh to paane kee,
kutchh dikhane kee,
kisko talab hai
pitchhad jaane kee,
ki woh tumahra saath kare.

yeh bazaar hai yha.n karobaar hota hai,
har sheh ka yha.n mol-bhaav hota hai,
tumahre paas aisa kya hai,
jo tumse koi vyopar kare.

With the above poem of mine I would like to add two lines of

 the great poet- Sahir Ludhianavi-

Kaise bazaar ka dastoor tume samjhau.n,

Jo bik gaya wo kharidar nahi ho sakta.

Mujhe hisso mei.n mat bato.n,
Meri achhaiyo.n aur buraiyo.n ko mat chhanto,
Ki jaisa bhi hoo.n,
Sampoorn roop se
Tumhara hoo.n;

Gar tumne aisa kiya, tumhare hisse mei kutchh na aayega,
Mere tukade ho jayen.ge mera vajud bikhar jayega;

Merei kamjoriyo.n ko meri majbooriya samjho,
In me se kutchh ko to apni hi dein samjho'
Ho sake to itna hi samjho
Ki, jaisa bhi hoo.n,
Bus... TUMHARA HOO.N.....

In Short-

Accept me on`as is where is basis'

Meri zindagi kee daastaan tum ho,
Aagaz bhi tum ho anjaam bhi tum ho;

Jab tum nahi thhe veeran thi zindagi,

ab tum nahi ho viran hai zindagi
Foolo.n  mei.n  khoosboo tum, aankho mei.n ashk tumhi ho,

bahar bhi tum ho, khija bhi tum ho;

Meri zindagi ki daastaan tum ho,
Aagaz bhi tum ho anjaam bhi tum ho;

Chaha hai tumhe hamne, kucch is tarah,

macchli pani ko chahe jis tarah,

Dil mei.n tum,deemag mei.n tum ho,

dharkan bhi tum , aawaz bhi tum ho;

Meri zindagi ki daastaan tum ho,
Aagaz bhi tum ho anjaam bhi tum ho;

Tum se judd kar katrane lage the, jahaan se hum,

tumse bicchar kar katrane lage hai.n, zindagi se hum;

Mere jeene ka maqsad tum ho

mere marne kee vajah tum ho;

 Meri zindagi ki dastaan tum ho,
Aagaz bhi tum ho anjaam bhi tum ho;

Bhavisya kee soch mei.n vartman ko khaye ja rahehai.n hum,
Kal jeene kee fikr mei.n aaj mare jaa rahe hain hum;

Kal ke sunahre khwab aaj chain se sone nahi dete,
Sapno ke reshmi jaalo mei.n betahasha phanse jaa rahe hai hum;

Aaj peechhe chhut kar ateet ban jata hai,
Is aaj ko aaj nahi rakh pa rahe hai.n hum.

Geeta, one of the religious books of Hindus gives a practical philosophy/ understanding of life. It speaks of ‘karma’, but it has to be further understood that every 'act' is not 'Karma'. Only those acts done with proper force and proper direction can be termed as Karma. If any of the two is missing, or not proper, a person fails to achieve his goal in life. The goal itself determines the direction and also the force required for the purpose.

In primary and simple societies the goal in life for a person was more or less defined and the same determined the direction in which a person ought to have moved in life, and also, the amount of force to be applied. The moment a person took birth in a particular family, the blue-print of his life was almost made. For example, in Hindus’context, if a person was born in a Bhramin family it chalked out, at the very threshold, his rights, duties and activities which he was required to be performed in his life time. His primary and essential duties/ activities were to first learn from the religious texts and then teach the same to others. Similarly, a person born in Kshatriya family, Vaisyas family had respctive chart(s) before them.

Leadership and management are very close to each other yet they are different. Leadership comes from within but management is done from outside. A good leader may also be a good manager but a good manager may lack leadership qualities. In order to lead a leader has to have a charismatic personality. Leadership requires certain amount of sacrifices on the part of the leader.

These are some of the statements I used to often hear from the mouths of the worthy and learned people. Still the precise distinction between leadership and management kept bothering my mind until I came across recently a quote in the daily newspaper – The Times of India, New Delhi- which said- Manager says ``GO”, Leader says ``LET’S GO”.

How aptly explained in minimum of words possible.

Why Suresh, why?  I have got, I have achieved what I wanted in life.  I have money, power, fame, everything, but why do I have this feeling of being empty, a strange hollowness within me? 

I have heard people saying so many a times, and these include my friend Gautum who is an Electronic Engineer, Naveen, a lawyer and Manish a doctor by profession. All of them have achieved considerable heights in their respective professions, but, at the fag end of their life, when they look down the memory lane, they feel that in order to get one they have lost many.  In order to achieve their material goal(s) they have ignored other facets of life.  They can’t paint, play a musical instrument, swim etc.

As per my understanding of life, and I staunchly believe in it, that “specialization is a cancerian growth of mind.”

Cancer as ordinarily known is – increase in the rate of metabolism of one part of the body than others.  Similarly, cancer of the mind would be growth of one of the faculties vis-a-vis others.

Human beings have been blessed with a brain, which consists of a number of mental faculties.  The human brain has tremendous capacities.  It is not only a super-computer but certain faculties like that of imagination, creativity, emotion, extensive memory etc., are unique and distinct to the human brain.

However, we put to use, in our lifetime, only 7% of our brain capacity, and the rest goes to the fire, on death. 

Through the process of specialization, which is to achieve a particular material goal, we consciously develop a cancer of mind whereby some faculties are more used and therefore more growth, others remain unused/ dormant.

 In a stream-line job, where specialization is to the maximum, a person goes on doing the same thing in his life, on and on. 

Life is a one time chance and we should live it to the fullest.  For this we shall develop and make use of all our faculties simultaneously and in a balanced manner.  We should not fear to experiment in life.  Don’t we have a right on ourselves?  Shouldn’t we blossom to the fullest?  You will be surprised to know that the great philosopher Aristotle, was a master of 29 disciplines which included Science, Astronomy, Philosophy, Political Science, Music, Painting etc.

There is one more practical and scientific reason as to why we should indulge in activities relating to different faculties of our mind.  As we know, our fore-brain consists of two parts i.e. the left brain and the right brain.  The left brain is concerned with memory, mathematical calculations, planning, organization, whereas the right brain deals with imagination, creativity, emotions etc.

In our day to day life, we go on applying our left brain and consequently it gets fatigued affecting the efficiency level.  Diverting the mind to the activities of the right brain gives rest to the left brain and therefore the person feels relaxed and his efficiency in his professional work also increases.

Therefore friends, lets resolve today that, we shall, from now on, try to live to the fullest by employing all the faculties of our mind to the maximum possible.

Consider these-

Mirza Gaalib-

Ham ne maanaa ke taGaaful na karoge lekin 

Khaak ho jaaye.nge ham tum ko Khabar hone tak 

 [taGaaful=neglect/ignore] 

 or

Zism ki baat nahi thi unke dil tak jaana tha

Lambi doori tai karne mein waqt to lagta hai,

Naye parindo ko urne mein waqt to lagta hai…….

 [ do not remember the name of thepoet, but the gazal is  sung by Jagjit Singh]

Or

Aankho mein raha dil mein uttar kar nahin dekha

Kashti ke musafeer  ne samandaar nahi dekha

[ Basheer Badr]

My own-

Chaaha tha ki koi samjhe hamko

Afsos samjhane chale aye log

Meaning thereby –

It is easy to teach/preach but it s most difficult to understand the other person, especially since, understanding involves  traveling to deeper levels which is a tedious/ dangerous task. If one has seen the Hindi movie – KHAMOSHI of Gulzar, she/he will understand and appreciate better. The heroine of the film- a nurse – Waheeda Rehman- in order to understand two emotionally disturbed persons- Dharmendra and Rajesh Khanna, herself  goes mad.

That’s life.

I know that it is lethal to talk about death but how can I resist pondering over the most certain and assured thing in life i.e. death. Benjamin Franklin rightly said- in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes. Further as per James Baldwin- "Perhaps the whole root of our trouble, the human trouble, is that we will sacrifice all the beauty of our lives, will imprison ourselves in totems, taboos, crosses, blood sacrifices, steeples, mosques, races, armies, flags, nations, in order to deny the fact of death, which is the only fact we have."

Why then should we fear death? In fact, we are not really scared of death but the life immediately before it. Although death is most certain and is bound to come but when and how it comes remains most uncertain. As per Isaac Asimov- Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.
 
According to some, we must not only think of death more often, but should always keep it at the back of our mind while performing our acts/ duties in life. We should always be aware of it and the same would make us more compassionate and humane. Some even go to the extent of saying- Because of death, life has value. When you realize that those you love can be taken away from you at any moment, you cherish them all the more. It is death that makes life such a valuable gift. When one offers their own life to protect their country or family, there's no greater gift. Those who work as volunteers, helping others, are offering part of their lives. And because life is limited, the time they spend serving others is a precious gift [Chuk Gallogi]. Also, those who choose to suppress thoughts of death can never realize their full potential. He asks-Who do you suppose are the great achievers: those who are ever aware of the nearness of death or those with their heads in the sand?

Death is the ultimate and the greatest equalizer/leveler. Amongst the thousands of dohas by the great Sant Kabeer I remember two in this context. They are:
Kabeera Garv Na Keejiye, Kaal Gahe Kar Kes
Na Jaane Kit Mare Hai, Kya Des Kya Pardesh
[Kabeer says- Don't be proud since the clutches of Time/death are dark and who knows where shall it kill- whether at home or abroad]
AND
Kabeera Garv Na Keejiye, Uncha Dekh Aavaas
Kaal Paron Bhuin Letna, Ooper Jamsi Ghaas
[Kabeer says- Don't feel proud by looking at your high mansion. Death makes one lie on bare land and grass shall grow thereon]

As per Kabeer everything is perishable including us and we should not be clinging to our so-called belongings and in the process become selfish and merciless. Here one is reminded of a short story, which will further illuminate the point.

There was this young man, Sukhbir, who was born in and brought up by a traditional family which used to visit a Mahatma. Sukhbir had been told by his mother that the Mahatma being a true preceptor, his words were always true and were to be held in high esteem. Sukhbir once went to meet the Mahatma and in the meeting he asked the Swami-    "Mahatmajee how come my mind always wanders around and yours does not?"  How come I do back-biting and you don't?"  How come I don't have compassion for others, while you have?"  etc. etc. Mahatma on hearing this smiled and said-"Sukhbir, your questions are good, but I see that in 24 hours from now on you will die." On hearing this Sukhbir, who had already been told by his mother that Mahatma's words were always true, became totally shocked and nervous and he got up and started to leave. Mahatma asked-"Sukhbir, what happened? How come by my one statement you are totally dismayed.” Sukhbir said-"Mahatmajee, my mother has told me that your words are always true and are to be held in high esteem. Therefore please allow me to leave so that I go and meet my family members, friends and others before I die." Mahatmajee said-"But there are still 24 hours.  Why don’t you sit?  We will talk more". Sukhbir begged- ``Mahatmajee, please let me go. I must meet my people before I die."

So, Sukhbir left and went home.  He met his mother and started crying.  The word spread. His friends and neighbors came, other family members also came.  Everyone started crying with him.  Time passed by. Sukhbir was busy either crying or counting the hours. When only 3 hours were left, he pulled up a cot and lied down.  Even before his death he was almost dead. When only an hour was left, Mahatmajee walked in his house. Mahatma asked Sukhbir as to why was he  lying down on the cot with the eyes closed. He explained to Sukhbir that death is still an hour away and an hour is 60 minutes long and that's a lot of time.  He asked Sukhbir to get up and talk. Sukbir pleaded- ``Mahtmajee, what is it now that you want to talk?  Just let me die peacefully."
Mahtmajee said-"Sukhbir, there is still time and our talk will get over before the 'ordained' time." Sukhbir most reluctantly agreed. On this Mahatma asked-"In the past 24 hours, did you curse anyone?"
Sukhbir-"How could I curse anyone, I was all the time thinking about death."
Mahatma-"In the past 24 hours, did you think or wish ill for anyone?"
Sukhbir- "How could I do that, I was all the time thinking about death."
Swami, "In the past 24 hours, did you steal?"
Sukhbir- ``Mahatmajee, how can you even ask that, I was all the time thinking about death."
Finally, Mahatmajee said, "Sukhbir, truly speaking I do not know who has to die and who has to live.  But understanding the ultimate truth i.e. death can be very enlightening.  All the questions you posed to me have now been answered by yourself because of the awareness of death that you experienced during the past 24 hours.  The difference between me and you is that you were aware of death for the past 24 hours, I have been aware it for the past 24 years."

Have you ever given a thought that - "It is man only who is able to face his death consciously; that belongs to his greatness and dignity."[Paul Tillich]

Lastly, in the words of Leonardo Da Vinci - ``As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death."

Sometime back, I had asked a friend to write to me on `purpose of life’. This is what the person wrote:- While talking about Life the very first thing that overshadows my mind is that very famous line by my favorite dramatist SHAKESPEARE from his drama MACBETH..."LIFE IS A TALE TOLD BY AN IDIOT,FULL OF SOUND AND FURY, SIGNIFYING NOTHING"......this is the dialogue put in the mouth of MACBETH when his wife commits sucide......and the second line which i remember is by LONGFELLOW ....."life is but an empty dream,for the soul is dead that slumbers and things are not what they seem.".....there is so much of meaning hidden in it.....everytime i read it i get new interpretations of the same....... Well what i personally think about life is nothing poetic...instead of thinking about life,i feel life...coz i dont want to waste my time in thinking much over it...i dont want to pray to add years to my life but i want to add life to whatever years i have....life is a perfect blend of -Happinesss, Sorrow, Dejections, Peace, Love, Hatered.. and it depends on ur way of perception.....Life has got three phases -Childhood,Youth,Old age....98 percent favour Youth..which i consider to be baseless opinion....I favour childhood and highly favour Old age....Coz old age is full of wisdom and if u have someone who loves u truely and someone to whom u can love truely,even when u r 100 then life is nothing but a PARADISE.....and while thinking of life at the point of old age..I remember ROBERT BROWNING'S line...."..GROW OLD WITH ME,THE BEST IS YET TO BE...." He mean grow old with me as the best time of life is yet to come. I believe in God now a days-coz of someone-so dont get bored but I have one more quote to say about life its by UMAR KHAIYYAM..."THE MOVING FINGER WRITES,HAVING WRITTEN MOVES ON..NOT ALL YOUR TEARS NOR A YOUR SIGH CAN WASH A SINGLE WORD OF IT". i.e. EVERYTHING IS DECIDED AND WELL PLANNED BY ALMIGHTY......SO I SAY STOP THINKING AND START LIVING YOUR LIFE IN TRUE SENSE...AND IGNITE EVERY MOMENT OF IT.......... This was my reply:- Hi! Received ur write-up on purpose of life and noted its contents. In the first para u have quoted Shakespeare/Macbeth to say that life `signifys nothing,' however in the last para U have quoted Umar Khayyam to suggest that life is all pre-planned. Isn't there some obvious contradiction/ conflict in the above two statements, or do u suggest/ say that a man is totally helpless and has to go on performing like a puppet. That would amount to negating the very basis of man's existence. Have u ever thought as to why were we born like humans and not like any other animal- a dog, a mouse, a toad etc. etc. Some may say that it is merely by `accident'. But I will not agree to it. There has to be a definite purpose behind it. By `purpose' I understand ` a positive function' , and I feel that we should first ascertain that purpose and carry out that function with the best of our capacities. If we do not do so we might be missing out on a golden chance given to us- the human beings, who are placed highest in the ladder of evolution. I repeat that life of a human being is not meaningless/ an empty dream, or he is not so helpless/ hapless/ hopeless. Man has been gifted with distinct mental faculties which no other animal/creature possess. Despite being weak physically and emotionally ( man is dependent on others from cradle to grave) he has marched ahead, of course, sometimes in wrong direction(s), but he has been able to understand nature and to an extent learned to adapt/ adopt the same. In the process he has been able to not only survive but in a way ruling/ controlling the world. There are two ways of looking at life. One- life starts on birth and ends with death. Other is- Life has got a continuity. It was there before birth and will continue to be there even after death.

There are two main reasons as to why we feel sad (dukhi) in life and these directly relate to the two main characteristics of the human mind- repetitiveness and comparison. In the past, I have lived some wonderful moments, enjoyed somebody’s company etc. and now I want to re-live the same, which, in the present circumstances, may or may not be possible. But, the mind craves for it strongly and repetitively and if I don’t get I feel sad/dukhi. Similarly, I get sad seeing other persons’ progress more than myself and the ever comparing mind asks- `Uski shirt meri shirt se safed kyon?’ `Jara sa Rin’ and for this jara sa rin we go on torturing ourselves, making our life hell.

Life without a sense of contentment becomes a virtual hell. At the same time, desiring comforts in life is not a wrong thing or a sin. But the question is as to whether you really deserve the same, before desiring. Also, whether you have and can earn them by due means. In fact, these comforts have to be `comfortable comforts’ and they should not instead cause discomforts in our life.

It is said, and as earlier discussed, that the symmetry and the skill used in a bee-hive can put to shame the best of the architects in the world but there is a basic difference between the bees and the human beings. Where the bees work by instinct, the man works by imagination. Human beings envisage/ imagine first and then create and this unique sense of imagination has made the man to rule the planet despite he being one of the weakest animals on Earth.

Art and culture are distinct to mankind and they are the product of his finer senses.  Art serves a variety of purposes in society. It is believed that art can bring awareness to people. It is a powerful means of presenting truths about mankind that cannot be expressed any other way. Art also connects people in a society by presenting an idea that everyone can relate to in a universal way. Art may depict positive aspects of life such as love, beauty, honor, and devotion. The negative human conditions like fear, hatred, and injustice may be just as meaningful in art.

Painting is one of the many forms of art and it is one of the oldest and most powerful mediums for giving expressions to ones feelings/ thoughts. We can paint the town red or paint a bleak picture of the other. Painting relates back even to the stone-ages when people lived in caves. Observing and analyzing these paintings we come to know of the culture and other activities of our ancestors. In fact, these provide the required continuity.

It is interesting to note that two painters/artists can express differently the same concept/thing e.g. a King asked his two equally proficient and famous painters, in the State, to depict `silence’ through their paintings. The King and his court-men were totally amazed to see the final paintings of the two artists. One had painted a lake surrounded by hills, totally still, not a single ripple forming on the surface of water. One could almost go off to sleep if he looked at the painting for long. On the other hand the second painter depicted a scene where a small bird was sitting on a feeble branch of a tree and there was a huge waterfall in the back. The water was pouring continuously and wildly. The bird was also receiving sprays of water, but it was still and silent, keeping her eyes closed and enjoying the situation. The painter called this a `dynamic silence.’

Happiness is what we all crave for in life-in some form or other.  Happiness is not an abstraction but something deeply rooted in our experience, our consciousness, although we may find ourselves unable to verbalize this experience. Happiness, however has to be understood differently from pleasure which is the result of association with desirable objects, our indulgence in personal desires, and which is short-lived.   What we actually want is a continuous experience by which we feel whole and complete, where there is no ripple of desire in our mind, where we function spontaneously, act out of transparent motives. In fact, as per Swami Bodhananda, whenever there is real satisfaction we become speechless. We become silent when the meaning of happiness is understood.  Those who know do not speak, and those who speak, do not know.

            Lord Shri Krishna in Bhagwad Gita tells us about three kinds of happiness:(1) That happiness which begins and ends in delusion, and arises from sleep, indolence, and heedlessness  is declared to be “dull”. It is born of Tamas, or cosmic forces inducing dullness. (2) That happiness which arises from the contact of objects with the senses, which though at first like nectar, is like poison at the end, is declared to be “passionate”.   It is the product of Rajas, or cosmic forces creating restlessness. (3) That happiness which one learns to enjoy through practice, by which one comes to the end of pain, and which is like poison at first but like nectar at the end, is declared to be “pure”, born of Sattva, or cosmic forces producing harmony.

            Similarly, Swami Vivekanand, speaks of three kinds of happiness:(1) In animals, and in the lowest of human beings who are very much like animals, happiness is all in the body;(2) happiness in men who are of a higher order lies on a higher plane – that of thought; and (3) happiness in the Jnani the man of Self-realization, is the highest and is experienced in the Supreme Self.

            Further, as per Bhagwad Gita – “Any pleasure is conditioned, by time, place, quality of the object, one’s state of mind and level of intellect” and that – pleasure is only sugar-coated pain. Pleasures may be meaningful in certain contexts but cannot give us lasting satisfaction, they bring limited  happiness and are of momentary/transient nature. Vedanta calls it bhogsukha contingent pleasure gained through indulging in desire.

                        In the words of Swami Yatiswarananda (Book-Adventures in Religious Life) - “Truly speaking the happiness we realize within does not exit in outward things or persons.  When a desire is satisfied momentarily we become desire less.  Then a bit of the bliss that is within us wells up. The very fact that a person who brings us happiness at one time may cause us misery at another shows that the happiness we feel comes from our mood of dispassion revealing to us the Supreme Spirit which is of the nature of Bliss.  The quality, quantity, and duration of bliss we may enjoy depends upon the quality, quantity, and duration of our desirelessness.”

            In similar words of Swami Bodhananda (Book - Happiness Unlimited): “True happiness is experienced when the mind observes the world in a detached manner.  True happiness comes when we enjoy non-judgmental observation tempered by the understanding that pleasure cannot give us the lasting joy we seek.  When we relate to our environment with that understanding, then our minds become serene and quiet.”

            It is often misunderstood and said that a person who follows the above path becomes totally inactive, loosing all interests in life and the world, and/or leading an unproductive life.   On the contrary as per  Swami Bodhananda - 

“True sannyasa is neither escaping from nor complaining about one’s environment and its challenges.   True sannyasa is renouncing the search for happiness in the world.  When you no more seek happiness in relationships, or in possessions  – that is sannyasa”.

“A sannyasi is called “His Holiness” because his happiness is whole – and wholesome.  His happiness ceases to depend upon anything.  This independent happiness is called moksa or yogasukha – transcendental bliss.”  

            In this state of yogasukha, the happiness we gain by freeing ourselves from the pull of objects and desires is spontaneous and natural. In the words of Swami Bodhananda- “Out of that spontaneous happiness arises a very creative person. It is not that after gaining that happiness one sleeps all the time; those whose happiness is spontaneous and natural become very creative and active.  Everyone ought to strive for creative happiness and intelligence.  That is our goal, our destiny and birthright – to understand and to realize our own inner spiritual joy and fulfillment! Thereafter our perception of deficiency ceases. Gone is the nagging sense of inadequacy.  We feel complete and whole.”

            The source of real happiness lies within us, it does not originate from or depend upon external things but we keep looking for it outside, like the parable man of Shri Ramkrishna, who with a lighted lantern in his hand goes around to their  neighbors’ house asking for fire to light his pipe, or like the musk-deer wandering in the woody searching  madly for the  fragnant  musk which lies within its own naval.   In the words of Swami Yatiswarananda: “Happiness we seek very earnestly lies in our own hearts, but our desires and passions, lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and jealousy stand in the way.”

From last over 2 to 3 years I have been watching a TV serial- OFFICE OFFICE- on SAB TV channel. I find the same to be quite disturbing and rather depressing, although, I am told it has received `the best comedy serial award.’ The TV serial highlights the problems and plight of the common man at the hands of the people who man the state machinery and other offices of power. It gives a true but a sordid picture of the harassment and torture faced by an ordinary citizen in his day to day life especially when interacting with the petty officers of the public bodies/ departments. At every stage and situation he confronts with either a `dalal’ or the so-called public servants who are ever-ready to fleece him. From top to bottom there is none to help him or even listen to him. Ultimately he succumbs to their demand and compromises. The victim certainly reminds us of the common man of R.K.Laxman. However, the TV serial also depicts, and rightly so, characters from the public who themselves are on the wrong and when caught red-handed they are taken to task by the officials, and made to pay, but of course, in their own way. One lastly feels that the whole system has gone rot and each one of us is to be blamed for the existing state of affairs. The greed and dishonesty is at large at all levels and places and one does feel disgusted and aghast.

            However, I do congratulate the makers and actors of the serial. The topics, story line and characters are quite true to life. Screenplay and dialogues are witty, humorous and amusing. One enjoys watching the characters and their particular mannerisms/ habits, like the ever-hogging Bhatia, ever-spitting Shukla, Ushajee with her homework in office and `do batton wala’ Patel, not to forget the central character- Mussadi Lal, the victim. We hope to see more of  them in future.   

It is always easy to quit but difficult to stay on and fight when the life is in the midst of adversities. Winners are ultimately those who can face the life with the moustache waxed up. This however does not mean that those who do not have moustaches cannot fight in adverse circumstances and/or be winners. One of the greatest example of perseverance in the history is that of Abraham Lincoln who could have quit but he never did and because he did not quit he became one of the greatest Presidents in the history of America. Born into poverty, Abraham Lincoln faced serious difficulties and defeats throughout. Before he was elected as President in 1860 he had lost eight elections, twice failed in business and had a nervous breakdown -  1832 - Defeated for Legislature, 1833 - Second failure in business, 1836 - Suffered nervous breakdown, 1838 -Defeated for Speaker, 1840 - Defeated for Elector, 1843 - Defeated for Congress, 1848 - Defeated for Congress, 1855 - Defeated for Senate, 1856 - Defeated for Vice President, 1858 - Defeated for Senate. Despite the above defeats and thorny life he persisted and ultimately made it to highest post in the great country like America. He never gave up and therefore could succeed.  Consistency and persistency are the only true mantras for success. True success is performance at a high level under all conditions, either mental or physical and one should DO IT in order to MAKE IT. There is a famous saying that tough times do not last but tough people do and by toughness we mean that we must stay focused and centered under all conditions -- in hot and cold, with pain and injury, ahead or behind, through emotional ups and downs. We should also keep in mind that change is the only truth in this ever–changing life ( a perennial river), and one should always welcome the same and utilize it to the best of his advantage. Again, he can get the best out of it only if he maintains his focus and attention with peace and equanimity, keeping his eye constantly on the Lakshya (goal), like Arjuna, the great archer of Mahabharta.
There are times in life when one feels all alone especially when he is trying to swim against the tide. These are again testing times, and if a person is convinced with the cause he is pursuing, he should forge ahead even without help or assistance from anybody else. Remember the famous and inspiring song of Tagore- Ekla Chalo Re…