The beautiful nose !

 The king was getting older,the power seemed to be a burden,the crown felt like heavier and the followers looked like unnecessary. His inner voice wanted peace...but yet his work was unfinished. He had to give his only son,the charming prince in marriage and hand over the administration,then only his duty will be over. He called his son and told him his desire. His son agreed but had a peculiar desire to marry a princess with a beautiful nose. The king searched far and wide, finally selected a beautiful, charming and a very noble girl but her nose was not the one the prince will be happy with. But he agreed to marry. The king made a ceremonial declaration, informed his loyal country men and handed over the rein to his son. He gave one last advice to his son..." Don't ever overlook the eternal facts of life, always take care of them"....Time passed,one day the old ,wise king left for heavenly abode.Now only person who could advise genuinely was the new queen. But the obsessed king didn't pay much attention to her. She didn't have a beautiful nose as he desired... 

     One day the queen informed the king,she is going to be a mother. The new king was too happy,but deeply desired that if he gets a daughter, she should  have the most beautiful nose on Earth. At appropriate time a beautiful girl was born with truly a beautiful nose. The king's joy knew no bounds. He was overjoyed. He arranged a royal celebration and declared to the kingdom,he has become the proud father of a charming  princess with the most beautiful nose in the earth. As the time passed and the princess grew,the care takers took her to the royal garden full of flowers with lovely fragrance,but the princess didn't enjoy them, because she could not smell anything. They informed the king the same. But he didn't pay any heed and boasted the girl has the most beautiful nose, nothing can go wrong. 

16th year approached,the girl turned to be a beautiful princess,but slowly her health deteriorated,she started failing to thrive. The queen,being a very wise person got worried and told the king,but yet the king never bothered, rather asked her to consult a royal family doctor if the princess' nose can be made more beautiful. Slowly and steadily she became breathlessness and one day passed away in her sleep...the nose stopped to breath... It was too late for him to realise... The Midas touch.....

   This is a story, could be an imaginary fairy tale....but does it have something to say, give a message? Yes it has. 

   In life we often are in search of " the beautiful nose" and forget why Divine has gifted us a nose. The nose is primarily to breathe,to help oxygen,the life line to reach each cell and then to smell. The primary aim of the nose is not to be beautiful. A beautiful nose is surely lovely,but not at the cost of loosing the ability to breathe or smell. 

  From history to mythology, from ancient stories to contemporary world, there are innumerable examples of people running after " the beautiful noses"....so much so they forget what is the basis purpose of it and why divine has designed it ... So let's look inward. Let's not lose the sight of divine creation in the illusion of superficial beauty, success,wealth, achievement....they are all very exciting but not without the vitally important basics for which they are meant. Some us might be running after a beautiful nose, it may be there, somewhere in someone's life ,right there,right now. Let's  look within,pause for a moment and move in the right direction before it is too late...

    Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!!

Success....the illusion,the glory and the essence....

 Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!!

A dove was flying in the sky, fearless,free and in its own world of containment... Suddenly felt an arrow piercing its body,one thrown at it by the prince Devdutt... Instantly the fearless bird falls on the ground, groaning with severe pain,warm blood trickling through its smooth, silky feathers...Basking in his glory, drinking from the pot of success Devdutt reaches there to claim his proud possession... Little before reaches there, the benevolent prince of Kapilavastu, Siddharth Gautam... Painfully taking out the arrow from the dove's injured body and comforting it with his soft, smooth,divine touch. He is equally pained to see the suffering of the innocent Bird. Devdutt orders Gautam to handover the bird to him as he feels he is the rightful owner of the dove as it was his  arrow who shot it down. With heavy heart Gautam tries to defend that he is taking care of the injured bird,so he should be allowed to keep it to care....

   The story,an incident from the life of Buddha lives in millions' mind and the question remains same. The illusion still continues today what does it take to be successful or what is considered as success. Is it wealth, possession, marks in the exam, certificates,awards, job or professional accomplishments or something else??? If we look on the surface, all these will look as glitters and will create a sense of success... But if we look deeper, success is very different than all of these. As in the Buddha's tale above,it looks Devdutt was successful, because he could shot the bird... But is it really success? For him shotting the bird and fulfilling his aim was success,but is it really so? It was perhaps his illusion. Today also most of us run after something, success to be the name.  

    A family of 4 brothers had brilliant 3 siblings, scoring higher and higher in academics and bringing success and glory to parents, in the course of time all have established themselves to be successful in jobs,academics,status and stayed away. The one who was not a scholar stays back with parents, does farming,takes them to hospital in sickness,comforts them with a warm blanket in the dead of winter nights, serves them morning tea and the most needed shoulder to walk in their twilight days... Who is more successful? The brilliant lawyer brother who does the finest arguments and lives in villa,the brother who has performed astronomical no of perfect surgeries and has made name in all time favourite news,the brother who is a terrific successful entrepreneur,wears finest clothes and drives most expensive cars or the one who has nothing but takes care of his parents in his small little ways??? A point to ponder...how much success it takes to succeed in the real game of life!!!

  Few days ago,one of my friend wanted to admit his uncle,who is 85, living alone for long, probably has developed Alzheimer's and other health issues... Got admitted him, doctors took care for few days and uncle became better,now the million dollar question...where will he stay now. His only successful brilliant son has migrated to Newzealand for greener pasture, trying his best also he doesn't have a solution for his father.... Finally, an old age home gave him much needed shelter and whatever care they can... Because he can no longer be left alone at home... It made me think for days... Where the success,the pride,the glory vanished after raising a finest child,a brilliant son,a successful academician and a man having all the wealth and luxury... May be his helplessness in the crucial few years of life made my eyes moist,my mind hazy and my heart heavy.... Success was not seen anywhere as far as I could expand my vision...it all looked illusive.

Few days back I  was  watching the documentaries on the ' millionaire bad boys"... Brilliantly depicting how success,the illusion,the glory makes the most brilliant minds corrupt,the most innovative ideas meaningless,the most successful people fugitives.... Beyond a point when the addiction of success gets into one's head probably it barges into forbidden domains, integrity vanishes into thin air, principles are made to be broken, honesty feels flimsy... The glitter,the glamour,the raw footage of so called success, attention, flattering goes beyond humane control to pause,to look within,to introspect...."  Is it thebright path am I taking?"... May be by then the veil between right and wrong has vanished. Why do they do so? Because the contemporary world mostly looks from out, hungry for attention and appreciation... however superfluous or irrational it may be... People talk and talk about their so called achievement, success,marks, property,bank balance,the empire they have made... No matter how nasty the path may be ,how ridiculous their principles may be ,how pathetic their dealings to others may be or how many genuine people they have left behind and by hook or crook got ahead... and don't have the wisdom,the understanding,the deapth to appreciate an honest failure,to clap for someone's heartfelt trials, someone's simplicity as a divine virtue. A brilliant mind,an able administrator, an undeniable leader at times follows the most unfortunate path of greed to amass more wealth,sign more irrelevant papers, suppress truth of common good.... All in the name of illusive success... Success is not only good,it is even great but only if..... it never leaves the hands of integrity and honesty, never forgets to look within, never fails  to be grateful to innumerable people who have contributed to this success and never leaves to lean on its honest shoulder... Humility,the essence of truly successful people... Without this success is sooner or later a disaster in waiting for self, for society,for mankind...

Who can better define success than Ralph Waldo Emerson ! ...all time favourite author

" To laugh often and much,

To win the respect of intelligent people

And affection of children,

To earn the appreciation of honest critics

And endure the betrayal of false friends,

To appreciate the beauty

To find the best in others,

To leave the world a bit better

Whether by a healthy child, a garden patch

Or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier

Because you have lived;

That is to have succeeded....

  We may not be successful to be the most brilliant academician or the most powerful emperor, or  the most popular artist or wealthiest entrepreneur... But somewhere we all can succeed in wiping someone's tear,giving someone a shoulder or sharing a piece of laughter.....with honesty and integrity... It doesn't cost much... Let's walk our own path and succeed in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson... That feels to be the real  essence of success to my small little mind...

Spare a thought ! Spare a moment!!!

The Divine blessings....How aware are we???

 Rain drops fell on the western side window pane.Water slowly tricked down. Pure... colourless, odourless , yet divine. There is no flaw in its falling,one drop doesn't compete with other,the drop doesn't bother whether it falls on a billionaire's roof top or a poor man's back yard. It neither bothers whether it is going to meet the ocean or will get evaporated and return back to atmosphere... But it is doing the best it does... Blessing the planet with the very source of life,free,fair and divinely disciplined...

The Sun emits it's millions of rays every morning to give us light,warmth, energy,food,pure and simple environment... It doesn't wait for any invitation nor does any advertising....The rains don't enter Earth before the Sun dries it best in Summer.... The Spring blossoms  mesmerisingly don't forget their time to bloom or the daffodils don't wait for appreciation or award to beautify the meadows.

The arteries in human body are placed deeper than the veins,the heart has an untiring machinery to never stop or take rest till we see the other world. Each cell,each enzyme,each molecule,each neurochemical  are at their right place....the divine engineering mankind can only  ever be grateful for! 

     A single cell starts malfunctioning in the body and it shows how difficult can it be even for  the most powerful,the richest billionaire,the most intelligent personality on the planet. The brightest human mind can never comprehend what goes inside a cell to keep it functioning right,at all times and at all the ways... from conception to completion of life... The finest surgeons using all their expertise can never mend  a cell as it was made by Divine power. 

 The richest person on Earth can't buy the fortune of getting the unadulterated simplest smile on a child's face or the most powerful emperor can't acquire a deep, peaceful night's sleep with all his so called power and pressure....The most sophisticated ventilator can never ever match an ounce of oxygen flowing within us day in and out,free, abundant,not even asking us to be aware !!! Divine does it all the time, every time, in all the ways ....free,fair, unambiguous, unfazed....

   It is so amazing to think how we, the people on Earth having the tiniest life time in the ocean of eternal time,being in one tiny place on the Earth,one of the small planets in the solar system,to be precise just one small unit in the universe....think we are powerful, successful,better than others, with few million paper notes or the illusion of putting name on few acres of land or a tiny building,a part of Earth's possession only or with few man made medals or glorifying certificates,we think we have own, succeeded,look down fellow humans.... Don't even know there is a larger, simpler,humbler universe around... From birth to death we run after so called power, success,wealth and false vanity to make our illusion real... 

   Let's look within how volatile our ego is....Let's look around.... There is immense power in an innocent child's smile,there is unparalleled sacrifice in a mother's love,there is incomprehensible dedication in a farmer's harvest, there is a divine message in every morning sunrise,in the greens of the gardens,in the sweetness of the fruits,the unassuming yet blissful rain drops....

  It's never late..... 

Spare a moment! Spare a thought !!! 

How much is enough?

 Spare a moment! Spare a thought!

          Your life is precious than anything else you can imagine ever,more exhaustible than any other natural resource available on the Earth, but has potential beyond your expectations! Spend it rightly, spend it wisely!

      We are tirelessly busy polishing our skin, shaping the mortal body,spending the precious life time collecting perishable paper notes and so called precious metals and properties. How rich is rich? How famous is famous? Do they matter at the end of our life? Tolstoy wrote  'How much land does a man need?". whose beautiful Hindi translation is being taught in school 'Akhri kitni zamin?"If we spend a fraction of our time to uplift our thoughts,polish our souls which have eternal values than spending entire life in futile search for a rich,successful life,then not only our lives,but the world around us will surely head for positive change.A point to ponder over,'can I eat more than my stomach capacity, can sleep in a larger space than my body dimensions,can I live a moment beyond what I am destined for? Then why not spend it simply, honestly, purposefully, wisely in true sense wherever you are, whatever you are doing.For this one is neither needed to be a rocket scientist, nor to have a million dollars or a villa in Paris.Just be simple,just be honest to yourself, just be thankful for every dawn,just be you. Who can be a better judge for you than yourself! You know the best. Live for your soul! A poet rightly said 'Kafan me na zeb hai,na kabra me aalmari,ye maut ke farishte bhi rishwat nahin lete'...Spare a moment, spare a thought...---

Think positive, anyway!

 Think positive, anyway!

        What do I mean by this?Am I repeating a proverb or am I saying to avoid reality, the truth behind any situation? No,I am not trying to do any of these! I am not saying to deny the reality,nor I am saying you ,not to feel the pain,the hurt, the defeat, the loss, the tear... If you ever feel such emotions, it's natural, utterly humane! You, me and everyone feel so ...we all do.But what I want to emphasize, if it is there, try your best to change it or move on if any situation is giving negative vibes. Secondly, accept something, some situation as gracefully as possible if you known in core of your heart that you really don't have any control over it.Believe me, your worst situation when accepted with grace can turn to a life changing point! I don't mean,we run away from the reality, feel euphoric, become manic or burst into undue laughter, when we know we can't.If someone tries this it is nothing more than a superfluous drama.What I mean ,a silent moment of surrender, taking charge of the existing problem without indulging in blame game and accepting the cosmic rules will surely do wonders for all! That is positivity! Let's have positivity in our thoughts, words and actions every moment of life.Trying to change a negative situation, accepting the ones that are beyond our control will get us already halfway through.Leaving a failure, a bitter experience behind and moving ahead gives a great learning experience. It is miraculous, I have felt it.Try out and judge for yourself,I am sure you will not regret! As a close observer of my own life and others and as a doctor ,I have experienced, the best results have come when people have taken a desease, a loss,a betrayal, a defeat on their side,accepted the situation with grace, smile and positivity and felt how blessed they are inspite of the debacle!There are millions fighting worse battles we can never imagine!Only focus on your everyday 'karma' and victory is yours!Miracles really happen every morning. Think rightly, think positively, ethically, think everything happens for a reason ,keep walking...Eternal joy is the reward...

The foot prints... unnoticed often...

The Foot Prints...Unnoticed often....

      The foot prints....Had read a write up in this title in a school while waiting outside when my son Shashwat was writing his exam...May be some 14 - 15 yrs back...But the essence and gist got printed in my mind and on numerous occasions when I quietly recollect or realize the life events... I felt how true it is even if normally we don't look at our experinces...Will try and recollect the write up to put it in my own way as don't remember the words... It said this in nutshell...A man who was devout believer of God...Just asked God.."Oh supreme Lord, please don't leave me anytime"...He was such a honest and principled soul...God promised He won't leave him ever...Then he asked.." Oh Almighty,but how will I know u r there with me?" God replied... There is a stretch of sand here,look on that everyday...U will see your and mine footprints... Then a long time passed and the man looked on the sand and found 2 pairs of footprints...He knew one pair is his and other pair is God's, walking along ... As life went ahead,he faced lots of difficulties and debacles...Hard times and trouble on all fronts...He looked on the sand ...But could only see one pair of footprints...He became sad but never compromised on his honesty and principles...Time changed and good things started coming on his way and he started noticing 2 pairs of footprints coming on the sand stretch...Tears on his eyes...He asked God..."Oh Lord...I have only one question my mind...Why did u leave me on my most difficult days?Did I not live up to your expectations?" God smiled and asked"my dear child, I never left u,why do u think I ever deserted u ?"  He said " As u had advised I looked over the sand stretch everyday to see your footprints to know u r with me,but on the most difficult days of my journey of life I only could see only one pair of footprints,so u were not there"...God blessed and explained..." My child, those one pair of footprints were mine,not yours".  Surprised with the answer he asked" then where was mine?" God answered my child,on those difficult days I carried u on my shoulder....So there was no footprints of yours..." I was there all the way..
The man could not feel he could have ever get a greater blessing than this...
We all are on same journey...

Nothing heals like faith...

Nothing heals like faith....

          Often in life's rough road we loose our faith and composure, ....We tend to loose our firm faith on God and doubt His existence... It's but humane to do so...But when we realize deep inside He was,He is and He will do the best and nothing but the best even when the world looks torn apart.... And our own life times are  so tiny and even our  toughest battles are so trivial in the vast eternity and God's world,life becomes a sublime experience....Time and Almighty are not only omnipresent,they are omnipotent and impartial to each of their creation.
We as tiny and mortal beings are not even equiped to understand His creation... Leave aside judging Him...Even we in everyday life do not do whatever we must and do many times many things knowing they are against cosmic laws...If at all we need to judge anyone that is us only and if we need to safeguard anything that is our "karma" only....Our thoughts,speeches and actions all inclusive...May God grant us that serenity in this life time at least...
     Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!!

Doctor's word

Doctor's word....
       
             It is almost 24 years now,when i was just married,my father in law ,a surgeon by profession had asked me  " I heard you love to read and write. Have you read Doctor's word? A legendary story by R. K. Narayan in Malgudi days? " I had not read it then. I answered " No,I have not read". Then he took me to show a big box of non medical books which my brother in law and he had read and told I can read from them whatever I like... Years passed,I rarely could visit that home and could hardly read any. But it had wonderful treasures. Even he had collected and kept there two of our Medical college Magazines where I used to write stories and had read them too. Because of my residency,followed by job, responsibility of the kids,home etc,I rarely visited that home and my intent to read those books remained unfulfilled. Many years later ,nature keeping it's law intact, "what is created ,will be destroyed"..Due to their deteriorating health and we not getting to visit the house and take care of the books, the box got infested by termites and they had to dispose of many valuable treasure of knowledge,but they didn't have any choice either ! I felt sad and at the same time realized "nature will take it's course always and however we think,many things will go back to the origin where it had come from... The Earth,the water,the fire,the wind ,the sky... The 5 fundamental ingredients of the universe...

    But I remember the short story,one of his experience of his doctor career ,he had narrated to me that evening as vividly as I had heard that day... He had narrated,"Once when I had visited to my native village Bhuban to see my old mother and new born child taking a day off from my job,a man came to see me in the evening. He came with excruciating pain, almost bent with it and not able to stand straight, catching his abdomen tightly with a futile effort to lessen it a bit... But alas!!! He literally fell down on my feet to relieve him of his pain. Knowing that  I being the first doctor from my village  and being a general surgeon in that era and knowing my nature,he hoped to get well soon. The best I could offer him then was a patient hearing of his complaint and thorough examination. He had a strangulated hernia ! I knew he needs immediate survey and I have no ways and means there to treat him  without any facility. I told him what he is suffering and advised to go to the nearest available hospital to get it operated immediately.... But in vain.. He didn't leave our varanda and lied down there and didn't show any sign to go off. He kept on saying  I ony can save him and cure him. Hours passed,he didn't leave. It was such a pitiful,yet difficult situation. "Every doctor must have realized the monumental agony we go through when we know,we can't help the patient in the given situation, expertise or  available facilities and it is nature's decision but yet the patient has so much faith ,not to think beyond us... He narrated again... When it was almost 10 pm and he didn't show any sign of leaving,I felt I must do something to relieve his pain knowing well that if he doesn't get operated ,in no time his bowel will be necrosed  and his death would be imminent.. but without any medicine, without any hospital, facility,what choices did I have.?... His continuous pressure to relieve his pain had also drained my patience... I thought for a moment,took out an one rupee coin from my pocket and handed over to him,to buy a little opium and take it ,so the pain becomes less knowing in my scientific knowledge that the strangulated hernia needs immediate surgery and not doing that death is hanging on his head,but it was not possible to tell him about that seeing his unflinching faith...with that one rupee coin he left our varanda with help of his attendant. Years had passed,and I forgot about that patient and moved on in life...After years one evening when I was visiting my village once more, someone came in and told that a man is at the door who wants to see me. I came out,saw a man standing with a pack in his hand and as I came out , could not recognize him and asked whom he wants to see, he touched my feet in gratitude and reminded me of that  evening years back when he had been here,the same varanda with excruciating abdominal pain and I had cured him... I tried to recollect. He told,the one rupee coin I had given him ,helped him to get a little opium,he had it,slept off and next morning he got up with no sign of pain...And got a new lease of life because of me ! Thereafter whatever he earned everyday,saved a little and after he could gather a little,he has bought a saree for "Maa",my wife to show his reverence and gratitude and wanted to meet us! " I stood frozen for a moment being flabbergasted. Thought what helped him, a word I had said ,he will get relieved of the pain when  he was desperately expecting me to treat him,I knew I had no power to heal him there in that circumstances and his death was imminent and his unflinching faith on a doctor !!! " He continued," may be scientifically,the opium provided much needed analgesia and the guarded muscles relaxed and the hernia got reduced,relieving his pain,but probably not only the science,the art of faith and hope,the desire for doing best for a suffering soul played the best part of it..." He concluded...

     After a quarter century I have remembered his words," A doctor's words are most valuable assets of his career,take care of it always"... A lesson learnt from him, R. K. Narayan's story from Malgudi days  comes alive with each such experience and somewhere a doctor Raman is reborn...

   I feel,even  the  lesson  is more relevant today than ever... Is not it???

     Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!!

Integrity....the highest divine virtue...

Does integrity matter and if at all to whom does it matter?

At the outset I will say integrity is the highest and best virtue of one's character. It can start with an individual and can encompass a nation or the world...
  I had read a story in my 2nd standard " for whom do we plant trees? " After decades and decades the story is printed in my mind and today when I am writing on this topic it makes more sense than ever. It said a simple truth,the person who plants the trees probably hardly ever sits under it's shade or enjoys it's fruits. But he leaves it for the world, for the generations to come and may be someone, sometime will take rest under it's shade and quench his thirst and hunger by eating a ripe fruit and remember the soul in gratitude.... That's the rewards the man gets for spending his life's sweat and blood and planting trees....He may not be living,but his intention and integrity certainly makes the world a better place....

   Another story goes like this...Actually these are not imaginary stories, these are hard life lessons,great values, deep thoughts and divine philosophies put by authors for common understanding and following....
    There lived a Brahmin( the one who knew bramah,not by title or birth) long ago,who with his family  lived only on the alms which they get before sunset and worked in Kings court and didn't charge. That's a principles he followed.
   One day the Prime Minister heard he lives a very hard life and seeing his work,knowledge and integrity he was pained and requested king to offer him some handsome salary because he deserves. King knew his integrity and resolve,went to his home in disguise in the evening and was hungry. They didn't recognize the king,offered him the little food they had collected for the family and after the guest ate all of them had only water as there was no food. Then King revealed his identity and requested him to accept a handsome amount of wealth. But he politely refused and explained...He said, in each time and place there are few people who are following principles and integrity and that is everything for them and a blessing for the world and the entire world exists and maintains balance because of some such people.... So how can I leave that for my comfort ???

The king stood still and learnt the greatest lesson of his life ....

Moral is.... let's never weigh or judge the value of doing good... it can never be measured in any finite terms...who knows who is destined to get the fruit of the tree you plant and prays God to bless u and the world....

   Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!!

     Do good, the good will come back....

The rough book....

Spare A Moment, Spare A Thought !

THURSDAY, 13 JUNE 2019
The rough book
You were born new and beautiful
Like all other books with you...
But your purpose was different;

You never denied your lap
For a difficult Maths problem
To a boring geography map,

You never minded burden of
Coding and decoding of
 thousands of vocabulary,
May it be from
Sanskrit to economics
Or astrophysics to statistics;

You are witness to many afternoon
Sketches to nostalgic memories,

You are torn at some pages
Even dirty or folded in others,
But you don't mind
You don't complain not even once;

You are the backbone
Of your family of books,
You are the brain of subjects
You nourished and nurtured
All others in your bag;
To help them to be neat
Proficient,organised and worthy,
You spared them from all the burden
All the trouble and helped them to flourish
unflinchingly carrying your legacy;

You never looked back, never
Looked at your torn image
Not even at the dirt on your edge'
You are happy with giving
A life to all others in your bag;

A beautiful life,
A meaningful one to their existence
And loved to  see them
Flourish in their own ways!

Torn pages didn't bother you
Immature handwriting didn't
Deter you, your look didn't
Matter you, because you
Have a beautiful soul within!

Because you had  all the wisdom and memory,
Abundance of love and care,
A heart  full of  nostalgia and
Always ready to share;

The world around you
Is beautiful, worthy and amazing
Because you and only you are there...

There  is always a rough book
In and around our lives
Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!
To feel,to realise,to appreciate
And to be grateful for it before it is over!!!

Living consciously....

Buddha said,"our greatest defeat is in the inability to face the possibilities of life"...we actually don't have any idea what all we can endure till we go through it. '
      He again said " the best way to live life is to live a life of gratitude' and demonstrated amply. He says, the sky we have over our head,the Earth which gives us home and food,the air we breath and the water we drink, the seasons and flowers which bring divine consciousness to our soul are all the gifts from Nature and God...Have we created them? It's such a fundamental truth... everyone will agree. So every morning when we open our eyes ,we must be thankful for this. If not anything, for having this knowledge and consciousness to realize... Even if we didn't learn anything, still we should be grateful... because atleast we are healthy.... Even if we are sick...still we must be grateful.... because still we are alive and that's the most wonderful blessing on Earth.....
       May the world get drenched with conscious living and gratefulness...

    Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!!

Truth.... absolute truth...

Truth vs absolute truth...
  Truth has many views and facets... Someone's sunrise could be someone else's sunset... Both are true on the surface... But absolute truth can only be known by standing out of the Earth's field and knowing that it is only the Earth that moves,never the Sun...
    So in life many contradictory facts are true,but when we travel inside from the feeling of  being the doer,to the the realization of just being a mere observer by the creator... The absolute truth comes to our view and all relative truths and biases vanish...
     Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!!

Karma....the journey from self to self....

Deep down i have started feeling and realizing slowly, all of us come here with the residual effect of karma of may be birth after birth and throughout life we are just with our karma whatever it is till we leave the world....the rest of the things are primarily illusions. This karma is something unseen, untouchable,nonpalpable....so it's hard to see it on surface. It's no ritual or procedure, neither any fixed process or plan...it's the sum total of how we think, speak and act every moment of life...from birth to death... i think in sleep also we might be subconsciously thinking. Karma is not only what someone does with hand , it's far deeper than that and involves the intention and concept,expression and finally execution... Even for someone who does not believe in rebirth it is also equally logical to think he exactly gets to taste the fruit of the karma plant he plants here itself. At this point of life i think "It's the greatest journey from  self to self and the longest distance each one of us travel with  ourselves and with ourselves only and no one else"...let's be aware of self..
     Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!!

The faith.....that heals the world....

Dayaram calling! It was morning , busy time ,more with household works increasing a bit more in the pandemic time. I couldn't take the call. Thought,who is this Dayaram? I could not remember knowing anyone in this name. Got busy again. After sometime again got the call.... Dayaram calling. Thought, could be a wrong number. So didn't pick up. Again after an hour it rang... Dayaram calling....Now I thought,it is not likely to be wrong number. I picked up the call....May be someone in need of some medical help!  Other side had a lady caller. "Dr Sahab,Main Saraswati,aap ki patient" I recognised the voice undoubtedly. I said" Yes, Saraswati,tell me. How r you and family? " She continued" Hum sab thik hain, mujhe aapki aur aapki pariwar ki chinta ho rahi thi. Is liye socha,puchh leti hun. Aap sab thik to hain na? Bachhe ghar par to hain na? Bada ladka aapka paas me to hain na?" I told,"Han,Saraswati, hum sab thik hain, tum log bahar mat niklo aur Bhagwan se prarthna hai,sab ko swasth rakhen" .... Saraswati told,"Dr Sahab,sab se pehle mujhe aapki chinta,aapne to mujhe ek nayee zindagi di hain".... Again she prayed for me and kept the phone....
    Saraswati's phone call had ended long back,but her words and faith remained in side me,may be it will last my life time. I have not forgotten Saraswati or her condition .....As a doctor we treat numerous patients,it is humanly impossible to remember their cases or name. But some clinical conditions or some names stay etched in our mind. Every doctor must be having such memories,so do I. After Saraswati's call,her condition again relived in my memory. She was around 40,with lot of obesity and a suspected malignant tumor. We operated her,it was a difficult one,but to our and her good luck,it turned to be a benign tumor. Saraswati had small kids,that time. It was a great relief,that it was a non malignant tumor. But on 8th day her abdominal wound gaped,gaped completely....looked difficult with her 3 inch fat...it was not the common post operative gape,much graver than that....But she didn't wince, didn't worry, didn't scold, didn't blame her fate either. Every morning and evening me and my resident doctors debrided,dressed and packed her wound. She was put on higher antibiotics and general surgeons were called to help us heal her. It took a month of suffering of her and our tireless efforts to get the wound to be suturable. Granulation tissue developed,nature took care as it always does,and Saraswati's unmistakable smile amidst all the pain and suffering...did the wonder of  good fortune coming hers and our ways. I felt,it can be sutured now and called the colleague surgeon to have a look and opine. He did see her and didn't give a go ahead.... But I felt like going ahead and asked Saraswati her opinion informing her the surgeon's opinion too. Saraswati was rock solid in her faith...she said" Dr Sahab,aap kar dijiye,sab thik ho jayega"....her faith on us,her trust... can't be the faith only on me,a mere medical professional,a doctor,who might be knowing tip of ice berg of the human body created by Almighty,but the faith on the ultimate doer,the nature,the God ... She gave her go ahead,I sutured the wound and prayed for her healing. She kept her smile,compose and her blessings and prayers for us amidst all the trouble and pain,all the fear and inconvenience she went through. She never lost her composer, never thought one bit of negative impact and on 10th day of her resuturing,the wound was completely healed and looked as if nothing had happened !
    What healed her? Can't be only antibiotics,our medical care...it is much more than this...it is her faith, unmistakable trust on us,on humanity,on the nature, on the creator...that made all the difference....that made Saraswati healed,and she a healer for the mankind...
      For  many many years after that every time  she visited the hospital for something or other ,she made a point to come and meet me....and in her every visit she infused a lot of  love,care, gratitude and faith in my personality. She became a messenger of goodness,showed a path of light to us,the medical professionals and our young students. She reminded us " we are just there to treat and God only heals,it is the ultimate faith on Him,that heals the world"....
     We are rarely fortunate to come across such Saraswatis, often we see people grumbling,be intolerant and blame everyone and anyone for their sickness....they probably suffer more from their attitude than the disease! But Saraswati was different....Such souls,not only teach us faith,but compassion,the highest form of love"....
    This article is dedicated to all those Saraswatis in my professional and personal life and to those healers,faith lovers of the world,who have the true power to trust,to enlighten,to heal the world....I have ever indebted to you all for best lessons of my life...stay safe,stay the way you are and drench the world with your all encompassing love and  unmistakable faith...long live your tribe. Gratitude from a doctor's heart....

What is more important than this attitude of hers than anything else in this unprecedented pandemic for humanity?....A thought traversed my mind again and again!!!

Spare a moment! Spare a thought !!!

    

Giving....a divine art....

Did India supply masks,sanitizers to Serbia? Questions raised few days back. Unprecedented time as it is for one and all,all countries are struggling at the same space,time and manner... A thought comes to my mind...." what can be more inspiring than this to stand with each other?". However powerful we think we are,how intelligent or intellectual may be our acumen,how wealthy or articulate we may seem or project,a time comes in our lives,we need someone else's shoulder to lean on and someone else's back to carry us. Universal truth as it is,it is just the time when we need and when we give...Hydroxychloroquin ... Should India export or not?.... There will be views and counter views,debates and deliberations, intellectual thinking and scientific calculation... Let there be,no problem...But to my small little mind it comes, at the end we all are a big family in the world,just divided by man made boundaries and borders.... What can be more fulfilling, inspiring and motivating than us standing with the world in the crisis,a powerful country like America,a sportive country like Brazil will not ask for a small help even in extraordinary times, leave ordinary... India is fortunate to be in a stage to help,to serve,to stand by,to share the burden... God is kind to our great nation, though we don't know what's tomorrow,but let's look at today. If today India can help anyone,do something,it must do. Not with any desire for money,reciprocation,fear or any recognition,but just to share its little things,the thought,just to offer a shoulder to someone somewhere who needs it more than we do. History is rich with examples of people offering everything even lives without a second thought... Gopabandhu left his ailing son to distribute food to the flood affected, Soldiers lay their lives on border every other day,knowing well this may get great unprecedented tragedy to their family, doctors treat inumerable infected patients and don't deny even if they are in risk... So if today our Hydroxychloroquin or masks can save some souls in America or Italy or Brazil and Canada,or our masks and PPEs can protect some brethren doctors in Serbia,it is something to feel good and feel blessed about... Everyday we are not blessed to do that. It is not wealth or material gain to be given.... "weactually give , when we give from ourselves"... Our time,our prayers and our essentials, however less it may be... It takes heart to do so and it writes history. Tough time will pass,but our deeds will allow us to live on this Earth . If we think little deeper, even Krishna said.." what did we come  here with? nothing is ours, even we ourselves are not ours"...so what can we give?  We don't even have control over our next breath... Leave aside giving it to someone... So whatever we have, bestowed upon us by divine,let's share the fortune,offer a shoulder,wipe a tear .... For someone, somewhere... Divine will take care of us,our tomorrows.... Who is more generous and kind than He is!
 
    Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!!

Tomorrow is in God's horizon....

Tomorrow is uncertain...
It always was, it  always will be like that...
Just humanity didn't realise the truth...
Didn't want to acknowledge that...

Now is best time,to be alive is the greatest gift
It always was ,it  always will be like that...
Just...we kept  our eyes and ears open now for it.
To be healthy is the choicest blessing on Earth...
It was,it will be always that...
Just many realise today only that...

Home was and will be the best place on Earth...
Just some of us realise it today..
Our family was and will be the best company one can ever have in the world...
Just many realise that ,but ways became hard...

We,the humans were always a miniscule and will always be like that..
In the God's vast creation...
But many didn't want to realise that, was under hype and illusion...

We all, irrespective of region, religion...
Caste,creed, colour and wealth...
Were always same, will always be like that..
Nature moved it's little finger..
To make us realise,be conscious  and understand the fact...

Every morning when Nature sends the Sun and every night the moon
It sends a message,with them...
Eternity is in the horizon with hope and care...
There will be a dawn tomorrow,there will be a moonlit night and sunrise tomorrow..
Just we ,the humans don't know when,where and how...
But nature will heal and God's  plan is always pure...
Beyond our imagination and beyond our comprehending power...

It takes darkness to know light...
Despair to know the value of hope...
The fear of death to know the value of life..
To be sick to love and appreciate health...
And a lifetime event to sustain a lesson...
worth learning....

Tomorrow is not seen,but it never dies....

Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!!

Hope at the Sunset

Neither it goes,nor it comes...
Neither it is in the East,nor in the West...
Just standing on its place...
Who knows how many millions and millions years have passed...
Neither it is excited,nor it is tired...
"The Sun"...burns it's soul every single day...to spread the light,to dispel the despair... To convey the message of " Hope and Care"...
It says it has neither end,nor beginning...
It's the follower of eternity...to come with each passing day...
To gift the universe..with some dream,some realisation...some enigma,some illusion...to sip from it's soul...

Alexander...the great's three eternal lessons to humanity ...

Alexander,the great,the indomitable emperor ,the greatest general till date...faced the unthinkable at the age of 32 only... He only knew to conquer and conquer till then... except one battle , lohe never lost any other... His empire spread from Greece to India...
   
    But time and fortune play their part as masterly as possible, beyond human comprehension and imagination. He fell sick near Babylon while returning from one more conquering battle to add to his glory. In 12 short days ,his end came cracking like a plack of cards and  only at 32 yrs his death loomed large on him and was unbelievable to the people of Greece... But destiny plays it's part... All his wealth,the victories,the people,the doctors treating him stood helpless.... In the reality of darkness,in the face of the ultimate conquerer... Death !

    Realising that  his death was very near, he called his trusted generals to his death bed and asked them to fulfill three of his last wishes. The teary eyed generals promised him,that they will. He spoke...
"Let only my physicians carry my coffin"
"Please put all the jewels and wealth I have won on the path through which my coffin will be carried"
"Please keep both of my hands dangling out of the coffin"...

  The generals promised they will fulfill the three wishes but wanted to know the reasons behind the wishes.
He continued... " The reason I want only my physicians to carry my coffin and no one else is,to let people know  physicians are helpless when your health fails and especially in front of death and they can not cure u if death is in front...
Secondly,I want to let people know,all the riches have no values and must go to dust. I spent my life earning these riches without knowing how futile  they are !
Thirdly I want people to know I came empty handed and will go back empty handed,so spending all time gathering wealth,name,fame...is of no value.."
   His end came and wishes were fulfilled by his generals...
  Point to ponder. Alexander has gone more than 2000 years before,his empire has vanished...but the treasure of his lessons is still fresh and valuable today as was in 323 b.c.  People called him Alexander,the great for conquering the physical map of the world,but he truly became great when he realised the eternal truths of life just before death and gifted the world the true pearls of divine wisdom...
   May the world relentlessly remember the three lessons and realise them on time and stay grateful to Alexander,the great for the timeless lessons of life...
  Spare a moment ! Spare a thought !!! 

The three eternal truths of life....

I had read Leo Tolstoy's story " What men live by" in the year 1983-84 in my curriculum. It had left an everlasting effect on my mind,so I have not forgotten it till date and probably it will not fade from my.memory in future either... He had narrated 3 incidents in the story gifting mankind the realisation of 3 eternal truths... I am retelling them in my words as don't remember the exact wording but the essence remains unchanged...

1) Man is intrinsically a loving creature and love is the force binding the knowns or unknowns and it makes the world beautiful and life worth living..
2) No one knows what is going to happen next moment,that is a divine treasure to be aware of future and not handed over to human beings by God for a well designed and logical reason...

3) Whoever is born in the world of God has come with it's provisions...we may or may not be aware or use or don't use it appropriately,but the provision is already made by God...

Spare a moment...spare a thought...

Why and how's of life....time knows it all !

Many a times in life we don't understand why something happened....When everything goes  alright or more than right( as we apparently believe) or we get many things unexpectedly or what we humanly actually didn't deserve....we normally take things for granted and don't question "why me?" Or how or why  did I get this?" But usually are busy taking either things for granted or we think it is our right to get everything right on the way...many a times  even if we don't express,but that's how life goes for most of us...but the moment something goes wrong or we have failure,pain, rejection, fall or a disease...our mind starts asking from " why me?,I didn't deserve,I am so good, how can this happen,why on earth such things can happen to me?".. The list can go on.....and day in and out brood on that... vitiating our own loss of peace, tranquility, balance and present time... Ultimately bringing more misery  and self made displeasure with far more deleterious effect than what was caused by the actual event ....

     A point to ponder...is our limited and fixed life time enough to analyse and judge the great creator's decision in handing over good or bad whatever we think to get in life? Time is eternal stretch, even the longest living human life is not even a fraction of second in comparison to eternity...Then comes,why me??? Does this question even relevant? Who are we? We are only a tiny part of universe and may be getting what we deserve in time's eternal judgement..best of our so called knowledge can not even comprehend how the universe keeps its balance, leave aside thinking why and how everything happens...
 
    With time I am realising, everything happens for a reason whether we understand or not " the why "...We probably get  what we deserve...may be the manner,the time and the appearance is beyond our limited capacity to comprehend...and have firm faith...the eternity and the Almighty will only do best and nothing but best for all of us...
May be we at times will need several life times to know the " why's" and " how's"...

     Spare a moment...spare a thought...