Police and rulers can overcome only external foes; they have no power to destroy the internal enemies. The internal foes, the six enemies(arishadvarga) that operate inside a person, can be uprooted only by the teachings of the Lord, love of God, and the company of the holy and the great. The world suffers harm at the hands of wicked people when the police and the authorities fail in their duties. Similarly, the world is enveloped in darker ignorance when ‘great’ spiritual aspirants give up the path of world welfare, become victims of sense enjoyment and nurture ambition to earn name and fame. Spiritual elders are the rulers of the internal state; administrative authorities are the rulers of the external state. The whole world will bask in peace and joy only when worldly authorities and spiritual aspirants realise their duties and perform them with the right attitudes, with the welfare of all at heart, remembering the omnipotence of the Lord.
Righteousness (Dharma) is eternal, it is same for everyone everywhere. It expresses the significance of one’s inner Divinity (Atma). The birth place of righteousness (dharma) is your heart. What emanates from the heart as a pure idea, when translated into action is called dharma. If this is to be explained in a manner that all can understand, you can say, “Do unto others as you want them to do unto you”! Dharma also consists in avoiding actions which would hurt others. If anyone does things that causes happiness to you, then you in turn, should do such things that will cause happiness to others. When we recognise that certain acts others do cause difficulties, and when we too do the same deeds, that clearly isadharma! Sometimes, and under some circumstances, an individual who commits a wrong must be told in very clear terms that he has done something wrong, so that he improves.
More than 30 young people were assembled on the banks of the Adyar River next to Surya Nagar in Kotturpuram early in the morning on March 2. Armed with orange gloves and white rags, they were on a cleaning mission as part of the Chennai Trekking Club’s efforts to clear the area of all non-biodegradable waste.
According to Peter Van Geit (44), the founder of the Chennai Trekking Club, “This is the 14th session of the cleanliness drive that we are carrying out in the city. The waste that is seen on these banks has not been dumped by the locals but has been washed in during the floods. There were thick layers of garbage here but now it has reduced as we have been cleaning this place for the past two weeks.”
On the other side of the river, heaps of garbage still dot the bank, and the river runs an alarming black colour. “We can reach the other side of the river but the land is too steep for us to clean it up. The water is black in color as many illegal sewage connections are connected to the river,” said Peter.
Most of the waste that can be seen on the slope consist of cloth, glass bottles, plastic bags and other household trash. Peter and his team of volunteers have been gathering together all the non-biodegradable waste for transportation to the common dumping ground in Pallikaranai by trucks of the Chennai Corporation. –
The Chennai Trekking Club began the cleaning drive in the city two months ago, in the aftermath of the Chennai floods. “We started the relief work in different places like Cuddalore and Pulicat. Many slums were in a very bad condition and all the drainage water was inside their homes. We were helping them out in Cuddalore and Pulicat. Later, we decided to start cleaning near the Adyar and Cooum rivers in Chennai.”
The cleaning drive came about as a result of a shared passion among the club’s members for the environment, says Peter. “The Chennai Trekking club carries out trekking trips to beautiful natural locations like virgin forests, mountain ranges, rivers or lakes. Nature is very close to our hearts. So that’s where we started. It also helps to create awareness and reach out to thousands of people and sensitizing people about the issues.”
Building awareness, Peter feels, is an urgent task, as waste disposal is a crucial problem for Chennai. “There are 6000 tonnes of garbage which leaves the city every single day. Most of it ends up in water bodies, rivers and the ocean, which are our lifelines. Chennai has the highest per capita waste generation in the country. There is no segregation of waste in the city and all of it is accumulated in Pallikaranai, one of the few wetlands remaining in India. 90% of our garbage footprint can be reduced immediately by segregating dry (recyclable) and wet (compostable) waste at our home.” –
For the volunteers, many different reasons have drawn them to the initiative. Roopa, a doctor said, “I joined this initiative to help people in cleaning the place but it has changed many things for me. Now, I go home and try keeping the place clean and segregate the waste.”
Bensh, an engineer, said that he comes from an agriculture background and was drawn to an earlier tree plantation initiative. He later joined the cleanliness drive as he thinks it is the social responsibility of the people to do such things. For Mohan, it is about making new friends and enjoying time spent usefully in cleaning such places.
In the past, the group has carried out cleanliness drives in Chitra Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Pallaikarnai and few tree parks.
Peter Van Geit began the Chennai Trekking Club about eight years ago. “I’m a very active person in sports. I wanted a platform to connect. I set up a website and started sharing stories and images of trips and in some time people started joining me for cycling, swimming, running and trekking trips.” Now, the Chennai Trekking Club has more than 27000 members.
Besides their current cleanliness drives, the Club also carries out tree-planting initiatives, an annual coastal clean-up drive, workshops on nature, restoration of historical sites and organic farming. It also organizes trekking trips on weekends, swimming classes, triathlons and marathons.
Inspired by their example? Surely a task as large as cleaning up the city could use many more volunteers.
Amir Hussain Lone was eight year old when he lost his arms in an accident with a bandsaw when he visited his father’s sawmill to deliver lunch to his brother.
Today, at the age of 26, he is the captain of the Jammu and Kashmir state para-cricket team.
“I was taking some food for my brother who worked at my father’s sawmill. I used to play with the sawmill machine, but on this occasion both of my arms got entangled in the machine,” he told Mail Online. Ironically, the sawmill used to manufacture cricket bats.
Amir never let his misfortune come in the way of his dreams. Cricket has been his passion since childhood, and he worked extremely hard to make himself capable of playing. But the journey till here was not an easy one. Amir’s father had to sell his sawmill to arrange the money for his treatment, and the society started treating him like someone who would not be able to achieve anything in life. His treatment took three years and when he resumed school after that, his teachers told him to stay at home. This was when Amir started his journey of becoming self-reliant by selling walnuts to purchase books and by practising his sport. He holds the bat between his neck and shoulder and bowls with his toes.
“When I tried to play cricket for the first time after the accident, people used to make fun of me. Now they are very supportive,” he says.
He wants to play like Sachin Tendulkar one day. Watch Amir’s inspiring journey here:
Kind-hearted doctors run medical institutions here and there, serve the diseased and cure the afflicted. Similarly if we had ashrams here and there of holy personages who were experts in the treatment and cure of the ‘birth-and-death disease’, then people could be cured of the afflictions of ignorance, untruth, immorality, and self-aggrandisement. Ignorance produces wickedness, and it can be cured only by the medicine of the knowledge of Brahman(Brahma-jnana), with supplementary doses of the drugs like peacefulness, fortitude, self-control (santhi, sama, dama), etc. Instead, the ‘great men’ of today, for the sake of name and fame, give those who approach them the medicines they demand and the drugs their patients relish! The so-called ‘great’, on account of their weakness and foolishness, fall into perdition even before they taste the spiritual bliss themselves! The holy essence has to be experienced and realised. One’s selfish needs have to be sacrificed.
Your mind, destiny, position, and wealth (mati, gati, stiti, andsampatti), are gifts of God. You must use it to develop the qualities of equality, solidarity, integrity, and amity. But people today have changed their mind (mati) into a wicked mind(durmati). It is your mind that makes you a good or bad person. Improper use of mind will make you egoistic. Modern youth and students aspire for wealth, friendship, and high position but not virtues, and indulge in ostentation. Many students waste their time in bad company, bad thoughts, and bad behavior. Brass and gold, both look alike. But a vessel of brass makes much more noise than one made of gold. Students should not indulge in showmanship and tall talk. Always talk sweetly and softly, with humility. You cannot always oblige, but you can always speak obligingly. Always talk lovingly and respectfully, and conduct yourself fittingly as an ideal devotee, an ideal student.
It is said, “The proper study of mankind is man”. You should cultivate the qualities of kindness and compassion. Only then does one deserve the title of human. You are not only people, but humanity! Today people use the word mankind or humanity without understanding its real meaning. One can rise to the level of the divine only if you develop virtues. God is not somewhere else, you are God. You are not different from God if you have a pure heart. God is the eternal charioteer, who is always present in your heart. He is only a charioteer and not the owner; you are the owner. Lord Krishna is called Parthasarathi because He became the charioteer (Sarathi) of Arjuna (Partha).Similarly, when you develop purity of heart and sacred feelings, God will be your charioteer and take you on the right path. Therefore choose God as your charioteer and lead an ideal life.
A man walked into a bar and ordered a glass of white wine. He took a sip of it, then tossed the remainder in the bartender’s face.
Before the bartender could recover from the surprise, the man began weeping. “I’m really sorry. I keep doing this to bartenders. I can’t tell you how embarrassing it is to have a compulsion like this.”
Far from being angry, the bartender was sympathetic. Before long, he was suggesting that the man see a psychoanalyst about his problem.
“I happen to have the name of a psychoanalyst,” the bartender said. “My brother and my wife have both been treated by him, and they say he’s as good as they come.”
The man wrote down the name of the doctor, thanked the bartender and left. The bartender smiled, knowing he’d done a good deed for a fellow human being. Six months later, the man was back.
“Did you do what I suggested?” the bartender asked, serving the glass of white wine.
“I certainly did,” the man said. “I’ve been seeing the psychoanalyst twice a week.”
He took a sip of the wine. Then he threw the remainder into the bartender’s face. The flustered bartender wiped his face with a towel.
“The doctor doesn’t seem to be doing you any good,” he spluttered.
“On the contrary,” the man said,” he’s done me a world of good.”
“But you just threw the wine in my face again!” the bartender exclaimed.
“Yes,” the man said. “But it doesn’t embarrass me anymore!”
“The world is impermanent. Birth is a misery. Old age is a misery. Be careful!” says a Sanskrit poem. As long as you are alive, everyone would seem to love the body. This is for purely selfish reasons. God alone is utterly selfless. Love God and lead your normal lives; there is nothing wrong in this. Whatever you do, treat it as an offering to God. See God in everyone. Don’t have ill will towards anyone. Do not have excessive attachment for anyone. Direct all attachment towards God. Love all. Do not rely on anyone except God. Realise the impermanence of the body and place your trust solely in God. Seek refuge in Him. What is most needed today in this Kali age is faith. As often as possible, when you get the chance, meditate on God. Earn the esteem of society through sincere service. That will ensure a good future for you.
Take off with Natarajan 