Attitude

Message For the Day… ” Awareness of the Unity in Divinity is the Need of the Hour…”

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Birds, beasts and trees do service to man, without anticipating any recompense, but human beings seek help from their kind, from their parents, preceptors and even God, offering in return only insult and injury. They parade their loyalty to Truth, Right Conduct, Peace and Nonviolence – virtues arising from self-less love; but it is only for exhibition and not for experience. They long to recede respect and affection from others but are reluctant to treat others in the same manner. Their full concern is centered on the body-mind complex, ignoring the fact even a hundred-year long life has to end in the cemetery. In order to free oneself from the ego, people must learn to recognize the one Divinity that temporarily wears different forms and names to distract by apparent multiplicity. Removal of this mistaken view and attainment of the awareness of the unity in Divinity – this is the true purpose of education.  

Sathya Sai Baba

 

” Brown Paper Bag ” Building @ Sydney…. !!!

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A front view of the Chau Chak Wing Business School in Sydney

The Frank Gehry-designed Chau Chak Wing building is home to the UTS Business School.

 

Sydney has joined the list of cities with a Frank Gehry-designed building.

The Chau Chak Wing Business School building has been dubbed the “brown paper bag” by local media.

Speaking at Monday’s opening, Mr Gehry said he hoped the building would generated a “spirit of invention” in those who work and study in it.

The A$180m ($140m; £93m) building for the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), is named after businessman and philanthropist Dr Chau Chak Wing.

It is the architect’s first design to be built in Australia.

Mr Gehry said he had designed a “flexible” building with only a few fixed parts, allowing the building to be changed over time to meet the changing needs of its users.

“People will invent ways to use it,” he said

Gehry said that five years after its conception, there were perhaps some things he would change but he was pleased with the finished result.

“I am Jewish and I feel guilty about everything,” he joked.

The building – tucked between several small streets in the inner city suburb of Ultimo in Sydney – is a key part of the university’s campus master plan. It will house 1,630 students and staff for the UTS Business School.

 

The Chau Chak Wing building

The Chau Chak Wing building’s facade curves and folds like fabric.

 

The Chau Chak Wing building

Undulating brickwork and large glass panels have created a “curtain wall”.
A staircase inside the Chau Chak Wing building
The building makes prominent use of stairways, including a polished stainless steel staircase rising up from the main lobby..
The interior of the Chau Chak Wing building
Two oval classrooms have been constructed around 150 large laminated timber beams, each weighing up to two tonnes.
SOURCE:::: http://www.bbc.com
 Natarajan
Feb 2 2015

 

Message For the Day… ” Prepare and Plant Healthy and Pure Seeds in your Heart…”

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When some friends, well-wishers or relatives place a gift-article in our hands which does not please us, we accept it gladly only because our acceptance pleases them. When the gift pleases us, our reaction is hearty. We treasure it and are filled with it. Know that God too reacts in the same way to what man offers Him. When the offering is tainted, He may accept it in order to satisfy the longing of the devotee (sadhak).But when the offering pleases Him by its purity and sincerity, He welcomes it and His joy translates itself as abundant Grace. So, one has to discover and decide on the offering that gives Him delight and receive the blessing of Grace. Discriminate, prepare and plant healthy and potent seeds in the inner field of your hearts, so that you reap a plentiful harvest of Grace.

Sathya Sai Baba

” These Women Made us Proud on Republic Day…”

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These Women made us proud on Republic Day

Lt Haobam Bella DeviWomen officers came from different parts of this vast country to give us some of the proudest moments at this Republic Day.

Archana Masih/Rediff.com speaks to Lieutenant Haobam Bella Devi and Captain Divya Ajith, young Army officers who stole the show on Rajpath.

Under a rainy sky, just as the grand celebration of Republic Day began on Rajpath, Lieutenant Haobam Bella Devi, a 24-year-old Indian Army officer from Manipur stood near the saluting dais.

Like most Indians, she had never unfurled the Indian flag before — and here she was entrusted with that responsibility in front of the whole nation on the nation’s grandest day.

Image: Lieutenant Haobam Bella Devi unfurls the flag on Republic Day.

In the run-up to Republic Day, she and another officer had practiced the procedure. When the big moment arrived, the only thing she had ears for was the command from the commanding officer of the President’s Bodyguard.

Just as he finished giving the crisp command, Lieutenant Bella, tugged at the rope to unfurl the flag and gave it a smart salute. The rose petals wrapped within the flag lay around, while in the distance she could hear the roar of the 21-gun salute.

“There is a whole procedure and ceremony as far as the flag is concerned. How it is put up, how it is tied, how it goes up, how it is folded. I learnt everything about it,” says the officer, who was commissioned a year-and-a-half ago and is currently posted in Amritsar.

The only child of retired army officer Colonel H G Singh, the lieutenant grew up in cantonments around the country, staying in Manipur when her father was away on field postings.

“There are not many lady officers from the North-East and girls get motivated when they see me. I tell them the Army is not a profession, but a way of life,” says the lieutenant who arrived in Delhi on January 4 for Republic Day preparations.

“I hope more and more girls join the armed forces. It gives you the opportunity to grow professionally and personally.”

The Army’s marching contingent was invited for tea by the Army Chief, General Dalbir Singh, on Republic Day, while there is a ‘Bada Khana’ — a meal shared by the officers and men — on January 31.

Lt. Bella

Image: Lieutenant Bella, an officer from Manipur, seen here second from left, is a second generation Army officer.

At the tea he hosted, the Army Chief, General Dalbir Singh, not only congratulated his officers, but also gave out commendations.

One of them to receive the honour was Captain Divya Ajith, 25, the officer who led the Indian Army’s contingent of women officers. An instructor at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai, she was awarded the sword of honour as the best cadet when she graduated from the academy in 2010.

The others who received the Chief’s commendation were the contingent’s drill instructors.

“The drill instructors were a major part of how well we did,” says Captain Divya. “One important thing is that our motivation comes from them. They are the people who train us, even when we were tired, they ensured that we practiced till the time we were perfect.”

Not new to the Republic Day parade, the captain had previously represented the National Cadet Corps as a school girl at the event. Her mother, a housewife, had watched her at that parade and had hoped that one day her daughter would march down Rajpath as an officer.

When the captain commanded the contingent to a rousing reception from the audience, her mother was there once again. Her dream had finally come true.

Image: Captain Divya Ajith from Chennai received the Army Chief’s commendation for commanding the parade. Photograph: PTI.

The marching contingent comprised officers from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu. Training began in Chennai in early December where they would march 7 to 8 kilometers every day.

Early in the mornings, practice was held at the city’s main highway where 12 files could be accommodated and which provided a longer stretch. Later in the day, marching practice took place at the drill square at the OTA.

“Selection as contingent commander was purely on how you fared at drill. The drill instructor, adjutant selected around 10 people, which was later reduced to 3 with reserves,” says Captain Divya, the first person in her family to join the Army.

Since the Republic Day parade, she has been inundated with congratulatory messages. Some of the best messages have come from her teachers at Chennai’s Good Shepherd School. Now that she has a home posting, she hopes to pay them a visit soon.

In the four years that she has been in the Army, the captain has served in Anantnag, J&K, and MHOW before being posted to Chennai six months ago. “Anantnag was a very good exposure for me. It was a field posting. I had counter intelligence duties there,” says the officer whose father is a painting contractor.

“I feel if young girls want to pursue a career in the Army,” she says, “they already have a desire to do something different. They should stick to it and be determined to achieve what they want.”

SOURCE:::: http://www.rediff.com

Natarajan

Feb 1 2015

Message For the Day…. ” Become a True Devotee…”

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The gross body (Sthula deha) should be ever immersed in holy company (Satsanga), and the subtle body (Sukshma deha), that is your thoughts and feelings, should be ever immersed in the contemplation of the glory of the Lord. That is the sign of a true devotee. The one who shouts and swears, and advertises one’s worries to everyone they meet and craves for sympathy, is a devotee only in name! It is a great responsibility to tread the Godward path. On such a pilgrimage there is no sliding back, no halfway stop, no tardy pace or no side lane. Never deny with your tongue what you have relished in the heart; never bear false witness to your own experience. Become a true devotee with unshaken faith, and with an attitude of complete self-surrender. This attitude can come from constant, sincere and continuous remembrance of the Lord’s name, as continuous as the act of breathing!

Sathya Sai Baba

Not a Laughing Stuff …!!!

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A Real Dilemma

WHOREHOUSE SUES LOCAL CHURCH OVER LIGHTNING STRIKE!
What an interesting turn of events in Mt. Vernon , Texas …Diamond D’s brothel began construction on an expansion of their building to increase their ever-growing business. In response, the local Baptist Church started a campaign to block the business from expanding — with morning, afternoon, and evening prayer sessions at their church.
Work on Diamond D’s progressed right up until the week before the grand re-opening when lightning struck the whorehouse and burned it to the ground!
After the cat-house was burned to the ground by the lightning strike, the church folks were rather smug in their outlook, bragging about “the power of prayer.” But late last week ‘Big Jugs’ Jill Diamond, the owner/madam, sued the church, the preacher and the entire congregation on the grounds that the church … “was ultimately responsible for the demise of her building and her business — either through direct or indirect divine actions or means.”
In its reply to the court, the church vehemently and voraciously denied any and all responsibility or any connection to the building’s demise.
The crusty old judge read through the plaintiff’s complaint and the defendant’s reply, and at the opening hearing he commented, “I don’t know how the hell I’m going to decide this case, but it appears from the paperwork, that we now have a whorehouse owner who staunchly believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that thinks it’s all bullshit.”  
SOURCE:::: https://funstuffpeoplesendme.wordpress.com/
Natarajan
Feb 1 2015

Message For the Day…” Once you evolve yourself to a higher state Everything will look smooth , small and even…’

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If you stand at the same level as the ocean and look at it, it will appear as a vast sheet of water. On the other hand, if you look at the same ocean from a height, it will appear like a lake. Similarly, since the rishis(sages) were on a higher level in spiritual knowledge and away from the world, they could recognise this vast world as a very small and insignificant entity. When at a lower level, one thinks that the world is big, important and manifold. The diversity and the differences will be seen more clearly. But when one evolves to a higher state, everything will look smooth, small and even. When we have a narrow vision, our country, our people, our languages will all appear as full of problems and differences. If you can go to a high place and look at the world, it will appear in one unified aspect and all the people and all languages will appear as one.

Sathya Sai Baba

Jan 30…. ” காலங்கள் தோறும் காந்தி…”

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“கடவுள் என் முன்னே தோன்றி உனக்கொரு வரம் தரப்போகிறேன்! என்ன வேண்டும் கேள் என்றுகேட்டால்! என் வாழ்நாளில் மறைந்த இந்தியாவின் தேசத்தந்தை மகாத்மா காந்தியுடன் ஒருநாள் இரவு உணவருந்த வேண்டும் என்று கேட்பேன்” என்று அமெரிக்க ஜனாதிபதியாக தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட நாளில் பதிலளித்தார் பராக் ஒபாமா.

ஆயுத உற்பத்தியில் முன்னிலை வகிக்கும் வல்லரசு நாட்டின் தலைவர் ஒருவர் மூன்றாவது காலாக கைத்தடியை மட்டுமே வைத்துக் கொண்டு, அங்குமிங்கும் இந்திய மண்ணின் விடுதலைக்காக ஓடிக்கொண்டிருந்த அந்த மனிதரைப் பற்றி இப்படி குறிப்பிடுகிறார் எனில் அந்த அரையாடைத் துறவி நம்மைவிட்டு மறையவில்லை. கடல் கடந்து காலம் கடந்து இனம், மொழி, மதம் என எல்லாவற்றையும் கடந்து இன்றும் உலகின் வழிகாட்டியாக வாழ்ந்து கொண்டிருக்கிறார் என்பதையே இது காட்டுகிறது.

காந்தி வணங்கிய கடவுள்:

உலகில் வேறு எந்த தலைவருக்கும் இல்லாத சிறப்பு காந்திக்கு மட்டும் எப்படி என எண்ணும் போது அவரின் வாழ்க்கை நிகழ்வுகளே அதற்கான பதில்களாக விரிகின்றன. போர்பந்தரில் பிறந்த காந்தி ஆயுத போர்களை நம்பாதவர். 2500 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முந்தைய பழமையான அகிம்சை சத்தியாகிரகம் என்ற தத்துவங்களை நவீன காலத்தில் வெற்றிகரமாக மறு நிர்மாணம் செய்து உலக மக்களைக் கவர்ந்தவர். “சத்தியமே அவரின் மதம். அன்பு அறவழி ஒழுக்கம்; மனசாட்சி இவையே அவர் வணங்கிய கடவுள்கள்”. வழக்கறிஞராக தான் சம்பாதித்த செல்வங்கள் அனைத்தையும் தாய் நாட்டின் விடுதலை வேள்விக்கு காணிக்கையாக வழங்கிய வள்ளல் நம் காந்தி! ஒத்துழையாமை இயக்கப்போராட்டம் வெற்றிகரமாக நடை பெறவேண்டுமென்றும; அதேவேளையில் சாமானிய ஏழைமக்கள் பாதிக்கப்பட கூடாது என்றும் திலகர் நினைவு நிதி வசூலிக்க உண்டியல் குலுக்கிய தன்னலமற்ற மனிதர்! இதன் மூலம் எங்களை எவரும் அசைக்க இயலாது என்று ஆணவத்துடன் எக்காள முழக்கமிட்ட ஆங்கிலேய ஏகாதிபத்தியத்தின் அரியாசனத்தை அசைத்த முதல் மனிதர். இதில் சிலருக்கு மாற்றுக் கருத்தும் உண்டு. ஆனால் முதல் சந்திப்பிலேயே முரண்பட்டு காந்தியக் கொள்கையை நிராகரித்த தேசியநாயகன் நேதாஜி, காந்தியின் போராட்ட வலிமையையும் தாய் நாட்டின் விடுதலைக்காக காந்தியின் பின்னே அணிவகுத்து நின்றமக்கள் சக்தியையும் பார்த்து, ‘தேசத்தந்தை’ என அழைத்தார். இதுவே காந்தியின் போராட்டங்களுக்கான அங்கீகாரம். பாரதியின் வரிகளைத் தொட்டுச் சொல்வதானால் “நரைகூடிக்கிழப்பருவமெய்திய”பின்னரும் “குன்றென நிமிர்ந்து நின்று” உள்ளத்தில் போராட்ட உணர்வோடு 30 கோடி இந்தியர்களை தன்னுள் அடக்கி வைத்திருந்தவர் காந்தி.

காந்தி விரும்பிய பொது வாழ்வு:

உடல் உழைப்பு சிறுமை; மூளை உழைப்பே உயர்வு என்ற மேல்த்தட்டு சிந்தனையை முற்றிலுமாக நிராகரித்த காந்தி தனது சர்வோதயா சமூகத்தில் மூளை உழைப்பாளர்களும் கண்டிப்பாக உடல் உழைப்பை செய்யவேண்டும் என்று வலியுறுத்தினார். உடல் உழைப்பும் மூளை உழைப்பும் சேரும் போதுதான் தனிமனித வளர்ச்சி மற்றும் சமூகவளர்ச்சி சாத்தியம் என்று விளக்கினார். “எல்லோரும் சரிநிகர் சமம்” என்ற உணர்வு அனைவரிடமும் ஏற்படவேண்டும் என்று விரும்பிய காந்தி எளிமையான வாழ்க்கை வாழ வேண்டும் என்று விரும்பினார். ஆனால் ஏழ்மையான வாழ்க்கையை வெறுத்தார். நாமே விரும்பி தேவைகளைக் குறைத்துக் கொள்வதன் மூலம் எளிமையான வாழ்க்கை வாழ்ந்து ஏழ்மையை விரட்டமுடியும் என்று நம்பினார். இன்றுள்ளதுபோல் நகரங்கள் கிராமங்களைச் சுரண்டும் நிலை ஏற்பட கூடாதென்று, தான் கனவுகண்ட பொதுவாழ்வு சமூகத்தை கிராமிய நாகரிகத்தால் கட்டமைக்க விரும்பியவரே நமது காந்தி.

காந்தி விரும்பிய கல்வி:

ஆங்கில அரசு 1835-ல் புகுத்திய கிளார்க்குகளை உருவாக்கும் கல்வி முறைதான் 2015-ம் ஆண்டிலும் சில மாற்றங்களுடன் தொடர்ந்து பின் பற்றப்படுகிறது. ஆங்கில அரசின் மெக்காலே கல்வித் திட்டத்தின் சீர்கேடுகளை காந்தி தெளிவாகவேஅறிந்திருந்தார். அது நமது கலாச்சார பண்பாட்டு வேர்களிலும் ஆழமாக வேரூன்றி நம் முன்னோர்களின் அடையாளங்களை மறைத்து விடும் என்று உணர்ந்தார். ஆங்கிலக் கல்வி முறை நேரடியான சமுதாய சூழ்நிலைகளிலிருந்தும் உடல் உழைப்பிலிருந்தும் நமது குழந்தைகளைப் பிரித்துவிடுகின்றது என்றும் இதனால் மாணவர்கள் உள்ளத்தில் சமுதாய உணர்வு வளராமல் போகும் என்று தீர்க்கதரிசனமாகக் கூறினார். “உண்மையான கல்வி என்பது தனிமனிதனின் மனதில் பண்பு, ஞானம், பொறுமை, உண்மை ஆகியவற்றை விதைப்பதில் அடங்கியிருக்கிறதே தவிர இலக்கிய பயிற்சியில் இல்லை” என்று சிறந்தகல்விக்கு இலக்கணம் கூறியவர் காந்தி.

“அகிம்சையை நேசித்து ஆணவத்தை எதிர்த்து சத்தியம் என்ற உண்மையைக் கடைப்பிடித்து சரித்திரமாய் ஒருவர் இந்த மண்ணில் வாழ்ந்து மடிந்துள்ளார்” என்பதையே இன்றைய பெரும்பாலான இளைய தலை முறை நம்ப மறுக்கிறது. “காந்தியவாதம்”அவர்களுக்கு இன்று கசப்பு மருந்தாகிப் போனது. இனிப்பை மட்டுமே சுவைக்க விரும்பி பழகிவிட்ட இன்றைய இளைய தலைமுறைக்கு”காந்திய சித்தாந்தம்”என்ற மருந்து கசந்தாலும் அதை நிச்சயம் அருந்த வேண்டியகாலம் வரும். அப்பொழுது இந்தப் புனித மண்ணில் எண்ணற்ற காந்திகள் தோன்றுவர்.

SOURCE:::: முனைவர் .சி.செல்லப்பாண்டியன், in http://www.dinamalar.com

Natarajan

Jan 30 2015

 

Message For the Day…” Never Break the Vow of Truth …”

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The Gita advises everyone to adopt ‘inoffensive speech, which is truthful, pleasant and beneficial.’ During the practice of the Sadhana of truth, at times, it may become necessary to reveal an unpleasant truth. At those moments, you must soften and sweeten its impact by consciously charging it with love, sympathy, and understanding. Help ever hurt never – that is the maxim. Revere truth as your very breath. Your promises are sacred bonds. Never break the vow of truth. The only obstruction to practicing truth anyone will face, is selfishness. Give up selfishness, adhere to truth and selfless love, let your heart be attuned to truth and the mind saturated with love. The triple purity – speech free from the pollution of falsehood, mind free from the taint of passionate desire or hatred, and the body free from the poison of violence – must be taken up by everyone as ideals and lived in accordance with.

Sathya Sai Baba