All eyes are on Uttar Pradesh as India's largest state is set to go to the hustings next year. While Rahul Gandhi blew the poll bugle at Phoolpur, there is yet another figure whose visit to the state raised many an eyebrow. Sri Sri Ravishankar, guruji to millions, toured some of the most important constituencies in the state exhorting people to rise up against corruption. Political parties of all hues tried to play the four day long visit in their favour but the spiritual leader didn't bat an eyelid, apart from cancelling his Amethi visit at the last moment. Now, in an exclusive interview to indiatoday.in, Sri Sri Ravishankar reveals what the pressure was all about.

Q. What was the aim of your UP yatra and have you achieved it?
A. Uttar Pradesh was part of my routine yatra which I have been doing for past several years. I give dates according to local people's request. No political motive should be attached to my U.P. tour. It is mainly spiritual and of course social causes are also raised, just as we have been doing everywhere else. Satsangs are always an uplifting experience and it was obvious by the response of the people.

Q. Why did you miss Amethi succumbing to political pressure?
A. Originally it was the people of Rae Bareilly who came to Bangalore to plan a Satsang. We have a large following there. They wanted to have 100,000 people in Rae Bareilly. While we were planning for this, we received an invitation from Amethi from Swami Harichaitanya, Tikarmafi Ashram for their Shatabdi Samaroh celebrations. Since the time available was very short we skipped Rae Bareilly and gave that same date to Amethi. When I landed in UP, our representative Swami Paramtej ji received a call from the swami in Amethi who informed about pressure being put on him. He was sorry and embarrassed to withdraw the invitation and was very uncomfortable even communicating that to us. I wanted to stir out of controversies and not create any problem. So I willingly agreed to postpone my visit to Amethi and he also sent a written regret.

Q. Have there been more such incidents of pressure on your movement?
A. I teach people how to handle pressure so I know how to handle pressure.

Q. Anna Hazare has clearly asked voters to not vote for the Congress. Would you also be as clear in your anti-corruption stance?
A. My stance is very clear. It is apolitical and against corruption and degradation of moral and ethical values. We have raised our voice against corruption, and we ourselves have been a victim of corruption here in Karnataka.

Q. Political parties are pitting you against each other in poll season…are you plan 'C' of the BJP?
A. I wouldn't like to comment on the perceptions and exhibition of ignorance of other people. Everybody has the right to express their own ignorance. But one thing I would like to say is that if I wanted to do anything political, I would do it hundred percent. If that were my intention, I would go to every one of the 75 districts, spend two days in each one and campaign for a whole 3 months. I am wise enough to know that no political windfall will occur in a 4-day yatra.

Q. An opinion often voiced is that spiritual leaders should not transcend their domain and should fight elections if they want to do politics…
A. Political leaders need not become nervous looking at the masses following spiritual leaders and make adverse comments which would only hurt them.

Q. How do you see the incidents of alleged corruption in Team Anna? Is there a lack of transparency and democracy in such movements?
A. It is for government agencies to take a call on that. Nobody is above law. Anyone who flouts the law will have to face the music. As far as I know, Team Anna people are very committed. You cannot brand them corrupt just because of some allegations in media. They are innocent unless they are proven otherwise.

Q. Team Anna is forming a constitution for itself and will expand the team to include all dominations- was that necessary, considering they are fighting for a basic issue like corruption which affects everybody in the same manner, more or less?
A. Expanding the team must be welcomed as decisions will be democratic and really represent the civil society in its true sense.

Q. Can a movement on streets- including fasting- replace Parliamentary procedures? Should it?
A. Not at all! Movements on street can exert pressure on the sleeping MPs to take action.

Q. Would you enter the Bigg Boss house a la Swami Agnivesh if invited?
A. I know of only one Big Boss and I am in his house all the time!

This interview has been done after Digvijay Singh targets Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, as he is against corruption.

Q) You have been an active participant in the India Against Corruption campaign led by Anna Hazare. However once a spiritual master enters the political arena, he will be criticised like any other politician. Are you prepared for this? Will not your devotees get dvesh bhav for your critics?

A) A yogi doesn't mind criticism at all. All the brahmagyanis in the past have been criticized including Lord Krishna. A saadhak should not get into dwesha bhaav. At most, knowing that criticism is out of ignorance, he can have a good laugh about it.

Q) The Congress sees all sages as a group which is politically saffron (close to BJP/RSS). Aren't you reinforcing this impression by praising Nitin Gadkari and asking for the BJP's help over Jan Lokpal? Shouldn't the distinction between spiritual saffron and political saffron be maintained?

A) If Congress has an untouchable attitude towards spiritual and religious gurus, it is their problem. It is wrong to think that, to please the minorities, you have to keep away from spiritual sages and gurus.

My nature is to praise people for the good work they have done, irrespective of their political affiliations. Earlier in the month of June, I released the book of KPCC President, R.V.Deshpande, who also happens to be an Art of Living devotee. And now, Nitin Gadkari requested me to release his work. I did acknowledge the good work he had done in Vidarbha region. Same with other Congress ministers Dr. Karan Singh, Patangrao Kadam, Veerappa Moily, Satej Patil, etc. Last year, I also appreciated and complimented Veerappa Moily at the Times Foundation function when he received the Moorti Devi award. Similarly many other senior Congress people have come in touch with the Art of Living. If and when they have done some good social work we have always acknowledged them. Politics and the party affiliation is only one aspect. A human being is much more than politics and we need to recognize that.

Q) Rama is quoted in the Yoga Vasistha as saying that "All countries of the world are territories of evil" - presumably including his father's kingdom, Ayodhya. What would you say?

A) That was correct. At that time, Rama was a sadhak and a prince. Normally a prince is attached to his people and his country. Rama had to come out of that limited identity and negation was necessary. We must remember he was a student and a sadhak, when he said those words. These same words would never come out of Vasishtha who was a brahmagyani. Brahmagyan transcends the duality of good and evil. It assimilates the boundaries and finds that boundaries are no way a challenge to the Boundless.

To experience niraakaar, a sadhak will negate the saakaar. The realization happens that the saakaar is as much a part of the niraakaar.

Q) Sages do not usually involve themselves in worldly matters. This is evident even from recent masters like Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Ramana Maharshi. Would you say they are wrong?

A) Ramakrishna prepared a host of sanyasis including Vivekananda to carry out his earthly mission, while Ramana Maharishi has indirectly inspired many to walk an honest and truthful path in the political arena and to live a life of sacrifice and service for the country.

Q) You did not speak out either during the Mandal agitation or the Ram Janambhoomi controversy - though these were also issues that had social, political and ethical dimensions. Why?

A) I have always spoken about all these issues whenever there has been a conflict and violence. With Ram Janma Bhumi issue, I have several times initiated dialogue between both the communities and urged them to come to a consensus and settle the issue amicably.

I have at all times maintained that reservations should be on economic criteria, and not on the basis of caste or religion.

Q) Is fasting a spiritual practice of self-cleansing and prayer, or should it be used for political purposes? Do you think Anna Hazare did the right thing by going on a fast against corruption, seen in some quarters as a form of political blackmail?

A) Personally, I feel fasting is for cleansing and for prayer. It was Mahatma Gandhi who started this for political reasons. If there are spiritual and religious overtones to bring transformation in social, political and economic arenas, there is nothing wrong. The whole of politics is just a numbers game, sometimes attained through muscle and money power.

A non-violent way of prayer and protest cannot be termed as blackmailing, especially when it is directed against unprecedented levels of corruption.

Q) You have exalted the role of a Rajguru who's active in politics. But isn't the status of a Rajguru lower than that of a Brahmgyani?

A) Ideally, a rajguru should be a brahmagyani like Vasishtha, Chanakya or Vidyaranya. Given the lack of such availability, a lesser wise person can manage.

Q) You are fitter than BJP president Nitin Gadkari, younger than LK Advani, can cite from the Koran, Bible, Jain & Buddhist teachings during an election rally. You can appeal to minorities & bridge any gap with Hindus, as also create harmony between India, Pakistan & China. Can we propose you as an ideal PM candidate? If yes, can we propose you for BJP leadership?

A) No, not at all. Your imagination seems to be running wild! A doctor prescribes the medicine, but doesn't eat it himself! If he starts eating his own medicine, at that moment, he cannot be a doctor, you have to call him a patient.

Q) You teach in the ashram that devotees are not citizens belonging to a city or country. How can you then entertain the duties of a citizen?

A) This statement is erroneous. We never do that.

We say that your first identity is that you are part of the universal spirit (Brahman).

As the ancient system goes, first initiation of the student is called brahmopadesha- the highest knowledge is given first, then, one is initiated into the Gayatri mantra. Indicating that, you should know that your first and foremost identity is that you are the Brahman.

Second, that you are a Human Being. Third, that you are male or female. Fourth, that you belong to a particular country. Fifth, that you are from a particular religion. You have a duty to perform at all these levels, and in no way do these identities conflict with each other. Just like our five koshas. Annamaya kosha is our first body, the environment. The Pranamaya Kosha is that of the physical, the prana; the manomaya kosha is the thoughts; the vignanmaya kosha is the intuitive subtle body (sukshma shareer) and the anandmaya kosha is bliss. The five koshas don't conflict with each other, but have their own dimension.

May the beauty
Of deepavali season
Fill your home with
Happiness,
And may the coming year
Provide you with all
That bring you joy!

सन 1911 तक भारत की राजधानी बंगाल हुआ करता था। सन 1905 में जब बंगाल विभाजन को लेकर अंग्रेजो के खिलाफ बंग-भंग आन्दोलन के विरोध में बंगाल के लोग उठ खड़े हुए तो अंग्रेजो ने अपने आपको बचाने के लिए के कलकत्ता से हटाकर राजधानी को दिल्ली ले गए और 1911 में दिल्ली को राजधानी घोषित कर दिया। पूरे भारत में उस समय लोग विद्रोह से भरे हुए थे तो अंग्रेजो ने अपने इंग्लॅण्ड के राजा को भारत आमंत्रित किया ताकि लोग शांत हो जाये। इंग्लैंड का राजा जोर्ज पंचम 1911 में भारत में आया। रविंद्रनाथ टैगोर पर दबाव बनाया गया कि तुम्हे एक गीत जोर्ज पंचम के स्वागत में लिखना ही होगा।

उस समय टैगोर का परिवार अंग्रेजों के काफी नजदीक हुआ करता था, उनके परिवार के बहुत से लोग ईस्ट इंडिया कंपनी के लिए काम किया करते थे, उनके बड़े भाई अवनींद्र नाथ टैगोर बहुत दिनों तक ईस्ट इंडिया कंपनी के कलकत्ता डिविजन के निदेशक (Director) रहे। उनके परिवार का बहुत पैसा ईस्ट इंडिया कंपनी में लगा हुआ था। और खुद रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर की बहुत सहानुभूति थी अंग्रेजों के लिए। रविंद्रनाथ टैगोर ने मन से या बेमन से जो गीत लिखा उसके बोल है "जन गण मन अधिनायक जय हे भारत भाग्य विधाता"। इस गीत के सारे के सारे शब्दों में अंग्रेजी राजा जोर्ज पंचम का गुणगान है, जिसका अर्थ समझने पर पता लगेगा कि ये तो हकीक़त में ही अंग्रेजो की खुशामद में लिखा गया था।

इस राष्ट्रगान का अर्थ कुछ इस तरह से होता है "भारत के नागरिक, भारत की जनता अपने मन से आपको भारत का भाग्य विधाता समझती है और मानती है। हे अधिनायक (Superhero) तुम्ही भारत के भाग्य विधाता हो। तुम्हारी जय हो ! जय हो ! जय हो ! तुम्हारे भारत आने से सभी प्रान्त पंजाब, सिंध, गुजरात, मराठा मतलब महारास्त्र, द्रविड़ मतलब दक्षिण भारत, उत्कल मतलब उड़ीसा, बंगाल आदि और जितनी भी नदिया जैसे यमुना और गंगा ये सभी हर्षित है, खुश है, प्रसन्न है , तुम्हारा नाम लेकर ही हम जागते है और तुम्हारे नाम का आशीर्वाद चाहते है। तुम्हारी ही हम गाथा गाते है। हे भारत के भाग्य विधाता (सुपर हीरो ) तुम्हारी जय हो जय हो जय हो। "

जोर्ज पंचम भारत आया 1911 में और उसके स्वागत में ये गीत गाया गया। जब वो इंग्लैंड चला गया तो उसने उस जन गण मन का अंग्रेजी में अनुवाद करवाया। क्योंकि जब भारत में उसका इस गीत से स्वागत हुआ था तब उसके समझ में नहीं आया था कि ये गीत क्यों गाया गया और इसका अर्थ क्या है। जब अंग्रेजी अनुवाद उसने सुना तो वह बोला कि इतना सम्मान और इतनी खुशामद तो मेरी आज तक इंग्लॅण्ड में भी किसी ने नहीं की। वह बहुत खुश हुआ। उसने आदेश दिया कि जिसने भी ये गीत उसके (जोर्ज पंचम के) लिए लिखा है उसे इंग्लैंड बुलाया जाये। रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर इंग्लैंड गए। जोर्ज पंचम उस समय नोबल पुरस्कार समिति का अध्यक्ष भी था।

उसने रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर को नोबल पुरस्कार से सम्मानित करने का फैसला किया। तो रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर ने इस नोबल पुरस्कार को लेने से मना कर दिया। क्यों कि गाँधी जी ने बहुत बुरी तरह से रविन्द्रनाथ टेगोर को उनके इस गीत के लिए खूब डांटा था। टैगोर ने कहा की आप मुझे नोबल पुरस्कार देना ही चाहते हैं तो मैंने एक गीतांजलि नामक रचना लिखी है उस पर मुझे दे दो लेकिन इस गीत के नाम पर मत दो और यही प्रचारित किया जाये क़ि मुझे जो नोबेल पुरस्कार दिया गया है वो गीतांजलि नामक रचना के ऊपर दिया गया है। जोर्ज पंचम मान गया और रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर को सन 1913 में गीतांजलि नामक रचना के ऊपर नोबल पुरस्कार दिया गया।

रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर की ये सहानुभूति ख़त्म हुई 1919 में जब जलिया वाला कांड हुआ और गाँधी जी ने लगभग गाली की भाषा में उनको पत्र लिखा और कहा क़ि अभी भी तुम्हारी आँखों से अंग्रेजियत का पर्दा नहीं उतरेगा तो कब उतरेगा, तुम अंग्रेजों के इतने चाटुकार कैसे हो गए, तुम इनके इतने समर्थक कैसे हो गए ? फिर गाँधी जी स्वयं रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर से मिलने गए और बहुत जोर से डाटा कि अभी तक तुम अंग्रेजो की अंध भक्ति में डूबे हुए हो ? तब जाकर रविंद्रनाथ टैगोर की नीद खुली। इस काण्ड का टैगोर ने विरोध किया और नोबल पुरस्कार अंग्रेजी हुकूमत को लौटा दिया। सन 1919 से पहले जितना कुछ भी रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर ने लिखा वो अंग्रेजी सरकार के पक्ष में था और 1919 के बाद उनके लेख कुछ कुछ अंग्रेजो के खिलाफ होने लगे थे।

रविन्द्र नाथ टेगोर के बहनोई, सुरेन्द्र नाथ बनर्जी लन्दन में रहते थे और ICS ऑफिसर थे। अपने बहनोई को उन्होंने एक पत्र लिखा था (ये 1919 के बाद की घटना है) । इसमें उन्होंने लिखा है कि ये गीत 'जन गण मन' अंग्रेजो के द्वारा मुझ पर दबाव डलवाकर लिखवाया गया है। इसके शब्दों का अर्थ अच्छा नहीं है। इस गीत को नहीं गाया जाये तो अच्छा है। लेकिन अंत में उन्होंने लिख दिया कि इस चिठ्ठी को किसी को नहीं दिखाए क्योंकि मैं इसे सिर्फ आप तक सीमित रखना चाहता हूँ लेकिन जब कभी मेरी म्रत्यु हो जाये तो सबको बता दे। 7 अगस्त 1941 को रबिन्द्र नाथ टैगोर की मृत्यु के बाद इस पत्र को सुरेन्द्र नाथ बनर्जी ने ये पत्र सार्वजनिक किया, और सारे देश को ये कहा क़ि ये जन गन मन गीत न गाया जाये।

1941 तक कांग्रेस पार्टी थोड़ी उभर चुकी थी। लेकिन वह दो खेमो में बट गई। जिसमे एक खेमे के समर्थक बाल गंगाधर तिलक थे और दुसरे खेमे में मोती लाल नेहरु थे। मतभेद था सरकार बनाने को लेकर। मोती लाल नेहरु चाहते थे कि स्वतंत्र भारत की सरकार अंग्रेजो के साथ कोई संयोजक सरकार (Coalition Government) बने। जबकि गंगाधर तिलक कहते थे कि अंग्रेजो के साथ मिलकर सरकार बनाना तो भारत के लोगों को धोखा देना है। इस मतभेद के कारण लोकमान्य तिलक कांग्रेस से निकल गए और उन्होंने गरम दल बनाया। कोंग्रेस के दो हिस्से हो गए। एक नरम दल और एक गरम दल।

गरम दल के नेता थे लोकमान्य तिलक जैसे क्रन्तिकारी। वे हर जगह वन्दे मातरम गाया करते थे। और नरम दल के नेता थे मोती लाल नेहरु (यहाँ मैं स्पष्ट कर दूँ कि गांधीजी उस समय तक कांग्रेस की आजीवन सदस्यता से इस्तीफा दे चुके थे, वो किसी तरफ नहीं थे, लेकिन गाँधी जी दोनों पक्ष के लिए आदरणीय थे क्योंकि गाँधी जी देश के लोगों के आदरणीय थे)। लेकिन नरम दल वाले ज्यादातर अंग्रेजो के साथ रहते थे। उनके साथ रहना, उनको सुनना, उनकी बैठकों में शामिल होना। हर समय अंग्रेजो से समझौते में रहते थे। वन्देमातरम से अंग्रेजो को बहुत चिढ होती थी। नरम दल वाले गरम दल को चिढाने के लिए 1911 में लिखा गया गीत "जन गण मन" गाया करते थे और गरम दल वाले "वन्दे मातरम"।

नरम दल वाले अंग्रेजों के समर्थक थे और अंग्रेजों को ये गीत पसंद नहीं था तो अंग्रेजों के कहने पर नरम दल वालों ने उस समय एक हवा उड़ा दी कि मुसलमानों को वन्दे मातरम नहीं गाना चाहिए क्यों कि इसमें बुतपरस्ती (मूर्ति पूजा) है। और आप जानते है कि मुसलमान मूर्ति पूजा के कट्टर विरोधी है। उस समय मुस्लिम लीग भी बन गई थी जिसके प्रमुख मोहम्मद अली जिन्ना थे। उन्होंने भी इसका विरोध करना शुरू कर दिया क्योंकि जिन्ना भी देखने भर को (उस समय तक) भारतीय थे मन,कर्म और वचन से अंग्रेज ही थे उन्होंने भी अंग्रेजों के इशारे पर ये कहना शुरू किया और मुसलमानों को वन्दे मातरम गाने से मना कर दिया। जब भारत सन 1947 में स्वतंत्र हो गया तो जवाहर लाल नेहरु ने इसमें राजनीति कर डाली। संविधान सभा की बहस चली। संविधान सभा के 319 में से 318 सांसद ऐसे थे जिन्होंने बंकिम बाबु द्वारा लिखित वन्देमातरम को राष्ट्र गान स्वीकार करने पर सहमति जताई।

बस एक सांसद ने इस प्रस्ताव को नहीं माना। और उस एक सांसद का नाम था पंडित जवाहर लाल नेहरु। उनका तर्क था कि वन्दे मातरम गीत से मुसलमानों के दिल को चोट पहुचती है इसलिए इसे नहीं गाना चाहिए (दरअसल इस गीत से मुसलमानों को नहीं अंग्रेजों के दिल को चोट पहुंचती थी)। अब इस झगडे का फैसला कौन करे, तो वे पहुचे गाँधी जी के पास। गाँधी जी ने कहा कि जन गन मन के पक्ष में तो मैं भी नहीं हूँ और तुम (नेहरु ) वन्देमातरम के पक्ष में नहीं हो तो कोई तीसरा गीत तैयार किया जाये। तो महात्मा गाँधी ने तीसरा विकल्प झंडा गान के रूप में दिया "विजयी विश्व तिरंगा प्यारा झंडा ऊँचा रहे हमारा"। लेकिन नेहरु जी उस पर भी तैयार नहीं हुए।

नेहरु जी का तर्क था कि झंडा गान ओर्केस्ट्रा पर नहीं बज सकता और जन गन मन ओर्केस्ट्रा पर बज सकता है। उस समय बात नहीं बनी तो नेहरु जी ने इस मुद्दे को गाँधी जी की मृत्यु तक टाले रखा और उनकी मृत्यु के बाद नेहरु जी ने जन गण मन को राष्ट्र गान घोषित कर दिया और जबरदस्ती भारतीयों पर इसे थोप दिया गया जबकि इसके जो बोल है उनका अर्थ कुछ और ही कहानी प्रस्तुत करते है, और दूसरा पक्ष नाराज न हो इसलिए वन्दे मातरम को राष्ट्रगीत बना दिया गया लेकिन कभी गया नहीं गया। नेहरु जी कोई ऐसा काम नहीं करना चाहते थे जिससे कि अंग्रेजों के दिल को चोट पहुंचे, मुसलमानों के वो इतने हिमायती कैसे हो सकते थे जिस आदमी ने पाकिस्तान बनवा दिया जब कि इस देश के मुसलमान पाकिस्तान नहीं चाहते थे, जन गण मन को इस लिए तरजीह दी गयी क्योंकि वो अंग्रेजों की भक्ति में गाया गया गीत था और वन्देमातरम इसलिए पीछे रह गया क्योंकि इस गीत से अंगेजों को दर्द होता था।

बीबीसी ने एक सर्वे किया था। उसने पूरे संसार में जितने भी भारत के लोग रहते थे, उनसे पुछा कि आपको दोनों में से कौन सा गीत ज्यादा पसंद है तो 99 % लोगों ने कहा वन्देमातरम। बीबीसी के इस सर्वे से एक बात और साफ़ हुई कि दुनिया के सबसे लोकप्रिय गीतों में दुसरे नंबर पर वन्देमातरम है। कई देश है जिनके लोगों को इसके बोल समझ में नहीं आते है लेकिन वो कहते है कि इसमें जो लय है उससे एक जज्बा पैदा होता है।

तो ये इतिहास है वन्दे मातरम का और जन गण मन का। अब ये आप को तय करना है कि आपको क्या गाना है ?

जय हिंद |

Many Happy Returns of the Day to our dear loving former President A P J Abdul Kalam.

Awards and honours

Years: Name of Award or Honor

2011 Doctor of Science (microbiology)
2011 IEEE Honorary Membership
2009 Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa)
2009 Hoover Medal
2009 International von Kármán Wings Award
2008 Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa)
1997 Bharat Ratna
1990 Padma Vibhushan
1981 Padma Bhushan........

Salute to this legend .......JAI HIND

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णूः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः | गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः || ||

Guru is indeed the Creator in the form Lord Brahma, he is indeed the Sustainer as Lord Vishnu, and Destroyer as Lord Shiva, in fact he is the limitless Brahman, I salute to such a Guru!

अखण्डमण्डलाकारं व्याप्तं येन चराचरम् | तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः || ||

Salutations to that respected Guru who showed us the place of the one who pervades the vast universe with all its movable and immovable things.

अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानांजनशलाकया | चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः || ||

He who opens the eyes blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with a needle dipped in knowledge, to that guru we salute.

(alternate) Salutations to that respected Guru who opens the spiritual eyes of those blind, due to ignorance, with the ointment of knowledge.

ध्यानमूलं गुरोर्मूर्तिः पूजामूलं गुरोः पदम् | मन्त्रमूलं गुरोर्वाक्यं मोक्षमूलं गुरोः कृपा || ||

The basis of meditation is guru's idol, the support of worship is guru's feet; the origin of mantra is guru's word, the cause of liberation is guru's mercy.

ध्यान मूलम गुरूर मूर्ति:,
पूजा मूलम गुरूर पदम,
मंत्र मूलम गुरूर वाक्यम,
मोक्ष मूलम गुरूर कृपा:

गुरु पूर्णिमा के पावन-पर्व पर, आपके अंदर नीहित गुरु-तत्व को हमारा प्रणाम !

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ,
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ,
मृत्योर्मा अमृतमगमय ।
ॐ शांति शांति शांतिः ।

OM Asto Maa Sadgamaya ,
Tamso Maa Jyotirgamaya ,
Mrityor Maa Amrutamgamaya ;
OM Shanti Shanti Shantih

Meaning : Lead me from the unreal to the Real -
- From darkness [ignorance] to the Light [knowledge];
- From death to Immortality.
- Om Peace ! Peace !! Peace !!!

Have a lovely day and god bless all .

Today is Buddha Purnima, lets remember the incarnation of lord Vishnu and his Triple Jewels, Four noble truths, Eight fold Path .

Triple Jewels are : Buddha, Dharma and Sangha
The dharma and Sangha leads to making of Buddha .

The four noble truth are :
1) Suffering or Dukha exists
2) Cause of Suffering ( Due to ignorance and Trishna )
3) The end of suffering ( Nirvana )
4) The path to freedom or liberation or Moksha ( Through 8 fold path )

The 8 fold path :
1) Right View
2) Right Thought
3) Right Speech
4) Right action or conduct
5) Right Livelihood
6) Right effort
7) Right Mindfulness
8) Right Concentration

Buddhism believes in the fact " May all living beings be Happy "

Meditation is the base of Buddhism and every Buddhist practices it every day .

Then we have the 3 Fundamental Truths :
1) Nothing is lost in universe ( Energy changes to matter and vice-versa)
2) Everything is constantly changing ( Our life and our thoughts as well )
3) Law of Cause and Effect ( Also called Karma )

The Buddha said,

"The kind of seed sown
will produce that kind of fruit.
Those who do good will reap good results.
Those who do evil will reap evil results.
If you carefully plant a good seed,
You will joyfully gather good fruit."

Next are the 5 Precepts :

1) No Killing
2) No stealing
3) No sexual misconduct
4) No Lying
5) No intoxicants

So, lets understand the teachings of Lord Buddha and realize the truth, god bless all .

Lets See, Will The Drop Of Tear Comes Out From Your Heart..

While a Man Was Polishing His New Car.. His 4'years Old Son Picked Stone And Scratched Lines On The Side Of The Car.

In Anger, The Man Took The Child's Hand & Hit It Many Times Not Realizing He Was Using An Iron Wrench..

At The Hospital, The Child Lost All His Fingers Due To Multiple Fractures..

When, The Child Saw His Father.. With Painful Eyes ''Dad When Will My Fingers Grow Back..?!''

Can't Explain, Man Was So Hurt & Speechless. He Went Back To Car & Kicked It Alot Of Times Devastated By His Own Actions.. Sitting In Front Of That Car He Looked At That Scratches..

Child Had Written,
"I LOVE YOU DAD" The Next Day, Man Committed Suicide..

Moral: Anger & Love Have NO LIMITS.. Choose It & Treat It Carefully..
To Have a Beautiful & Lovely Life..

THINGS are Meant To Be USED & PEOPLE Are To Be LOVED But The Problem Of Today's World Is That..

People Are Used & Things Are Loved

“Humanity’s greatest advances are not in its discoveries, but in how those discoveries are applied to reduce inequity.” – Bill Gates

Passion, intensity, and tenacity. That’s one way to describe Bill Gates.

When I think back to why I joined Microsoft, a very big reason was Bill Gates. Here was a guy with all the money in the world, yet he showed up every day to change the world. Rather than just retire and play with his money, he focuses his time, energy, and resources on making a better world.

He fights the good fight to leave the world a better place than he found it, and he’s a world-wide giver of epic proportions. In fact, he and Warren Buffet joined forces to drive a campaign to encourage the wealthiest people to give most of their money to philanthropic causes (see The Giving Pledge.)

It’s one thing to be smart. It’s another thing to be resourceful. It’s yet another thing to get results. Bill Gates is a visionary that makes things happen by creating systems bigger than himself and inspiring people to join him on epic adventures to change the world. He’s not a seeker of fame or a seeker of fortune, although he has both. He’s a maker of impact. Technology is his way, and reducing inequities in the world is his game.

Who better to learn some lessons for life, than from a master of the game of life? With that in mind, let’s see what lessons we can borrow from Bill Gates’ playbook.

25 Lessons Learned from Bill Gates

Bill is full of lessons and insights. Here are 25 plays we can take from the pages of his playbook:

1. Change the world, or go home. There is a little sign on many doors at Microsoft. It features the blue monster and it reads: “Change the world, or go home.” Not only does that phrase capture the spirit of thousands of Softies … it speaks to the way Bill Gates drives his life. He lives to build a better world, whether it’s one version, one platform, one system, one idea, one cause, one innovation at a time. The beauty is, he knows how to scale and amplify his impact in powerful ways – he’s on top of his game.
2. Blaze the trail. The path isn’t always there. Sometimes you have to make it. Sometimes people will think you’re crazy. Sometimes you are just ahead of the curve. it’s a dream for a reason, and sometimes making your dreams happen takes going out on a limb and giving your all for what you believe in. Bill Gates believed that the personal computer was the future and that there should be one on every desktop and in the living room and it would change the way we work and how we live in unimaginable ways.
3. Make an impact. Drive from impact. Bill Gates makes choices based on impact. Whether it’s following his passion or investing in a cause, he drives from making impact. He doesn’t just do things because he can. He does things because they matter and he can make them scale.
4. Humanities greatest advances are the ones that level the playing field. Bill Gates has a strong belief that “All lives have equal value.” Help those that can’t help themselves. Everybody deserves a chance at their best life. Lift the underdogs of the world up. In his speech at Harvard, Bill says, “Taking a look back, one big reqret is, I left Harvard with no real awareness of the awful inequities in the world. The appalling disparities of health and wealth and opportunity that condemned millions of people to the lives of despair. I learned a lot here at Harvard about new ideas and economics, and politics. I got great exposure to the advances being made in the sciences. But humanities greatest advances are not in its discoveries, but in how those discoveries are applied to reduce inequity.”
5. A sense of urgency. The world changes fast. The market changes faster. Bill says, “In this business, by the time you realize you’re in trouble, it’s too late to save yourself. Unless you’re running scared all the time, you’re gone.”
6. The market doesn’t always drive the right things. In one of his powerful TED talks, Bill says, “There are some very important problems that don’t get worked on naturally. That is the market does not drive the scientists, the communicators, the thinkers, the government to do the right things. And only by paying attention to these things, and having brilliant people who care and draw other people in, can we make as much progress as we need to.”
7. Live your values. When you let the world know what you’re about, you become a lightening rod and you attract people with the same values. At Microsoft, Bill Gates attracted people with a passion for changing the world and joining him on a journey to help create better lives through technology and innovation. On the philanthropy side, Gates connects with U2’s Bono beyond the music when it comes to sharing their global mission to end poverty, disease, and indifference. In 2005, TIME named Bono, Bill and Melinda Gates, “Persons of the Year” for their humanitarian work. On Bill Gate’s 54′th birthday, Bono had this to say before leading the crowd in Happy Birthday: “Without him, and without his business, we just wouldn’t be where we are today. It’s his birthday today. Bill Gates is in the house.”
8. Your best gets better with the right people. Don’t go it alone. You’re better when you’ve got the right people around you. Bill Gates built a culture of the best and brightest and was good at convincing his friends, such as Paul Allen and Steve Ballmer to join him on his adventures. By surrounding himself with smart people, Bill was able to scale. He also had a sounding board for ideas. More importantly, ideas could get better from the combined smarts and perspectives. Bill also knows how to complement his strengths by having the right people around that make up for his weaknesses.
9. Innovation is the heart and soul of a business. It’s about bringing ideas to market and applying research. If you don’t innovate you die. The world keeps changing. To stay ahead of the game, or even to stay in the game, you have to keep innovating: innovate in your products, innovate in your process, innovate in the markets, etc. Bill Gates uses innovation as a way to drive impact whether it’s shaping software or saving the planet.
10. Be the platform. Be the platform people can build on. See the role that you play in building something that let’s other people build on what you do best.
11. Build a better system. Don’t just solve a one-off problem. Make the solution systematic and make it repeatable. Find, create, or leverage systems. There is always a system, whether it’s at the micro-level or the macro level. The system has inputs and outputs, cycles, and levers. Whether you’re creating the system or leveraging the system, you’re more effective when you realize that there is a system.
12. Build an ecosystem. There are systems and ecosystems all around us. Bill says, “Personal computing today is a rich ecosystem encompassing massive PC-based data centers, notebook and Tablet PCs, handheld devices, and smart cell phones. It has expanded from the desktop and the data center to wherever people need it — at their desks, in a meeting, on the road or even in the air.” On creating partners for your ecosystem, Bill says, “Our success has really been based on partnerships from the very beginning.”
13. Know how to turn the crank. Take action. Execute. The problem isn’t a shortage of ideas, it’s execution. Lots of people have ideas. There is an overload of ideas. The real gap is bringing ideas to market in a way that matters. The secret sauce is ruthless prioritization of the ideas that make the most impact.
14. Take Care of Your People. Bill Gates says, “Great organizations demand a high level of commitment by the people involved.” He set a powerful example of taking care of employees, from private offices for developers to creating a workplace of extreme empowerment, engagement, and passion.
15. Divide and conquer the problem. There is always a way to chunk up the problem and prioritize more effectively. Whether it’s slicing the problem into versions over time, or simply taking the most meaningful or highest ROI (Return On Investment) pieces of the problem and tackling them first, you can make progress on the worst of problems or the best of opportunities. No problem withstands sustained, focused effort that learns and improves over time.
16. Improving your odds doesn’t guarantee success. One of Bill’s stories during his speech at Harvard is how he learned this lesson: “Radcliff was a great place to live. There were more women up there and most of the guys were mad science types. The combination offered me the best odds if you know what I mean.”
17. You don’t have to be first to win. Bill says, “Microsoft has had its success by doing low-cost products and constantly improving those products and we’ve really redefined the IT industry to be something that’s about a tool for individuals.”
18. The toughest feedback to hear, is the feedback you need the most. You get better by listening to your toughest critics. Your greatest source of growth can come from the people that will tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear. Bill says, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” Bill also says, “You’ve got to want to be in this incredible feedback loop where you get the world-class people to tell you what you’re doing wrong.”
19. Business and technology go hand in hand. Bill says, “Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don’t think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without the talking about the other.” We’re truly living a knowledge worker world, where information technology is front and center. Bill says, “It’s pretty incredible to look back 30 years to when Microsoft was starting and realize how work has been transformed. We’re finally getting close to what I call the digital workstyle.”
20. Frame the problem. Bill says, “I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act.” Framing a problem is simply how you look at a problem, just like how you frame a picture. It’s about choosing what to focus on, what’s in and what’s out. When you frame the problem, you bound it. Framing also helps you get a better perspective on the problem, as well as share the problem more effectively with others. Some questions to help frame a problem include: Who’s the customer? What are their needs and priorities? What’s happening in the market? What are competitors doing? What are our options for responding? How do we differentiate? How is technology changing and what possibilities does it offer our customers? What are the priorities for our business?
21. Celebrate success, but learn from failure. Don’t repeat the same mistakes and don’t wallow in your wins. Bill says, ““It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
22. Technology is just a tool. Don’t lose sight of the end in mind or the difference that makes the difference. Bill says, “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.”
23. Don’t automate inefficiency. Make sure something actually makes sense to automate, otherwise you compound the problem. Bill says, “The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.”
24. Empower people. Put the right information into the hands of the people that can make the most of it. Bill says, ““The vision is really about empowering workers, giving them all the information about what’s going on so they can do a lot more than they’ve done in the past.”
25. Go digital. Connect people, process, and technology. Create a digital landscape or a virtual world to reduce friction and to create new possibilities. Bill says, “One of the wonderful things about the information highway is that virtual equity is far easier to achieve than real-world equity…We are all created equal in the virtual world and we can use this equality to help address some of the sociological problems that society has yet to solve in the physical world.”

Top 10 Bill Gates’ Quotes

Here are my top 10 favorite Bill Gates’ quotes:

1. “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.“
2. “If you give people tools, and they use their natural ability and their curiosity, they will develop things in ways that will surprise you very much beyond what you might have expected.”
3. “If you show people the problems and you show people the solutions they will be moved to act.”
4. “In terms of doing things I take a fairly scientific approach to why things happen and how they happen.”
5. “Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time.”
6. “Often you have to rely on intuition.”
7. “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”
8. “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
9. “You’ve got to want to be in this incredible feedback loop where you get the world-class people to tell you what you’re doing wrong.”
10. “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

Quotes by Bill Gates

Here is an extended list of useful or interesting quotes by Bill Gates:

1. “Analytical software enables you to shift human resources from rote data collection to value-added customer service and support where the human touch makes a profound difference.”
2. “At Microsoft there are lots of brilliant ideas but the image is that they all come from the top – I’m afraid that’s not quite right.”
3. “Capitalism is this wonderful thing that motivates people, it causes wonderful inventions to be done. But in this area of diseases of the world at large, it’s really let us down.”
4. “Every day we’re saying, ‘How can we keep this customer happy?’ How can we get ahead in innovation by doing this’, because if we don’t, somebody else will.”
5. “Great organizations demand a high level of commitment by the people involved.”
6. “I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act.”
7. “I do think this next century, hopefully, will be about a more global view. Where you don’t just think, yes my country is doing well, but you think about the world at large.”
8. “I like my job because it involves learning. I like being around smart people who are trying to figure out new things. I like the fact that if people really try they can figure out how to invent things that actually have an impact.”
9. “I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I had a chance to read a lot.”
10. “I think it`s fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we`ve ever created. They`re tools of communication, they`re tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user.”
11. “If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 MPG.”
12. “If I’d had some set idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?”
13. “If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.”
14. “I’m a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other, and how they can achieve the kind of freedoms that they’re interested in.”
15. “In this business, by the time you realize you’re in trouble, it’s too late to save yourself. Unless you’re running scared all the time, you’re gone.”
16. “Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don’t think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without the talking about the other.”
17. “Instead of buying airplanes and playing around like some of our competitors, we’ve rolled almost everything back into the company.”
18. “Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana.”
19. “It’s pretty incredible to look back 30 years to when Microsoft was starting and realize how work has been transformed. We’re finally getting close to what I call the digital workstyle.”
20. “Microsoft has had its success by doing low-cost products and constantly improving those products and we’ve really redefined the IT industry to be something that’s about a tool for individuals.“
21. “Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time.”
22. “One of the wonderful things about the information highway is that virtual equity is far easier to achieve than real-world equity…We are all created equal in the virtual world and we can use this equality to help address some of the sociological problems that society has yet to solve in the physical world.”
23. “Our success has really been based on partnerships from the very beginning.”
24. “Patience is a key element of success.”
25. “Personal computing today is a rich ecosystem encompassing massive PC-based data centers, notebook and Tablet PCs, handheld devices, and smart cell phones. It has expanded from the desktop and the data center to wherever people need it — at their desks, in a meeting, on the road or even in the air.”
26. “Software is a great combination between artistry and engineering. When you finally get done and get to appreciate what you have done it is like a part of yourself that you`ve put together. I think a lot of the people here feel that way.”
27. “Smart is an elusive concept. There’s a certain sharpness, an ability to absorb new facts. To ask an insightful question. To relate to domains that may not seem connected at first. A certain creativity that allows people to be effective.”
28. “Step back, build a better system, make sure that the government money gets to the people who deserve it.”
29. “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.”
30. “The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.”
31. “The great thing about a computer notebook is that no matter how much you stuff into it, it doesn`t get bigger or heavier.”
32. “The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.”
33. “The Internet will help achieve “friction free capitalism” by putting buyer and seller in direct contact and providing more information to both about each other.”
34. “The vision is really about empowering workers, giving them all the information about what’s going on so they can do a lot more than they’ve done in the past.”
35. “This is a fantastic time to be entering the business world, because business is going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in the last 50.”
36. “This is a very exciting time in the world of information. It`s not just that the personal computer has come along as a great tool. The whole pace of business is moving faster. Globalization is forcing companies to do things in new ways.”
37. “Until we’re educating every kid in a fantastic way, until every inner city is cleaned up, there is no shortage of things to do.”
38. “Virtually every company will be going out and empowering their workers with a certain set of tools, and the big difference in how much value is received from that will be how much the company steps back and really thinks through their business processes … thinking through how their business can change, how their project management, their customer feedback, and their planning cycles can be quite different than they ever were before.”
39. “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.”
40. “We are always saying to ourself, ‘We have to innovate. We got to come up with that breakthrough.’ In fact, the way software works, so long as you are using your existing software, you don’t pay us anything at all. So we’re only paid for breakthroughs.”
41. “We don’t have the user centricity, until we understand context, which is way beyond presence. Presence is the most trivial notion, just, ‘am I on this device or not’ — it doesn’t say ‘am I meeting with something, am I focused on writing something.”
42. “We’re only at the beginning of what we have to do here.”
43. “When you want to do your homework, fill out your tax return, or see all the choices for a trip you want to take, you need a full-size screen.”

Bill Gates’ 11 Rules of Life

There is a list of rules for life that you don’t learn in school that often gets attributed to Bill Gates:

• Rule 1: Life is not fair
• Rule 2: The world won’t care about your self-esteem.
• Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school.
• Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
• Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity.
• Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
• Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now.
• Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT.
• Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters.
• Rule 10: Television is NOT real life.
• Rule 11: Be nice to nerds.