Let us all take the oath of being honest. But is it that easy to keep up the promise. Think about it!!

             Honestly is Honesty the Best Policy

              Off late to get myself and my family hooked off from the over addiction of cell phone and I-pad, I decided to spend some quality time with family after 10pm and have some fun with a pack of cards.

         We conveniently started playing “bluff master” with cards. The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible and you must be good at bluffing for this. The first person to get rid of all his cards is called the ‘Bluff Master’ and also the WINNER of this game. So basically you bluff and you win. It was great fun to play and yes we did enjoy bluffing and being tricky with each other.

After a few games don’t know what exactly struck my little devil of 11years and he asked me innocently, “Mamma, bluffing is so much fun and simpler then why do we say ‘Honesty is the best policy’? I was clueless, was in a perplexed state of mind. I said, “it’s just a game my love”. But I knew he was not convinced enough with my reply. 

       So tell me people, is honesty the actual best policy or it is acceptable to be dishonest and manipulative, keeping in mind the present scenario in our nation. Confused aren’t you? So am I.

Being honest, fair, trustworthy, righteous, authentic is something that we are taught from childhood but is it losing it actual worth and value in the 21^st century. Is honesty getting the kind of respect and awe as it truly deserves??

        It’s is said one who sleeps a peaceful sleep is the one who lives his life in a virtuous way. A disturbed sleep is the first sign of dishonesty. An honest person is of good character and lives a satisfied and contented life because his conscious is clear. Such a person doesn’t have to worry about being found out. He is never gripped with the fear of being trapped or caught some day.

But unfortunately if you look around you will find different shades of dishonesty in the day today life and we are totally helpless. We just go with the flow. Because that is how the world runs and years roll on.

Bowling game of honesty and dishonesty

        Corruptions, scams, fraudulent acts are just crude names for dishonesty. This is what we get to read in papers in recent times. And ironically we ask out kids to read papers to keep themselves abreast with current affairs. Is this the affair that our country deals in? 

     However there is something known as ‘white lies’ which I personally feel is worth if it can do good to someone. A lies which may make someone’s day, say a life too. White lies is a kind of benign falsehood which is totally harmless and I believe each one of us has experienced in some way or the other.

        I once came across what Thomas Jefferson said “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom”. But I say honesty needs to be the first, second, third…… and everlasting principle in every person’s life only then can we peacefully coexist in this universe.

So let’s all make honesty our biggest asset and the trust me the rest will follow. 

 

Riots in the name of Religion is the last that we mortals can ever think of.

                     Religion or Riots

    Browsing through my black and white companion (newspaper) along with a steaming cup of tea has been ingrained within me over the years. However few days ago, this companion annoyed and vexed me completely as my eyes literally popped out reading - ‘MEAT BAN IN MAHARASHTRA’ .This demand was strictly put forth by the Jain community on account of Jain festival of forgiveness - Paryushan.  

 

     This is just a mere example of people in our nation quarreling and creating more rifts in the name of religion. Religion undoubtedly plays a vital role in every individual’s life.  But knowingly or unknowingly it has also become the breeding ground for communal unrest. No religion has ever tried to condemn or come down on any other religion. It is the mindset and disposition of a few who create undue influence on the masses thereby creating outbreak of commotion and tumult for sure.

Tolerance to diversity is the key to happiness and peace

 

      Isn’t the bloodstained history of India in the past (history books have more than wanted) enough for us to understand and act wisely for ourselves and also for our next generation.

 

     Supreme Court did come up with a very prudent and logical line saying- India is a secular country where all religions and faiths are respected and hence we ought to be tolerant towards diversity. India is not a home for just one religion but for all. We have already experienced severe blows in the past in the name of religion, not any more. Let us all constitute LOVE as the PRIME RELIGION and make a remarkable difference within our society and world. So let us all EAT AND LET EAT- LIVE AND LET LIVE. 

 

     Being disputatious and igniting the sparks of communal riots will do good to none. The best way to worship Almighty is by doing a few good deeds and bringing a smile on the faces of many. This will spread happiness, joy and a desire to live a healthy life longer and longer.  

 

     So let us all have a common religion of kindness, love and humility it will set the world rolling.

     Respect all Religions you get Relations if you do not you get Riots. So decide now!!

Independence is a necessity and not a luxury. So let us all enjoy 'Freedom' in true sense.

      Essence of Independence

           It was a very lazy morning, curling up in bed with no intentions of getting up. Yes, you guessed it right; it was a public holiday, Independence Day to be precise. Wanted to hug myself in glee, as I had no work schedule to be followed also could just laze around and the usual stuff could be done at an easy pace. Later part of the day would go gallivanting for fun or to just kill time. This I would always say ‘INDEPENDENCE’ in actual sense. Hippy!!That’s me on any casual public holiday, of course not to forget my phone was continuously flooded with Independence Day messages which I checked at regular intervals.

         But one message just caught my attention and here it is-‘what light is to the eyes, what air is to lungs, what love is to heart, liberty is to the soul of man, HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY’ and yes my mind set rolling.

         What is Independence or rather what freedom means to me? Is it the same that I have been teaching and preaching during the history lectures or beyond that? Does it come with some terms and conditions, with a monetary price tag, with an expiry date? Ugh!! Can’t even think of it. Then why do we take freedom for GRANTED.

Mind needs to be set free from cluttered thoughts to experience freedom

        Freedom is important my mind asserted. It basically means getting to do what you want to do, making your own choices. Freedom is being able to have a voice and to let it be heard.  If you ask a tot of 6 years what freedom means he might say getting completely drenched in the rain for hours together without any howling and whacking from mommy, for a lady it would be shopping for endless hours and so on. 

          However if we as individuals misuse and take undue advantage of freedom or independence then things can get real dirty. So it is truly said that freedom or independence does come with a price and that price is called –RESPONSIBILITY and DISCIPLINE. We need to set our minds free and break the clutches of mental slavery. At the same time over rating freedom or liberty will do no good.

        In the recipe of Independence the essential ingredients are responsibility, vigilance and discipline, trust me these together can do wonders. Adequate amount of freedom will surely bring peace in the world. To implement this we need the backing of Basic Morals and Value Education.

      We have already paid a heavy price for independence through our martyrs, not any more.  Let us all wholeheartedly respect this freedom and independence today, tomorrow and always. 

       True independence and freedom is not ‘my choice’ but the ‘right choice’. Give it a try and see the difference for yourself. JAI HIND!!!!