My Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions For 2009

When a journalist friend of mine recently asked me come up with a one or more New Year’s resolutions to include in an article she is working on, I got to thinking about a few. For making and sticking to a New Year Resolution is indicative of giving up something, usually a bad habit.

The most common as we all know are: Cutting back on the consumption of alcohol (if you consume too much of it, that is.) Losing weight or dieting. And giving up or cutting back on smoking tobacco. So these three will not be included on my list because I am sure people are tired of hearing about them.  And speaking of that list, here are my top ten New Year’s   Resolutions for 2009:

One: Try not to ignore your friends and loved ones by being too consumed with checking your gadget for recent text messages, missed calls, etc. when you are in the presence of your friends and loved ones.  Most people are now addicted to their cellphones and other communicating devices so much so that the people around them might feel a bit ignored sometimes.

Two: Try to leave the stress behind. Sometimes some of us have so many things to do that we tend to become overwhelmed. That’s when stress can set in, stress you don’t need. So try to tackle  those activities one at a time if you can, even make a check list if you have to. It’s way easier than bringing all that stress on yourself.

Three: Accept you for you. People will criticize and judge  you no matter where you go. Try not to let their negativity get to you.

Four: At the same time, it’s not easy, but try not to be too judgemental of others.

Five: Check your loved ones’  mood at the door. Being upset or angry with your spouse, mate or friend  is one thing, but verbally laying it all on them at the end of the work day is another. Try and give them a few moments before doing so, for you never know what kind of day they had. Maybe they had a tangle with a co worker or got fired or laid off.

Six: Take some time out for Nature. Our technological gadgets may keep us indoors most of the time, but every once in a while take some time out for Nature. Take a little stroll, get some fresh air, etc.

Seven: Try not to become too depressed about anything for too long. If you realise this is taking place, try doing something that will cheer you up. Listen to some music, watch television, read or do something else you enjoy.

Eight: Don’t deprive yourself of things you enjoy. Having an entire pie in one sitting can be bad for you. So have a slice, at least this way you won’t be depriving yourself of this one thing you enjoy.

Nine: Remember to pay someone else a compliment once in a while. For the smile you put on their face just might make their day a brighter one.

Ten: But most of all, remember who you are and we want you all back here in 2010 and beyond, so have yourselves a safe and happy 2009!

Merry Christmas!!!

To Cheat Or Not

I recently came upon this query while cruising the internet and the longer the matter lingered in my mind, I wondered if it is really worth it to cheat on your mate/spouse.

The only way I can envision something like this being beneficial to someone is if said person is totally unhappy and their romantic relationship is not really working out anyway.

But if you have invested a considerable amount of time, money and energy into your relationship and you feel as though Temptation wants to take you for a wild ride, you might want to consider one important factor, trust.

Your mate trusts you. And never mind that they might never learn of your indiscretion once it’s done, for there is always a way to find out about these matters. You might subconsciously give it away yourself one day in a conversation.

Then there is the matter of solid evidence that come in the form of credit card receipts, movie/concert ticket stubs etc. If you decide that you want to return to the mate you cheated on, especially if they have learned of your folly after the fact, coming back to the road of trust can be a long one.

For somewhere in your mate’s mind, dwells the memory of how you once cheated on them. No matter how much time passes by or how many times you try to make it up to your mate, the memory of that event is there. And your relationship might suffer a few changes.

For example, say every time you are gone for a long period of time or you are late in returning home from work, the mate you once cheated on might be wondering if you are up to doing that again. Can you blame them?

No you cannot.  Your  relationship   may never return to that happy place it once resided in, once some of that trust is gone. So if you are happy with your mate, don’t go looking for a reason for them to thnik otherwise of you.

But if you are really unhappy and your relationship is not working out like you want it to, break it off then go and have that fling with the someone Temptation has thrown in your path.

It’s far better than cheating. Especially if you don’t want the mate with whom you were so unhappy to be left thinking that you cheated on them. Because when it’s over, that’s all that person might remember of you, and you don’t want that, do you?

Link’s Crossbow Training On Nintendo Wii

Whenever I set aside time to play a Legend Of Zelda video game, I look forward to the many challenges that await me in the game. And among a few of those challenges come the finding and using of Link’s small arsenal of weapons.

Among such weapons are: the Boomerang, Bombs, Bombchus, Grappling Hook, (in the SNES Legend of Zelda A Link To The Past it was known as a Hookshot) the Megaton Hammer, (sometimes the Pegasus Boots suffice as a weapon as well) we can’t forget Link’s trusty sword, the  Fire Rod, Ice Rod, and of course, the Bow.

And in Nintendo Wii’s Link’s Crossbow Training, as the title of the game suggests, the Bow or Crossbow is (your) Link’s weapon. If you have not played Link’s Crossbow Training, you might want to give it a try.

Playable with the Nintendo Wii Zapper, Link’s Crossbow Training is full of fast paced, aim and fire at the enemy action. In addition, the in game computer keeps a record of your score as you fire away at the target or targets with a timer on the top right screen.

This is no RPG type adventure. But you go from one stage to the next with each of those stages being more challenging than the last. For example, you may have to fire away at individual targets on one level and a  multitude of enemies  targets on another that seem as thought they are coming right at you.

Filled with smooth and clear graphics and sound effects to match, (try playing it with the sound turned up, it will make you feel as if you are right in the middle of the action) Link’s Crossbow Training for the Nintendo Wii is a great game.

The Boss battles can be challenging as well. But Boss battles and all, I  became fond of playing this title and if you also enjoy a little on screen Bow and Arrow action, Link style, pick up that Nintendo Wii Zapper and go Zelda on some  familiar looking enemies from previous Legend Of Zelda games, and watch as you increase your score moving from one stage to the next on Link’s Crossbow Training.

Rated T For Teen For  Animated Violence (Especially In Those Boss Battles Scenes.)

It Is Time For Patience And Action By Gandhian Scholar: Dr. Ravindra Kumar

India is a great country. Among its inhabitants are people belonging to different races, religious communities, sects and faiths. It is a responsible nation. It is the largest democracy of the world. Therefore, its role and contribution for world peace and prosperity is important.

For centuries, it has been the Jananaguru of the world. World’s mentors like Gautama Buddha, Tirthankara Mahavira, Guru Nanak Dev and Mahatma Gandhi were born on Indian soil. Not only this, but great thinkers and inventors like Aryabhat (the inventor of the zero), Sushruta (the father of surgery), Jagdish Chandra Bose (the pioneer of wireless communication) and Chandrashekhar Venkata Raman (known for the Raman Effect) were also born in India.

India is a country with one of the oldest and richest cultures in the world. Harmony and unity in diversity are the chief characteristics of its culture. Moreover, its culture is evolutionary in its character. Indian culture calls upon people to make ahimsa the basis of their day-to-day activities.

Ahimsa is the supreme human value. It is an active force. It has to do nothing with cowardice. Ahimsa never asks for a meek submission before a tyrant. It never asks for surrender before a wrongdoer. Rather, it is a weapon of the brave. It is fully capable of ending injustice, no matter if it is internal or external. The world’s abovementioned mentors, inventors and other great warriors, who had been defenders and retainers of the unique characteristics of India’s national culture in their respective eras, conveyed the message of unity, equality and endurance; simultaneously, they called upon people to remain active while going forward on their life journey.

Their message could fill Indians with enthusiasm from time to time. Whenever there emerged a serious situation facing India, from the inside or the outside, Indians showed their activeness and, through unity, they successfully countered challenges of a serious nature. Hence, they made India, their motherland, safe and secure from aggressors, invaders and those who tried to weaken it.

In the current series of events, once again it seems that continuous efforts are being made at national and international levels to weaken India from both the inside and the outside. Efforts are being made to destroy India’s economy, democratic structure and society, and its harmonious culture. Why, and how, the whole world knows. Therefore, there is no need to go into any detail in this regard.

The need of the hour is this: that Indians must show their activeness, courage and unity. With patience and steadfastness, they must come forward to save this great nation from both the inside and the outside, so that India can become strong and march forward on the pathway to prosperity.

They must bear in mind that only a strong and prosperous India can accord security, safety and happiness to its people, on the one hand, and can discharge its responsibilities toward the international community, on the other. It can play a vital role in making the world free from violence and uproar, which now burden civil society in these days of globalization that is incessantly increasing.

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*Dr. Ravindra Kumar is a renowned Gandhian scholar, Indologist and writer. He is the Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Meerut [India], and the Editor-in-Chief of Global Peace International Journal.

Jainism, Tirthankaras and the Indian Way By Gandhian Scholar: Dr. Ravindra Kumar

In spite of vital role played by the Vedic-Hindu view of life in the making and developing of the Indian Way, the contribution of others towards its strengthening and welfare cannot be minimized. Also cent percent credit of strengthening the Indian Way from time-to-time cannot be given only to the Vedic-Hindu view of life. Any such attempt will be inappropriate; it will not justifiable. Moreover, such an attempt will penetrate the wide scope of the Indian Way itself. Along with this, it will be an act of indifference from the fundamental spirit of Ahimsa, which is an eternal, greatest and natural value, which calls upon self-realization, and which fills the Indian Way with features like unity and equality.

After Vedic-Hindu view of life the name of Jain philosophy can be mentioned foremostly in context of making the Indian Way firm. The Jain Tirthankaras from time-to-time contributed towards strengthening it. Doesn’t matter if the religious community, known as the Jain today, has no faith in Godlike Supreme Power or Jain philosophy does not make God the basis of human-unity and equality, but the approach through which Jain Tirthankaras, in spite of its limited number of followers, parallel to Vedic-Hindu view of life made Ahimsa the only basis of all human-activities that doubtlessly gave strength to India’s Way in which universal acceptance is nucleus. Doesn’t matter if Jain philosophy connected Ahimsa to tough self-restraint and self-control which would not be possible for commonmen to follow, but the role played by Tirthankaras and Saints of this religious-community in spreading and propagating this eternal, natural and greatest human value is an indivisible and permanent part of open chapters of the Indian Way.

The tradition of Jain philosophy and Tirthankaras is very old. I am particularly of the view that Jain Philosophy is Sanatana. Proofs of existence of Tirthankara Rishabhdev have been found in digging work of sites of the Indus Valley Civilization. Not only was this, as per the mention in the Jain treatises, Rishabhdev, the first Tirthankara, was the son of Nabhi and Marudevi, the king and queen of Ayodhya. In the Rig-Veda itself he has been mentioned as one of the Avataras-incarnations. In treatises of Hindus and Jains both it has also been mentioned that Rishabhdev was from the Ikshavaku family line. Particularly Jain treatises describe that Hindustan [India] was known as Bharatha due to Bharat, the eldest son of Rishabhdev and who was a great king. Undoubtedly, the Jain tradition is quite old. Like Hinduism history of Jainism is ancient. Thus, from ancient times, and particularly from the time of Tirthankara Rishabhdev, Jainism has contributed greatly towards strengthening and developing the Indian Way.

Contribution of the First Tirthankara

The contribution of the first Jain Tirthankara Rishabhdev in strengthening the Indian Way can be apparent on four aspects. And the first among them is that being a great and wise cultivator he trained Indians in systematic agricultural work. He called upon people to domesticate animals on larger scale along with agriculture; he inspired Indians for it. Both these practices could grant dimensions to Ahimsa and thus strengthened the Indian Way.

Bringing the society in the range of simplicity was Rishabhdev’s second major contribution. He made great efforts of bringing commonmen out of the domain of hard rules. He inspired people to lead life on the basis of simple and adaptable laws. In spite of connecting Ahimsa with self-retrain and self-control, he called upon people to make love and friendliness the basis of their social conducts, which confirmed his commitment towards simplicity and adaptable rules for commonmen. In this regards it has been mentioned in the Trilokakshara:

“Dhammo Vadiyamoolo Vanimmiyio Adybihamen”

Meaning thereby, “Rishabh, the first Tirthankara, laid the foundation of the simple dharma. That dharma was based upon love and friendliness.”

The third and ever memorable contribution of Rishabhdev towards the Indian Way had been in his work and teachings of developing the art of cottage industries and that too according to demand of time and space. In this connection too he trained the people. It has been mentioned in the Vrihat Swayambhu Istrota:

“Prajapatriyah Prathamam Jajivishiyuh Shashasa Krishyadasiyu Karamasu Prajah”

His fourth contribution had been in his exemplary teachings of realistic honesty particularly for those who were involved in business for their livelihood.

All the above four contributions of Rishabhdev, in spite of being extraordinary in his on time, are worth giving a thought until today. Tirthankara Rishabhdev is ideal for those who think about the Indian Way, who are concerned of making this way firm and broad in prevailing conditions of India and the whole world. Doubtlessly, in this regard, Rishabhdev goes beyond the limits set by any particular religious-community.

Chain of Tirthankaras

After Rishabhdev, the first Tirthankara, his great tradition was spread and propagated among the masses by other twenty-one Tirthankaras in prevailing circumstances of their respective times. Among those eighteen Tirthankaras-Ajitnath, Sambhavnath, Abhinandannath, Sumatinath, Padamprabhu [or Padamprabh], Suparshvanath, Chandraprabhu [or Chandraprabh], Pushpadant, Shitalnath, Shreyansnath, Vasupujya, Vimalnath, Anantnath, Dharmanath, Shantinath, Kunthunath and Arhanath came from the Ikshavaku family line. They made the people realize the importance of Ahimsa and tried their level best to bring day-to-day activities of all general and particular within its domain. They were great initiator of Ahimsa in their respective eras.

Mallinath, the child of Queen Prabhavati and Ikshavaku Vanshiya King Kumbha of Ayodhya, who according to the Digambar sect of Jain-community was masculine in gender and according to the Shwetambar sect a feminine, rose to the stature of the Nineteenth Jain Tirthankara. Like earlier Tirthankaras Mallinath too accomplished the great task of spreading Ahimsa and conveyed the reality of this supreme value for the welfare of all.

Suvratnath and Naninath were twentieth and twenty-first Jain Tirthankaras and both of them also came from the Ikshavaku family line, while Neminath, the twenty-second Tirthankara, came from the Hari Vansha. They successfully went forward in giving dimensions one after the other to Jain philosophy in their respective eras. They became source of inspiration for many to come to the fold of Jainism and make Ahimsa the basis of their chores.

Tirthankara Parshvanath

Parshvanath [872-772 B. C.], the son of King Ashvasen and Queen Vama of Varanasi, who rose to the stature of the Twenty-Third Jain Tirthankara, became most popular in the chain of Tirthankaras after Rishabhdev. He was the predecessor of Vardhamana Mahavira, the last and the Twenty-Forth Tirthankara. The most valuable contribution of Parshvanath to the Indian philosophy and spiritualism was the foundation of the Chaturyama, a fourfold Shramanika system by him. And the solidarity which Parshvanath gave through this contribution to the Indian Way was not the less than any of the Vedic Rishis.

When during the Upanishadic era under the Vedic system Ahimsa was being purified as the supreme human value, and altogether it was being mentioned particularly in the Shandiloyopnishad and Chandogyopnishad, at that very time Parshvanath, with the purpose of making it foremost in theory and practice both, and to accord it the supreme place in prevailing circumstances, made it first in the Chaturyama. Through this he ratified India’s commitment to human equality and unity. Thus, he himself proved to be the best representative of the Indian Way of his time.

Chaturyama is made of those four principles on the basis of which Parshvanath established the Shramanika System. Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya and Aparigraha are included in it. Doubtlessly, by following this system, particularly its principles of true conduct, non-stealing and Aparigraha, the level of ethics and morality increases to a large extent. Both-ethics and morality-are necessary for the development of Ahimsa. They are the means of realizing it. Therefore, through his Chaturyama system, which is made of Satya, Asteya and Aparigraha along with Ahimsa, Tirthankara Parshvanath gave an extension to the Indian Way; he made it concrete.

Vardhamana Mahavira

Vardhamana Mahavira, who rose to the stature of the Twenty-Fourth Jain Tirthankara, was the son of Kashyapgotriya King Siddhartha and Queen Trishla of Kundagram near Vaishali in present Bihar. It was Mahavira who not only had brought forward the Jain tradition established by Rishabhdev but gave to it the best, unprecedented, unique and historical dimension in theory and practice, which could be known and understood by his own lifelong practices. In his own life Mahavira was on the peak of Ahimsa. I am of the view that he was unique in fostering Ahimsa. Until today he holds unique position in this regard. I am not acquainted of any such other who experienced and practiced Ahimsa to the extent as Mahavira did. Also I am not sure whether someone else will become equal to him in this context. Indians can take pride of having such a unique and matchless initiator of Ahimsa like Mahavira who born on their motherland.

Mahavira added Brahmacharya [Celibacy] to the Chaturyama system established by the Twenty-Third Tirthankara Parshvanath. Thus, he based it on five principles-Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. The purpose behind adding this new principle in the Chaturyama system was to make human conduct morally sound. In fact, celibacy is one of the best means of self-control and self-restrain. It contributes towards maintaining mental and physical balance. Furthermore, it plays vital role in developing constructive approach in man. Therefore, it promotes activities related to Ahimsa.

Being a great guide, elucidator and defender, Mahavira took the Indian Way to heights. The Ratna-traya system established by him is one of the living examples of it. Through the Ratna-traya System-Samyak Darshan, Samyak Jnana and Samyak Charitra-he inspired the people to go forward to attain the highest stage of humanity.

Being a great initiator of Ahimsa and elucidator of the Indian Way, Mahavira tried to make all, general or particular, realize that unity in diversity was a reality. He declared Ahimsa to be the soul force, and through its constant development he emphasized upon realizing harmony, which prevailed not only among human beings, but also between a dangerous and a weak or feeble animal. He talked of drinking water by a lion and a buffalo on the same landing-place.

In the scope of Mahavira’s harmony and human-unity all general and particular, woman and man, rich and poor were, and are, equal. All were, and are, eligible of equal progress. All can attain the highest-Moksha. In the entire history of Jain tradition, Mahavira set record of inspiring lacs of men and women to follow Jainism by making Ahimsa nucleus in their day-to-day practices. He wished all to break their bonds and to reach the level of a Tirthankara. In this regard he surpassed all his predecessors.

To understand the reality of the [exiting or materialistic] world, Mahavira proposed a great philosophy of Anekantvad [non-absolutism]. He also presented another philosophy of Syadvad, which was based upon seven possibilities, before the world. These philosophies gave strength to the Indian philosophy on the one hand and on the other they fostered India’s way of life. Moreover, by repeating the principle of possibility of harmony among all creatures he made the aspect of universal acceptance of the Indian Way strong in theory, and by his own pure and true activities in practice.

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*Dr. Ravindra is a renowned Indologist, Gandhian writer and scholar; he is a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Meerut in India.