sufism

Sufism is an offshoot of Islam and the Vedas and originated in India during the medieval times. Its basic tenets are simplicity,compassion,tolerance,equality,non violence and universal brotherhood. There are no rigid codes of conduct in Sufism and is a continuosly evolving faith.
The best known teacher of Sufism in India is Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti,the spiritual guru of Emperor Akbar,the legendary Moghul ruler. His shrine in Ajmer attracts people from all over the world.
Sufism took roots in Kashmir and was popular amongst all sections of society for a long time.

no vehicles day

To check global warming and the environmental issues related to it,it is now time that people should not use any motorised vehicle at least once a week. Such an initiative by all right minded people could reduce carbon emissions tremendously as well as enable people to spend time leisurely with family and friends walking on the streets or just sitting in a public place.
Day by day it is becoming increasingly difficult to walk or jog in the open and one has to necessarily drive to some suitable place to exercise. Children are the worst sufferers as they are increasingly being confined indoors and forced to watch soap operas on TV. Playing in the open is an essential part of growing up in any child'

s life.
Everywhere one sees shops and eating places on the streets and even parking is becoming increasingly difficult in cities. Regular walking and exercising has tremendous health benefits also.

uniqueness

The entire universe is based on the principle of uniqueness.No particle is alike.Even the tiniest particle of dust has its own identity.Each moment is different from the previous one.The universe is  continuosly changing and evolving.Only the human animal has become static and rigid and is trying to impose its artificial notions on existence.
There is no such thing as a mass,everything is energy.If one can tap into this eternal principle,one can become anything one chooses.
Food,sleep,dress,home,entertainment,education and conversation should be totally individualised.It should be possible for a person to select his own language,his own music,culture,own diet,own dress and own profession based on his own nature.In today's synthetic world,the individual has become the slave instead of being the master.He is compelled to adapt himself to the lowest possible tastes.Only robots are mass produced not humans.
Every individual owes it to himself to be a genius that he is destined to be!

the oppressed have become the oppressors

The old gods know how to re-incarnate themselves.Sri Aurobindo.The Israelis seem to have forgotten that their forefathers suffered terribly under the Nazi regime.Do they want a repeat of the past?
It is high time the UN security Council quickly takes effective steps to counter Israel and put an end to this unprovoked aggression. If effective steps are not taken quickly and the powers that be just sit twiddling their thumbs,it could easily escalate into a global conflict.

the kingdom is of the child

The worst casualties in today's strife torn world are the children.Almost 5 million children below the age of 5 die every year due to malnutrition in India alone. Child trafficing,sexual abuse,prostitution,child labour,juvenile delinquency and violence against children is on the rise globally.In Syria,Iraq,Afghanistan,Ghaza and Africa,the maximum victims have been children.Children are no longer the priority in today's world.
The child is the future.Child health,education and a loving and caring atmosphere are the indicators of a civilized society.Unfortunately even the women are forgetting their responsibility to the family in pursuit of personal ambitions. The Mother is the most important factor in a child's proper growth.
Universal and compulsory education should be the topmost priority on every civilized nation's agenda.Very little space is given in the Media to child related issues.People are more interested in politics,religious issues and economic development.
Amongst tribals and other aboriginal cultures,the children are the responsibility of the entire community.It is imperative that remedial measures are taken quickly to provide a secure future for the child.

be the change you want to see in the world

A dark concealed hostility is lodged
In the human depths, in the hidden heart of Time
That claims the right to change and mar God's work.
A secret enmity ambushes the world's march;
It leaves a mark on thought and speech and act:
It stamps stain and defect on all things done;
Till it is slain peace is forbidden on earth. Savitri

The Avatars and Messiahs have come and gone but has remained unchanged marred by violence,plunder,lust and arson.Science has only succeeded in making people more greedy and crude.Religion is more a matter of letter than spirit.Culture,arts,poetry and education have become commodities in the market place.Everybody is living a life of quite desperation but refuse to change themselves.We are not willing to learn the lessons of history.
There are wonderful opportunities right now for things to change for the better provided everybody is willing to go through the transformational agni.There are no soft options left any long

er and the choice is between armaggedon and bringing the heavens down on earth.

Is idealism dead?

The world today seems to be indifferent to ideals and has respect only for the practical man.The corporate bosses,the politicians and Rambo like figures are the present day role models.The poet,artist,philosopher or teacher have no status in society.He has to run from pillar to post to survive.
In the present age,when power and utility are the Godheads of humanity does truth have a chance?There is a growing disillusionment within society as a result of increasing joblessness,income disparities,divorces,juvenile delinquency,increasing crime,terrorism and gender violence but people are hesitant to challenge the status quo and are living lives of quite desperation.
An age which is devoid of ideals,such as the present times,can only produce inconsequential results.The need of the hour is for forward seeing minds to unite and force the world to change.They must be able to see through the facade and go straight to the ideals which have been present from times immemorial.

the importance of language

Words are weapons,use them carefully.Ancient saying.The ancients were extremely careful in the use of words because they were aware of the confusion and chaos that can result by use of inappropriate language.Precision,clarity,simplicity,awareness and resonance are extremely important in any language.
A language has to evolve with the times.There is no need to stick to outmoded forms.By using words from different languages, we can attain a greater depth and maturity.It can also help to reduce linguistic chauvinism and bring about integration.
India with its cultural and linguistic diversity can show the way to creating an international language.People here have no difficulty in communicating with one another irrespective of the region they are from just by a look or a touch.
The superiority of any culture depends on being gentle,soft and polite.The Media has a very important role to play in bringing about harmony and peace in the world.Television and radio can have tremendous impact on the psyche of the people.Tastes today have become cheap and vulgar in no small measure due to the influence of the Media.TRP ratings have become the sole criteria in selection of programmes.Civilized and cultured people are avoided by everybody.
Teachers in kindergarden schools have a tremendous responsibility to society because the first few years are very important in shaping a person's outlook.

John Denver-The mystic singer

"The Dawn is breaking,the taxi is waiting,I am ready to go............" Such authenticity,simplicity and sweetness,that was John Denver.One of the greatest singers of all times,he could send you into raptures of ecstacy with his voice.Every song that he sang was sheer magic.He was the soul of America and sang of freedom,love,compassion and brotherhood.
Denver is immortal and his spirit inspires people all over the world to stay committed to the truth.His words spring from the Divinity latent in every person.Words are inadequate to describe his genius.

Janis Joplin – Leaving On A Jetplane Lyrics

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breaking, it's early morn'
The taxi's waiting, he's blowing his horn,
Already I'm so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leaving on a jetplane,
I don't know when I'll be back again,
Oh babe, I hate to go

There are so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around

But, tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Every place I go, I'll think of you
Every song I sing, I'll sing for you
When I come back I'll wear your weddingring

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leaving on a jetplane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time, let me kiss you
Close your eyes and I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone,
About the times that I wont have to say:

Oh kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leaving on a jetplane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

But I'm leaving on a jetplane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

But I'm leaving on a jetplane
Leaving on a jetplane
Leaving on a jetplane
Leaving on a jetplane

Society today

Society today is more fragmented and alienated than ever before.The Social fabric everywhere is under tremendous threat.People are getting more agressive and violent day by day.People are forgetting the art of conversation.Everyone seems to be in a hurry to get somewhere without reaching anywhere.Mobiles and laptops have taken away the joie the vivre of life.On the streets we see vehicles designed like tanks and battleships threatening everybody.The houses are are like mausoleums and emit a putrid stench.Walking has become a relic of the past.People are so preoccupied that they hardly acknowledge one another or smile at each other.
It is important that people realize that the purpose of life is not material comforts but learning to be better human beings.Simple things like wishing each other in the mornings can bring cheer to everybody.Words like please,thankyou and sorry can change the complexion of a society within a short span.Playing soft music in public places can calm jittery nerves and reduce BP,cholestrol and diabetes and increase longevity.Opening flower shops in cities adds a touch of aesthetics and beauty in day to day life.

Democracy in peril

All over the world people seem to be loosing the will to defend democratic values.The Western powers for all their rhetoric are in fact supporting fundamentalist and fascist regimes.America,Europe,the entire middle east,parts of Africa,China and parts of S.Asia are already under the control of extremist forces.Unless drastic steps are taken by the Free world to counter these forces,it might spell the end of the highest values of this civilization.
The Media which was supposed to be one of the pillars of democracy has become a slave in the hands of vested interests.Journalists have become hacks and are ready to sell their souls for a few dimes.Even the Judiciary,like in the US,seems to have been taken over by reactionary elements.In India though the Judiciary is still trying its best to safeguard democratic values,it is also loosing ground because of non-cooperation by the state governments.
It is time for freedom loving forces all over the world to join hands and unitedly take on these extremist forces and be ready to fight to the finish.

The end of the commercial age

Therefore in a commercial age with its ideal, vulgar and barbarous, of success, vitalistic satisfaction, productiveness and possession the soul of man may linger a while for certain gains and experiences, but cannot permanently rest. If it persisted too long, Life would become clogged and perish of its own plethora or burst in its straining to a gross expansion. Like the too massive Titan it will collapse by its own mass, mole ruit sua. Human Cycle.Sri Aurobindo
It is now obvious that the present times are a period of transition from the economic dominance to a more complex but highly interconnected pattern of society.People all over the world are increasingly getting disillusioned with the exploitative model of development which has prevailed for the past 4 centuries and are seeking alternative ways of ensuring the good of the maximum number of people.
The Vaishya or the merchant class owes its domination to science and industrialism.In this Information age,as people are realizing that they are being manipulated and cheated,they are insisting on transparency and accountability.All over the world, the law and order agencies are taking strict action against economic offenders.
The new world order which is gradually emerging from the ruins of the past is increasingly being based on mutual understanding,cooperation,tolerance and goodwill.