FAITH

Faith is one word which can be used in different ways.It is an emotion,an identity and more than that a great force which literally, can move mountains. In the name of faith the maximum number of bloodshed happened.People are very posessive about their faith and they are ready to die and kill for it.Because they believe that their faith is the truth, nothing but the truth.This belief has been the root cause of all wars.But how can a noble emotion become a killer?
Faith in mass level can be a larger energy reservoir which can be used by a manipulator.When faith turns to a concrete religion,the list of do's and dont's adds up and any violation ends up in destruction.
All the established Religions in the world are now in a dilemma because leaders of religion never tried to re interpret moral code of conduct in holy texts which are actually mere reflections of the reality of the time of its creation.Anything which does not try to adapt is supposed to perish in the near future,as per nature's rule.But religious fundamentalism is growing because of people's fear of new phenomena like globalisation.
In Europe,the Catholic religion is deeply criticised by many new age film makers.Many protest all over the world is happening against religious hegemony which is the source of inequal laws.In India where religion is part and parcel of life,one still wonder about faith because it has more connotations than religious.
Faith is that belief in something which you hold strong when something goes wrong.It is your backup when you fail.It is the extreme trust that things are going to be fine.If this can be kept in an individual level,it can create wonders.It gives immense strength to one .All people who changed the world had faith in plenty.But equally important is that one should never impose this faith on anyone else.One has to search and find it freely without any bondage.Only a strong person can stick to it.Weaker people forget the core and run for symbols and become faithfully FAITHLESS.
Everybody has to have faith in something and it should be whole hearted.Let us forget the boundaries for a while in this New Year eve and hold our FAITH tight for a better tomorrow.
HAPPY 2010.....
LET THERE BE LIGHT....................

THE MOVIE MAGIC

Films are an integral part of our life now especially in India where people live and die for their favourite stars.It is an industry which is a prime employer to many and at the same time a complex expression of art where many talents come together. There are people who think about it as a weapon of social change and political propaganda. But majority take it as a method to relax.Some movie makers only like abstract ways of telling a story which they claim as realistic.Some like to show more violence to make things real.Some prefer pornography.Well, whatever be the theme, the way it has been told matters a lot.
A good movie is one which communicate the feelings and situation of characters to you.A good screenplay,proper casting and characterisation with good editing and moreover the sincerity of the film maker makes a movie memorable.It should use the visual possibilities more rather than depending entirely on dialogues.Movies like WAY HOME(KOREA) in spite of simplicity atracts you because of these factors.It should not shout the social message louder but help the viewer to interpret things in a subtle way.
I wish to share some of my all time favourite movies here(The list can be longer,of course but I am sticking to 10).
1 BICYCLE THIEVES: The Italian neo realist classic of the early 50's is still surprising with excellent camera and universal theme.
2 AMADEUS : What matter when you love and hate someone so much at the same time?Watch Murray Abraham as Saliery in this wonderful musical to know.
3 SOUND OF MUSIC :A tale of bravery with immortal music.
4 CHILDREN OF HEAVEN : The most sincere movie about children.You start adoring every character.
5 SHATRANJ KE KHILADI : The best example of a story adoption to movie.A master stroke by the great Satyajit Ray.
6 MONSOON WEDDING : Get transported to a Punjabi wedding where some universal family issues attract your senses.
7 CHAK DE INDIA : The best Indian sports movie(IQBAL IS ALSO GREAT BUT THIS ONE WAS TOUGHER)
8 I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND : Erotically humorous.
9 NOTEBOOK(malayalam) : Extremely bold,balanced and sincere take on teenage.
10 RATATOUILLE : This animation movie talks about importance of being yourself in a very different way.
I prefer positive movies and like Hrishikesh Mukherji's movies very much.Action and thriller also are always welcome.
Hope to see more...
LET THERE BE LIGHT,camera and action!!!!

AGE,RESPECT AND WISDOM

Whenever there is a quarrel between two people of considerable age difference, the old one in almost all cases end up saying"I have seen more than you".With the number of years he/she lived in the world to support this claim, this statement is a trumpcard of the senior in every game of generation gap.Well, it is technically correct.But can it be a general rule that elders know more?Can a man of forty who never experienced anything other than his daily routine claim this to a younger fellow with more experience of the world?
In simple societies where everyone does the same kind of work,age and experience are directly correlated.But in a complex world with so much of professions an aged person may not always be the most experienced or knowledgable.
O K; But what about the wisdom? Younger people are supposed to know more nowadays but they lack wisdom: that is what many think.Another complaint which we hear often is youngsters do not respect age now a days because they think that they know better.But the truth is wise people irrespective of age are still being respected now.
Wisdom is an ability to think beyond mere facts which helps one understand people better.It is a gentle,cool way of analysis based on one's experiences.And to be frank, it again has nothing to do with how long one has lived in this earth.If one continue to fail to learn from life,he cannot be wise.You do not even need to be a voracious reader or a big traveler to gain wisdom.It comes from understanding the rules of nature and more than that understanding oneself.A wise person will have a lot of common sense and humour sense like the zen gurus.He will not take life too serious but just flow like a river.
Wisdom is like a bell in the jungle.It may not be visible easily.But when a breeze touches it,it sweetly chimes which can be heard miles away.Only when situation arise,wisdom can be perceived.A younger one can be wise if he/she is true to him/her self which is the greatest posession one can have.So age alone does not guarantee any one respect unless they are wise.
LETS BE WISE...........
LET THERE BE LIGHT...........

I HAVE A DREAM

When we hear about children who fulfilled their parent's dreams we praise them.But have we ever thought what happend to those children's dreams?Every children have their own dreams but most of the parents manipulate them according to their ideas.The child may be a natural in music but the parent may force him/her to become an engineer which they think is "more secure and profitable".In the most important years of life,children will be forced to learn things in which they are not comfortable.This is the greatest wastage of human resources one can think of.
Every child have abilities and aptitudes which can be identified since childhood.If someone pursue his/her career based on these two criteria, success both at the level of financial and satisfaction will come even if it takes some time.But when parents think too much about "what if my kid does not make it'?,and work out the back up plans first,the chances for the kid to fulfill the actual dream is nil.The parents take the kid's victory as their pride and the failure as their shame.So for the sake of family pride, people pursue things in which they may not be good at.The animals and plants are luckier than Homo sapiens here because nobody try to make a deer into a lion.
In a Reader's Digest article,Jacquelyn Mitchard asks:Why to teach kids to ignore their instincts?The parent's role is to help and support the children to make right decisions.This will happen only when both share a close relationship where open communication is apreciated.If parents want their children to succeed in life,there is only one way;allow them to do what they know best irrespective of your ideas.After all ,nobody have a right to dream for others.Reserve your dreams for yourself not for your kids.You are just an instrument to bring a new life to this world.The child is an independent entity with brain and passion which will fully bloom in due course of time.
In a rock concert recently,I was alarmed at the amount of display of violence by the young audience whenever they hear heavy metal songs.They seemed to be angry at people who did not allow them to follow their dream.
The best plan is your original plan and if you plan well you are going to make it sooner or later without back up plans...grab it and give it a full shot....success will come your way.....
So dear parents,have patience;observe your kids and help them when needed.Help them to make good decisions and be independent..They are not your reflections...........
LET THERE BE LIGHT

BOND WITH THE BEST

When the Indian students in Australia were subjected to attack,people once again started thinking about going back home were they are safe.In normal situations itself,people who start live abroad get some kind of guilty feeling that they left their motherland.We were always being remind of our roots.But can one feel a sense of belongingness to a place just because one's forefathers lived there?
Whenever thinking about this situation,Ruskin Bond is there giving a beautiful answer to the problem.This Welshman fully belong to Mussoorie and he understand Indian soul much better than many Indians.So if we think of roots,where will we place him?He, through his amazingly simple literary works reminds us that you belong to the place where you feel at home.He recently celebrated his 75th birthday and still writing beautifully about the India he loves.
You are a product of your experiences and feelings.So your roots are your comfort zone, not necessary be your place of birth.So people who feel fine abroad need not come back to SWADES just because they are persons of Indian origin.After all "Yatra viswam Bhavatyeka Needam"(the world is a big nest) and you have to bond with the best suitable environment for you like Ruskin Bond.
Long live BOND.............
LET THERE BE LIGHT

THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL............

People are generally interested in success stories.Especially when someone achieves against odds.For many,winning is proving a point.But defining a winner is rather difficult because it is a state of mind.
Achievement which comes as a result of meticulous planning and hard work is definitely a moment of success.But for some it is the most natural thing to happen.They may not feel any joy but relief.Sometimes,when the achievement comes as a surprise beyond expectations, it may result in shock even.You need time for the information to sink in.
For some people,achieving anything means celebration.They forget everything at least for sometime and feel great.There are others who keeps complaining about the winning itself also because they feel that they did not get proper justice.Some people do anything to achieve things.For them only result matters.So who is a winner?
When you have anything to prove to the world,showing your achievements can be the best way.But to feel like a winner,your satisfaction matters a lot.Even if you do not have any big thing in your credit,you end up as a winner..It is a sense of fulfilment which make you happy.When you do things just to show off,you may not enjoy the process or may not be in a position to celebrate.One who keep learning never fails.So if u want to be a winner,keep doing the things you love no matter what is the result.Everything will be fine.

BE A WINNER..........
LET THERE BE LIGHT............................

WHO IS A TEACHER?

"Student died of punishment"..."Teacher made student stand in the hot sun for two hours"..... These are some of the latest news on the cruelty prevalent in Indian Primary Education system where forgetting alphabets become a non bailable offence.The impatient and frustrated teachers, the parents who insist only on result and the society which allows such things happen are all responsible for these extreme acts of sadism.When a teacher thinks oneself as a dictator who can do anything with the children whom he or she think ignorant is totally unfit for such a job because teaching is never a uni dimensional process.
In a class room,a teacher explains things to the children.For the younger ones, he/she is someone who know everything.But a good teacher is one who never stops learning.A question from a kid may provoke the teacher to think in a new dimension.The story written by a prodigy in the class may surprise him/her.The very love and respect a teacher gets in exchange of few hours of explanations of "how","what" and "why"is a priceless treasure.So teaching is a process where in the end both the student and teacher get enriched.
"Knowledge shines when shared".The education system demands exchange and cooperation.Its a mean to ensure the bright future of the society.The job of a teacher is highly demanding as he/she is responsible to shape up character.When people who did not get admission in any other professional courses end up in teaching, quality take a back seat.Any profession becomes productive when people with right aptitude choose it.People should understand that teaching is such a responsible and noble profession.Once upon a time, GURU or Teacher was the most respected person in society.In between the job lost its charm but it is still the most responsible job one can think of.
One excellent teacher of mine(a physical trainer) always show how to do things by demonstration..Another one, a musician never was afraid of making mistakes by herself and she was always ready to accept suggestions...So one cannot put general qualities for a teacher.The only thing is teacher should take the student along with him/her from darkness to light.He/she has to be careful not to be in darkness.Everyone who share and transmit good will are worth calling teachers.KABIR was right when he wrote:
"GOD and GURU standing
whose feet shall i touch first
but, of course GURU"s!
who told me about GOD first"
Let us not let cruel minds to torture the kids in the name of teaching...
LET THERE BE LIGHT......................

THE EQUATIONS OF FEAR AND POWER

When Mumbai was attacked by terrorists,people started to search sollutions for bringing about communal harmony.The media debated on terrorism.Then came the pub attack incident in Mangalore, and the new hot topics were "cultural invasion" and "women's liberation".Now it is Varun Gandhi's speech and everybody is talking about communalism.But watching closely,all this incidents points towards intolerence and more than that FEAR.........
Fear is a basic human emotion.Most of the time we fear things which we are not familiar with because we do not know what will happen.Sometimes a familiar tyrant can also create fear in our minds based on the past experience or social conditioning.The fear of the unknown is more dangerous because it can lead to prejudices.This feeling can easily become communal and people may think about preventive action.There are people who take up arms in this regard whom we call terrorists.But there are others who have all this feeling but will not show them open.Fear make them communal and the same fear prevents them from expressing it.
How the fear start? well, if we worry too much about mistakes, fear will be there.Anybody who cannot take failures as a learning experience will have fears. People who have no guts to take the responsibility of their failures will end up concluding that others are responsible for what went wrong.So the fear of failure slowly gets converted to deeper emotions.When someone who want to fish in troubled water tells that one's failure is the result of another person or community the seeds of hatred is sown.
What people do to channelise the fear?One easy way is to associate yourself with symbols of power.People try to associate themselves with people who have power or try to excercise power over anyone whom they think are weaker.One general character of people with fear is that they like to obey and command at the same time.The logic is ,if i am obedient my master will not attack me and the same way if i show my power, my subordinate will not attack me..People who are fearful need the protection of hierarchy.They cannot tolerate democracy and equality where everyone have freedom to choose.They are afraid that if they give freedom to choose,things will go out of their control and their position will be shaken.They are afraid of everyone who are different from them("modern women, minorities, anyone).
So it is this fear of losing their position which make people communal,chauvanistic and even terrorists.Fear does not allow one to face reality.So the most important thing in the fight against intolerence is the eradication of irrational fear.If one is courageous enough to face life,he/she will not try to blame others for their mistakes and they will understand that the real power is the courage to stand up for oneself ,not bullying others.Parenting becomes all more important because self respect, self reliance and courage are only be taught at home.
So it is at home, a communalist is being born,society only play a passive role..Parents of the future,please make your children self reliant and tolerant.That is the only thing we can do for a better tomorrow with lesser violence based on intolerence...............
LET THERE BE LIGHT

LOVE,LYRE,LIBERATION:SOME THOUGHTS ON EMPOWERMENT

Women of India are facing a stage of transition now.The society is debating about the length of her dress,the time of her outings,the limits she should not cross etc.Every Government Doccument mentions women empowerment.The 33 per cent reservation for women in higher level politics is also being talked about.But will allocation of something result in empowerment?
People try to associate machoism with empowerment often.So women who dress upin jeans and talk rough are empowered?Certainly not.......
Empowerment is nothing but power to make choice.In Indian situation,it is difficult for many,not only women as a category.We have a tradition of elders deciding for their kids.This very idea rejects the concept of empowerment.That is why even educated and well employed people have a mindset of slaves.An empowered person will be the one who know what he or she is and one who enjoy every moment of life....Real empowerment leads to confidence and compassion.
I heard a Baul singer one year ago.She amazed me with her voice and rhythm sense.Recently when i saw her performance again,I understood what an empowered person is.With the help of two instruments, she sings and dances taking the audience to new heights of spirituality.Her songs reflect a free spirit,a child like innocence and unconditional love.She may not talk about empowerment,but she is an epitome of it.
When I watched Sudha Ragunathan performing recently,I felt the same sense of empowerment.She was quite at ease,interacting with audience,fully on command and rendering songs with excellent versatility.She looked like a very normal Indian lady yet that power from within was easily perceivable.
It is strange that I find two singers as empowered women.Singing per say has nothing to do with empowerment but when an empowered person sings it is different.It communicate more clearly to you and it takes you to a different level of apreciation and enjoyment.
I am sure that these two great artists of India have understood the supreme being through their musical journey which ultimately makes them empowered. So which ever way you choose,if it help you to find yourself your soul is liberated and you are empowered.Go ahead,decide what you want:nobody else can empower you.
Let there be light...............

PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT: BUDDHA STYLE

When Buddha talked that there is pain in this world,he does not mean that there is only pain in this world.He was trying to find out the cause of pain and the answer was-DESIRE...Does that mean we should not have any ambitions? we all should become hermits and wanderers? Certainly not! But when the idea of getting something becomes an obsession and it starts ruling all your senses, it can cause tremendous pain..So much of attachments to things can cause pain when something unexpected happens..If someone desires things within one's capability,the level of pain will be lesser
Buddha talks about 8 fold path of salvation which include right thought and action..This is the most interesting of his teaching because the application of right things are different for various people...There is no universal right things to do..Each person should achieve salvation through the right path designed for him/her.This ultimately is a life long search of self.This is the ultimate development of personality.
When you try to be someone else, forgetting the things in which you are good at, the journey(safar),becomes suffer and the mismatch between your desire and your actual life increases.When people do things which are not comfortable for them ,the level of success reduce automatically and their life will be of pain.They will radiate only pain and they will receive the same in return.
Many believe that, these things are not PRACTICAL..They simply forget that being practical is doing things which you can do.For a marathon runner,42 kilometer running is a normal affair and for majority, it may not be practical...So the point is, there is no absolute answers applicable for everyone.Find your destiny,live life to the fullest.
LET THERE BE LIGHT..................