HAPPINESS UNLIMITED

Hi friends,

FOR A HARMONIOUS LIFE

While arranging the wedding of their children, the parents are only particular about the matching of the horoscopes. If they match, they proceed further and if the boy and girl physically like each other, they fix the wedding. They do not consider other aspects. 

There are 12 different types of people, rich/poor, beautiful/not beautiful, educated/not educated, city/rural, employed/unemployed, emotional/intellectual. Everyone has plus and minus. The children may have their imagination and expectation about future spouse and their qualities.

They do not disclose their views to their parents as they feel shy. The parents proceed on their own which leads to unhappiness. It is advisable for the parents and children to discuss what type of spouse they expect so that there are harmony and understanding before fixing up an alliance.

SELF APPRAISAL

Apart from posting bits on my timeline[wall], I have written about 120 articles. I really wonder how I am able to make it. I started writing on Jan 2016. When I first reached 30 articles, I was imagining when I would cross 50 as a milestone. This feeling was there for every 50 articles.

Just for self-appraisal, I reviewed my articles. To be frank with you, actually, I laughed at my writing. It was so bad. I myself could not tolerate it. I wondered how other people would have thought about it. The language, narration, usage of words, grammar, everything was not good.

Now I am fine-tuning every article. After another year, even this may look not up to the mark. That is the beauty of writing. When your child gets 60 marks, you are worried about the missing 40 marks. If there is an ink dot on white dhoti, we think not about the white but about the dot.

FROM THE GRANARY

MEDICAL TIPS

Many people give medical tips as if they are doctors. It is not my intention to find fault with them. They are doing it in good faith and concern for others. We tell the time only when it is asked for. What is medicine for one is poison for another. Wheat is good for its fiber content. 

But it is poison for a person having Coeliac disease which is a small intestine disorder. It leads to indigestion and bloating. Ginger is not good for an ulcer patient. Home remedies are suitable for one's family who knows the person and his system and who can take responsibility. 

Only doctors should treat any ailment. They are qualified for it. People should only go to the doctor. In the case of problems with vital organs like heart, liver, kidney, lungs, and brain they should go to Specialists. Any delay in going to the doctor will lead to serious consequences.

SPRUCING IT UP

I searched for my wife. She was not to be seen anywhere including her regular place before the TV. I found her in the kitchen. She was in the midst of containers, provisions and empty pockets. She was sprucing up the kitchen. She was a workaholic. She never remained idle. 

Lethargy and procrastination have come into me? She is 70 but looks 17. All husbands find their wives look younger. I wanted to spruce up my FB timeline for months together but I didn't do it. After getting motivation from her, I decided to carry out the job positively today. 

After a good coffee at 3 PM, I made the FaceBook timeline up to date in 4 hours. 1. I deleted all obsolete posts. 2. I stored posts which can be made into articles. 3. I deleted posts earlier to 2016. 4. I deleted photos which are in the memory. 5. I removed posts in which I was tagged 

HERO WORSHIPING

Hi friends,

A GENIUS

A doctor is next to God. His diagnosis makes him unique. The risk he takes is beyond words. I remember to have read this in the "letters to the editor" column in The Hindu long time back during the centenary of Dr. A.L.Mudaliar, by one of his assistant who was also a famous doctor.

One day, he was going with ALM in his car. ALM was one of the few who owned a car. While they were passing through Big street in Triplicane in Madras, there was some gathering of people. When inquired, they were told that a politician was bedridden with a serious ailment.

ALM got down from the car and went inside the house and checked on the patient. His deputy doctor was standing nearby to note down his prescription. ALM dictated the medicine and he noted it. But he was sure that the medicine should not be given to the patient for his ailment.

Before handing over the prescription to the family, the deputy doctor hesitated for a moment. ALM observing his reluctance told him not to worry, "I know it should not be given. Sometimes even the poison works as a medicine". Within a few days, the patient became normal. A genius.

HERO WORSHIPING

In our daily life, we are blindly hailing someone as a hero. We always talk about him and keep him in high esteem. We do not know whether he is actually worth his salt. Knowing our weakness, he also accepts that he is a hero. Then who is a real hero?

Character is defined as the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. It is human law. Everyone should abide by this law. You have good and bad character. The main aspect that makes a person good is having good character. Both the intention and action must be good.

The hero is one who is admired for his courage, outstanding achievements, and noble qualities. There are people who are rich and handsome. People give importance to outward appearance and call a person a hero. Tom Dick and Harry are not heroes. They should have noble qualities.

Drinking alcohol and womanizing are the worst habits. People who possess these habits must be abandoned by society. Before considering anyone to be a hero please find out whether he is free from these two vices. If not, you must summarily reject him even as human beings.

IN MY PERSPECTIVE

Hi friends,

ATTITUDE

Many people are raising questions leading to discussions, arguments, opinions, etc. which revolves around education. It is not correct to connect everything to education. Education only gives Knowledge. Experience gives wisdom. Attitude gives character. 

A highly educated and intelligent person may be of bad character. An uneducated person may be of good character. Only his attitude decides about his character. It is inborn. No curriculum teaches attitude. He has come into this world with unfulfilled desires. 

Accordingly, his attitude and character are formed. No one can change it. Even if he tries he cannot change it. The switch lies with God. It will take many births for him to get his desires fulfilled and to become a man of good character. Lesser the desires, better the attitude.

OM SHANTI OM

When a person dies, most of the people say R.I.P. This is used only when the body is buried and not when consigned to flames. As per the Hindu tradition, we do only the cremation. So we should only say"I pray for the soul to reach the lotus feet of the Lore" or "I pray for the soul to attain Shanti" or "I pray God to give the soul Motcha" or simply "Om Shanti Om" or in Tamil  ஆத்மா சாந்தி பெற இறைவனை வேண்டுகிறேன்

HAPPY NEW  YEAR

In another few hours, the new year will dawn. We anxiously wait for its arrival. Some people will start celebrating on the previous night itself. On the new year day, we do not fail to wish everyone a happy new year. There ends the matter. We do not know whether the person is happy through the year or not. Okay, it is not possible as no one is reporting to us. At least we can take a wow not to hurt others during the year which itself will make others happy. Wishing a person happiness and making a person happy is entirely different. Let us all make others happy this year.

I VISITED THE GODS:

I suffered a viral infection for a week. I had severe headache, giddiness, vomiting, body pain, blurred vision, and I lost all senses. My DIL took me to the hospital. The Doctor gave medicines and tests costing 3000/. I did not know what happened. I thought my D-Day had come.

I went to heaven and met all the Gods. Maha Vishnu was lying in bed chatting with Mahalakshmi. He manages the Universe by keeping a replica of him in every living being. Lord Siva was in penance. Mother Parvathy was taking care of his duties. Lord Brahma was writing something. 

I told them "I am 71 and I have finished all my duties. I want to sell my house in Chennai and buy another one at Hyderabad. Everyone wants black money. I want only white. Please help me".They said, "It is impossible in India. You have come to the wrong place" and sent me back.

MOSTLY RELEVANT

ALZHEIMER

Alzheimer is the worst that can happen to an old soul. It is the drying of the brain. There is no cure and it aggravates further after you are 60. You must take steps to keep your brain active to avoid or delay this deadly problem.

Reading books, writing articles, walking both morning and evening, doing puja and uttering slokas, visiting friends and relatives, going to temples/pilgrimage, napping a little, socializing on Internet, watching classic movies, listening to soul-stirring music especially Carnatic, playing with children or pets, caring and sharing small domestic chores, learning and doing Yoga daily, playing sudoku, attending discourses, are some of the traits which I can suggest to others.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

I am tired. How long I can sit before the laptop and read friends' posts?. My back is paining. I closed the laptop and lied down on my cot. The body is at rest but the mind is wandering. How long I can stare at the ceiling?. After the articles, the next one that comes to my mind is music.

I can reasonably sing well but alone. I fine-tune my vocal cords by taking Apple Cider Vinegar. I mix 2 tablespoons of ACV with 200 ml of water and drink it daily at 6 PM. You must be very careful while swallowing it. It improves gut acidity and gives good Brigaas in the vocal chord. If you are a singer you can try. 

WREN & MARTIN

It is not a brand name like Louis & Phillip, Peter England, Reid & Taylor etc, or Baskin Robbins. It is a book. I don't know whether it is available in the market now. It was a book which the present-day grandfathers dreaded during their school days.

It is a Bible for English grammar. Commencing from alphabet, consonant, vowel, word, sentence, subject, predicate, object, verb, noun, pronoun, adverb, adjective, gerund, clauses, tenses, active/passive voices, direct/indirect speech, punctuation, conjunction, interjection, paraphrasing, precis-writing, comprehension, letter/essay writing, synonyms, antonyms, usage, etc, it teaches everything about grammar.

I used to give this book a gift to students who were studying 10th to 12th std. The price ranged from Rs. 20 to 110 when I last purchased. It is the most valuable book for grammar.

RIGHT FROM THE HEART

Hi friends,

AN IDEAL FATHER

The wedding was over. The guests started leaving. Only close relatives remained. The fragrance of the silk Sarees, flowers and perfumes faded away in the air. After a heavy dinner, people were relaxing in different corners of the hall. It was afternoon. The bridegroom was resting on a sofa in the hall deeply thinking about his future life. He was alone and this was the time. 

As the father of the bride, I approached him. After some pleasantries, I told him if he did not mistake me, I wanted three promises from him. When the SIL asked me what were they, I said, 

1. Do not desert your parents in support of my daughter. 

2. Do not get into any bad habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, contacts with women even for fun.

3. Make my daughter happy. Do not bring tears in her eyes. 

The SIL agreed and I was happy.

I then went to my daughter. She was busy packing her baggage to leave for her new home. After some pleasantries, I asked her four promises. When my daughter asked me what were they, I said, 

1. Love your husband to the core of your heart. 

2. Strive for the unity of his family. Do not be responsible for the separation of your husband from his parents. 

3. Women weep outside but men weep inside. Solve your problems on the same day and do not carry it over to the next day. 

4. In case you are physically, mentally, financially, emotionally or intellectually tortured, do not continue to stay there for my happiness. Please come back and I will take care of you. 

The daughter agreed and I was happy.

THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND SYMPATHY

For a parent, both the son and daughter are similar to their two eyes. There is no doubt about it. However, the longing for the married daughter is slightly more because she has gone to a different family. Some daughters are fortunate enough to be in the same place where their parents live and they can visit each other mutually.

Where the daughters live in a different place it is difficult to visit. Parents who are not employed can visit their daughter once in a while. Whereas, parents who are working or aged may not be able to do so. In such cases, only the daughter can visit them. If the daughter has a school-going child or if she is employed, then it is also difficult for her to visit whenever she likes, excepting during Christmas or summer holidays.

In case she has aged in-laws, she cannot leave them alone to go to her parents. The love of the maternal grandparents is equally great. If her in-laws voluntarily ask her to go, when she was free, then it shows their love for her. If they allow her to go on her request, then it is out of sympathy. If they do not permit her to go even after her request it should be condemned. That is the difference between love and sympathy.

MISSING

My granddaughter is always active. She never gives any trouble to anyone. She minds her business. Her parents, grandmother, and aunt have got her different playthings. You can always find her busy reading books, playing with dolls, building houses, drawing pictures, cutting pictures and pasting it, listening to kids songs etc. The house is scattered with her playthings all over. Neither her parents nor the grandmother is bothered about it. Being a disciplinarian, I get annoyed but I keep my mouth shut.

I have to be very careful while walking inside the house as I may stumble upon anything anytime. Now, she has gone to her maternal grandparent's house for summer vacation. No item is now scattered on the floor. The house is neat, tidy and clean. I need not be careful while walking. But I miss my granddaughter. Where is she? I don't mind the house to be shabby. But I need her. I want to play with her. I want to see her smiling face. I miss her badly. Bring her soon.

WHO IS WHO?

Hi friends,

WHO IS THE SMARTER OF THE TWO?

The proverb says give the work to the one who works and the pay to the idler. It is believed that the smart would get all accolades and go up in the ladder. But in fact, you will only repent as people will load you with more work. There are two types of people.

The workaholic returns home, removes the shoes, keeps it in its place, takes a towel, goes to the restroom, finish washing, takes the coffee kept ready for him on the dining, sits on the sofa and talks passionately with his wife about the day. He then helps her in domestic chores.

The other one, does no work in the office, except gossiping, visiting canteen, returns home. At the street corner, loosens his tie disturbs his hairstyle, unbutton and rolls up one of his sleeves, enters the house posing tired, throws the shoes and lies down on the sofa fully stretched. His wife brings coffee, applies Wicks on his forehead and he retires to his bed till dinner is ready.

WHO IS A SENIOR CITIZEN? 

Most of the people are under the impression that if a person is 70 and another is 30, then the first one is elder and the second is younger. It is not so. There is a new theory to find out who is elder and who is younger.

To merge with God is the ultimate goal of life. To achieve this, one has to become pure. To become a pure soul, realizations of God is important. For realization, renunciation and bhakti are important. For renunciation one should get fully satisfied to leave an object. To get fully satisfied one has to take many births.

Assuming it takes 100 births to merge with God, a person who is 70 may be in his 20th birth desiring more objects of pleasure. The other person who is 30 may be in his 50th birth might have left most of his desires. Therefore, the one who is 70 in his 20th birth is younger to the one who is 30 in his 50th birth.

So whether a person is elder or younger is assessed by his desires and not by his age in a particular birth. A person with fewer desires is elder and the person with more desires is younger.

WHO IS BETTER?

While talking about people, their upbringing, education, employment etc my grandfather used to make the following remarks. I don't know how far he was correct. He had already reached the Lord's lotus feet.

People can be compared to a hen. There are three types of hens.

1.Hens that eat in the owner's house and also lay eggs there.

2.Hens that eat in the owner's house but lay eggs with the neighbour.

3.Hens that eat in the neighbour's house but lay eggs with the owner.

You can judge which is the best.

WHO IS A GURU?

In earlier days, every family had their priest like a family doctor who knew the details of the members. Now, it runs like employment exchange, with a senior priest deputing someone not known to us to perform a function or ceremony. I do not wish to discuss the definition and the role of a Guru. Life has changed and they should also lead their life like others.

For my father's ceremony, a priest was deputed. After the ceremony, he demanded an exorbitant fee which was more than what I had agreed to with the principal priest. When I told him, he said it was his rate and he should be paid his amount. It did not occur to me to discuss the fees with him when he arrived to perform the function.

I told him there was no prior understanding between us and requested him to talk to the principal priest who had sent him. He talked to him and did not listen to his words and started creating a scene. Unable to bear the humiliation, I paid the amount and sent him off. This is how priests who take the temporary place of a guru behave nowadays.