Do You Know What You Really Want From Your Life?

I am having some troubling times. One question is coming again & again in my mind for past several years. This question has troubled me in past & its troubling me now even more. The question is " What I really want from my life?". This was supposed to be very easy question to solve as there cant be many answers to this question. But still I think I am not able to answer this question. Why this question is so difficult to answer? I think I am still not able to find my core. There are certain things which I think might be my true calling. I dont have material desires but I want to do three things in my life;

1) First Thing: I want to open a school which gives good quality education to underpriviledged children in semi urban or rural areas at very nominal or no cost. As I believe education is the only tool which can change the face of India & the individual. Whatever I am today is because of education and I understand its importance very well. My late father always knew importance of education and always forced all siblings to never compromise while learning. He knew that education is the only tool which can bring anyone out of the clutches of poverty & help you in realising your dreams and make you better productive member of the society. He forced all my siblings & me to study & study very hard and its because of him, I am what I am today.

2) Second Thing: I want to open an old age home for neglected senior citizens. I am still amazed how so many Indians just abandon their parents in old age. The country where our scriptures says that since God cant be present in physical form everywhere thats why he created parents. I know some parents are also at fault as they are not able to adjust with changing times & habits of this modern age but still its duty of the children to take care of their parents. its not like that I didnt fight with my father. We had disagreement on many things & I know I have his stubborn nature in me. I miss his presence in my life. I never talked much with him but still when he was alive, it felt like there is some one whose hand is there on my head. I am what I am today is because of him. His strict discipline & way of simple living has taught me many thing. I wish I had some more years with him to let him know how much I admire him & how much I have learned from his own life. He is gone & sometimes I just wish that he would appear from somehwere and shout at me for sleeping so late on holidays. He never liked it and he had this habit of making the other person aware that he is not liking something. He was brutly blunt & honest to the core and I feel proud that I am his son. He was rarely tensed in any situation. He had great wealth of knowledge & lots of stories to tell for making his point. I have inherited some of his qualities. Although I havent been able to live with him much becuase of my education & job but feeling of his presence in my life was the guiding light & the support pillar around which my whole family revolved. My brother had good fortune of serving my father all these years. Yes it was very tough to deal with my father sometimes but every human has certain faults and true love exists when you can overlook the faults a little and focus more on care, goodwill & affection. So its necessary to give care, love & affection to old age when the parents truly need it. Munshi Premchand was the great writer in hindi language. I have read his one story by name "Budhi Kaki" in school in 5th class. That story is still fresh in my mind. He writes there "Budhapa Bahuda bachpan ka punaragaman hua karta hai" means " the old age is generally the repetition of childhood". I think he is very right as old people become more & more stubborn in many cases like the children and needs our special care & attention. I would request all new parents to take care of their parents like they take care of their kids.

3) Third Thing: I want to open a multi specialty hospital & medical college in remote corners of India, which will do treatment as very low or no cost to poor. They will certainly charge those who can afford to pay.

I know to fulfill these dreams I need to have lots of money and I am not the individual who has that kind of money. But still if I ever choose to do business in my life then these 3 things would be ultimate thing for which I would like to earn money.

Anyways when this going to happen is secret buried in future. I have always lived the life with the flow, tried to live life as it comes, face the challenges as & when life throws them to me. In my life I have experienced that the things after which I try to run after, are the things which I never get. I dont know whats the reason. May be its some unseen hand which wants me to stay away from certain things and guiding or pushing me to achieve something other. I think in this way because I need to have some logic through which my heart & mind can understand it too. Its very difficult situation for me when I my mind doesnt understand something. It makes me awake in nights & mad in days just to know why this has happened with me in this way. So to keep mind satisfied, I have built up this argument and I think my mind understands it well and it becomes easy for me to go on with flow of life.

But still I dont know what I want from my life and its very dangerous situation to be in. My condition sometimes becomes like a headless chicken who doesnt know where to go & what to do. The choice would have been as simple as like I get married to someone, have kids & just live like many others are living. Its fairly simple process which doesnt involve lots of thinking as you will become so much busy that probably you wont have time to think on "what you really want from your life". As I have seen many people like that. But is that what I really want to do? I still dont know.. What I know is I want to serve my motherland by any mean possible. There are examples like Vivekanand, Anna Hazare & Baba Ramdev in front of me to take the lessons from. But I am still figuring it out do I have this much courage to leave everything and just get immersed in big ocean of India? What will happen to some of my worldly desires which still keeps me going in present state? I have got one thing clear in my head that I love my country, I love India.. and there is a strong desire to serve people of this land so that we will again be known as world's guru in every field. All the great people of the world have told that you need to find something which you love and once you find it you will know how to create wonders with it. I know what I love but still there is lots of confusion for ways & means to do what you love.

I can directly take plunge in Baba Ramdev's movement & help him in his fight against high & mighty as I believe Babaji is doing great service to India & Indians by taking up the cause of common man. So is this the thing which I want to do? But I have some loans to pay & if I dont earn money than who is going to take care of that? I think I am going to postpone this decision to few more years so that I can settle my debts or may be its the excuse which I am taking for shying away from hard work ahead in that road. I am having some problem in deciding it. I also know that once who want to achieve or do something never talk too much about it and just do it. May be I need sometime to makeup my mind.. May be some past experiences are still haunting me.. May be I am not clear in my head what I am really seeking from this life as this life doesnt belong to me only.. some loved ones has right over it too.. So my dilemma continues.. Lucky are those people who really knew what they actually want.. Like Steve jobs.. he clearly knew he loved computers & technologies and wanted to make best use of them to produce marvelous gadgets for humanity.. Like Vivekanand ji knew that he wants to reestablish the respect for Sanatan Dharma in world.. I think he didnt knew it initially but Ramkrishnaji made him aware of this.. Like Baba Ramdev & Anna Hazare know that they want to see corruption free India & playing their bit.. These people clearly know what they want... But problem with me is I dont know what I really want.. I am stuck up sometimes in worldly desires & sometimes in lofty ideals of serving the humanity..

I think this is the situation with most of the common individuals like me.. I think this is the difference between ordinary & extra ordinary.. The extraordinary ones clearly knew from their early age what they really wanted to do with their life.. while the lesser mortal like me are still not clear what they really want to do.. I have not found my calling yet & I am still confused with this question.. I pray & hope that I find it out soon.. I hope that all those who are reading this blog also find their true calling so that we can live in a better world.. because until you love what you do , you dont bring the best in it.. I am a soul which is trapped in some body.. I want to be free and until I know my true calling I will remain trapped in boundation .. I pray to almighty that he guides my intellect in right direction and help me in choosing the right thing..

What It Takes For The Ordinary To Become The “Extra”Ordinary

In everyone’s life, there are some moments, when he or she is made to choose between difficult alternatives. Many times, one alternative will be a path of truthfulness, courage, honesty and all good virtues that we read about in our moral science class and the other would be that of all opposite to the first one. The first path, as we all know, is very difficult to follow and there are very few people on this earth who possess the inner strength to do so. Those who choose to follow the right path are remembered throughout the history as role models and inspire the future generations because against all odds they decided to follow the right path. This chance of being great is given to all in their life, the amount of greatness may vary but I believe that the chance is given to all. I want to draw your attention to one beautiful aspect of choosing this right path. Almost in all cases when someone decides to choose it, he or she generally does it for others and not for himself or herself. If he or she does it for themselves than it would become largely an act of selfishness and it won’t be remembered for long and that act will die with the person’s demise. I think this is what defines the difference between an ordinary and an extraordinary. Its that little extra for which we all must strive for when the life throws up the challenge upon us.

I know its not easy to do so in many circumstances and very few are capable of making the right choice in their life. If all would have been capable of doing it than earth would have become heaven. Its been a long time since I have written something meaningful. As good writing or performing any other art form is just like worshipping your God, which you have to do in proper frame of mind. A lot of important developments happened last year, which were of earth shaking magnitude , such as economic collapse of reckless western capitalist economies and big companies as Lehman Brothers, election of Obama as US president, even after no performance and so many bomb blasts reelection of Congress government at center and in Maharashtra, left’s weaning influence in West Bengal , quick rise of China as world’s new superpower, death of Prabhakaran in Sri Lanka and destruction of Pakistan by hands of its own Bhasmasurs (I predicted this long ago in my previous blogs). Some other important developments on domestic front are; abusive winner competition between Thackreys, divorce of Amar and Mulayam , arrest of ULFA’s tope leadership (except Paresh Barua), astonishing growth in Bihar’s GDP and RSS’s open attack on Shiv Sena’s and MNS’s anti India ideology and the ghastly terror attacks of naxals on security forces. All these developments will go long way in shaping the world’s and India’s destiny.

I kept my tabs on all these issues and wanted to write on all of them at that time, but there was a lot going on in personal life to concentrate on all these things. Well than in that case I have not been able to make the right choice I believe. Anyways a lesson is learnt and its learned well. Last few months I spent lots of time in learning about myself and who I really am. I haven’t been able to figure that out but its always good to give some quiet moments to reflect back on what you have done and what you should have done to make your present more like what you want to see in future. The problem with most of us is we just crib about our present and think that future is going to be good. What we don’t realize most of the times is that its our present deeds, which decides what our future is going to be. The decision that we are going to take in our present moment is going to be basis of our future. This thought reinforces my belief in theory of Karma where its often said that as you sow so shall you reap.

I believe most of us might have heard about Mr Steven Covey. He is a great writer and his book “7 Habits of Highly Successful People” has a cult following. I haven’t read that book but recently I came across one of his principles. Its known as 90-10 principle. This principle states that of all things happening with you its approximately 10 % on which you have no control but remaining 90% in your life is decided by your reaction to that 10 %. He gives a wonderful example. It goes like suppose you are getting ready for office in morning and your mother is preparing breakfast for you. Your sister also has to go to school but she is helping the mother too. Mother tells her to give you the tea that she prepared for you, since your sister is also in hurry, she accidently spills the tea on your office cloths. Your instant reaction in most of the cases would be that you will shout at her and this will upset your sister and your mother. After this shouting in morning your day at office will also be worse and so is your sister’s day at school. Now suppose if your reaction to this would have been much calmer and mature than your and all your loved ones day would have been better. The tea got spilled and we know that we don’t have any control over that but our reaction to that incident would have made a difference.

So its always these extra small things, which if kept in mind can lead to doing extraordinary things in life. I know we all cant be like sun, which can dispel the ignorance of darkness in one go, but we all can be like small lamps, which if put together gives the best chance of outshining the sun.

The Ultimate Reality, The Supreme Truth: What All Religions Say About It

Why are we born?? I often wondered on this question. This has made me thinking most of the times. I am sure most of us think about it at one point of time in our life. Those who think a lot .. go on the eternal quest for finding the truth, or their real self.

I have studied or u can say read all of major religion's prominent books. The word Religion is made up of two Latin words.. which actually means "to join back". To join back where you originally belong to that is your natural state of being. I studied this all because I wanted to compare them with Sanatan Dharma or eternal religion that is hinduism. As I read and heard lots of propaganda against Hinduism. I find some interesting readings in all books, which people of different religion claim that belong to god or they are words of god.

Hinduism (including Buddhism and Jainism) defers in some fundamental ways to all other religions. I should not say its different since hinduism believes in all ways which lead to God or ultimate reality as truth. So it would be like other religions have taken a particular path to reach the same destination, which is fine from hinduism's perspective until you start forcing others to walk the same path. Hinduism doesnt exclude any form or way of worshiping the supreme.

Major semitic religions like Christianity, Judaism and Islam believe in having special chosen people of God, to only whom God is going to reveal the truth, even if they are some killers or persons who commit some wrong. Their sins are forgiven since they happen to be christians or muslims. Christianity is based on single one concept that we are born sinners and our sins can only be washed away if we follow Jesus otherwise we have to remain in hell until the day of judgement. Same with Islam, Quran even says that those who doesnt believe in Allaha, allaha himself has sealed their hearts and folks , If Allaha has already sealed hearts of kafirs and doest reveal himself to them than whose fault it is?? Is it kafir's fault or Allaha's who has sealed the poor fellow's heart. Well I dont want to criticize the bad in all but celebrate the good what these religions taught.

I will leave the judgment for you guys to make. Learn and decide whats right for u. Hinduism does exactly that. It just frees your mind from all dogmas and u become the ultimate decider of ur destiny. Hindusim doesnt believe in the thing that u r a born sinner neither it believes in having chosen people of God. It does believe in Karma Philosophy which says that if you have done bad or good Karma in your past life than they will certainly cast that shadow on your present life. Your current life is in your hand. Its for you to decide how to live it. This philosophy explains why some people are in miserable state even though they are doing good in present life or in good living condition even they are bad people. It believes in good of not only humanity but the whole universe. It propounds the philosophy of " Vasudhaiva Kutumbkama" means this whole earth is one family. When you start feeling the whole earth as ur family thn u will no longer be divided on basis of religion, caste, creed, richness or poorness.

Rig Veda declares that its " Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuda Vadanti" means the truth is only one and wise people call that truth by different names. So essentially its saying The Ishwar of hinduism, Allaha of Islam, Jevoh of Judaism or God of christianity are all same on philosophical level. I believe the word Kafir or Infiedel needs some serious redefinition. I think these words essentially means a person who doesnt believe in almighty rather than a person who doesnt believe in allaha or Christian concept of God.

God cant be for chosen people as we all, in fact this all on earth or universe belongs to him. He doesnt discriminate between his creations. The most common misconception about hinduism is Hindus worship of Idol of their Gods and Goddess. But every religion needs some kind of symbolism Like christians needs cross to keep alive memories of christ or muslims needs picture of Macca mosque or moon and star. Symbols are just meant for ur easy memory.

So the idlos are just meant for initial sadhna, where you can concentrate ur mind and start ur journey for higher truths. The ultimate reality or the ultimate goal of any soul is to merge with the supreme or become the supreme itself. But i still have doubts in chosing between three great concepts of hinduism. or indeed they are three different state of any religion which are defined as Dvaita, Vishishth Dvaita and Advaita. Dvaita philosophy means God and other creations are different from each other. Most of the religions are at this level only. These religions are unable to see essential unity of all.

The advaita philosophy means that this whole this is one. God is just a projector of this world. and human souls ultimate aim is to find this reality and become the god himself, since we are part of him only. Well I am still learning lots of things but this argument and Karma philosophy satisfy my mind. For me all religion's have three basic components they are Mythology, Rituals and Philosophy. and they differ basically in Mythology and rituals but the basic philosophy remains same. God is like fire , Some people use the fire for cooking Food, some use it for burning other's home. Its not the fault of the fire its fault of the user who is using it.

But god is beyond all reasons. If you try to find him through ur intellect than i think it will become a little bit difficult. Since God is raining its love and attention every moment. How much big vessel u r having to collect this will decide ur destiny. So open ur heart. Dont become a barrier to urself. Just see a river. It makes to the ultimate ocean in any way unless u start building a dam to stop its flow. Everything natural is what god has been keeping for you. We just have to remove all artificial constructions that we have developed ourselves.. So we are born to know the supreme reality. and sooner we start this better its for us.

May God Direct our Intellect in Right Direction

Take care all