As a mother, I gave birth & showed you the light of the Earth,

You crawled, you stood, you ran and climbed the train’s Berth.

I sat with you to teach the lesson but can’t help you to learn,

Everywhere I was there with you to help and not to get any burn.

In each and every path of life, I gave you the direction,

I gave you freedom in every step to take a proper decision.

I taught you the right and wrong, what I knew was the right,

You had sometimes chosen the wrong path and I had scolded a lot.

I gave you so many toys, when you make my expectation clear,

You might not have liked those toys, but accepted them with honour.

I taught you to share with all and never to become selfish,

You followed it often, continued it & never a chance to miss.

Though I taught you to respect elders, yet can’t force you to follow

I tried to give you the value of life, but may not teach you to follow.

I told you many moral stories and discuss about God,

Godliness is difficult to follow as it is like a iron rod.

Though I had carried you in my womb and taken care till now,

Yet I cannot teach you   the eternal life and exact system to bow.

Everyday a man comes to senior citizen’s park and sits for a while on the bench. Then he goes for jogging around the park.Everyday I notice one thing that he is so engrossed with his hands. One day when I sat beside him, he didn’t acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if he was alright.
Finally,though not wanting to disturb him but check on him at the same time,I asked him whether he is in good health.He raised his head and looked at me and smiled.
“Yes , I’m fine ,thank you for your concern”, he said in a clear voice.
Actually,” I did n’t want to disturb you sir,but everyday I notice you and see that you were just staring at your hands and wanted to make sure that you are in good health or not.”
Have you looked at your hands anytime I mean your palm, he asked.I mean really looked at your hands?”
I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them up and join them together.But could not find the answer.
Then he smiled and said—

What are Values? According to dictionary meaning, values are principles or righteousness. The ideas and beliefs which give us the path to walk in life. Values are the guiding principles which give direction to life. These principles bring joy and happiness in life. Values protect us from unwanted events and gives satisfaction and peace in life. Some values can be acquired from the family, school and other environment. Family values settles the person in life.

Value education period is introduced in the school. During this period, no values are taught because teachers are busy with their portion. They always try to utilise this period for extra teaching which is in the syllabus. Actually the syllabus is framed in such a way that teachers run after the portion only. Many teachers tried to teach value-education, but pressure was from the authority or PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) to complete the syllabus first. Some teachers/schools maintain a note book of value education, but no values are inculcated properly in these children. When this value education is taught compulsorily like other academic subjects with exams and marks, thenvalue education may be invaluable.

http://www.stevepavlina.com/articles/list-of-values.htm

There are many values which this site relates to. Acceptance is a value.  But firstly, child should understand the meaning of acceptance, what to accept and what not. Suppose a child is given a packet of cocaine, should he accept it from a unknown or known person and fall into a trap? Abundance is also a value in this list, if a child is given a lot of chocolate, should he eat all together or he should taste and throw all or should he know to share those chocolate with others? Bravery is another value, to save someone from an unwanted scene is bravery but if he is not taught the value of it, he will misuse in unlawful activities. Discipline is another value, which is taught from the school. In a class, may be 50 students, got same kind of discipline, but how may will follow that value throughout their life. Punctuality is another value which is also given from childhood. How many are really following the same?

In school, teacher takes children to the garden for planting trees. That moment children learn how to take care and love the trees. After some years the same 80% of children will pluck the leaves and flowers from the tree and harm the plants. May be two children out of this group learn this value and inculcate it. Same for other values also. These are short-term system of implanting Values.

Now the question is why these values are difficult to inculcate. Spiritually the answer can be given properly. Probably 80% of people will not believe it. It is due to the Sanskar i.e. mental impressions, the traits and tendencies of a soul, caused by past experiences and behaviour patterns of the previous birth. Sanskar is the learning aspect which is subtly registered in the soul.

Basically the process of ‘Sanskar’ has three components, namely: (http://sanskaramvatika.com/why.html)

1. Purification (Doshapanayan) – To purify a person physically, vitally mentally and to eradicate/ weed out the negative mental thoughts and tendencies, which may exist in a person at the time of his birth and/or which he may have acquired from his family and surrounding environment.
2. Making up Deficiency (Heenangpoorti) – To make up the deficiency of human values which he lacks.
3. Value Enrichment (Gunaadhaan) – To inculcate qualities and transform him into an ideal, compassionate, responsible, dutiful and outstanding human who follows his duties diligently towards himself, his family, the society and the universe.

Some people at the age of 50 or 60 read the spiritual book and believe in values. Indirectly they imbibe all these values strongly. Then these Sanskars will be transferred to his next birth and then values can be easily inculcated.

At the time of Buddha’s birth, spiritual culture of India was at low ebb. Buddha was born in 560 B.C. at Kabilavastu. He left his palace in search of three woes of men—weariness, disease and death. Whenever people used to ask him about these three woes, he used to insist that one should experience the truth for oneself as it was the belief of sages.
Buddhism maintains that every person possesses the Buddha nature. Buddha means – one who has achieved a state of perfect enlightenment and full humanness. The four Truths which Buddha taught are: 1) there is suffering, 2) there is cause of suffering, 3) suffering can be overcome, 4) way to overcome the suffering. These suffering can be erased by knowing the path of happiness. These can be attained by the noble way of freedom, Nirvana, wherein there is no more birth, no suffering, no old age and no death. This Nirvana should be emphasised, may be achieved in this present life. Be earnest in efforts and shall be free from great evils.
The Nirvana of Buddha is not a state of wiping out but the attainment of the unchangeable reality, which can be positively described as the eternal peace. But what this peace really is, no words can define; all definition can be only symbol and can be only a vague suggestion. Buddha employs terms for its description such as misery and death, freedom from sensuality, from the ego, from delusion (a mistaken or unfounded opinion or idea), and from ignorance. This state of freedom is attainable by the noble kind of wisdom. The wisdom is not the wisdom of intellect, but a state of ‘Sunyata’ in which no subject-object relation exists, and in which one transcends both intellect and mind representing the truth.
This Nirvana can be accomplished by following the Eight-fold Path—i.e. The Noble Eightfold Path describes the way to the end of suffering…..

Eightfold Path

i) Right view–Right view is the cognitive aspect of wisdom. It means to see things through, to grasp non-lasting and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas, and to understand the law of karma and karmic conditioning. Right view is not necessarily an intellectual capacity, just as wisdom is not just a matter of intelligence.
ii) Right intention—It is the kind of energy that controls our actions and included in cognition of wisdom. Buddha distinguishes three types of right intentions: 1. the intention of renunciation, which means resistance to the pull of desire, 2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion, and 3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and to develop compassion.
iii) Right Speech-–It is included in ethical conduct to moral discipline. This aspect is not self-sufficient, however, essential, because mental purification can only be achieved through the cultivation of ethical conduct. Buddha explains not to speak deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully. Speech should not hurt others. Speak friendly, warm and gently.
iv) Right Action—The second ethical principle, right action, involves the body as natural means of expression, as it refers to deeds that involve bodily actions. Right action means not to harm, no cheating, no fraud, to abstain from sexual misconduct. Right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others.
v) Right Livelihood—Right livelihood means that one should earn one’s living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully. Buddha explains to avoid alcohol and intoxicants products and not to slaughter the innocent animals.
vi) Right Effort—-Mental energy is the force behind right effort; it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states. If there is no right effort, it can produces desire, envy, aggression, and violence Right efforts makes the person self-disciplined, honest, benevolent, and kind.
vii) Right Mindfulness-– It is controlled by cognition . It is the mental ability to control the repulsive nature . The cognitive process begins with an impression induced by perception, or by a thought.
viii) Right concentration—The last path of Buddhist philosophy is the development of a mental force that occurs in natural consciousness. Right concentration comes through meditation according to Buddhist philosophy.
The first two paths are for wisdom. The 3rd and 4th paths are for ethical conduct and the last three paths are for mental development.
Personality development in Buddhism is the improvement of internal and external characteristics. The improvement of internal characteristics is emphasised in Buddhism as it leads to the enlightenment of the ultimate goal of Buddhism. Nirvana is the state of mind in which all cravings and desires have been extinguished. Nirvana can only be achieved through self-discipline, meditation, and realisation of impermanence of selflessness.

In Buddhism, a human being is made up of five components: i) skanda-rupa i.e. material form, ii) samjna means cognition, iii) Vedana means sensation, iv) Samkhras means disposition or a habitual inclination; a tendency, v) Vijanana means consciousness. From Ignorance springs the samkhras, from the samkharas springs consciousness, from consciousness springs name and Form, from name and form springs six senses, from six senses springs contact, from contact comes out sensation, from sensation springs out thirst or desire and from desire attachment, from attachment, the existence, from existence springs birth and from birth old age and then death—. These all elements constitute personality of a person.
Personality in Buddhism means characteristics that are specific to an individual. These are displayed by individual’s good or bad behaviours through body, mind and speech. Personality is divided into two ways i.e. implicit personality and explicit personality. Implicit personality means inherent in the nature of a person. Explicit personality is through Body and Speech. Development of Implicit personality is by improving through Eight-fold path the explicit personality.

Dharma Wheel

सर्व मंगल मांगल्ये, शिवे सर्वाथ साधिके,
शरैन्ये त्रियाम्बके गौरी नारायणी नमःस्तुते

Bengal is bestowed with wealth by nature. Seasons create a multicoloured mixture in our life. In Bengal, all six seasons Grishma (summer ), Barsha (Rainy season ), Shorat ( Early Autumn), Hemanto( Late Autumn ), Sheeth( Winter ) and Basanto(Spring ) can be observed minutely. Durga puja comes in the autumn.
The last day of Pitripaksha is celebrated as Mahalaya. Mahalaya is observed on the Amavasya day or New moon day of Ashwin (September/October). It is the auspicious occasion to invoke the Goddess of supreme power. All are involved to celebrate the nine days of Navratri from the next day of Mahalaya. It is the belief that these nine days the powerful goddess will protect us from all unwanted evils.

Durga puja is the biggest festival of Bengal. It is celebrated in the early autumn. It is the festival of socio-cultural events. Every Bengalee waits for this festival to arrive. There is no rich and poor feeling in the mind of people. All are busy with buying the new clothes for the festival. Children and youth take part in different cultural activities. Mature and old people are interested in dramas and they like to perform different roles.

There are some symbolic custom when wearing the following colours during Navratri. The first days Green symbolizes Growth and Harmony. The second days Grey symolises elegancy. The third days Pink symbolizes Appreciation and Gratitude. The fourth day White symbolisesPurity and Truth. The fifth day Red symbolisesLove and Passion. The sixth days Blue symbolizes Faith and Wisdom. The seventh days Yellow symbolizes Happiness and Joy. The eight days Violet symbolizes Power and Luxury. The ninth days Peacock Green symbolizes Truth and Hope. Bengalees celebrate from Panchami. There is bhog in every pandal. In the evening , there are different cultural programmes.

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The nine Navratri colors for 2010 published in local newspapers on October 6, 2010. They are:
1. Pratipada – Oct 8, 2010 (Friday) – Green
2. Dwitiya – Oct 9 (Saturday) – Grey
3. Tritiya – Oct 10 (Sunday) – Pink
4. Chaturthi – Oct 11 (Monday) – White
5. Panchami – Oct 12 (Tuesday) – Red
6. Shasti – Oct 13 (Wednesday) – Blue
7. Saptami – Oct 14 (Thursday) – Yellow
8. Ashtami – Oct 15 (Friday) – Violet
9. Navami – Oct 16 (Saturday) – Peacock Green

During Navaratri, we invoke the energy aspect of God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as “Durga,” which literally means the remover of miseries of life. She is also referred to as “Devi” (goddess) or “Shakti” (energy or power). It is this energy, which helps God to proceed with the work of creation, preservation and destruction. In other words, you can say that God is motionless, absolutely changeless, and the Divine Mother Durga, does everything. Truly speaking, our worship of Shakti re-confirms the scientific theory that energy is imperishable. It cannot be created or destroyed. It is always there.
The prominence of Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj in Bengal. After the Hindu reformists resemble Durga with India, she had become an icon for the Indian independence movement. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the tradition of Baroyari or Community Puja was popularised due to this. After independence, Durga Puja became one of the largest celebrated festivals in the whole world.
It is believed that Idol ( Protima) is made from the clay of prostitution’s courtyard. It symbolises that prostitutes save the society from Asura or evils. This symbolizes that evil in society is saved by these women. Durga kathamo (Framework) is made with her four children —Kartik , Ganesh, Saraswati and Lakshmi representing respectively the protector, the initiator of the puja, knowledge and the provider—signifies the complete manifestation of the goddess. Durga is known as the divine spouse of the Lord Shiva.

This life is based alternately as Unknown-Worldly-Reasonable. Let’s share views where debate abounds from time immemorable, without giving away to Abuse & Violence.

An example, (myself visiting USA): ‘I meet an Indian at a market and ask him, “Are you from India?” Replies, “No, from Pakistan, but my wife is from India”. Oh! I say, “I am from Mumbai”. He replies “How nice, she is also from Mumbai”. I ask, “Where in Mumbai?” He says, “She stays in MALAD and I have visited them many times”. I say, “Well we could meet and talk a lot as I am also from MALAD!” This incidence shows, we get closer and interact amicably when we have similarity between us. “Birds of the Same feather flock together” is well known. Thus discussion can be a nice Social set up when we talk of Spirituality and Science.

Social condition bridges the Spiritual and Scientific understanding. We can now define each. Religion is a social setup where spiritual philosophy is a part and we try to prove some of the situations scientifically based in a particular Culture. So religion (worldly) developed politically during a certain Period at a certain Place due to an important Person. Most of the ancient preaching by realised persons had no written text. Those illustrious poetic words were memorised in a set tune. This could be interpreted variously, so leaders misrepresented to suit their own selfish ends. Many great philosophical thinkers did not get political support and so did not develop into a cult. Those which developed into Religion were due to the kings’ clout and sometimes spread by force. Most of the intelligentsia who could not experiment in their own country, travelled where peace existed. So history tells that India was a place where philosophy developed through research in ‘Gurukul’ (residential schools) run by Saints. Here bountiful nature and hospitable people helped these intellectuals to think further and experiment without worrying for the physical condition. So Yoga and six philosophical ideas came into existence. Here, body was a part of Science to be experimented till death was defied. Thus an understanding of Life-n-After (Spiritual) was defined till existence of Soul and its constituents were made known to all. Then body and its control by the senses were to be regulated. Here the leader (guru) who guides the students had to control Ego and Desire, or else the system could be overruled by lineage and will be taken over by the pampered son. This has been the case in our society. The unknown (sprit) had to be connected with existence and its laws of Life. The ‘Cause and Effect’ theory and law of Karma (deed) was created into philosophical rules as ‘Upanishad’. Life and living was studied and public counselled to change accordingly. The story of ‘Valmiki’ was known as a great saint, after he was transformed from a looting and murderous outlaw (dacoit).

The social arrangement which connected our Body with the surrounding had to be ruled by an Intellectual mind. These humans had to be studied and defined. ‘Vedanta’ as the sixth ancient philosophy analyses in details stating, “We live by Choice and not by Chance”. Humans are looked upon as five types, based upon the relation with the surroundings:

1) Stone-man is one who lives depending on others and is totally self-centred.
2) Tree-man grows by sharing with closely attached who help themselves.
3) Animal-man is ruthlessly attached to same species (family) only.
4) Human are emotionally bound, reasonably defends rights with laws, not instincts.
5) God-man remains detached, desiring little for survival by serving others.
Humans are animals but Intelligent-animal, Social-animal and Rational-animal. Lastly God-man is elevated kind of selfless personality, always desiring realisation by trying to know the unknown logically through this body. We have to strive for this in Spirituality.

Also another form of analysing takes place by differentiating ‘Self’ and ‘World’. At every moment there is interaction between these two, where ‘My’ denotes World and ‘Me’ denotes Self when we ask “Is it my …….?” Answer ‘yes’ will denote world. If not then it is me = self. We find that even our Name belongs to the world. The world is developed by Scientists, Economists, Politician, teachers of today who go to build desire and motivate for worldly gains. But Self is developed my Saints (God-man). We have noticed that most of the projects have short life. The world is continuously changing and selfish short goal desires serve only the economic conditions. But, if the Self is developed before the World, then the projects can be lasting. The self and selfless serving acts are nearer to the Truth, which is everlasting. The everlasting things in the spirit system are the Soul and GOD.

We have related the Social and Scientific terms and seen how spirit is connected to the social set up. Now, how does the logic in Society relate to Science considering the Spirituality? The unknown is always seen as the image of the known. The self is considered as the shadow of the world. So the attributes of GOD is taken as the equivalent to modern definition of Energy. GOD is the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent growing positive Energy, which can reduce due to our deeds (Karma) into the crashing negative energy (the devil).

Yes, if the Self is not properly trained by the society, then the world will slowly and steadily increase into negative energy (Global warming). Short sighted desires will finish this beautiful world as we have lost quite a lot of things which we see now in the Museums.

Spiritual<————-Social————->Scientific

BRIDGE

Every human  in this universe is born at a certain level. In Spirituality, it is called three Gunas— Sattva, Raja and Tama i.e. Constituents or Disposition. Everything in life is bound and dominated by these Gunas. The life, the action, the progress now or after are determined by these Gunas. These Gunas are qualities or attributes in simple language. Whatever work, every human being is doing is dominated by these qualities.

Sometimes we don’t understand the life and action. We, ignorant human being, think that those who are poor may be suffering due to their Gunas. Those who are rich are enjoying their life with abundant wealth, may be for their Gunas. The question arises in the mind that if Gunas or the qualities of material nature are the level of life, then why rich or poor feel unhappy.

May be the true happiness lies in Renunciation. What is Renunciation ?  Renunciation is an act declaring, that something is surrendered or disowned. In simple language, we can say, leaving the worldly pleasure.

One such incident, I wish to write as it is a true event. Once my friend and myself were coming from our work place. Everyday we used to discuss something about spirituality. That day she asked me about happiness. I said, happiness is the state of mind. Happiness is born from the satisfaction of a thing or idea. It cannot be acquired from the material possession or material comforts. A rich man has all the comforts, but is he happy? There is a poetic stanza, “As much is given, is less for him “. Our argument was going on and on.  By the time the bus, came to a halt. The road was totally jammed. We saw  a sandwich seller selling sandwich. When he was making and throwing out the sides of the bread, a poor man under the blanket immediately  was collecting those sides of the bread. The poor man was in a sleeping position. We really wondered and looked each other amazingly.  I told her “this is happiness. The person does not bother whether it is dirty, whether anyone will notice him. He does not bother for his house or material life. He does not bother to have clothes”. We both got down from the bus and tried to see the man. The sandwich seller said that he lives here and does not bother even if he doesn’t get anything. He always smiles and sleeps. Since two years he is selling his sandwich, but never saw him angry at anything. We left the place and knew the meaning of Happiness. Some questions are not clear in the mind of my friend till today.

I believe that, as the time passes human-being perceive the real value of life without understanding the word Gunas or attributes of material nature. When the human-being understand there is no happiness in worldly pleasure, he will realise the different levels of Mankind.

After 21 years of teaching service when I decided to leave my job, I was very happy as I thought God may have wanted me to do something else. I always believe God whole-heartedly as His calculation is never wrong. He puts you in proper place, wherever you are to be fitted.

When I was in school and college, I never liked teaching profession and wanted to become a doctor. After passing my 10th ,I opted for science, but in 11th std I found that I was very poor in physics. I could not continue science .In graduation,I took Economics honours. Then I got a chance to do my post graduation . But somehow God wished me to do my B.Ed . I completed B.Ed and got married. My father-in law wanted me to do my M .Ed.

When my children become little grown up I started my teaching . That time also I did not realize,why God  wanted me to go there. I thought may be by chance I’m here in this profession.

When I was doing my counseling course, I realized, when one of the teacher asked a question”Did you any time change the life of a child?” Yes I’ve. I answered.The child’s parents were uneducated ,poor and didn’t know how to control the child from unwanted activities. With love and care I may have brought some changes in him. That was my reward.

When I joined in college , through that skill of counseling, I motivated, consoled many students. They are still in my contact. Now I know that God never be wrong as He is the best Planner.