Month: August 2020

Swamiji says …

“‘ ‘Pariksha’ … Exams… Tests … Viva … Assessments ! These words have always sounded formidable, frightening and formal ! We became very familiar with these words – exams, ‘parkisha’ – very early on in life ; perhaps from the tender age of five or six – and the mere mention of them filled us with dread. The stern intonation of these words; the intrinsic accompaniment of the note of an unmistakable warning and strictness in them – was never lost on us ; and that is what made us feel all the more scared and frightened. The thought of appearing for an exam filled us with a sense of foreboding – that our life, our future and destiny depended on the outcome of the result of our exams. We were expected to perform very well in them; outdo others – and as the time to the exams got closer, this caused us greater worry, as we knew there was no running away from them!”

“Ironically, despite our great aversion for exams, they played a great role in helping us, analyse our scholastic intelligence, ability to study and work hard. They were also clear indicators of our academic standing in school, and in our family – all of which was judged by our performance in the exams ; the end result of a year’s hard work. Excelling in exams earned us laurels, certificates and awards ; but the same exams could cause us humiliation and embarrassment, too – in the form of a dressing down, a verbal thrashing and a whole lot of sniggering that could be directed at us – on being labelled a failure!”

“’Pariksha’ … A simple enough word – but, strangely, this very word succeeds in eliciting extremely different responses and reactions from different individuals. At times, the mere thought of sitting for an exam or an interview – triggers an emotion, that could be highly volatile and could cause panic and anxiety in some of us; while a few remain unaffected, unperturbed and sail through exams, without as much as a grimace.”

“Butterflies in the stomach, pangs of nervousness ; a pounding heart in one’s mouth ; the deafening replay of the terrifying word – ‘exams’ – drowns the sound of the memorized subject matter, that our memory desperately tries to recapitulate, during an exam – which raises the worrying concern – ‘ Zyaadatar , jo bhi insaan pariksha deta hai , woh ghabrata hai … uss mein darr , bhay utpann ho jaata hai !’ Why is one so fearful, terrified of exams ? Why do we allow ‘fear’- a negative emotion to make an uninterrupted foray into our mental faculties ; and rule over us to such an extent that it succeeds in erasing the relevant, required subject matter from our memory during those essential moments when needed the most, while taking an exam.”

” ‘Insaan ko bhay nahi hona chahiye! Ussey apma ‘karma’ karna chahiye!’ We have to do our ‘karma’ and thus … ‘Pariksha’ ko apna karma maan kar, bina darrey karo!’ Vidyarthiyon mein kissi bhi cheez se bhay utpann ho jaata hai!’ – and this is something that should not happen. The younger lot should be happy that they are being given an opportunity to prove their mettle and showcase their capabilities…be it in academics, sports or in their professional life. Redundancy and rusting of the mind can only be fought off by testing ourselves; both, our physical and mental skills – and thus, it is important for us to look forward to exams, with confidence and positivity.”

” The solution to this problem lies within us … and believe me it is very simple find a solution for this. We cannot remain foot soldiers for ever and listen to every order and instruction that is issued by our ‘mind’ blindly. No! We have to take charge; adopt the role of a commander and eject these self – damaging thoughts out of our mind…’Bhay ko apne andar se, apne dimaag se har haalat mein nikaalna chahiye!’ We might be completely unaware of the detrimental effect that fear or exam phobia has on us. Time that should have been utilized in preparation and revision for exams is wasted in dwelling on the horrifying anticipation of the exams. Rather than thinking of a way out of the sticky situation, and improving things for ourselves, we spend hours getting all knotted up ; forgetting the right answers at the crucial moment of our exams. Many a times we draw a blank during the exams and realize later that we could have solved the problem easily, but by then it is too late and our fate is sealed.”

” The earlier we accept the reality of the fact that exams too fall in the gambit of our ‘karma’, the better it would be for all of us. Every test and exam that we clear, helps us in inching closer towards our final goal. We have to face them ! We don’t have a choice ! Exams spare none ! An enlightened ‘guru’, too, has to pass the ‘exams’ and ‘tests’ that his devotees expect him to clear ; before they express their willingness to accept Him as their ‘guru’. Can he be fearful of the ‘exams’ set for him by his devotees?”

Swamiji says …

” ‘Jivan’, ‘zindagi’ – anmol hai, amulya hai!’ – and what makes it all the more exquisite, exciting and exhilarating – is the fact that the wheels of our life gain traction from the moment of our birth, reminding us that life is all about being on the move constantly. The words – ‘Jeevan mein chalte rahein, aagey badhtey rahein, kyunki jeevan chalne ka naam hai!’ should keep us going. It is simply not possible for us to look directly at ‘life’ – raise our hands in surrender, and address it by saying , ‘I give up! Enough is enough! I can’t handle you any more!’ We can’t give up just like that – as we know that the essence of life is all about moving forward, striving and working hard !”

“It is inherent for us to understand that life will demand a lot from us – blood, sweat, toil – but it does so, purely because it knows very well that it has to groom us for the struggles that await us – which can tire out some of us to such an extent – that we lose interest in changing anything around us and just sit still, refusing to do anything that could improve our future. Remaining inactive has never helped anyone succeed in life, and thus it is better for us to be on our toes, give up our sedentary habits, be up and about ; aware of the need to move on, for a better personal and professional life.” 

“The colors and flavors of life are ever changing. Happy, sweet, a perfect dream run one moment; tearful, bitter and an obstacle filled nightmare the very next – but we must learn to embrace life with even more warmth, when situations and circumstances are challenging; not in our favor and control…’ Kuch log choti si cheez se haar maan lete hain; bahut jaldi ghabra jaate hain! ‘ We need to reflect as to why do we concede and break so easily!  After all, did God not endow us with intelligence too? Can we not buck up and stand stoic and undaunted in the face of adversities and challenging times? Can we not trust our instincts and simply concentrate on doing what is needed to move on – instead of lamenting about our misfortunes? The thought of simply giving up, and accepting defeat without putting up a fight – should not be permitted to mushroom in our mind.”

” Aadmi ko kabhi bhi haar maan kar baith nahi jana chahiye !” Stagnation, immobility of the mind and body; is the moot cause of the ruin and end of many a lives. How can we just sit – remain mute and stare blankly at the unwanted, undesirable situation in which we find ourselves and – watch things going over the edge, transfixed to the spot, and do nothing – absolutely nothing about it…’Paani bhi agar ek jagah thaiher jaaye toh keechad ban jaata hai!’ Would we want to see ourselves stagnating, and decaying ; accumulating layers of dark, pessimistic thoughts – which will not allow the enlightening rays of …’utsah’ – encouragement and motivation to filter through and wake us up from our stupor, illuminating our minds with thoughts of taking remedial action, of following the right direction…’Hummey aagey badhna hai! Tarraki karni hai!’ The comfort zone that we carve for ourselves while working in one segment, and at one station, in our professional lives, is so dear to us that the thought of venturing out – and trying something slightly different from our run-of-the-mill lives is averse to us. Shouldn’t we be expanding our horizon and broadening our vision?…’Jo bhi kaam mein, ya naukri mein, ek hi jagah sthir ho kar baith jaata hai –  woh uth nahi paata hai !’ – otherwise , how else will we work our way through the learning curve that life offers to us in a new way, every day?”

“A defeatist attitude will not only drain us of energy, but also, make us drag our heels and run around in circles – with no solution in sight – adding to further physical fatigue, mental exhaustion and illness, which has never done anyone any good…’Ek hi jagah baithe rehne se daridrata aa jaati hai !’ No way should we ever think of doing something like that. Never! It will only worsen the situation. We will have to pull out all stops in order to first fix and then emerge victorious from the situation.”

“Negative thoughts and emotions can overwhelm us; but rather can crumbling easily under their unbearable weight, we should remain unfazed, and remind ourselves that our duty is to rise once again, brush away the last fragment of doubt that rests on our sagging shoulders, and move forward – motivated and confident. We need to overcome the opponent, whether real or fabricated, at the earliest – determined to reset the wheels of our life in rhythmic motion, looking forward to new opportunities and new destinations. At no point in time should we get entangled in the web of sloth and laziness ; but rather be pragmatic and practical; be adventurous, a seeker, a wanderer – imbibe and exhibit traits that are associated with one who is on the move, spurred with a mission.”

 

Swamiji says …

” Our family…’ humara parivaar, humara kutumb, humara ghar’ – our grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins and relatives- all mean the world to us, especially when we are young, and it is difficult to imagine a life without their loving and caring presence around us. Joyful sounds of pealing laughter and cheerful banter resound from homes – in which generations of family members live – as cousins play, fight and quarrel too. The concerned sound of elders rushing to help a child in pain, or a stern voice admonishing and counselling the younger children with concern, conveys the bond and love they have for one another. Happiness resides aplenty in such homes – and it too, in turn, derives immense pleasure in seeing members of a joint family, extending up to three to four generations, living together in an amiable and affectionate manner. ‘Humara parivar humari duniya hoti hai – humari prerna, humara sahara, humari shakti !’ ” Acceptance, understanding and respect – for one generation from the other, is all that is needed, for joint families to live together, without any acrimonious feelings of bitterness for each other…and even when such differences do arise, they are forgotten and buried very quickly !”

“We see and understand the world through the eyes of our elders. No one could be stronger than our grandparents and elders, for us, when we hold on to their comforting hand, soaking in the warm support and strength that it provides us with, unwilling to let it go at any cost. Our family is our lifeline, our pillar of trust and hope, and the mere thought of losing any one of our loved one, or separating from them, is unbearable to us. We dote on them; treasure every family member; remain insanely attached to them, and take great pride on being told that we are our parents carbon copies,and, mirror all that our family holds dear – good values and sound beliefs. We are genuinely happy as we have nothing to complain about and we are in a state of thankfulness to God for blessing us with a family like ours – where we are one close tightly knit unit, and always want to remain that way…and do not want anyone to untie those knots. Maybe, happiness too envies, just for a moment, the degree of happiness experienced by us, in sharing emotional bonds as strong as those that we share with our joint-family. We love them unconditionally and are convinced that we just can’t do without them.’

“Why is it then that a change – a transformation – takes place in our thought process as we grow up, evolve into adulthood ! Why do we baulk at the thought of being a part of a joint family? The family that was once our most cherished treasure seems to have lost some of its sheen for us, and the thought of sharing space with them… living in the same house with them is pure anathema for us. Relationships cease to matter. Memories of the happy, memorable past are erased quickly – and our new motto is ‘Divide and Rule’ – ‘Aur hum mein se kuch, jald se jald, ghar ka vibhajan kar dete hain! Kisi bhi cheez ka vibhajan jo karta hai, woh achcha nahi hai !’ ”

” Happiness too winces at this new, modern us, and tears well up in its eyes as it tries to understand the new life-style that we are very keen to adopt. Priorities change in a jiffy. We want to live independently – on our own, with just our spouse and children.To live as a nuclear family is our new dream. The lesser the number of people in the house, the better it would be, we convince ourselves. We are not bothered whether it is the right thing to do or not! ‘Gharon mein sab ko jod kar chalna chahiye! Jo anand joint – family mein rehna ka hai, woh anand akele rehne mein nahi hai!’”

“We might not admit it, but there is a certain beauty – a soothing calmness – in having elders around us in our home; to receive their blessings as they place their hands on our head…’Badon ka haath humare sar par rehta hai!’ Much as we may avoid seeking their advice, and adhering to their words of wisdom, we cannot deny that they are more experienced than us, and that we could gain a lot by taking a leaf or two out of their rich and vast experience…’Unka tajurba, experience, jo unki umar ke saath aaya hai woh bilkul hi alag hota hai aur woh hummey raasta dikhate hain!’”

“Times of duress and difficulty are easier to handle in a joint-family, when the entire family stands by us – united, shoulder to shoulder. Agonising moments of hardships are tided over with comparative ease with their reassuring support …’ ‘Dukh – sukh’ ke samay mein saara parivar ekjutt ; saath khada ho jaata hai, nahi toh koi dekhne wala nahi hota, aur hum akele padh jaate hain!’ The reading of scriptures by the elders of the house; the counting of beads on their rosary… the reminder that the ‘diya’ has to be lit and prayers are to be said at a particular time – ‘ ‘Bhagwaan’ ka naam lena, unka simran karna aur ‘Bhakti’ ki neki se hummey jod te hain, avagat karatey hain !’ ”

” Nothing is more meaningful and important than maintaining healthy family ties. Every attempt should be made to ensure that our home remains an undivided house. The first thought of breaking filial relationships should be nipped in the bud immediately. Generation next needs to know that life is not only about receiving education in the best educational environment, but to be also acquainted with our past ‘parampara’, ‘ sabhyata’ – of living happily in a joint family aur – ‘Jo parivaar ko jod kar chalta hai, woh aagey tak ke liye achcha karta hai!”’