Showing posts with label happiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happiness. Show all posts

MY CHARM TO VISIT RAILWAY STATIONS

 

There is an adage that nothing is outside the domain of a poet.  It is only time and the context that channelizes his/her creative energies. I think the same is  equally true for  a blogger.

When I see the top bloggers in  tech genre,  my heart prompts  to  advise them to take a holiday for a while  and write  a different post for novelty. I know that  they feel it as a bad idea, but I swear it not !

The other day when I completed 186 articles in  my blog,  I felt  dried up to churn out new stories.


Immediately I found an answer in railway stations.  The context came handy as one of my close friends was about to  catch a train and I went  along with him to railway station to see him off.

In fact, the railway station and train symbolize our  own journey of life.  The railway station is like a world around us and the train is like  ourselves.   We start our journey  at one point  and  must terminate at other end.

Whenever, I visit railway stations, I come back productively and I get enough insights to  churn out new stories. In my childhood days, whenever I get bored,  I used to visit nearest railway station which cheers up my mood  dreaming  that one day I would take my long journey on train and see the whole world.

Much after childhood years, when I entered into government service,   my charm for railway station and train  did not diminish and I continue to enjoy them.   Apart from tons of  happiness,  I used to get  the best books at  railway stations.  Many of  great books  in my personal library were bought from railway station stalls only.   If you want to know the talk of the town  book,  better  go to  the nearest railway station and you  come to know the pulse of the public.

Some times,  my visit to railway stations brings out the pent up emotions  like the  last visit  when my eyes welled up with emotion after seeing the agony of distressed parents of  a mentally challenged  child when she fell flat on the platform.

Whether you are in sad or happy mood,  life doesn't stops like a passing train  in the middle of its journey!


MY EARLY MORNING REFLECTIONS

 

There is no other way to control a day than to wake up little early in the morning.  It is one such non-negotiable activity that a writer should cultivate to embark a successful journey.

Honestly, I am not a  stickler to this virtue for some years which is not the case now.  I find the quality of writing improves insanely great when I  write in the mornings.   As the mind would be like a clean slate in those serene hours,  great writing happens miraculously.  

 

One morning after  sipping a cup of  hot coffee with  a biscuit,  followed by one minute prayer, yoga and meditation,  I sat down to begin my day.  When  I was about to open my 'Quotations Book' to devour some power quotes,  suddenly the corner table-top calendar grabbed my attention.  It is the calendar with daily power quotes of Swami Vivekananda which I stopped rolling daily with a  usual complaint: 'I don't have time'.   But  I know that is absurd.     Having felt guilty for a while, I rolled  the date card  to  26th October.  A beautiful  quote popped up  which slid me into reflection :

 

'This is the first lesson to learn; 

be determined not to curse anything outside, 

not to lay the blame upon anyone outside, 

but be a man stand up, lay the blame on yourself.  

You will find that is always true.  Get hold of yourself !


I tried to digest this truth into my veins.  

 

The agenda in front of me is to ' to share, share and share and widen my Knowledge Group through effective  forum. !   My intention  to share is noble and the purpose is  plausible.   

 

Too much worldly man can't cut much ice.   Even if he could succeed, it is only for short duration.

After certain age, physical growth stops and intellectual growth only matters and it differentiates  you from the crowd.  To grow in life means to grow spiritually.     

 

If you plough the history,  you could witness  that great people  have come and gone leaving  their foot prints in the sands of time.   What you need to do is  derive benefit from their wisdom and  march  ahead  with your own foot prints.  But feeling insignificant in this vastness of the universe is a self-inflicted curse and it is the beginning to your own end.  You have to make your own mark  on this planet in  your own life  time and  that adds flavour to life !  

                                                                                       


MY FIRST LESSON IN HAPPINESS PROJECT

 

The other day, on a sultry afternoon, I was out to  visit a  book-store in the upmarket of  South Delhi. The purpose was to spend a couple of  hours to keep myself abreast of latest books in the town,  especially in my favorite genre - Self Help, Brain Power, Health/ Fitness, Happiness.

 

When I entered into that basement book-store, I felt the ambience soul-lifting. The fragrance of fresh -print-books was elating. The air-conditioned bookshop did not tire my legs when I snaked through the shelves, sometimes standing  to take a glance of couple of pages of books and some other times bending my back to take a quick look in the bottom racks. For a bibliophile   it is like a pilgrimage in the new town which I quite enjoyed.

 

The Book 'The Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin is # 1 New York Times Bestseller in 2009. It is a reprint of 2011 edition. One interesting fact about the book is that the author has spent twelve months test-driving the wisdom of the ages to know first-hand of how to be happier. The cover flap depicts that she found novelty and challenge as powerful sources of happiness.

 

Much before I saw the Rubin's book, I have already embarked my own journey of happiness in April, 2013 with a dedicated note book meant  for noting best quotes  on happiness culled out from the sayings of wisdom masters.   

 

 The main aphorisms of happiness are universal  across all cultures.  

 

While reading the book when   flipped through the pages, suddenly my heart-beat stopped for a while when I found pages 125 - 126 of the book terribly torn . Much to my dismay, the succeeding pages 127 -128 also damaged partially leaving no words to describe my agony. 

 

I could not exchange the book as I wrote down my name with date of purchase.  The title  of the book suggested me not to react wildly. I stood silently for some time  to come to terms. I thought what best I could do to get over the situation is to subdue my negative emotions. Soon enough, I pat my shoulder that I should not loose peace for the thing happened. 

 

After a while, the solution was seen round the corner. The Zen wisdom  convinced me that I should not worry for the things which I could do nothing. But I desperately felt the need to vent my feelings , but how ? Suddenly I got a flash of insight. It is my blog where I could pour out my heart.   


Writing these lines gave me the much needed relief. It  acted like magic pill to sooth my raging nerves. I find that peace can not be either bought or brought from outside and it is well within me. What I need is only to give a command to my own self with love like a ring master does to a roaring lion in the circus ! 


A TALE OF TWO BABY PIGEONS

 

The other day before my morning coffee was served, my wife brought a news with her elegant smile. It was about one of the daily visitors to the balcony of our 3r floor apartment in South Delhi.

 

In fact, our day starts with watching a flock of birds that come daily on the roof-top opposite to our home, to eat the grains spread by the bird-lovers of Aadarsh Andha Vidhyalay, a special school-cum-hostel for visually-challenged children which is a stone's throw from our home.

The news was  of a pigeon who laid two eggs on our sapling- pot. I cracked a joke with my wife that our balcony area turned into maternity ward for that bird  which is a symbol of peace. We decided not to disturb the bird till it hatches it’s eggs. I felt amused by seeing the eggs and hoped to see the baby pigeons in a matter of few days. The reason is that I have never seen in my life the process of hatching by pigeons.  

 

Everything in this world is a marvel. The only prerequisite is, you need to have a pair of curious eyes to watch it. When you do so, a story would  be born to share with the world. Getting an idea or thought for a writer is like laying egg and the process of putting to pen is hatching and the 'final story' is the offspring.

 

We carefully guarded the pigeon during the process of hatching  as crows tried to eat away. My wife used to give me daily updates on the pigeon during our night dinners and how she maintained wakeful eyes to save the eggs.  

 

Though  seeing of pigeon eggs need not be an attention grabber and most of us may dismiss it as an ordinary thing, the writer in me wondered to see the very life process the Creator  orchestrates   through eggs.  But the problem with the most of the folks is when you try to narrate them, they don't endorse the same curiosity which may dip your enthusiasm and you refrain from sharing. But the best way to keep your learning curve in tact with age is to immerse into Nature for certain amount of time daily so that you feel connected. It amounts to be 'education'.

 

The eminent Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishna Murti says that Education is not just to pass examinations, take a degree and a job, get married and settle down, but also to be able to listen to the birds, to see the sky, to see the extraordinary beauty of a tree, and the shape of the hills, and to feel with them, to be really, directly in touch with them. As you grow older, that sense of listening, seeing, unfortunately disappears because you have worries, you want more money, a better car, more children or less children. You become jealous, ambitious, greedy, envious; so you lose the sense of the beauty of the earth.

 

When it comes to pigeon story, finally, the two eggs were hatched and two very beautiful baby pigeons came out and  after some days both of them had flown out.

 

Being a father of two children, my heart ached a lot when the first baby pigeon which grew in size in front of me flew out. The caring attitude of mother-pigeon to groom the baby pigeons gave us subtle lessons of how careful we should be in grooming our children. 

 

The pain of  seeing the baby pigeons leaving us is similar to a child leaving his/her parents after grown up.

Man being a domesticated animal try to connect with everything around him. It happens with everyone and I am not an exception !


BIJENDER’S BENEVOLENCE

 

In the present syndrome of ' I don't have time' ,  some very ordinary folks teach us the lessons of compassion, benevolence, kindness to stay our foot firmly on the ground.  This needs to be constantly reminded as our lives are proliferating with uncertainty in the constant flux of cause and effect of our acts.

One such ordinary man is  Bijender Singh of  Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh.  He proudly calls himself 'Rajput'.  Donning a spotless white safari dress, at first look you could presume him as a chauffeur to a wealthy man's high-end car.  But he is a proud owner-cum-driver of a three-wheeler auto rickshaw and earns a handsome income on the bustling Delhi roads.

Bijender is different in many ways from his peers.  He doesn't drink which ruins the lives of many  labour-class  in India.   He treats his vehicle as his child and keeps it always neat and tidy.  

The other day when I boarded his auto, I felt elated of his three-wheel queen glowing as if it is bought  a month back or so. My curiosity asked him how old was his vehicle.  His reply was crisp.  ''Two years old sir''.  Elaborating how best he manages his time, he says that whenever he finds time in between his sorties, he halts his vehicle at some place and rubs off dust so that he could provide the best travel experience to the passengers sitting in his auto. He even throws a challenge to you to show dust even in the  remotest part of the vehicle which reflects his confidence and dedication to his profession.

When I spun  him enough into conversation wheel, he opened up further of how he saved the life of a young man of same profession who fell prey to Ganja and alcohol and collapsed his health.  When all his neighbours chose not to rescue the near-dying young man, he took him to a private hospital and administered treatment by spending  Rs.10,000/- from his pocket despite serious protest from his wife.

 By the time, I  got into  his auto, he was coming back from the hospital and the young man  was slowly recovering from the life-threatening condition.  Bijener Singh is a satisfied-soul after  the young man with folded-hands expressed his gratitude and promised to pay back the amount expended for his treatment.

He gave me enough sermon  that all should come forward to help the  needy irrespective of their social status.  He gave another instance  of how he adopted an orphan boy 15 years back when the boy with  less than 4 years old  was deserted on the road  and a rickshaw puller gave  him to take care of that orphan.   After approaching Police and failing to get response from the TV ad given, he took the boy to his home and became his guardian. Now that boy became a young man of 18 years old and earning and giving him Rs.8000/- per month.

He says that he will do his best to settle these two men who came into his life.   By the time, he wraps up his story, my home came and I  pulled out Rs.100/- note from my wallet  and asked him  not to return the balance Rs.50/-  and use that money to provide a tumbler of juice on my behalf to that hospitalized young man.  I felt exuberant when Bijender's beaming face acknowledged my gesture.

I climbed steps heading to my third floor home, ruminating the words of Dalai Lama : Show kindness if possible; And I think it is always possible !            

 


DAILY ACTS OF KINDNESS

 

A recent post in a social media site depicts  the fate of  Modern Man :  

Touched Moon and neighbors unknown; 

High IQ but with less Emotions; and Good Knowledge and Less Wisdom.  

Is it the kind of progress we want to head in life ?

The rat race of  our lives  completely robs of our sensitivity and serenity of mind.  There is no time to feel the emotions nor  time for introspection / reflection of actions done,  but only accounting of finances  before retire to sleep.  I doubt that majority  of  us are really leading rich emotional lives !

When I read scriptures or any other spiritual text or great  philosophy books,  I find that the man should have two essential qualities with him. :  Compassion and Gratitude.  When this twin qualities become our second skin,  the journey of life becomes fulfilled.

When  I grow up  and started earning  in 1990s,  my task on pay -day is to go to bus stand or railway station  to search for  needy and distressing people to  extend my assistance in the form of  some money  to express my gratitude to  Almighty who  has not given me that role to play.  Those acts of kindness give me serenity   and I go back home happily feeling pride of my actions.

 

My heart naturally tilts towards poor, especially who do physical labour and sweat out to earn those needy bucks like daily labourer or rickshaw pullers who toil hard to  make both ends meet.   Whenever, I use their services, I do give some extra money over and above the bargained rate.  My heart inundates with a feeling of achievement when I see a smile on their faces.

 

Whenever greed overpowers me, I visit places of   less-privileged who take alms at temples, busy market hubs etc.   Recently to grab some experience on such sort, I visited Old Delhi - Chandini Chowk.    

 

When I saw the physically distressing beggarly man which you see above, I am reminded of a Persian Proverb:  I weep because I have no shoe, until I saw a man who has no feet.   

 

One day when I was strolling in park nearby my home, suddenly, it came to my senses that I crushed the crawling insects on my  path.  Seeing  and counting the dead  insects, their staggering number ached my heart deeply.  

 

Till  the man reaches forty, hormones hijack  him.  He starts  learning  to live life only once he crosses  that threshold age. The reason is that he gets the feeling of elapsing time. To show compassion and live with gratitude are not the qualities that he needs to borrow from books or others.  In fact, it is in his innate nature. The more he cultivates, the better man he becomes!.   

 

 


INSPIRING ACT OF KINDNESS

 


Dog is a pretty wonderful animal. It lives in the present moment. We all live in imagination, either brooding over past or hankering for future which is the root cause of what Buddha calls, existential suffering.

The dog brings all sorts of things to the table : joy, playfulness, loyalty and connectivity, says mind-body medicine expert and word-smith Dr. Deepak Chopra. He further says that one of the greatest attributes that dogs have is their ability to just be without worrying about repercussions.

Equally interesting revelation comes from his son Gotham Chopra who in his book written with his father ‘Walking wisdom: Three Generations, Two Dogs and the Search for a Happy Life’ says that dogs make us physically healthier by making us exercise. They make us emotionally healthier by asking for caresses that sooth not just their bodies, but our souls as well.

Neeraj Sharma is the CEO of a construction equipment company - Aura Bucket Crusher at HauzKhas, South Delhi whose pastime includes animal welfare.  When  asked why he feeds the dogs daily, he unfolds his story.

Around 4 years back, when he went to United States for a 3-months business trip, his pet dog died back at home. During his stay in happier times  at Siri Fort Road, adjacent to my home in Sadiq Nagar,  New Delhi, Neeraj used to stroll with his dog and the pet instantly befriended with all the nearby stray dogs in the area. That pleasant routine etched on his memory.

Though the sudden death of his pet somewhat crippled him, but he found a healing outlet by feeding all those stray dogs which were once the friends of his pet.  It looks odd to strangers to see his daily acts of kindness, but his beaming face acknowledges with full humility.

When asked if anyone ever interrupted  his acts, he says that once the President of a Residents Welfare Association severely objected but when he heard his story, he got convinced and supported his cause.

Dalai Lama says : Show compassion whenever possible;  and Neeraj knowingly or unknowingly follows this dictum. The way he thrusts his legs forward to feed as many dogs as possible, reflects his deepest compassion which is certainly a commanding act of rarity.

EMBODIMENT OF HAPPINESS

 

The 14th Dalai Lama is known for his signature smile all over the world for the last half a century. Driven by the teachings of Buddha, Dalai Lama silently endured all the  ordeals in his personal life. Showing a bountiful of compassion on fellow beings, he stands before us as a Messiah of Peace and Compassion.  Generally the  man of his age  86 confines to one place to count the last days. But, his punishing schedules wonder anybody as he is a globetrotter through out the year without any iota of tiredness.

It is true that when a person develops an exemplary conduct, certainly he/she develops an energy center which emanates positive vibrations. Dalai Lama when he smiles, his child-like innocence mesmerizes the onlookers.

When I read his book " The Art of Happiness- A handbook for living " co-authored with Howard C. Cutler,  I cherished to meet him in person or at least take a glance of that giant personality. But the desire remained buried  until 1st December, 2013 when a friend of mine invited me to attend his lecture on ' Success & Happiness' at Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was my first experience to see such live packed audience of above one thousand, many of them are corporate czars, executives, academicians, diplomats and students. It seemed that all the elite class of Delhi was there. The spacious auditorium with beautiful sitting arrangements added glory to the occasion.

During his talk on ' Success & Happiness, His Holiness lauded India which practiced Ahimsa - Non-violence since thousands of years. The secular fabric of nation, he added, kept us united in the last 60 years of independence despite  many odds.

HH said that with compassion and motivation, every act becomes non-violence. He asked people to respect all religions. He equally stressed to respect non-believers. His central message is to promote basic human values in the society. He said that much of the problems are our own creation. He pointed out that the reason for insecurity is that you are less-loved. He asked everyone to train his/her own mind. His focal point which inspired me a lot is : " my best friend is my own mind ''.

 


TIME = MONEY; HAPPINESS = ZERO


 Ever since I decided to write on daily basis to improve my craft,  I search for triggers to ignite my mind. One such trigger recently came from the title of a small article in a news magazine which I adopted it here.


In fact, happiness is the underlying thread in any activity we undertake.   Instead of finding true centre of happiness, we aimlessly sail our ships which only aggravates the problem. 

The true wisdom lies in enjoying with our own being without encroaching into other's space. It is what Henry David Thoreau did when he left for Walden bank (United States) to live alone. He wrote about all his experiences in an epic book "Walden" which is a masterpiece of a journey of self-transformation. The chapter on 'Solitude' is one of the best inspiring pieces of his literature. When asked why he went to Walden bank to live alone, he contended that : "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front , only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover, that I had not lived. "

The paradigm of happiness has now undergone a tectonic shift  and people  grab material possessions so ruthlessly which brink them to shallow lives. Those who value time with money have neglected their relations and by the time they start realizing, it is too late for them as considerable damage already happens in their lives.

The work alcoholics who treat time as money should be more cautious. The new research published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology shows that the more one treats time in terms of money, the more one loses the ability to 'experience' time and everyday happiness.

A  survey puta India ahead of so many advanced countries in terms of happiness. India ranks Number 2 with 43% 'Very Happy people' out of 24 countries in a survey conducted in February, 2012 by a French marketing company Ipsos. Indonesia tops the list at 57 %. It is time for others to learn something from India.

CREATING A BETTER FUTURE FOR CHILDREN

 

As our children grow, we worry so much about their future. Instead of allowing them to flourish on their own, we impose our own ideas on them, thereby condition their minds.

Noted Indian spiritual guru Sadhguru Jaggie Vasudev says that it is time to learn back from children. He further says that think for a moment: Who looks more happy – you, or your children ? He believes that children are consultants for happiness.

My daughters when they are taken to evening stroll, they make spirited discussions which they don't do when they are indoors. So take your children on regular walks and listen to their ideas. Robin Sharma in his much acclaimed book 'Who will cry when you Die' echoes the same point: "Children come to us more highly evolved than adults to teach us the lessons we need to learn."

The difference between your child and you is that you know a few survival tricks while he/she is still innocent and brimming with creativity.   Allow them the life they want to lead. Don't be their boss. Be a guardian and facilitator so that they feel comfortable and share their views liberally without any inhibition. If you frighten them, they will shy away from you. So be like a friend. Communication is very vital. The greatest gift you can give to your children, Robin Sharma says, is the 'gift of your time'. But how much time do we really spend with our children is a moot point.

When it comes to education, we evaluate our children through their report cards. We compare them with their peers, and question them why they are not better than their friends in studies. This mindless comparison kills their creativity. It is our duty to nurture their inherent talents so that they achieve their full potential in their area of interest.

Sam Pitroda, former adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information, Infrastructure and Innovation, says that you cannot really teach your children. They learn the way they can. Do what you are supposed to do, and your children will get the message loud and clear. He further says that give children enough space so that they can understand the works of the world and adapt themselves to the situations.

But the present educational system helps little to blossom children.  The marks mania is eroding the educational standards. I was shocked when I read a news item in a reputed news magazine that India ranked 73 out of 74 countries in a 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study based on extensive testing of nearly 5,000 upper primary students in the educationally advanced states of Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. What is more disgusting is that eighth graders from India could barely match the Math skills of South Korean third graders.

With regard to content of text books,  the same magazine in their story reported that Class 3 Urdu-medium schoolchildren in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh are being taught Hindustan kevazir-e-azam PV Narasimha Rao hai ( P.V. NarasimhaRao is India's Prime Minister).

Some tough decisions need to be taken to reform the education sector, otherwise children continue to be the victims of mediocrity.

 

SOLITUDE


I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in the company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as Solitude.

                                          - Henry David Thoreau

In the hustle and bustle of city life, I need one constant company that is my own solitude. Outer world is a poor substitute when it comes to inner serenity. Hours will pass like a blip of second when I sink into myself.

When I was a bachelor for 5 years after entering into government service, I never rubbed my shoulders too much with anybody. In fact, I have a very limited number of  friends . I feel scared of having too many friends as I can't carry the burden of their expectations. In fact, the liberty or the chastity of freedom has driven me to take a step of being aloof from the crowd. I really cherish my moments in solitude than meeting anybody else.

But ordinary folks never like solitude. They term it as loneliness which is different. They usually go to others to converse issues from heaven to earth till the other person gets bored from that non-sense. When you ask such people why they do so, they argue that they don't like loneliness which means that they don't want to be in their own company.  The question here is when you don't like your own company, how can others bear you ?

Some people connote solitude with elements of spirituality. There is no denying in that. Solitude is such a silent ocean of energy that will not only churn your creative juices and also gives a higher level of awareness which helps you to go to magical realms of infinite possibilities. If you want to know the gross description of solitude, read Henry David Thoreau's magnificent Work : "Walden”. Every word of Thoreau in the chapter "Solitude" touches your soul and you will relish its prose.

On Solitude, Albert Einstein says : I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity. Solitude and writing are inseparable twins. Great writing happens in the deeper chambers of your soul. I personally feel that the best inspiration comes only in solitude. It could be affirmed in the words of one wise man that "one can be instructed in society, but one can only be  inspired only in solitude".

The inventor of electric bulb Thomas A. Edison sagely says that the best thinking has been done in solitude. So do take regular chunks of solitude  to bounce back with creativity.

IS THERE REALLY ANY GOOD DAY OR BAD DAY


“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”

                                                                         -Robert Louis Stevenson 

 

When anything crucial is to be undertaken, normally we in India look for an auspicious day/moment. Some people consult their family astrologer to see if there will be any impediment in the coming days in their lives. Some others remain frenetic regarding movement of their stars.  Is there really any good day or bad day as we think of ? This question needs a closer look.

Good or bad depends on our thought process and it is our attitude that counts. If you march forward by following  trial and error basis, then there is no need to be panic when bad moment comes. In the constant flux of events, we should have the soldier's spirit to handle the situation on hand, rather brood on planetary positions. But modern life is fast becoming a  complex web of problems and happiness remains a dear commodity even within family life. Impatience becomes hallmark of our personality. Nobody likes to tolerate the difference of opinion. Your spouse may ask you some suggestion and when you don't respond according to her/his expectation, the tirade will sweep away your own happy mood. 

 

The problem lies in  giving much more credence to your predestined beliefs rather application of  your intellectual ability to understand the things in a larger scheme. 

 

Before you label any day good or bad, start your day by gazing magnificent sun-rise. Is there any change in the quality of sun rise ? Further billions of flowers blossom on the planet Earth. When the Creator shows no difference between a good day or bad day , why do we ? It is in fact our inclination to have no failure that is blocking the road to enjoyment. In difficulty, there is an opportunity to learn. In sorrow, your cherish the moments of happiness. So it is time to look beyond the  fickle mind so that the idea of good or bad day will never crop up and wisdom always prevails to deal any  situation.

 


BE LIKE RUSKIN BOND

 

If you have good health, you are young; and if you owe nothing, you are rich.

                                                                                                     - Ruskin Bond

One of the great influencers on my life is Ruskin Bond.  His book  A Little Book of Life which was purchased on a rainy afternoon in November, 2014 had completely transformed my life.

One of the secrets of Ruskin Bond being the happiest man even  is his child-like mind-set.  To become like him, your stars must also cooperate apart from your own willpower.     His another equally power-packed book A Book of Simple Living  - Brief Notes from the Hills  would make you  think simple and unified  with the world, without loosing your individuality.

There is a  world of  difference between  childlike and childish.  What I learnt from the books of  Ruskin is, you should not give up childlike nature though you grow up in age.  This tenderness reflects innocence which keeps you  boundless and eternally joyful.  His argument in favour of imbibing this unparalleled trait must be accepted without a word of dissent :

I have the temper of a child, and a tendency to be mischievous. And I still retain a child-like trust in grown-ups, which sometimes works to my detriment.  But it doesn't matter.    In the long run, the exploiters and manipulators meet with their comeuppances; they are their own worst enemies. Meanwhile, I will continue being an eight-year-old.   Recently, I was feeling a bit low, so I played marbles with the children. They won all my marbles, but I felt better !

The beauty of Ruskin Bond's literature is, you need not require any physical resources to become like Ruskin.  The only prerequisite is  an open mind to embrace the Truth.  With that mind-set, your restlessness dies down slowly leading to good health by which you feel younger irrespective of your physical age.

BLESSED I AM

 

Enthralling evening sky !


Sun as a crimson disc is on the western horizon.


Grass under my foot is radiant  with greenery.


My heart is dangled with joy by Nature's mystical beauty.


Suddenly pangs of gratitude slid me into reflection.


I thanked Almighty for not choosing me as a tree to remain stationary.


Nor a crawling ant destined to be under walkers' feet.


Not even as a stray animal hamstrung with daily ordeal of survival.


Blessed I am a  HUMAN  in the tapestry of  Creation !