Pope's Big Bang

I am writing this blog as a follow-up of my earlier writing "Science and Religion".

I was surprised to read a news item to-day giving details of Pope Francis's speech at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.In his speech, Pope has said as follows: "When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is no so.

God created humans and let them develop according to the internal laws that He gave to each one so that they would reach their fulfillment. The Big Bang which to-day we hold to be the origin of the world does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator,but rather requires it. Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation--because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve"
The Catholic Church has long had the reputation of being anti-science. Galileo faced the Inquisition and  was forced to retract his "heretic" theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun. He was eventually forgiven,some 400 years later and given post-mortem pardon in 2008. This recent statement of Pope Francis has therefore come as a very big surprise as the Church has always remained staunch in its belief that God ultimately is responsible for the world we know to-day.
Beside, the statement  contradicts the meaning of "Creationism".

Creationism is the belief that the Universe and living organisms originate "from the specific acts of divine creation" The president of Italy's National Institute of Astrophysics has this to say about the
statement of the Pope. "The Pope's statement is significant. We are the direct descendants from the Big Bang  that created the Universe. Evolution came from Creation". The christian Church does not believe in re-birth,though they do believe in good and evil. They believe that on the Judgement Day, the deeds of humans are judged by Jesus and the soul is directed to either Hell or heaven. They do believe in Heaven and Hell, but do not believe in re-birth."You only live once" is their line of thinking.

Being a staunch Hindu believing in Karma, I do not subscribe to the statement of the Pope. Belief in Karma enables me to be disciplined and lead a moral life.Fear of being born again with disabilities or being born in a disadvantaged family compels me to lead a good moral life. This theory suits me.
I am not anti-science. I do not accept the recent statement of the Pope as it rules out "karma" theory.
Let me lead a life like my great fore-fathers.

V.K.Balasubramanian
29th October 2014

Science and Religion

For a long time, I have been planning to write my views on this subject. In my college days, I have read a lot about Bertrand Russell's views on this topic. I had also read of Einstein's famous statement "Science without religion is blind and religion without science is lame" These statements meant nothing to me until I started thinking on my own.

According to the Vedas, human beings go through "Sthai Bhav"  (permanent thoughts) and "Sancharik bhav" -(thoughts which come and go). In my "Sancharik bhav", I was always asking questions to myself about this subject and trying to form my own views

As a student, I knew very little of science and absolutely nothing about religion. I knew that physics was dealing with matter-electrons and neutrons, Biology was dealing with life  and chemistry with elements.(it was 98 when I was a student and now, I understand, it is 108). Likewise, I knew I was a Hindu and that going to temples would benefit me. In the matter of religion,I was totally influenced by parents and family back-ground.

I was a school student in an era when Dravidian leaders like Annadurai were influencing young minds with their thoughts and speeches.His famous statement "Onre kulam.Oruvane Devan" (There is only one sect and one God) set me thinking.With a view to getting clarification on this I consulted my Sanskrit teacher at School,Mr Thathachariar. He patted me, put his hands on my shoulders and told me "Look Balu, people dress differently.You like sweets and your friends like something else. To please everybody, different forms were given to God and different names created. In fact, God is only one". This did not satisfy me at that time. I even stupidly began to feel why such a pious and devout Hindu should align himself with anti-social elements.

The dispute between Science and Religion arose over evolution,creation and origin of life.All religions, excepting Jainism,credit creation to God,while Science does not accept this theory of One Creator. There were many instances of disputes between famous Scientists like Galileo andSir Isaac Newton and Religious Heads. Galileo once stated that "The intention of the Holy Spirit is to teach us  to go to Heaven and not how the Heavens go". The acceptance of the fact that God created the world  as a self-operating system is what motivated many Christians throughout middle ages. to investigate Nature. It was believed by many that Religious Scientists  like Newton could have  achieved much more had they not accepted religious answers to unsolved scientific issues

I came to know about Jainism from my friend Nareshkumar Jain. All I knew earlier was there were two sects of Jains--Shewtambara (wearing white clothes  and Digambara (wearing no clothes).Mr Jain explained to me about Jainism in detail.Jainism does not believe in a Creator Deity.Universe and its constituents--soul,matter,space,time and principles of motion--have always existed.All the constituents and actions are governed by Universal natural laws,It is not possible to create matter out of nothing and hence the sum total of matter in the Universe remains the same. Throughout the ages,Jain philosophers have adamantly rejected and opposed the concept of Creator and Omnipotent God.This has resulted in Jainism being labelled  as "Nastik Darshana".

Around the time I came know about Jainism, I also came to know about Bahai Faith.This religion insists on the harmony of True Science and True Religion.According to this faith,"Religion without Science is Superstition and Science without religion is Materialism"True religion must conform to the conclusions of Science.

Buddhism is another religion which accepts science totally.The 14th Dalai Lama once said"If scientific analysis were to conclusively demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false then we must accept the findings of Science and abandon those claims". 

According to Islam,"Science,the study of nature,is considered to be linked to the concept of TAWHID.(the oneness of God). 

Hinduism and Christianity on the one side and Science on the other side,do not agree about creation and origin of life. In fact, there is one sub-sect among Kerala Christians who do not even consult doctors and take medicines even when seriously ill. Their sub-sect does not allow them to take recourse to medicine,which is the product of science.

I have always believed that the incarnations of Vishnu's Dasavadharam is almost identical to the scientific explanation of the sequence of biological evolution of man and animals. Educated Hindus accept the theory of biological evolution Enough scientific evidence exists to support  Charles Darwin!s theory of Evolution.

I had read a story long time back about a young boy asking his mother "Can I be Christian and yet be a Scientist" This is because that over time,people have tried to separate science from faith,but tn truth,the two can co-exist.A Scientist can have faith in GOD while still trying to explain the world around him through the logic of scientific study,The two do not contradict nor should they cause a crisis of faith.

Human beings are curious creatures.We want to know why water boils at a particular temperature,why stome trees grow in some state,but not in another,why some babies have blue eyes and others brown.Out of our innate need for understanding came science.Scientists study the world around us to explain things.They look at the world through impartial eyes to see how things work. From these studies have come wonderful things like medicine,air-planes,cars etc. Faith also gives explanation ro everything,but gives a different sort of explanation. To Christians and Hindus,God created Universe.Though we cannot see HIM,HE is in everything and knows everything.Faith gives us the idea that there is order in the Universe,because God created it..However,faith does not always give us detailed answers to how things work.

We know things work.We know that things have relationship,because God created the word that way.This aspect of our faith is important in understanding how faith and science can go hand-n-hand.

Some people in both communities think that science and faith should never co-exist.Some feel that they have to choose one over the other.Others believe that faith is crutch people use when they have not studied something to give a scientific explanation for an occurrence.Some feel that that science challenges their belief too much and feel that it is the enemy speaking to them to pull them away from GOD saying that science does too much to question God.

Take the case of the Big Bang Theory.Scientists have been trying to figure out the source of the Big bang to explain the start of the Universe. However,some scientists of the Faith believe that God  was the source of the Big Bang which is how He created the world.Instead, they study how the Big Bang led to the evolution of other creatures on the earth. The scientists use faith to explain why Big Bang theory happened (to create the world) and how  it impacted us (how we have evolved since then).They have reconciled their faith with their scientific study.

Let me come to my own personal experience.

Religion has given me mental strength,peace of mind and a value system.By following the value system, I have been able to live a disciplined life.

Science, on the other hand, has given me animal comforts.To-day, I cannot think of a comfortable life without the benefits provided by Science during the last one hundred years.Who would have thought of internet some thirty years ago? Today, if I am not able to access internet during power break-downs, I become uneasy.

Religion is a matter of faith.It appeals to my spirits.When distressed,I take recourse to religion and not sleeping tablets (product of science).Science provides me with comforts.I need them both for a balanced living.

"Religion for the Soul and Science for the body" is my mantra.

"Wide Awake"

The other day I was seeing a film called "Wide Awake". It is a very interesting film. It is about a boy's search for God. He is studying in a Catholic school and is taught by Catholic nuns. He does not want to accept their statement about existence of God. He wants proof that there is God. The nuns tell him to read the Bible where it is said " You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you".The boy also challenges a Priest when he goes for a Confession with the words " You and me are the same. Both are seeking God. If you find him earlier, please tell me". The Priest tells the boy that he would, if he found God.

The boy is very much attached to his grand-father. While walking together one day, the grand-father tells the boy that very shortly he will be going to God. The boy then asks the grand-father proof that there is God. The old man points out to the snow and asks the boy what caused snow. The boy gives a scientific explanation and the grand-father tells him that there is something more than a scientific explanation. Finally, the boy asks the question :"If there is no God who will take care of you there?". The film does not prescribe any solutions. It only raises some questions. Only when the title was shown towards the end, I realised it is a film made by Manoja Night S Shyamalan, maker of "Sixth Sense".

As a boy ten, similar questions also occurred to me. One day in the drawing class, I was asked to draw some pictures. Out of the ten pictures I drew, almost eight were the same --same nose, eyes etc. I then started thinking that if millions of people had different faces and looked different , then there must be some super-power guiding us.

As I grew older, I heard and read about the theory of Big Bang. The scientists claimed that the universe was created by a big explosion of energy and light, which they called Big Bang. According to them, this was the beginning of Universe-space and time. If the Universe had not always existed, it had a start at some point of time,. What had caused that?. Scientists have no explanation for the sudden explosion of light and matter.

Besides, there is precise mathematical calculation behind the creation of Universe. If we have to accept Big Bang theory, what caused this precise mathematics?.
The Earth- its size is perfect.If earth were smaller, an atmosphere would be impossible like the Planet Mercury. If the earth were larger, its atmosphere would contain free hydrogen like Jupiter. Earth is the planet equipped with an atmosphere of the right mixture of gasses to sustain plant,animal and human life. There is mathematics in this.

WATER: -colourless,odourless and without taste and yet no living being can survive without it. It has unusually high boiling point and freezing point. Water is a universal solvent. There is mathematics in this.

The Human Brain-It can simultaneously process an amazing amount of information. Likewise, the EYE can distinguish among seven million colours. There is mathematics in this,

The DNA Code informs and programs a cell!s behaviour. Is there not mathematics in this?.If we accept the Big Bang theory, who created this precise mathematics?. A Nobel Laurate, Mr Richard Feyman, who won his prize for "quantum electro-dynamics has said"Why nature is mathematical is a mystery. The fact that there are rules at all is a kind of miracle".

As for me, I am presently in a state of of "absolute surrender".. I believe in the famous words ;' Faith is above all openness; an act of trust in the unknown".

"God loves us the way we are, but HE loves us too much to leave us that way"

DREAMS

Here, I am going to write about the dreams we have while asleep-and not about day dreams.

For the last four months, I am getting frequent dreams about examination. Either I am not able to complete the paper or I miss the bus while going to examination hall. This "missing the bus" dream has come very frequently. In reality, I have never missed an examination. Nor have I missed a bus while going to an examination hall. I am not able to interpret these dreams. The last examination I wrote was in 1966- a Banking Exam called CAIIB.Many people are not able to remember their dreams. I vividly remember the dreams the next day.

While these dreams disturbed me, I took consolation from the fact that we sleep best when we have dreams. It is believed that the dreams occur only during deepest sleep. The sleeper is almost impossible to wake in this state. If there is a loud noise or if the sleeper is shaken, it will take the sleeper a few seconds to wake up.

Last year. I used to have dreams about snakes. When I discussed this with a friend he told me I may have "naga dosha". I stopped consulting these half-baked astrologers after this.

On an average, one third of our life is spent on sleep.During this one-third we have dreams. Essentially,dreams are our own method of relaxing and letting our minds drift away to a distant world. While dreaming, we can interact with various people,places or things. Technically. dreams are nothing but hallucinations.

Interpreting dreams is a powerful tool. We can find out deep secrets or several concealed feelings towards something or somebody just by analysing a dream correctly. Scientists believe that to keep our minds active during sleep, we must have dreams. There is a reference to interpretation of the dreams even in BIBLE. It is mentioned that one Joseph interpreted the dreams of two men correctly.

Believe me when I say that had dreams of Mayavathi, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. I had seen her unveling her own statue in a Park on TV and went to sleep immediately after that. I had immages of Mayavathi and Elephants in the dreams that followed. She has installed fifty of her own statutes in various parts of Uttar Pradesh. She had also installed statues of Elephants in all those places. Incidentally, Elephant is the symbol of her Party.( Bahujan Samaj Party) .Mayavat is no less than a grown elephant. Visualise a scene where Mayavathi and Elephats appear in the same park. It would be difficult to distinguish between the two. What surprised me most was Mayavathi unveiling her own statue in Gonmathi Nagar, Lucknow. I am sure that if she looses the next election, all her statues will be demolished. How conceated and self-opinionated one can be is best illustrated by Mayavathi.

I would have been much happier, if instead of Mayavathi, Madhuri Dikshit had appeared in my dreams.

I believe in the theory of Sigmond Freud on dreams. He says that "the purpose of dreams is to allow us to satisfy in fantasies the instinctive urges that society judges unacceptable"

I will be travellling in September and will resume writing in my blog in October.

Hats off to America

Equality of expression and equality of freedom are enshrined in the Constitutions of all countries, but nowhere else is it practiced and accepted as widely as in U.S.A. (at least now). The case in point is the latest Tea Diplomacy of Barrack Obama, President of the country. The freedom of expression is so great that there were any number of jokes on Clinton and Bush--particulary on Clinton after his Monica affair. USA is one of the countries in the world where there is absolutely no press censorship of any kind.Look at the efforts of Bill Clinton in bringing back the two American Journalists from Korea---the same journalistic community which ridiculed him no end.

A small incident that happened on 16th July in Cambridge has caught the attention of the world. One lady, Mrs Lucia telephoned the Police informing that two black people were trying to break open the door of a house in the nieghbourhood. The Police Searjent who received the call was a while man by the name of James Crolly. The searjent immediately went to the spot and questioned the two men who were trying to break the door. The searjent asked for ID and one the men replied that he was trying to open the locks of his own house. The Policeman refused to accept the statement. He asked for ID Proof. The black man then tried to speak to a superior police officer. After much heated exchange of words, the black man produced an ID issued by Harward University. Yes, he was Professor Henry Louis Gates of Harward. The searjent then called the Harward Police. The Professor and his black driver were then taken to the police station and were detained for a few
hours. They were let off after some time. Here the important points to note are::

1)The lady who telephoned the Police believed either that a black man would not own a house in the neighbourhood. or house-breakers would be only blacks
2)The Police refused to accept the story of the Professor.
3)The Professor was detained because he initially refused to provide ID proof and used strong language. He used the words " Do you think that black man!s statement should not be accepted"
4)Another Police Officer who came on the scene after some time was a black man and he supported the stand of James Crolly.

This incident was widely published in all the newspapers of USA. President Obama made a statenent to the effect that USA was still not successful in overcoming racial issues. He also criticised the Police functioning in this case.

The Police Searjent did not accept the criticism of the President. He mentioned that the President was making a statement without knowing the facts.

The President immediately mentioned that he was not aware of the full facts of the case. He withdrew his criticism of the Police.

What happened next was most unexpected. The President invited the Police Officer and the Professor for TEA in the White House.. After the meeting with the President, both the Professor and the Police stuck to their respective stands.

That an ordinary police official could make a statement about the President openly is indeed remarkable. The President was also magnanimous in accepting his mistake.

Can you think of this happening in India?. Here even a very high ranking Police Official will be afraid of talking about even a Junior Minister or a bureaucrat. We are used to "Sir" culture. All the superior Officers are addressed as "Sir". In USA, they are called by their names. In India, if you call a Superior Officer by name, it will hurt his ego.

Here, I cannot but quote the folllowing famous words of Carl Schurtz:

"My Country,when right, kept it right. When wrong, set it right".

Efforts and Fruits

I was reading an article of Swami Sukhbodhnanda on " Enjoy the effort no matter what effect" .

He has said " I will recommend another approach. You can have a desire. Put in your best effort to fulfil it. But make sure you enjoy the effort rather than its fruits".

I do not agree with his view. I feel that unless we pursue our goal relentlessly, the intensity of the effort will come down. If we celebrate only the march towards the destination, we may not ever reach the destination at all. My view is that if we fail, we should not get discouraged, We should make all out efforts towards reaching the goal. When we have a dream, we must believe that our dream will come true. We must plan and work hard towards the goal. Imagine what would have happened if leaders like Mahatma Gandhi,Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela had been satisfied only with their march towards destination and not the destination. It is essential to have faith in one!s own abilities. It is said "Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around".

Here, I want to cite a case known to me. One of my friends, from an early age, wanted to become a successful lawyer. He would tell me that he would become a Senior Lawyer of Madras High Court by the age of forty, After completing law, he became a Junior to Mohan Kumaramangalam. When his mentor became a Central Minister, he started his own practice, He struggled very hard. For some time, he was known as a 'briefless lawyer". He never gave up hope and never lost faith in his ability to achieve his dream. True enough, he became a Senior Lawyer before forty years of age. He also turned down an offer of a Judge of Karnataka High Court, as he was making big money in practice. Unfortunately,he died at a very young age of heart attack. His wife, who became a lawyer at his instance after marrige, took over his practice. To-day, she( Mrs Prabha SriDevan) is a sitting Judge of the Madras High Court. She may even become a Judge of the Supreme Court as she has age
in her favour.

I do realise that failure is a fact of life. There is a spiritual lesson in every failure. Failures are necessary to remind people of their essential human vulnerabilities. An unbroken string of success can create pride and a sense of invincibility about one self in a high achiever .Mohamed Ali bragged "I am the greatest". Such unbriddled pride precedes a great fall.

Humility is a necessary virtue.Surrendering to God is an act of bhakthi-devotion and surrender happens only in a spirit of humility.

Imagine a situation in the Office. A person works very hard and sincerely and always meets his targets. If he does not get promoted or does not get his deserved increments, will he continue his good work? If countries participating in Olympics are merely satisfied with their efforts, they will never win Gold Medal. It is only their zeal to win, combined with training and hard work, that can fetch them Gold.

Reaching the destination is more important than the march towards the destination.

Floods and civic administration in India

I was just witnessing the scenes from Delhi where two hours of floods have played havoc with day-to-day life. In the Capital of the Country, we have not introduced systems to prevent flood havoc, even after 62 years of independence and self-rule.

This is the state of affiars in almost all the cities and towns in the country. The civic administration is so deplorably bad that we do not see any improvements during the last fifty years.This is a matter of great concern.
In Mumbhai, once in two years the rains destroy day-to-day life. The drainage system has not seen any improvements for many years. After the temporary disapperance of the problem, we forget about solving the problem for the future. Successive administrations, belonging to different parties, have failed miserably to grab the issue and solve the problems.

Civic administration in India is very corrupt. There was a report that only 50 percent of the money allocated for any Project reach the Project. The rest of the money disappears in the various corrupt hands.I can only think of the following steps:
1)The underground pipe-lines have to be replaced in stages in Mumbhai. For this, there has to be a time-bound action plan.
2)Effective steps have to be taken to prevent plastic bags from blocking the drainage pipes, preventing the rain water from entering the sea.
3)A high level commitee to be appointed with powers to take corrective action.

A bdul Kalam wanted young people to dream. His dream is that India should be a deveoped country by 2010. The way civic administrations function in India, this one dream, most certainly, will not come true. In Europe and USA even the most remote village has a proper road and drainage dream.

I am only reminded of the famous words of Victor Hugo:

"Nations, like stars,are entitled to eclipse. All is well,provided the light returns and the eclipse does not become endless night"

Will the light ever return to our motherland?

"KHAMBHAKT ISHQ" (to be published in Blog)

I had seen a dance sequence from a Hindi film of this name in Star Plus yesterday. From the mere song, I could guess the story-line. There was so much stretching of legs and throwing up of arms that I wondered whether the hero and the heroine would be left with any energy and time for love.The word "ishq" has a sinister implication. I will have to talk to a friend who knows Urdu to confirm my suspicion. I would rather prefer "Pyaar Mohabat" on any day to "Khambhakt Ishq".

What is love?. Erich Seigal is his book "Love Story" defines love as "never having to say sorry". According to me, love requires serious comimtment and determination. There was a famous Tamil movie hero, Gemiini Ganesh, who married so many times and yet called them "love' every time. He first married Babji and then Pushpavalli (mother of Rekha who was reigning queen of Hindi films at one time), After a few years, he again married Rajashree and called it as "love at first sight". Towards the end of his life, I saw him in a lift in Femina Hotel at Tiruchuirapalli with a twenty year old girl. (he was 78 ). There were reports that he had married this girl.. Is getting married (though illegally) to many girls over a period of time a sign of love or lust.

What are the famous examples we have before us of successful "loved and married" couples? I can think of Prakash Karat ( a Keralite) and Brind Karat (a Bengali). I can also think of late Vikram Sarabhai ( a Gujarati) and Mrinalinin Sarabhai (a South Indian). In Bollywood, I can think ONLY of Nargis (a Muslim)and Sunil Dutt (a Hindu). Their marriage was very successful because of the commitment shown by both towards marriage. Mr Dutt loved his wife so much that he spent eighteen months alone with her towards the end of her life,cancelling all his shootings, trying his best to save her from cancer. He even mortgaged his house in Bandra and raised money from friends for hospital expenses. Twenty years ago, he spent more than a crore of rupees for her treatment. He did not marry again after the death of Nargis and produced a film "yadein" in her memory. He was very much unlike Gemini Ganesh. No wonder the famous daughter of Gemini Ganesh, Rekha, wanted to
marry Sunil Dutt after her affair with Amitabh Bachan. I have great admiration for Mr Dutt, tholugh I do not think much his son.

We have also examples of J.F.Kennedy and Jacquline Kennedy, another case of "loved and married" couple. After the death of JFK, Jacquline two-timed Robert Kennedy and a Greek Ship Owner, Aristotal Onassis. As Rbert Kennedy was already married with nine children and a possible candidate for the post of President of USA, she eventually married Onassis for "financial security". She is the best example of how love could degenrate into" financial security".

I had also ocassions to "deal "with love. In my younger days, I was more keen to earn my lovelihood for the family that I had no time or inclination for love, We have three cases of "loved and married" couples in our extended family. My youngest daughter Nirupama had fallen in love with Bala Iyer, her College mate. As usual in most cases, we came to know about it last. Parents are always the last people to know. (and friends the first). I called Bala to my home at Chruchgate and asked him to wait for one year for my reply. I wanted to be sure that their love remained undiiminished after a year. When I saw that their love for each other only grew with lapse of time, I decided to get them married. I was recently in London with Bakla and Neema. I was happy to note that Bala reads stories to his two daughters every day before going to bed. The girls were also looking eagerly for the return from Office by Bala. This way, bonding between the father and the
children grows. And children remember this for a long time.

My brother Ramani!s two daughters, Lalitha and Vidya also "loved and married". My brother asked me to see Sunil and give my views before the marriage.. Sunil met me in my house at Churchgate. He impressed me as a young man was was capable of giving his commitment to love. I gave my views to Ramani. I did not have occassion to meet Aravind before marriage.

To-day, I am happy--enormously happy-- that Bala and Neema and Sunil and Lalitha are happily settled in their life. I pray God to bless all the lovers with long life and good health. After all, the whole world loves a lover.

I want to conclude with a little piece of advice, There is a tendency for young couples to turn to Laptop, immediately after returning from Office. This is not at all good. You must all spend quality time with children. You do all the work in the Office and do not touch laptop at home for any reason whatsoever unless it is very very important. Childen are more important than career and money. Do not become a victim of any habit and looking at Laptop, after return from Office, is an avoidable bad habit.

There should be no ego between husband and wife. Likewise, there should be no secrets between the two. Do not loose your trust and love for each other at any time,

With my blessings

EGO

What has happened to former President Shri Abdul Kalam at the New Delhi air-port recently has led me to think and write about ego. Mr Kalam was thoroughly checked and frisked (including removal of shoes) by Continental Air-lines Officials. By convention and law, Presidents, former Presidents and Prime Ministers are exempt from security check. In fact, they are received at the tarmac, while in office. Mr Kalam, without raising any objection, subjected himself to security. The accompanying Z categotory Security Officials objected to the check, but the air-line officials insisted on doing their job. For a person who had occupied the highest Office in the land subjecting himself to such security check without any objection showed his character.. In a world full of people with bloated ego, Shri Kalam is indeed a rare person. In my life, I have seen and met people whose ego ran faster than their thoughts.

What is ego?. It refers to the good opinion you have of yourself. In many cases, it is misplaced. It then becomes exaggerated self-esteem. Normally people with a very high ego become egocentric. They think only of themselves.

They say that even an ant has ego. That is why we are reading so many jokes about an ant and elephant. In all these jokes. the ant claims it is stronger than the elephant..I had a friend who was always telling " I have done this. I have done that. I have achieved much more than the targets fixed etc". He was avoided by others and was usually referred to as "I" Specialist.

I do however feel that certain amount of ego is necessary. Though humility is a necessary virtue, without ego there is no growth or no incentive for growth. There are certain individuals like Shah Rukh Khan with a bloated ego who are big achievers. At the same time there are big achievers like Narayanmurthy without any trace of ego. The ego in a person should be related to his ability or achievements. Ego without ability or achievements invites ridicule/criticism..

Why ego is necessary? When you think high of yourself, you have to prove to the world that your ego is justified. You are then compelled to take efforts. If you succeed, your ego is justified. If you fail, your ego is misplaced. That is how the world thinks of you.

There is a famous statement on ego by ADLIN SINCLAIR. "Without ego, there is no faith in your ability. Without faith,hope and trust, there is no promise for the future and without a promising future, life has no direction and justification."

Physiachrists say that we always operate in three ego-states--CHILD (playful and child-like) ADULT (SENSIBLE AND LOGICAL) and PARENT (Controlling and Nurturing). All of us are alternating in these states every day of our life. A child goes to a parent mode when it tells another child " Do not touch fire. You will get hurt". Like-wise an old man goes into child mode when he enjoys a comic movie and laughs loudly

The one person I have loved without any trace of ego was my Papa Chittappa at Chennai. He was indeed a noble soul.

Give and Take

There is a saying in North India "Kutch paane ke liye, kuch kona patha hai". This means that to gain something, you have to loose some thing.

This is true in most of the cases. There are two exceptions though---mother and teachers. A mother gives everything to the children not expecting to gain anything,.All she wants is that the child should behave and be "good" in everything. Likewise, teachers share their knowledge and wisdom without expecting anything. When you share your knowledge and wisdom with others, you may gain in that process.

In life, we have to decide whether you are perceived as a "giving" person or a "taking" person..If the perception is that you are a "Giving" person, then you will get spontaneous response and un-stinted co-operation from your staff.
The one who initiates something is a good leader. If you initiate giving things to people rather than you taking from others, they will give you before you take.When you follow the "take and give" policy,people may think bad of you and they will be really bothered whether you will be giving it or not.

In our life, we are both the employer and the employed. We pay for certain services rendered at home and get paid at the office for our services. In both the roles it will be better to be perceived as a "giving" person. I have heard some of my friends complaining that in personal relationship, they are always giving and not receiving. My view is that if God has placed you in a position to "give", we must do so without expecting anything in return. A question may arise that if the recipients are permanently ungrateful,but still need help, what do we do? The answer is that if they really need help and if you are in a position to do so, then "Give".It is very difficult to practice this, but if you try, you will succeed.

This "give and take" policy helps us in ever so many ways. From your own life so far, you can quote examples. Our Kashmir dispute would have been solved long ago, if both the countries had adopted a give and take policy.In Assam, people raise slogans that the Central Government and ULFA should adopt a give and take policy.

In a lighter vein,Bollywood adopts this policy. Salman Khan attends the premiere of Aamir Khan"s film "Jaane Tu Jaane Na". In return, Aamir agrees to participate in Salman Khan!s game show "Dus Ka Dum". Amitabh Bachan lets go off all past malice and attends the same premiere. Then, Aamir Khan comtemplates casting the BIG B in his next film. In Bollywood, everything is about give and take. If you agree to do a favour, it is probably in return for another.This way, it is good for all.

When someone asked Gauthama Buddha what he attained through "enlightenment", he said " I did not gain, but I lost. I lost my ignorance,my dreams,my likes and dislikes, my ambition". To get "enlightenment", he had also to loose something.

Alway be perceived as a "giving" person.

Good and Evil

Let me at the outset tell you what prompted me to write on this subject. While watching CNN, I heard that "Bernie"Madoff has started serving his sentence of 150 years in prison, the maximum under US Law, What I could not understand was how a person,aged 71, could be punished when his life expectancy could at best be another 30 years.Probably, the Judge thought that under no circumstance Madoff should get out. Such was the severity of the offence, in the eyes of the learned Judge.

We have heard and read of a lot of Chit Fund and Finance Company Frauds in India and more particularly in South India.. We have also seen investors loosing money in a big way when the promoters disappear overnight. This happens all the time in all the places.As long as gullible investors, looking for higher interest out of greed,are in plenty, these "disappearing" acts will continue.

It is established that ill-gotten wealth does not stay with the persono for a long time. If a person earns money by cheating people and through misrepresentation, such wealth will not last long. Apart from not being able to enjoy that wealth, he may also land in prison, leaving his family with a bad name.

There are two ways of teaching business to new entrants. One is "what not to do" and the other is "what to do". I had worked in Punjabi,Marwari and Gujarati business groups. The Gujarathis always start with "What not to do". They clearly tell their children to avoid wrong business practices. While in ESSAR ( a Marwari group), we used to adopt two philosophies-- LDNK and BDJ. The word LDNK refers to 'Lekhe dekhe pakkhi karo". (Adopt a give and take policy--work has to be finished even if money has to be given). The second refers to "baadh me degha jayega".( First, do what is necessary, even it is illegal. We will worry about the consequences later).I felt that both approaches were wrong.

Bernard Lawrence "Bernie"Madoff and Warrent Buffet represent the two ways of doing business --the Good and the Evil. Madoff. a plumber-turned stock-broker. was accused of so many frauds-Securities Fraud,Investor Advisory Fraud,Mail Fraud,Wire Fraud,Money Laundering Ffaud ,Making Fase Fflings with SEC,theft from an employee benefit plan etc. He was convicted of operating a PONZI Sceheme that has been called the LARGEST Investort Fraud ever committed by a single persdon. What is interesting is that before this biggest fraud came to notice, he was already a convicted felon.He had confessed to committing 11 Federal crimes. He has also not appealed against the sentence.His is a case that has proved that you cannot cheat all the people all the time.

There are two good aspects,though, to the personality of "Bernie" Madoff. He was known as a prominent philonthropist. Following his arrest and sentencing, all his Charitable Trusts have been questioned. The second good aspect of Madoff is that he has brought up his sons properly. He confessed to his sons on December 10,2008 that the Asset Management of his firm was a giant Ponzi Sceheme-as he put is "one big lie". The sons, then passed this information to authorities. The following day FBI Agents arrested Madoff and charged him with one count of securities fraud. It is pertinent to note that earlier SEC had handled several investigations against Madoff so very incompetently that he was let off. He is now deserted by his family and all his wealth has been seized. This is the result of doing business in an "EVIL" way.

Compare "Bernie: with Warrent Buffet who represents the other end of the spectrum. Mr Buffet,rated as the second richest person in the world, is the largest share-holder and CEO of Berkshire Hathway. From an early age, he imbibed the correct values. Known for his "Value Investing", he filed his first Income-Tax Return when he was thirteen deducting his bicycle and watch as work expense for his work as news-paper delivery boy. Starting his life as a penny-stock-broker, he has kept all his investors/employees happy all these years,He has recently donated more than fifty percent of his wealth to a Charitable Trust run by Mrs Milinda Gates.Mr Buffet represents the GOOD way of doing business.
Mr Buffet proiudly declars " I am 15 percent Fisher and 85 percent Benjamin Graham. The basic ideas of investing are to look at stocks as business, use the market fluctuationsd to your advantage and seek a margin of safety That is what Ben Graham taught us. A 100 years from now, they will still be the coinerstone of Investing".

A spiritual Guru once wrote " Life has everything; all you need is to be able to connect the dots. You need to work out new combinations and for that, you need CREATIVE PERCEPTION"

The above aptly describes Mr Warrent Buffet who represents the GOOD way of doing business.

Let us learn from the epics-- Ramayana and Mahabharata. Both are replete with instances of triumpth of GOOD over EVIL

Managing Environment

While discussing "Managing Environment", I am not going to discuss global warming,pollution etc. Substantial awareness has already been created about these by the media, though action being taken by developing countries
to address these issues is very slow.

I want to express my thoughts on how to manage the environment in our day-to-day life. While doing business with the Government, it is absolutely essential to manage the environment..Being aware of the environment in which business is going to be conducted is necessary for any successful business-man. One should be prepared to incur the necessary cost for such "environment management".Many multi-national companies opting to start business in developing countries include such costs in pre-operative expenses.My view is that this is applicable to almost all the countries of the world. The Bush family business dealings are one example of managing environment.

Is "managing environment" applicable in our personal life?. I would think the answer is "yes". When our child reaches the age of four, we want to admit the child in the best school nearby. All parents want to give the very best education to their children. Once we choose a particular school, we make enquiries as to who will be in a position to help us to secure such admission. We contact that influential person and through his efforts,try to get the desired admission. This is one aspect of "managing environment" in our personal life. This goes on and on in various other aspects also.

I can quote an example from my life. Early in 1962, I was selected as an Upper Division Clerk in Bharat Heavy Electricals,Tiruchi. Had I joined immediately, I would have been the first clerk in that organisation. As I did not want to start as a clerk, I rejected the offer. After some time, I became jobless, I then thought that it would be better to start with something.. I did not know how to go about doing this. I came to know that a sub-inspector in our locality knew one Achuthan Nair in BHEL who mattered. Though I did not know the police official personally, I directly approached him with a request to help.He appreciated the fact that I wanted to start working life as an officer, but lamented that I did not have the resolve to stick to that decision. I explained the family situation to him. He promised to speak to Mr Achuthan Nair.Here it was necessary to find out and determine as to who could help. I lasted in this job for just five months.

After a certain stage in official life, only man management can take you to higher levels. At very senior levels, man management is very necessary. In my career, I have turned foes into friends through "environment management".

For successful "environment management", here are some tips:

1)Be aware of the environment in which you operate. A proper appraisal of the environment (what they call as scannning the environment) is a pre-requisite for any movement forward.

2)Be flexible. Do not be rigid. Where money has to be spent,do so. Do not stick to high moral grounds. There is no such thing as an ideal situation in life.

3)Do not be reluctant to approach people. God helps only though people.

4)Be prepared to take decisions immediately. We learn in life only through wrong decisions. Also,be tactful.

5)Do not loose heart. Do not ever give up. Like the devil in the Vikramadityan story, pursue your goals relentlessly.

Even in the Army, there are four Lt.Generals of equal calibre, But only man becones the General. He is that person who is the bes t in "managing environment". This may be happenning in your Office also.

If you have listened carefully to the lyrics of the most famous song in the film "Slumdog Millionaire", it talks about "manaing environment".

JAI HO

Relationship with God

Faith in God and belief in God is created amongst the children by parents and other family members. If the parents are religious or atleast have faith in HIM by offering some prayers (slokas) on a daily basis, the children will then imbibe that culture from early childhood. Absolute faith in God and absolute surrender are accepted in most of the Hindu Brahmin families in Tamilnadu,

My first visit to a temple is a Siva temple in Agaramangudi village. My mother was very religious. She got me admitted in special classes for Vishnu Sahasramam. when I was a school student. Though I do not remember the same now fully, I can still recite some slogas. From the beginning, I had immense faith in the efficacy of prayers. I firmly believe in the famous statement of John Galsworthy that "More things are wrought by prayers than this world dreams of". For quite some time, I used to pray God whenever I needed any help from HIM. I would also offer to pay some money in the "Undial" in case my demands were met. I do not know whether I had fulfilled all my commitments to God.

My school teacher once told me that "God loves us the way we are. HE loves us too much to leave us that way".

We visit our Kuladeivam temples almost every year. There is positive energy vibrating in all the temples. I visit our family temples to get my batteries charged. I am driven with positive thoughts whenever I return from such visits to temples. Faith is above all openness; an act of trust in the unknown.Adi Shankaracharya has said "Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around".

I have reached a stage in life when I firmly believe that God!s planning for us is much better than our own planning or goals. For instance in early sixties, my dream was to retire with a four figure salary. To-day when I realise where I am, I can only thank Him for his kindness. God is ever so merciful.

I was fortunate to have listened to the lectures of some eminent men on spiritual matters. (most certainly not Jayendra Saraswathi). These lectures have provided the answers I was seeking for. I have also read all the volumes of "Deivathin Kural". Personally I feel that all these volumes should be kept in every house-hold. These books provide answers for all the questions that have remained unanswered.

These days,I perform Pujas and offer prayers every day. In my prayers, I do not ask for anything. It is prayer for the sake of prayer. There is absolute surrender and this way I am very peaceful.

Have complete faith in God. Think of HIM atleast for a few seconds every -day."God does not ask about your ability or inability. He asks only your availability"

Have a fire in the belly

I have read with interest a statement fromMr. Anbhazhakan, a Senior Minister in Tamilnadu Cabinet. When the Chief Minister promoted his son Stalin as Deputy Chief Minister,ignoring the claims of Mr Anbhazhakan, the senior-most Minister, reporters asked him whether he was feeling bad or left out. Mr Anbhazhakan replied " An 87 year old man cannot be a deputy to an 86 year old ".

Mr Anbhazhakan has always been a number two man in the Cabinet- always the bride!s maid and never the bride. He is one of the founders of DMK along with Karunanidhi and Annadurai. He never wanted to become Chief Minister and was content to be Number Two. Is this the right attitude?. Is he afraid of responsibility and accountability associated with the number one position?. I do not think so. Frankly, he does not have a fire in the belly.With Stalin becoming number two, he is now relegated to number three position. This is what happens when we do not have ambitions, That he is old and useless is a different matter.

It is necessary in life to aim high. If you are at the middle level in your chosen profession, you should aspire to become number one. Mere aspiration is not enough. One must develop capabilities to take on higher responsibilities. Apart from a stong desire to reach the top, one must also keep himself uptodate-developing knowledge and skill almost on a daily basis. It is only then that your dreams will come true. We should not be afraid of taking senior responsibilities nor we should we be afraid of being accountable.

The whole world appreciates only the winner. Even in horse races, only the number one position is mentioned. Other horses are included in the "Also ran" list. Do you want to be in the "Also ran " list or land on the winner!s stand.In Olympics, the number of gold medals won by a country is mentioned first.

While in London, I was reading a story about Michael Phelps. At the age of ten, he had told his mother that he will win five Olympic Gold Medals in swimming. This was at a time when his mother was struggling to pay his fees for his swimming classes. He had a dream, set his goals and worked towards achieving those goals.

Do not plod on and preserve.Prepare,perform and progress towards higher goals.

Have a fire in the belly.

Health is Wealth

We realise the value of good health only when we don't have one. Unless there is a set-back, we take good health for granted.

In our pursuit of career and wealth, we tend to ignore health. It is said that"Health is Wealth" and it took me sixty years to realise how true is this statement.I knew of a very rich and sick cotton merchant. He was very frequently in and out of the hospitals for some treatment or other.When I met him one evening, he told me that he would very gladly exchange all his wealth for good health. He was tired and sick of spending time in the hospitals. This is true of all sick and wealthy people. They realise the importance of good health only when they are forced to visit hospitals.

Though I am obese, I have enjoyed good health all these years.I have very rarely suffered from common ailments like cold,fever and head-aches. I therefore feel that I am in a position to say a few words about health.

1)It is necessary not to eat for full stomach on a regular basis. Once I met a relative of mine who was 92 years old, Even his teeth were in tact. When I asked him the secret of his longevity and good health,he told me that he was eating four times a day, but only very limited quantity. He stopped eating when his stomach was half- full. He advised me to avoid spicy food and eat only upto fifty percent of my capacity every time. Eating this way also helps one to keep the mental faculties sharp.

2)It is necessary to go to sleep atleast two hours after dinner. When I was in Singapore, I knew of some Chinese friends who would eat their dinner by 7 p.m.One Mr Sia lived beyond 95 years by following this discipline. Till the end, he was doing all his chores without any help from others.

3)Avoid reading too much of medical journals. When we read about some disease or other, we, unconsciously, associate some of the symptoms mentioned in those articles with some symptoms we may have. This would not only confuse us but also force us to think that we may be suffering from some disease.We should not arrogate to ourselves the role of a doctor.

4)Avoid taking too much of medication,particularly anti-biotics, unless it is very necessary and recommended by doctors.

5)Never ever let the mind to become dull. I have always believed in the saying that "the body follows the mind". If the mind is cheerful, half the battle is won when we are facing a medical problem,

6) Whenever there are symptoms like high fever and pain for more than two days, we should consult a doctor. For any deeper problem, the first manifestaion is fever folllowed by pain. When my younger brother was suffering from very high fever for more than a week, he ignored the same. Later on, after tests, we found out that he was sufferrng from hodgin's disease.

Smoking and drinking on a regular basis should be avoided. Scriptures say only blessed people get "vinathianyena jeevinam,anahasyena maranam" (life without blemish and instantaneous death). I firmly hold the view that so long as we are alive and kicking, we should take care to maintain good health.Even in death, we should not become a burden to others.

Problem Solving

I want to share my views on problem-solving.

What is a problem? It refers to a dilemma,complication,predicament,quandry or a difficult situation. It can also mean a situation which is very difficult to manage.Normally,we are used to a particular way of life or a particular routine. If things do not go according to plan or according to what we expect normally, then we are faced with a difficult situation.The problems can be minor or major. Also what is considered a problem for one may or maynot be a problems for others. To quote a case in point, a servant maid not turning up for work is a problem for my wife and not for my children. Likewise, to be in time for an important meeting is a problem for me; and most certainly not for my wife..

All of us have faced many problems in life. We have also solved these problems in our own way, In my official life, I have faced problems relating to labour (Dharna and ghero),targets,union rivalry affecting productivity etc while working in a bank.While occupying high positions in the industry, I have faced problems regarding raising resources within a given time,deadlines for project implementation,non-co-operative bankers,legal matters etc.Based on my experience, I am going to explain what is needed for problem-solving.

In my younger days, I used to avoid the problems or not recognise the problems. There was one Kamaraj Nadar, Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, who always said "parkalam".He believed that the best way of solving a problem is to postpone facing the problem. In due course of time, by itself the problem would be resolved, This was a negative way facing a problem.I have also seen quite a few senior officials leaving a company when the company is faced with serious problems. The late Dhirubhai, once described a Professioinal as someone who would leave the company at the first sign of trouble.

Our immediate reaction in most the cases when faced with a major problem is "Why ". If we are mentally tough in those situations, half the battle is won.

For solving a problem, one must have a flexible mind. Yet there are some problems which defy any solution-like Indo-Pak on Kashmir,Arab-Israel conflict etc.

When faced with a serious problem, one should not get worried or excited. It is at this time one should think positively.Here are the steps:

1)Recogniuse the problem. Feel positive and confident that you will solve the same.
2)Think of various options available to solve the problem.
3)Choose the best option in your judgement..
4)Monitor the solution/problem
5)Find out why the problem has occurred..

When faced with a problem, the first thing to do is to find a solution and think of various options.One must not waste time finding out who is responsible for the problem.Any analysis should be done afterwards.Find out the solutions first and fix up causes/responsibility later, Neither should we avoid problems nor be afraid oif facing the same.

Imagine a life without problems. It would be dull.

Here is a problem for you to solve:
"Mr X, a very young and dynamaic Charered Accountant is in good employment in Mumbhai. He lost heavily in stock markets. He had borrowed heavily from close friends and relatives. His borrowings were four times his annual income, His lenders were pressing him badly. He did not know what to do?"

At the height of his problem, he came to mw. He was working under me in Essar. I gave him a solution which worked,

What is the solution I gave.

Charity begins at home

tThere is a famous saying that charity begins at home.Here the word charity does not only refer to financial help.The dictionary meaning of the word charity is "benevolence,kindness,goodness,humanity,compassion,alms-giving,tender-heartedness love,affection,indulgence etc.

Taking care of the financial needs of immmediate family members is one!s duty- and not charity, In view of this,I think that the true meaning of this statement is that unless one is kind and affectionate to people at home, he or she is incapable of showing love and understanding to others outside of home The training has to start at home with proper up-bringing. The word "family values" refers to this only.

Two incidents that happened when I was in school are etched in my memory. There was this neighbour in Ayyampet who used to beat his old and ailing father. I disliked him. My mother, later on, told me that the neighbour was beating his father to administer medicines to him. The old man was simply refusing to take medicines. My mother!s explanation did not convince me. I felt that the negative effects of beating will more than adversely affect any good effects of the medicine. I also saw my neighbour weeping uncontrollably when his father died. I felt at that at that time that he could have been more kind to his father when he was alive rather than showing his affection by crying. I felt that he was doing this to show to the outside world that he loved his father.
The second incident was also in the neighbourhood, A girl came home, immediately after marriage, complaining that her husband was beating her regularly. She showed her bruises to my mother also. Her parents did not allow her to stay in the house even for half-an-hour and drove her away to her husband!s place. We received news of her suicide after a month.
In both the above incidents, I felt the members of the family did not show any compassion.love and understanding.

In a household, where love and affection rein supreme, there is peace and happiness for all. Children brought under such an atmosphere also acquire these traits. This way, they are trained to face the outside world, Some of my friends did not treat their parents properly. They did not provide the required emotional and financial support. A close friend, who was the only child, did not stay with his parents even for a month after marriage. To-day, he realises his mistake when his only child is ignoring him totally. It is said "you reap what you sow"".If one takes care of parents and spreads love at home. then children also learn to behave like that.

Dalai Lama has said "There is no need for temples or complicated philosophy.Our brain and heart are temples, the philosophy is kindness".

I believe that the statement "charity begins at home" refers only to this kindness.

Destiny or Free Will

Destiny and Free will:

I have seen many eminently successful people claiming that their success is due to their efforts. Like-wise, I have also seen many people who are failures in life blaming everything on destiny. "Thalai Vidhi" is what would say about their failures.

It is true that we measure success with the material wealth accumulated during our life time.This is true both in the East and the West.

I have often wondered whether late Dirubhai Ambani!s success is due to his efforts or due to destiny. Who created the circumstances and the environment for his over-whelming success?. Or is it he chose the right people at the right time. I was fortunate to work with Ruia brothers of ESSAR.When I was interviewed by Shashi Ruia, I found a board behind him with the word "Dreams come True". The brothers, through hard work and steely determination, exemplified the statement "Nothing ventured, nothing gained". They did not believe in destiny. However they took the blessings of their mother every day before leaving for office.

Mr Nani Palkhiwala, a famous lawyer of Mumbhai compared destiny and free will to a dog chained to the hands of the owner. What can the dog do? Its movements are restricted to the length of the chain. It cannot move beyond this unless the owner lets go the chain.According to Palkhiwala,the chain is the free-will and the leash on the hands of the owner is destiny.
Do I agree with this view? I personally felt that Mr Plakhiwala came to this conclusion because he had no children. He was a very successful lawyer and he had everything but children. He must have tried various ways to become a father , consulting doctors all over the world. He must have come to the conclusion about free-will and destiny after this. He donated all his wealth to Shankar Nethralaya in Chennai before his death.

As I believe in Karma, I should believe in destiny. But can we do nothing hoping that destiny will take care of itself. It would be foolish to adopt this attitude. We should have dreams and we should make efforts to achieve those dreams. Even when are met with obstacles/failures, we must be mentally tough to overcome these difficulties.If we constantly give our best,someday our dreams will come true.

I have also heard the story of how Arujuna lost his battle when he was a eunuch, though he had the same bow and arrow. It is said "samay,samay bahilwan,no manush bahilwan. Kove Arujun lootiyo, ohi Danbush and ohi Bann".

I am reminded of a story. One person prayed to God for long asking for wealth. Ultimately God appeared before him and blessed him stating he will get his wealth through a lottery. After some time when he did not win any prize, he prayed to God yet again and complained about non-fulfillment of his desire. God replied to him " For winning a prize, you must at least make the effort of buying a lottery ticket". This story makes the point very clear that must make all the efforts and leave the rest to Karma or destiny.
There is this famous statement:
"Some are born great (destiny),
Some achieve greatness (free-will).
and some have greatness thrust upon them (destiny again)",
Are we to assume that it is two-thirds destiny and one-third free will.
Frankly, I do not know,
All I know is that all of us should have ambitions and work hard towards fulfilling those ambitions.

Retirement

Retirement:
I received a mail two days ago from my friend, four years younger to me, informing me as to how miserable he has been after retirement. From his mail, I realized he has not managed his "retirement" properly. His problems appeared to be both financial and emotional.

There is lot of planning involved for managing retirement. It has two aspects-financial and non-financial..Everyone, be it in Government or in private sector, knows about the date of retirement. Normally, this is not remembered ten years before retirement, but is never forgotten,say five years before retirement.Assuming that by the time one retires all responsibilities are taken care off, one must determine the monthly income required for expenses after retirement. The investments should take care of this and also make a provision for inflation. Normally prices double every ten years. With advanced medicines being available, one must assume that that he/she would live for at least fifteen years after retirement.If my monthly expenses are say Rs 6000/, then I should provide for a monthly income of Rs 12,000/ after factoring inflation,through my investments. If this is done, the financial aspect-,post-retirement-is taken care of.There should also be a
provision for contingency expenses like hospitalization etc.
It is better to ensure that the investments are in tax-free instruments of Mutual Funds- in debt schemes- where erosion of capital is very minimal.
During mid-seventies, a Bank Manager, at the time of retirement, was getting only around Rs 2 lakhs as retirement benefits. I know of many senior managers finding this insufficient post retirement.Some of them were lucky that they were blessed with very good children. The children took good care of them. The others were not so lucky. When I was working as Manager of UCO Bank, Mylapore, a retired Senior Manager, had come to me and asked for an overdraft of Rs 3,000/. When I declined, he told me that I had powers to give overdraft up to Rs 5,000/. I told him that as I was not sure of when he would re-pay this money, I could not give him the overdraft. He left looking miserable. When he was about to leave bank premises, I called him again into my room. I informed him that I could give Rs 1,500/ from my savings for a period of one month. He agreed and took the money. He also blessed me. I had heard of how this man lived in great style when he was working
in Nagapattinam. After three months, when he did not return, I made inquiries. I was told that he had died a month ago.When I went to offer my condolences to his son, I did not inform him of my loan to his father. I believed I had discharged one previous "janma karma". I am giving this example just to show that how miserable life becomes without proper financial planning for retirement.I have never found it easy to ask for money from others.In fact, I have never ever done this. Just imagine how small a person becomes when he asks for financial help from others.

They are some people who do not require planning at all on both fronts.. I remember my paternal uncle,known as "Meerut Kittu". At the age of 95, he has been getting pension for nearly 40 years. He once told me that his pension is five times more than his last drawn salary. Pension takes care of his financial planning and his emotional adjustment/planning is taken care of by his deaf ears.

Yet, quite a few do not get sufficient retirement benefits or no benefits at all. Those people are left with no alternative but to depend on children for financial support. Many children are very responsible. They will be glad to be of help to their parents. I used to derive immense satisfaction whenever I was sending the monthly remittances to my parents in my early years of employment.

Emotional adjustment to retirement is also very dfficult. There is an importance attached to the power associated with the position. When a person retires, the importance will vanish in no time. Before retirement, I used to receive 15/20 telephone calls every-day asking for instructions/opinions etc. Within a week of my early retirement, these phone calls stopped. I felt miserable for a while.. This adjustment process takes time. I know of some my friends who retired at the highest levels in Banks, and Central Government,Many of them had not conditioned themselves for a life after retirement. When they lost their importance, they lost themselves. In those times, yoga and meditation would help.Lord Chaitanya advised people to live life like "a blade of grass"-with absolute humility. If one has led such a life,-- position or no position-- he will lead a normal life without being affected by retirement.Even in films, no one is a hero for ever.

Developing a hobby before retirement is very important. My hobby has been reading books since I was young. This helps me.

Post retirement, I have personally felt very happy whenever I have no expectations. When there is no expectation, there is no misunderstanding and because of this, there is more internal peace.

Culture - East and West

To-day, I have read a news item which is very interesting and thought-provoking.We all know that Carla Bruni (41) had maried the French President,Nicolas Sarkozy. The news is that Carlo!s former lover Enthovern (34) has joined the "kitchen Cabinet of the President. The report also mentioned that Carla is almost talking to Enthovern, on a daily basis, to enquire about their seven year old boy who is being brought up by the father.
I was just thinking whether this is possible in the Indian context and if so, how the Press would re-act to it.How many of us would accept the fact that a wife can have a former lover. Even assuming that this is accepted, how many would accept her talking to her former lover. How many many would agree to bring that lover in close proximity. It requires a very broad mind to accept a girl as a wife with a history of former love. It also requires a broader mind to bring that lover close to you. It shows enormous trust in the wife and her former lover. Is it not great?.
In our culture, we do not trust so easily. A wife is looked at with suspicion even if she talks, in a formal way ,with a neighbour who is a male.I have read somewhere that more than fifty percent of the married couples in India are unhappy with each other. They simply carry on for the sake of society. They spend rest of their lives simply trying to "adjust" without remaining happy.The main reason why such couples still stay married is because of the children.
What is culture? It is a set of unwritten rules which are prescribed for orderly living.Following such rules brings in harmony, peace of mind and stability. Does it ensure happiness? I do not know. Scriptures say that the object of human existence is to remain happy. When it is so, why should a man and a woman stay together when they are not happy with each another. I believe that when it becomes very clear that there is no happiness in marriage, such a marriage should be ended. We boast that our culture is the best and yet more than fifty percent of the married couples remain unhappy.
With girls becoming financially independent, this is changing.
We are entitled to say that our culture is the best, but we have no right to deride western culture. They are more magnanimous. They also pardon easily as they believe in "forgive and forget" policy.We keep a load of trash in our mind as to what is right and what is wrong. We pass value judgements very easily. I have rarely seen a westerner passing value judgement. If you see a Tamil movie, even the latest ones, you will find lot of "value judgements" remarks. These judgements apply to others-and not to us.

Why don!t we come out and be open and real. We cannot do so for the simple reson that is not in our culture to do so.We prefer to live a superficial life with a set of rules we want others to follow.

Am I advocating western culture? The answer is "No". What I am advocating is that without deriding western culture, we should take the good aspects of that culture and follow them. We should remain happy. That is the object of human existence.

In my younger years I used the to repeat a joke about a western man and woman,both divorced, marrying each other.The joke was "your children and my children are playing with our children". I am now ashamed that I was an instrument in spreading this canard..