News Headline:

Consumer confidence index at all-time low - Oct. 28, 2008

The above headline made me want to post the following (lifted from the Internet): Read on!

October 30, 2008
Gurvashtakam
By
Adhi Sankara Bhagawat Pada
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander

Sareeram suroopam thadha va kalathram,
Yasacharu chithram dhanam meru thulyam,
Gurorangri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 1

Even if you have a pretty mien, a beautiful wife,
Great fame and mountain like money,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?

Kalathram Dhanam puthrapothradhi sarvam,
Gruham Bandhavam Sarvamethadhi jatham,
Gurorangri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 2

Even if you have a wife, wealth, children grand children.
House , relations and are born in a great family,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?

Shadangadhi vedo Mukhe sasra vidhya ,
Kavithwadhi gadhyam , supadhyam karothi,
Gurorangri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 3

Even if you are an expert in six angas and the four Vedas,
And an expert in writing good prose and poems,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?

Videseshu manya, swadeseshu danya,
Sadachara vrutheshu matho na cha anya,
Gurorangri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 4

Even if you are considered great abroad, rich in your own place,
And greatly regarded in virtues and life,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?

Kshma mandale bhoopa bhoopala vrundai,
Sada sevitham yasya padaravindam,
Gurorangri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 5

Even if you are a king of a great region,
And is served by kings and great kings,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?

Yaso me gatham bikshu dana prathapa,
Jagadwathu sarvam kare yah prasdath,
Gurorangri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 6

Even if your fame has spread all over,
And the entire world is with you because of charity and fame,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?

Na Bhoge, na yoge, Na vaa vajirajou,
Na kantha sukhe naiva vitheshu chitham,
Gurorangri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 7

Even if you do not concentrate your mind,
On passion, Yoga, fire sacrifice,
Or in the pleasure from the wife
Or in the affairs of wealth,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?

Anarghani rathnani mukthani samyak,
Samalingitha kamini yamineeshu,
Gurorangri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 8

Even if you have priceless jewel collection,
Even if you have an embracing passionate wife,
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use?

(Another version of Sloka no.8 :-

Aranye na vaa swasya gehe na karye,
Na dehe mano varthathemath vanarghye,
Gurorangri padme manaschenna lagnam,
Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha kim Thatha kim. 8

Even if your mind stays away in the forest,
Or in the house, Or In duties or in great thoughts
If your mind does not bow at the Teacher’s feet,
What is the use? What is the use? And What is the use? )

*Teacher represents wisdom and sagacity.

What if . . . I too blogged?

Topic: Education
October 29, 2008

"SeDeTO"

Yesterday’s news report about why kids drop out of school. According to a Chicago School Report, it’s in 9th grade most kids who drop out, do.
How does one keep kids engaged in school?

School is not just about education. It’s also first lab where social skills are learned, tenuous relationships are formed, and one’s self-conscious behavior is tested, all these most pronounced during early adolescent years (9th grade?). All these involve stress. In other words, it’s a young developing person’s mental health is at risk. Only when the mind is calm and ripple-free can it engage in what’s being taught.

Stress affects the body’s dopamine level which in turn affects one’s behavior. While in some this might lead to fighting stress, it could also lead to fleeing stress-inducing situations. So educators seeking to find answers to why kids drop out need to focus on this fundamental causal-effect relationship and address the issues from the ground up. Addressing a child’s errant behavior by another stress-provoking (punishment for instance) will not produce the desired result of improvement in a student’s improved behavior such as staying in school and more importantly staying engaged.

Cause-Effect Continuum:
Stress=>Student Disengagement=>Dropping out
Sress=>Student Disengagement=>Intervention=>Staying in School=>Staying Engaged=>Completing School
The stress-disengagement-tune out (SeDeTO) behavior applies to one and all and in all life’s situations.

Some Possible Sources of Stress:

• Friends
• Family
• Inability to understand a subject being taught
• Inability to fit in
• Not receiving enough attention from those the student is supposed to receive attention from: e.g. Parents, Teacher, Friends, and.
• Others depending upon one’s own personal situation in life

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October 28, 2008
Deepavali (Diwali)--The Hindu Festival

Deepavali, the Festival of Lights a Time For Reflection!
Deeepavali celebrates life, joy and goodness.
Light dispels darkness and empowers us
To shine cheer and beauty
Mirth and friendship all around us.

On this day, as we worship Lakshmi the goddess of wealth
Even as we reflect on the destructive economic havoc its generation has let loose
In the last month alone,
Wealth still needs to be seen as a positive notion.

Only greed breeds Excess,
A corruptive and destructive force
But its smarter cousin Abundance that knows where to draw the line
Serves this world just right.

Wealth by itself is not corrupt but what matters is
How we acquire it and how we use it.
Often, wealth equals power and power is good,
As long as we use it to accomplish goodness in this world.

That’s my personal Greeting on this joyful day!

Wishing You & Yours
A Happy, Healthy And Prosperous Deepavali!
May every day be a day of light over darkness!

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October 27, 2008
Topic: Life style

Benefit of Meditation, a personal view:
I lead a fairly balanced life and keep myself healthy through proper eating, exercise and other "good" habits. This also has meant a fairly low-stress life style. Finally, however, I decided to see what benefits meditation (one reason I had not bother so far is because as a trained singer, I’m into music a lot) might have on someone like me. As a recent practitioner and my own readiness is my guru, this is my take on this centuries-old practice.

Benefit of meditation does not occur not while meditating. It’s like practicing music. Just like daily practice of an art benefits one’s stage performance, meditation helps one’s performance of daily activities, one’s overall behavior. Most daunting things don’t look so daunting anymore. During "confrontation" one’s is not confrontational anymore. One is able to bring objectivity to a situation much more easily and treat one’s own emotions more clinically. Is also able to analyze the subtext beneath the "opponent’s" action, which on the surface might have been triggered by your action but a whole other set of reasons might be at work behind his/her behavior.

This is much more the case if the behavior is a bit off and not proportional to the behavior that triggered the reaction.
Another behavioral change that occurs through meditation is the ability to bring a laser-like focus to any task.
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