Nrayan Seva

In Bharateeya term, there are two types of Narayanas in society. One is Laksminarayana and the other is Daridranarayana. What was so beautiful about this was both were Narayana. The duty of Laksminarayana was to help Daridranarayana.
People generally think that Laksmi means only money but if you happen to go through the Srisuktam then you may understand that any wealth was Laksmi. Anything can make you rich like knowledge, power, fame, ideas, strength and you can name any virtue. That also means that one may be Laksminarayana with one virtue but may be Daridranarayana in other. So it was not a permanent label but based on desh (place), kaal (time) and paristhithi (situation). so the philosophy was, that if you have it, share it with those, who don’t have it. Also, if you don’t have it, ask from the people who have it. this also meant asking was not bad. So beggars were nor scorned and not looked down as problem for society.
I remember when ever any beggar arrived at our home we used to shout out “Mummy, Narayana has come. What shall we give him?”. Reply used to differ according to time. Mother used to say “ask him, we have chapatti, will he take?” or sometimes “ tell him food is still being cooked he can either wait or comeback later.” Used to look very usual matter but I think there was the Bharateeya culture being inculcated. As a policy we did not offer money but only food sometimes old clothing too. And there was some change there too. Don’t call then Daridranarayana just Narayana is enough.
When I arrived in Japan, in Kyushu, I found hard to see any Narayana. The reason was not that there were no Narayana but I was staying all the time in my lab and my room which were in a new settlement area. When I landed in Hakata to attend the sai center program I saw few of them. Few looked mentally challenged others were in old age. They did not ask for anything. Few were seen picking empty cans or garbage. I think they might have got something for that. Later, I came to know that Sai devotees also did Narayan seva.
I too went with them. They would have brought some food items, cooked or bought. They made packets of food and went round the park. I saw there were few people who had their dwelling place, much hidden by think foliage of the park, made of left over plastic sheets. Room used to full of waste and recyclable material. We gave items we had brought along with us. They said thanks. We came back.
After 30-60 min walk we could hardly find 5-6. I did not ask any question. Mostly I was silent witness to all happenings. I heard that in Kobe Sai center does bigger Narayana Seva with hundreds of them coming for food. I did not believe it earlier.
The image which I had was that japan is prosperous country with stabilized society. My personal opinion is that they are very careful people and plan meticulously. They belive system and cooperate with it. they work hard and never complain. All these were good points. There was something strange too which I observed. I remember, once pen has fallen down from my professor’s hand I bent down to pick it up. He stopped me. He bent down to pick it up. We did not talk about it. But I understood. What was so natural in Bharat was not acceptable here. Taking help made people feel that they are someway inferior, an unacceptable thing for a country with pride.
It happened again in Nagoya; I was coming back from my college and saw a person had fallen down on the footpath. Looked like, he had sprained his leg. Passers by did not even stop to enquire. I stopped my bicycle and bent down to ask if I could help the person in getting up. He looks at me with strange glance. And then came a clear No. he continued with his struggle with pain. I had no option but to leave the place as other people were also gazing me with enquiring look. I am foreigner in this place and have many limitations. I don’t know the local law and even very poor with language and communication.
I came to know that Nagoya center also has Narayana Seva activity, every alternate Saturday. So I went there too. I was amazed to see more than 200 lined up for hours to receive the food packet. Many were old, but few were youthful too. Some were shabbily dressed but few were even well dressed. They say that they are homeless people. For us, in Bharat, being homeless is not such a big problem. But here problem are very different.
In Japan, a very structured society, one gets job when he has an address. So if you don’t have an address you cannot get any job. Even temporary job or daily wage earning becomes difficult. Generally, people have very stable job and many a times they stay in company sponsored accommodation. Economy is coming down. Companies have started laying off. Suddenly people find themselves nowhere. No social security, no health insurance no social network. Where does it leave you?
I have heard that Japanese say that there are no poor people but only lazy people. If you work you can get what you want. So if you are seen helping these people then you will be thought as the one who is promoting laziness. May be they are true.
When I see somebody waiting in queue for hours just to have a a morsel of rice or a bun or one banana, I don’t see any logic in argument. Just go and give. He is my Narayana at that moment. I don’t want any logic at that moment.
And I hear from the news that poverty has been rising in Japan. People don’t want to accept it. Government doesn’t want to discuss it. They plan to solve it. But today’s hunger does not need a long term planning. It needs a bread or rice to get solved. I don’t want to solve problem of whole universe. But I know when I do Narayana Seva Narayana will take care of it.

nagas and researcher

I was reading some reporting on haridwar kumbh mela. One of the attractions now a day is the recluse Naga sadhus. It was told that when a person wants to become naga sadhu he has to go through a very tough training period of 10-12 years, during which he had to find 5 different gurus. if he successfully completes this feat then he is fit to join the group of naga sadhu else he has to leave.
i think something similar is in research field. Once you want to get in you have to start doing projects under different guides and after some training you can start your independent research.
i see much more similarity between these two groups. While all other profession hogs the lime light the research is the one which always remain in the background. Any researcher who gets attracted to the flash of media gets caught into it. i think it is something similar to naga sadhus. of course naga sadhusa re more perfect in their approach. They gave up everything for their attainment. Something similar is expected even from researcher. Give up name, fame and if you happen to work for some sensitive project then list to give up thing increases further. Sometimes even identity.
Some times it is aked what do the sadhus achieve by doing all this. It is answered that first of all they live in a self satisfied life and secondly in their own way they are making this world a better place by sending their energy. Researchers are also working in that direction. naga sadhus are also being directed by the cosmic energy and the researchers are also being directed by the force of nature.

There could be many but I stop here.

I look back and I think I have got few guide to name for me.

Dr Rao, then Dr Kumar, then Dr Nishino and now is Dr Matsumi. I think I will have to look for the fifth.

two leaders

in recent past we have seen two leaders in limelight facing failures but reaction has been very different.
the first one was the home minister, Mr Chidambaram. CRPF lost their ground in one of the worst incidents in anti naxal operations. there is still lot about it, which is not yet known and probably will never be known to public. but the reaction of the home minister was to resign. it was rejected by his leaders. all this appeared to be a well calculated political step. he is politician and he is supposed to do politics. but i think there should be some line drawn between the role of the politician and the role of a minister. i dont know how much he gained from the resignation. a strong reply should have been given by the minister not in words but by the action. the very next day the heat should have been turned on naxal. this would have done all the needful. more than a week has gone by and there is only words going round. anyway i should not comment much about it.
next was the one seen in case of failure of indigenous cryogenic engine launch. withing minutes the failure was evident. whole nation was waiting to rejoice. it was vishu, Malayalam new year. but we failed. not due to something else but due to out own mistakes. being in scientific research i can imagine how much it takes to make a experiment successful. but what whole nation was watching was not an experiment but outcome of experiment of 18 years. when chandrayaan was successful ISRO was praised naturally the blame will also follow for their failure. thinking that scientist are selfless devoted person, people are not even thinking of commenting against it. it should be aske dnot for blame game but for the improvement.

i think the worse was what followed after that. ISRO director said that we will send another cryogenic within an year. we know how much time it takes to set up a launch vehicle. it appeared that everyone, including director, was visibly perturbed. there should not be any decision made in such state of mind. no announcement should be made. anyway the words are out and i hope i will be prooved wrong by the determination of the scientist at ISRO. otherwise, it can be told that there was no commitment made and there are understandable problems in achieving it. any delay beyond an year will strengthen my opinion that even the head of such a organisation dont give value to their own words. what value should we give to their words. i dont say that they are not sincere. but i think leader, at the helm, should always weigh their words and deed. they are being watched by many, may be unconsciously.

so both the learder missed the mark to set an example. all this is my personal opinion.

meeting brother Ganeshan

yesterday was like any other Sunday at Sai center. we heard that some person called Yoganathan would be coming. he is on business trip would like to come at our center. he came with his son at middle of the program. we were ending our study circle by then.
i asked his son id he know anything about British Sathya Sai Education in Human Value. he told that he did know about it. i told him that there is a person named Ganeshan who keeps sending news letter. and then he revealed that he is that ganeshan. i was so surprized. i thanked him for all the resources i have been getting due to him. he is a good singer and harmonium player too. he sang one of the melodious songs
Narayan Narayan bahjoman Narayan
Sri Hari Govinda Narayan bhajoman Narayan
Murali Shyaam Mohan Shyam Murali Mohan Shayaam
mere Raam ek hi nam
sadguru sai nam

i am bit surprised with the events happening with me. i met Makino san who is intrested in education ( he will be going to Bhutan, to look over the construction of schools)and now i met one of resourceful person from britain.
God knows what is coming up next.

Gayatri and World conference theme

Gayatri camp was organized by devotees of Kansai area. i was supposed to assist them in learning correct pronunciation. Like any scientific research i went through more and more reference available on internet. Every source had a different version to talk. Even in same addition there was no consistency. Knowing the taste of Japanese for standardization, i was bit afraid to step into my role. With lot of trepidation i began and every thing as taken care. There was never a time of doubt. He had taken care of everything it went on smoothly.
There was distinctly moment when I felt His supply coming. it was when there was comparison of Gayatri with the world conference theme. World conference has theme of GOD IS, I AM I, LOVE ALL, SERVE ALL. Gayatri has five parts. The first is Om. I hardly understand anything about it, like I don’t know anything about God. So i compared Om to "God Is" part of the theme. I had few quotation and parables to tell Om is verily God. I resisted the temptation to go in to those and skipped to the next. Next part of Gayatri mantra told BHUH BHUVAH and SUVAHA these have been translated in different ways depending on whom you are reading. So I chose the simplest that is of Swami. Three refer to our three components of personality body mind and soul. This made me clear that it has something to do with I AM I. in extended form of Gayatri there are seven words corresponding to seven Lokas and in Prashnottara Vahini Swami tells that these are seven part in our body. At some point I read that these are different levels of consciousness in our existence. Till now the job appeared easy.
Next i had three lines of Gayatri and two phases left in theme. i did not get any resemblances . So I was undecided about them. While talking when I came to this point I told something which was surprise even to me.
The line tatasaviturvarenyam vaguely means The sun is adorable. Now I extended the meaning. Sun is splendor and glory. Adoration is outcome of love. What does loving all mean? I feel instead of loving every one should love God. And that takes care of love towards every one. Like pouring water at the root and water reaches every leaf and all tissues of tree. So when you love God, in fact you love all. So when you adore God you love all. So this was also clear to me that tatasaviturvarenyam is love all.
I was more hopeful that next stage of meaning would also come. And indeed it arrived following this. I was sure that next two line will refer to the last part of the theme. Bhargo devasya dheemahi dhiyoyonaH prachodayat broadly means I meditate on you and bestow me with illumination of intelligence. Why do you want to have intelligence? In general worldly sense you need intelligence to perform something. So what will happen when god will bless you with illuminated intelligence? You will do something good deed. And according to sage Vyasa there is only one good deed that is to help others ( paropakaaraaya PuNyaaya). So that is like serve all. Was it so easy?
Thank to Swami the job went on well. Initial reaction which I received was that people had liked it. I don’t know how much of those comments were true but I am still basking in joy.

Push and Pull of Time

while watching Timewave 2013, i heard one of the person telling that your present is not only product of past but also guided by future. some say that this guiding future is programmed by my past. but there is something more to it. there is more universal pattern. i too feel there is some something into it. the river flows not only because mountain has given water to it but also because there is ocean which is pulling it. so for a river to flow there has to be past in form of mountain and future in the form of Ocean.