Not wanting to Age..........

She was all of 6 when she first moved into the locality. Her father had been transferred to Bombay from Calcutta. A few weeks younger to me, we went about playing as kids do. Running the stairs,  climbing trees,  skirting the surf as we plunged the beach.  Yes we lived by the beach. Years passed by. She grew into a little angel. That was her name too. And then she went to college and came graduation day. She was the cynosure of all eyes. She knew it. We all knew it. And then she was to get married. That was the first time I realized she was living in falsetto. All her wonder years she would be playing with the boys. So it never mattered, if she wore the pants. But now it was time to wear the gown. She realized she had no assets to show off. So she went and did herself an overdose. A week after her marriage she came over for a cup of traditional coffee. And then I noticed she was hirsute. I asked her while her husband turned away, who wears the pants in the house. She wanted to know why. I said because I notice you have started wearing the beard. She had erred with the use of steroids. She went as all of my generation would, to the Middle East to earn her share of petro dollars, and after a 5 year stint migrated to Australia. Last week she came calling to see her mother at home in Mumbai. The door bell rang. I opened, and there she was all excited as we were meeting after two decades. She dropped by to spend an evening with my wife. But somewhere we never connected. She was no longer the angel I knew. She was all chinked up to look younger than her age. I noticed as she opened her wallet that it was packed with plastic. Maybe she extended this to her persona. No longer was she human. She was a porcelain doll. She had done the big B.I was left wondering why could she not age gracefully!!

The Eternal Cycle

She was capable of laughter the world could hear. 
Of tears that could never be seen.
A wife who lived like a lover.  
A Mother who was always a Child.
She grew wings like a dove,and flew to her rest.
She was our Mother.




Circa 1979 December 9 she flew away from planet earth. At her niche @ St.Michael’s Mahim-Mumbai, were these words we got engraved 
“The Rose still grows beyond the wall”.

 Her fragrance lingers, her thoughts guide every move we make. 
We siblings still say
“What would mum have said / done now” ……   ...........Answer got.


Death I believed then as now is only a change of state. If our experience as a human is analogous to a journey down a river, then our experience as a spirit is analogous to the entire water cycle. Each of us is like a raindrop which fell from a cloud and ultimately entered into a river for the journey back from where it came - the sea. Then the cycle is repeated. In the same way that a drop of water is a part of the sea and contains within itself the nature of the sea itself, so our spirit is a part of God containing within it the Whole of God itself. This concept of a something being both a part and the Whole is what we call the atman being part of the param-atman. By becoming a droplet in the water cycle, we can experience wonderful adventures which ultimately help us to understand ourselves and the sea even more. Which river of life we choose to travel down is up to us. Once we begin the journey, we are partly at the mercy of the river and the course it takes us. How we chose to flow down the river is our decision. This river which represents the course of our life that leads us back to God is an archetype that is familiar to us. On the river, we are always moving forward from a source toward an end. There are many decisions and choices to make while traveling the river. Sometimes we have no choice at all but submit to the mercy of the river. At times we can relax and go with the flow. Other times we can shoot the rapids. Wisdom means knowing the best course of action to take as we travel down the river. It concerns how we choose our destinies before our birth, how is analogous to standing on top of a very high mountain, looking down upon a vast system of rivers and choosing which river to partake. From the vantage point of being on top of a mountain, we can get a good view all the rivers from their beginning to their end. As in life, each river has a number of forks and branches to choose from. Some rivers are more challenging while others are less challenging. Some rivers are very dangerous and can lead to disaster. But no matter which river of life we choose before our birth, the river will always carry us back to the sea. This means we are all predestined to eventually return to God. 
But once we begin our journey down the river of our choosing, we have many choices which are not predetermined. "Our life is like a river. The destination is set, but the method of our journeying is up to us. We can cruise down the middle of the river at top speed, or we can hug the shore and spin around in eddies. We can crash over rapids or chart a safer path between obstacles. We can slum along the bottom in the mire and slime of sediment, or we can glide along the sparkling surface where the air is clean. The river is ours from birth to death. How we navigate it is determined by the hundreds of small choices we make each day. 
The idea of death has been the strongest power of religion and religious life. Death stirs man to search for immortality. Man is afraid of Beyond Death. He wants to live forever. Why are we afraid of death?  Death is separation of the soul from the physical body. The entrance of a soul into a body is called birth. The soul's departure from the body is called death. Death is a door opening from one aspect of life to another. Ice becomes water, and water becomes steam, vapour, and invisible gas, according to the degree of vibration. So is life in the physical, astral, and mental planes. Death does not end your personality and self-consciousness. It merely opens the door to a higher form of life. Death is only the gateway to a fuller life. Death is not extinction of personality. It is merely the cessation of an important individuality. Death is not the opposite of life. It is a phase of life. Life flows on ceaselessly. The fruit perishes, but the seed is full of life. The seed dies, a huge tree grows out of the seed. The tree perishes, it becomes coal which has a rich life. You will again resume the work that was left off by you in your previous life. Therefore do not be afraid of death. Living is a continuous process of dying. Just as you move from one house to another house, the soul passes from one body to another to gain experience. The last thought of a man governs his future destiny. It determines his future birth. It is very difficult to keep up God-consciousness at the time of death when diseases torment the body, when consciousness fades. But, for that man who has disciplined his mind all throughout his life and who has tried to fix the mind on the Lord through constant practice, the last thought will be thought of God only. It cannot come by a stray practice in a day or two, in a week or month. It is a life-long endeavor and struggle. Persons who have done good Karma spend a great deal of time on the Heavenly plane before being born again. Great souls, spiritually advanced persons, wait for a long time before reincarnating. In the intervening period between death and new birth, the departed spirit, especially if the person is spiritually developed, can frequently materialize upon the earth plane if necessity arises. It takes form, and even makes itself felt by tangible touch. It is an exact counterpart, a subtle 'double' to the physical body, and forms the vehicle in which the departed soul journeys after death. Spiritual realization and knowledge of the Self alone will reveal the mystery of life and death and the life beyond death. That is why it was written “The Rose still grows beyond the wall”. Let us get ready to walk as we prepare for a peaceful life "Beyond Death" as we say “world without an end ……….Ameen”.

What Ails Indian Sport.....

Further to my last few messages on diverse topics, I propose a solution that will resolve the vexed issue of Indian Sports.

In a country of 1 Billion, having 15% Global population, we are yet to make our mark in the International arena.

My suggestions if implemented will cause India to be a force to reckon with in Sports:

1. A website should be created under the auspices of the sports ministry.-SportsIndia.com

2. Here all Globally recognised sports should be listed

3. Each sport should have a criteria for rating which is mentioned

4. Each sport should have a page that lists players of the sport at district level,state level and national level.

5. The yardstick for a given sport is the same irrespective of which district the player is from.

6. Depending on the sport, players above the benchmark at District level, qualify for the state level.

7. The same applies to players to qualify for the national level.

8. Players performance which is rated here is the only criteria for qualifying.

9. This is there for all players to see how he performs and his chances of getting to the next level.

10. Depending on the Game, the Team List (16 if Cricket) gets qualified.

11. The team decides who should captain them by a vote.

12. The Captain with the coach then decides which 11 players from this list wil play the game.

13. The Administration should limit them selves to organising the event.

14. 60% of gate and all other collections go to the Game.

15. 40% of Gate and all other collections go to a central sports kitty

16. All players from games that meet the laid benchmark will qualify for being sponsored from this kitty.

17. All this is displayed on the website,so that it is clean and fair for all.

18. Players will naturally get motivated to perform as they all know the criteria for selection is based on performance only.

Trust if this is accepted, the day is not far when Indian sports will do all Indians proud.

The Government of India can initiate action in this regard..........  Read more at .........http://simplesolutionsforall.blogspot.com/

Our Right to fail

Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the fear of falling?
Unless our children discover their wings, they will never know the purpose of their lives.
They need to feel the air beneath their wings.

The right to fail has to be the fundamental right of all. It is the essence of creativity.
The creative act must be uninhibited and there can be no fear of failure – nothing inhibits so fiercely, or pulls a dream to earth so swiftly as the fear of failure.  

Why is it as parents we wish to control the lives of our kids as though we own them? 
We need them to pursue careers we think suits them best, and when they are hurt we say "we're hurting you for your own good". I'm all for them to choose their own options in life, no matter their pursuits do not meet my expectations.
I would prefer the kind of failure they experience if only it is to guide their next step. Anyone who leaves education midstream is branded a failure – and the right to fail is one of the few freedoms, this country does not grant its citizens.
What I don’t like is that we treat failure almost as a condemnation. We need dissenters and dreamers far more than we need politicians and bureaucrats if we are to succeed as a nation. But we paralyze them by insisting that every step in life be a step up the ladder.
Yet in the formative years of youth, the only way for our kids to define their way is by digressing from the beaten path, getting lost and finding their way again.
We need to encourage them to take the path never walked before, for that is what will make all the difference in their lives. Let them trample on the leaves of yester years, and venture on a new path - "Don’t" is what we always shout back. What they should be told instead is "do not be afraid" of losing your way. Failure isn’t fatal. Success isn’t final.
History is strewn with successful failures who have followed their own trail, not worrying about the twists and turns, only because they had faith in their own sense of direction. It is exciting to read of their tryst with destiny not because they beat the system, but because the system they created was better than the one they beat. I am not asking you to go out and fail for the sheer joy of failing. I only mean that failure isn’t bad in itself as success isn't always as good. I don’t feel any obligation to be successful. Success can be dangerous-----you feel you know it all. I’ve learnt a great deal from my failures. It isn’t the end of the world. It’s the only way to grow. Today’s generation seems to know this is true and are willing to take the risks. Society still sets the rules and condemns failure.
  Who then is to say what is right or wrong. No one has the answer of what is right, and the dawning awareness of this fact is one of the best things happening today. Success and failure are becoming individual visions and not rigid categories. Maybe we are learning to cherish this right of every person to succeed on his own terms and fail as often as necessary along the way. As a youngster, one of the things I learned early on was that winning and losing was a natural part of any game I played, be it football or cards. Somebody wins, somebody loses. Nobody likes to lose, but as I have written, there is nothing to be ashamed of if you have tried your best, and still failed. I have more respect for the person who valiantly tried and lost, as opposed to the person who won by cheating. Failure is a natural part of life and an inherent part of evolution. It is a strong message telling us that what we are doing is not working, and we can either learn from it and change our ways or ignore it and perish. It's nice to have a safety net, but where would we be if nobody took a risk? Without failure, life stagnates. We cannot make progress if we are not allowed to fail. Entrepreneurs, adventurers, and other personalities understand in any venture there is a certain element of risk, whereby they will either reap the rewards of success, or taste the agony of defeat. They weigh the risks carefully, and then work overtime to assure success, but they clearly understand there is no such thing as a guarantee for success. There are people today who want to eliminate our right to fail, that nobody should experience the pain or embarrassment of defeat. Like it or not, failure is the only real catalyst to invoke true changes. Nothing is more powerful to truly change someone, than failure; ask anyone who has experienced it. Nobody likes to take their medicine, but I'm afraid it is time to pass the medicine around. I don't expect a lot of people to jump on the bandwagon, but it's time to
"Protect our right to fail!"

Original Sin.....

Why is this referred to as the Original Sin?
To me........God was experimenting in creating a perfect being close to his image and likeness. This first created was Adam a man. Having created Adam, God realized there was an error in his Chromosomes, for death and its causes were coded therein.So he went about correcting it. But this was time taking, and Adam saw God had created all other in pairs, and wanted to know why he was alone. So that Adam not be alone, he created woman as company. He wanted them to enjoy his creations, but restrained them from enjoying sex (Tree of Life) till he achieved the perfect being.  The thought forces which were anti god prompted Adam to enjoy Sex with Eve and like the other creations of God, informed (Tree of Knowledge) that they could create progeny and become creators like God. Thus Adam copulated with Eve and when God descended to meet them next, he realised they had disobeyed him and thereby faulted his efforts in creating the next perfect being. This pair would start multiplying and there would now be no stopping them. Like an atomic reaction man would multiply and fill the earth. In sadness he drove them away from his sight as the progeny were now to face death due to these genetic defects. This sin of disobedience of Adam was the origin of death. "Adam was to die, whether he sinned or not, as his creation was imperfect. His sin injured not only himself, but the entire human race" as Adam began transmitting the genetic stains which were defective, and thereby death. This transmission of death is easily understood as we see parents transmit hereditary diseases to their offspring. This transmission was being corrected by God when they disobeyed. This transmission of sin should be understood as the transmission of death.  To take the word sin to mean death is what is meant when we say that Adam caused sin in us. Many do not understand by sin the hereditary stain contracted at our birth, but the sin that adults commit in imitation of copulation as done by Adam. For us to conquer death we need to realise our mission here on earth and we are able to understand Redemption. The sin of Adam has injured the human race at least in the sense that it has introduced death. God was creating a being like himself who would never die. This perfection was lost forever. Here is question of physical death. First, the literal meaning of the word ought to be presumed unless there is some reason to the contrary.We must read death when we speak of sin, we should also understand that the disobedience of Adam has made us mortal we see that by one man two things have been brought on all men, sin and death, the one being the consequence of the other and therefore not identical with it. 

Original sin may be taken to mean the first sin that Adam committed. A consequence of this first sin, the hereditary stain with which we are born on account of our origin or descent from Adam. From the earliest times the latter sense of the word was more common, as may be told: "the deliberate sin of the first man is the cause of original sin". It is the hereditary stain that I deal with here. As to the sin of Adam we have not to examine the circumstances in which it was committed nor make the exegesis of the third chapter of Genesis. 

Hurry up S.l..o...w....l.....y

What is this life if, full of care. / We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs / And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass / Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see in broad daylight, / Streams full of stars like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance / And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can, / Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care, / We have no time to stand and stare.

-William Henry Davies

Possibly my favourite Poem of all time.

There is a premium on swift action. Being fast if not first is valued, as Speed is King. With our lives measured in bits & bytes, is it any wonder our Health, Performance and Relationships begin to suffer. 
We are not designed to work round the clock. My working life has been both pleasant and productive.
Small mistakes made over yesteryears may mock me in the days to come, but every thing I learned in my early days hold true even now. Incremental completion of small tasks, I look for the moment when I can sprint to the Finish Line. 
Instead of doing every thing faster,better to do it at the rightspeed. 

"Hapa,hapa" in Swahili means Slowly,slowly.The Kenyans listen to their bodies - Training when they feel good and taking time off when they need rest. Each year a different group of athletes appear on the horizon, and amongst them a new champion emerges. The talent pool seems endless.One can run fast if trained hard and recovered harder. 

You can't sprint forvever, but you can pull your pace down. Slowness must be part of education and health care. Our present health care system is all about repair, and not what is good for the body. The best way to slow down is to sleep a little more, and pay more attention when awake. It is not about delaying thinking. It is about assigning time to things when I can give them my full attention. Sleep is also a part of it. We must seek a reconnection to ourselves, to each other and with the world around us. 

My ability to slow down is a result of not wanting to rush through my life. When I was living life as if it were a sprint, I was unconscious of the world about me, and it felt Heavy, Stressful and Burdensome. Learning to slow down, I am able to make my voice heard and live life as I run the Marathon. And to my surprise, it does not feel like a struggle anymore. In fact it is so much fun. Next time when you are in a rush to get somewhere, take in the surrounding Sound, Sight & Smell. Cheers!!

Teenage thoughts

My childhood dream was to be a Poet.
You will never know how difficult it was then, to write a poem, and how easy it was to be rejected.
I did approach Kamala Das, who was then associated with a Youth magazine. She read all my submissions, and said
"Roy, you will never be a poet".
With this died a dream like many others...............   

Recently I found some papers in my attic, and thought why not publish them here. So what if Ms Das rejected them, at least I can rejoice in having them published here. All poems were written in my teens.
The Poet in me died then.
Long live the Poet.

Life

Why is life so very tense.

We always have to sit on the fence.

And every time we tend to relax,

someone is out there to collect his tax.

Why are our lives such a bore,

we never know who lives next door.

We save on things, that will never be spent

And nurture plans, that see no end.

Nightmare

I live my days, waiting dearly for the night

But cruel night keeps me awake

I suffer in silence, waiting eagerly for dawn

I rise, for my hour has come

to labour another sleepless night.

Lonely Me

Milder than those I have met

It was when I heard

Laughter, resonate my Chords

Deep Down, while I tried to

Read her eyes, and

Even before, I could analyse her,She had

Departed "Sans Adios"

Life Again

Life is an awakening, in the midst of sleep.

Sleepers sleep,
Unmindful of the world about them

Sweet is this Sleep,Sweeter than the Sound.

Disturb me not in this soulful slumber

Let me be lost into the night.

The Fallen One

Condemned, rejected, Trampled upon

In bloom yesterday, admired by surging crowds

A tender bud not yet in life

Plucked at dawn, to add life to another 

Gathering dust, dismantled in today's storm

When shall I see life in it fullest form.

Look Within

When you think you have lived and done No wrong

Look within and hear that song. 

Hear the words for you that are penned

And understand with care the message meant.

When you think you are the final word

Check if what you said is what you heard. 

You may fool the rest as you walk your way

But if you can resonate the words heard and sway

You have lived your life with just my friend

and be at peace until the end.

How did it all Start

Where do I begin
How did it all Start
When did I Miss the Beat
When did I realize you were my Heart

Yours is the Sound I'd like to break my Dawn
Yours is the Touch I'd like at Midnight

Will you be there when the lights turn dim
Will you be there when my head has to rest
Will you be there for me my love 

Flirting in the Dark

By Nature I maybe Gregarious,
but flirt no way,
Not with another's wife..
But
if the attraction persists
may fall in love
after all
it's only a heart
the only one I have
could never think 
you would walk away with it 
forever

Sadly...  it is the day after

The cold wind blows
Chill in the air
It is the Day after

Moments gone by
Words unsaid
It is the Day after

A table laid for two
None there but you
It is the Day after

We shall meet
I do not know when
I do not know where
Let it not be said 
it is 'The day after'

Green.......Green........Grass................

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire labourers for his vineyard".(Mathew 20:1)

This one parable has had a great influence in my thinking from early childhood.
I have always believed in "KARMA" and what we assume receiving in this lifetime is the resultant of all our past lives & deeds. Therefore I need to be satisfied with the present at all times.This thought has kept me in a State of happiness at all times. Let me not look over the fence and say " Oh!! He's got a better wife than mine" or "I wish I had his Car". We all wake up and say"Oh! I am so Unlucky. The unlucky is nothing more than a frame of reference for the lucky that we assume. Unfortunately we never realize we too are lucky, until it's too late. For instance, yesterday we were better off than today. But it took today for us to realise it. We are never happy with what we have. We want what we had or what others have. The grass is always greener on the other side, and we really do not know what we have, until it's gone.

Why do we always feel the grass is greener on the other side?  

What is it that keeps us from being content with what we have, where we are, what we are doing, who we are? We seem to be forever craning our necks to see what lies beyond our grasp; missing what may be right in front of us, and convincing ourselves we could be happy, if only we could have what we covet. Gratitude fosters contentment. Embracing acceptance, and choosing our perspective allows us to enjoy the moment before us. When we are in the moment, we are not looking over the fence, because we are busy living the moment with what is right in front of us. Choose Contentment over anxiety, and change our perspective from feeling stuck to being willing to use the time to our benefit instead of wailing on self pity and anger. We would be there either way. What a relief to remember we have a choice. The next time we find ourself peeking over the fence, learn to accept with gratitude. We might find the most beautiful green grass beneath our feet.
Green ....Greener.....Greenest.................. grass beneath our feet."

The Need to Write

When I sit down to write, I ask myself, "What shall I say to my fellow audience"?
I will do my best to make my writing worthy, and this mindset helps me create content.
I want my writing to change people for the better, to expand their thinking, to raise their consciousness and to help eliminate fear.
If it helps change, it means value is being transferred.
It takes effort to produce original thoughts, and that's my preferred strategy.
When people arrive here, they must stick around awhile, react to the ideas and refer others to it.
With time I propose to have many articles to explain my thoughts. Not all are going to like or agree with my work.
While I will write occasionally about time bound or location specific events, the majority of my content is hopefully intended to be timeless.
I am aware that what I write today will be read by others, years after I have gone.
We still quote Aristotle in this Millennia.
Similarly I think how will my idea influence generations to come including my own.
What advice do I pass on to my Grandchildren.
Will the content created today be relevant in say 2030 or 3040?
Writing for future generations helps me stay focused on the core of my message, which is to help others grow in thought.
As long as this happens, there is chance that what I write today will have relevance later. And if it is relevant for the future it means it is relevant for today as well.
Not many recall the Wealthiest, Healthiest or Richest of the last Century or last Decade. But we can all recall the Life & Times of Buddha, Krishna or Eisa (Jesus).
What makes us recall events or persons of 2000 or 5000 years earlier and not of the last decade or century?
It is only because they have propounded thoughts that have led to the way we think and live.
This is the way we can be remembered.
We may forget yesterday's news, but will recall things that have a meaning in our lives.
So I strive to write about Meanings instead of Happenings.
Having a son to carry forward the family name or statues erected is not the answer.
An idea or thought once created travels through time like energy.
The 3rd law states that energy cannot be destroyed.