December 21, 2021

Which is Better: Natural or Artificial

Anything done against the will of Nature has deleterious effects on the inhabitants of Earth. Cutting down the forests resulted in climatic change and ecological imbalance. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers renders the soil unfit for agriculture through destruction of soil  organisms and fertility. Suction of ground water without augmenting the storage has resulted in the seepage and the intrusion of seawater. Gas emission from the earth leads to the rise in atmospheric temperature and the gradual melting of glaciers and snow across the planet. The eight common and modern life practices are given hereunder to understand the significance of natural materials.

Coloring: Use of synthetic dyes for hair coloration produces allergy and health problems as well. In the same way, use of artificial dyes in industrial activities like refinery, tannery, cosmetics, textiles, paper, etc. has harmful effects of pollution and contamination. 


Cooling: Air conditioner and refrigerator are good for temporary relief, but cause health problems like allergy and sinusitis in the long run. Natural perspiration is forced to cease and the normal excretion of waste from the body through sweat and the resultant self-cooling effect is curtailed. The fan is better, but dries up the water in our body. A lot of energy is wasted in the manufacture and use of these machines, while the gases released by them destroy the ozone layer in the atmosphere facilitating the hazardous UV rays hit the earth.


Conveyance: Any vehicle tends to produce pollution, heat and obesity. In addition, the fatality from speeding, human errors and technical failure of vehicles is not unavoidable. There was no incidence of accident and pollution, and no necessity for insurance during the past when the animal-driven vehicles were in vogue. 


Clothing: Synthetic fibers do not allow the body to transpire the sweat naturally, but generates heat. Chemicals that go to the making of these fibers also cause harmful effects through pollution of air and contamination of surface and subsurface water sources. The clothes made from natural cotton, silk and wool are safe at all times.


Reshaping: Plastic surgery and Liposuction techniques are employed to restructure and beautify the human body. Slimming-centres have become a fashion. Just by following the proven old methods like doing-household works, breastfeeding, measured-eating, hard-work, etc., people can stay in good shape and health.


Foods: Carbonated, junk and artificially flavored foods create health problems like obesity, stomach disorder, cancer among other things. Foods from crops raised with chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides affect the physical growth and mental development. Organic farming based on natural manures, and inputs aim to solve this issue. 


Medicines: Cures made from chemical formulations have harmful side and residual effects. Those prepared from natural materials like leaves, fruits, and roots do not disturb and destabilize the metabolism of our body. They do the dual role of curing the disease and rejuvenating the mind and body: a holistic remedy.


Cleaning: Market is flooded with several detergents, acids and powders to keep our household clean and neat. Aerosols and sprays are available to make the air and other spaces free from bad odor and insects. Inhalation and ingestion of the chemical ingredients of these cleaning agents cause several disorders like cancer and diseases in the long run.


Humans have great imagination and talents to simulate the nature, but cannot match the originality of nature. Colors of Rainbow, Aroma of Coffee, Hives of Bees, and such things cannot be recreated. Even if done, such products are less efficient and inimical to the life. For instance, Cloud-seeding tried in dry areas has yielded rainfall in a few places only. Let's strive for a sustained and peaceful life on Earth.


December 16, 2021

Trust: Lifeline of Human life

Relationships are the essence of human society. How can you remain peaceful if you don't believe that your boss will pay your salary regularly? The entire world runs on the trust and belief that everyone will behave properly. However, situations arise when you feel losing trust in another person. How do we correct such problems?

Our life, social or personal, depends totally on the level of trust we have in others. If you do not trust others at all, how you can expect others to trust you?


We can categorize the people into three groups as


1) Those who trust blindly (gullible type)


2) Those who trust easily (faithful type)


3) Those who never trust (doubting type).


Quite often, we are cautioned as not to trust the strangers. Too much of anything is good for nothing. Let us not make the extremes of trust or mistrust, but tread a practical and balanced path of trusting when needed or testing the other person if circumstances point to the possibility of treason.


Mistrust, if appears when it should not, is bound to shake our relationships with others. That too in personal life the impact is regressive. The easy ways of dealing with the mistrust and to enhance the quality of ours and others lives are given below.


1) Assess yourself and become aware of the issue by analyzing the past thoughts and actions. You might be the person who made the mistake of misplacing the trust in a wrong person.


2) Never generalize from the past experiences and treat everyone on the same footing. If one person has cheated you, it is unlikely that everybody will do alike.


3) Learn the positive from the past incidents and experiences by discarding the negative aspects. Instead of feeling let down, try to find out the reasons for the unfortunate happening and take corrective steps to avoid recurrence of the mistrust issue.


4) Trust yourself first by the good deeds and actions done in the past.


5) Never conclude and make judgments on anything based on your opinions alone. Ascertain all the details and analyze before deciding not to believe a person.


6) Discuss your issues with at least two people who are neutral (trusted) to sort out and get the proper perspective. You stand to get fresh and unbiased views, which would enable you to settle the issue.


7) Always express your views and anticipations and expect the other person to understand.


Therefore, be practical and cool-headed to look into all the aspects and circumstances prior to casting impressions about a person and branding him or her as "Unsuitable" or "Unreliable' or "Untrustworthy".


Jumping to a wrong conclusion is bound to affect your own prestige and image.


December 11, 2021

Self-realisation of Ramana Maharshi

Venkataraman was the original name of the person who later came to be known as Bhagwan Ramana Maharshi. He was born on 30 December,1879 at Tirchuli village about 50 km south of Madurai in Tamilnadu, India.


One day, about the middle of the year 1896, he was sitting up alone on the first level of his uncle's home. A sudden fear of death struck him, although in good health. He felt that he was going to die. He immediately laid down with his limbs stretched out holding them stiff as though death had set in. He withheld his breath and kept his lips tightly closed so that to all outward appearances, his body resembled a corpse. Now, what would happen? His mind reeled under the following thoughts.


'Well, this body is now dead. It will be carried to the burning ground and there, burnt and reduced to ashes. With the death of this body, am I dead? Is the body, I? This body is silent and inert. Nevertheless, I feel the full force of my personality and even the voice of 'I' within me, apart from it. So, I am the Spirit transcending the body. The body dies, but the Spirit cannot be touched by death. That means 'I'm the deathless Spirit.'


The above incident led him to the realization of Self or Atma (Sanskrit word for 'Soul'), and that is actually the property of God. We can call this Atma as the God's particle.


Thereafter, he left his home without informing anyone to seek the graces of God, and set out as a saint for Thiruvannamalai a small town situated 196 km from Chennai city, Tamilnadu. He stayed there through his life and attained the heavenly abode on 14 December,1950.


A shooting star was noticed moving slowly across the sky and descending behind the peak of the holy mountain of Thiruvannamalai, when he breathed his last. This is a clear sign of not only his devotion to God, but also his Oneness with Him.


Maharshi called the holy mountain Arunachala as the spiritual heart of the Universe. Aruna meaning reddish-brown, does not signify mere fire that gives off heat. Rather, it is Jnanagni (Sanskrit equivalent for "Fire of Wisdom"), which is neither hot nor cold. Achala denotes a hill. So, Arunachala is a Hill of Wisdom.


The golden words of Sri Ramana Maharshi about life went like this.


If you make your outlook that of wisdom, you will find the world of God.

 

December 2, 2021

My Ideal World

Why don't human beings have absolute freedom like birds?

All religions are for guiding us to a peaceful and happy life. Still, the humanity suffers from conflicts and turmoil.


Only human beings claim rights over the land and other resources that are common for all in this world. That's why a citizen of the USA buys and owns any property in another country like India. This is 'Restricted freedom.' Still, no bird or animal has ever sought any right to own a domain, building or forest. Migratory birds never seek a passport or visa to visit another country, but they have absolute liberty to cross over and stay in any place on the earth. Homo sapiens has made their own laws and controls, creating hurdles in the free movement between places, and for settling in another place.


The human race alone raises all hue and cry about wealth, power and health, and creates the artificial and superficial embellishments in the name of science and technology, causing more damage than value additions. Material welfare has overtaken the moral values. Consumerism has spoiled the environment. Why don't we think of an exemplar world, and act towards that end?


The ideal world, that I wish for peace and happy living of all that exist on this earth, will have the following salient features.


Sole and Seamless Nation: There will be, but one nation spread over five continents without territorial limits. Hence, passport or visa formalities, and the rules for migration would be scrapped.Everyone will have the absolute freedom of movement and settlement on wherever he/she wishes to do so. The existing laws will be repealed, and only one statute will prevail for regulating and maintaining equality. The best of minds from all spheres of life would be enlisted to aid the leaders elected by the citizens. There will be one local elected government for each continent.


Secularism: Every person will have one and only identity as a citizen. There will not be any discrimination based on caste, creed, or race. Citizens will have the liberty to practice the religions they like. Nevertheless, they will be supervised to ensure amity among societies.


Peace and Prosperity: Welfare and peaceful living of the citizens will remain as the permanent agenda. Resources will be invested wisely and efficiently without worrying about warfare.


Where there is a Will, there is a Way Out. Where there is a Way, there is Success.


When an ideal world is created, even God will praise us and take pride in his subjects.