Philosophy-As I see it

The question of the origin of the universe and the source of our existence has baffled the human mind since time immemorial and has yet not been explained,at least scientifically.Scientists have propounded various theories and the theory of Big Bang has been by far the most logical explaination of the origin and evolution of the universe.But uncertainties over the extent of time and space remain and whether they have a boundary or beginning or end.Is our universe really infinite?Its tough to mentally perceive the idea of ‘infinite’ while being in the realm of finite.To make an attempt,it would be good to think about the fact that the sun around which our earth revolves is just one of the billions of stars in our galaxy,which again is just one among the trillions of galaxies in the universe!Thinking it this way,man seems to be an insignificant animal crawling on the surface of the earth!And not to forget,that the whole of the cosmos has emerged from a point of infinite mass and density as suggested by the theory of Big Bang.


The real mystery lies in that point of singularity.What was it actually?How long has it been existing?We can trace our source of existence to this point of singularity but how to trace the origin of the point of origin?If matter and energy cannot be created,how were they created initially?If we are asked to make anything,we would need some resources.To make a piece of art,we require canvas,colours and paint brush.To construct a building,land,raw materials and labour are required.Without purpose,ingenuity and resources there can be no creation.Then how come an infinite universe come into existence without any resources?And what was the purpose?And whose product of ingenuity is this creation?

Owing to the finitude of our mind and consciousness,we could not form a concrete idea about that abstract entity. But we do call it God,the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe.We know that life exists on earth,in the form of human beings,animals,plants but where does this life come from?It comes from the inexhaustible reservoir of life,He who is life himself.Without life,body is only matter.So the life in us is God Himself,and so is life in every other being,plant or animal.Its true that this way God resides in us but it seems even more true that we reside in God for we have come out from and have to go back to Him only.And this is the process of evolution.It seems a play of God that He,being the consciousness himself,has multiplied into so many different units of individual consciousness in the form of different combinations of body and mind.And each unit has to keep evolving till its consciousness expands and it stops identifying itself with the little body it possesses.But evolution takes its own time due to the presence of various desires and attatchments.Only by conscious effort can the process be expedited.

Well,this individual consciousness is what actually the mind is.We can tell about the location of brain but we cannot say where does mind reside in the body.And what actually is the mind?Is it matter or energy?Well,if life in us is the soul,mind is the sum of impressions that it carries giving it its unique identity.A man is good or bad depending upon whether the impressions on his soul are positive or negative.These impressions constitute the whole of character and personality of a man.And at the time of death,these impressions are carried forward with the soul which determine the place and conditions of the next birth.Thus the process of evolution goes on.

Despite knowing this,it is difficult to live with full knowledge of this fact always owing to the forgetfulness of the mind and the moorings of everyday life.But an effort can and should be made by doing small acts of unselfishness to come out of our finite consciousness and in the process starting to free ourselves from the little ‘I’ to acquire union with the infinite.

My favourite Quotations

Subhash Chandra Bose




If you wish to solve the fundamental problems of our national life you will have to look miles ahead of our contemporaries.The mass mind is often unable to cut itself off from present day moorings and visualize the future.If you propose remedies to anticipate and counteract favourite evils,it is not improbable that the mass mind will refuse to accept your prescription.On such an occasion you must summon up courage to stand cut alone.One who desires to swim with the tide of popular approval on all occasions may become the hero of the hour-but he cannot live in history.



Swami Vivekananda



This life is short,the vanities of the world are transient,but they alone live who live for others,the rest are more dead than alive.



He is an atheist who does not believe in himself.The old religions said that he was an atheist who did not believe in God.The new religion says that he is an atheist who does not believe in himself.



Well,you consider a man as educated if only he can pass some examinations and deliver good lectures.The education which does not help the common mass of people to equip themselves for the struggle for life,which does not bring out strength of character,a spirit of philanthropy and the courage of a lion-is it worth the name?Real education is that which enables one to stand on one’s own legs.The education that you are receiving now in schools and colleges is only making you a race of dyspeptics,you are working like machines merely,and living a jelly-fish existence.



Neither money pays,nor name,nor fame,nor learning;it is Character that can cleave through adamantine walls of difficulties.



The only God to worship is the human soul in the human body.Of course,all animals are temples too,but man is the highest,the Taj Mahal of temples.If I cannot worship in that,no other temple will be of any advantage.



So long as millions live in hunger and ignorance,I hold every man a traitor who,having been educated at their expense,pays not the least heed to them.



There is nothing so belittling to the human soul,as the acquisition of knowledge for the sake of worldly reward.There is nothing so degrading to a nation,as coming to look upon life as a means to bread-winning.



Mahatma Gandhi



For me patriotism is the same as humanity.I am patriotic because I am human and humane.It is not exclusive.



We eat to live and not live to eat.



George Bernard Shaw



All reasonable men adapt themselves to the world.Only a few unreasonable ones persist in trying to adapt the world to themselves.All progress in the world depends on these unreasonable men and their innovative and often non-conformist actions.

Can MBAs be 'Patriots'?

Patriotism.The moment we hear the word,flash comes to mind a picture of a soldier in uniform or a freedom fighter (whoever we might have read of),as if it has reduced to a prerogative or an obligation of only a particular section of the society.This sort of patriotism can be more appropriately termed as ‘border patriotism’ or ‘historical patriotism’.In the modern world,it is either considered too ideal or too redundant a thing to be practiced.What then is the need to be patriotic when the country is independent?”We the people of India had already solemnly resolved to secure to ‘all’ its citizens justice,liberty,equality,fraternity etc. and have given to ourselves this Constitution.”Something such goes the Preamble.Okay.Now few of us count ourselves in the ‘We’ and those that count themselves secure to themselves justice, liberty,equality and want others to fraternize with them.So over time,’We’ has reduced to ‘I’.Personal advancement is seen as a mark of the advancement of the nation.But what if I rise but the nation does not rise?


Why have I chosen MBAs only to put my point?Well,this community is seen as the face of the emerging India.The sky rocketing salaries,considered almost unrealistic by the common man,which capture the imagination of the youth does have a profound effect on the choices made by them as can be seen by the increasing number of aspirants for management entrance examinations.The ‘deadly’ combination of a techno-managerial qualification inspires so much enthusiasm that it results in increasing number of engineering aspirants as well.So much so that IIMs have almost become an extension of the IITs!(Why then separate nomenclature?).I think I am digressing.

Coming to the point,MBAs have only an indicative meaning here.In any field,professionals with superior technical and managerial skills are grabbed by the corporate for the sole reason to be more profitable.These ‘human resources’ are managed and motivated to achieve ‘organiosational goals’,as in common management parlance.But is not nation the bigger organization?Intellectuals are the strength of and an asset for any nation.They are the ones who lead and channelize the efforts of the general working class leading to overall development.But before being part of an organization,are they not a part of the nation first?Do they not feel the same sense of belonging and responsibility towards the nation as they do for the organization?Are they not first the enlightened citizens of India?Can we not be good human beings and citizens alongwith being a good professional?Its the mercenary mentality that has replaced the word ‘society’ with the word ‘economy’ for the country.The way we try to balance our professional and personal duties,can we not balance them with out national duties as well?Or has the meaning of ‘duty’ become one dimensional?

In no way are the starving millions any less important than us.So the most important thing we need to do to discharge our national duties as well is to simply begin to vote in the elections.Democracy can never succeed where the illiterate and ignorant decide their leader.The problem is that the people who can differentiate between the right and the wrong do not vote and the people who cannot have almost cent percent voting ratio.The problem worsens when the intelligentsia becomes indifferent towards whatever goes on in the society.In order to preserve their peace of mind and the false social prestige they give the rationale of being apolitical.There arises great danger when the rationals begin to rationalize this way and thereby degenerate to left-brained,process driven individuals only.Well,we claim that education broadens the outlook but on objective assessment we see that it has been limiting our consciousness.And according to Swami Vivekananda,’Dharma’ is the expansion of consciousness.I think the implication is clear.

So with this simple step towards discharging out national duties,a person can be a responsible citizen alongwith being a good banker,chartered accountant,engineer,doctor,teacher etc.Patriotism in the modern era does not always require sacrifice of life or even a life of comforts.It does not always mean being an activist.It just requires us not to think of ourselves as being isolated from the society at large.A householder should not forget that he is also a citizen of the country.Just doing our bit towards the society and expanding our limited consciousness is what is required to be patriotic.And for the people in the corporate sector,this is the most fundamental CSR.Thus even MBAs can be ‘patriots’.

Law of Equilibrium

Life is such a complex phenomenon.In it there are many desires,passions and resulting pleasures and sorrows.With each moment of happiness is tied a moment of despair,though they seldom occur simultaneously.This is a law,not that of social sciences,but an exact and scientific one.Still the human mind keeps running after happiness,wants to get this ‘coin’ seeing the ‘head’ of happiness ignoring the ‘tail’ of despair. In a way,the mechanism of life which is characteristically simple and straight forward is made complex by the mind.Use of intellect helps to restore the simplicity.For what phenomenon is there in the universe that doesn’t occur for the restoration of equilibrium?The more the mind is in pursuit of happiness,the more doggedly will despair follow it and vice-versa.So what then is the remedy?Its merely the knowledge of the cause.Desist the cause,desist the effect.As for real happiness,it lies in the equilibrium.

Are we educated?

In the oxford dictionary,the term "Education" is defined as the process of teaching and learning.It is a combination of giving intellectual and moral instructions to the learner,the former concerned with the development of one's powers,the power of reasoning and understanding objectively,while the latter develops the learner's ability to recognize and differentiate between right and wrong and setting the standards of good behaviour.Thus the teacher's role is to judge the mental constitution of the learner,make him willing to learn and appreciate good things,get him to excercise his reasoning and understanding capabilities and simultaneously teaching him to follow the path of moral conduct.

So,are we educated?Do we have that knowledge and intellectual ability as described above?Do we always follow the path of moral conduct?On honest reflection,the answer is often negative,particularly for the last mentioned sentence of inquiry.But why is it so?We at school are taught what makes us literate;we develop the ability to read and write,what differentiates us from from animals,to understand the basics of various subjects and to communicate better than illiterates.We pursue a course which is in fashion,which provides us with the maximum amount of medium of exchange,which will earn us position and power,which will get us respect,although superficial,which will enable us to own a luxurious car,a non-living entity and a flamboyant house,not home though.Consequently we start to think about none but ourselves and our family,to love and bow before money and it our mearusing rod of success

Now then,who are literates and who are the educated?This is not too difficult to answer as most of us belong to the former group,that is,we are merely literates,semi-educated or more aptly pseudo educated beings who have forgot what being human is.We study sciences,know the factual part but don't realise their importance or know their applications.We cram history but are unaware of its significance and what we,at present,can learn form it.We don't realise that history brings us experience.We study economics,not because it is a study of scarcity of resources,but because we get to serve the capitalists on a fat pay-packet in their pusuit of money,thereby directing the resources from those who already have it in rather sample amount to those having in ample amount.

Indeed,we can't be educated.What do we do when we see the administration of the city not executing their duties?What do we do when we see democracy turning into autocracy?How do we react when we are informed of the country being the fastest growing economy when we don't see any perceptable difference in the lives of people,most being forced to live on paltry resources.How much do we give a beggar who comes to us in a rags,hungry and feeble?And contrarily how much and what all do we offer to God on religious reasons?Veritably,we need to reconsider our educated status.

Why is it that?

Why is it that people are shy when it comes to talking about God,why is it that people are shy when it comes to talk about patriotism.Is it not that you feel conscious when you want to express your thoughts on these?Or is it that you even feel it unnecessary to talk,or for that matter,even think on these subjects?Is it not that you feel that you will,at that very moment,become laughing stock among your peers if you give tongue to your thoughts on the most thoughtworthy of the subjects,relevant in the present scenario?Or the fact of the matter is that you have become insensitive to these themes,owing to the pleasure-giving,time-killing,hole-in-corner confabulations that you are so accustomed to?Is it not that you loath to change for the better?Is it not that you will give thought to this write-up of mine?Or is it that I am living in fool's paradise?

India Shining?

I remember the day when our former president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam visited the city,it was a blessing in disguise and one of those red letter days in the history of Allahabad as it was a day marked by proper administration of the city,unprecedented and unknown to its residents,who have for ages seen and absorbed the fact that mismanagement is the only way of management in the city.
Dr. Kalam was to visit some schools and colleges of the city and the officials had a perfect ten management for these routes which had to had a smooth traffic sans jam and the immensely blessed roads were cleaned of all garbage and rubbish,which had grown exponentially oven an indefinite period of time and had been a major cause of encroachment on roads.The traffic jams were non-existent and a person who would have coincidentally visited the city for the first time ever that day would have got a false impression of it being a metropolitan!The traditional three wheeler public transports which had been the primary source of congestion had mysteriously given way for smooth running of traffic.So where did these tempos and rickshaws disappear?They didn't,but the whole traffic was managed more than efficiently by the police.
Anyone who commutes daily on these routes would have been awestruck by the power of efficient administration and the difference it could make if only practiced on a regular basis.But then the question arises,why isn't it done that way?Why is that only VIPs' and VVIPs' landing their feet on the city makes its officials stand on their feet?Why isn't the public made to benefit by the proper management,which we now know,does exist.
Everyday or the other we read in the newspapers about the huge funds sanctioned for the development of roads in addition to the huge funds for the development of universities,schools and colleges,hospitals,parks,fly-overs,drainage facilities and many more.But after these declarations are made ,the funds don't make their presence felt to the public until a second declaration arrives,which also ends the same way.So where do these funds go?The public doesn't know the accounts nor does it need to,but what they see is only the end result without getting into the back-office processes.Its true that occasionally roads are prepared but they aren't repaired which they indispensably need to after a few days of getting prepared.The procedure is simple according to the system but in reality it takes indefinite time to get the work done,if at all.Most of the year majority of the street lights are missing and people get acquainted with them only around the time of Magh Mela,or sometimes even Kumbh Mela.The elected representatives rarely turn up after the elections and people get used to deal with whatever the size of the manholes on the roads be or however long they stuck in the traffic jams.They even don't care to write a letter to the officials about the problems they confront and neither do they hope to get things set right.So the city will keep waiting until another VIP lands his feet on the city so that it gets a taste of what it hopes to attain.