The time is very short

`Why the life is so short? `(`jiban eto chotto kene`) - asked Netai, the hero of the famous Bengali novel `Kabi`, written by leading Bengali novelist Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay (1898 – 1971). ₁ Really our human life is very short. Days are going on day by day and we are also growing older day by day. Present human life expectancy is nearly seventy years. In this short span of human life, actual active period is twenty to thirty years. We have passed some inactive periods in our childhood days. Again we have to pass some inactive periods in our ripe old age. If you are 50+, then you can feel your diminishing physical strengths. High blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol etc., etc., are slowly capturing us. Once upon a time, we were young, now we are facing the problems of middle age. In future, we have to face the problems of old age. This is universal law. We have passed our golden days that will never return. But, don’t look back. You have another twenty to thirty years in your hand. Utilize this period in a meaningful way. You have covered a long way and you have gained long and valuable experiences. What is your conclusion about the world? It differs as per your past actions.

Our human life is precious. It is a gift of God. We can make our life beautiful. We can make our character perfect. We can make our life which can feel for others. Lead a life of Man. We have very limited period of time in our hand which is full of uncertainty. Today’s sun set may be the last sun set in my life. So don’t waste your time and energy in secondary things. First, make some good habits and at the same time leave the old bad habits. Bad habits are dangerous in human life. Habits may be our friend if it is used in a proper and positive way. We have passed hours after hours in our life either in organized or unorganized way. But those days will never return. From today, please try to manage your time in a constructive way.

We came in this world alone and without anything. Again after some years we will leave this world alone and certainly without anything. This is fact and we all know this. But we have not learnt from the conclusion of the king Jajati. We love to lead our old pattern of life.

If you think that your old pattern of life is not satisfactory, try to change the pattern. All we want happiness and peace which will come only from our inner life. So, build your life first. It is a very tough job, but possible. Material world can not bring happiness and peace in our life. If we expand ourselves, we can feel for others. If we feel for others and do something for them, it will bring an inner joy. When we only think for ourselves and for our family members, we are limited. Try to break this created boundary. Spread your love and sympathy to other members of the society. Feel for the poor and helpless. Give them food, shelter, money and education as per your ability and capacity. You can bring the smile of a poor or helpless person through your positive activities. When this human life is short and we have to leave this world, why we should be limited? People will remember you for your love, for your sympathy, for your good behavior and certainly for your good character.

Swami Vivekananda wrote in a letter ₂ to the H.H. The King of Mysore, ` ….. this life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.` 

______________________________________________________

1. Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay (24 July 1898 -14 September 1971) was one of the leading Bengali novelists. He wrote 65 novels, 53 story-books, 12 plays, 4 essay-books, 4 autobiographies and 2 travel stories. A notable man of wisdom, he was awarded Rabindra Puraskar, Sahitya Akademi award, Jnanpith Award, and Padma Bhushan.

[Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarasankar_Bandyopadhyay]

2. Letter dated 23rd June, 1894 from Chicago.

Alasinga Perumal – a saga of a great devotion

When I was a student of class VII, I heard the name of Alasinga Perumal first in my life in one of our weekly study circles. An uncommon name in our Bengali society. I asked my senior, `who is Alasinga Perumal? `

`A Madrasi devotee, working as a school teacher who collected funds from door to door as the passage money for Swami Vivekananda to his trip to America to attend the Parliament of Religion in 1893` replied my senior.

Later, I purchased one copy of Selected Letters of Swami Vivekananda, published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata. In that book, I have found that Swamiji wrote long long inspiring letters from America to Alasinga Perumal. Most of the letters started as ` Dear Alasinga` …….

I have seen his photograph in some books and I eagerly wanted to read the life of Alasinga Perumal, whose life is the burning example of devotion to his guru, Swami Vivekananda.

Recently, in March 2012 issue of The Vedanta Kesari, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, I have seen an advertisement regarding the release of a book on the life of Alasinga Perumal. From that moment, I took a decision that I will purchase one copy of this book and I will read the life of this great devotee. Recently, by the God’s grace, I have purchased one copy from Advaita Ashrama book stall at Howrah station. While returning by train, I have started to read from the first page of this wonderful biography and still I am reading.

As a student of Swamiji`s life and teachings, we have heard the names of Dr. Nanjunda Rao, Singaravelu Mudaliar (Kidi), Prof. M. Rangacharya, R. Balaji Rao, K. Sundararama Iyer, Biligiri Iyengar, G.G. Narasimhacharya, Rajam Iyer. But we have no clear idea about their lives and devotion to a great cause. In this book, you will find their short biographies of sacrifices and devotion along with some rare photographs. (Page 1 to 25). Moreover, you will find 43 letters of Swami Vivekananda written to Alasinga Perumal (Page 251 to 330), one letter of famous freedom fighter, Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak, written to Alasinga Perumal and a tribute to Alasinga Perumal by Subrahmanya Bharati, the great Tamil poet and freedom fighter.

My sincere respect to Swami Sunirmalananda, the author of this book. My sincere thanks and respect to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai for publishing this wonderful biography of `an extraordinary individual`.

Really, this book is an asset to everyone who respects Swami Vivekananda and his mission. 

At a glance

Name of the Book: Alasinga Perumal – An Illustrious Disciple of Swami Vivekananda.

Author: Swami Sunirmalananda

Publisher: Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004. India

Pages: ix + 342

Price: Rs 75

www.chennaimath.org

A routine for our everyday life

All we must have a routine for our everyday life. If we frame a routine according to our schedule and try to follow it, we can organize our energy and time. If we prepare a routine for our children from their early childhood and encourage them to follow the routine, they will certainly get benefit from it in future. All we are getting 24 hours in a day but unable to complete our schedule due to lack of a routine. We are unable to organize our daily life. We are blaming the `time` as time is very short. Actually, we need discipline in our daily life. We are not even aware the importance of discipline in human life.

As we are growing day by day, some habits in our life are also growing day by day. These habits are may be good or bad for our human life. Good habits are acting like our good friends. Bad habits are harmful. They can destroy our precious human life. Our human life is our capital. The businessman is going to start his business with some capital. Our human life is also our capital. If we want to develop our human life, we must follow a daily routine strictly.

Try to start your daily life as early as possible. So, early rising is must. If you are an early riser, you can finish some important work like prayer, mental concentration, and physical exercises before the sunrise. Gradually this will be a good habit. The junior members of your family will also follow you. They will also early riser. Divide your daily programme into some areas. The key areas are - prayer, mental concentration, physical exercise, study, newspaper reading, domestic work, marketing, official work, guiding children in their studies, watching news in television etc, etc.

You can fix time for each of this programme and strictly follow it. Suppose, as a student, you have fixed your study hours in the morning from 7 am to 9 am (two hours). You must go to your study table exactly at 7 am and continue your study up to 9 am. If you fix 9 pm to 9.30 pm for watching news in television, you must open your TV exactly at 9 pm. Please remember, 9 pm means 9 pm, not 8.50 pm or 9.10 pm.

It is very easy to prepare a routine for ourselves, more easier to prepare a routine for others. But, it is very difficult to follow that routine, unless we have the urge to develop. In the beginning, it is very difficult to follow the routine, but gradually our good habits will grow through our perseverance.

If you read The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790), you will find his daily routine. Please try to collect this book from your nearest library and read the wonderful autobiography of a `self- made man`. ƒ

Attitude

Attitude is our way of thinking. `Our way of thinking` is playing the key role for our future shape in life. What we think we will be. There are two types of attitude – (1) Positive mental attitude (PMA) and Negative mental attitude (NMA). When we see the brighter side of anything, it is because we have PMA. When we see the darker side of anything, it is because we have NMA. Attitude can make us strong. Attitude can make us weak. Attitude can make our human life beautiful. Attitude can make our human life dull. We can perform our every allotted work with sincerity if we possess PMA. We can perform our every allotted work with insincerity if we possess NMA. We may think our every allotted work as load, if we have NMA. We may think our every allotted work as an opportunity to serve our compatriots if we possess PMA. 

Our traditional pattern:

 `No`- is our favorite word. `I can’t`- is our ready answer. Taking my allotted assignment as `load`, is our everyday routine. We invite NMA in our life and now NMA is controlling our life as Master.

You can ask a very simple question to a group of students - `Why you are studying`? The answers you will receive like this:

Student A: I am studying to get promotion in higher classes.

Student B: I am studying to get better ranks.

Student C: I am studying to get an employment.

Student D: I am studying to learn more.

Student E: I am studying to earn more.

Student F: I am studying as per will of my parents. I have no interest at all.

Student G: I am studying to learn more and I want to serve my country by being an educated people and honest citizen.

The replies are different due to different types of attitudes. Some attitudes are PMA, some attitudes are NMA and some attitudes are mixture of PMA and NMA. Student G has a positive outlook and boarder concept of life. He possesses a positive mental attitude. When the outlook is positive, every step will be positive and the future result is positive.

It is very difficult to convert NMA into PMA. But, it is possible. For the conversion, support from your good mind is essential. If you always try to think positively and do accordingly, gradually the NMA will disappear from your mind. It is the result of good habit. When you are going to perform any work, however small it may be, do with your full sincerity. Suppose, you are writing or typing an address on the envelope. Write the full address with PIN code legibly. Suppose, you are doing an official work in your office, perform the work with your full sincerity. Your readiness and steadiness will help others who are associated with the work. If you are sincere in every work, then only you can hope that others will be sincere in their duties.

Small work, big work:

Actually, there is no division of work as small or big. We have divided the work as small and big according to our choice. All work is a work or a part of work. We have to grow positive mental attitude in our mind to perform any type of work. We have to ready and prepared ourselves for any type of work. If we perform our allotted work with our full sincerity and devotion, we will get the positive result. In addition, this positive result will make our PMA strong.

Turn problems into opportunities:

If you have positive mental attitude, you can turn problems into opportunities. When there is a problem, there is a solution and there is an opportunity also. Look at the other side of the problem with a positive mind. You will get some positive opportunity to improve yourself. If you want to solve the problem with NMA, the problem will create another new problem and the situation may be more critical.

`Shraddha` or respect must be there in every work in our life. Whenever we are going to perform any type of work, Shraddha` or respect must be there. Then only we can feel the joy of work, otherwise we will be mechanical.

 Real stories from our daily life:

A positive attitude towards life changed the life of a blind woman, who lost her eyesight in her childhood in an accident. For the full story, please read the book - `Learn to Live` (Vol. 2), page No. 254 - 257 by Swami Jagadatmananda, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.

Recently on 19 May 2012 Tamae Watanabe, 73 years old Japanese woman conquered the Mount Everest. She had a positive mind and she reached the top. ƒ

Play Ludo to reduce your stress

I don’t know for the last time when you have played Ludo. It may be yesterday or the twenty years ago. However the period may be, Ludo is a popular indoor game throughout the world. The playing method is very simple and the cost of the Ludo Board is very cheap. You can start playing either four or two players. When no partner is available, you can start the game with your shadow taking the double role. You can play Ludo anytime with your children, friends, peers, parents and even with your wife. If you play Ludo with your tender kids, they will feel unlimited joy. From this game, they will easily learn the method of counting and the strategic plan to win. They will make their own strategic plan for the movement of the pieces. For the time being, you can also feel joy and happiness and it will reduce your mental stress. After returning from office with a tired mind and body, you can play Ludo with your children with a cup of tea or coffee. In the Sunday afternoon, if you play Ludo with your old parents, I am sure, they will get back their golden days. In the present scenario, as parents, we are not able to give time to our children due to our busy schedule. If you play Ludo, at least once in a week, it will be fruitful for both of you. Mark the homely atmosphere, when you play Ludo with your family members.

If you not have any Ludo Board in your home just now, purchase one, by a nominal amount, when you are returning from your office. Ask your lovely children to assemble in the drawing room. Open the Ludo Board and start the game. Observe the magic change.

All the players are eagerly waiting for a six! ƒ

Apply the method of Brainstorming

Human life is full of events. Daily we are facing different types of events from morning till night. Some events are creating some problems. Problems are natural in human life as our life is not a flower vase. Some problems are natural some problems are created. Sometimes we are puzzled with problems. We don’t know what to do, how to do to solve any particular problem. Sometimes we are getting irritated and feel helpless.

But, don’t think, that you are helpless. Negative thoughts will not give you any positive result. Be self-confident. If you look back on your past life, you will find that you have solved many critical problems.  You have the ability.  Think positively.

You can apply the method of Brainstorming. This is a term of management and modern managers use this method to solve any corporate problem jointly. We can also apply this method to solve our personal or family problem. When you are facing a problem, please take a sheet of paper and write down the possible solutions one after another. Whatever may be the solution, write it down on the sheet. Be serious in this matter and focus on the problem. You can do this either individually or jointly with your family members. If you allow your family members, from senior to junior, to express freely their views to solve any particular problem, you will get different types of solutions.  Don’t ignore the junior members considering their age, experience etc. Ask opinion also from them. Sometimes, our junior members can supply wonderful solution to any particular problem. Write down all the possible solutions on the paper sheet. Surely, you will get a concrete answer. Try to apply this method jointly, through family group discussion, to get the benefit of 1 + 1 = 3 rule.

You can solve your personal problem also through this method. Where group discussion is not possible, apply your own analytical power and write down all possible solutions on a sheet of paper. You will get some positive clue.

Group discussion is essential to take any decision in the family matter. As a head of the family, we have to increase the `skill of listening`. Due to lack of this quality, we are unable to solve any problem in our family peacefully. We think, `I am the leader of my family. All members will follow my orders`. This type of rule of thumb creates many domestic conflicts and problems. As a head of a family, we have to pay respect to all our family members from seniors to juniors. Then only you will receive respect from them. Participating management and decentralization of power is essential in every family to make it a happy and prosperous. ƒ

The busy life of our children

Our children are like flowers

Our children are very busy now. From morning till late night, they have their schedule of programme. When we were the students of primary section, we had enough time to play with our friends. We had only two examinations in an academic year – Half yearly and the Annual Examination. Today, they have five or six unit tests along with the Annual Examination at the end of the academic calendar. The gaps between the two tests are also very small. As a result, their mental pressure is gradually increasing from their early childhood. The fear of examinations and the fear of good results are covering their natural growth. Most of the students, even from primary sections, are taking private tuition even in the afternoon (just after returning from school). They have no time to play. When others are playing in the playground, our children are going to tuition. Homework, project work, pressure of unit tests, pressure of private tuitions are gradually increasing as they are getting class promotion. Some children are also learning computer, drawings and paintings, swimming, songs, recitations, dance etc. according to their hobby or as per the will of their parents. Pressure is also coming from theses sectors. They have no free time. They have no time to play, they have no time to read their favorite storybook, they have no time to play with their dolls, and they are not enjoying their vacations or holidays. One unit test is ending another is coming. This is the age of unit tests.

Parents and guardian must come forward to solve this critical and unhappy situation. Please try to know the situation from the angle of your children. Some humble suggestions:

1. Don’t create any mental pressure on your children.
2. Try to understand their problems from their level.
3. Support them.
4. Don’t compare the academic results of your children with his/her friends.
5. Don’t make any analysis of the question paper just after the examination is over. Sometimes, as a guardian, we are analyzing the question paper in front of the school gate!
6. Give quality time to your children.
7. Create a happy and positive atmosphere in your home. This type of atmosphere will help their physical and mental growth.
8. Try, not to engage your children in private tuition in the afternoon.
9. Guide your children in the study matters as far as possible. Your teaching will be the best teaching.
10. Don’t rebuke them now and then. Don’t make any corporal punishment.
11. Enjoy the weekend tours with your whole family. Weekend tours can solve many domestic problems and conflicts.
12. Try to build their self-confidence from their early childhood.

Our children are not only the asset of our family but for the whole nation. They are the future generation. They will grow and bloom naturally. As a parents or guardian, our duty is like a gardener. If you are able to create a favorable environment, surely they will grow externally and internally. Please remember, human life is not a hundred meter race, it is like a marathon. ƒ

The friend of our childhood