In the forest of your mind
Wanders many creatures
Of thoughts,
Great and small
Playing the game
Vying for attention
Fighting for Survival
To be heard and to be listened to
To be acted upon and manifest itself.
Your history and future
Dancing a tango with each other
In this present moment
But in-between and betwixt…
There is a space of quiet
Of all pervading calm
Within lies a lake of stillness
Or call it a pool of peace.
A watering hole of wisdom
A centering space of simplicity
As all illusory creations of the mind
Partake in a regeneration.
As the thoughts refresh themselves
The mind collects itself once more
All is Serene and tranquil inches now
Peace pools in and life evolves…
During one of his travels, Kalidasa (the Great Poet) felt very thirsty and looked around for water. He saw a woman drawing water from a well.
He went up to her and asked her for water. She agreed to give him water, but asked him, “Who are you? Introduce yourself.”
Now Kalidasa thought that an ordinary village woman was not worthy of knowing who Kalidasa was. So he said, “I am a traveller.”
But his lady replied, “In this world there are only 2 travellers – the Sun and the Moon. Both Rise and Set every day and keep travelling perpetually.”
Then Kalidasa said, “Alright then, I am a guest.” The lady promptly replied, “In this world there are only 2 guests – Youth and Wealth … both are temporary and hence can only be called as guests.”
Intrigued Kalidasa said, “I am a Tolerant person (sahansheel vyakti).” Now the lady replied, “In this world only 2 truly know the meaning of Tolerance – Bhoomi (Earth) and Tree. How much ever you stamp the earth or throw stones at the tree (for the fruits), both continue to nurture us.”
Now Kalidasa was completely perplexed. He said, “Fine. I am a stubborn person (hatavaadi).” The lady smiled and said, “There are only 2 truly stubborn personalities – our nails and our hair. We keep cutting them non-stop, but they continue to grow.”
Kalidasa had been patient so far, but now in anger he said, “I am a fool”. Now the lady gave a wide smile and said, “There are only 2 kinds of fools in this world – a King who rules without having any capability or knowledge & a Minister who is a sycophant to such a King and lavishes praises on such a useless king.”
Kalidasa realised that he had been outsmarted. He fell at the feet of the lady and when he touched her feet and then got up, whom did he see?
Mother Saraswati – the Goddess of Learning and Wisdom. She said, “Kalidasa, you are wise. But only if you know yourself do you become a Manushya (human being). A person without any awareness of self has not reached the pinnacle of being a Human.
Note:
The Guru who recounted this story in His Teachings said, “Children should become a Manushya & know themselves. More than teaching them how to earn more money and become rich, parents should teach them to become aware of themselves and become better Human beings.
Wouldn’t you agree?
What do you think of this ancient story and its relevance to our education today?
How far have we really come with the so called knowledge?
What legacy will we really be leaving behind for our children tomorrow?
When can we bridge this growing gap between learning for knowledge and learning for understanding?
How can we transform our methods of education where we educate not just the mind but also the human heart?
For the truth is that…
Humanity needs us all to be humane more than ever before to survive!
In these following verses, I recount the visions from the sky that I enjoyed a few months ago before all the chaos, in deep gratitude for the beauty of nature… Across lands divided by human maps, what emerged significantly was how the scenery in spite of its individual attributes, flowed merging seamlessly into one another in harmony… Amazing nature amazing grace… I couldn’t help but waltz along.🙂
I see her splendid beauty
Crystalize itself in front of my eyes.
Mountain tops bejeweled with ice
I watch her dancing
In the fluidity of the flow
Rivers shimmering in the rays of the sun
I waltzed along with her through the horizon
As the plane paddled alongside fluffs of white clouds.
Green pastures and plains
Gave way to rocky mountains
Folds over the hills stretching on
As long as the eye could fathom
A vision to behold
And time after time
The Sun would play hide and seek
Dancing cheek to cheek with the clouds
It was pure fascination
As I watched it all from up above
Magical majestic mystical mother
You are alluring and awe-inspiring in every way
Your beauty blows my mind
And captures my senses
Graceful God, I bow to thee!
Your smile is your soul signature
Your voice is the vibration of your energy
Your speech is a channel of communication
Your intention is the story of your purpose.
Your eyes are the window of your soul
Your heart is the expression of your being
Your steps are the path you create
Your actions are the enabler of deeds
Your body is the lighthouse
Your spirit is light.
This Global Shift to Work From Home was meant to happen. The lockdown just hastened the process. With more and more work being computer-driven the approach to online meetings finding acceptance the shift was inevitable.
With increasing traffic and the associated fatigue, the rising costs of real estate, infrastructure, and equipment to maintain and sustain a physical office environment the Work From Home seems to be a more suitable effective and efficient alternative in the current scenario.
However, this will soon gain greater acceptance as employers will find although there are challenges people actually can be productive from wherever they are. And there are ways and tools as well to ensure it. So much system integration and analytics only show how it can turn the majority into adopting this method of employment. Unnecessary travel time and cost are saved, the energy can be utilized with resourcefulness.
Virtual meetings are adaptable and can even be recorded and replayed. So training modules can be conducted once and replayed.
As change is the need of the hour a series of altering and shifting of perspectives will be taking place simultaneously. In such difficult situations, we need to learn to be pliant to what’s required. Learning to be more collaborative cooperative and supportive to make the purpose worthwhile.
Virtual Work is the Future.
While this is an advantage for employees to be flexible with timing with greater time at disposal by cutting travel times and the need to get ready etc. It is also a possibility of radical shifts for Future entrepreneurs will have to learn from this experience and weigh the pros and cons carefully and cut unnecessary costs to be resourceful productive.
As for employees though the multidimensional dynamics of social interaction and sense of community in a physical office is lost, an online conversation is replete with its own tools to circumvent this.
However, with no face to face physical interaction, lesser office politics, and no watercooler gossips, it could certainly reduce the waste of unnecessary time and lead to greater efficiency.
Already with the drastic changes in the world economy and the predictions for challenging times ahead, it is time to find ways to reduce costs and increase online engagement which is already offering an array of productive resources and end to end collaborations that can change the way we work. It’s time to rethink and reinvent the way we work!
Bored?
What boredom, no time for boredom!
says my seemingly exasperated friend in India on the phone.
With the complete lockdown and most on’ Work from home status ‘majority of families are struggling to cope with rising demands of the family be it the seniors at home, children and of course pets as well. The families are now suddenly having no house help, the quintessence of urban class living.
Compared to the Western world in India still, the lure of cheaper labor force makes a household helper available to all. But in the current scare, there are no maids, let alone cooks or gardeners. Except for those who may have a live-in helper which is not often the case.
Suddenly the ‘Work from home’ status actually registers the truth. For it is truly challenging for most families who have never bothered to make their own bed or do dishes or cook ever. In fact, there are many who wait for someone else to make their tea or coffee or get a glass of water.
In these hard-pressed times the major part of the work comes to the women of the household still, in spite of all those talks of women’s liberation that goes on doing the rounds every year around early March.
To all the women, who have suddenly vowed to prove themselves superwoman please take it easy.
A little dirty corner, neglected kitchen shelves, not a four course meal, everything is acceptable. But not at the cost of your own health. Remember your falling sick at these times will be disastrous especially if there is no one to take over from you !!
Stay safe
The women are left with no options as the demands keep on rising as those who are at home are hungrier than ever with time to kill.
There are, of course, some of those evolved households where all are contributing their bit. The onus of responsibility needs to be shared, else it will make every day a living hell.
If only more young parents of today teach all their children both sons and daughters equally to cook, clean and do housework as a part of life skills training so that they also know how to manage a home when they have one, the lives of so many future families will be truly much easier.
As we see it, the future is here with new challenges and unless we are all equipped with basic survival skills and takes into account, ownership, responsibility, and teamwork and move beyond gender biases, it is truly tough to live through times like these.
How are you and your families managing this interim period?
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