HAPPINESS IS A VOYAGE

We convince ourselves that life is better once we are married, have a baby, and then another. But we get frustrated because our children are not old enough and tell ourselves that all will be well when they are older. Then we are further frustrated because they reach adolescence and we must deal with that. Surely we will be happier when they grow up – and so it goes on, with happiness a distant mirage, always awaited. We also tend to console ourselves with various thoughts such as life will be better when we get a new car, when we can take a vacation or when we finally retire.

The truth is that life is always full of challenges. There are always obstacles, an ordeal to get through, bills to be paid, work to be finished, etc., etc. It has finally dawned on me that these obstacles are life. This point of view has helped me to appreciate that there isn’t any road to happiness. Happiness is the road. So enjoy every moment – don’t sigh over the blessings of others, or their achievements or honours, because applause dies away, trophies gather dust and winners are soon forgotten. Remembered are those moments and those souls who were close by.

Another key to happiness is genuine concern for others. Some time ago, at the Seattle Olympics, nine athletes, all mentally or physically challenged, stood at the start line for a 100 metres race. The gun fired and the race began. Nobody was actually running because it just was not possible in his or her condition but they had the spirit to participate and win.

Suddenly one boy tripped and started crying. The other eight stopped and came back. Then all nine walked shoulder-to-shoulder to the finish point. They found happiness in sacrificing their chance of winning so that their friend would not lose. The crowd applauded and the people who witnessed it still talk about it as a great moment.

Life is short and it is important to help others win, even if it means slowing down and reducing our own chances in the race of life.

Happiness finally seems to be within our grasp.

Based on a feature (‘Inner Voice’) in the ‘Hindustan Times’ dated Nov. 03, 2006.

A PICTURE OF MY GRANDDAUGHTER

Today's post is just a photograph of my grandaughter, Nayantara, now 3 months' old. Isn't she a beauty ?

Of Life and Death

It’s been a long time since I posted anything on my page. In fact, the last one was on the 9th July, 2006. Well, a lot has happened since then in our family, both good and bad. This post will, therefore, be solely confined to family matters. First, the good news. A daughter was born to my son Ujjwal and daughter in-law Aditi on the 15th of July. My wife and I were overjoyed at the arrival of our granddaughter. However, we could not see her immediately as my son lives in the Netherlands.

We were planning a trip to that country. However, before that could materialize, we had to rush to Delhi to be with my mother in-law, who had been fighting cancer. The disease had been confirmed when she had had an abdominal operation to remove a non-functional kidney. She took the news very calmly and went through the radiation treatment as the doctor suggested. Chemotherapy was not done in view of her age – 83. However, her condition started to deteriorate from July, soon after the radiation sessions were over. Her food intake gradually decreased till she could not eat more than a few spoonfuls in one day. She faced much pain, especially in her bones, but also in the rest of her emaciated body. There was no effective medication. There was not much that could be done except to make attempts to give her some relief from the excruciating pain. She bore the pain very bravely. She remained in a state of drugged stupor in the second half of August. With not much nutrition by mouth, she grew progressively weaker. She did not want to be fed by any other interventionist approaches. We knew it was a question of time. The end came on the 1st September. An era ended with her passing. She was one of those rare people who gave generously of herself but never asked for anything in return. For us, she was a tower of strength and love who knit the family together. Her house will never be the same again.

We went to the Netherlands after the funeral. We are there at the moment and enjoying every moment as we watch the antics of Nayantara, our granddaughter, almost three months old now. Her sweet smile soothes us and takes away a lot of the pain of the last few months. We all wish that we could have shared these moments with Ma. I cannot help thinking that, in the midst of life, we are in death.

Mother, we will miss you.

TIBETAN MONKS AND FOOTBALL

The World Cup fever has gripped the monks of Tibet as well! A recent newspaper report says that at Tibet’s holiest shrine, young monks are getting up at 3 a.m. – not to pray, but to watch the World Cup matches.

Lights flickered in the windows of the Potala Palace, former home of the Dalai Lama, as France beat Portugal this week to set up a final showdown on Sunday, 9th July, 2006, against Italy. It was reported that the monks watched on a 54-cm colour TV, drinking Coca Cola and eating instant noodles.

Lobsang, a 27 year old monk said, “ I get very excited, very happy, when I watch the games because I get to see a lot of the famous players.” Like many of the 83 monks at the Palace, Lobsang goes by only one name.

Tibet’s Buddhist monks are not encouraged to play soccer, though they are allowed to watch.

All this, of course, is a long way from the time when Lhasa was known as the Forbidden City and hardly anyone had seen the Potala Palace, let alone the Dalai Lama. But then, this is the 21st century!

ONE FOR THE ROAD

My son recently sent me a link to the following news item which I found most interesting. It will certainly appeal to those thirsting for adventure. I reproduce the item in toto (well, almost) from the website which anyone interested can visit at: http://www.indianarc.com/

THE WORLD'S MOST BIZARRE MOTOR SPORT- ENDURANCE AUTORICKSHAW RACING, Aug 21-28, 2006

Be part of history and don't miss the birth of a new motorsport. The Indian Autorickshaw Challenge is a 1000km (590 miles) rally through the most scenic roads of southern India in a three-wheeled motorized vehicle. The race is open to everyone regardless of experience, nationality, and age. The organizers will provide rickshaws. You'll have 2 days to prepare your vehicle before the start.

A REMARKABLE PHOTOGRAPH

If you look at this picture very carefully, you can notice that Black ones are shadows, white ones are the real camels... The snap has been taken from above......... Simply unbelievable!

FIFTY YEARS OF INDIAN IMMIGRATION TO THE USA

Fifty Years Ago.

Did you know that the quota existing for Indian immigrants to the USA in 1954-55 was only 100 per year! A newspaper report says that, the number of Indians migrating to the USA between July 1, 1954 and June 30, 1955 was 116, inclusive of 33 persons who entered that country as non-immigrants and whose status was later adjusted to that of immigrants. This point was discussed in the Lok Sabha on May 22, 1956. One of the members asked the concerned minister whether India proposed to move the US for a ‘little increase in this quota’. The minister replied, ‘As far as we know, even this quota of 100 is not filled up every year’!

Read on for the current situation………

With Mexico being the undisputed Numero Uno in immigration to the United States, both legal and illegal, the battle rages on for claiming second place honors for the coveted Numero Dos award. And the current leader is—India.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS) in the USA keep tabs on immigration statistics with their annual yearbooks released at the end of each fiscal year. The latest offering from September, 2004, shows India winning the battle for second place in naturalized American citizens. [Yearbook of immigration statistics for 2003 -- PDF, page 134]:

“Mexico was the leading country of birth for persons naturalizing in 2003, accounting for 56,093 new citizens. Other major countries of birth for persons naturalizing in 2003 were India (29,790), the Philippines (29,081) Vietnam (25,995), the People’s Republic of China (24,014). . .”

Source: http://www.vdare.com/mann/050228_indians.htm

IN A BLUE MOOD AT THE COSTA DEL SOL - APRIL, 2006

 

THE INDUSTRIAL SCENE IN INDIA - A HUNDRED YEARS AGO

I found the following details from a most unlikely source – the ‘Prabuddha Bharata’ magazine published by the Ramakrishna Mission! Here are the facts, selected from the issue dated May, 1906:

Breweries: 23, Cotton mills: 132, Distilleries: 20, Flour mills: 34, Ice factories: 47, Ironworks: 28, Jute mills:34, Mica works: 12, Oil mills: 56, Paper mills: 10, Potteries: 13, Rice mills(including those of Burma): 26, Saw mills: 28, Silk factories: 16, Sugar factories: 17, Tanneries: 17 Tobacco factories: 11, Woolen mills: 7.

Well, at least we had some industries back in 1906!

MISCELLANY

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

In these days of the ubiquitous bottled drinking water, the following news item published recently in the ‘Hindu’ made me blink:

From a Railway Board circular of 1956 directing “Authorities of all railway stations in the country to look out for philanthropic gentlemen in their respective localities who will volunteer to supply drinking water during summer to passengers travelling by trains. The railway authorities will supply them with utensils for the purpose.”

ILL WIND

From a newspaper report:

The Dutch police have confiscated the saxophone of a busker who played so badly his audience complained. He performed at the railway station at Leiden, and had been reportedly told to leave.

The Woods are Lovely, Dark and Deep

 

Isn't She A Beauty !!!

 

FIRST WOMAN AT THE WHEEL

We all know that Karl Benz was the inventor of the automobile. However, it is not so widely known that, until August 1, 1888, nobody, including Karl Benz, had made a long-distance journey by car. The credit for that goes to his intrepid wife, Bertha Benz. This is the story of a drive Bertha embarked upon, the first time that anyone drove more than 25 miles.

Bertha had been very supportive of her husband’s efforts in developing a ‘horseless carriage’ ever since they were engaged. However, much to her frustration, her husband never risked taking the car too far out of Mannheim, where they lived. Bertha knew that to project the pioneering self-propelled vehicle as a viable alternative to the horse-drawn carts and carriages of the day, it had to demonstrate its capability over long distances.

So, on that fateful morning in August, Bertha, 43, then a mother of four, left a note that she was going to Pforzheim where her mother lived. She took her sons, Eugen, 15 and Richard, 14, with her. What she did not mention in the note was that she would be travelling in Karl’s three-wheeled car. Not wishing to wake Karl up, the trio pushed the car out of Benz’s workshop-cum-garage and beyond the block before starting the raucous 1660 cc, 2.5 hp(at 500 rpm) single-cylinder engine. And so they set off for Pforzheim. But there was a glitch; they didn’t know the way.

They travelled across the Neckar river to Weinheim. From there, they steered south to Heidelberg. The simple cooling system of the car required topping up with water every now and then. The carburettor doubled as a fuel tank too, but could only hold 4.5 litres of ‘ligroin’(a petroleum distillate used as a solvent), on which the car ran. By the time they reached Wiesloch, via Heidelberg, they were very low on fuel.

To buy ligroin, Bertha stopped at the local ‘Apotheke’, or chemist’s shop, which can justifiably claim to be the first filling station in the world. They took more supplies at the towns of Langenbrucken and Bruschal and continued to Durlach. At one point, the fuel line became blocked, so Bertha removed the obstruction with her hatpin. An ignition fire also short-circuited, so she made an insulator out of one of her garters. The ingenuity of the fairer sex! From Durlach, they turned into the hilly Black Forest region. That is when the inadequacy of the car’s two-speed, belt-driven gearing system became apparent. The lower gear was just not adequate enough to take it up the inclines. The solution was simple: two of them got out and pushed, while one steered.

After cresting the hill, it was time to descend. The block brakes working only on the rear wheels just about managed to slow the car down, but the brakes wore off pretty fast. So Bertha stopped by at a cobbler’s to get the blocks lined with leather. By sundown, they arrived at Pforzheim, having covered 62.5 miles(100 km), or about half their round trip. Bertha had made her point.

Mercedes-Benz is still doing rather well.

[ Sources: An article by Abhijit Mitra, Business World, Jan. 9, 2006 and the website: www.autoland.am]

THE INTERNET IN AMERICA

Everyone's on the Internet in America. Right? Wrong! A recent report in The Hindu says that one in five Americans say they've never used the web and a third say they don't even use the Web occasionally, according to a new survey conducted by the non-profit Pew Internet & American Life Project. There is also a significant digital divide between those who use and don't use the Internet, especialy when it comes to race and income. About 70% of white Americans use the Internet, compared to about 57% of African-Americans, according to the survey.

EINSTEIN - BY KARSH

THE WORLD AS I SEE IT - AN ESSAY BY EINSTEIN

Recently I came across this abridged version of an essay by Albert Einstein. It has moved me greatly. Some of it is pure Vedanta. Perhaps that's why it rang a bell somewhere within me. The essay is very simple, beautiful and touches your heart. I would like to share it with all those who read my blog.

"How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people -- first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving...”


"I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves -- this critical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty. The ideals that have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. Without the sense of kinship with men of like mind, without the occupation with the objective world, the eternally unattainable in the field of art and scientific endeavors, life would have seemed empty to me. The trite objects of human efforts -- possessions, outward success, luxury -- have always seemed to me contemptible.”


"My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities. I am truly a 'lone traveler' and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude..."


"My political ideal is democracy. Let every man be respected as an individual and no man idolized. It is an irony of fate that I myself have been the recipient of excessive admiration and reverence from my fellow-beings, through no fault, and no merit, of my own. The cause of this may well be the desire, unattainable for many, to understand the few ideas to which I have with my feeble powers attained through ceaseless struggle. I am quite aware that for any organization to reach its goals, one man must do the thinking and directing and generally bear the responsibility. But the led must not be coerced, they must be able to choose their leader. In my opinion, an autocratic system of coercion soon degenerates; force attracts men of low morality... The really valuable thing in the pageant of human life seems to me not the political state, but the creative, sentient individual, the personality; it alone creates the noble and the
sublime, while the herd as such remains dull in thought and dull in feeling.”


"This topic brings me to that worst outcrop of herd life, the military system, which I abhor...This plague-spot of civilization ought to be abolished with all possible speed. Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately I hate them!”

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."


SOURCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

· Source : http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/essay.htm
· The text of Albert Einstein's copyrighted essay, "The World As I See It," was shortened for the above web exhibit.

MORE TRIVIA

AMAZING FACTS....

*Coca-Cola was originally green.*The most common name in the world is Mohammed.*The names of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.*The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.*TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.*Women blink nearly twice as much as men!!*You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.*It is impossible to lick your elbow.*People say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze,your heart stops for a millisecond.*It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.*The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.*If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.*What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common?> Ans. - All invented by women.*A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.*A snail can sleep for three years.*All polar bears are left handed.*American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.*Butterflies taste with their feet.*Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.*In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.*On average, people fear spiders more than they do death. *Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.*Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.*The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.*The electric chair was invented by a dentist.*The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.*Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over a million descendants.*Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.*The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.*Most lipstick contains fish scales.*Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different******And finally, 99% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!~!!!

HOMI BHABHA’S PROPHECY

We are in the middle of an energy crisis. These are days of soaring oil prices (last quote was US$ 64 per barrel of crude). The days of fossil fuels are numbered. It is interesting to note that Homi J. Bhabha, Chairman of our Atomic Energy Commission, had predicted this 50 years ago. However, he had also prophesied that, by 1995, the secrets of power from thermonuclear fusion would be harnessed, leading to a permanent end to the energy crisis, which he could foresee even then.

In his own words, ‘ Within the next forty years, the enormous power of the hydrogen bomb would be harnessed, solving for ever man’s demand for power and energy.' He pointed out the absolute necessity of finding some new source of energy ' if the light of our civilisation is not to be extinguished, because we have burnt out our fuel reserves.’ This is an extract from his address on 8th August, 1955, to nuclear experts from 72 countries in the opening session of the International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, of which he was Chairman.

The first part of his prophecy has not come true so far in spite of many claims of ‘cold fusion’, etc. However, we are now realising how true the second part was – I think we had better pull up our socks and get down to discovering alternate sources of energy!

TRIVIA

I found a reference to a delightful site called simply - 'My Favorite Word'. The address is http://www.myfavoriteword.com. At this site, you can enter your favourite words in their database. If you scan through this database, you will find several very interesting words. One example is 'Abstemiously '. Did you know that this word has all the vowels in alphabetical order ? Interesting, isn't it ?

SOMETHING TO CHEW ON

“My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people : those who work and those who take the credit. He told me to try and be in the first group ; there was much less competition.”

Indira Gandhi