THE CONFUSED FAMILY

Many Many years ago, I got married to a widow who was pretty. The window had a daughter who had a hair of red. My father fell in love with her, and soon the two were wed…
This made my dad son-in-law and changed my very life. My daughter was my mother, for she was my father’s wife. To complicate the matters, although it brought me joy, I soon became the father of a bouncing baby boy. My little baby then became a brother-in-law to dad. And so became my uncle, though it made me very sad. For if he was my uncle, then that also made him brother. To the widow’s grown up daughter who, of course, was my step mother. Father’s wife then had a son, who kept them on the run. And he became my grandson, for he was my daughter’s son. My wife is my grandmother, then I am her grand child. And every time I think of it, it simply drives me wild. For now I have become the strangest case you ever saw. As a husband of my grandmother, I am my own grandpa……

MUSIC IS THE UNIVESAL REMEDY FOR ALL ILLNESS

Music has the unique power to stir up emotions and that too it stirs up the emotions for the good. We have a very convincing and recent example about the power of music from our freedom struggle. Poet Bharati’s songs, which were thoroughly patriotic, played a great role in kindling the urge for freedom in the minds of the people. The indisputable fact about music is its power to evoke emotions.

For instance if we take the meaning of the meaning of the word illness in its literal sense that is the physical illness, we have the episode of Tansen, the poet curing the prolonged illness of the prince with his music. We further know from the same episode that Tansen was able light the lamps with his emotional music. Such is the power of the music.

Melodious music mellows a human being. We have heard of instances of even hardcore criminals having been deeply moved and changed into good people by divine music.

Music is known to endow the listener with aesthetic and intellectual pleasure. However complex, music is readily appreciated by the mind without the need for formal knowledge. Music doesn’t have even language barrier. And it is this aspect that makes music the universal medium to unite people of different origin, race, and religion. Once the feeling of togetherness is set in the minds of people for which music is one of the tools, we could easily achieve universal brotherhood..

Music is created from the heart and molded by emotions. True music touches our emotions and the very soul and leaves its imprint on minds, our souls and us. Music by itself can be a very deep and moving experience. There are many concerts, which have moved the people to tears not because they understood the lyrics, but because of the power of music as an emotional experience….

Three fishermen go fishing a Moral story

Three people are fishing in a pond. The first has the normal ego-driven, self-centered mentality. The second is the complacent type. The third is an enlightened seer.

The first fisherman raves and rants when he does not catch fish. He blames his equipment, his wife, and his stars. He sits there with turmoil in his mind. He derives satisfaction from the fact that others haven't caught any fish either. If he catches some fish, he compares these with what others have caught and is unhappy if his catch is less or if his fish are smaller. If his catch is more, he crows with satisfaction. In either case, he strives to get more the next time.

The complacent fisherman who has not caught any fish, spends the day reading and drinking. Finally, he sighs, withdraws his line, collects his belongings and goes home, thinking that this is what his destiny is and he cannot help it if he did not catch any fish. He will not try any better the next time, as he has convinced himself that his destiny is not in his hands.

The enlightened fisherman lives every moment he is by the pond in a state of super-consciousness. He feels the wind on his face, not only from his own point of view, but also of the wind. He sees himself as part of his boat, he finds himself revealing in every wave on the pond. He flies with every bird. And what of the fish? He is there on the pond. Knowing this, the fish will come to him like iron to a magnet. Because of that, his line is his conscious will, not coarse thread. You can substitute money, followers, whatever else you wish, for fish.

When the fishermen go home, they feel differently. The ego-driven fisherman will be in a foul mood if he has not caught any or few fish, kicking his dog and making his and everyone else's life miserable. If he has caught more fish than the others, he will boast about this to everyone he meets. The second will go home and sleep complacently. The realized one is at home wherever he is, and he will continue to enjoy the bliss of being equally intensely everywhere.

Many seekers think that if they feel complacent, they are showing signs of spirituality. However, whereas the complacent person has not seen anything astounding, nor is likely to, the truly awakened one has experienced a vision of the world which blows his mind. He has found that there is no difference between himself and all he perceives. He becomes aware that the reality of all that he perceives through his senses had led him to believe. It is creative in a manner he could not have even suspected. It is full.

In contrast, the complacent person skims over the world, ignoring it and deluding himself that he is pursuing a spiritual life. In fact, he and the world are charting a path indifferent to each other.

We often tend to put a garb of spiritualism on our indolence and justify it by saying that this is a result of the passive nature of Hinduism. This is either based on a wrong perception of our religious philosophy or is rationalization. Those who hope to progress on the Path should not submit to this misunderstanding.

- KISHORE ASTHANA