THE WAY WE THINK AND LIVE

THE WAY WE THINK AND LIVE
I looked up at the wall-clock as soon as I opened my eyes in the morning. It was past 9 am. Panic gripped me, because I am scheduled to reach my office before 9.30 am; then I realised that there is no need to panic: it's a Sunday: peace prevailed within me: I slept for another hour.
It is the knowledge that things will turn out well that eggs us on towards living through the day, the sincere belief that things would be perfect at the end of the day instills an element of peace within humanity at large.

Humanity is jaded with day-to-day problems: while the layman is bogged down by issues as unemployment, hunger and poverty, politicians of our country and around the world always pretend to look up to the immense task of taking all the poor in their lands above want. Vote-bank politics usually stands in the way when they want to take a decision in favour of the masses. The truth is that all of us are so busy in our own concerns that we seldom have time to seriously think of others. Our own lives and their intricacies seem to have kept us busy. We don't have the time or the leisure for many important tasks that could be as important and several more important things than living our lives. We tend to overlook the most important task bequeathed upon us by our forefathers----that of uniting the world despite the apparent differences. The issue assumes significance because of the growing differences among us. The differences are so pronounced that the task of bringing the world together seems to be an impossible one.

It seems to be an impossible task, but this is what throttles us to take the next step. One of the greatest joys in our lives is doing what seems to be impossible. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s phoenix-like rise to with a sweeping victory in the country’s most populous state seemed to be impossible, but the Dalit leader did accomplish her dreams. The Indian nuclear program was a dream that even the West could not visualise, but we did manage to explode the nuclear bomb and we got away with the Indo-US nuclear deal too. The introduction of the mobile phone into our lives brought about an added element of empowerment in our lives. No one could ever imagine that India would one day emerge as a communication giant. The mobile phone is destined to become the major means of communication for the young and the old.

Each of these phenomena---big and small---has changed the way we think and live. This is only an indication of things that are yet to come. The most dynamic change of all times that would change the lives of each one of us on the face of the earth is still in the making, the moment is yet to be revealed in the history of mankind, the moment that would bring us together is yet to come, but it is sure to come. This is a feat we can accomplish, this is something we must do, and this is something we can do.

The can-do spirit is what inspires the young. The young should be the target of all those aspiring to change the world, those aiming to unite the world should focus their efforts on the youth, and the children. Children are the future of the world; they are the world’s greatest assets. They could be the force required to leverage the desired metamorphosis in the strife-torn world.

The strife-torn world lacks unity. This is what makes us yearn for happiness. Happiness seems to be the goal of all our endeavours, but there can never be happiness without unity. We must be united if we want to be happy. Unity in life entails happiness. Unity in our lives could bring about happiness and satisfaction in our lives. The prevalence of unity could work miracles in our lives. Things could really be different. There would be no Mayawati imposing her diktat over the populace, and there would not be the need for India to explode a nuclear bomb. There would be peace in the world.

The world needs to endeavour to achieve these lofty ideals of peace and unity because the world needs happiness. We all need to be happy, we yearn for happiness. After all, whatever we do, we do to be happy. For the individual to be happy, a balanced development of body as well as soul is necessary. The soul should get a healthy upbringing in the form of proper divine education. It is high time schools revamped their teaching system. Schools must impart all kinds of education necessary for the proper development of mankind. Children should get proper human, divine and material education. Children should be told about the importance of love, tolerance, patience and compassion in the school. They ought to be educated on the virtues of unity and peace and the immense potential that these terms hold within themselves. They ought to be encouraged to imbibe these principles in their lives, and in their souls. Only the souls of humans can undergo the catharsis required for the realization of the immense potential behind the twin concepts of unity and peace because only humans are divine beings unlike animals who have only the material form. We are divine beings because God resides within our souls. We must do everything to enrich our souls.

Enrichment of souls can only be done by choosing a profession well-suited to our capacities and abilities. Our profession should be such that it should give us spiritual and material satisfaction. Man should have a spiritually satisfying career or profession that should be enough to fulfill his material needs as well. It becomes obligatory upon everyone of us to adopt a career in order to at least earn a living or live a respected life. The nature of the work one does does not matter a lot as long as it is in the service of mankind. Basically, any work done with a sense of service to mankind is worship of God if it is prompted by the highest motives to do service to mankind.

Mankind has gone through several stages of evolution and development ever since the first Homo sapiens walked on earth. Formal education of children has played a major role in this development. The education that one receives in school is of utmost importance as it is in the school that the future of mankind is developed. School remains the place where children learn the lessons of living. Schools are thus the building blocks of the society. Schools play a major role in the development of the destinies of humanity and mankind.

Mankind has been on a non-stop roller coaster ride with his destiny ever since man was created. The ride has been quite a rough one, during which we have parted ways with his companions in several ways. We were a part of a united being before we were brought on the earth, we lost the sense of unity that prevailed amongst us because of the pressures that worldly life puts on us, this has brought us before several problems that need an immediate solution. The time has come when we must forget all these differences and come to common terms, everything else should take a backseat on this ride that we are on with our fate and destiny, we must unite as one family, we must unite as Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam. This would be the only way to achieve salvation and success in this world, and in the world hereafter.