Lessons from Life (Part-1)

All of us start our lives at ground zero. Everyday is yet another day packed with lots of lessons to learn. The day we stop to learn is the day we stop to grow. So, all our thoughts and beliefs are just manifestations of the impact our family, friends and society have had on us.

Learning is a continuous process in life and so is the process of practicing the lessons learnt.  The main reason for the failure of the latter can be attributed to the obliviousness and the negligence attached to the lessons learnt. So, here, I shall make a humble effort to jot down few lessons I learnt in my life about life. I sincerely hope that this sharing would be mutually beneficial for both of us. So, here we go.

1. Do not break a rule if you cannot face its consequences :
   So, the prerequisite for breaking a rule is to know its consequences :) And once the rule is broken, be brave to face the consequences (so that you don’t break the rule again).
2. Success = Talent + Hard_work + XYZ :
   Even though talent is intrinsic, working hard for the result is still in our hands and it is directly proportional to the passion we develop towards the work. The third factor, XYZ, which many people call luck, I believe, is also in our hands. XYZ = Good_deeds – Bad_deeds. No Numerology, no Astrology and no Vasthu. You decide your destiny/fate/luck by being and doing good to others.
3. (Values&Knowledge) Vs (Money&Power) :
   Time and again we should remind ourselves to respect people with good values and knowledge. Similarly, we should crave more to attain the former than the latter.
4. Expecting anything from others* is a serious crime :
   A safe and default assumption in this regard is that everyone by nature is ‘selfish’. So, instead of wasting time on examining how selfish others are, it is better to spend time on analyzing how more selfless we can become. In case of urgency, requesting help from others is permissible but expecting help (even as a return to what you have done) is a crime. (others* = everyone - (you, your family and your loved ones)).
5. Being honest to lies :
   In today's world, everyone lies at sometime or the other. Smart lies for the sake of something good is not bad. So, confessing to those lies at a  suitable time later makes your heart lighter.
6. Lack of knowledge is not a mistake, lack of eagerness to learn is :
   When someone asks you something that you do not know, there’s nothing wrong in saying “I do not know”. In fact, it is a better thing to do than to giving a wrong advice.
7. Respect the interests of others :
   Most of us, very often, baselessly criticize or express our strong dislike for some film actors, politicians etc., irrespective of the interests of the audience. Saying neutral or good things about someone is always welcomed. But irrationally criticizing people is not called for. After all, the people listening to you are more close to you than the film star/politician itself and you do not want to hurt their feelings.
8. 'Like' what you have got, 'Dislike' what you haven't :
   In case of no other options (after fighting for what you want and failing), instead of giving up, like what you have got and hate what you haven’t. It's a mental process and not a difficult one.
9. If you develop interests/beliefs, develop them strongly :
   Strong interests/beliefs help a lot in decision-making and thus frame a strong character for you.
10. Exercise:
    A good amount of physical exercise, daily, in any form keeps your mind and body healthy.

Please share your thoughts if you do not agree to any of the points or want to append to any.

The Real Religion

It’s a secure feeling, isn’t it? We have someone to turn to in crisis, someone to blame at in our failures and most importantly someone to look up to for HOPE- the omnipotent, the omnipresent, the omniscient- the GOD. It’s a secure feeling to believe that he exists and not many can reject it. So let me express my feelings not about GOD, but about religion and the reality in religion.

Diwali, Holi, Sankranthi, etc. - this is what religion is for many of the Hindus. All through our childhood we are made to believe that X, Y, Z etc are the Gods and that we should respect and follow the traditions of our religion. As children we were supposed to believe them and when we come to an age capable enough to think, understand and then believe, none of us has the time or courage to verify the authenticity of those childhood beliefs.

Though many of the practices we follow can be explained scientifically, how can we ignore the atrocities happening in the name of religion, the caste system, the male domination, the superstitions? Why are people donating crores of rupees to temples when there are crores of people without shelter?

But, let me tell you all this is not religion. According to me, the foundations of any religion lie in the core values not practices. Dharmam, Sathyam, Ahimsa etc. -this is the real religion. The form it is in now is as a result of the transformation it has undergone for the past 3000 years. It’s the same religion that told us that ‘Manavaseve Madhavaseva’. So, let’s accept our religion as a set of values and relate it to today’s world. Let’s learn to respect our religion and make it real and relevant.

“I’m a human and yes I’m a Hindu,

Inspired by the preachings not traditions.

I’m an agnostic, yet I’m a Hindu,

Bound to the religion by values not practices.”

PS: Though this post is oriented towards Hinduism, the central theme is applicable to other religions as well. And if you are interested in knowing all the values that Hinduism has taught us, u can go through http://moralstories.wordpress.com/list-of-stories/