Saturday, December 31

WELCOME LOVELY 2012

Let us welcome the year 2012. This will be my year and this will be yours. Let us bid farewell to 2011. It was a sweet year. We might have felt some rough weather personally. But a year is referenced by more than seven billion people. How can it be good or bad for everybody? Every year has its ups and downs. We should join together to thank the year gone by at the same time we should welcome the coming year with open arms. It gave us one more year of experience and wisdom. We slipped but we learnt. We sweat to earn fragrance of success. We were restless to be harbinger of peace. We cried to bring smile. We dreamt and innovated. we waited for going away of nights patiently to welcome warmth of sunshine. We remained polite to tranquil the boil.

Is New year only another year? Is it just flipping of calendar? Yes it is just that. But why should then we celebrate? Because, New Year brings hope. Hope of getting our dreams fulfilled. Hope to see positive energy flowing in us and around us. This provides an opportunity to reflect, stock taking, reminiscence. Simultaneously, it gives an opportunity to strengthen our strength, rectify our flaws, moderate our views, modulate our vibes. This also provides an opportunity to meet and greet our loved ones. It brings refreshments. Breaks the shackles of past. Makes us merry, joyous. New Year makes us stronger to resolve for our betterment, for betterment of society and for betterment of our world. For a brief moment, we hope for solving all imperfectness in us and around us. This itself is overflowing of positive energy. I have hope this energy will be ultimately successful in solving our woes.

Personally, may this year bring happiness and fulfil your wishes to your satisfaction. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Friday, December 23

Corruption and Lokpal






Yesterday was a big day in the history of Independent India. The Bill for constituting Lokpal was presented in the Parliament. It is taking shape. It may not be of very perfect shape. But, it is going to born. It will grow and define itself in coming years. Institution is also known by man and man. We have very famous example. Many of us are unaware about names of Election Commissioner prior to Mr. Seshan. Let us hope (pray) that Lokpal would start cleansing the rot from India. Law is only as good as it is administered. It is not an easy task to tame the monster of corruption. It has become strong with the help systematic lacuna. As is stated in media, lokpal has no magic wand. Cancer of Corruption is in second stage now. This menace needs to be killed now; otherwise, it would prove fatal for the nation. In spite of differences of opinion over CBI, quota in Search Committee, Group C & D inclusion, it seems all probable that Lokpal would come. It may not be to satisfaction of all.

Why is corruption a problem? It can be argued that bribe taker is happy, bribe giver is happy. Where is the problem? This logic is very basic. It is in narrow context. Corruption is not in the form of cause and effect. Good for Good and Bad for Bad. Effect of corruption is felt by the society in general. Corruption takes life, corruption starves, corruption makes you sick, corruption make you week and so on. In the recent tragedy at Kolkata hospital, corruption must be in its root. Fire safety NOC might have been purchased. Fire inspection might have been signed without visiting the sight. Corruption in PDS starves people. Corruption in medical profession gets totally undesired results. Everywhere there is some cut or commission.
What is corruption? Corruption as I see is doing what you are not expected to do or not doing what you are expected to do. Second part is vague for many people. Let us list out some forms of corruption:-
1. Lack of punctuality in government servant
2. Not doing one’s duty responsibly
3. Submitting fake claims
4. Not delivering goods/ services with in reasonable or stipulated time
5. Assisting in corruption
6. Taking/giving bribe for doing something/ for getting something done or not doing something/ stopping something being done
7. Lack of sincere effort in saving public money/good
8. Giving gifts for promoting a product or getting some service
9. Leaking state secrets
10. Overcharging for goods to maximize profit
11. Underestimating values to save tax
12. Reporting baseless news
13. Using legal loopholes to save money of people
14. Wasting Rs.100/- of the Government to get back your Rs.10/-
15. Misusing official resources including vehicles
16. Lack in supervision
17. Selectively giving advertisement in newspaper and television to ward off bad publicity
18. Taking permit of five buses and plying ten buses
19. Issue of driving license without proper test. Obtaining such license is also similarly corrupt
20. Not teaching properly in class. Forcing or motivating students to take tuitions to you rather
21. Selecting inferior quality for representing a team
22. Showing undue favour
23. Not speaking what is right
24. Alluring people to vote
25. Dividing the society for ballot gain
26. Taking donation (by various names) for admission in educational institution
27. Not declaring goods brought from foreign countries to evade custom duty
28. Selling goods without receipt to save tax
29. Inferior wares are imported for armed forces
30. Undue consultancy charges are paid to firms
31. Import substitution is avoided to garner commission
32. Service man charges fee for which he gets salary
33. Utility charges are manipulated on some consideration
34. Due grievances are not redressed
35. Laws are not implemented or implemented selectively
36. Black and white dealing in properties
37. Taking unaccounted donations
38. Running NGOs in the name of spouse to milk government fund
39. Taking agencies of insurances in spouse name and working on their behalf
40. Adulteration
41. Selling personal details of individuals by telephone and other companies
42. Rule by proxy in Panchayats especially in women constituencies
43. Making the situation ripe for calamities and then making money in relief operations
44. Always asking for privileges, not wanting to be an ordinary citizen
45. Copying research done by others
46. Getting household works done by government officials
47. Not opening bank accounts for priority lending schemes
48. Postmen not delivering letters
49. Allowing overloading on trucks
50. Using faulty measuring equipments (kg, mtrs, ltrs etc)
51. Taking undue advantage of subsidy
52. Putting one’s name in bpl although having enough income
53. Making foreign trips without having concrete purpose
54. Constructing inferior quality infrastructure by misusing clauses of tenders and using substandard material
55. Stealing cables of electricity and telephone and even transformer wire
56. Using fake name in right to work scheme (MNREGA)
57. Allowing people to cross border without visa or permit
58. Not supplying water through pipeline for benefiting water tanker mafia
59. Deliberately sending wrong bills to solicit bribe for rectification
60. Taking questions of people with motive for presenting in the Parliament
61. Not adhering to norms of democratic values enshrined in party laws
62. Not reporting correct details in nomination form for elected bodies
63. Showing paid news without indicating that it is a paid news
64. Casting vote on other’s name
65. Taking lunch from polling agents in an election
66. Overcharging parking fee (sometimes even on false receipt)
67. Accepting gifts on Diwali, New year or any other occasions from companies
This list is not exhaustive. There could be very few people among us who have not faced one or more situations stated above. The idea for listing them is to review corruption. Since it has become a way of life; many time we do not see many of above items as a form of corruption. Trauma is that we all know this but it seems no body is willing to work for rectifying it.
What can be done? Is it possible to get rid of or not? Corruption can be tackled effectively. There is urgent need of will to tackle this situation. Corruption would remain prevalent. No society can remain free of corruption. Problem in India is its rampant manifestation. Almost every walk of life is infested with corruption. It is faced in your day to day dealing. We may not need even the institution of Lokpal. Existing laws are sufficient. Despite these laws, corrupt people go scot-free. Take example of Shri Sukhram. He did dishonest work. The investigation and judicial proceedings took too long. Now, he is requesting for leniency. Ridiculous! Bail has already been granted. What picture does this show to the people and prospective corrupt. It only encourages them. Somebody else will not change this scenario. The people have to purify themselves. Sometimes, we pay bribe or uses influence just to become ahead in queue.
All of us know that there is corruption in bureaucracy. There is political corruption. But people are not being caught. We know that property rates are not those which are shown on registration papers. Dhabas all over India do not give receipt and are evading taxes. Shops even in metropolitan cities do not like issuing receipts. Everybody knows how do they file return and pay taxes. The Government has to get up from the deep slumber. Without statistics, I would like to say not less than 25 percent of medicine is spurious. Bottled water is not safe. I had personal experience. There was no filter in my house. I planned to have one. So in the meantime, I started buying bottled water. The day when people from water filter company came, they checked my tap water to decide about the filter machine I should buy. I also asked them to check water from the bottle. You may not be amazed to know that tap water was of better quality than that of bottled water. These things are not in dark. But there is lack of will to act on these dark things.
Tax compliance has to be enhanced. A panwalah or chaiwala earns several times more than taxable limit. They need to be taxed. There should be incentive to remain honest. Rather, there is a support system for dishonest. A whole lot of people are living beyond their known sources of income. People are not afraid of law. There is a general thinking that they can get away. Everyday, we hear about a peon stacking crore or a junior engineer had twenty plots. Believe me there are many and in every nook and corner of the country. There is administrative paralysis. Law enforcing agencies need to crack it down. There is a general unwillingness in bureaucracy to do their assigned work. They take actions only when they are forced to. They wait for orders. This state of affairs is not only in lower level but upto the top level of governance. Otherwise, they remain indifferent. Law enforcement can be effectively done only after generating faith among people. Police can not be everywhere. Crime is controlled by the thinking that they would be caught if they do something illegal. If this controlling institution can be MANAGED crime would only increase.
There is an urgent need of rewriting forms and procedures by minimizing discretionary powers in Government. RTI Act, 2005 has become a successful law only because there is very limited discretion in not providing information. Many scams have been unearthed because of RTI Act. Effective administration of Right to Service coupled with Citizen Charter can go a long way in ameliorating the situation of corruption.
How Lokpal is supposed to help? The biggest deterring effect would be that there is somebody who can take cognizance and is especially created for corruption. Lokayuktas in Karnataka and Uttarpradesh have shown a way. A Chief Minister has to go and several Ministers of UP Government have to resign. This was unthinkable some years back.
What is positive in Lokpal? The biggest positive vibe in this issue is that corruption has taken a center stage. Political and administrative establishments of the country are under pressure to address the problem of corruption. This has also become an electoral issue. Gains may not come immediately but it will certainly help in bringing an order in fight against corruption. Anti-corruption movements spread across India have created a web encircling Government’s thinking. We hope that Lokpal would be harbinger of corruption free India.
***Jai Hind***

Sunday, January 2

Positive vibes on the new year

I regret that I did not post anything in the year 2010. The reason partly was my busy schedule and partly sheer lethargy. The new year and the new decade has started. It gives a natural opportunity to start new things. We take vows, resolutions on new year fully understanding that it is only a new date in the continuity. In many cases it is reduced to the level of ritual. Despite that.....

Let us now co-relate with the theme of this blog. Positive energy on the new year! There is a willingness to shed. We leave the baggage of the year gone by. This in itself provides the momentum in you. Momentum is proportional to mass and velocity. Therefore, even if the speed remains same and the mass (baggage) is reduced, there would be higher momentum. This can kick start a wave of positive changes. We can be more methodical. We may decide to quit some bad habits. We can restart communication with some old friends. We can be more considerate. We can smile more. We can start yoga. You can start saving. You may like to devote more time to friends/family. There is the JOSH in you on new year. This can be tapped to fire the inherent desire to be good. The mind is the store house of bliss. This date can act as a catalyst in channelizing the energy in the desired direction. Additionally, the environment around you is bubbling with positives and this also makes you receptive for better things.

In the past I have taken resolutions on new year eve. Most of the time I have failed. However, there are times when I have taken resolution on not so important dates and I have succeeded. I think we should not decide anything for the moment. The decision should be taken after consideration and from brain. Heart helps us only in achieving great things. For smaller vows, heart fails. The dates like first of January, Christmas, Holi, some festival and one's birthday do help. Resolutions should be correlated to societal or even global good for making it everlasting.

Let us RESOLVE TO KEEP OUR RESOLUTIONS, VOWS, PROMISES................

Tuesday, October 13

Jayprakash Narayan - A Revolutionary Sublime

My father, Dr. Janak Kishore Lal Das has written a book namely "Jayprakash Narayan- A Revolutionary Sublime". The contents of the book chapterwise is given below:-

1. Preface
2. The Evolution of Personality
3. Jayprakash Narayan and
His Concept of Freedom
4. Jayprakash Narayan and
His Social Philosophy
5. Jayprakash Narayan and
His Vision of Democracy
6. Jayprakash Narayan and
Socialism
7. The Bihar Movement
and The Emergency
8. Jayprakash Narayan and
Total Revolution
9. Electoral Reforms and J.P.
10. Jayprakash Narayan and
Prabhavati
11. Epilogue
The cost of the book is Paperback = Rs.100/- and Hard Bound = Rs.150/-. If you are interested to buy (only in india), you can drop an email to ckkern2000@gmail.com by giving your detail. Thanks.

Tuesday, December 25

विवेकानन्द के कुछ प्रेरणादायी विचार

श्री विवेकानन्द की कोई परिचय देने की आवश्यकता नहीं है। वे एक महात्मा, एक सन्यासी, वेदांत पर पकड़ रखनेवाले विद्वान थे। अपने ३९ वर्ष के छोटे जीवन में उन्होने विश्व को काफी विचारोत्तेजना दिए। १८९३ में शिकागो के धर्मं संसद में दिए गए भाषण से उन्होने बहुत प्रसिद्धि पाई। वे विभिन्न संस्कृतियों का वृहद् ज्ञान रखनेवाले व्यक्ति थे।

श्री विवेकानन्द ने मानव सेवा को अत्यधिक महत्त्व दिया। उन्होने मानव सेवा की तुलना प्रभु वंदना से की है। उन्होने हर मानव में परम आत्मा की अनुभूति की है। इसके अतिरिक्त वे एक परम देशभक्त थे और उन्हें भारतीय होने का गर्व था। उन्होने भारतीयों को मुक्त होने का आवाहन किया था।

यहाँ पाठकों के लिए उनके कुछ विचार प्रस्तुत है: -

आनंदित रहें; दूसरो की आलोचना न करें, अपना संदेश दें, आप जो सिखाना चाहते हैं वह सिखाएं, और वहीं रूक जाएँ।
हितकर को अपनाएं और रुचिकर का त्याग करें।
उन्नत्ति कर, आगे बढ़, ओ बहादुर आत्मा! उनको आजाद करने के लिए जो जकड़े हुए हैं, दुखितों का भार कम करने और अज्ञानी हृदयों के गहन अंधकार को जाज्वल्यमान करने के लिए।
आभार मिले या नहीं, सो मत, निर्बल मत बन।
बुरे का साथ छोड़ो, क्योंकि तुममें पुराने घावों का दाग है, और बुरे लोगों का साथ वह चीज़ है जो घाव कुरेदने में सक्षम है।
बहादुर और खरा बनो; तब अनुराग से किसी पथ का अनुसरण करो, और तुम अवश्य सम्पूर्ण तक पहुंच जाओगे।
मुक्त हो, और तब जितने भी चाहो व्यक्तित्व रखो, तब हम एक अभिनेता की तरह मंच पर आएंगे और एक भिखारी के पात्र का अभिनय करेंगे।
जिस व्यक्ति की तुमने मदद की है उसका आभार प्रकट करो, उसे भगवान जैसा समझो।
विश्व में रहो, लेकिन इसके मत बनो, कमल की पत्तियों की तरह जिसका जड़ कीचड़ में होते हुए भी पवित्र रहता है।
ईशा का प्रतिरूप मत बनो, ईशा बनो।
निराश मत हो, जब पवित्र सुधा पहुंच में न हो तो इसका मतलब यह नहीं की हम विष का सेवन करें।
मेरी या अपनी सफलता से हवा में मत उड़ो; काफी बड़े काम करने हैं; यह छोटी सफलता क्या है उस आनेवाले कार्य की तुलना में?
हर एक के विभिन्न मतों के साथ निर्वाह करो, धैर्य, शुचिता और धीरज की विजय होगी।
अविश्वास के साथ शुरुआत करो। विश्लेषण करो, परीक्षा लो, सिद्ध करो और फिर ग्रहण करो।
ना तो मनुष्य या ना भगवान को या न इस विश्व में किसी अन्य को दोष दो और अच्छा करने का प्रयत्न करो।
सभी अच्छी शक्तियों को इकठ्ठा करो, इसकी चिंता मत करो कि तुम किस परचम के तले कार्यरत हो, अपने वर्ण कि चिंता मत करो - हरा, नीला या लाल, परन्तु सभी रंगों को मिला दो और श्वेत तीव्र पुंजा बनाओ जो कि प्यार का रंग है।
प्रकाश लाओ; अँधेरा अपने आप छंट जाएगा।
अपने स्वयं के कमल को खिलाओ, मधुमक्खी अपने आप आएगी।
सर्वश्रेष्ठ आदर्श को चुनो और अपना जीवन इस पर न्यौछावर कर दो।
स्वयं पर विजय पाओ और सम्पूर्ण जगत तुम्हारा है।
हमेशा स्वयं पर विश्वास पैदा करो।
मुक्त होने का साहस करो, अपने स्वछन्द विचारों के साथ जाने का साहस करो और उन विचारों को जीवन में अपनाने का साहस करो।
अहर्निश अपने आप से कहो, "मैं वह (ईश्वर) हूँ"।
कुछ भी इच्छा मत रखो, लालसा छोड़ो और पूर्ण संतुष्टि पाओ।
इस भारतीय जीवन से अलग मत हो; एक पल के लिए भी ऐसा मत सोचो कि अगर भारतीय अन्य संस्कृति वाले लोगों के तरह कपड़े पहने, भोजन करें एवं व्यवहार करें तो यह भारत के लिए अच्छा होगा।
इसकी परवाह मत करो कि कोई तुम्हारी सहायता करेगा। क्या भगवान सभी मानव सहायता से अत्यधिक समर्थ नही है?
एक पल के लिए भी देर मत करो, कल के लिए कुछ भी मत छोड़ो - निर्णायक घड़ी के लिए तैयार हो जाओ, वो तत्काल आ सकता है, अभी भी।
विध्वंस मत करो। रुढियों को बदलने वाले सुधारकों से संसार का कुछ भला नहीं होता। तोड़ो मत, गिराओ मत पर निर्माण करो। अगर कर सकते हो तो सहायता करो, अगर नहीं तो हाथ जोड़कर खरे रहो और देखो। अगर तुम सहायता नहीं कर सकते हो तो कष्ट मत दो।
किसी से घृणा मत करो, क्योंकि तुमसे निकली घृणा दीर्घावधि में अवश्य ही तुम तक वापस आएगा।
दूसरो को कष्ट मत दो। सभी को अपने आप के जैसे प्यार करो क्योंकि संसार एक है। दूसरो को कष्ट देने में मैं खुद को भी नुकसान पहुँचा रहा हूँ और दूसरो को प्यार करने में मैं अपने आप को प्यार कर रहा हूँ।
किसी पर भी तरस मत खाओ, सभी को अपने बराबर समझो, अपने आपको मूलभूत पाप असमता से निर्मल करो।
ये मत कहो कि हम निर्बल हैं; हमलोग कुछ भी और सबकुछ कर सकते हैं। हम क्या नही कर सकते हैं? सब कुछ हमारे द्वारा किया जा सकता है। हम सबके पास एकसमान महान आत्मा है, हम इसमे विश्वास करें।
अपनी उर्जा बात करने में मत खर्चा करो, अपितु शांति में ध्यान करो और बाहरी शोर शराबे को स्वयं को मत परेशान करने दो।
मूर्खों की तरह सभी कहे गए बातों को अपनी सम्मति मत दो। अगर मैं भी कुछ घोषित करूं तो उसमे अपनी अंतर्निहीत विश्वास मत दो। सर्वप्रथम अच्छी तरह समझो तब स्वीकार करो।
हर विचार जो तुम्हें शक्ति देता हो उसका अनुपालन करो और जो विचार तुम्हे कमजोर करे उसका त्याग करो।
प्रत्येक व्यक्ति को शासन करने से पहले आज्ञा पालन करना सीखना चाहिऐ।
इसलिए मन को उच्च विचारों और उच्चतम आदर्शों से युक्त करो, अहर्निश उसका ध्यान करो, तब उसके द्वारा महान हाँ कार्य सिद्ध होगा। अपवित्रता पर बात मत करो, अपितु यह कहो कि हम पवित्र हैं।
प्रथम चरित्र का निर्माण करो, प्रथम अध्यात्म उपार्जित करो और परिणाम अपने आप आयेगा।
सर्वप्रथम, हमारे युवा शक्तिशाली बने, धर्म उसके बाद आएगा। वीर्यवान बने मेरे युवा मित्र; यह तुम्हे मेरी सलाह है।
ह्रदय की सुनो, एक सच्चा दिल ज्ञान से आगे तक को देखता है; ये प्रेरित होता है; ये वह जानता है जो बुद्धि कभी जान ही नहीं सकती और जब कभी भी सच्चे ह्रदय और ज्ञान में मतभेद हो, हमेशा सच्चे ह्रदय का पक्ष लो जबकि तुम्हे यह भी पता हो कि जो तुम्हारा दिल सोच रहा है वह अतर्कसंगत है।
अपने सभी कर्मों का भार ईश्वर पर छोड़ दो; सब कुछ त्याग दो, अच्छा और बुरा दोनों।
जाओ और सबको कह दो, " तुम सभी में शास्वत शक्ति है और उसे जगाने का यत्न करो"।
अपने समक्ष यह लक्ष्य रखो - " जनसाधारण का उद्धार बिना उनके धर्मं को क्षति पहुँचाये हुए"।
दूसरो की सारी अच्छाइयों को सीखो। इसे अपने में समाह्रित करो और अपने ढंग से ग्रहण करो; दुसरे मत बन जाओ।
सबको यह शिक्षा मिलनी चाहिऐ कि ईश्वर उनके अन्दर है और हर व्यक्ति को अपना मोक्ष स्वयं पाना है।
बचपन से ही आनंददायक, सशक्त और उपकारी विचार उनके (बच्चों के ) मन में प्रविष्ट हो जाये।
हम साहसी बने, सत्य को जाने और सत्य का अभ्यास करें। लक्ष्य शायद दूर है पर उठो, जागो और लक्ष्य पाने तक रुको मत।
इसे एक नियम बना लो कि योगाभ्यास के बिना भोजन ना करें; अगर तुम यह करोगे तो भूख की शक्ति तुम्हारे आलस्य को मिटा देगी।
एक बार फिर अद्वैत के शक्तिशाली ध्वज को उठाओ, क्योंकि कहीं और तुम्हे वो नैसर्गिक स्नेह नहीं मिलेगा जब तक कि तुम यह न देखो कि ईश्वर हर एक में विद्यमान है।
मानव का अध्ययन करो, वह एक जीवंत कविता है।
बोलो, " अज्ञानी भारतीय, गरीब और दरिद्र भारतीय, ब्राह्मण भारतीय और चंडाल भारतीय मेरे भाई है"।
सबकुछ देखो, सबकुछ करो किन्तु आसक्त मत हो। जिस पल परम आसक्ति होगी, मनुष्य अपने आप को खो देता है, इसमे उपरांत वह अपने आप का स्वामी नहीं होता, वह दास बन जाता है।
खड़े हो जाओ, निर्भीक रहो, शक्तिशाली रहो। अपने कन्धों पर सारे उत्तरदायित्व लो और इसे जानो कि तुम अपने नियति के सृजनहार हो। सारी शक्ति और सहायता जो तुम चाहते हो वह तुम्हारे अन्दर मौजूद है।
सब कुछ फ़ेंक दो, अपनी मुक्ति को भी, और जाओ और दूसरो की मदद करो।
हम आसमान जैसे खुले हों, समुद्र की तरह गहरे हों, हममें धर्मोंन्मत्त जैसा उत्साह हो, रहस्यवादियों जैसी गहराई और संशयवादी जैसे बृहद विचार हों।
तुम हर संप्रदाय के व्यक्तियों के साथ अपनी सहानुभूति अवश्य रखो।
तुम अवश्य अपने शरीर, मन और वाकशक्ति को संसार के भलाई में लगाओ।
तुम कभी दूसरो के पथ का अनुसरण मत करो, क्योंकि वह उसका रास्ता है, तुम्हारा नही।

नोट: यह कथन "words of inspiration" से लिया गया है और। इसका मूल अंग्रेजी कथन ईसी ब्लोग पर उपलब्ध है। अनुवाद मैंने स्वयं किया है और इसमे काफी सुधार कि गुंजाईश है। आपकी राय वांछित है।

Sunday, December 23

Some inspirational thoughts of Swami Vivekanand


Shri Vivekanand does not need any introduction. He was a saint, a sanyasi, a servant of people, an authority on Vedant (Hindu Philosophy). In his short earthly abode of thirty nine years (from 1863 to 1902), he gave this world substantial stirring. He leaped to fame after his address at Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893. He was a man of vast understanding of different culture.

Shri Vivekanand gave huge importance to the service of human kind। He equated service to humanity with the prayers rendered to the God. He felt the presence of supreme soul in each individual. Additionally, he was a devout patriot and felt pride in being Indian. He exhorted Indians to free themselves.

Here are some of his thoughts for the benefit of readers:-

Be positive; do not criticize others. Give your message, teach what you have to teach, and there stop.
Accept the beneficial and discard the pleasant.
Advance, forward, O ye brave souls, to set free those that are in fetters, to lessen the burden of of the miserable, and to illuminate the abysmal darkness of ignorant hearts.
Appreciation or no appreciation, sleep not, slacken not.
Avoid evil company, because the scars of old wounds are in you, and evil company is just the thing that is necessary to call them out।
Be brave and sincere: then follow any path with devotion, and you must reach the whole.
Be free, and then have any number of personalities you like. Then we will play like the actor who comes upon the stage and plays the part of a beggar.
Be grateful to the man you help, think of him as God.
Be in the world, but not of it, like the lotus leaf whose roots are in the mud but which remains always pure.
Be not an imitation of Jesus, but be Jesus.
Be not disheartened. When good nectar is unattainable, it is no reason why we should eat poison.
Be not inflated with my success or yours. Great works are to be done: what is this small success in comparison with what is to come?
Bear with the various opinions of everybody, Patience, purity, and perseverance will prevail.
Begin with disbelief. Analyze, test, prove everything, and then take it.
Blame neither man, nor God, nor anyone in the world. When you find yourselves suffering, blame yourselves, and try to do better.
Bring all the forces of good together. Do not care under what banner you march.
Do not care what be your colour – green, blue or red – but mix up all the colours and produce that intense glow of white, the colour of love.
Bring in the light; the darkness will vanish by itself.
Bring your own lotus to blossom; the bees will come of themselves.
Choose the highest ideal, and give your life up to that.
Conquer yourself, and the whole universe is yours.
Cultivate always, "Faith in Yourself".
Dare to be free, dare to go as far as your thought leads, and dare to carry that out in your life.
Day and Night tell yourself, “I am He, I am He.”
Desire nothing, give up all desires and be perfectly satisfied.
Do not be dragged away out of this Indian life; do not for a moment think that it would be better for India if all the Indians dressed, ate and behaved like another race.
Do not care for anybody to help you. Is not the Lord infinitely greater than all human help?
Do not delay a moment. Leave nothing for tomorrow. Get ready for the final event, which may overtake you immediately, even now.
Do not desire anything. What makes us miserable? The cause of all miseries from which we suffer is desire.
Do not destroy. Iconoclastic reformers do no good to the world. Break not, pull not anything down, but build. Help, if you can; if you cannot, fold your hands and stand by and see things go on. Do not injure, if you cannot render help. Say not a word against any man's convictions so far as they are sincere.
Do not hate anybody, because that hatred which comes out from you, must, in the long run, come back to you.
Do not injure another. Love everyone as your own self, because the whole universe is One. In injuring another, I am injuring myself, in loving another, I am loving myself.
Do not pity anyone. Look upon all as your equal, cleanse yourself of the primal sin of inequality.
Do not say we are weak; we can do anything and everything. What can we not do? Everything can be done by us; we all have the same glorious soul, let us believe in it.
Do not spend your energy in talking, but meditate in silence; and do not let the rush of the outside world disturb you.
Don't nod assent like a fool to everything said. Don't put implicit faith, even if I declare something. First clearly grasp and then accept.
Every idea that strengthens you must be taken up and every thought that weakens you must be rejected.
Everyone should learn to obey before he can command.
Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work. Talk not about impurity, but say that we are pure.
First form character, first earn spirituality and results will come of themselves.
First of all, our young men must be strong. Religion will come afterwards. Be strong my young friends; that is my advice to you.
Follow the heart. A pure heart sees beyond the intellect; it gets inspired; it knows things that reason can never know, and whenever there is conflict between the pure heart and the intellect, always side with the pure heart even if you think what your heart is doing is unreasonable.
Give up the burden of all deeds to the Lord; give all, both good and bad.
Go and tell all, “ In every one of you lies that Eternal power”, and try to wake it up.
Keep the motto before you - “ Elevation of masses without injuring their religion.”
Learn everything that is good from others, but bring it in and in your own way absorb it; do not become others.
Let everyone is taught that the divine is within, and everyone will work out his own salvation.
Let positive, strong, helpful thought enter into their brains (children's brains) from very childhood.
Let us be brave. Know the Truth and practice the Truth. The goal may be distant, but awake, arise, and stop not till the goal is reached.
Make it a rule not to eat until you have practised (yoga); if you do this, the sheer force of hunger will break your laziness.
Raise once more that mighty banner of Advaita, for on no other ground can you have that wonderful love until you see that the same Lord is present everywhere.
Read man, he is the living poem.
Say, “ The ignorant Indian, the poor and destitute Indian, the Brahmin Indian, the Pariah Indian, is my brother.”
See everything, do everything, but be not attached. As soon as extreme attachment comes, a man loses himself, he is no more master of himself, he is a slave.
Stand up and reason out, having no blind faith. Religion is a question of being and becoming, not of believing.
Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny. All the strength and succour you want is within yourselves.
Throw away everything, even your own salvation, and go and help others.
We must be as broad as the skies, as deep as the ocean; we must have the zeal of the fanatic, the depth of the mystic, and the width of the agnostic.
You must express your sympathy with people of all sects.
You must give your body, mind and speech to “ the welfare of the world”.
You should never try to follow another's path, for that is his way, not yours.
Source: Words of inspiration, published by Swami Lokeswarananda,
ISBN 81-85843-25-2