President Obama Diwali Message 2014 doing pooja and lighting diyas

How beautifully he experiences and shares the universal spirit of Sanatana Dharma in wishing the happiness, wisdom, and prosperity of all living beings. Cannot help feeling sorry for the self-proclaimed 'pakuththaRivu vAdhikaL' of our own country, who have fallen prey the mischievous, false propaganda of the selfish persons with vested interests.

Avoid Vain Arguments by T Joseph Benziger (Editor, Dynamic Youth)

DYNAMIC YOUTH online Magazine - Editor's Letter for August 2014

Avoid Vain Arguments

From the Editor

Dear Youth of the World,

Man is a social animal. We value relationships for exchange of ideas and mutual evaluation. We share our experiences with one another that turn out to be beneficial to all.

Even from childhood we long for recognition. For children, the positive strokes they receive from others make them happy and self-confident. This helps them grow as strong adults and enables them to move with the external world fearlessly.

Those who suffer from inferiority complex usually avoid mixing with others and their communication is limited to grunts and groans. But a person who has clarity of mind has unambiguous views on all the subjects related to him; and others also would greatly benefit by discussing with him. When there is disagreement on any issue, discussions help us thrash it out from all the points of view and arrive at the most sensible solution for it.

It is important that discussions, whether it is between two persons or among the members of a group, should take place in a healthy atmosphere. All the participants should aim at finding the right answers without any bias or prejudice. They should be open-minded and should be willing to share their knowledge with others and also to benefit by the views of others.

If there is ego problem the objectivity in discussion will be totally lost. Similarly, if a participant is particular that only his views should be accepted by all others, the quality of the decision taken will greatly suffer. The presence of a sensible group leader or moderator would be useful in such cases.

We should always be particular in providing a system for open discussion in all organizations including family. Any simple difference of opinion can develop into serious quarrels in the absence of chances for frank discussion.

While a discussion is intended for exchange of ideas and enhance the general level of understanding of a subject, we should take care about maintaining its standard. If any of the participants in a discussion is not sincere in his approach, if he has some vested interests, if he is obsessed with fear, anger, hatred or any other negative feeling, his mind would not allow him to be dispassionate and balanced. His thoughts would not be well-organized and so he cannot also appreciate the genuineness of the views of others. He would go on repeating what he believes, overlooking the arguments of others, however sound they may be. In such cases, even a well-intentioned discussion would become a heated argument and may also lead to a quarrel.

We should be watchful about the attitude, and manner of presentation of the other person and if we find him obsessed with a wrong point of view, we should avoid further discussion with him, lest it should become a quarrel even if we are not for it. Their friendship is not good.

Thiruvalluvar says: We cannot introduce clarity by our words to those whose minds are disorganized, unstructured, and unreceptive. (Thirukkural 825)

மனத்தின் அமையா தவரை எனைத்தொன்றும் சொல்லினால் தேறற்பாற்று அன்று. (manaththin amaiyAthavarai enaiththondRum chollinAl thERaRpaRRu andRu.)

Mark Twain said in his own inimitable manner, "Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

Wishing you all the best,

(T Joseph Benziger)

  26 July 2014

Sanskrit Carnatic Saptaratna Krithi (Raga Kiravani) - "Bala Sarasa Mural...

Sanskrit Carnatic Saptaratna Krithi (Raga Kiravani) - "Bala Sarasa Mural...

UthukkAdu Venkatasubbayyar,
also known as Venkata Kavi, for whom the Lord Himself was the mAnasIka guru, has many firsts to his
credit like the Navavarana and the Saptaratna kritis.  He initiated the idea of composing thematic compositions like the Avarana kritis. This was followed by
Muthuswami Dikshitar and Swati Tirunal. 

His Saptaratna
kritis may have inspired Tyagaraja to sing the Pancharatna kritis.

Are regional parties constitutional in india?

Are regional parties constitutional in india?

The constitutional validity of the regional parties is flimsy and doubtful. If they are not against the words of the constitution, they are definitely against the spirit of the constitution that describes Indian as a single nation.

The constitutional and other legal provisions relating to the mushrooming regional political parties need to be critically examined because on the face of it they are not in conformity with the basic requirements of national unity and integrity. If necessary our constitution should be amended suitably allowing only nationalistic parties in the political system.

Good Content Always Gets Shared: 7 Characteristics of Good Content

Good Content Always Gets Shared: 7 Characteristics of Good Content

www.abdulkalam.com

www.abdulkalam.com

India needs Anna. Alive.

India needs Anna. Alive. Shobhaa's Take

What we are witnessing is a display of collective wrath.

The sort of sup- pressed, accumu- lated rage that has finally found an outlet in Anna

At the time of writing (11th day of the fa mousfast), Anna Hazare is still alive.
That statement sounds crass... crude... shocking.
It is meant to. I think we have all lost the plot. And in the cacophony of all the noises and voices, we have conveniently overlooked the one person who is at the centre of it all -Mr Hazare. He has been reduced to a sideshow, a mascot, as his overzealous keepers continue to exploit his frail persona and use Mr Hazare as a bargaining chip. Mr Hazare's health is now the nation's obsession... its chief concern.
His physical health has become the barometer for the nation's emotional health. If anything happens to Mr Hazare... and let me put it bluntly... if he dies, it will lead to consequences that may be far more terrible than rejecting the Jan Lokpal Bill.
But, of course, in polite societies, we don't talk about the death of someone who is very much alive. As of now, the stand-off is on. There's no resolution in sight. But heaven help us, if the situation suddenly deteriorates and his health fails.
Hey bhagwan! Till then we shall have to put up with a parade of assorted personalities holding forth on TV channels.
Bristling belligerence getting the better of some.

While other lightweights opt for catchy hyperbole. An overenthusiastic ad man described the Ramlila gathering as a Kumbh Mela. Carried away by his own imagery, he went on to declare that the crowds could be still bigger than the pilgrims who gather for the holy dip during the Kumbh. His wild exaggerations were understandable -we have reduced the entire protest to a pathetic game of numbers (“Mine are bigger than yours...“).
Awestruck TV anchors urge their camera crew to sweep cameras over the surging crowds and then rhapsodise over the spectacle. A few hand-picked commentators (“especially flown in”) hold forth from the Ramlila Maidan and assure viewers they have never witnessed anything like this — the scale, the fervour, and of course, the numbers! It’s always about the numbers. An irate housewife from Noida rants about rising prices and how she has to pay bribes to get a gas connection.

The anchor turns to the camera with a triumphant look and thunders, “The entire nation stands solidly behind this lady… this is India’s second freedom struggle.” And then it’s back to this season’s biggest reality show… poor Rakhi Sawant will need to do something

more than flash her eyes and cleavage if she wants those TRPs.

While Salman Khan must be scratching his head to come up with a clever gimmick to promote Bodyguard. As of now, there is just one bona fide superstar in India, and that’s Mr Hazare.

But what of the screechy, shrill supporters who chant “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat mata ki jai” on cue the minute cameras cut to close-ups? Emotions are running dangerously high. When that happens… anything can happen. It’s like a flash flood or a bush fire.

Or open heart surgery.

Timing is everything.

As of now, the protests have been admirably non-violent. Those who have taken to the streets have done so only because they fervently

(perhaps, naively) believe it is a do-or-die moment — if they let this opportunity go, another one may be a long time coming.

There is hope in their hearts that the protest (more against the scourge of corruption than a thumbs up for the Jan Lokpal Bill), will lead to seminal change. Will it? So far, the country has been governed by a succession of elected representatives (irony!) who have ruled like history’s worst despots — no questions asked! What we are witnessing across India is a display of collective wrath. The sort of suppressed, accumulated rage that has finally found an outlet. For that alone one must thank Mr Hazare. If Mr Hazare’s patience has worn thin, it’s in perfect sync with the sentiments of the people. Perhaps for the first time in 64 years, the aam aadmi believes the time has come to aggressively challenge those who have trampled on and abused their trust for six decades. The ordinary citizen is experiencing a heady feeling of instant empowerment after years of being resigned to accepting powerlessness as their collective “fate”.

Armed with this new weapon, trusting citizens continue swarming different venues across India demanding to be heard. This has been the single biggest achievement of Mr Hazare. No wonder Manmohan Singh was gracious enough to honour and salute Mr Hazare during his uncharacteristically emotional address in Parliament. What we are witnessing is living, throbbing democracy in motion. It is an image that will endure long after the impasse ends, and everybody goes home to carry on with his or her life… the significant difference being, from this moment on, it will be a transformed life, an aware life, an entitled life. And most crucially, a life that comes with a built-in assurance that in a democracy, every voice counts, even the one that disagrees with you.

For all this to happen, India needs Anna. Alive.

The countdown has begun.