An analyis of Arun Shourie's interview on his new book

I just finished watching an interview of Arun Shourie with Sagarika Ghosh on CNN-IBN Live on his new book "Does He know a Mother's Heart?"(How suffering refutes religion). I have always been a great admirer of Arun Shourie from the time when he was the executive editor of Indian Express - a man of integrity, fearlessness, dignity, honour and truth. I followed almost all of his interviews that were uploaded on youtube. This interview definitely shows a different dimension to his thought process and compels us to think about the existence of God. This book takes us to the journey of his son, Aditya, who is suffering from cerebral palsy for many years and wife Anita, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, leading him to ask, "How can there be extreme suffering if God exists?" He is trying to find his answers through the study of different scriptures and religion and come to his own conclusion. He looks at the concept of God as preached by various faiths from time immemorial, questions them, and concludes that God is just a creation of human thought invented out of fear for the unknown.  Likewise, I am trying to find out my own answer to this question.

I haven't yet read the book, but Mr. Shourie, in his interview says  that in Hinduism we rely completely on God. I differ from him here. We believe that God is compassionate and kind but we don't have to sit and rely on an external object to do some miracle. (It is not that miracles don't happen). Action and karma are the key factors to understand life. If you read the Gita or the complete works of Swami Vivekananda, they have never said that we will not suffer.. Suffering is a part of human life. Religious philosophies give us an understanding to endure those sufferings. If we look at our mythological stories, each and every God-incarnate, be it Prahlad, Jesus Christ , Raja Harishchandra, even Rama had to suffer immensely but they continued to have faith in God.

At one place, Sagarika says, "So you are coming back again and again to the self, to the individual, to the mind, power of the individual to transcend his suffering or to deal with it?" Doesn't this sound familiar? In Vedantic philosophy, I have learnt about self-realization to find God within by empowering oneself with knowledge and faith.

Mr. Shourie further says ," what is the explanation  that they (scriptures) give for such acute suffering of innocent and good people?" When God bestowed His blessings upon him, because of which he earned name, respect, fame, success and prosperity, why then did he not question  God? Why then did he not write a book praising God? When life seems to be good and rosy, we do not question the existence of God. We do not ask  Him, "why have you given so much to me and not to others?" Because we think we deserve it. But so do others. At that time why does our heart not feel the pain and anguish on such disparity of God? For example, when we go for an interview and amongst thousands one gets selected and others do not we attribute the success to ourselves, to our education and intelligence. But is it really the case? How does the interviewer know that you are the right person for that job?  Other candidates must be having the same or more credentials in their hat as well, and yet, you get the opportunity. It is because you are destined to have the success of that kind, at that time.

I know we do not have a ready answer always to people's plight, natural calamities, war, accidental or sudden death. At that time we only can pray,

"God grant me the serenity 

to accept the things I cannot change; 

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference."

I myself am looking forward to read the book as it seems interesting and forthright . . The question that he is asking is what we keep on asking time and again. "why do good people suffer when the wicked and corrupt live perfectly happy lives?"

REVIEW OF "AARAKSHAN"

Saw 'Aarakshan' recently in the theatre. I liked the movie and thought of sharing my view with my FB friends. Prakash Jha has become one of my favourite directors. His films are always issue based and they always raise a debate once you leave the cinema hall. "Aarakshan" is a well-crafted movie, which is trying to explore an answer to reservation. I read so many reviews on this movie and most of them said that it is a pro-educationist movie and Prakash Jha has cleverly written the story and used reservation for its commercial purpose. I don't see the film in that light. I felt he has very much and honestly handled the subject of reservation and tried to give an answer to it. It may not be a straight answer because the issue in itself is very complicated. Looking at India's political scenario, one cannot think of giving a straight solution to the problem. All that he is saying is that because of reservation the difference between the haves and have-nots is widening. If we are uplifting the poor by giving them reservation, we are also depriving genuine candidates who are meritorious. So why not try to educate the poor, and give them the same opportunities by opening up free coaching or free remedial classes where weak and poor students can be trained and then face the competition as everyone else. Till then maybe reservation is the only way to uplift them.

People and critics are saying that the film has targeted coaching classes but while watching the movie you have to understand the hidden message as well. I thought the message was intelligent, simple and motivating. He has raised a debate and given a simple solution to reservation - prepare every child with the same facility and then treat them equal. I definitely will recommend everyone to watch this movie in the theatre. Everyone acted very well and made it very convincing and honest. It is true and sad to see how honest people always have to pay a heavy price for fighting the battle but history is full of these examples.  We believe that one day "truth will win" (सत्यमेव जयते )

Another sad part is that in India, every aspect of life is so politicized, that even cinema is now becoming the victim of it. Mayavati has again played politics and has banned the movie in UP, though there is nothing derogatory in this movie which would have hurt anyone's sentiment. Never once have the actors in the movie used the word backward, SC/ST or OBC. All they said was "samridh" and "garib". Our politicians are nothing but ignorant and an illiterate bunch of fools.

Wishing all the best to Prakash Jha for making this film not only entertaining but also educational.

Review on the book "INDIA UNBOUND" by Gurcharan Das

Finished reading "India Unbound" 2weeks ago. The book is written by Gurcharan Das, former CEO of Procter & Gamble.  This book is an extensive research on Indian policy, history and the socio-economic state of the country. The journey starts from his birth to India's independence, Nehru's vision & policy - what went wrong with his policies, a subtle comparison to English raj, how the private sector was neglected and industrialists suffered along with the country...a very detailed investigation of it. From Mrs. Indira Gandhi to Narasimha Rao, who at last with the help of Manmohan Singh and P. Chidambaram lifted the licence raj and brought the economic revolution by easing foreign exchange restrictions, devaluing the rupee, lowering import tariffs and undoing the byzantine controls that had stifled Indian industry. Mr. Das felt the reforms should have gone further but somehow Narasimha Rao himself was not confident of the change, so could not take the credit of the change fully and lost the election. It was really sad to know about the details and helplessness of the people but at the same time Mr. Das has shown a great hope for India, where change is taking place.

The growth in disposable incomes, and the opening up of the country to world markets, has altered the face of Indian society, creating a new consumer middle class. But with a cost - the dilution of our culture, values and traditions.

I found it a great book if someone is interested to know the policies and background of India from its time of independence. I also read "In spite of the Gods" by Edward Luce. Both the books will be a good collection for anyone's  library. Both books talk about the economic growth of India but Mr. Das's book is definitely a work with research and extensive information, whereas Luce's book is more to the point. Mr. Das talks in first person and shares his own experiences of life and perspectives throughout the book.

I am waiting to get my hands on his 2nd book "The Difficulty of Being Good"

My take on "THE KING'S SPEECH".

I went to watch "The King's speech" very reluctantly, but ended up loving it. King George VI was having a stuttering problem because of which he was not able to deliver speeches, which was an absolute necessity . He eventually gets help from a speech therapist,  Lionel Logue. The relationship between the two is a treat to watch. I was impressed because to hold the audience for 2 hrs with this kind of a subject is not a joke..but the director's treatment to the story was wonderful..He has kept the humour & the wit continuously flowing throughout the movie.

If you want to see something unique,  "The king's Speech" will definitely be a good pick.

Review of "GUZAARISH"

I watched the movie "GUZAARISH" & loved it. Here i am going to share with you my thoughts on the movie. It should be a must watch on everyone's list..I do like this kind of a movie because it soothes my senses and gives me an understanding of the world and the pain around it and a feel of how beautiful Life is and how much we should cherish this.

"Guzaarish" is the tale of a man who is suffering from quadriplegic (a person who is paralyzed in both arms and both legs)  was heart-wrenching.. It was also a love story of Ethan and Sophia...Hrithik was a sheer poetry in this movie...from his looks to acting and dancing...everything that he portrayed was very convincing as if he himself was Ethan. He executed the whole drama with so much of ease that even for a minute we did not think that he was not Ethan. A bed- ridden man Ethan was very much able to keep us engaged by his facial and eye expressions throughout the movie..We should give credit to Sanjay Leela Bhansali for his directorial skill, his way of telling this tale was simply marvelous...Aishwaraya Rai was equally superb as Sofia, again very convincing and beautiful....everyone else was superb...and Sanjay Leela Bhansali was superb as a deb-u-tant music director.

Some of the shots of Aishwaraya & Hrithik were superb..after seeing the movie, I was speechless and proud that India has talents like this to showcase to the world...a real work of art..always to be remembered for its par-excellence execution...songs were captivating..films will come and go..but Guzaarish will be remembered forever in the cinematic history... Hrithik was like a demi-god. It was a delight to watch him.

note: this movie is only for those who love sensitive and meaningful movies.

a note on human behaviour

Recently while attending a party, I overheard a conversation where someone was criticizing the host for sharing their pleasures, joys & happiness with the guests. The criticism may have arisen because the person may be having a history of jealousy. I wasn't upset but it certainly left a bad taste in my mouth. My advice to him would have been to wait for the right time to do so. I am not advising anybody to be saintly, but wait at least till you reach home. Show some respect towards the host whose hospitality you are enjoying.While reading Amitabh bachchan's blog, I came across these lines which I found very relevant to my point. I quote,

"The first sign and one that is unmistakably evident, is the unhealthy practice of finding fault and expressing disgust in all about and around you. It is undoubtedly the most perfect example of putting oneself in a position of superiority, without realizing that in fact it is a desperate attempt to conceal your own inferiority. That cannot and will not be ever a single one sided point of view in life. But those that imagine so, live in a terrible condition of ambiguity. And the deeper they resolve to rid themselves of ambiguousness, the greater the deterioration of the state of the mind."

A PROFOUND IMPACT OF GITA

Recently, Mr Yazdi Palia posted  a news piece on facebook, where  Karnantaka 's education minister is encouraging/forcing students to study Bhagwad Gita. I am for it and argued with him in this context. But they are fearing that it may be the way of taking control like Taliban and it obstructs the fundamental right of freedom to choose. Anyway, while these discussions, what intrigued me was his commentary on the similarities between Zoroastrianism and Hinduism.  It is worth noting that both these religions are Aryan ones - both originated in central Asia. The language Pahlavi is very similar to Sanskrit. The hymns of Zoroastrians are called gathas, which mean tales in sanskrit.  In Hinduism, there are the Vedas. In the Gathas and the Vedas, the Sun is worshipped not only as the primordial source of life but as spiritual light, standing for Wisdom, Order, and Truth. Fire, its emblem, is sacred witness at ritual ceremonies. The Cow, too, is holy in both cultures, though it has a wider significance in Zoroastrianism, representing cattle in general and all living, suffering things, the poor and the downtrodden, who Zarathushtra alone, according to the legend, can save. In one passage Creation itself is symbolised by "the joy-giving Cow." I will emphasize now on "why this similarity."

If you go back in history, you will find that every time India was invaded, invaders were always impressed with our sages and scholars. Even Alexander took a few sages back to Persia; these sages brought with them the Indian scriptures and wisdom. That is why, you will find so much of similarities between Kabbalah, Hinduism and even Zoroastrianism. You should also know that Ramayana was translated into Persian at the behest of Emperor Akbar. Long after Akbar, the Mughal court continued the tradition of cultural blending. Ramayana is not the only book that was translated to Persian. Akbar ordered several Sanskrit classics like Atharva veda - Lord Krishna's biography. Mahabharata (titled as Razm Namah), Singhasan Battisi, Panchtantra, etc., to be translated.. Akbar found the morals of the stories inspiring.

Famous Sanskrit work Padmavat was rendered into Persian in 1617. Chitravalli, the Hindi poetry collection by poet Usman is creation of Jehangir’s age. It was during Shah Jehan’s tenure that Maulana Abdur Rahman Chishti penned the dialogue between Mahadev and Parvathi and built up an analogy with Adam and Eve, the first ancestors of human beings according to the Islamic and Christian theology. He made a poetic translation of 'Geeta' into Persian. 

Dara Shikoh was appointed heir apparent by Shah Jahan, who had learnt Sanskrit and studied the original Hindu scripture. He translated Upanishads into Persian directly from Sanskrit and called it SIRRE-e_Akabar(The great Mystery).

If you happen to hear or read the philosophy of Kabbalah, you will feel like you are listening to the Gita. Here you can get a glimpse of the concept of reincarnation, the soul as the divine spark, the manifest and the unmanifest divine and the harmony of the physical and the spiritual worlds. You will be  surprised that esoteric Judaism is so similar to the teaching of esoteric Hinduism like the levels of divine manifestation from the spirit to matter.

People can say that it is all bullshit or imagination of the historians. No, it is not. It is because our sages had been taken to Persia to translate the work of wisdom and all the other translations done by Akbar, Dara Shikoh and several others actually became a resource centre for people to come to, study, interpret, and reinterpret the same philosophy in their own way. This is why we find so many similarities between these philosophies.

Here are a few quotes of people from different parts of the world. If the Gita can impact people, foreign to the Gita in such  a profound way, then one can imagine what crime we are doing by depriving our children from not learning it. No one yet has taken it as a philosophy, it is mostly read in a religious context. I have seen when people read it for religious purposes most of them just want to finish it as soon as possible because of its complex nature and language. It's greater value has to be realized, rather than its association with religion. Only then will the vast population be benefitted by its essence. 

"In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seems puny and trivial." ~ Henry David Thoreau

"The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity." ~ Aldous Huxley

Wilhelm von Humboldt said: "The deepest and highest the world can show us. I thank God that He permitted me to live as much time as so that I could read the Bhagavad Gita".

"The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race, a living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a new meaning for every civilization." ~ Rishi Aurobindo

What more one can say about the profound teachings of the Bhagwad Gita. God will make sure the right thing happens.