Sixty-Five isn’t quite different from sixty-four, as Devendra discovers soon after his birthday. By the same vein, thirty-five isn’t vastly different from thirty-four. They celebrate both today, his sixty-fifth birthday and their thirty-fifth anniversary. He sips his wine watching his wife and the sunset alternately from the beautiful sands of the ocean. Both the sights … Read more
Swami Vivekananda on Strength: The only way to rise is by doing the duty next to us, and thus gathering strength go on until we reach the highest state. The infinite strength of the world is yours. Drive out the superstition that has covered your minds. Let us be brave. Know the Truth and practice … Read more
I made a bunch of notes on Writing Advice by Stephen King. I like to refer to this list from time to time. Here I reproduce it for your reference and reading pleasure. Stop watching television. Instead, read as much as possible. Prepare for more failure and criticism than you think you can deal with. … Read more
The battle of virtue and envy went on for many years and Drona always found himself fighting on the side of envy, though like Bheeshma, his heart was with the carriers of virtue. The first instance of fighting against his favorite pupil, Arjuna, for Drona, was in the battle of Virata when it was suspected … Read more
After my first draft, my first round of editing is about getting the story right and sharp. In that round, I focus on getting the character, its conflict and the resolution of that conflict correct and smooth. My second (and usually last) round of editing is more technical and focused on finishing. Here is my … Read more
Swami Vivekananda on Religion: We know that all religions alike, from the lowest fetishism to the highest absolutism, are but so many attempts of the human soul to grasp and realise the Infinite. It is an insult to a starving people to offer them religion; it is an insult to a starving man to teach … Read more
When a piece of music is good, it gets a lot of claps. When a piece of music is great, it gets silence. It is easy to compose and deliver music that gets claps. It is the work of a true genius to compose and deliver music that gets silence. No claps, no words, only … Read more
At the open house of Vidya Niketan School, all students sat in uncomfortable silence. Most of them were with their mothers. Some of them were with their fathers. They waited for the class teacher to call them. They dreaded the impending discussion about their performance. Most of them wondered why this day existed. Some of … Read more
How much is a teacher responsible for shaping a student and how much of it is the student’s own making? How much does external training shape someone and how much is driven by internal traits and talent? How much of a student’s success and failure can a teacher be held accountable for? These are questions … Read more