The worst action you can do is to do the opposite of what you preach. To deny by the hand what you dole out of your mouth! If you cannot act up to your declarations, keep quiet; do not go about advising and advertise yourself as a hypocrite! Do not preach virtue while decrying it in deed. Righteousness (dharma) is steady and unchanging; it can never decline. Only those who must practice dharma are declining in faith and steadfastness! Every individual is judged by their practice, never by their precepts that they pour forth eloquently. Ask yourself the question honestly: “What use have I made of the spiritual experience that I have received so far? How much have I benefited?” Introspect! A seed grows slowly into a huge spreading tree. So too, through tiny acts, soft words, genuine and kind deeds, you must elevate yourself into a Divine Being!
Develop renunciation towards your own needs and wishes. Examine each on the touchstone of essentiality. When you pile up things in your apartments, you only promote darkness and dust; so also, do not collect and store too many materials in your mind. Travel light. Have just enough to sustain life and maintain health. The pappu (dish made of lentils) must have only enough uppu (salt) to make it relishing; that is to say, do not spoil the dish by adding too much salt. Life becomes too difficult to bear if you put too much desire into it. Limit your desires to your capacity and even among them, have only those that will grant lasting joy. Do not run after fashion and public approval and strain your resources beyond repair. Also, stick to your own dharma and the code of rules that regulate life or the stage you have reached.
‘I had no hopes of winning a medal after I injured my thighs during the National Championships while attempting 194 kg in clean and jerk. ‘
‘Even now I am competing at less than ideal fitness, but I am glad that was enough to get me a gold.’
Defending champion Sathish Sivalingam (77 kg) claimed India’s third gold medal at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday, emerging triumphant despite having given up podium hopes after his injured thighs made even routine things like sitting painful.
The 25-year-old Indian lifted a total 317 kg (144+173) and was so ahead in the competition that he forfeited his final clean and jerk lift.
“I had no hopes of winning a medal after I injured my thighs during the National Championships while attempting 194 kg in clean and jerk. It’s a quadriceps problem; even now I am competing at less than ideal fitness, but I am glad that was enough to get me a gold,” said Sathish, after the medal presentation ceremony during which he was accorded a warm applause from the packed arena.
“I was in so much pain that even sitting was very painful for me. Everyone took care of me, gave me hope but I was not very confident. I had not trained that hard and my body was not at its best, and so how could I hope for a medal,” added the Tamil Nadu lifter.
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 07: Gold medalist Sathish Kumar Sivalingam of India poses during the medal ceremony for the Men’s 77kg Weightlifting Final on day three of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre on April 7, 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
It was a fascinating contest of one-upmanship between Sathish and eventual silver-medallist Jack Oliver of England in the snatch competition.
The two kept upping the weights before their attempts but Oliver kept his nose ahead at the end of snatch as he lifted 145 kg in his second attempt. It was a kilogram more than Satish’s final attempt.
However, Satish had the last laugh in clean and jerk after Oliver failed two attempts of 171kg and settled for a total of 312 kg (145+167).
The bronze medal went to Australian showman Francois Etoundi, who lifted 305 kg (136+169) and collapsed clutching his injured shoulder after his final lift.
“I got lucky there, had he (Oliver) not dropped those weights, I would have had to go higher and I am not sure how my body would have taken that. I am quite relieved actually.”
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Sathish won the gold medal with 149 kg snatch and 179 kg clean and jerk lifts, totalling 328 kg. His lift of 149 kg in snatch continues to be the Games record.
“I didn’t want to touch that level because I still need to undergo rehabilitation. The fact that the access to our physio was limited made it all the more difficult. I just hope that we get a physio with us at the Asian Games,” said Sathish, once again highlighting the problems the weightlifters are facing due to the lack of accessibility of their physios in the competition area.
Sathish is also the reigning Commonwealth Championships gold-medallist.
“I hope to do even better in the Asian Games because there is a gap now. Earlier, the Asian Games used to come within 20-25 days of the Commonwealth Games, which didn’t give us enough time to prepare. But this time I have got time to prepare and be fully fit now,” he said.
Take My own instance. I never exult when I am extolled, nor shrink when I am reviled. Few have realised My purpose and significance, but I am not worried. When things that are not in Me are attributed to Me, why should I worry? When things that are in Me are mentioned, why should I exult? “Sayeeki Sarvamu yes, yes, yes” (for Sai it is always yes!). If you say, “Yes, you are the Lord,” Yes, I am the Lord to you, if you say “No”, I too echo the same. I am Anandam, Shantam, Dhairyam (Bliss, Peace and Courage). Take Me as your Atma tatwam(Inner Atmic Reality); you won’t be wrong. Resolve from this day to see only the good in others, and to develop the good in yourselves. That is the best sadhana (spiritual endeavour). Nurturing anger and hatred in the heart is like carrying a pot with many holes for bringing water. Discard anger, hate, envy and greed; do it by dwelling always on the Name that summarises and signifies the Glory of God.
A man was speeding down the highway, feeling secure in a gaggle of cars all traveling at the same speed. However, as they passed a speed trap, he got nailed with an infrared speed detector and was promptly greeted by the wail of a siren and flashing lights.
Cursing his luck, the man immediately knew what was coming, so he slowed down and pulled over.
The officer got out of his cruiser, as calm as can be, and walked over to the man’s car.
He handed him the citation, received his signature and was about to walk away when the man asked, “Officer, I know I was speeding, but I don’t think it’s fair – there were plenty of other cars around me who were going just as fast, so why did *only I* get the ticket?”
“Ever go fishing?” the policeman suddenly asked the man.
“Ummm, yeah…” the startled man replied.
The officer grinned and added, “Ever catch *all* the fish?”
Take off with Natarajan 