Question on Quora: “Does everyone have to be successful in life? Is it fine if we don’t have any dreams or aspirations? Is it fine to never achieve anything?”
Summary of my response:
Unless someone desperately wants to be perceived as successful by society, it’s not necessary to chase success in everything one does.
Btw, not wanting to be successful has nothing to do with having dreams or aspirations. Nor has it got anything to do with one’s achievements.
Whether we go after success, and the happiness associated with achieving it, or strive to being joyful inward, irrespective of the song & dance routine we’ve to perform on the survival plane of existence, is a choice we’ve to make for ourselves. Choose wisely, for our lifetime isn’t that long!
Success in the society’s view is always relative & subjective. One’s success is always in comparison to someone else’s. And one’s success is perceived as worthy or unworthy, based on the perceiver’s limited knowledge. This pervades all aspects of survival, aka day-to-day living, in the world we are in.
Society has always adored successful people and put them on a pedestal. But the same society is also swift in pushing the successful ones off the pedestal, when it gets to know of their misdeeds, of any kind, without even verifying that information.
So, does everyone really have to be successful in life?
“Unless someone desperately wants to be perceived as successful by the society, it’s not necessary to chase success in everything one does.“
~@PrakashSwamy
Btw, not wanting to be successful has nothing to do with having dreams or aspirations. Nor has it got anything to do with one’s achievements.
If someone desires to be joyful in life, s/he doesn’t have to be successful for that? Not at all. Just being content with whatever one already has would be sufficient to be joyful.
But how many of us are capable of being content, even with the survival essentials such as food, clothing & shelter?
We invariably compare whatever we have with whatever others – neighbour, colleague, sibling, relative, friend, foe, et al. – have. And we believe that having something bigger or better than others is the way to be perceived as successful. That’s the trap set by the society, in which many of us willingly choose to remain trapped, for entire lifetimes.
“Success is relative. Perception of success is subjective. Both are external variables that cannot be controlled by us, in most survival situations.“
~@PrakashSwamy
Joy is neither relative nor subjective. It’s an internal state that one can experience and feel within oneself. When the state of being joyful becomes a constant, i.e. lasting experience, one reaches the state of bliss.
Unfortunately, most of us neither seek joy nor bliss, but go after happiness.
Happiness is a transient state, that doesn’t last long. And it’s mostly associated with success, in any endeavour humans undertake. So we link success with happiness, and choose to go after it. In short, we’re chasing the wrong goal, due to lack of clarity on the purpose. That’s why happiness remains elusive and most of us remain miserable, despite being successful.
Now let’s relook at the question, shall we!
Does everyone have to be successful in life?
Only those who perennially chase happiness, which is invariably associated with success by the society, have to be successful.
Are you one such person?
Is it fine if we don’t have any dreams or aspirations?
If one is chasing a dream or aspiration to be perceived as successful by others, then one will remain miserable internally, despite one’s success being celebrated externally.
Instead, if one wishes to be joyful internally, then do go after any dream or aspiration that would lead you towards being joyful, with single-minded focus and boundless enthusiasm.
One can certainly have many dreams & aspirations. But which one of those are you going to go after, in terms of fruition. And why are you choosing a particular dream or aspiration? What’s the objective and end state of that pursuit?
Is it fine to never achieve anything?
If the achievement is done for the purpose of being perceived successful by others, then that achievement will only be useful to put on an outwardly happy facade.
If the achievement is aimed at elevating your state of existence to that of joy, and eventually to bliss, then one doesn’t have to feel bad about achieving anything that one sets one’s mind & body to turn from idea to action to result.
Whether we go after success, and the happiness associated with achieving it, or strive to being joyful inward, irrespective of the song & dance routine we’ve to perform on the survival plane of existence, is a choice we’ve to make for ourselves. Choose wisely, for our lifetime isn’t that long!
Thoughts and Thinking… Are they one and the same or quite different..!
If one gets a rare opportunity to not be distracted by anything or anyone in this ‘busy-ness is business’ hyper action era, then one can actually observe one’s own Thoughts, and perhaps do some Thinking as well.
Thoughts don’t necessarily need a trigger or ignition. They self-start and keep flowing, like the ceaseless waves of an ocean. Though all waves look similar, looks can be quite deceptive. Similarly, all thoughts aren’t the same. Fact is, they are not even necessarily related, even if they appear in a sequence.
Thoughts by themselves don’t result in anything tangible in the world. Only when thoughts lead to purposeful action, there will be specific outcomes that may benefit an individual or a group or even the world itself. As far as purpose, usefulness and value are concerned, action is far more purposeful, useful & valuable, than thoughts.
Action requires thinking. And structured thinking itself is an action!
~SwamyQuote
Humans generally tend to react to or act upon all or most of their thoughts. This is just a waste of time, effort and energy. And that’s the reason why a vast number of people are not being perceived as successful, or even useful.
It’s worth noting that thoughts are all pretty much based on the past memories stored. The mind ceaselessly generates thoughts from its repository of past information.
In a way, thoughts are like the soap bubbles blown by a child (or adult, who always secretly cherishes the child within, but locks it up anyway), which can only be based on the soap solution in the bottle or container held in hand by the child.
It’s practically not possible for those bubbles to be anything other than a soap bubble, every single time they are blown away.
So even when one puts his/her mind to work, thinking hard about something s/he wants to do in the future, the reference is always the past – not necessarily the individual’s past per se’ but of humanity’s, or creation’s.
But action always happens in the present.
Action neither happens in the past, which is no more, nor in the future, which is not yet!
~SwamyQuote
Life, as most humans know and experience it, is nothing but a series of actions, always performed in the present, for the purpose of livelihood. This is mere survival, not too different from what millions of other species that cohabit this tiny planet, alongside the Homo Sapiens, do for a living.
If one has the patience to observe, sans any judgment based on preconceived notions, one can perceive the fact that all the other species perform actions related to their survival only in the present.
Whereas humans, who simply can’t stop tooting their incoherent horn about their superior extra (6th) sense, either keep pondering about the long gone past or keep wondering about the yet-to-happen future, while the present – the only reality for any living being – simply slips away and gets wasted, lifetime after lifetime.
Thoughts are involuntary, mostly.
One can either get distracted by thoughts helplessly, or one can simply observe their flow nonchalantly.
~SwamyQuote
Whereas,
Thinking is a conscious action, initiated by a person, for a specific purpose.
~SwamyQuote
One can certainly generate a stream of thought, for a specific purpose. But this requires the ability to not get distracted by a zillion other thoughts that will also get generated simultaneously, which are not in the thinker’s control, and staying focused on a particular thought or thought stream.
Consciously staying focused on a particular thought or related stream of thoughts requires ‘sthitha prgna’ or one-pointed awareness. That’s easier said than done, unless one has been trained to do so, through sadhana (spiritual practices).
The simple and effective solution for mere mortals is to simply observe the stream of thoughts that the mind keeps generating, like the ceaseless waves of the ocean, without reacting to any of them.
As you stand in a beach and simply observe wave after wave, caressing the shore and slip back into the ocean, so you do with the seemingly endless waves of thoughts, within yourself.
~SwamyQuote
When one can observe one’s own thought stream, sans any emotional attachment, it’s possible to pick and choose only those thoughts that are useful for purposeful action, in any given situation.
This way, one will start responding to every situation, instead of reacting to the impulses, thereby not only performing only actions that are really worthy / valuable, but also remain peaceful, and hopefully joyful as well.
Seekers on the spiritual path do this all the time (they are at least trained to do so, as part of their sadhana), so there’s no compelling reason why it can’t be learned and practiced by those stuck in the survival plane of existence as well.
Let thoughts flow whenever, as they wish. Let thinking happen forever, as per your will.
“Counting the Countless” or “The Craft of Communication, as Homo Sapiens know… oops, do it!”
Let’s say the next great fad is going to be “Counting the Countless”, i.e. counting the number of stars in space and grains of sand on earth. While some will attempt it in the real universe, many will give it a try in the metaverse. Before you pick your choicest expletives and launch them in this direction, please spare a few moments of your forever-busy daily grind and read on. Please…
‘Fact’
Stars are in space and grains of sand are on earth.
‘Information’
There are countless number of stars in space and innumerable grains of sand on earth.
‘Education’
There are x*y types of stars in z galaxies & n^a(b+c)/m*p grains of sand.
…of course, you’ll have to attend additional tuition classes offline or online – Byju’s is waiting with an offer you can’t resist – to understand and vomit, err.. write this, exactly as it is, in the exam paper.
‘Training’
‘All The Stars and Sand’ – the 3-day program that will change your Life.
Objective: To know how to count the number of stars and grains of sand.
Outcome: You count the number of stars & grains of sand, 3 times faster than before in 1/3rd the time taken by your peer group.
Session 1: What is a star? (23 slides, 1 self-explanatory questionnaire followed by group debrief).
‘Knowledge’
It’s practically impossible to count the number of stars & grains of sand.
…and any Training isn’t useful for practice, as for anything else.
‘Belief’
It is true that many learned men from the age of Zeus have tried and failed to count the vast number of stars and grains of sand. As we know, the counting of celestial things is prohibited by the Gods and anyone trying to do that will have to face the wrath of Zeus himself.
‘Faith’
The innumerable number of stars everywhere in the universe and grains of sand all over the planet show how magnificent the Creator is.
‘Religion’
On day n, he said let there be stars and sand and lo & behold they were there everywhere, in the blink of an eye.
‘History’
It was in 210 AD that humans first started counting the number of stars and grains of sand. But the first breakthrough didn’t happen until after 400 BC, when Gautama Buddha was able to visualise the entire universe within himself, right from the moment of creation, leading to his Enlightenment. The rest, as they always say, is history.
…of course it is, since that’s how it has always been and shall continue to be!
‘Archeology’
Though historically 210 AD and 400 BC are considered significant, as far as counting the stars and grains of sand is concerned, the remains found during the excavation of Keeladi and the palm leaf manuscripts found in the original Nalanda University (that’s a certified miracle, btw, since it was burnt down by an invader), remain inconclusive about when the counting actually started or who started the counting.
…this once again decisively proves that the Aryan invasion theory is a long silk yarn spun by, umm… some grossly over-educated Aryans, perhaps!
‘Astronomy’
42 of the 88 modern constellations look like animals and are full of stars in various sizes, just like the countless grains of sand.
‘Astrology’
The reason for the delay in your promotion isn’t because of your boss who you obviously hate, but the position of Jupiter during this phase when entwined twins Rahu & Kethu compete with each other to block career growth of all people whose birth star is Jupiter. And that’s just one star. Imagine how complex Life can be with millions of stars in the galaxy, as much or more than the grains of sand on earth. But trust me, there’s a parihara (remedy) to get around the blockade and get your promotion.
‘Rhetoric’
The number of stars and grains of sand are so numerous that counting them is impossible even if the entire humanity joined together to do so, for the next decade or two, knowing full well that’s well-nigh impossible. Yet, that’s exactly what humans are going to do. Humans, after all, are the only intelligent species in the whole universe, who can effortlessly pull off something like counting the stars and sand, with incredible ease.
‘Media’
*Breaking News* ~ Tom, Dick & Harry have been awarded the Nobel prize for creating the prediction model to count the number of stars and grains of sand. But, as we all know already, it’s a conspiracy by the economic super powers to claim all scientific inventions and prizes says Prof Vigyan Ashlesha.
NewsNow brought this to you first, even before Nobel prize was founded. Don’t miss the explosive debate tonight to expose the most earth shattering conspiracy never known to humanity since it evolved from ape – only on NewsNow! Tweet your views with #StarSandConspiracy to @NewsNow.
‘Science’
If we start counting the number of stars & grains of sand from today, it’ll take x000 years to count 1/nth of the total, which will require y^n computing power.
Scientific Galactican got an early preview of this breakthrough formula, from the upcoming book containing the snail-mail communication between Einstein & Ramanujan.
‘Technology’
We need newer, more powerful devices with far higher number crunching ability that relies on big data and stores every bit of information in the public cloud and daily counting trend available on mobile platforms using analytics.
Global chip leader Wintel corp said, “though the computing power and speed that’s available now is inadequate to count the number of stars and grains of sand, our upcoming TryzenLake super processors will provide the power on-demand, by chip load.”
‘Business’
As the pioneer in space and earth technologies, the combined power of all our satellites in orbit and earthmovers on planet earth gives us a head start in counting the number of stars and grains of sand. And we’re proud to say Ubicorp is well equipped and ready to launch twice that number within the next decade, to make headway in this adventure to help humanity’s quest for excellence.
…naturally, Ubicorp’s shares have risen almost threefold within four trading sessions, forcing SEBE to stop trading in that counter.
‘Management’
With x000,000 resources working n hours a day at y$ per hour, we will count the number of stars and grains of sand in z years, in a phased manner to transform our organisation’s vision to reality.
Agile is the chosen methodology to manage this ginormous project and we’ll start immediately hiring Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches globally.
‘Analyst’
The star and sand counting is the next big thing in Digital. It’s set to exponentially grow from just 3 million counts a decade to over 22 billion counts a month, within the next 4 years. Though there are only about 3 enterprises in the world with the money, technology and manpower to leverage the growth in this exciting space, we expect a six-fold increase in that number by this time within the next two years. 60% of that growth will come from Asia and the rest from China. We expect the size of this business to be Euro 12.6 billion with an assured annual growth of 62.8%.
‘UN’
Asia has already started with the MilkyWay and Europe has voted for Andromeda. We’re hoping USA will soon agree to pick a faraway Galaxy to start counting the number of stars, right after the Presidential election.
China will supply all the devices required along with any amount of manpower required. South America will start counting the grains of sand from 2050. Africa is expected to join from 2085. Australia is still smarting from the Ashes loss and yet to decide which one it wants to do.
We’re unable to confirm Russia’s participation at this time, but we remain hopeful.
All nations participating in this global project are advised to allocate 3% of the budget as donation for the rehabilitation efforts in Ukraine. A 1% cess is recommended for sustaining the Covax program.
‘Government’
We’ve reduced the number of forms to be filled from 19 to 17, simplified them from having 89 fields to just 83, brought all the 13 departments for approval into a single window system, appointed an IAS officer exclusively to liaise between business and government and given a tax holiday for 3 years with the possibility of retrospective MAT applicable only from the 4th year for all stars and sand grain counting businesses that operate within S3EZs (Special Star and Sand Economic Zone). The standard quota system must be strictly adhered to however, for any and all employment.
‘Bank’
For loan at the best rates for stars and sand counting business start-ups, don’t look any further than GlowStar Bank. Our rates start at 3.99% for the first year, with free property and intellectual insurance and optional rider for health. Use code HappyStar and get 0.1% discount when you apply through paisagrain.com.
‘Retailer’
Telescopes, Microscopes, Lenses, Hourglasses, Sieves, Tents, double strong Coffee for those long nights and TripleBull Energy drink for the longer days and lots more – starandsand.sky – for all your needs to start your star and sand counting business today. Get a free Star&Sand designer mug free, for a limited period only. To win designer T-shirts, please check our weekly giveaways on social media.
‘University’
You don’t want to miss the star and sand counting revolution. Sign-up for our acclaimed MSSA (Master of Star and Sand Administration) program, exclusively designed for busy executives and accredited by ISSCF (International Star and Sand Counting Federation). Our 5-star rated course guarantees accelerated growth in what you always wanted to do – count how many stars and grains of sand are there in the universe. Universal placement assistance is available.
‘Publisher’
“How many stars will you count!” – the seminal book by international bestselling author Rohan Karma offers practical advise and step-by-step guidance based on his own personal star and sand counting experience of 17 years.
Expert review: One word – Glowing!
‘Gen Z Activist’
That so many number of, you know, stars and grains of sand have been, like, created by God is fine. I get that, really, okay. But I just can’t believe you still say God is a, well, you know… older and bigger MAN. And he lives in, like, the sky, beyond those, umm.. what are they.. oh, stars. Are you sayin’ man, uh, God, whatever… created woman too then! Yeah, right… How is that even possible bro? Can you believe that $h!t, like, really!
‘Rationalist’
There are stars, grains of sand and you and me. To say that all of these were created by someone somewhere above at will isn’t just preposterous but incredibly irritating.
‘Pessimist’
Just look at the number of stars seen at night. And the grains of sand on just one beach or playground. It’s not just impossible to count them, but improbable to even think about counting.
‘Optimist’
Just imagine the number of stars that are there beyond what we can see at night. And all those glorious grains of sand on all the beautiful beaches and playgrounds full of joyful children and friendly people. It would be really wonderful if all of us join hands to count all those glittering stars and grains of sands.
‘Elders, aka Boomers & beyond’
Have told you from the time when your mother still changed your diapers that it’s not possible. Anyone who thinks about counting the number of stars and grains of sand should get his (or her) head checked. But the bloody millennials are so cocky that they think this can be done. And kids these days won’t just listen to anything we say. Ah, wish I could leave this godforsaken planet behind!
‘Wife (or Spouse-F, to be socially correct)’
Why don’t you find something useful to do and earn some more for our child’s education than wasting time thinking about counting the number of stars and grains of sand. Did they ever ask anyone to count them. And for god’s sake, stop playing that stupid Stars&Sands game on phone.
‘Husband (or Spouse-M, to be socially correct)’
Look, given a choice, I’ll quit this hopeless job today and start counting the number of stars and grains of sand instead. Do you happen to know what kind of skillset and experience is required to switch my career path? Are any openings already listed on Naukri? I should probably check a few LinkedIn profiles to keep mine relevant.
‘Child’
Whoa, there are so many number of stars above and grains of sand around. Aren’t they so beautiful! Can we play count the star & sand puhleeese?
‘Politician’
Is there any other quest in the history of mankind that’s bigger than counting the number of stars and grains of sand? And who else but humans can accomplish something of this magnitude that has never been even imagined before. History will remember us as the generation that has bravely attempted to do the unimaginable. Something so great yet so hard that made even Ceasar, Genghis Khan, Alexander, Rajendra Chozhan, Napoleon and the East India Company to think twice, before they gave it a miss and went on to conquer the world instead. And do it we will – with all the technology that’s available at our disposal. Not because it needs to be done, but because we can. Yes We Can!
‘Philosophy’
The pointlessness of counting the number of stars and grains of sand lies not in the stars or sand but in the limited thinking of humans, whose centuries evolution hasn’t helped in learning it’s pointless nature.
‘Digital Era Guru’
Just keep counting the stars and grains of sand, without thinking about the rewards that come after counting. Rewards are maya, because you don’t know if they even exist. Counting is real because you actually do it. Don’t ever think that it is your doing. Always remind yourself that you are useful to get it done. Just as others who are also doing it. Give it your all and just do it, for not doing anything about it is not an option, as Krishna told Arjuna, several millennia ago.
‘Reality’
Stars are all over the space, grains of sand are everywhere on earth and humans still think they can be counted.
‘Truth’
There really are no stars nor are there any grains of sand anywhere to be counted by anyone.
.
Hey, your sincere effort to read this post fully is truly appreciated. Now that you’ve read it, do spare a few more moments to ponder, reflect and respond. Ciao.
Let’s say you decided to read the auto/biography of a well-known person. You either buy the printed book or download it on kindle (‘Go Green’… yay) and start reading. The book is 300 or so pages long. It describes in detail the fascinating life story of that person, at various stages of his lifetime, focusing on many events and situations, highlighting his/her travails and triumphs.
When you complete the book, you’re left with a smile on your face and note some points in your mind, which you plan to implement to improve certain aspects of your own life. You even write a review on GoodReads and share that on all social media platforms (and get a few likes, eventually).
Among those 300 or so pages of that autobiography, how many were allocated to that famous person’s birth and death (if s/he has passed away already)? Just a few, isn’t it! The beginning and end of such a memorable life are actually given much less coverage, in comparison to what all s/he did during her/his lifetime.
Unless of course, that person happens to be someone like Lord Shanmukha or Lord Krishna, whose birth itself will span a few chapters, because there was a specific purpose for their creation, which requires elaboration, before their amazing life story is described.
So, the journey is more important than the destination – especially for the hilarious species known as Homo Sapiens – since all the action pretty much happens during the life journey. And,
Life is nothing but a series of actions, in various situations, day after day, from birth till death.
The destination for most humans in any lifetime is the cremation or burial ground, post death, i.e. the expiry of the physical form they are identified with.
Unless one is a Jeevanmuktha or Realised Master, who attains MahaSamadhi or Jeeva Samadhi, the death of a human is practically a non-event, other than getting lit on a funeral pyre or buried in a box, with a few people around. If that person is a follower of sanatana dharma, then s/he will perhaps be remembered for at least 13 days, until when the apara karma, aka post-death rituals will continue. After that, s/he will probably be remembered once a month – during the monthly ceremony, and after an year only during the death anniversary, may be for a few more years. Some may even get a ‘remembrance’ ad in a newspaper.
So, in essence, the destination, aka death, isn’t really that worthy of being accorded an equal or better recognition than the lifetime itself. Even in an auto/biography.
If at all one desires to be remembered by many, after reaching the destination (death!), then one must live the lifetime between birth and death purposefully, performing actions that aren’t harmful to other beings (not just humans), with at least a few of them useful for others, beyond oneself.
Those humans who we call ‘great’ are still remembered, long after they left, due to their magnificent and memorable journey, i.e. the actions they’ve performed while they were still around. Many may actually reap the benefits of their actions, even generations later. That’s some journey, isn’t it!
Lord Shiva, who is revered as both Adiyogi and Adi Guru in this ancient culture, not only realised the possibility of mukti or ultimate liberation (from the repetitive birth-death lifecycle), but also offered 112 ways for human beings to attain mukti. Known as ‘Vignana Bhairava Tantra’ these yogic techniques are still actively practised by spiritual seekers.
Lord Krishna, who was an action-hero from the moment of his birth, offered the Bhagavad Gita, not just as wise counsel to Arjuna to ensure he completed his task of waging war to destroy evil, but as an eternal guide for purposeful living and attainment of mukti, for any and all humans.
Swami Vivekananda went all the way to the US, and made the world sit up and take notice of the greatness of Sanatana Dharma, through his epic speech at a global religious forum, despite facing many hardships during the arduous journey by ship, to and fro.
Scores of Realised Beings & Masters like those, who are still revered for their magnificent journey in this ancient culture, are remembered because of the purposeful actions they continuously performed during their enchanting life journey. And they continue to have a powerful – and positive, needless to say – impact on the lives of millions of people, spanning many generations.
Why is it said that ‘it’s all about the process and not the product?’
Perhaps when we hear words like journey and destination, immediately our mind takes wings and starts imagining something grand and conveniently forgets the reality. ‘Process and Product’ are more mundane terms, without fanciful embellishments that conjure up a fantasy world vividly in our mind.
The product refers to outcome or result, which is no different from the destination. Whereas the process refers to none other than the journey.
So, they are essentially one and the same.
Also, ‘product’ or ‘destination’ refers to a future state, something that hasn’t happened yet and may or may not happen as anticipated.
In a way, the product and destination only exists in a person’s imagination. But the ‘process’ or ‘journey’ is actually happening, in the present. Now.
So, both quotes also emphasize the importance of remaining rooted in the present, where living, i.e. the real action of life, actually happens.
One of the life-trajectory-altering lessons I’ve learned from my Guru is ‘This moment is inevitable!’ The moment in which we’re alive and active, is also full of possibilities to perform some purposeful action. With enthusiasm, energy, and unwavering focus.
Remaining detached from the outcome of any such action, while immersing oneself fully in the action required for meaningful completion, will elevate the act itself from being merely another mundane karma (performing an activity, with specific expectations such as reward & recognition) to ‘Karma Yoga’, i.e. attaining liberation through performance of action that one is responsible for.
That’s what Krishna Paramatma communicated via his eponymous teaching,
“karmanyE vAdhikarasthE mApalEshu kadhAchana
mAkarma phalahEtur bhUrmatE sangOstvakarmani.”
You have the right to perform actions (work, serve, create, etc.), but never to the results obtained from that effort (outcome of actions), ever. You should never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your actions, nor should you be attached to inaction.
It’s quite easy to substitute detachment with inaction (akarmani). I’ve been there and done that, in this lifetime. Action is the essence of living, for life is a seemingly never-ending series of actions, for any and every living being.
‘Summa Iru’ (Just be) kind of active-inaction is a state to be strived for and earned. Realised Masters & Beings have possibly strived for many a lifetime to be there. So, it’s laughable to consider ourselves being in that perennially blissful state, when all we do is simply sit idling in a comfortable seat in a corner of a room (or in a ‘corner room’ – pun absolutely intended), doing nothing.
Remember ‘This moment is inevitable.’ Since the present moment is the only reality for any living being, in which we have some semblance of control over our actions, the journey, i.e. performing purposeful actions ourselves, or being actively engaged in such actions initiated / led by others, can be an immensely joyful experience, in the real universe itself, instead of supposedly immersive experience in the metaverse, whatever it is.
That’s exactly why the importance and value of process or journey is emphasized, far more than the product or destination, by those who realised that ‘the journey is indeed the destination!’
Yaanum Itta Thee MooLga MooLgavE ~ Annai Arumai ARidhal
யானும் இட்ட தீ மூள்க மூள்கவே ~ அன்னை அருமை அறிதல்!
21-Jun-21 ~ Addendum to the original publication of the hymn Annaiyarumai ARidhal – அன்னையருமை அறிதல் (& it’s republication last year)
This hymn Annaiyarumai ARidhal – அன்னையருமை அறிதல் was written a few years ago. The last part of the hymn has now turned into reality, with my mother Shrimathi Prema Ramaswamy attaining Meenakshi-Sundareswarar’s abode on 17th June 2021. She was cremated the next day and her remains were immersed in the VEgavathi (Vaigai) nadhi the day after. The 9th – 13th day ceremonies will be held at Madurai.
It’s well known that she’s an ardent devotee of Devi, with a special soft corner for Madurai MeenAkshi Amman. So, with Devi’s Grace, her Kala Bhairava Karma also got performed, immediately after the day of the immersion of her remains in the vaigai river, that flowed from time immemorial, in the holy town of Madurai, where her lifetime began, remained (for most part) and concluded.
According to eyewitness accounts, she left the physical realm instantaneously, due to a massive heart attach / cardiac arrest, sitting in front of her puja alamaari (that overflows with a vast collection of divine forms, with stacks of books atop), while reading (most likely an ஆன்மீகம்) a book. That would’ve been her preferred choice to drop the mortal coil, if there was a choice to us mere mortals that is.
Having celebrated the சஷ்டி அப்த பூர்த்தி & பீம ரத சாந்தி in the grand traditional way and the 50th wedding anniversary in a very modern way, we naturally expected her to cherish getting feted by many on the occasion of சதாபிஷேகம் as well, blessing many who would’ve thronged the venue, wherever it may be, for it’s hard to count the people whose lives she has touched, in her unique way.
But apparently she had other ideas and as it’s rightly said, ‘நாம் ஒன்று நினைக்க தெய்வம் ஒன்று நினைக்கும்‘ (‘Man proposes, God disposes‘).
According to our family வாத்தியார் who guided us in performing her last rites, her passing was so perfect that she required no பிராயச்சித்தம் whatsoever to be performed, during the last rites. That’s the kind of full-stop she would’ve loved to have, marking the end of her glorious living, in this lifetime, during which she has experienced & expressed the navarasas, many times over.
May my (our – she’s been a biological mother to only the 5 of us, but was அம்மா to hundreds of people – not just family members btw, throughout her adult life) அம்மா அலமேலு என்கிற பிரேமா ராமஸ்வாமி be guided towards her karmic destiny by Ammaiyappan’s Grace and may her grieving family be offered solace by Kudikakkum Kumaramalayan. Shambho.
P.S.: Apparently, when this hymn was first published, my maternal uncle #1 (who happens to be quite close to his elder sister, i.e. my mother) called my mother and either told her to read this hymn or explained it to her. So, she obviously knew that her son #1 has written something that’s dedicated to her, mothers in general & the supreme mother herself. That’s a sweet memory to cherish for years to come.
Needless to say, every child in this universe who came to life through his/her mother (the only exception being எம்பெருமான் முருகப்பெருமான்), can relate to the essence of this hymn, at some point in time, within the brief lifetime. Shree Maatre Namaha.
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Last year (2020), on the occasion of ‘Mothers’ Day’, Swamy made an ‘exception’ to his rule of ‘not to please’ anyone in this lifetime. You may read, reflect, comment, share the post “Annaiyarumai ARidhal – அன்னையருமை அறிதல் ~ a special ‘exceptional’ dedication” here…
Republication of the ‘Annai Arumai Aridhal’ hymn, done on the occasion of ‘Mother’s Day’ in 2020
I’ve never been someone who’ll do முகஸ்துதி anyone… on any occasion. Not my parents… better-half (she truly is)… child… family… boss… friends… political leaders… celebrities… This has ensured me being kept away from many ‘inner circles’, on purpose, pretty much all my life – in this lifetime. I’ve even missed awards at educations institutions and on-time promotions at the workplace, despite having all the necessary credentials in place. I’m now actually immune to exclusion and rejection.
People love to pleased. That’s the norm in the society we’re part of. I’m someone who brazenly shows the middle finger to the norms of the society, while diligently remaining a law-abiding citizen and an ethical, kind (as much as it’s possible at my level) human being. I have never attempted to ‘please’ anyone, ever. And don’t see myself changing during the remaining part of this lifetime. But people haven’t gotten used to this in-your-face fact. Even those who (probably!) knew me for almost five decades now. Yep, it’s just a few more days folks… for yet another utterly pointless lifetime ‘milestone’ – a golden one at that! BAUHumbug.
That kind of attitude hurts people. And I know it hurts. Despite the honesty of not having two faces – a fake one for the society and the real one that’s carefully masqueraded. And people remember only hurtful things. Kind things, however frequent (or infrequent) they are, don’t count.
‘Being nice’ is grossly overrated, while ‘Being kind’ is greatly underrated in this world. Aghast at seeing someone not even pretending to ‘be nice’, people carry the ‘hurtful’ load till they can’t carry it anymore, ahem, when they have to be carried away by others to you-know-where.
Anyway, let me stop the rant here and get to the point (man, this is already four paragraphs long… when am I going to learn to write kural-long posts..!).
Here’s a hymn (it’s different from a poem, even though it’s also a kind of poem) I’ve written sometime ago (October 2016). That was when the Dhinam Oru Pathigam hymns were flowing almost uncontrollably, racing towards the 2-ton mark, unpredictably (they’re somewhere near 240 now, as I redirected my attention to writing ArutkuRaL ~ Gnaanappaal couplets, which is at 111, so far). I’ve consciously flipped that hymn-flow switch now, so that I write hymns only when I really like to. Talk about ‘control’ – another fav topic loved by the herds in the society. Ha.. Ha.. (oops, I’m digressing once again).
This hymn is obviously dedicated to mothers, though I would’ve never written any such thing for my own mother, not because she’s not special, but because to me that would be an attempt ‘to please’ her. But the hymn doesn’t care about my perspectives or preferences, just as the Corona virus doesn’t care about who it infects. So, it flowed from within anyway and I simply wrote it down. But when I wrote the explanation for it (that one’s always been in my ‘control’ ;), I had to pause for a moment and reflect. I simply couldn’t help it.
The reflection flashed the images of illustrious seekers (and Spiritual Masters – needless to say) of the past such as Adi Shankaracharya, Pattinathar and Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi in my mind.
What do all three have in common – they all performed the final rights of their mothers, despite being renunciates. A sanyasi has already given up everything – family included. All of them were sanyasis, without a doubt. Yet, they made an exception to their mothers.
Adi Shankara came all the way from somewhere far in the north, all the way to the south, to perform his mother’s last rites. Pattinathar went one step ahead and sang a heart-wrenching hymn on her and performed the cremation with wet wood (or plant). Ramana Maharshi went further ahead and simply dissolved her entire karmic load and told everyone around him that ‘she’s gone for good!’
Of course my mother is still reasonably healthy (thank you my Lord ‘Kudikaakkum Kumaramalayan’) and I’m just another nondescript seeker, who isn’t worthy of even dreaming about such stalwarts on the spiritual realm (despite having an awesome Guru who can simply walk into such company any day, without even trying). Wonder why then so much build-up for a mere re-publishing of a hymn (that’s as much a question to myself, as it is to you)?
Because mothers are not just exceptions, but they are exceptional beings. They are the only ones who actually create Life – a brand new life – in this world, which automatically elevates them to the level of a SaguNa Brahmam, i.e. a God with form and guNaas (attributes, characteristics, quirks… you get the drift).
Our problem is we’re stuck with the SaguNa part of everyone – including mother (and father as well, but which child has ever given a damn about father anyway). Mothers are human too and naturally are full of flaws like any other human being. But there’s no taking away the fact that they are special, despite their flaws. They are exceptions. Period.
Anyway, so why am I writing such a long – obviously controversial & most likely to be debated, within the family at least – post and re-publishing this hymn on this auspicious Panguni Uththiram day? Today happens to be Swamy’s mother’s nakshatra (birth star) birthday (she doesn’t celebrate ‘english’ birthdays, btw, which I completely agree with – surprisingly). She was born on this star, a little over seven decades ago. And she absolutely deserves such a hymn to be dedicated to her.
Not just her btw… I’m going one step ahead, despite the fact that this is me not being myself, at least for this moment, and dedicating this hymn to every single mother in my extended family – my better-half (who has always been a super-mom to my one child with two legs and the other two with four), all my sisters-in-law, every அத்தை, மாமி, சித்தி, உடன்-பிறவா-சகோதரி and other such அம்மாs that I know of.
Well, having come this far from my முயலுக்கு மூணே கால் position about not pleasing anyone, come what may, why stop just there? The “Annaiyarumai ARidhal – அன்னையருமை அறிதல்” Dhinam Oru Padhigam hymn is dedicated to all mothers of this universe, including the mother of the universe Devi Parashakthi herself. Jai Mata Di!
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தினம் ஒரு பதிகம் – ஞான மணிமாலை ~ 138
அன்னையருமை அறிதல் ~ Annai Arumai ARidhal
~ a hymn on the magnanimous motherhood , which goes unnoticed until the end , without realising the Grace of the divine Mother, residing within any & every mother.
பள்ளியில் பயிலுங் காலமுழுது மெனக்காக வேதொழுது அள்ளிய ணைக்கவே றொருபெண் கரமளித்த பின்விலகி
முள்ளினி லென்மட மனங்குவிய மெல்லிய மணமலரின் உள்ளிருக் குமுவைய வளினருகரு ணையதனை யறியாது
வெள்ளி முடிபரவ வாயிலது நோக்கியேங் குமன்னையே கொள்ளி யிடுநாளு னதருமை யறிந்துகத றியழுவேனோ!
~தினம் ஒரு பதிகம் – ஞான மணிமாலை – அன்னை அருமை அறிதல் by ஸ்வாமி
Annaiyarumai ARidhal – அன்னையருமை அறிதல் (realising the value of Mother)
Hymn explanation (for those who need it, which is probably most of you) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I was within (your womb), you carried me for 10 months
After I slid out (of your womb), you hugged and kissed me and fed me with the milk from your soft breast (mother’s milk)
In the clear light of the moon, you sang lullaby for me to fall asleep
When I played around merrily, you clapped your hands in joy and cherished
When I was studying, you prayed for me to do well, all along
After offering another woman’s hand (in marriage) to hug / hold me, you moved aside / away
Since my stupid mind was always focused on the thorn (the rough / sharper part of you – like harsh words)
I failed to see / realise the soft fragrant flower, where Mother Goddess UmA Devi’s magnificent kindness resides (divinity within each being – especially mother)
As the silver hair spreads on your head, you look forlornly at the entrance and long (for me) O’ Mother
Will I realise your value only on the day of lighting the (your) funeral pyre, crying inconsolably.
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*Annaiyarumai ARidhal is a tribute to the selfless motherhood & mothers of all beings – not just humans – who are the manifestation of the divine Mother Goddess Shakthi.
P.S.1: After all this COVID-19 lockdown pressure is over and the roads open up, my first road-trip will most likely to be to see the two mothers – my biological one at Madurai and the universal Mother at the Ashram of my Master! May Grace make it happen. Shambo. Well, that didn’t happen, until her passing away. Thankfully, we’ve had a few conversations over phone, recently.
P.S.2: I simply can’t meet my biological Mother ever again, in this lifetime, for she has left the physical realm already. But now, she & the Universal Mother, aka Jaganmatha, are one and the same, as far as her children are concerned. So, we’ll receive her blessings, whenever we visit a temple and bow before the Mother Goddess at that temple. Shree Maatre Namaha.
This post is a response to the question “Do you believe that life is planning something great for you?“ on Quora by an young, aspiring HomoSapien. Here’s the link to read, like, comment, upvote, share that QuorAnswer by Swamy, on Quora ~ https://bit.ly/2QassTQ
Life doesn’t plan anything for anyone. Or ‘any being’ to be precise, since we Homo Sapiens aren’t the only beings in existence (though hilariously we consider ourselves to be superior to every other being in existence).
Life just is. It’s has been so from the very beginning of existence. And it shall remain so, long after we are gone. We – tiny nondescript pieces of creation – are the ones who come and go. Again and again.
When we are in the lap of Life, our choices are, a) to remain unaware of the grand cosmic dance of Life, and go on with the mundane existence known as survival orb) become aware of and experience ‘Life the way it is,’ as it was meant to be.
It’s like the red and blue pills of Matrix (poor choice of example, but unfortunately cinema is the ready reference for the present day humans). Since we have the choice (Life is quite democratic, after all), we are free to choose either option, and face the consequences of the choice.
Greatness is an outcome that can be achieved on either path – survival or spirituality. And mind you, they are not mutually exclusive, i.e. a deeply spiritual person can still shine on the survival / social plane of existence as well.
Let’s say you choose to accomplish greatness in the survival plane of existence.
There have been many ‘great’ humans in existence before you and me, who have been there and done that. So, they can be looked upon as role models – not as a ‘person’, but in terms of their actions and outcomes.
In addition, each individual has been endowed with certain talents to think, design, craft, teach, etc. Identify which one is your strength, one that can be wielded / utilised with confidence and competence.
Then there are essential skills, for any domain. Add those necessary skills (that can be acquired by any who desires) in your toolkit for shining in a particular domain.
Gain some ‘actual’ field experience. Learning may provide lots of information, but knowledge comes only through real experience.
Continue to experiment / explore without fear, for the boundaries of knowledge can be stretched beyond limitations only through exploration.
Keep identifying opportunities for breakthrough innovation and purposeful action in your chosen domain. They are the gateways to growth.
Be inquisitive to learn / know more, for what we think we know shall always remain minuscule, w.r.t what remains to be known.
And last but not the least, don’t carry the burden of other’s opinions about whatever you do on your back, since all the effort towards greatness is entirely yours and only opinions are theirs.
Opinions never elevated anyone to greatness. Only purposeful, determined, enthusiastic, continuous action has.
Pic: It’s the same being / person on both sides of this pic – the former was on the survival plane of existence; the latter is on the spiritual path to realisation.
Life has not exactly planned what kind of greatness every being in existence should achieve. But it has always kept all the possibilities open and available for any being that’s interested in achieving greatness in whatever that being chooses to do. So, achieving greatness in anything you choose to do, is entirely up to you.
Life will continue to dance all around us blissfully, irrespective of whether you or I choose to become great or decide to remain normal.
The choice to become someone great, while also enjoying being part of Life’s tandava or not, as always, is ours!
May Grace guide you towards greatness, in your chosen field of action.
P.S.: I’ve deliberately left the ‘other’ choice, i.e. the choice of exploration to realise the Truth (about creation, Creator, existence, et al) untouched in this response, as that’ll be a much longer response than this one!
Chadwick Boseman – the North Star of the star-studded MCU!
The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe – for diehard தமிழ்ப்பட fans) is full of superheroes, each seemingly made exactly for their respective superhero characters. But pretty much all of them are, well, ummm… white. It’s not their fault, since the blockbuster movies are all based on comic books and pretty much all the comics had white superheroes, back in the day, with very few, rare exceptions.
That’s why the casting of Black Panther was equally tricky and critical for Marvel (now owned by Disney), because T’Challa, the King of Wakanda, aka Black Panther, is the most popular non-white superhero in Marvel Comics and the actor who dons that role must make that titular character stand out, amidst the long lineup of already established – predominantly white – superheroes, who have tasted box office success, and expanded the MCU at a rapid pace.
Enter Chadwick Boseman, who first made a brief appearance as Black Panther in Captain America : Civil War. Then came the Black Panther movie itself, raking in 1.3 billion dollars globally (a historic feat for a Superhero movie, helmed by any non-white actor, ever), receiving the Best Picture Oscar nomination (a historical first for a Superhero movie, period.) and rocketing Chadwick Boseman straight to A-List super stardom in Hollywood. He played the role he seems to have born to play, twice more in the Avengers : Infinity War & Avengers – End Game. The rest, as clichéd it may sound, is history.
Boseman may be new to the superhero genre, but has played real-life heroes on screen before, from sportsperson to musician to activist, and has earned critical acclaim. As a person, he seemed to have been as regal and kind as the fictional Wakandan King, ever expanding his admirer army, even among fellow celebrities. He was naturally an inspiring role model for young African Americans everywhere, and especially in the USA, where the community is seething in righteous anger, against the violence and suppression unleashed against them, apparently with overt political blessing from the very top of the food chain this time around, time and time again, pushing them to look towards heroes to inspire their rightful fight. Chadwick Boseman was that hero, both on screen and off it. He was all set to reprise his tailor made superhero role Black Panther, in the sequel to the blockbuster, planned for release in 2022. But that wasn’t to be…
Chadwick Boseman, immensely talented and rightfully feted for achieving phenomenal success in Hollywood, died of colon cancer this week. He was just 43. He had a bunch of summits left to ascend, post the ones he has scaled already. And he had the guile, skill, confidence and delirious fan following to do that, within a short span of time. But the one thing he didn’t have was time itself.
I’ve recently watched his non-superhero movie 21 Bridges, which he co-produced and also starred in. That movie showed that he was perhaps destined to take over the mantle of powerhouse performances in blockbuster movies from the likes of Denzel Washington. And Hollywood certainly needed more like him, to stay inclusive and relevant in the changing times, considering the Chinese were already making impressive blockbusters on their own, with their own stars as well.
Some sudden deaths, even if they happen to people unrelated to us, in faraway places, will bring tears involuntarily flowing. Boseman’s death did that. Not many in Hollywood even knew about his cancer diagnosis four years ago and the ongoing treatment. So even industry insiders are as shocked as the millions of fans who adored and idolised him. The condolence messages on social media show the extent of impact – all overwhelmingly positive – he has created in such a short time, as a spectacular star, and as a wonderful human being. But as they say, ‘Man proposes… God disposes..!’
Some stars are destined to burn bright and vanish early, yet leave an indelible mark on the sky, that’ll shine forever. Chadwick Boseman is one such rare star. Quite possibly the North Star of the glamorous world – predominantly white, needless to say – of blockbuster cinema. In a time when its homeland desperately needs the light of inspiration and power of leadership to turn away from the dark path it has been forced into in the past few years, towards the days of glory again. With Boseman gone so suddenly, so soon, there’ll be a void for sometime, before another such star shines so brightly. The wait can be agonising for those who looked up to him for inspiration and motivation. But, his glow as an immensely talented actor, supremely confident star and certainly gifted human will remain for long, and will continue to be cherished by many.
Rest in peace, with pride O’ King. Wakanda Forever! May Grace offer solace to the bereaved family, friends and fans.
A surprise birthday celebration & a pandemic-induced life lesson ~a Swamusings post
Namaskaram 🙏
Yesterday was made memorable by many, which was personally a learning for me. 🤔Special Pranam 🙏 to Shri Prasannaji, who keeps pulling out such memorable surprises, relentlessly. 👌May Grace 🙌🏻 be with him to keep spreading the cheer 🌻
Humans generally expend their brief lifetime, based on perception and not reality. And, our perception of someone remains almost indelible, causing friction in relationships, which is easy to fix, yet goes unfixed for a long time, due to the fact that the hilarious species known as Homo Sapiens is also an extremely emotional species. 🥴 Perception (from the past) + Emotion (in the present) is a deadly cocktail that disrupts reality. Comprehending & appreciating reality (‘Life, the way it is’ as my Guru puts it succinctly) requires rational thinking, which in turn requires awareness, and time. Since time is a precious commodity in the ultra-competitive survival that many believe to be life, we who are always in a tearing hurry, hardly ever pause to ponder and wonder about the real life. This, in essence, is the root cause of misery, which sadly is our own creation. 😫
Like any being on this tiny planet, the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus too has its virtues, apparently. The foremost of those being, pausing the maddening pace of our lives. When the pace of our lives slows down, we suddenly start perceiving even well known things, and people, and situations, differently. This is no different from slowing down a vehicle we drive to observe the beautiful scenery all around, which most of us rarely do.🤔
What I’ve witnessed yesterday was such a change in perception, which was my learning from the Golden Birth Anniversary (50th birthday) of my better-half (which she truly is, for it’s not easy to manage living with the aasaami known as Swamy, for 25 long years 😂). I witnessed the wholehearted participation and Joyful wishes shared by many, including family & friends, to make a day truly memorable for the wonderful being known as Mrs. Chitra Prakash, whose many virtues weren’t really understood by many in the past, despite experiencing them first-hand, which appears to have obviously changed, at least a wee bit, since people have had plenty of time in the recent past, to put things / events / people in perspective, and demonstrating the willingness to change their long-held perceptions, about things / events / people.
The online event itself (organised as a surprise to her – and even me, until the day’s dawn), the wide spread – truly global – participation, the messages – including a hand-written thoughtful note from her f-i-l, the gifts – cake (when not all bakeries are functional, yet), sweet & karam from Grand sweets along with flowers (wow!), and an elegant watch (hmmm, Jr has really grown up now), were all proof that any of us can change, over time, if we are willing to that is. And it was truly amazing to witness such a broad spectrum of willingness to let go of the past and embrace the present, from a wide range of people with unique characteristics and myriad backgrounds.
During Mrs Chitra Prakash’s 50th Birth Anniversary celebrations @ SwamyHome
As a samsari, I know quite well how Chitra has touched many lives – not just humans, btw. I also know how much her actions on specific situations have been misunderstood by many, that helped solidify their perception & opinions about her and her family. I too have gone through this in my own existence and have held very strong opinions, based on my limited perception and comprehension of the grand cosmic dance known as Life. It took a Guru (Realised Master) to shake my strong belief foundation and let me become aware of ‘Life, the way it is,’ aka Reality. Only after such a powerful intervention did I change significantly as a person / being, a change many of you are aware of only at the surface level (long white flowing beard, padhigams, Quora Q&A, et al), but something my immediate family knows a bit deeper. 🙄 Only my Upa Guru Sohamanandaji probably knows the change far deeper than anyone else. 😇 And as a seeker… Wait a minute, this isn’t about me, so let me stop digressing… 😷
The beauty about my better-half is that she effortlessly moves on in life, as she doesn’t carry the burden of the past – including events, opinions, perceptions, etc. It’s not that she doesn’t remember them, but the amazing fact that she isn’t overly burdened by any of them. She certainly isn’t a seeker like me, which makes me wonder how she does it so effortlessly, since I’ve to spend considerable effort on Sadhana (spiritual practice) and contemplation to do the same.
So, despite the fact that quite a few participants of yesterday’s birthday celebrations have not only held strong perception-based opinions about her, but have also expressed them in the past, she herself was simply enjoying the day and everyone’s hearty wishes, remaining strongly rooted only in the present moment. And she did that so effortlessly, without doing any rigorous Sadhana. It makes a serious seeker like me go bonkers, since I write about it all the time and yet people don’t get it. And here’s a practitioner who I’ve been living with for well over a quarter century, who doesn’t even read whatever I write, yet actually gives a live demonstration of what I write, from my own experience! 😂
I’ve not only written extensively about the pointlessness of celebrating a date or day of the past, but have even admonished people for daring to wish me on such dates & days. 🤨 Though that’s just my opinion, based on my perception of life – limited or otherwise, my family obviously has to bear the brunt of such strong opinion.😵 In general people seem really happy to celebrate anniversaries – not just theirs, but those of their acquaintances, friends, family and relatives as well. And it’s mostly harmless, except for a typically sizable hole in the wallet, for whoever is funding such celebrations.🤐
That understanding is what made me go with the flow, and be part of the 50th birth anniversary of my dear sahadharmini, aka life partner, to whatever limited extent I can. 🎉 It showed me that when people have time, they can ponder, contemplate and eventually change their strong opinions about people, places and events, since their perception too change over time. The key is to find time, first and foremost for ourselves. That’s perhaps why time is known as a great healer. And we must all be grateful for the COVID-19 pandemic, and the prolonged lockdown resulting due to it, which helped us put life in perspective, and change our perception – and opinions – of people and events, because for the first time in our lives, we had plenty of time in hand! ⏳
As someone who always felt blessed to have Shrimathi Kalyani engira Chitra as my life partner, in this lifetime, I take this opportunity to express my – our, in fact – gratitude to everyone who made the Golden Birth Anniversary of Smt Chitra memorable. She truly deserves it and Grace 🙌 ensured she received it yesterday, through all of you. 🎂😊 May Grace 🙌 be with you for a purposeful life 😌 overflowing with joy 🌼
Swamusings ~ Treading (with caution) into audiophile territory!
One of (many, needless to say.. heh.. heh.. 😂) Swamy’s interests is music, of pretty much all kinds. Classical music (of the Bharat kind) & instrumental music (of the global kind) have always been a big draw, though an occasional new ARR movie composition or vocals such as Adele too are listened to with equal joy.🎧
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Despite all that, Swamy hasn’t ventured into audiophile territory for a long time, even when he was earning a reasonable amount of pay, primarily due to the cost (of listening equipment) and secondarily due to lack of awareness. Lately though, some (sizable, considering the limited financial inflow of an early retiree, but certainly not outrageous 👀) investment went into personal hi-res audio equipment.
Swamy’s entry-level audiophile equipment – all sourced through Amazon India, mostly during the innumerable number of sale events they keep hosting – consists of hi-res certified 1More Triple Driver earphones, the மூர்த்தி சிறிது கீர்த்தி பெரிது kind of KZ ES4 earphones, the uber popular AudioTechnica M50x headphones and a hi-res audio music player + DAC – the FiiO M3K. And of course, there’s the punching-way-above-its-size Signature Acoustics Phoenix Hi-res Bluetooth audio transmitter/receiver (yep, I’m fully aware of the jargon dropping here 🤷🏻♀🤪). Oh yeah, couple of Bose speakers are in the mix as well, though one of them is constantly on strike (one of those rare CD players) a la public sector bank employees and the other one suffers from the typical portable speaker limitations (how about one from Marshall sir – umm, frankly, the endless Amazon sales keep tempting me for a while)!
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Equipment aside, the sad fact about hi-res audio is its availability & affordability, especially in MeraBharatMahan! 😳🤐 Tidal is a well-known streaming source but both availability & cost will be like those forbidden fruit company iThings. Also it may not have much of desi music selections. Locally available services such as Amazon Prime Music, Jio Saavn, Ghaana, et al don’t overtly specify the quality of audio, so one can never be sure.
The other choice is to be ultra patient and rip all the original audio CDs (remember those – like any true-blue music lover, Swamy too has plenty of originals!) at higher bit rates and create one’s own collection, which will obviously take a lot of time, considering the tremendous amount of manual intervention required and the not-so-fast speed of the USB connection to the external CD drive (many of the new laptops have entirely eliminated internal CD drives, a la the fast vanishing 3.5mm audio jack on modern smartphones). Let’s take a breather here… 😵
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So, Swamy was obviously delighted, when he came across a notable hi-res collection of well known (‘heard’ would be more apt) musicians such as AR Rehman, Ilayaraja & such, while looking for hi-res audio files to test the new USB DAC, the FiiO K3, connected to the Obage OE-2425 stereo speakers & of course the head/earphones, on… wait for it… YouTube! 😌🎼🎧
Here’s the channel that does something audio enthusiasts on this side of the world only dream about – a sizable hi-res collection of popular Indian music (no carnatic music yet… ah, man 🙄😖). There may be others, but this is a good place to begin the hi-res journey. Try it – preferably with a good quality head/earphone or pair of speakers & you’ll know what is being elucidated here.😌🤙
Oh btw, Swamy is practically an illiterate, when it comes to the nuances of music (despite much of the Dhinam Oru Padhigam hymns being musical, by flow).🙏But when has that ever stopped an enthusiast from exploration anyway! 🎧😌🤘
Nearly five years (well, it’s a month shy of 4.5 years, to be precise) after his planned retirement👣, Swamy is now officially a pensioner, joining the league of his father, f-i-l & their ilk 👴🏻👵🏼, many of whom are still very much around, most certainly drawing a much better monthly pension (அரசாங்கம் வாழ்க). 🤣
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On this normal occasion (what, you were expecting some hyped up adjective like ‘momentous’ there, eh! 🙄), Swamy would like to express his sincere gratitude to his long term financial consultant Mr.E.Lakshminarayanan, for enabling the planned retirement to actually happen, and continuing to ensure Swamy stays retired, as desired. 💐🙏
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Needless to say, gratitude is also owed to Swamily 👪, who took his (earlier than) planned retirement, at a tender age of 45, in their stride, and for letting him do whatever he does 📚✍😌 (ahem, that would be ‘Read-Write-Meditate in mugglespeak), even though they aren’t quite sure as to what he does 🤷🏻♀, or if he does anything at all! 🤔😂🤘
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Anyway, here’s a piece of practical advise, for those of you who still nurture the dream of retirement, sometime in this lifetime…
☝If you don’t have a financial adviser/consultant yet, find one right away. Alternatively, you may simply call / text / WhatsApp Lakshminarayanan @ +918754468343 (don’t worry, he doesn’t pay any commission to me, at all).
✌️If you don’t have any of these among your existing financial products, viz. term insurance, health insurance and pension plan, start all three right away. Of course, all of them will fetch you some income tax deduction as well.
🖖 If you have not ventured into the markets yet (no sir/ma’ am, not the vegetable/fruit market that you frequent, but the equity market 🤦♀️), you shall forever remain unsure of your peaceful retirement. So get started right away with investment in mutual funds (the safer way for those who aren’t confident enough to directly invest in stocks), ideally through the SIP (systematic investment plan) route.
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You may have a well-paying job today and probably aren’t bothered much about your (and your family’s) future, which is the case with many professionals – including Swamy’s former colleagues. But there simply is no guarantee about a safer future, considering how outdated one can become so quickly, in terms of knowledge and skills, and how loyalty is a big sad joke, when it comes to organisations reciprocating that towards their employees. It’s imperative that you actively plan today, for a secure tomorrow, irrespective of however great yesterday was.
Just so you know, Swamy did all of the aforementioned investments (and then some), only during the later stages of his corporate career, starting from 2003/04, shortly after his decisive return from overseas. During the earlier stages of his budding career in the booming (at that time) IT services industry, he was routinely chided by his well-wisher boss (who eventually became his – only – mentor) about not investing a portion of his earnings, keeping the future in mind. Heeding to such sound advise then would have probably helped Swamy become financially safer much earlier in this lifetime, but one (hopefully) learns from experience and does necessary course corrections. As a matter of fact, a few SIPs are still continuing, long after Swamy has actually retired from his reasonably successful corporate career.
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Swamy isn’t rich by any stretch of imagination, and that was never his objective any way. But he is a content being, who isn’t unduly worried about the market fluctuations derailing his planned retirement, which is secure and stable, until this point in time. Of course, it helps that the indulgences of Swamily are very few and far between, which results in negligible discretionary expenses. But that doesn’t mean they live like misers. 4K TV, Amazon Prime, Hotstar and YouTube videos streaming via ACT Broadband, Airtel and Jio mobile subscriptions, occasional sweets & savouries from the likes of ‘The Grand Sweets & Snacks,’ automobiles with 2 and 4 wheels (with associated running & maintenance costs), a pet daughter (who is pushing 80s), donations to charity, frequent travel for Jr’s sports pursuit, feeding strays and birds, regular celebrations of festivals, seasonal online sale binges (mostly the gadget kind), unexpected (but rare, thankfully) medical expenses… all these and more are very much there at SwamyHome as well!
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A content way of living, with occasional indulgences but almost no impulsive expenses, simply helps stretch the safety net of one’s financial kitty, without having to start censoring the basic necessities for a decent urban standard of living. And that’s exactly what Swamily has been doing, from well before Swamy’s retirement. It certainly helps that all of us – the human beings in the family, that is – also happen to be meditators, following the guidance of our Guru, though only Swamy remains the serious seeker treading the spiritual path.
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Early or Planned Retirement is no black magic. It’s a possibility for anyone stuck in the survival plane of existence, provided there’s a focused financial plan, which gets implemented diligently, over a period of time, preferably with the guidance of a professional.
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If you aren’t even planning to retire at some point in time, in this lifetime, then when will you start doing what needs to be done to realise the real purpose of your life, as a human being… So, please Stop dreaming & just Start doing… Now!
Swamystery 