Traditional Thoughts - From Archives Jan 05

From the Archives - Msg to collegues at the dawn of 2005 - Jan 05 ( From archives).

The usual prologue to all my newsletters, during Rane time, especially in Jan 2005, a few months after Chella Paatti's taking leave of all of us, made a good reading and I thought it would be nice to put it in the blog. Here I go:

"As I write this, I am reminded of two incidences which continue to inspire me in getting these issues on time..... one was a remark by a very senior colleague who said "in the final analysis it is your inner satisfaction which matters most, all others are ephemeral", & the other was, during my visit to Chennai, when I chanced upon someone going thru our newsletter. When he came to the "points to ponder" column there was just the briefest of pauses; he went over to the next page!!......

What the senior colleague said is what our scriptures repeatedly proclaim, they even go one step further; they implore you to "do your duty". One must enjoy what one's doing, and it also perhaps follows that unless you do, no one else will. I enjoy every effort that I put in to make this newsletter, and one man's disinterest was not enough to affect my resolve to make it the way I like it, was the immediate feeling. Admittedly though, it has made me conscious to the fact that I should try and make it more universal in acceptance.

Someone remarked, that I and my newsletter are turning more philosophical.... May be there was some truth in this. I could also feel it.... This led to some introspection, when all of a sudden, some strange thought struck me; I had lost my mother very recently. She was not educated in the traditional sense of having a degree etc., but was a highly evolved&realized soul.

I was the only son, who was not there when her end came (it was a great regret) and perhaps as recompense, with her immense wisdom and love, she probably willed that some part of her evolved self was passed on to her least educated son!!!!. This indeed was a pleasant feeling and I just thought I would share. "happiness multiplies when shared" is a saying.

Before I conclude, I thought I would end the year with some profound thought, to carry for the new year 2005. There is a passage in the "srimad bhagavatham" where there is this narration of how Lord Nrusimha ( whose anger was so terribly fearful to behold) was calmed by Bakht Prahlad, with Hymns of praises. Once calmed thus, The Lord asks Prahlad for any boon that he may desire to which Prahlad then says

"One desiring blessings for oneself from a master is no servant in the true sense of the word. And likewise, He is no Master, who grants such gifts, expecting the recognition of His Mastership from His servant." ...... and then goes on to ask for liberation from desires etc....

Whenever we find ourselves in a position to help our subordinates, I hope we will be able to remember this and not arrogate ourselves into believing that we are the ultimate masters!!....

Profound enough? "

PS dt 10th Oct 2009. I have repeatedly talked about this piece but still when I read this today, I liked what I read, though it was mine. It also reflects in part our family ( my generation folks) unease, but without angst, and regret. I can only hope that there is that empathy in gen-next, though not necessarily in total sync. In one of the comments column, Arun had said something about enjoying what one is doing kind of an argument to define "nishkama karma" piece, which is similar to what I said in 2005, which reinforces that hope.

Love

Vichu