The God Within Me .... and You !

Most of the species in the animal kingdom have many similarities. If you have a mind with some aptitude in creativity and if you ever divert your power of thinking to analyze the beauty and complexity of the designs that make up the living bodies of animals and humans, you will get stuck awesomely at the supreme intelligence that has designed it all in this way.

Each and everything what we see, living and non-living, both reveal a marvelous beauty of intelligent design. So awesome that it is beyond our comprehension. Our thought therefore comes to a naught. We leave it there. Why waste our thought energy?

Have you ever wondered  about this? What is the essential difference between the humans like us and those on the other side of the animal kingdom that we call animals?

Difference ? Oh! yes. Animals do not think. They do not have intelligence, some of you might say. Are you sure? Nope!

Okay, I have noticed one marked difference. All of us humans have something to do with an entity we do not really comprehend and we call that God.

Ninety-nine percent humans publicly or privately worship God and all of them have a religion which is centered about their concepts of God. They love, fight, kill and save for their God, all at the same time, even when they are not sure of who this God really is.

And those we call animals do not show this trait of God admiration or worship. Forget those elephants, monkeys, goats and cows trained to do some outwardly acts of worship!

God awareness is innate in humans whereas in animals it is not.

If it is so, have you ever thought of the 'why' of it?

I know that you do not have time to think about such things!

Because the thinking ability is perhaps the least that you want to use, that is inherent in your body design!

Anyway, let me tell you my finding. There is a 'power' that is independent of your body and intelligence that is superimposed in your mind.

That 'power' is in all human beings. And that is a gift from our supreme designer that created us some time in the past.

Perhaps this small 'power' superimposed within us is a part of the Supreme Power that caused in the creation of everything in some remote past!

Many of us have been taught or told about it. We know that we have something of that kind within us- though our ideas and concepts differ on this.

I know it is God within me. I know that this same God is within each and every one of you.

This God within me compels me to be loving, merciful, just and perfect. This God compels me to love all because of the same power from the same source that is in them.

The God within me is perfect just as it derives that quality from the original source! The same power within all the human kind likewise compels all to be perfect.

Oh, my God! What is this perfection? I have to listen carefully to the God that is within me.

If all becomes perfect like God as compelled by the Godly power that is in the human minds, then this world will become the visible dwelling place of God.

Oh, that is called heaven!

[View the linked list of all Blogs of the Author Here ]

Just How Much Money I need for a Living ?

My country India is a rich nation of poor people. Some of the world's richest individuals are Indians. There could be millions of Indians who have multi-millions at their disposal.

But I do not know just what do they intend to do with this money and wealth that they have inherited or amassed. Money making for some people is some thing similar to an addictive game.

For some others money is some thing they cherish and love for its power to control others.

For some others money is for enjoying life the way the moneyed people are doing. Though they do not know for sure what these 'others' might be doing.

So those who have learnt the tricks of making money keep amassing wealth more and more and do any thing and everything for making more money.

Some years ago, I had an opportunity to meet a big business man who had amassed millions. He had a humble start as a lowly employee of a private firm years ago.

While he was explaining the greatness of the wealth and the company he had established, I just casually asked him whether he was happy with all these wealth he had amassed.

To my utter surprise, I found this old gentleman almost instantaneously burst into tears. Later he peevishly admitted that he was not happy with the money. Apparently there was no reason for him not being happy. But in reality that was not the case. He admitted that the life he had in earlier years as a lowly paid employee was better than the rich life he had created over the years.

But he was not able to explain the reasons.

I have met others also like that. A few others have also admitted that. Ofcourse I do not have access to all the moneyed people and I do not know for sure their mental state.

But if you ask me, I do not wish to be rich man. I do not want to sit in a position of power for the sake of that. Have you heard of the story of the Democlese sword ?

I try to imagine me in a situation like that. No, it is not for me. I do not have the capacity and ability to withstand the power of money and the power for making money.

You don't have to get burnt for yourself for knowing fire.

I see the remnants of richness of those rich and famous people from the past. What happened to them?

In my home state Kerala, recently a great treasure hidden in a temple has been discovered. The gold, gems and the like is valued perhaps in trillions. But no one knows who was that man who amassed these just to be locked for ever like this?

Again what is the use of these even now except to be kept in museums? People can enjoy seeing them later by spending a few rupees entry fee to the museum.

But then you can enjoy much greater treasures with out paying any thing. Look around you and above you to the skies.

Bill Gates and a few like him have realised that.

Money and Power do not really make you happy always. If you happen to be custodians of these it is a great responsibility. A responsibility to such an extent that you have to sacrifice your personal happiness and freedom !

So let those who are able to do that take these on to their heads.

For others like me it is better not to aspire to have it and become irrevocably unhappy later ! 

[Interested in reading some more related blogs ? You may read :

What Makes You Consider (You, Me or They) As the Most Fortunate ?

What is Money ?

Do You Want Power and Money ? It's Easy, Just Bow Before Him !  

[View the linked list of all Blogs of the Author Here ]

Ivan the Fool and Me !

When I was a boy studying in Class-5 , for the first time ever we had a supplementary text book for Malayalam language study. It was an abridged translation of Leo Tolstoy's classical short story, titled ' Ivan the Fool' . As a boy I was a voracious reader of books in my mother tongue Malayalam. So this supplementary text book was read on the day it was purchased- well before the school opened.

I liked the story very much at that time. I was impressed by Ivan the fool and the manner in which he defeated the devil. More than that as a little boy I liked the morale of the story- of giving importance to working hard with your own hands on the farms rather than making gold and money by deceitful ways.

The details of the story became a forgotten thing over the years. But somehow while thinking about the manner in which the world and my country are moving where easy money making is the primary goal of all, I remembered about this story. I wanted to read it once again.

I was fortunate to google it out and read it full online once again in English.

[If you are interested just try this link to read the story online here: Ivan-the-Fool by Leo Tolstoy ]

The story is compelling for an introspection into my own life. In my childhood days, I had opportunity to get associated in actual farm works in our piece of land in our village. We had cows, goats, rabbits, poultry and honey bees in the many beehives placed here and there. There were plenty of fruits and variety of food stuffs which we used to grow ourselves.

But my parents thought that there is life much more pleasurable out there which could be enjoyed without working with own hands. Brain work was more lucrative. For brain work you have to learn and learn many things. Study hard - that was the advice from the elders at that time.

That I did. Studied and studied. Became an engineer. Got employed in the largest organisation employing engineers. And for all these years I was getting paid for brain work. My hands do not have the hard knots of the peasants.

But am I happy ? I do not know.

Yet I feel Ivan the fool was right. I strongly feel to go back to the farms and work to tender the green plants and the pets. The sweating there is better than the air conditioners. At least that is my thinking now. The sum total of experience gained over decades !

Sorry Ivan, I could not learn fully from your story in the beginning itself !

Why do I write blogs ?

In this advanced age of computers and the internet, millions people especially those who are born in the computer age, write their thoughts on what is now known as 'blog sites' in the internet parlour, an acronym derived from the two words,  web and logs.

In my childhood days computers were just beginning to make an impact in this world. When I was an engineering student way back in the early seventies of the last century, we had to do a lot of engineering calculations. In those days we had no other options other than to use printed logarithmic tables to do tedious calculations involving multiplications, divisions and power functions. This method was very cumbersome and boring.

To ease our calculation efforts later on those days we were allowed to use a cute instrument in the form a measuring scale with the sliding scale fitted inside called the 'slide rule' to find the results of lengthy calculations involving multiplications, divisions and roots. This precision sliding mechanical device used to get imported from Germany and was expensive too in India- the cost being half a month's salary of my middle class dad who worked as a high school teacher. Besides, the results it produced were only approximations and not the exact numerical!

Imagine our great joy and surprise when this electronic gadget called the pocket digital calculator got invented and was brought to our college to the first time by some fortunate colleague whose parents had access in the foreign markets. It had red light LEDs and it gave out all those calculation results accurately just at the press of a small button! In fact we were seeing this wonderful light emitting diodes for the first time!

The electronic revolution began and invaded quite fast that within a few months these cute gadgets were in the hands of most of us. Though it used to cost a fortune, the cost was comparable to the slide rule. In no time the slide rule manufacturing companies located in Germany might have closed down or ventured into other business opportunities!

Then during my higher studies, I had the opportunity to work with the big size computers of the 2nd generation and the third generation such as the IBM 370, DEC 2050 etc. There were a few centralized computer centres set up in national level educational and research institutions in India at that time costing millions of rupees. I considered it a great opportunity  to get privately associated with a computer hardware engineer who came to install and commission the 4th generation DEC computer in the computer centre built up at University of Roorkee in those years where I was a PG student of chemical engineering. 

I remember secretly admiring my hardware computer engineer friend for his vast knowledge in the wonder area of computers. At the same time I remember him telling me about his admiration of me having knowledge in the field of chemical technology on which he had little idea! That was an incident making me realize the importance of having mutual respect between each and every individual. Because every other person knows some thing that I do not know!

Now back to the subject. Why do I blog?

Why did I write the above ? Is it that I want to become famous which other wise I cannot have achieved? But what shall I be going to achieve by simply becoming known to some strangers here and there?

Here a story which I used to hear when I was a kid comes to my mind. 

It is about a poor wood cutter. This poor chap was not able to afford rice and  most often he and his family had to eat rice bran which was available as a cheap cattle feed. But at the same time this cheap rice bran with a little mixing with coconut flakes and cheaply available country made molasses could transform itself as a tasty and rich food for him. The only problem was that this food was labelled as a cattle feed by those who could afford eating rice always!

So this poor chap was always cursing his situation which he considered as pathetic as compared to those rich fellows around him who survived on rice making him to rely upon rice bran that the rich fellows discarded as cattle-feed.

But quite by chance, on an occasion when he was called for some manual work in the local king's palace, he was taken aback by the accidental site of the king eating the same rice bran food that was supposedly food for the cows and people like him.  It was a shocking sight for him- the king relishing on this cattle feed ! Then the king saw him. The king warned him of dire consequences if ever he told this incident to any one ! Obviously, the king too feared the negative publicity that such an incident could create!

Our poor wood cutter was now in a dilemma. 

He wanted to tell his wife and his children about what he had seen. He wanted to tell all about it. That the king too ate the same cheap food that they were eating !

But if he did that perhaps the king would punish him. The little knowledge that this fellow had in his mind boiled. He had to tell every one. But there was no opportunity for that.

Then one day while he was alone in the deep forest for cutting bamboo poles, this fellow released the secret that was contained in his little brain for all these days by shouting with all his might to the bamboo forest : 

" Oh! the king too ate cattle feed !'

The story further continues with what happened later. A bamboo piece from the same forest became part of a musical instrument  and the wood cutter became scared of the music that came out of it. The music appeared to him as resembling what he yelled out secretly in the forest!

Perhaps that could be the reason. I have many such secret thoughts in my mind which I fear telling the folks around me. They could ridicule me or reprimand me for telling things that they do not like to hear in public . I might get the ire of the present day kings!

But I have to vent out the thoughts that fill my mind and I have no safe place to vent it out other than this bamboo forest of the 21st century- the vast  internet bamboo forest of the blog sites !

You now know the secret behind my writing these blogs.

Anna Hazare and the Rest of India !

Anna Hazare, the ex-indian military jawan and now an ascetic and crusader against social evils, hailing from a little known hamlet of the Indian state of Maharashtra has been getting attention of the media and the people for quite some time, except perhaps the arrogant politicians and the bureaucrats. 

For quite some time the Indian politicians have been confident in their power to gather mobs and crowds for any purpose connected to show off their popularity. They knew very well how they did it. They had the party workers on their rolls . At a short notice they were capable of getting a crowd for meetings, bandhs, processions and what not. They pretty knew very well how much money it costed. No one ever did any thing without any 'fayada' or benefit for self.

To get into politics and become a leader of some say, you need popularity. And popularity cannot come overnight. You have to do many good and bad things and act and over act to gain popularity. Politics therefore is not something the good people can try out. Over the years, the Indian political scene has evolved certain theories of its own.

To remain in politics you have to keep your popularity intact. To keep the popularity intact, you need money. Money in real hard cash to buy out the people who helped in showing off the 'popularity'. Now from where does such huge money comes from. That money has to be made from the power and authority that is gained through playing politics. 

To win an election huge amounts of money is needed especially to gain popularity . Why any one should spend millions of rupees to get elected as an MP or MLA unless there is a potential for recovering much more than he or she had spend initially?

The rule books do not allow you to recover your money. That has to be done by covert methods. All those covert methods in which authority is used to amass money for personal coffers is called corruption.

Practising corruption has its own risks. To overcome the risks you need more money and perhaps more power. Thus a vicious circle developed over the years in India. Corruption causing more and more corruption. Half hearted efforts to hoodwink the common man lead to more corruption.

For the public, there was no option. No options to come out of it. Only option left was to be in it. The candidates of the political parties they knew would do no good for them. But yet they had to elect and select from the list available to them. Even when over two-third did not vote, some one would win. To be called their democratically elected representative!

Indians fumed and cursed their fate. Those in power teased and ridiculed them. With total disregard to their feelings and with impunity.

So when Anna and his team declared their intentions to initiate a peaceful protest against corruption, those in power never imagined that the people would ever dare to come out of their homes braving the odds. Anna and those with him knew that those in power are capable of unleashing violence over them with the help of those 'custodians of the law'.  

But the 'August Kranti 2011' of India taking place after 64 years after the successful independence struggle of 1947 under Mahatma Gandhi, surprised all, including Hazare himself. He would have never imagined that the Indian public would show such a solidarity and support !

Each passing day after Anna began his 'Anshan' or fasting, those in power naturally thought that he would give up in one or two days. At least that was what the neo politicians all thought about 'satyagraha'. They could perhaps never ever assess the strength of the will of an ascetic!

So Anna Hazare showed that strength to all- to his enemies and to his supporters at the same time.

Even the most stone-hearted thug also would have a second thought by seeing the feelings of the people and the determination of a simple man like this.

But the grave inaction of those in the government preaching Gandhism gave surprised even those who have not taken any sides.

Such is the greed for clinging on to power and the pleasure of lynching the millions who had no direct  power!

Now India has Anna at the centre with powerful and powerless Indians at both ends! 

But Anna Hazare also has a human mind with its weaknesses and strengths. There is no guarantee that those weaknesses would some day overtake his strengths. It has happened with many in the past.

Let us watch and see.

[For More reading on corruption in India visit the BewareIndia Website]

[View the linked list of all Blogs of the Author Here ]

ഉറങ്ശ്യ പുസ്തകത്തെ കേരളത്തിലെ വായനക്കാര്‍ക്ക്‌ പരിചയപ്പെടുത്തട്ടെ !

മലയാളം വായിക്കാന്‍ അറിയുന്ന സ്നേഹിതരെ !

ഉറങ്ശ്യ പുസ്തകം [The Urantia Book] എന്നൊരു പേര് നിങ്ങള്‍ കേട്ട് കാണാന്‍ സാധ്യത വളരെ കുറവാണ്. ഈ പേരൊന്നു ഗൂഗിള്‍ സേര്‍ച്ച്‌ ചെയ്തു നോക്കുക. ഇംഗ്ലീഷില്‍ ഉള്ള പേര്  ഉരാന്ചാ ബുക്ക്‌ എന്നും ഉച്ചരിക്കാം. എന്നാല്‍ മലയാളത്തില്‍ വിവര്‍ത്തനം ചെയ്‌താല്‍ ഒരു പക്ഷെ ഭൂമി പുസ്തകം എന്ന് വിളിക്കുന്നത്‌ ആയിരിക്കും ഉത്തമം.   

നിങ്ങള്‍ അമേരിക്കയില്‍ താമസം ആണെങ്കില്‍ സാധ്യത കൂടുതല്‍ ആകാം. കടുത്ത ക്രിസ്ത്യാനി ആണെങ്കില്‍ ഒരു പക്ഷേ കേട്ടിരിക്കുന്നത് മോശമായിട്ടാകാനും വഴി ഇല്ലാതില്ല. ഏതായാലും ഞാനൊരു സത്യം പറയാം. ഇന്ത്യയില്‍ നിന്നുള്ള ഒരേ ഒരു ഉറങ്ശ്യ പുസ്തക വായനക്കാരന്‍ ഇപ്പൊ ഞാനായിരിക്കുമെന്നു തോന്നുന്നു. 

ഈ പുസ്തകം വായിക്കാന്‍ സാധിച്ചത് ഒരു വലിയ ഭാഗ്യമായി ഞാന്‍ കാണുന്നു. അത് വായിച്ചാലേ അക്കാര്യം മനസ്സിലാകൂ. ഇപ്പൊ ഏതായാലും ഈ പുസ്തകം മലയാളത്തില്‍ വായിക്കാന്‍ പറ്റുകയില്ല. സ്വല്പം നല്ല ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് പ്രാവീണ്യം ആവശ്യം ആണ്. ഇത് വായിച്ചു ആ പരമ സത്യങ്ങളെ ഉള്‍ക്കൊള്ളാന്‍ കഴിയുന്ന മലയാളികള്‍ ആരെങ്കിലും ഏതാനും കൊല്ലങ്ങല്‍ക്കകം ഈ പുസ്തകം മലയാള ഭാഷയില്‍ തര്‍ജമ ചെയ്യുമെന്ന് ഞാന്‍ കരുതുന്നു. അതിനായി പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥിക്കുന്നു. 

സ്നേഹത്തോടെ രാജന്‍ സി മാത്യു.

ഈ പുസ്തകം ഓണ്‍ ലൈന്‍ ആയി ഇംഗ്ലീഷില്‍ വായിക്കാന്‍ എന്റെ വെബ് സൈറ്റ്‌ നോക്കുക.

http://www.urantia-india.faithweb.com/