Charles Darwin on Poetry:

“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once a week.” – Charles Darwin

A Thought for Today-37: July 31, 2007

“Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.” – Margaret Storm Jameson

Little Nuggets-6:

“Love is the most abiding power of the world” – Martin Luther King Jr

My Photo Album-8: Children and Happiness

The charming smile of a child can make for you forget your worries. I have seen severe and morose faces melt in the presence of children. Great souls become children and start playing when they are with them. Even pictures and photos of children have a magical quality and make one happy.

Gautam, a grandson of one of my brothers-in-law, visited our home sometime back and some phtos were taken on the occasion by my friend, Annamalai. A few of them I post here for the reasons cited above.

My Photo Album-8: Children and Happiness

The charming smile of a child can make for you forget your worries. I have seen severe and morose faces melt in the presence of children. Great souls become children and start playing when they are with them. Even pictures and photos of children have a magical quality and make one happy.

Gautam, a grandson of one of my brothers-in-law, visited our home sometime back and some phtos were taken on the occasion by my friend, Annamalai. A few of them I post here for the reasons cited above.

Health Warnings-1: "Bio-degradability of Some Materials"

Banana Peels : 3 to 4 months
Paper Bags : One month
Cotton Bags: 5 months
Woollen: One year
Wood : 10 to 15 years
Tin cans: 50 to 100 years
Aluminium cans: 200 to 500 years
Plastic Bags: One Million Years
Bottles (Glass) : Unknown

So use them carefully and dispose of them responsibly!

(Courtesy: Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi)

My Poems-3: "Dindigul" (From Suri’s Autobio)

The name brings to memory
A fort on a hillock;
As a boy climbed it
several times.
This is where
dad was working,
when I was born.

His diary records
the momentous event:
“A Red Letter Day :
Telegram from ANY
informing birth of my son”.
What Red-letter day?
My son snorts now!

My mom and me,
as a babe,
were taken to
my paternal uncle’s house –
“40, Society Street”.

Travelling by train
from mom’s place,
changing trains in between,
commences my association
with Railways
which continues.
They are live-characters
in my life-drama.
All that
we will see later.

During my uncle’s time,
40, Society Street
was a jolly-good place,
for a lot of children –
my cousins, me and
all the kids nearby.
That house is
associated with
many many events
of my life –
some memorable and
some better forgotten.

I was named after
this uncle –
“SIVASURIYANARAYANAN” .
‘Reminds me of a
goods train’ –
a friend commented
on my name.
Yes, what a long name!
But I can’t blame
my uncle.
He inherited it
from his grandpa
and dad chose it for me,
for uncle was more
a father to him.
(Dad lost his father
when he was 8.)
Hope, my son
will be more
imaginative and
comes up
with something better
for his son,
when he is born.

But I am
either
“Suri” or “Murugan“
to all near and dear.
The longer version
is for records only.
Murugan?
Oh, petname mother
chose for me.
Still many from
mother’s side
know me as ‘Murugan‘.

Later my siblings
took to calling me,
‘Mulla‘ –
a corrupt form of Muruga
or maybe after
Mulla Nazruddeen,
whose jokes
I used to crack often.

My namesake uncle was
Town Congress leader,
popular and soft-spoken gent,
respected and trusted by many.
A Municipal Councillor,
till his tragic death,
his ward,
Ward No.4 to be precise,
came to be known as
“Congress Fortress”.

Cut at the prime of life,
he fell like a
huge banyan tree,
leaving many branches
to dry and wither away.

Uncle gone,
40 society street gone,
all the glories gone, –
his children,
that is,
those that are left,
despair there,
facing calamity
after calamity.

On uncle’s death,
burden fell on Sethu –
my cousin and the
eldest son of uncle,
when he was hardly 20.
Crushed almost,
he still lives there.

Now, 40 years after,
Dindigul is
just another name,
with fragrant and painful
memories.

Avoid unpleasantness,
well, that is me.
Pressed down as I am
with worries and problems,
Relatives and friends mean solace to me;
When they turn unpleasant,
I hide my face and
run away.
Weakness of character?
Self-centredness?
I rue this flaw of character,
but what to do?

My Poems-3: "Dindigul" (From Suri’s Autobio)

The name brings to memory
A fort on a hillock;
As a boy climbed it
several times.
This is where
dad was working,
when I was born.

His diary records
the momentous event:
“A Red Letter Day :
Telegram from ANY
informing birth of my son”.
What Red-letter day?
My son snorts now!

My mom and me,
as a babe,
were taken to
my paternal uncle’s house –
“40, Society Street”.

Travelling by train
from mom’s place,
changing trains in between,
commences my association
with Railways
which continues.
They are live-characters
in my life-drama.
All that
we will see later.

During my uncle’s time,
40, Society Street
was a jolly-good place,
for a lot of children –
my cousins, me and
all the kids nearby.
That house is
associated with
many many events
of my life –
some memorable and
some better forgotten.

I was named after
this uncle –
“SIVASURIYANARAYANAN” .
‘Reminds me of a
goods train’ –
a friend commented
on my name.
Yes, what a long name!
But I can’t blame
my uncle.
He inherited it
from his grandpa
and dad chose it for me,
for uncle was more
a father to him.
(Dad lost his father
when he was 8.)
Hope, my son
will be more
imaginative and
comes up
with something better
for his son,
when he is born.

But I am
either
“Suri” or “Murugan“
to all near and dear.
The longer version
is for records only.
Murugan?
Oh, petname mother
chose for me.
Still many from
mother’s side
know me as ‘Murugan‘.

Later my siblings
took to calling me,
‘Mulla‘ –
a corrupt form of Muruga
or maybe after
Mulla Nazruddeen,
whose jokes
I used to crack often.

My namesake uncle was
Town Congress leader,
popular and soft-spoken gent,
respected and trusted by many.
A Municipal Councillor,
till his tragic death,
his ward,
Ward No.4 to be precise,
came to be known as
“Congress Fortress”.

Cut at the prime of life,
he fell like a
huge banyan tree,
leaving many branches
to dry and wither away.

Uncle gone,
40 society street gone,
all the glories gone, –
his children,
that is,
those that are left,
despair there,
facing calamity
after calamity.

On uncle’s death,
burden fell on Sethu –
my cousin and the
eldest son of uncle,
when he was hardly 20.
Crushed almost,
he still lives there.

Now, 40 years after,
Dindigul is
just another name,
with fragrant and painful
memories.

Avoid unpleasantness,
well, that is me.
Pressed down as I am
with worries and problems,
Relatives and friends mean solace to me;
When they turn unpleasant,
I hide my face and
run away.
Weakness of character?
Self-centredness?
I rue this flaw of character,
but what to do?

Gems from the Bible-4: ‘Do not worry about Tomorrow’

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Courtesy: ThinkExist.com :

http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/bible/2.html

Q & A-6: ‘What are the means by which one can see God?’

“Can you weep for Him with intense longing of heart? Men shed a jugful of tears for the sake of their children, for their wives, or for money. But who weeps for God? So long as the child remains engrossed with its toys, the mother looks after her cooking and other household duties. But when the child no longer relishes the toys, it throws them aside and yells for its mother. Then the mother takes the rice-pot down from the hearth, runs in haste, and takes the child in her arms.”

(Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa– From “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna” translated into English by Srimat Swami Nikhilanandaji Maharaj)

Q & A-6: ‘What are the means by which one can see God?’

“Can you weep for Him with intense longing of heart? Men shed a jugful of tears for the sake of their children, for their wives, or for money. But who weeps for God? So long as the child remains engrossed with its toys, the mother looks after her cooking and other household duties. But when the child no longer relishes the toys, it throws them aside and yells for its mother. Then the mother takes the rice-pot down from the hearth, runs in haste, and takes the child in her arms.”

(Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa– From “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna” translated into English by Srimat Swami Nikhilanandaji Maharaj)

Gems from the Bible-3: ‘Everyone is Unique’

Everyone has a unique role in God’s plan. One that no one else can play. I am sure you will do what you are meant to do. Have Faith. No matter what lies ahead. Hold onto your Faith.

(Courtesy: Jerusalem 30 A.D. Quotations:

http://www.j30ad.org/Quotations.htm)

Gems from Jainism-2: Expiation

When a person commits a sinful deed, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he should immediately withdraw from that with the resolve that such an act will not be committed again.

(Courtesy: ‘Springs of Jaina Wisdom’ by Dulichand Jain)

Gems from Jainism-2: Expiation

When a person commits a sinful deed, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he should immediately withdraw from that with the resolve that such an act will not be committed again.

(Courtesy: ‘Springs of Jaina Wisdom’ by Dulichand Jain)

Gems from the Bhagavad Gita-3: The Atman (Soul) is indestructible

No one can bring about the destruction of the self, this immutable principle. It is eternal, imperishable, immeasurable. He who thinks it (self, atman or soul) to be a slayer and he who thinks it is slain, both are ignorant (of the truth); it (self) neither slays nor is slain. It is not born and it does not die at any time. And it does not again come into existence by being born. It is birthless, constant, eternal and ancient; it is not slain when the body is slain. Weapons do not cut it, fire does not burn it, water does not wet moisten it, and wind does not dry it. Just as a person gives up worn out clothes and puts on other new ones, even so does the embodied self give up decrepit bodies and enter other new ones.

(Mainly based on the English translation of Srimat Swami Vireswaranandaji Maharaj)

Gems from the Bhagavad Gita-3: The Atman (Soul) is indestructible

No one can bring about the destruction of the self, this immutable principle. It is eternal, imperishable, immeasurable. He who thinks it (self, atman or soul) to be a slayer and he who thinks it is slain, both are ignorant (of the truth); it (self) neither slays nor is slain. It is not born and it does not die at any time. And it does not again come into existence by being born. It is birthless, constant, eternal and ancient; it is not slain when the body is slain. Weapons do not cut it, fire does not burn it, water does not wet moisten it, and wind does not dry it. Just as a person gives up worn out clothes and puts on other new ones, even so does the embodied self give up decrepit bodies and enter other new ones.

(Mainly based on the English translation of Srimat Swami Vireswaranandaji Maharaj)

Prayer of the Day-3: Lead kindly Light !

The famous prayer written by Cardinal John Henry Newman 1801-1890:

Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to seeThe distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,And with the morn those angel faces smile, which IHave loved long since, and lost awhile!

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.To rest forever after earthly strifeIn the calm light of everlasting life.

Full hymn with background info: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/e/a/leadkind.htm

Cardinal Newmann’s bio: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/n/e/newman_jh.htm

Gems from Jainism-1: Give up deceit!

One who is free of deceit attains purity and becomes steadfast in Dharma. Such a person attains the highest emancipation like the lustre of fire sprinkled with ghee.

Gems from Jainism-1: Give up deceit!

One who is free of deceit attains purity and becomes steadfast in Dharma. Such a person attains the highest emancipation like the lustre of fire sprinkled with ghee.

A Thought for Today-36: July 30, 2007

Note how good you feel after you have encouraged someone else. No other argument is necessary to suggest that you should never miss the opportunity to give encouragement – George Adams

A Thought for Today-35 : July 29, 2007

The main reason the dog has so many friends is because he wags his tail instead of his tongue – by Aaron Dragushan (Courtesy: Shallow Thoughts)

A Thought for Today-34 : July 28, 2007

Failure is success if we learn from it – Malcolm Forbes

Thirteen Virtues: Benjamin Franklin

TEMPERANCE: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
SILENCE: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
ORDER: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
RESOLUTION: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
FRUGALITY: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
INDUSTRY: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
SINCERITY: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
JUSTICE: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
MODERATION: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
CLEANLINESS: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
TRANQUILLITY: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
CHASTITY: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
HUMILITY: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Excerpted from ‘Benjamin Franklin on Moral Perfection’ By Paul Ford: http://www.ftrain.com/franklin_improving_self.html

Thirteen Virtues: Benjamin Franklin

TEMPERANCE: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
SILENCE: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
ORDER: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
RESOLUTION: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
FRUGALITY: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
INDUSTRY: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
SINCERITY: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
JUSTICE: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
MODERATION: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
CLEANLINESS: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
TRANQUILLITY: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
CHASTITY: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
HUMILITY: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Excerpted from ‘Benjamin Franklin on Moral Perfection’ By Paul Ford: http://www.ftrain.com/franklin_improving_self.html

"The Whistle" by Benjamin Franklin

We should draw all the good we can from this world. In my opinion, we might all draw more good from it than we do, and suffer less evil, if we would take care not to give too much for whistles. For to me it seems that most of the unhappy people we meet with are become so by neglect of that caution. You ask what I mean?

When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children, and being charmed with the sound of a whistle, that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered and gave all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family.

My, brothers, and sisters, and cousins, understanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth; put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money; and laughed at me so much for my folly, that I cried with vexation; and the reflection gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.

This, however, was afterward of use to me, the impression continuing on my mind; so that often, when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing, I said to myself, Don’t give too much for the whistle; and I saved my money.

When I met with a man of pleasure, sacrificing every laudable improvement of the mind, or of his fortune, to mere corporeal sensations, and ruining his health in their pursuit, Mistaken man, said I, you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you give too much for your whistle.

If I see one fond of appearance, or fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine equipages, all above his fortune, for which he contracts debts, and ends his career in a prison, Alas! say I, he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle. In short, I conceive that great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by the false estimates they have made of the value of things, and by their giving too much for their whistles.

Benjamin Franklin bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin

Works of Benjamin Franklin: http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/f#a92 (Project Gutenberg)

Words of Wisdom-2: "Secular Knowledge devoid of Spiritual Values"

Mere secular knowledge devoid of deep roots in moral and spiritual values would lead to the creation of lop-sided individuals who are clever and skillful – ‘rich’ in technology but poor in humanity. (Atmavikas: A Self-Development Journal for Class IX, published by Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, Price Rs.70/-)

Gems from the Bible-2: Divine Words of Reassurance

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid…for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

(Oh! what great words of reassurance! Oh Suri! when you are uncertain and afraid, repeat these strength-giving words of the Bible.)

(Courtesy: http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/bible/)

Gems from the Bhagavad Gita-2: The Real and the Unreal

The unreal has no existence and the real has no non-existence. The real is imperishable and no one can bring about the destruction of this immutable principle.

Book of the Day-3: "How to Live 24-hours a Day" by Arnold Bennett

Arnold Bennett’s, HOW TO LIVE ON TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, is an unusual book which has won a distinctive place in world literature. It is a small classic, designed to help us make the best use of the most priceless possession we have, TIME. What follows is a synopsis:

Time is the raw material for everything. Without it nothing is possible. The supply of time is truly a daily miracle. No one can take it from you and nor receive either more or less than you receive. And you cannot waste it in advance.

You have to live on this twenty four hours a day; out of which you have to spin money, pleasure, content, health. It demands sacrifices and endless effort.

Now let us examine the budget of the day’s time. A typical man spends eight hours (from 9 am to 5 pm) in the office. During the remaining sixteen hours (from 9 am to 5 pm) he has nothing whatever to do but cultivate his body and soul and serve fellow men.

In examining the typical man’s method of employing the 16 hours that are entirely his, let him spend 30 minutes daily in the morning, and an hour and a half every other evening in cultivating the mind. He will still be left with 3 evenings for friends, family and gardening.

We do not reflect upon genuinely important things; upon the problem of our happiness, upon the main direction in which we are going, upon what life is giving to us, upon the share which reason has in determining our actions and upon the relation between our principles and our conduct.

In the formation of principles and the practice of conduct, much help can be derived from books. I suggest Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus. I may also mention Pascal, La Brayere and Emerson. But no reading of books will take the place of a daily, candid, honest examination of what one has recently done and what one is about to do – of a steady looking of one’s self in the face.

Many people remain idle in the evenings because they think there is no alternative to idleness but the study of literature; and they do not happen to have a taste for literature. This is a great mistake. There are enormous fields of knowledge quite outside literature which yield magnificent results to cultivators.

You need not be devoted to the arts, nor to literature in order to live fully. The whole field of daily habit and scene is waiting to satisfy that curiosity which means life and the satisfaction which means an understanding an understanding heart.

I now come to the case of the person, happily very common, who does like reading. I offer two general suggestions for self-improvement through reading. The first is to define the direction and scope of your efforts. Choose a limited period, or a limited subject, or a single author. And during a given period confine yourself to your choice. There is much pleasure to be derived from being a specialist. The second suggestion is to think as well as to read. To read the full book, click: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext00/24hrs11.txt (Thank you very much, Project Gutenberg, thank you very much!)

Book of the Day-3: "How to Live 24-hours a Day" by Arnold Bennett

Arnold Bennett’s, HOW TO LIVE ON TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, is an unusual book which has won a distinctive place in world literature. It is a small classic, designed to help us make the best use of the most priceless possession we have, TIME. What follows is a synopsis:

Time is the raw material for everything. Without it nothing is possible. The supply of time is truly a daily miracle. No one can take it from you and nor receive either more or less than you receive. And you cannot waste it in advance.

You have to live on this twenty four hours a day; out of which you have to spin money, pleasure, content, health. It demands sacrifices and endless effort.

Now let us examine the budget of the day’s time. A typical man spends eight hours (from 9 am to 5 pm) in the office. During the remaining sixteen hours (from 9 am to 5 pm) he has nothing whatever to do but cultivate his body and soul and serve fellow men.

In examining the typical man’s method of employing the 16 hours that are entirely his, let him spend 30 minutes daily in the morning, and an hour and a half every other evening in cultivating the mind. He will still be left with 3 evenings for friends, family and gardening.

We do not reflect upon genuinely important things; upon the problem of our happiness, upon the main direction in which we are going, upon what life is giving to us, upon the share which reason has in determining our actions and upon the relation between our principles and our conduct.

In the formation of principles and the practice of conduct, much help can be derived from books. I suggest Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus. I may also mention Pascal, La Brayere and Emerson. But no reading of books will take the place of a daily, candid, honest examination of what one has recently done and what one is about to do – of a steady looking of one’s self in the face.

Many people remain idle in the evenings because they think there is no alternative to idleness but the study of literature; and they do not happen to have a taste for literature. This is a great mistake. There are enormous fields of knowledge quite outside literature which yield magnificent results to cultivators.

You need not be devoted to the arts, nor to literature in order to live fully. The whole field of daily habit and scene is waiting to satisfy that curiosity which means life and the satisfaction which means an understanding an understanding heart.

I now come to the case of the person, happily very common, who does like reading. I offer two general suggestions for self-improvement through reading. The first is to define the direction and scope of your efforts. Choose a limited period, or a limited subject, or a single author. And during a given period confine yourself to your choice. There is much pleasure to be derived from being a specialist. The second suggestion is to think as well as to read. To read the full book, click: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext00/24hrs11.txt (Thank you very much, Project Gutenberg, thank you very much!)