“With 122 runs required from 18 overs and almost half the side back in the pavilion, the man that India needs, the captain walks in to bat,” the commentator announced as Swami and Jigneshbhai watched MS Dhoni take guard at the crease. “This man will do it again,” Swami bet on the captain, like so … Read more
Here are some excerpts from the book ‘The Science of Mind Management’ by Swami Mukundananda: Our mind is the single-most important factor that determines the quality of our life. Successfully controlled, it becomes our best alloy, but if allowed to run wild, it steals our inner peace and undermines all our productive endeavours. We experience … Read more
The other day when we met over coffee, Swami was in a bad mood, which isn’t surprising. But what was surprising is that he was in a bad mood because of me. “You will never write a bestseller,” he said. “You write stories and articles and novels, that’s the problem. No one pays for stories.” … Read more
It has been a washout February as far as writing is concerned for me. I haven’t got a word on paper (or on MS Word, actually) in this entire month, all of it due to what I would like to blame on writer’s block, but in reality, is a curious mix of laziness and distractions. … Read more
Swami Vivekananda on Attachment: Be “unattached”; let things work; let brain centres work; work incessantly, but let not a ripple conquer the mind. To attain this unattachment is almost a life-work. Attachment comes only where we expect a return. If working like slaves results in selfishness and attachment, working as master of our own mind … Read more
My notes from ‘Vedanta: Voice of Freedom” – a selected compilation from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. ‘What is Vedanta’ Chapter Highlights reproduced below: *** Just as creation is infinite and eternal, without beginning and without end, so is the knowledge of God without beginning and without end. And this knowledge is what is … Read more
It had been almost six months now that Kirthana had been bedridden. It had been six months since her husband Karthik had been her caregiver. “Another silent day, another silent night. What a useless life!” the thirty something Karthik said to himself. Kirthana tried to move her left hand and leg but her best efforts … Read more
My notes from ‘Vedanta: Voice of Freedom” – a selected compilation from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. “The Religion of Vedanta” – Chapter Highlights reproduced below: *** Even if a book were given by God that contained all the truth about religion, it would not serve the purpose, because nobody could understand the book. … Read more
In Varanasi, Pappu Pandey gazed at his dear friend Lalu Mishra’s dead body on the pyre. He stood next to Lalu’s son Pratap waiting for proceedings to begin. He was at a makeshift crematorium ghat next to the main one at Manikarnika. It was for people who had passed away due to the lethal pandemic … Read more