Brahmand ki Kahani

Brahmaand – Ek Kahaani

Brahmaand ki utpatti aaj se 13 arab saal pehley hui thi. humara saurya mandal iske mukabley sirf 4 arab saal hi purana hai. Humare brahmaand mei unginat aakashganaga hain. Yahi wajah hai ki humarey vaigyanik aisa maantey hain ki iss baat ki sambhavnayein kafi addhik hain ki prithavi jaisa grah aur bhi jaroor hongey. Iska tatparya yeh hai ki shaayad hum iss brahmaand mei Akeley nahi hain…  jeevan kahin aur bhi panap raha hai – shayad kisi aur aakashganga mei!

Waise humare saurya mandal ki baat hi kuch aur hai. Yeh ek bahut badaa saurya mandal hai jisme 8 grah maney gaye hain. Har grah ke apney upagrah hain (siway buddha aur shukra ke) aur sab ke sab surya ke chaaron ore ek seemit samay mei chakkar lagatey hain. Yeh bahut hi kamaal ki baat hai!

Har ek grah ki apni hi vividhta hai. Surya ke sabse kareeb hone ki wajah se Buddha (Mercury) sabse garam grah to hai hi, par sirf uska ek hi bhaag! Mercury ke doosarey hissey mei barf jami hai! Shukra (Venus) ko Dharti ki behen ka darjaa hassil hai kyonki iska aakar dharti ke hijaisi hai. Raat ke andhere mei shukra ko humarey aakash mei sabse chamakdaar sitarey ke roop mei dekha ja sakta hai. Dharti humarey saurya mandal ka sabse mahaan grah hai! Ab tak ke vaigyanik anusandhaan ko manaa jaye to hum ek maatra aise grah par hain, jahana jeevan ka strot hai! Yeh apney aap mei iss grah ko adwitiya shreni mei shaamil karta hai! Dharti ke baad Mangal (Mars) grah surya se chauthey sthan par uska chakkar laga raha hai. Iss laal grah ka bhi aakar dharti ke hi samaan hai aur manushya ne kayi upahgrah bheje hain iss grah ki ore, jisme bharat ka Mangalaayan yaan bhi shaamil hai! Mangalayan ka safal daura humarey desh ke liye garv ka prateek hai. Mangal ke baad aata hai iss saurya mandal ka sabse vishaal grah, Brihaspati (Jupiter). Agar baki sare grahon ko mila diya jaye, tab bhi Brihaspati grah unse dhai guna bada hoga. Brihaspati humare aakash mei shukra grah ke baad sabse tej chamakne wale sitarey ke roop mei dekha ja sakta hai. Brihaspati ke 67 chandrama hain. Brihaspati ke baad sabse jyaada chandrama (62) hain Shani (Saturn) grah ke chaaron ore. Shani grah ke Charon ore tees bahut hi Ghane dhool ke gherey hain jiski wjah se yeh grah baki sabse alagh aur khoobsoorat dikhta hai. Arun (Uranus) grah surya se door honey ki wajah se barf se Dhaka hua hai aur antariksh doorbeen se neeley rang ka prateet hota hai. Iske bhi 27 chandrama hain aur 9-10 dhool ke gherey hain. Arun ke baad aata hai saurya mandal ka aakhiri grah, Varun (Neptune). Yeh grah Arun ke jaise hi barf se Dhaka hua hai aur usasey bada bhi hai.Iske Charon ore iske chaudah chandrama chakaar lagatey hain. Manushya ne abhi tak Arun aur Varun ke paas sabse kum yaan bheje hain aur isi wajah se inke barey mei jyaada jaankari nahi hai.

Par sarey grahon se jyada mahatwapurna hai inn sabhi grahon ko ikattha rakhne wala Surya. Surya ka aakaar itna bada hai ki dharti jaise 10 laakh grah isme samaa saktey hain! Humarey saurya mandal ki shuruaat chaar arab saal pehley tab hua jab ek maha visphotak ghatna se Surya ki utpatti hui. Surya hi hur grah ke energy ka strot hai. Kaha jaata hai ki surya apni urja se kuch arab salon baad buddha, shukra aur dharti ko apne andar samaa lega. Iski aparampaar urja aur tej ki wajah se ise dharti par bhagwaan ka hi roop mana gaya hai. Aur ho bhi kyon na

Iss brahmaand aur humarey saurya mandal ka Vishay bahut bada hai, par isey hum jitney kareeb se dekhtey hain, mann karta hai ki iske barey mei aur padhein… aur jaaney.Yeh Vishay hai hi itna dilchasp!

(Prepared for Ruhin Raghuvanshi... Class III)

Poem (Kavita) on Prakriti (Nature)

Poem on Prakriti (Nature)

Layi hun mai Layi hun, Prakriti ka Sandesh layi hun...
Suno Suno aye mere mitron, kuch baat sunaney aayi hun

Suraj ugtaa har roj dharti par... roshan karta har jeevan ko
Charon or vriksha hai mitron, dhoop se humey bachaaney ko

Rimjhim karti Saavan ki boondein... paavan karti dharti ko
Jungle, pahaad baney hain mitron, pralay se humey bachaney ko

Gad-gadhati aandhi, daraata toofaan... deta dastak barbaadi ko
Tab Panchiyon ki chahchahat mitron, deta awaaz navjeevan ko

Ishwar ki nayaab den hai ye, ki Hariyaali ki aas hai ret ko
Nadiyon ki hi ye maya hai... jodti Saagar se har shikhar ko

Aaiye hum khayein kasam, na khone dengey is chamatkaar ko
Apney hi hathon se mitron, sajayengey apne iss sansaar ko

Is dharohar ki karni raksha, param kartavya humara ho
Desh ki aur dharti ki seva hi - ab humara nara ho...
Desh ki aur dharti ki seva hi - ab humara nara ho

Dhanyawad
Ruhin Raghuvanshi..
(Class III)

About Liver: A speech

About Liver - Elocution

Hi,

Today I am going to talk about Liver and its importance …

A liver is a large, meaty organ that sits on the right side of the belly. It is located to the right of the stomach and over the gallbladder. We cannot feel liver from outside, as it is protected by our strong rib cage.

A liver is a soft, pinkish-brown organ which normally weighs 1.5 Kgs. It is triangular in shape and is the second largest organ in the human body. The largest organ is ofcourse, our skin. The beauty of liver is – it can regenerate! Even a 25% of liver can regenerate into a whole liver within couple of weeks! It is the only internal organ which can do that!

So why is Liver important to us? Well, Liver is responsible for production of many bio-chemicals needed by our body. It is vital because it helps in digestion, prevents Infection, produces protein and stores vitamins, minerals, sugars, glucose amongst others.

Like all parts of the body, a liver is also prone to many diseases. The most common are Infections such as hepatitis A, B, C, D & E, alcohol damage, fatty liver, cancer and few others. It can lead to allergies, migraine, indigestion & obesity, jaundice. Liver diseases can be diagnosed by liver function tests, Ultrasound etc. In case of liver failure however, liver transplantation is the only option

Now, what can we do to help preserve Liver and ensure it remains healthy? For starters, when we grow up – it is important to avoid alcohol and un-prescribed medicines as these are very dangerous for liver. Healthy eating habits and exercising regularly will keep our Liver healthy. Consuming Gooseberry, Licorice/Mulethi, turmeric, Onion, Garlic etc. is good for liver. 

Let me conclude by reminding you that God made us special and hence we need to treat every part of our body as special too. There are 2 lungs, 2 kidneys – but only one Liver. We have no option but to keep it healthy and protected.

Thank You.

Ruhin Raghuvanshi..

Class - III (2014)

Concrete Poem - Love

Concrete Poem - Love

       Am sign of love    Oh yes I am so

   My colour is a deep and passionate red

 Am symbolic  of     pure affectionate love

       Am metaphor   for   all romance

            I am known   around world

               I represent   you and

                    your heart & your

                            Love

                                !

(Prepared for Ruhin Raghuvanshi... Class III)

Bhaskaracharya - The Great Mathematician!

Bhaskaracharya - The Great Mathematician!

In 1114, was born a boy in Brahmin astrologer Mahesvara’s home at Ujjain. He was soon to redefine the rules of mathematics as it was followed then. Bhaskara, later known as Bhaskaracharya (Aacharya meant Teacher in those times), was taught mathematics and astrology by his father and went on to lead the prestigious astronomical observatory (in Ujjain) which was also the leading mathematical centre in India.

This great mathematician wrote many books. His main work “Siddhānta Shiromani” ("Crown of treatises) is divided into four parts called Lilāvati, Bijaganita, Grahaganita and Golādhyāya. These four sections deal with arithmetic, algebra, mathematics of the planets, and spheres respectively!

He reached an understanding of the number systems and solving equations which was not to be achieved in Europe for several centuries. Some of his original concepts he pioneered are:

- He almost accurately calculated the time that is required for the Earth to orbit the Sun as 365.2588 days. The modern accepted measurement is 365.2563 days, a difference of just 3.5 minutes!

- The Earth is not flat, has no support and has a power of attraction

- One day of Moon is equivalent to 15 earth-days and one night is also equivalent to 15 earth-days.

- He conceived the convention that when a finite number is divided by zero, the result is infinity.

- He was the first to create a wheel that he claimed would run forever (A perpetual motion machine). This was famously called Bhaskara wheel

- He anticipated the modern convention of signs (i.e. minus by minus makes plus, minus by plus makes minus)

- Defined concepts around Trigonometry, algebra, calculus etc much before pioneers like Newton or Rolle were born.

After he died in 1185, an educational institution was set up, in 1207, by his son to study Bhaskaracharya's works. A medieval inscription there reads:-

"Triumphant is the illustrious Bhaskaracharya whose feats are revered by both the wise and the learned. A poet endowed with fame and religious merit, he is like the crest on a peacock."

(Prepared for Ruhin Raghuvanshi..)

About Basketball!

About Basketball

The History of basketball begins with the invention of the game in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr James Naismith was the the originator of the Hoop and ball concept! Basketball is one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports in 20^th century! Infact, a lot of rules created on that day continue to exist even today!

Basketball is a sport played by two teams of five players on a rectangular court. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop of 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter and 10 feet (3.0 m) high mounted to a backboard at each end.

A team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket during regular play. A field goal scores two points for the shooting team if a player is touching or closer to the basket than the three-point line, and three points (known commonly as a 3 pointer or three) if the player is behind the three-point line. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins

The ball can be advanced on the court by bouncing it (dribbling) while walking or running or throwing it to a team mate. As well as many techniques for shooting, passing, dribbling and rebounding, basketball has specialized player positions and offensive and defensive structures (player positioning).

A league created by Basketball Association of America in 1946 went on to be known as NBA (National Basketball Association) from 1949 onwards and has since been the most popular and toughest Basketball league in the world.

In India, the game of basketball started its journey in 1930 when it was played for the first time. The first Indian National Championship for men was conducted in 1934 in New Delhi. It has since become one of the more popular games in India. Indian Government has been continuously recognizing Basketball talent and conferring them with prestigious Arjuna and Dhanchand awards on a regular basis!

Prepared for Ruhin Raghuvanshi... Class III

Human Evolution - A brief

Human Evolution - A brief

Human life has evolved over millions of years. Ancient people had different body structures, way of living and eating habits.  Early men essentially were nomads and lived in natural caves where ever they went. Initially, like we know animals do, they would communicate using different sounds and sign languages. Slowly, as each nomadic group formed into tribes, they started defining and fine-tuning their own unique language. Over a period of time they started to document the same on the walls of caves they lived in!

Humans continued to evolve in other fields too. Use of tools is a sure sign of growing intelligence in human evolution cycle.  They would use sharp stones and bones of dead animals to hunt. They customized their tools eventually to till & to kill. Same is the case with their clothing habits. When humans realized that it is imperative to cover themselves and protect against sun, heat, rains & cold – they again innovated. Starting initially with animal skins and leaves, which would cover essential parts of their body – they moved to sewing their own fabric to cover larger portions of their body. Types of clothes worn by people defined the development of race amongst early human beings!

We all know that the nomadic nature of early life was necessitated by the need of feeding themselves.  As food would become scarce due to changing weather and climate, they would move to other areas where there would be more food available. They would feed on whatever they could hunt. They would eat fruits and vegetables available naturally in jungles too. A time came when the tribes became big and the movement from one place to other became cumbersome. That forced them to create their own settlements and with the help of improved tools, moved to growing cereals, vegetables, fruits etc. on their own.

And finally came a time when the humans made perhaps the most important discovery of our life time - “Fire”.  Fire helped them keep warm in cold climate and also enabled them to cook food! It could have been discovered only be accident! Study shows that early primitive men used sticks and flint to create fire. Maturity and experience helped them create and control fire. The power of fire helped human race to eventually become the most powerful living being on earth.

(Prepared for Ruhin Raghuvanshi... 2016)

Steps to prevent Poaching & Hunting of animals

Steps to prevent Poaching & Hunting of animals

• Enhancing security of Wild life sanctuaries: The urgency for the training and deployment of guards to protect wildlife sanctuaries across the globe is of greatest importance today. There is also an urgent need to modernize the security equipment and apparatus provided to them.
• Train/ Recruit forest Rangers: To understand, track & protect the forests, there is a need to provide impetus to recruitment of committed forest rangers and deploying them across the sanctuaries & forests for patrolling.
• Involve local communities: Perhaps the most effective method in fight, against poachers & hunters, is to involve and solicit endorsement (support) of local communities that have for ages lived in and around local forests. They could provide on-the-ground support and intelligence to prevent the menace.
• Increase awareness: Authorities and interested private citizens need to spread knowledge about endangered animals and their utility to the environment, natural habitat and their importance in maintaining critical balance of nature.
• Enhance legal framework & support: Government of the land needs to make stringent laws to discourage individuals or groups from the business of poaching and hunting and make provisions in legal framework to punish those involved in the same
• Support Non-Governmental Organization: Support private NGO who are involved in drives against hunters and poachers
• Increase Financial Assistance: And finally, need for more money cannot be understated. More people need to come out and help in form of funding. Even a small amount would go a long way in helping these animals from the brink of extinction and will be crucial to the survival of many such species targeted by poachers.

(Prepared for Ruhin Raghuvanshi..)

Mass Communication - A brief

Mass Communication - A brief

Mass communication is a study of communication where information is relayed from one single source of transmission to large number of receivers

As the world grew and people travelled to unknown lands, it became imperative to transmit news and information to everyone quickly and at one time. Mass communication has evolved over a period of time. What started with newspapers eventually moved to transmission of information through radio, television, films and finally to internet!

Popular instruments of Mass Communication are:

Newspapers: Perhaps the first form of dispensing news and views started with printing and circulation of newspapers. They provided all kinds of information, from local news to national and international news of all kinds. Most of the countries have many newspapers under circulation. But the disadvantage was that it could be used by people who knew how to read & write

Radio: This instrument of communication needed a receiver to listen to programs being transmitted from radio stations. Radio signals are transmitted through space and received through antenna on the receivers. Radio transmits news, views, entertainment events and live coverage of any kind of event through commentaries made by presenters sitting at one place. This became very popular since it did not need people to know to read or write.

Television: Next progression in mass communication came in form of Television, the visual medium. This transformed the face of study of mass communication. It helped people to not only listen to, but also see the events live if required. Television signals could be routed through satellites in space and hence had a far greater reach! Millions of people quickly moved from Radio to TV sets to take advantage of this revolution.

Internet: And finally, advent of Computers, mobiles and Internet changed the way people communicated and the way people dispensed with news, views and ideas. Now people have information on their finger tips and can access them when needed. 

Thanks!

(Prepared for Ruhin Raghuvanshi.. - 2016)

Debate: Human need for Fantasy!

Hello Friends,

My name is Ruhin Raghuvanshi. So what is fantasy? What is the need and significance of fantasy in human life? Perhaps Dr Seuss, a famous American writer, has rightly said, “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient to living”. Humans are often bound by their individual ability to perform a task. Imaginative thinking helps them achieve what their known abilities restrict them to. It is here I believe fantasy plays an important role. I truly believe reality and Fantasy are not exclusives, they do overlap. Fantasy is not often un-achievable, it’s the drive within Humans to be realistic that constraints them to achieve the imaginary. 

As Lynda Barry, a famous cartoonist & author said about her writings, “We don’t create fantasy to escape reality; we create it to be able to stay”. If Einstein, Newton Darwin or Hawking, all famous scientists, had been restricted by boundaries of realism, we would not have the comforts of life we enjoy today and neither the understanding of the world. Albert Einstein had said, “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one”. I would like to end by saying, humans need to dream. And dream they should, because in dreams we plant the seeds of future.

Have a good day.

Thank You

(Prepared for Ruhin Raghuvanshi... forAudition)

Recording Information - Historical & now!

Knowledge and information recording in the past

Recording information today seems to be far easier and more reliable, with multiple techniques available with people these days. However, it was not always the case.

Even before the known recorded history, knowledge was passed on across generations through word of mouth. Selected people were responsible to pass on their knowledge to others through years of verbal training and sessions. It had its own disadvantages, where knowledge could be lost or twisted due to interpretations and prejudice of people. However, as human beings learnt to write and express through symbols and self-defined alphabets, knowledge sharing finally could move out of people-dependence. Mythological stories, existing traditions & way of living were recorded on walls of caves, large rocks, man-made monuments, dried and hardened leaves etc. Initially, sharp stones were used to draw and write, which, with time, gave way to specific sharpened sticks. This was around 4^th millennium BC. Again, since the there was no specific set of alphabets used across the world, knowledge from that era is open to interpretations, sometimes substantiated with archaeological evidence if any.

Times changed and with scientific innovations and technological innovations, information recording became simpler and more specific. Introduction of typewriters and such recording mechanisms made it easier for people to write and record information. 19^th Century brought with it great innovations in this field. Now Photographic method & audio recordings could be used to record information in analogue (oral) form along with photographic evidence of the same. Now information was more trustworthy and believable. These improvements reduced the variables such as individual interpretations (of facts). Further enhancements like introduction of video-graphy methods allowed people to record the events and evidences in real-time, and as it happened. This was a big improvement over still photographs and oral recordings previously done separately. Now one could record the events, which enabled visual as well as audio recording of events using one instrument. However, it still needed bulky instruments to record & unreliable cassettes with magnetic tapes, which needed space and effort to carry and store.

And then the digital revolution happened and introduction of computers changed the world like never before. Now one could not only record events using smaller instruments but also could store the same using safer & sturdier instruments. But then “internet” happened! This now enabled everyone to access knowledge from their own location. Introduction of internet is singularly responsible and has had profound impact on the spread of knowledge as we know it today. Knowledge is now not limited to people who were interested and made effort to get it. It was now available to everyone in their bedrooms and could be accessed with a few clicks of buttons anytime anywhere!

In summary, recording of information has seen a paradigm shift over centuries. From passing information & knowledge using people through oral means and limited to only certain group of people, it is now at a stage where any and every one can record information easily and spread the word to anyone and everyone who is willing to know! We surely have come a long way!

Thanks

(Prepared for Ruhin Raghivanshi.. Class Vth)

Pet Dog Vs Robot Dog - A Debate

Pet Dog Vs Robot Dog

Oh, I do not have a pet dog, but I wish I had one! This topic gives me a chance to analyze what would I chose as my pet, a living pet dog or a robotic dog? I would like to delve into some of the advantages and disadvantages of both to find the right choice.

A Robotic dog (or a pet) would work on defined commands which it is programmed for. It will execute the command “every single time” it is given one, unlike living pet dogs. There are other key differentiators, like, a living pet needs to be fed multiple times in a day and requires costly dog food, it requires regular vaccination and needs to be bathed regularly with special shampoos for their body-furs. A pet dog is a full time commitment. For instance, one needs to spend time to train them to make them behave in a particular way to different commands. Pet dogs remain inside enclosures of home most of the time and hence need to be taken out to open space twice or thrice every day, for their exercise and natural needs. Be it extreme summer, winter or monsoon or even if the owner is sick or unwell, dogs need to be taken out for their daily routines! Robotic dogs’ of-course come with lesser obligations of such kinds and are low on maintenance (unless absolutely needed).

However, according to me the single biggest disadvantage of pre-programmed robotic dogs are that there are limitations to the instructions they can follow. They may not be able to innovate on their own based on situations or circumstances. A pet needs to react to the situation of the owner, the emotional and mental state of the person it stays with. That is why one keeps a pet. But I in my knowledge I donot believe robotic dogs will be able to do so. And that for me is the biggest downer with the option of robotic dog.

So what draws me to a living pet even though it is costly to maintain, needs devoted time and have other hassles? Well, to start with, they keep our house secure. They bark at any unidentified intruder, which helps owner know someone unknown is approaching their home. Also, I am an emotional person and I need to have emotional connect with my pet. Dogs are for me a perfect fit as pet for the needs. They are considered your best friend for some reason! It is important my pet reacts favorably to my moods and situations. I want it to play with me when I am at home, to sit next to me quietly when I am sad or stressed and jump with me when I am happy! And I want it to do all this, without me commanding it to do so. That for me is a definition of best friend and for me it is fulfilled only by a living pet, a dog at that!

I rest my case

For Ruhin Raghuvanshi - Class Vth

Diversity of India – a brief perspective

Diversity of India – a perspective

India is diverse. Yes it is. Diversity is found in every walk of our life in India, in terms of race, religion, language, caste, culture & a lot more. As a Hindi saying goes “Kos kos pe badale pani, char kos pe vani” i.e In India - the taste of water changes every 3 kms, and the language changes every 12 km! That is how diverse we are!

To understand the extent of diversity in numbers, sample this – there are 4635 known communities in India, there are 3000 castes and 25000 sub-castes, more than 1650 languages, 1000+ festivals, 1866 registered political parties, wide religious diversity with 9 main religions, 8 classical dance forms, 29 states and 7 Union territories – with each being different in the way they live, eat, speak and the way they celebrate their festivals.

Do you know how many Gods do we have as per Upanishads? “Trayatrimsa koti” i.e. 330 Million! So metaphorically speaking there is 1 God for every 3 person today! And this is only counting Hindu Gods. There are others for Jainis, Buddhists etc.

Add to this 1.2 Billion people in the country and we are looking at a very complicated and diverse group of people under one nation. No wonder Mark Twain called India “a country of hundred nations” and “cradle of human race itself”. As unbelievable as it seems, it is this amazing we stay united. God must love us! According to me though, every community has sacrificed a lot for the independence of this great nation and it is this love for the nation that acts as the overpowering binding force which keeps us united. And so it will in future too I am sure. Amen to that.

Thank you!

(Prepared For Ruhin Raghuvanshi - for Class)

Topic: Sometimes the heart feels what is invisible to the eye

Sometimes the heart feels what is invisible to the eye

All living beings have this great ability of senses. One of the most important one is “to see”. What we see is what we believe. What we don’t see or cannot see is perhaps impossible to understand for living species. Science also teaches us to believe what we can see, provide evidence on and can replicate every time visibly. However, we as human beings (and so too animals or birds) have a quality that is not always measurable, repeatable at will and cannot also be seen.

One of the greatest examples of something we cannot see – and yet is the basic force even a new born baby feels first is “Love”. We can see expressions of love through a hug, touch or gestures, however, we cannot see the feeling of love. And yet, it is something we feel every moment of our life with our mother, father, siblings, friends & relatives. Science has never been able to prove a method to measure love. Why, to extend this further, we all feel sad sometimes, even happiness & hatred. But all of these can neither be seen, nor measured. And yet, these are strong emotive forces which we have felt in our lives many a times.

To extend the topic further from “feeling” to include what our mind cannot understand, there are examples like “thoughts” and “Intuitions. These are invisible forces every living being has and yet they cannot be seen through naked eyes. Can you see your own thoughts or even thoughts of people in front of us? Also, can we see our intuitive sense? When a deer runs for its life with a cheetah chasing it, it trusts its instincts and intuitions, and takes swift left and right to dodge the predator. Even as it is cruel to see it fall prey to the aggressor, it’s a great example of an invisible force that drives every leap and step of the deer, something which is difficult to comprehend and understand

Coming back to the topic of invisible forces that though cannot be seen and yet can be deeply felt, take the great example of winds. One can feel the wind blowing, but unless there are leaves or dust particles flowing around (and which we can actually see), there is no way to “see” winds. And yet, on a hot scorching summer day, a spell of cool breeze or wind brings happiness and peace. How about Oxygen? Can we see Oxygen, which is the most essential component to live? Our whole life is dependent on oxygen, and though it is there all around us, we cannot see it… but the lack of it makes us feel breathless. Such is the impact of this invisible force

Thanks!

(Prepared for Ruhin Raghuvanshi... for elocution)

Happiness - Elocution

Happiness & Success

Happiness is such a sought after emotion. We do everything each day to somehow be happy, and yet as I grow I see it going further away. I often wonder - why is that so? Why should such a beautiful & basic emotion seem so further away? Talking to my parents and reading a little about it, I realized that happiness should not be a “target” I should be chasing. It is but a state of mind, which is always there within us. And yet, we make effort, struggle and chase it all around ourselves. I realized that 21 or 25 marks out of 30 are still good results if I believe I gave my best before the exams. Good marks in exams make me happy ofcourse, and yet I realize it should not influence my state of happiness. Usain Bolt, arguably the finest athlete of our times says “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. Love what you are doing and you will be successful“. That is inspiring. If we study with a happy state of mind and enjoy the process of learning something new each day, results will follow… if not tomorrow… it will come the day after. Thoughts like “What if” will always complicate the process and drive happiness further away. A Spiritual teacher has explained this beautifully, "Children are happy because they don't have a file in their minds called 'All the things that could go wrong’”. And as I read somewhere, in life nobody will care for you if you are miserable, so you might as well be happy.

Dalai Lama once said “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy… well, practice compassion!”. It’s a mantra I find very useful when I strive to have happy environment around me. And I figured out that it does not take much effort. Your happiness depends on happy environment around you. One needs to do those smaller things that make people around us happy too. We are still kids and yet we can still influence the emotions around us with some small gestures. For example, make you bed when you wake up, smile & wish everyone at home, get dressed & be ready in time for school, lay the table for lunch or dinner, share all the good things that happened in school with your parents, finish homework on time, play with friends and learn to crack a joke or two every day, if you see anyone in family sad someday - try and talk to them or be around them. Such small steps make a huge difference. Your family and friends would start respecting that and having you around will make them happy – in turn making you even happier!

Frankly, according to me - the less you care about outcomes and the more compassionate you are to others - the happier you will be! As my Dad keeps telling me… “Happiness is infectious. Try it”! I am working on it, will you?

Thank You!

(Prepared for Ruhin Raghuvanshi for Topic - "Happiness")

(In Hindi...)

खुशी ऐसी भावना है जिसे हम हर जगह ढूँढ़ते हैं| हम खुश होने के लिए प्रत्येक दिन कई प्रयास करते हैं, पर फिर भी जैसे-जैसे मैं बड़ी होती जा रही हूँ वह मुझे और दूर दिखती है| मैं अक्सर सोचती हूँ की ऐसा क्यों है? ऐसी सुंदर और बुनियादी भावना इतनी दूर क्यों दिखती है? मेरे माता-पिता से बात करने और इसके बारे में थोड़ा बहुत पढ़ने पर मुझे एहसास हुआ कि खुशी को हमारा "लक्ष्य" होना ही नहीं चाहिए| यह तो मन की अवस्था है, जो हमेशा हमारे भीतर रहता है। पर फिर भी, हम उसे अपने चारों ओर ढूंढ़ते रहते हैं| मुझे एहसास हुआ कि 30 में से 21 या 25 अंक भी अच्छे परिणाम होते हैं यदि हमने परक्षा के पहले पूरी मेहनत की है। परीक्षा में अच्छे अंक मुझे बहुत ख़ुशी देते हैं, बिलकुल, पर फिर भी मुझे लगता है कि यह मेरी खुशियों का पैमाना नहीं होना चाहिए। Usain Bolt, जो हमारे समय के सबसे बेहतरीन एथलीट हैं, उनका कहना है कि, "सफलता खुशी की कुंजी नहीं है अपितु खुशहाली है सफलता की कुंजी। आप जो कर रहे हैं वो प्यार से करें और आप सफल होंगे ही"। यह प्रेरणादायक है| अगर हम मन से खुश होकर अध्ययन करें और प्रत्येक दिन कुछ नया सीखने की प्रक्रिया का आनंद लें तो परिणाम मिलेगा ही... कल नहीं तो ... एक दिन बाद आएगा। "क्या होगा", "होगा की नहीं"... जैसे विचार हमेशा खुशियों को दूर करती हैं।

 
दलाई लामा ने एक बार कहा था, "यदि आप दूसरों को खुश करना चाहते हैं तो, करुणा दिखाएं। यदि आप खुश होना चाहते हैं तो भी, करुणा दिखाएं!" यह एक मंत्र है जिसने मुझे बहुत प्रभावित किया है!  और मुझे लगता है कि इसमें हमे बहुत ज्यादा प्रयास नहीं करना होगा | आपकी खुशी आपके आसपास वातावरण को खुश रखने पर निर्भर करती है। हमे बस कुछ छोटी- छोटी चीजें करने की ज़रूरत है। हम अभी बच्चे हैं मगर फिर भी हम अपने आसपास की भावनाओं को प्रभावित कर सकते हैं। उदाहरण के लिए, जब आप सवेरे जगे तो अपने बिस्टेर को ठीक करें, घर पर सबका मुस्कराहट से अभिनन्दन करें, समय पर स्कूल के लिए तैयार हो जाएं, खाना परोसने में अपनी माँ की मदद करें, स्कूल में हुई सभी अच्छी चीजों के बारे में अपने माता-पिता को बतायें, अपना होमवर्क समय पर समाप्त करें, दोस्तों के साथ खेलें और उनको एक-दो चुटकुले सुनाएं, अगर आप किसी को दुखी देखें तो उससे बात करने की कोशिश करें या उनके आसपास रहें। ऐसे छोटे कदम एक बड़ा अंतर लाते हैं और आपके परिवार और दोस्तों के बीच आपका सम्मान बढ़ने में मदद करते हैं| वे भी आप के पास रहने पर खुशी का अनुभव करेंगे और बदले में आप भी खुश रहेंगे!
सच कहूँ तो, मेरे अनुसार – आप परिणाम के बारे में जितना कम सोचेंगे और दूसरों के प्रति करुणा का भाव रखेंगे उतना ही आप सुखी रहेंगे! जैसा कि मेरे पिताजी मुझे कहते रहते हैं... "खुशी संक्रामक है! इसकी अनुभूति करो"! मैं इस पर अमल कर रही हूँ, क्या आप करेंगे?
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