A Life of faith....

In this eventful path of life we all face cross roads which demands firm decisions. Many a times we are troubled by the turbulent force of unknown. And then many of us give up or shout help. But if u can’t solve your problem and u can’t make decision for ourselves then how can anybody else? We loose hope; we take fall as fail and every error as uncorrectable. But few man show guts and they start off after every fall with more courage and hard work just to set an example that falling is not failing. This strength does not come from outside neither from emotion. It’s an inner strength which comes from love and faith, the faith in self and the almighty. This faith gives the raw courage to achieve the unseen. It’s the best healer and the most powerful therapy. It re-enforces the dream and the source. A faith is miracle, a faith itself is godly. The undisputed world cycling champ LANCE ARMSTRONG had set a new milestone with his miraculous comeback after a deadly disease. He came, won and showed the power of faith ( See: The Autobiography “Its not about the bike; my journey back to life by Lance Armstrong. ). Then on he runs the Armstrong Foundation which does many charities a part of that is the bands we wear with caption “Live Strong”. This is the power of faith.
Faith originates from hope and is enforced by commitment. The more we are committed the more we are faithful. The more we commit the more we love and love nurtures faith. Love is a supreme force and the only way for God realization. The power of love and faith is articulated by many Yogis. From faith originates the power of will. At will power man can do anything virtually anything. Even willfully when u command the sun to rise it won’t rise. ( For more on will power and faith and yogic miracles read “ Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramahansa Yogananda ).
All these yoga and everything has a common motto; a better life and a better place to live in. God can be realized and served in mainly three ways according to Vhagbad-Gita:
1. Kriya Yoga
2. Dhyana Yoga
3. Karma Yoga

Kriya yoga is something practiced by devine yogis and saints to achieve god through self realization. It ignites the power of Kundalini in the human body and gives supreme force like materialize a single body in two forms.

Dhyana yoga is practiced by Rusis of ancient eras. The “Kothar Tapasya.”

But what about us the people with this earth with families and other responsibility. We have Karma Yoga. Which is nothing but the practice of godly qualities like honesty, benevolence, dedicated work, prayers, love and the will to change things in the right direction. This sense of righteousness gives courage and enlightens us with knowledge of self. It gives us faith. Such is the power of faith and love. Lets love and have faith in the infinite.

Kuch cheezein... paaya hun

kuchh cheezein samet kar laya hoon
aise hi bin dhoondhe jinhe main paya hoon
kuch aisee cheezein jo bekaar si hain
kuch aisee cheezein jo darkaar si hain

kuch cheezein jalne-jalanewalee
kuch cheezein palne mananewalee
kuch cheezein jo bas rukee rukee har pal dilko satanewalee

kuch cheezein man ko lubhanewalee
kuch cheezein raaz chhupanewalee
kuch cheezein jinse shuru hueen
koi kahani manpasand sunanewalee

kuch cheezein jinse khud darr jaun
kuch cheezein jinse auron ko daraun
kuch cheezein jinko dekh dekh apna aur jagka darr bhagaun

kuch cheezein jo hain chhoti chhoti
kuch cheezein jo hain moti moti
kuch cheezein jo hain anant nashwar
na hain woh koi kharee khoti

kuchh cheezein samet kar laya hoon
aise hi bin dhoondhe jinhe main paya hoon
kuch aisee cheezein jo bekaar si hain
kuch aisee cheezein jo darkaar si hain.

By:- Surya Mishra*; I loved it so posted it.
* My brother, friend, guide, mentor and some one I love.

We and the People....

What I have learned over the years is Joy is the purpose of life. Joy in everything even in pain. And now we live for it. We try finding joy in what ever we do but seldom we take a look back to find if its really the kind of joy we wanted. We live in a "lower middle class" country India. Most of us like me hails from lower middle class back ground. In course of time we begin to earn and spend. We rise from lower middle class to middle and then to upper class making a cluster of our own. And then the joy comes again... we spend time with friends and say we find joy in all these. But what we do really is we spend money more than time and find solace that we "can" spend so much. This can factor ignites a proud: a feeling of vague joy. Every morning I set out for office I see few men/women on the road side collecting garbage from drains and fields. I find them wearing the same torn and dirty dress and the same bare foot. I find them unaware of the term "beauty". I find them with un-oiled hair with pre mature grayish color. But they don't beg.. they earn a living that way. I don't like beggars for they never posses a self and always wait for favors. But these men who work but never grow, sleep but never dream, survive but never live, what about them? Consequently their children who never find the privilege to educate them selves and work in the same drain where they were born. What is their fault? They are faulty for taking birth? Are they faulty to have parents who can't find even one time meal? What is their fault? But when we pass bye we reward them by speaking out some monosyllables: "oohhh".." bechara"... "aahaa".... etc etc. But we never don't understand they have not begged our sympathy, they have not ask us to think about them. But what we do is just this "professional sympathy". Thanks we find joy in everything we do. But are we worth of this joy? we forget the hard work our parents do to put us on the frontier and to give us the ability to rise to the upper class. But in case of most of the Indians the parents themselves are unable to live what they can get for their children. It becomes our social and moral responsibility to understand their needs and give them the right scope to live and grow. Many those are in the orphanage live a healthy live with access to education. But these fellows even they have parents can't find time to play, to educate, to eat, to think of health and ultimately to live. Only thing they do is "struggle to survive every day". When these days would go? God has not done this as an evil or a mistake. Everything is done in purpose. It is just that God has given us the opportunity to carry on his task. To make his creation a better place and to make people realize of his divine existence. So how far we realize our task and how far we are motivated to carry on our responsibility? A big question indeed.

My Idiosyncrasy.....

This is my idiosyncrasy. My way of projecting my self. Its my codes unchanged.
Things have changed since I had taken a last look at me. The changes are awful! A dream remains unachieved and I have too lessened working hard for it; can't find a cause "why". An attitude yet to be updated and a behavior too bad. I used to be very caring and sympathetic, but now I find I hardly care. I have changed! I don't why I am deviating from my objective. But its true something is dragging me away or is it me who is drifting away???? I am yet to find the cause and fix it. But one thing that I find unchanged is few of my behavioral aspect. I am never good at talking at social occasions. I just don't know how to react and how to laugh at things which u may not find funny. I don't know how to wittily handle peoples comments. I don't know how to go on discussing which u don't find interesting. I don't know how to discuss someone else (may it be good or bad). And this remains the same. Recently I visited one of my friends as she was leaving Bangalore but I found I am wasting their time. I felt like i am alien and I could not go on laughing at few things I don't find funny. But they are my good friends and I like them. But still I was unable to maintain a fairly good talking. And I ended up seeming rude and grave though I tried hard to be as polite as possible. Actually many people misunderstand this to be my gravity or proud but sincerely speaking I am never grave. Instead I am very natural and I feel great to have free and open ended discussions. I never see any one is inferior or superior. But I am always misunderstood. An das a general habit I don't give explainations usually and I just stay as a negative and misunderstood man in many people's mind. Can't help it.
Any way I need to change a lot and that too I have to get the earlier version back for few aspects.
Any way I thought I should jot it down so wrote it.
Bye
Truly
Abinash.

I will write on Saturday.

I wanted to write manythings now but I have to wait till saturday.
Anyway I will certainly put some good stuffs then.
Bye.

My Apology

What else can I do,
In life I have friends quite a few.

I fight them for the good,
I don’t regard their mood.
In me they find an enemy
But my friendship is always true.

I can’t stand no blame,
It hurts to burn in the flame.

My eyes are dreary,
I am no prodigal,
Am sure I do.. but It makes me weary.

I can’t give nothing,
But all my apologies.

I used to care,
when friends were fair,

I wish time would change,
And I may (be) back in the range.

I would fight with my reckless dare,
Oh, time would come when I will learn to care.

Now all I give is
My apologies.

----- By Abinash Sarangi

Abandoned Love.... By *Bob Dylan

I can hear the turning of the key
I've been deceived by the clown inside of me.
I thought that he was righteous but he's vain
Oh, something's a-telling me I wear the ball and chain.

My patron saint is a-fighting with a ghost
He's always off somewhere when I need him most.
The Spanish moon is rising on the hill
But my heart is a-tellin' me I love ya still.

I come back to the town from the flaming moon
I see you in the streets, I begin to swoon.
I love to see you dress before the mirror
Won't you let me in your room one time 'fore I finally disappear?

Everybody's wearing a disguise
To hide what they've got left behind their eyes.
But me, I can't cover what I am
Wherever the children go I'll follow them.

I march in the parade of liberty
But as long as I love you I'm not free.
How long must I suffer such abuse
Won't you let me see you smile one time before I turn you loose?

I've given up the game, I've got to leave,
The pot of gold is only make-believe.
The treasure can't be found by men who search
Whose gods are dead and whose queens are in the church.

We sat in an empty theater and we kissed,
I asked ya please to cross me off-a your list.
My head tells me it's time to make a change
But my heart is telling me I love ya but you're strange.

One more time at midnight, near the wall
Take off your heavy make-up and your shawl.
Won't you descend from the throne, from where you sit?
Let me feel your love one more time before I abandon it.

... Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan born in 1941 in Minnesota USA is one of the revolutionary writers who has written many hit songs which even got political influence in USA in those days of 1960s.

Hoo-Haa-India....

It was the 2003 world cup and India was shining. But there they made a wrong move by going for the New Zealand series while on the brink of the world cup. Now its 2007 world cup and India is again at a wrong place SA while just on the brink of the world cup. It seems India is repeating the same story but with just a little difference. Last time their temperament was high and it lead them in to the finals but this time every one is skeptical if they would make it to even the quarters? So it has been a tradition for India to be the wrong place at the wrong (or even right does not matter) time. Well if we make the analogy of the world cup with a D-Day in a student’s career then we can find what is needed the most is
1. The same or even more enthusiasm and Motivation.
2. More practice few mock tests and more practice on weak points.
3. Getting the resources
4. Hard work
5. Guidance And when the final day comes closer what is more important is

And on the D-Day what is more important is Stress management, zeal to perform and the patience and perseverance.
Similarly in cricket we develop a team with each player motivated to perform their best despite all adversity. Then the planning and strategies and the right leadership comes into picture. We find a guide in the name of a coach, and all these hard work. Then practice and the mock matches like the ongoing series.

But the Main Problem

The real problem lies in the fact that the Indian team should concentrate more on the practice and getting over the weak arrears like the poor bowling and fielding but what they are doing is they are playing too many matches and giving least importance and time to over come the hindrance they found in the earlier matches. They don’t invest time for Problem Solving but For problem Finding. So many of the problems persist and even escalate.

Most of the players don’t seem motivated for winning and it’s a problem that lies in the grass root of many others.
Just because of this lack of motivation they struggle to give effort towards the goal, winning.
So what we need desperately is consistent and motivated players and not just temporary performers.

We have to accept stress management does not come naturally to Indians. So we have to develop it by practice and work. We have to make it an attitude but not a single of our players seems to do so. They just give in to the situation and never fight back with a motive of winning. If we miss the first ball, we can never hit the second one and correspondingly it becomes a chain reaction of failures; this is the mind set almost all of the players pursue. Least they understand its always better to give it a shot at the best because if they don’t it will never happen any way but if they do at least there is a slim chance.

We are negative inherently as we see a half full glass to be half empty. But then we override it with our reasoning. But on the field it seems players never miss to see a half won match as half lost. So how come they win??

Down To Earth Reality

Now let’s look into the down to earth problem which is more superficial and can be invoked as short term changes.
1. Team selection and management
2. Getting accustom to playing conditions.
3. The clear hindrance of easy money and fame.

The current Indian team is ……….(TEAM NAME GOES HERE.).
Now with only 2 experience players and all others new does it seem they are ready for the world cup? This is the weakest team India has ever witnessed. But Why all these worthless experiments just before the world cup? We could have done it much before the season. The performance of the players are very poor. Raina has an Average of only 26.34 while he has already played 35 ODIs. Now is that the batting figure an ODI player should carry? Then why he is still in the team? Middle order seem to be dilapidated with Dinesh Mongia. He has never performed when it was needed but still no one has bothered to find a remedy.
The Indian cricket is highly influenced by politics and the internal disputes. The only thing they can leave over if they continue to be political is a good topic of case study for the coming generation management students.
Saurav Gangully whose individual records are very bright and comes second only to Sachin Tendulka in India is dropped out of the team. He has been the most successful Indian captain in foreign ground. He has got the second highest no of centuries and more than 10000 ODI runs just in 283 matches. But he is a victim of politics and he is out of the team. The coach is very bright as an individual and was a great cricketer but he never made a good leader. He has not resolved the differences but only escalated them and certainly that’s the opposite of what leadership accounts for.
Playing balls on a fast track and on the front foot is not natural for Indians. They are accustomed to slow and dry pitches of India. But the Caribbean wickets are hard and bouncy so its going to force the bats man to play in the back foot. And especially for Indian it will be problematic as they are not good at bounce and pace. Contrary to this what they are doing now is playing at SA with the same slow pitch and a completely different weather conditions. But shouldn’t they now try to catch up with these bouncy and fast pitches and the weather conditions? When ever they face these extreme conditions they give in and explain later how everything was different and hard. But again they never try to eradicate the problem with is always evident. Indian fielders are not good as Indians are not risk takers and the bowling is always poor. But the BCCI has never felt the necessity to employ a special coach for both these areas. India had many good fielders like Robin Singh, Azharruddin but they were never consulted for the training. It needs a huge reform and its high time we go for it. Most importantly we need a right decision maker. We can not blame the coach or the facilities. All we should do must come from with in. Every player should realize the gravity of the demand and develop skills to cope with it.
Players are more indulged in earning bucks from endorsement of brands. Rushing to quick fame and then overlooking the extra responsibility that comes with publicity. They fail to do “Impression Management”. Air-tel terminated the contract with Sachin just because his brand value is decreasing. They forget what they are getting as the brand ambassador and the face they are handling is just a result of their performance on field. If they fail to be consistent they are out of the game. In this highly competitive world. What we need is performance to be in the game. And as the spectators we just can’t raise fingers also its our duty to think with belief “I-Can-Do-Something-About-It.”. And we should encourage youngsters to play quality cricket by involving themselves passionately. If today we fail to make a robust team of 11 out of the 1.1 billion population then its just because we never contribute and think to be independent. And its not just about cricket… its about everything.