ಆಸ್ತಿಕತೆ, ನಾಸ್ತಿಕತೆ...

ಅದೊಂದು ದಿನ ಹೇರ್ ಕಟಿಂಗ್ ಮಾಡಿಸಲು ಹೋಗಿದ್ದೆ. ಕತ್ತರಿಯಾಡಿಸಲು ಶುರುಮಾಡಿದ ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಮಾತು ಶುರುಹಚ್ಚಿಕೊಂಡ. ನಾನು ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಮಾತಾಡಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಮೊದಲೇ ಆದಿಮಾನವನ ಲುಕ್ ಇದೆ. ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಮಾತಾಡುತ್ತ ಮಾತಾಡುತ್ತ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯಾದರೂ ಈ ಪುಣ್ಯಾತ್ಮ ಮಂಗ್ಯಾ ಕಂಡಂಗೆ ಕಾಣುವ ಹಾಗೆ ಕಟಿಂಗ್ ಮಾಡಿಬಿಟ್ಟಾನು ಅಂತ ಆತಂಕ. ಅದಕ್ಕೇ ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಅವನ ಮಾತುಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳುತ್ತ ತಲೆ ತಗ್ಗಿಸಿ ಕೂತಿದ್ದೆ. ಯಾವದೇ ಭೇದವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ತಲೆ ತಗ್ಗಿಸುವದು ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕನ ಮುಂದೆಯೇ ತಾನೇ?

ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕನ ಮಾತು ದೇವರು ದಿಂಡರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೊರಳಿತು. 'ದೇವರೂ ಇಲ್ಲ. ದಿಂಡರೂ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಎಲ್ಲ ಬೊಗಳೆ!' ಅಂದುಬಿಟ್ಟ. ನಾನೇನಾದರೂ ಹೇಳಬಹುದೇನೋ ಅಂತ ನೋಡಿದ. ಹೇಳಲಿಕ್ಕೆ ಬಹಳವಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೆ ಈ ಪುಣ್ಯಾತ್ಮ ಮೊದಲು ಕೆಲಸ ಮುಗಿಸಲಿ ಅಂತ ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಕೂತೆ. ಅವನಿಗೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ನಿರಾಶೆಯಾಗಿರಬೇಕು. ಅದರೂ ತನ್ನ ನಾಸ್ತಿಕವಾದದ ಇನ್ನಿತರ ವಿಷಯಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕೊರೆಯುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದ.

ಕಟಿಂಗ್ ಮುಗಿಯಿತು. ಎದ್ದು, ರೊಕ್ಕ ಕೊಟ್ಟು ಹೊರಗೆ ಬಂದೆ. ರಸ್ತೆಗೆ ಬಂದು ನಿಂತೆ. ಆಚೀಚೆ ನೋಡಿದೆ. ಏನೋ ಹೊಳೆಯಿತು. ಮತ್ತೆ ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕನ ಅಂಗಡಿ ಹೊಕ್ಕಿಬಿಟ್ಟೆ.

'ಏನು ಸಾರ್? ವಾಪಸ್ ಬಂದ್ರೀ?' ಅಂದ ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕ.

'ನಿನ್ನ ಅಂಗಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕರೇ ಇಲ್ಲ! ನಿನ್ನ ಅಂಗಡಿ ಒಂದೇ ಏನು, ಇಡೀ ಜಗತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲೇ ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕರು ಇಲ್ಲವೇ ಇಲ್ಲ!' ಅಂದುಬಿಟ್ಟೆ.

'ಏನಂತ ಮಾತಾಡ್ತೀರಿ? ಈಗ ತಾನೇ ನಿಮಗೇ ಕಟಿಂಗ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೇನಲ್ಲ ಸ್ವಾಮೀ!? ನಾನು ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕನಲ್ಲವೇ?' ಅಂತ ಆಕ್ಷೇಪಿಸಿದ.

'ಇರಬಹುದು. ಆದರೂ ಯಾಕೋ ಸಂಶಯ,' ಅಂದೆ.

'ಹ್ಯಾಂ!?' ಅನ್ನುವಂತೆ ನೋಡಿದ ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕ. ಫುಲ್ ಪ್ರಶ್ನಾರ್ಥಕ ಚಿನ್ಹೆ.

'ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಹೊರಗೆ ಬನ್ನಿ. ಒಂದು ನಿಮಿಷ,' ಅಂದೆ.

ಕೆತ್ತುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಬೋಳನ್ನು ಅರ್ಧಕ್ಕೇ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಬಂದ. ಬರುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲವೇನೋ ಆದರೆ ನಾನು ಚಾಲೆಂಜ್ ಹಾಕಿಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೇನಲ್ಲ. ಇಡೀ ಜಗತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕರೇ ಇಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ. ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಗಿರಾಕಿಯನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟು, ಎರಡು ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ ಹಾಕಿ, ಹೊರಗೆ ಬಂದ.

'ಅಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡು. ಓ, ಇಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ನೋಡು. ಎಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಿದರೂ ಉದ್ದುದ್ದವಾಗಿ, ಅಸಡಾ ಬಸಡಾ ಕೂದಲು ಬಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡು ಓಡಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಹಿಪ್ಪಿ ತರಹದ ಜನರೇ ಎಲ್ಲ ಕಡೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಯಾರಿಗೂ ಕಳೆದ ಕೆಲವು ತಿಂಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಷೌರವಾದ ಲಕ್ಷಣಗಳಿಲ್ಲ. ನಿಮ್ಮ ಕ್ಷೌರದ ಅಂಗಡಿಯಿರುವ ಬೀದಿಯಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಇಷ್ಟೊಂದು ಕ್ಷೌರವಿಲ್ಲದ ಜನ ಓಡಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಅಂದ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಅಂಗಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕ ಇಲ್ಲ ಅಂತಲೇ ಅರ್ಥ. ಅಲ್ಲವೇ?' ಅಂತ ಕೇಳಿದೆ.

ಹಿಪ್ಪಿ (ಸಾಂದರ್ಭಿಕ ಚಿತ್ರ)

ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಮೇಲಿಂದ ಕೆಳವರೆಗೆ ನೋಡಿದ. ಯಾರೋ ಅಂಡೆ ಪಿರ್ಕಿ ಪಾರ್ಟಿ ಅಂದುಕೊಂಡಿರಬೇಕು. ಆ ಲುಕ್ ಕೊಟ್ಟ.

'ರೀ, ಸ್ವಾಮೀ! ನಮ್ಮ ಅಂಗಡಿಯೊಳಗೆ ಬಂದು, ನನ್ನ ಮುಂದೆ ತಲೆ ತಗ್ಗಿಸಿ ಕೂತರೆ, ಕ್ಷೌರ ಮಾಡಬಲ್ಲೆ. ಅದು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ನಮ್ಮ ಅಂಗಡಿ ಒಳಗೆ ಬರದೇ ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಓಡಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದರೆ ನಾವೇನು ಮಾಡೋಣ? ಹಾಗಂತ ಕ್ಷೌರಿಕರೇ ಇಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ ಅರ್ಥವೇ?' ಅಂತ ಸಣ್ಣಗೆ ಅಬ್ಬರಿಸಿದ.

'ದೇವರು ಇಲ್ಲ ಅಂದೆ ನೋಡು ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಹೇಳಿದೆ. ದೇವರೂ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ. ಆತನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಗಿ, ತಲೆ ಬಗ್ಗಿಸಿ, ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸಿದರೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೃಪೆ ತೋರಬಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗೆ ಮಾಡುವದರ ಬದಲಾಗಿ ಹೊರಗೆ ಓಡಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದರೆ ದೇವರಾದರೂ ಏನು ಮಾಡಿಯಾನು? ಅಷ್ಟೇ ವಿನಹ ದೇವರು ಇಲ್ಲ ಎಂದಲ್ಲ,' ಅಂದೆ. ಆತನ ಮರುಮಾತಿಗೆ ಕಾಯಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಹೊರಟುಬಂದೆ.

ತಿರುಗಿ ಮುಖ ನೋಡಿದೆ. ಗರಬಡಿದವನಂತೆ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದ. ದೇವರ ದರ್ಶನವಾಯಿತೋ ದೆವ್ವದ ದರ್ಶನವಾಯಿತೋ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಆತನಿಗೆ ತನ್ನ ನಾಸ್ತಿಕವಾದದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಒಂದು ತರಹದ ಸಂಶಯ ಮೂಡಿದ್ದು ಮಾತ್ರ ನಿಜ.

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Personal Excellence Through The Bhagavad Gita by Swami Sukhabodhananda - ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದ್ದು.

of course, ಈ ಕಥೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಬಾಲಿಶ (childish) ಅನ್ನಿಸಬಹುದು ಬಿಡಿ. ಆದರೂ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಯಿತು. ಒಂದು ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವೂ ಹೀಗೆಯೇ ಯಬಡರ ಹಾಗೆ (ವಿ)ವಾದ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆವು ನೋಡಿ. ಆ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗಿರಬಹುದು.

ತಲೆ ತಗ್ಗಿಸಿ ಮುಂದೆ ಕೂತು ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸಿದವರನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ಆ ಭಗವಂತ ಸಲಹುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಇದನ್ನು ನಂಬಲೇಬೇಕು ಅಂತೇನೂ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಹಾಗೆ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸುವಾಗ ನಂಬಿಕೆ, ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ ಅನ್ನುವ ಎರಡು elements ಬಹಳ ಮುಖ್ಯ. ಅವುಗಳ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಅದೆಷ್ಟಿರುತ್ತದೆ ಅಂದರೆ ಆಶಿಸಿದ್ದು, ಕೇಳಿದ್ದು ಸಿಕ್ಕೇ ಸಿಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದನ್ನು ದೇವರ ಅನುಗ್ರಹ ಅಂತ ನೀವು ಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತೀರಿ. ನಿಮ್ಮದೇ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ, ನಿಮ್ಮದೇ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ನಿಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಚೈತನ್ಯವನ್ನು ಉಕ್ಕಿಸಿ ಸಾಧನೆಯಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಥವಾ ಕಷ್ಟ ಪರಿಹಾರವಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ. underlying principle ಅಂದರೆ ಅದೇ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ. ಅಂತಹದೊಂದು ಅಚಲ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ (unshakable faith) ಯಾವದರಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದರೂ ಸರಿ. ಕೆಲವರಿಗೆ ದೇವರ ಮೇಲೆ ನಂಬಿಕೆ, ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ ಇರಲಿಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಂದರೆ ದೇವರು ಎಂಬ concept ಮೇಲೆ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಇರಲಿಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಮೇಲೆಯೇ ಫುಲ್ ವಿಶ್ವಾಸ, ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ, ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವರೂ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಸಾಧನೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಕರ್ಮಾನುಸಾರ. ಇನ್ನು ಕೆಲವರು ರಾಜಕೀಯ ನಾಯಕರನ್ನು ದೇವರು ಅಂತ ನಂಬುತ್ತಾರೆ. ದೇವರಿಗಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಆರಾಧಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆ ನಂಬಿಕೆ, ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಗಳೂ ಫಲ ಕೊಡುತ್ತವೆ.

ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ ಇಲ್ಲವಾದರೆ ಏನೂ ಕೈಹಿಡಿಯುವದಿಲ್ಲ. ಅದು ಮಾತ್ರ ನಿಜ. ಆಸಕ್ತಿಯಿಲ್ಲದ ವಿಷಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ ಮೂಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವದೂ ಕಷ್ಟ. ಒಂದೋ ಗುರುಹಿರಿಯರು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ, ನಂಬಿ, ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಯನ್ನು ಮೈಗೂಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವದು. ಅದು ಬಿಟ್ಟರೆ ಯಾವದರಲ್ಲಿ ಆಸಕ್ತಿಯಿರುತ್ತದೋ ಅದನ್ನೇ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಯಿಂದ ಮಾಡುವದು. ಮೊದಲನೇಯದು ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತ. ಯಾಕೆಂದರೆ ಗುರುಹಿರಿಯರು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದು ಒಮ್ಮೆಲೇ ಪಥ್ಯವಾಗದಿದ್ದರೂ ಅವುಗಳ ಮಹತ್ವ ನಂತರ ತಿಳಿಯುತ್ತದೆ. ಯಾಕೆಂದರೆ ಅವರು ತಮಗೆ ಹೊಳೆದಿದ್ದನ್ನು ಹೇಳಿರುವದಿಲ್ಲ. ಅದಕ್ಕೊಂದು ಧರ್ಮದ ತಳಹದಿ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಸಕ್ತಿಯಿರುವದನ್ನೇ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಯಿಂದ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇವೆ ಅಂದರೆ careful ಆಗಿರಿ ಅಂತ ಹೇಳಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಸಕ್ತಿಯಿರುವದೆಲ್ಲ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದೇ ಆಗಿರಬೇಕೆಂದೇನೂ ಇಲ್ಲವಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಯನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲಿಡುತ್ತೀರಿ ಅನ್ನುವದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಖಬರು ಇರಲಿ.

ಏನೇ ಇರಲಿ. ಏನೇ ಮಾಡಲಿ. ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಕುಂದದಿರಲಿ.

Build your networks slowly and steadily...just the way nature does everything

Your network creates your net worth. - Sam Crowley

May be. Just know one thing - Net worth is not same as the self worth.

Build, enhance, nurture your networks. Fine. But like everything else in nature, let it happen naturally. Stop posturing to build fake relationships / networks, whether it is personal or professional.

As part of annoying corporate posturing, please stop inviting me to a quick coffee or even more ridiculous quick bite. That is what I call insufferable posturing. If our professional relationship is meant to develop into a fabulous win-win proposition, it will happen at its own time, at its own pace as long as you are fair to me. Be loyal. Be friendly. Deliver on your commitments. Be trustworthy. Be punctual and most importantly not a corporate a*$hole. I offer all this. That's why I expect and demand them in return.

Coffee people, quick bite people who forget their commitments or show up late to appointments because they were doing coffee or whatever else with others, forget it. You are just not going to jell with me. Coffee time, lunch time are my zen times. At those times, I rather enjoy my solitude than your company however nice you may be. And I don't drink my coffee quickly. And food, I eat leisurely and not quickly BITE! You do all that and that's why you carry Tums or whatever similar antacid shit wherever you go! Result of poor eating habits. What else you expect if you keep on doing quickie after quickie!?

Invite me to a meeting, working session, brainstorming session. That's fine. I will even show up 5 minutes ahead of time. Let's get some work done in a focused and disciplined manner. Let's repeat that. The feeling of accomplishment / achievement that follows will build the relationship slowly but steadily. No number of quickies, be it coffee or bite, going to get us there. Got it?

All my longstanding relationships, whether at work or elsewhere, have taken long time and a lot of time. They are all slow cooked to perfection. Somebody connecting with me on LinkedIn or Facebook and then expecting such a connection to leapfrog into a longstanding, solid relationship in one or ten stupid Starbucks visits (which I hate) is simply deluded. Move on.

PS: Not directed towards anybody in particular. Just my thoughts on what goes on at corporate workplaces. I do not have any such annoying people at work or elsewhere for which I am very grateful.

* Copied from my Facebook status

Be good. Do good. And don't forget to share and inspire.

Share your good deeds on Facebook. You don't know who is going to be inspired by you and your good deeds and do similar good deeds. An example - I have been a supporter of micro-credit financing organization KIVA for last 10+ years. I have made several loans. Every time a loan is repaid, I send it back to the system in the form of another loan. Yesterday, I saw that my account had enough repayments to make another loan. I logged into KIVA, selected the first open loan and made the loan. At the end, I was offered with an option to share my latest loan and loan details, business details for which the loan has been made, etc. on the Facebook. I just hit 'share' and forgot about it.

Apparently, a college friend of mine saw it little later on FB. It seems he is passionate about the underlying technology / business for which I had made the loan. I had not even checked what I was making the loan for. That's not important for me. Later I came to know from my friend that it was for some solar products & related business. He is very passionate about solar technology and everything related to it. So he jumped on it and made his loan also to the same business.

I came to know all this only when he messaged me on FB later and asked some details. He was thankful that I shared my loan details on FB and it helped him to find something that he was passionate about and looking for an opportunity to make a difference.

While growing up, many of us have been taught not to share much news or talk much about our small little good deeds. I still think twice while sharing my donations, KIVA loans etc. on FB because of that deeply ingrained training 'You should never 'brag' about your donations, charities etc. in public' But now I am convinced that there is nothing wrong in sharing the facts objectively without having to brag about it. You don't know when you may inspire someone else do something similar or even better on much much larger scale.

If somebody misconstrues it as 'bragging', it is their problem. In all probability, such people just talk, do time pass and do no good. NADA. Who cares!?

Be good. Do good. And don't forget to share and inspire.

If you want to make small loans that make big difference, go to www.kiva.org.

* Copied from Facebook status.

Perils of attachment - a little story

A man was on his deathbed. Then a monk came and said, 'Be ready to leave. I will take you to the heaven.' The man was not yet ready to die. He said, 'Bless me with some more time on this earth, please.' The monk was surprised. 'Here I am showing him the path to the heaven and the liberation from this painful 'Samsara' and this man wants to prolong painful life on the earth,' he thought. But, as wished by the man, he gave him some more time and left.

After some months the monk returned. He was surprised to find that the man had in fact died but had chosen to be reborn as a cow. He asked why he had chosen to be born as a cow. The man said, 'My sons became parents. A lot of grand kids in the house. They all need milk badly. I could not see them going without adequate supply of milk. So, I became a cow.' The monk shook his head in disbelief and went away. He had come to take the man to heaven but instead had to grant the cow some more time so that it could get the satisfaction of feeding all the kids. 'Attachment! Attachment! This is one hard attachment to give up,' so saying the monk left.

The monk showed up once again after sometime. This time the man, who had become a cow, had died but had chosen to be born as a dog. 'What happened this time? Why have you become a dog?' the monk asked in surprise. The man said,'There is so much crime everywhere. I am concerned about the safety of my children, grand children, their property etc. Somebody needs to guard them and protect them. So, I became a dog this time. I know my time has come to die and go to heaven. But, I want to live some more time as a dog to complete my guard duty.' Once again monk left shaking his head muttering 'Attachment! Attachment! This is one hard attachment to give up.'

The monk returned for the third time to enable the man to reach the heaven. To his big surprise the man who was a dog last time had chosen to be born as a snake this time. The snake had chosen a corner to live and was guarding something zealously. 'What's up this time my man? Why one more rebirth rather than taking up the best offer of going to heaven and being liberated from this endless cycle of rebirths? Why one more rebirth? That too as a snake?' The man, now in the form of a snake, answered, 'I earned so much of money in my lifetime. I am not sure if my children and grandchildren can manage it properly. So I chose to be reborn as a snake. Who can guard the money better than a snake? I know. I know. I know it's time for me to go heaven and become one with the Lord. But, I want some more time on this earth as a snake. I just can't let all this money get squandered. Hard earned money. You know?'

The monk shook his head in utter disgust. 'Here is a man who, because of his good deeds, has the good fortune of making into heaven and be with the Lord. But, look at him and his attachment to his worldly life. He has extended his life three times now. That too choosing to be born as lower and more lower creatures. He needs some strong medication and that too a heavy dose,' so thinking, he came up with a idea.

He screamed at the top of his voice, 'Snake! Snake! I just saw a big snake here!' Everyone came out and started looking for the snake. They were all scared that there was a snake in the vicinity and had to find it and get rid of it for their own safety and peace of mind.

The snake hid itself. But they searched everywhere and found it. They thrashed it mercilessly. They did not know that it was their father, grand father which had donned the forms of a cow, a dog and now a snake. They did not know nor did they care that the snake was guarding their vast fortune. They just wanted to kill the snake. Somehow the snake managed to escape. It had been thrashed black and blue. It hid somewhere. The children were super happy when they found the treasure the snake was guarding. As soon as they found so much money hidden they forgot about the snake and everything else and got busy with making plans about how to spend all that money.

The injured snake saw all this and it finally realized, 'How stupid I was being so much attached to my family and to this worldly life. It was fair and expected out of me that I had to take care of my family and provide for them in my life. But when the time came to die and go to the Lord, it was time to shed all those attachments and move on. I wasted that opportunity not once but three times. I was so mired in all these worldly attachments that I did not even mind being reborn not once but three times as lower and still lower creatures. And what did I get for all this trouble? Almost got killed by own folks. It is time go,' so thinking the man prayed for the monk. The monk appeared smiling and no words were necessary this time. The man was finally ready to join him to be lead to the heaven. The snake shed its body finally. Since the man's ignorance (Ajnana) had been finally cured, he did not choose to or have to be reborn again. He joyfully left with monk and became one with the Lord.

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Swami Sukhabodhananda told this story in his book - Adi Shankaracharya's Bhaja Govindam by Swami Sukhabodhananda. I was so impressed by it that I had to write it up in my own words and in the way I understood. Excellent little book. Highly recommended.

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PARIS attacks - a wake up call for all countries

If you don't take the battle to their doorstep, they will surely bring it to yours.

After the Paris attacks, many countries may be still sitting complacently and thinking, 'Oh well! We are safe. Such attacks don't happen in our countries. As long ISIS or whatever does not bother us, why worry about them? Why attack them proactively?' This is the biggest mistake all those countries, especially the western countries that terrorists despise so much, can make. If you don't go after them, they will come after you. As simple as that.

Israel which has been tormented by terrorism ever since its inception has a very simple but powerful counter-terrorism formula. That is to relentlessly go after the terrorist leaders who sit in the comforts of some supporting country and plan this kind of operations. Make their lives really miserable. Kill them by any means. Once people start fearing for their lives and start watching their backs constantly, they can't plan this kind of attacks so easily. They are always worried when the covert operators from some country may target them.

This is exactly what Israel started doing after its athletes were first kidnapped and then killed during Munich Olympics (1972). It went after the PLO terrorist leaders and killed them one after another in spectacular operations all over the world. Last one to perish was Atef Beisiso in 1992. For 20 years Israelis were going after the terrorists responsible for 1972 Olympics massacre planning.

Once Israelis found the effectiveness of this counter-terrorism formula, they kept on improvising it and today their Kidon unit of Mossad has become such a powerful killing machine that it can carry out covert operations anywhere in the world with lethal stealth and precision. That has instilled the fear of GOD in every terrorist, regardless of his affiliation, who sits planning the next operation against Israel. An attack from Israelis is always at the front of his mind and significant portion of his energy and time is spent warding off such attacks. That stunts his ability to attack Israel.

In recent history Israelis killed Imad Mugniyeh, a Hezbollah big-shot, in the heart of Damascus, Syria. Blew up his vehicle. Killed the top weapons procurer of Hamas in Dubai. And many many more operations about which we will never come to know.

So, if anything has to be learned from PARIS attacks is you have to take the fight to them and not wait for it to come to you. Offense is the best defense. And random bombings of ISIS bases won't help much. That will only annihilate their cannon fodder (i.e. cheap worker bees). They can get many more idiots dime a dozen. Surgical covert operations aimed at eliminating the terrorist leadership are needed. Like the one that 'evaporated' Jihadi John of ISIS yesterday.

Look at Israel. No such attacks have happened and my prediction is will never happen there. Not on this scale. During 1990s many suicide bombings happened in Israel but not on this scale of mayhem.

All countries have a lot to learn from Israelis when it comes to counter-terrorism.

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