Text of Dr.Kalam’s Thanks giving address to the nation.

24/Jul/2007 : New Delhi

Five Eventful Years

Friends, I am delighted to address you all, in the country and those living abroad, after working with you and completing five beautiful and eventful years in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Today, it is indeed a thanks giving occasion. I would like to narrate, how I enjoyed every minute of my tenure enriched by the wonderful association from each one of you, hailing from different walks of life, be it politics, science and technology, academics, arts, literature, business, judiciary, administration, local bodies, farming, home makers, special children, media and above all from the youth and student community who are the future wealth of our country. During my interaction at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi and at every state and union territory as well as through my online interactions, I have many unique experiences to share with you, which signify the following important messages:

1. Accelerate development : Aspiration of the youth,
2. Empower villages,
3. Mobilize rural core competence for competitiveness,
4. Seed to Food: Backbone for agricultural growth
5. Defeat problems and succeed,
6. Overcome problems through partnership,
7. Courage in combating calamities,
8. Connectivity for societal transformation,
9. Defending the nation: Our pride and
10. Youth movement for Developed India 2020.

Now let me share with you each of the messages.

Accelerate Development: Aspiration of the youth:

While there were many significant events during my tenure, a question from a little girl Anukriti of Sri Sathya Sai Jagriti Vidya Mandir School, of Darwa village from Haryana, during children?s visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 22, 2006, rings in my mind ever after.

Anukriti asked me “why India cannot become a developed nation before the year 2020?” I appreciated the question and said it was indeed a thoughtful question and assured her that that her dream would be taken to the highest institution of the nation and we would work for it to achieve before 2020. This question reflects how the desire to live in developed India has entered into the minds of the youth. The same feelings are echoed by over fifteen lakh youth, whom I have met so far and who represent the dream of the 540 million youth of the nation. The aspirations of the young to live in a prosperous, safe and proud India should be the guiding factor in whatever profession we contribute.

Empower Villages:

Friends, I recall my visit to Nagaland on 26th October 2002, soon after my assuming office as President. It was a unique experience for me at Khuzama village to meet tribal village council members and discuss with them the village progress and the dream of village citizens. I was very happy to see the empowered village council functioning with financial powers and taking decisions. I saw a prosperous village with fruits and vegetables production. However, there is a need for providing physical connectivity in Nagaland through quality roads for enabling faster movement of products from villages to the market. That meeting gave me a powerful message about the transformation which can take place to the 600,000 villages of India, if all the villages are empowered to deal with their development and are well connected among themselves and with the urban societies.

Mobilizing rural core competence for competitiveness:

Now I would like to talk about the initiative of Periyar Maniammai College of Technology for Women, Vallam, Tanjore of Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) complex involving 65 villages with a population of 3 lakhs. This includes provision of three connectivities - physical, electronic and knowledge - leading to economic connectivity. Periyar PURA has health care centers, primary to post graduate level education and vocational training centers. This has resulted in large-scale employment generation and creation of number of entrepreneurs with the active support of 1000 self-help groups. Two hundred acres of waste land has been developed into a cultivable land. The villagers are busy in cultivation, planting Jatropha, herbal and medicinal plants, power generation using bio-mass, food processing and above all running marketing centers. It provides a sustainable economic development model for the whole region.

During the last eight months, people of Periyar PURA villages technologically supported by Periyar Maniammai College of Engineering for Women have worked with experts from Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) on various products, for which core competence and raw material are available in Thanjavur district. They developed internationally competitive prototypes for 55 life style products with support of JETRO specialists and feedback from exhibitions at Delhi and Tokyo. This co-operative venture has enhanced the innovative ability of the people of all the 65 villages enabling them to develop and produce internationally acceptable products. I have seen similar type of PURA being established in many states. The whole country needs 7000 PURA to bridging the rural-urban divide.

Seed to Food: Backbone for agricultural growth

Let me now share with you, the enriching experience I had, while meeting more than 6000 farmers from different States and Union Territories visiting Rashtrapati Bhavan. They evinced keen interest in the Mughal Gardens, the Herbal Gardens, the Spiritual Garden, the Musical Garden, the Bio-diesel garden and the Nutrition Garden and interact with the Horticultural specialists. Recently, during my address to the agricultural scientists while participating in a National Symposium on ‘Agriculture Cannot Wait’, I summarized the many practical suggestions given by farmers. We have to double the agricultural production with reduced land, reduced water resources and reduced manpower and improve the economic conditions of the nation through the principle of ‘Seed to Food’ since agriculture is the backbone of the nation. We should empower the farmers to protect and nurture the fertile land for second green revolution. Meeting the Scientists and the Farmers has given me the confidence that the nation is poised to increase the agricultural GDP growth by atleast 4% per annum through the partnership of farmers and agricultural scientists and industries particularly for value addition.

Defeat the problems and succeed:

On the evening of February 24, 2007, at Coimbatore, I had a very beautiful experience. As I got ready for meeting the first person out of twenty appointments, a wheel chair was in sight with a smiling person probably in his late fifties; unfortunately he has no hands and legs. His radiant face was revealing his happy state of mind. He introduced himself as Vidwan Coimbatore SR Krishna Murthy. I greeted him and asked him how this had happened. He smilingly said that it was from by birth. He thanked God, his parents, teachers and many others for giving him confidence, training and help. I asked him, what I could do for him? He said, “I don’t need anything from you. I would like to sing in front of you”. I readily agreed. He sang melodiously the Saint Thyagraja’s pancha ratna kriti entharo mahanubavulu in Sriragam giving me a glimpse of his talent. I was quite touched. What is the message? Despite being physically challenged, the latent talent of music could blossom in this person with his positive attitude and perseverance, encouraged by the parents, teachers, academics and rasikas. Now he wants to give, give and give his art to inspire others. Of course, by his merit of music, in July 2007, he performed in the Rashtrapati Bhavan art theatre.

Overcome the impact of disaster through partnership:

I had the opportunity to experience the Indomitable Spirit of the people and children of Jammu & Kashmir even as they were just recovering from the devastating earthquake in 2005. I visited Urusa village on 26th November 2005 which has been adopted by the Western Air Command, Air Force for providing relief and medical aid to the residents of that area. When I went there, I found that the school building had been severely damaged. I met all the school children and the village citizen of Urusa. The villagers apprised me of their losses and had all praise for Army and Air Force role in rescue and relief operations along with state government. I appreciate the courage of the people of Urusa in defeating their problems. They have actually become the master of the problem rather than allowing problems to become their master. Despite the severe loss due to the earthquake, the children and the members of the village participated in the relief operation with the Armed Forces bravely and were smiling when I went to meet them. They interacted with me and said that the school was functional in the temporary tents. Here, I also witnessed the participation of acting Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir along with State Government authorities in on-the-spot settlement of relief grants to be provided to the victims whose houses had been damaged in the earth quake. I have experienced many such acts of courage from our citizens when faced with severe challenges.

Courage in combating calamities

In 2005, I met the Tribal Council Leaders, Students, Children of Chuckchucha village during my visit to Car Nicobar Islands. While various reconstruction and rehabilitation activities were in progress, during the discussions with the members of tribal council, I realized the unique trait among the Car-Nicobar islanders. Even though there were many human losses due to the Tsunami of 26 Dec 2004, the tribal islanders had taken possession of affected victims as their children and there is nothing like orphanage in Car-Nicobar Islands. Touched by their courage, I composed few verses called ‘Sea Waves’ which reads as follows:

Sea Waves

We are the children of Sea waves,
Sea waves are my friends.
When they become angry,
Sea waves give the challenges.
God has given the courage,
To challenge the sea waves.
And we will succeed,
We will succeed
With Almighty’s grace.

All the members who were gathered in the village sang the poem with me and exhibited lots of courage and enthusiasm even though they had gone through severe suffering during the Tsunami.

Connectivity for societal transformation

I addressed the Pan African Parliament on 16 September 2004, at Johannesburg, South Africa. This was attended by 53 member countries of the African Union, where I proposed the concept of Pan African e-Network for providing seamless and integrated satellite, fiber optics and wireless network connecting 53 African countries at an estimated cost of US $ 100 million.

As part of the project 12 universities (7 from India and 5 from Africa), 17 Super Specialty Hospitals (12 from India and 5 from Africa), 53 tele-medicine centers and 53 tele-education centres in Africa will be connected. The pilot project on tele-education and tele-medicine in Ethiopia has already been commissioned. Indira Gandhi National Open University has taken up the MBA Course for 34 Ethiopian students of Addis Ababa and Harmaya Universities. As regards, tele-medicine, the specialists from CARE Hospital, Hyderabad are providing one-hour live tele-consultation to doctors in Black Lion Hospital, Addis Ababa in Cardiology and Radiology since November 2006. Using the Pan African network the Heads of the State in all the 53 countries will be connected for instant communication. I am extremely happy that Indian experience in bringing the benefits of technology to the people has enabled us to work with Africa to bring societal transformation in the African continent.

Defending the nation: Our pride:

I visited KUMAR in Siachen Glacier located at 17,000 feet altitude held by the Indian Army, had a memorable underwater journey in INS Sindhurakshak and flew in a Sukhoi-30 fighter experiencing 2.5 g. In these three experiences, I personally felt proud of our ever vigilant Soldiers, Sailors and Air Warriors performing their tasks beyond the call of their duty even in the most adverse circumstances natural and man made. During the last five years, I had an opportunity to present colours to many regiments, participate in number of passing out parades, meet the troops who were going to undertake peace missions and interact with the family members of our Defence Forces. Our Defence Forces are in a beautiful mission. When the nation sleeps during night, Members of our Defence teams are awake to guard us and remain vigilant to counter any threat. The Nation cherishes the valour, commitment and devotion to duty of our Defence Forces. Similarly, I had opportunities to interact with members of our para-military forces, central and state police personnel including internal security forces who are making immense contribution in augmenting the safety and security of our citizens under difficult conditions.

Youth movement for Developed India 2020

Recently, in Hyderabad, I met a group of citizens who are putting into practice the motto of transforming of our youth into enlightened citizen. The Lead India 2020 Foundation created by Dr. N.B. Sudershan at Hyderabad is training thousands of students in many districts of Andhra Pradesh in partnership with the District Administration. Particularly, I happened to know the transformation which has taken place among the students of Medak district. As per the district authorities the impact of the training on the students is visible in terms of self-discipline, love for their parents and teachers shedding of stage fear and recognition of their duties towards the nation. I talked to Ms. Padma, a student leader from Andhra Pradesh Tribal Welfare School, Nalgonda who related how she weaned her father away from smoking after imbibing the spirit of the 10 point oath from the Lead India Training Camp. This gives me an assurance that the youth of our country are on the right path through this mission oriented programme. With the ignited minds of the 540 million youth below the age of 25, which I consider is the most powerful resource on the earth, under the earth and above the earth, we have to empower the youth through value based education and leadership.

Conclusion

I was touched by the variety of Indian panorama, emotional content of the tune, cultural diversity and unity of minds in the vast land of ours. I have cited these examples just to give a glimpse of the richness of our tradition and effort being taken by different agencies to preserve it. There are also many new adventures by institutions and individuals. I have experienced many of them and learnt a lot about my country and our people. Even while pursuing our economic growth, we need to do a lot to preserve the rich and diverse treasures of our culture and civilization. It is our duty for our future generations. This has to be done in a much larger scale through countrywide participation of multiple institutions. Our country is blessed with natural resources, has shown considerable progress in the last sixty years, and above all we have hard working people particularly the power of the 540 million youth of the country. Every sector of our country has given me the confidence that India can become a developed nation well before 2020. Whomsoever, I met they constantly ask what they can give to the nation. We should constantly strive to empower such members of the society. With this spirit, I am extremely happy that we are on the right path. Here I am reminded of a famous poem:

“When you wish upon a star,
Makes no difference who you are,
Anything your heart desires,
Will come to you”

This poem is true to all of us, and particularly for our youth and if they aim great, I am sure they will reach close to the target or the target.

My dear citizens, let us resolve to continue to work for realizing the missions of developed India 2020 with the following distinctive profile.

1. A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line.
2. A Nation where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water.
3. A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony.
4. A Nation where education with value system is not denied to any meritorious candidates because of societal or economic discrimination.
5. A Nation which is the best destination for the most talented scholars, scientists, and investors.
6. A Nation where the best of health care is available to all.
7. A Nation where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free.
8. A Nation where poverty has been totally eradicated, illiteracy removed and crimes against women and children are absent and none in the society feels alienated.
9. A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, peaceful and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path.
10. A Nation that is one of the best places to live in and is proud of its leadership.

Finally let me thank each one of you for showering your love and affection on me throughout the last five years by your cooperation and support.

Dear Citizens, I conclude my address by sharing with you my mission in life which is to bring connectivity between billion hearts and minds of the people of India in our multicultural society and to embed the self confidence that “we can do it”. I will be always with you, dear citizens, in the great mission of making India a developed nation before 2020.

May God bless you.

Jai Hind.

“I HAVE THREE VISIONS FOR INDIA” - APJ Abdul Kalam, President of India

In 3000 years of our history, people from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds. From Alexander on-wards the Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other nation. We have not conquered anyone.

We have not grabbed their land, their culture, and their history and tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why? Because we respect the freedom of others. That is why my first vision is that of FREEDOM. I believe that India got its first vision of this in 1857, when we started the war of independence. It is this freedom that we must protect and nurture and build on. If we are not free, no one will respect us.

My second vision for India is DEVELOPMENT. For fifty years we have been a developing nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed nation. We are among the top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have 10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are falling. Our achievements are being globally recognized today. Yet we lack the self-confidence to see ourselves as a developed nation, self-reliant and self-assured. Isn’t this incorrect?

I HAVE A THIRD VISION

India must stand up to the world. Because I believe that, unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. Only STRENGTH respects strength. We must be strong not only as a military power but also as an economics power. Both must go hand-in-hand. My good fortune was to have worked with three great minds. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai of the Dept. of Space, Professor Sathish Dhawan, who succeeded him and Dr. Brahm Prakash, father of nuclear material. I was lucky to have worked with all three of them closely and consider this the great opportunity of my life.

I SEE FOUR MILESTONES IN MY CAREER:

Twenty years I spent in ISRO. I was given the opportunity to be the Project Director for India’s first satellite launch vehicle, SLV-3. The one that launched Rohini. These years played a very important role in my life of Scientist.

After my ISRO years, I joined DRDO and got a chance to be the part of India’s guided missile program. It was my second bliss when Agni met its mission requirements in 1994. The Dept. of Atomic Energy and DRDO had this tremendous partnership in the recent nuclear tests, on May 11 and 13. This was the third bliss. The joy of participating with my team in these nuclear tests and proving to the world that India can make it, that we are no longer a developing nation but one of them, It makes me feel very proud as an Indian. The fact that we have now developed for Agni a re-entry structure, for which we have developed this new material. A very light material called carbon-carbon.

One day an orthopedic surgeon from Nizam Institute of Medical Science visited my laboratory. He lifted the material and found it so light that he took me to his hospital and showed me his patients.

There were these little girls and boys with heavy metallic calipers weighing over three Kg. each, dragging their feet around.

He said to me: Please remove the pain of my patients.

In three weeks, we made these Floor Reaction Orthosis 300 gram calipers and took them to the orthopedic center. The children didn’t believe their eyes. From dragging around a three kg. load on their legs, they could now move around!

Their parents had tears in the eyes. That was my fourth bliss!

Dear Friends,

Congratulations to you all. Uttishthata Groupzine has entered 2^nd year with this issue.

Herewith we present you first issue of second year.

We heartily thank and express our gratitude to all those who supported us for all these months.

We make reverential pranam to Swami Bodhamayananda and Swami Atmajnanananda for their encouraging words and contribution to monthly Uttishthata Groupzine.

We thank P. Gopi Krishna for his able editing of monthly issues of Uttishthata Groupzine and valuable suggestions from time to time. He has given his valuable time from his busy schedule. We wish him and his family all the best.

We thank and wish all the best to all the contributors for Uttishthata Groupzine especially to Dr. Manohar Abhay, IAS and ex-UN official and Radhakrishnan Pillai, Management Trainer.

We take please in having among us my friends Aniruddh Tendulkar and Shailesh who supported and encouraged us during the initial periods.

We extend our thanks to members of Uttishthata community spread all over the globe.

We request you to send your contributions to the Uttishthata Groupzine. This Groupzine is YOURS and it will be run by YOU for YOU.

The preset issue contents:

1. Swami Vivekananda on Himself: What I learnt form Sri Ramakrishna
2. Education for Character
3. Glory of the Gita: Bhagavad Gita for Executives
4. Character Formation: Divine Message of the Veda – Truth
5. Are values necessary today? – Topic discussed by college students
6. What a leader should not do: Management lessons from Chanakya
7. Brahman and Sakti are identical: visual teaching of Sri Ramakrishna
8. Vedanta and Ethics: Swami Abhedananda explains the origin of ethics
9. Teachings of Swami Abhedananda
10. Wisdom from the scriptures: Wealth, Service, good actions, friend.

You may download Uttishthata Groupzine July 2007 here.

Download previous issues of Uttishthata Groupzine.

With love and namaskar,

Yours in the service of Swami Vivekananda.

Rajan, Moderator
on behalf of Uttishthata Mailing Team

The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam ’s Speech in Hyderabad .

Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a
self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don’t work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - ‘YOURS’. Give him a face - ‘YOURS’. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don’t throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don’t say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn’t dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai . YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, ’see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.’YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, ‘Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so’s son. Take your two bucks and get lost.’ YOU wouldn’t chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand .
Why don’t YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don’t YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr. Tinaikar, had a point to make. ‘Rich people’s dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,’ he said. ‘And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan.
Will the Indian citizen do that here?’ He’s right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.

When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? ‘It’s the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons’ rights to a dowry.’ So who’s going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one’s conscience too…. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy’s words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..

‘ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY’

Lets do what India needs from us.

Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.

Thank you,

Dr. Abdul Kalam

When you begin to live, and live for a great cause or a great purpose, everything will not be smooth. So many challenges will come. Modern India is passing from an age of easy living, living in the narrowest circle possible, to a life of expansion, a life of adventure, a life of heroic endeavour. That is the meaning of freedom with which we are today facing a tremendous future. And that future will be written by lives lived in a spirit of heroism in every department of life. It is this spirit that we lacked for centuries together.

The first of such heroism we saw in the last century and the first part of this century. Our great national struggle for freedom found many of our young people sacrificing their lives, their comfort, their everything, with a view to getting freedom for their country.

The way to greatness is not easy, it is not cosy, you cannot saunter into the great life; it needs alertness, for it is difficult to tread and hard to cross, like walking on the edge of a razor, as referred to in the Katha Upanishad. Under the inspiration of this heroic message, our nation worked hard, created a great culture, and contributed much to world civilization. Then came a decadent period. Weakness of mind and body set in; creative fires all but died out. People, big and small, preferred the line of least resistance in every department of life. From that darkness and despair, the nation was awakened and rescued by our great modern leaders, and the nation achieved political freedom, the necessary prelude to every other type of freedom. And for making this political freedom flower into every type of freedom, we need to continue the nurturing of the same heroic spirit. We need men and women endowed with clear thinking, courage, dedication, and intense practical efficiency.

The beautiful sentence that Vivekananda had uttered towards the end of the last century applies to our India of today: ‘All expansion is life, all contraction is death.’ What we call life in a contracted state is really death; the expanding state is really life. This truth has to be understood in a big way by our people. It is easy to live just a cozy life, life put in a glass case, as it were, to protect it from all harm, with all daring and risk taken away from life. That was the music of life, meant to lull us to sleep, that we were taught by our parents and teachers for centuries together. But, today, we are blessed to listen to another music–the music with the power to awaken and energize.

We heard this powerful music first from Vivekananda–the spirit of heroic endeavour, the spirit conveyed by him through a famous verse of the Katha Upanisad: ‘Arise, Awake, and stop not till the goal is reached!‘ Don’t contract yourself into sleep; we have slept for ages; we have wept for ages; no more weeping or sleeping now, but wake up and then march on, march on; life is a battle between life and death, between expansion and contraction. You have to face the terrible, face the brute, even embrace death.

Today we are experiencing the stirrings of a new way of life, expansion, struggle in all departments of life. Wherever you find initiative, wherever you find people striking out into new lines of development in the fields of industry, economics, politics, society, religion, and science, you are witnessing the dynamics of life, the spirit of expansion, replacing that old process of contraction. It was this spirit that Swami Vivekananda injected into our stagnant society, immediately after which came tremendous political awakening and the onset of the modern revolution.

When we speak of the greatness of any nation, we always find that it arose out of this daring to face death–sometimes physical but always death to the self-centred ego. How did England become great? By young English people daring to go round the world; to sail on the high seas, to scale the mountains, to wade through the forests and swamps, prepared to face privations and even death, just for self-actualization and for the glory of England. That is the spirit you find depicted in our own Mahabharata, as well as in Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s teachings. We had a blaze of that heroic spirit and endeavour, that facing death constantly without fear, in a leader like Guru Gobind Singh. His life is a saga of great heroism, constantly facing death for the great cause of human freedom and dignity and unity, of defending man against oppression, and sacrificing wife, children, and himself in the struggle. In such examples, we can see life being made out of a life. This new understanding of making life out of a life must come to us today. Life has to face death to become richer because, from the ancient Vedic times up to our time, this truth has been given to us by our great teachers that the Supreme Reality has two aspects, one is life, the other is death. That is what the Rig-Veda said: Yasya chaya amritam, yasya mrtyuh.

When we understand this truth that life and death are two aspects of the same reality, we learn to welcome death, but not in a pathological mood, but heroically. That is a great lesson taught by Vivekananda to our nation.

In Guru Gobind Singh we see this fully expressed. Today, we find in hundreds of our young people fear of privation and death and a shallow attachment to life. What is in such a humdrum day-to-day life? What is talked of as adjustment to life is but a combination of shallow life and a shallow adjustment. Is it worthwhile, is it fit for a human being? Modern psychiatry also refers to the emptiness and unreality of such a life. Parents constantly exhort their children to adjust to life. What does it mean? It means: Adjust a false self to a false world! Real understanding of life is not there. The so-called ‘normal’ adjusted life is truly the abnormal and false life.

No heroic achievements can come to a nation if it hugs this perishable body all the time. It is born, it grows, it decays, it dies. But man’s identity is something deeper and greater, and more profound, wherefrom come all fearlessness, all courage, all daring. If our soldiers posted in the high Himalayan ranges to defend our country are to face their challenges effectively, they need this philosophy.

I wish to mention that the concept of life as a battle-field, where you are constantly face to face with death, where you struggle and overcome the challenges, or are overpowered by the challenges and court death–that is the philosophy that makes a nation great. If I want to protect myself all the time, how can I become great? I must be able to dare to face the world of challenges.

The whole of our Bhagavad Gita is a great saga of such a robust philosophy. Life is truly life, not when measured in terms of years, but in terms of quality and richness. This lesson we need to learn today.

In the Mahabharata, we get a powerful verse. Whenever and wherever I have quoted that verse, it always had a tremendous impact on the mind of listeners. It is a short Sanskrit line containing a profound message of the beauty of an intense life. There was a king by name Sanjaya in the Northern Sindh region; his mother bore the name Vidula. She was a heroic queen-mother. How she inspired her son to be brave is what the story conveys. This young king went out for battle, got defeated, became weak-minded and depressed. The mother tried to rouse his royal spirit in several ways; it did not happen. Then, finally, she uttered a sentence conveying a tremendous power that helped to rouse the courage of the prince. That line conveys so much inspiration in so few words. That is the uniqueness of great literature–the capacity to convey great meaning to humanity in a few words. And what that great queen-mother conveyed to her princely son ages ago, our Mother India conveys to every child in this country today:

Muhurtam jvalitam shreyo,na tu dhumayitam chiram.

‘It is better to flame for one instant, than to smoke away for ages!‘

A short intense life, burnt out in a great struggle and achievement of the humanistic impulse, is preferable to a humdrum life of long duration. That is the message to us from our own past. In this modern period, we had a Vivekananda. During his brief 39 years, he made a tremendous impact on both East and West; even in that short span of life, his actual public work was only during the last nine years.

Live such a life that when you die, you will leave a permanent wholesome impact, small or big, on the world.

There is too much concentration on the very limited circle of life constituted of profit and pleasure; the wider horizons of life have receded; this makes life humdrum.

It is ecstasy and zest that enable one to say: Yes, I am fine. This is the answer expected of all of us in this most revolutionary and creative period of our long history. That can come only when we relate ourselves to the onward current of our history and participate in the shaping of it, instead of cutting ourselves away from it, to become stagnant pools of frustrations and complaints.

Every youth, imprinted with the heroic touch of soul, must say to himself or herself that this chaotic state of India is the best period for me to live. I can put my ideas into it. I can create something more beautiful and perfect out of it; I do not want to live a life of stagnant isolation in the resurgent context of contemporary India. The nation is marching and I, as a citizen in it, shall give it a gentle push and direction. That should be the positive attitude of all young minds towards the problems of their country.

SWAMI RANGANATHANANDA

==

Revered Swami Ranganathananda was 13^th President of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. This is an extract from his talk delivered on 1 October 1981, at New Delhi and is being reproduced here from Eternal Values for A Changing Society, Vol.III.

Stress is a disease that can be partially cured. Here are a few thoughts that may help you live more in peace with yourself.

1. They say that ‘primordial stress’ is related to our unspoken fear of dying, of the end of life. But is it really dying that we are afraid of? No, because we don’t know what dying really is. With the end of our existence also comes the end of consciousness and sensation, and so how can we know anything of dying?

2. Stress is generated by a fear of not being perfect. So, you believe you are perfect, do
you? Well, you should know that you have never been perfect, because your lack of modesty allowed you to think that you were. And there can be no perfection where there is a lack!

3. Stress comes from being afraid that you can’t get everything done on time. Time, like space, is an extendable dimension. It is one of those rare commodities that can be bestowed almost without limit. Remember that nothing grand or beautiful was ever accomplished in a day.

4. Stress comes from fearing that you do not correspond to the self image you want to project. The eye does not see the object itself, but the image of the object. You too are just a reflection in other people’s eyes. They will never see you as you really are, no matter how hard they try. So why worry?

5. Stress arises when you don’t know how to say no. You do know how to say no. Do you need proof? Well, the fact that you are alive and reading these lines means that you have succeeded in saying no many times, both with your body and with your mind. That’s because living means refusing to die, day after day.

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You can start lowering your stress level starting today. All you have to do is choose your priorities!
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“Anxiety is the vertigo of liberty.” - S. Kierkegaard

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If you have faith in all the three hundred and thirty millions of your mythological gods and still have no faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you. Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong; that is what we need.

- Swami Vivekananda

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Deliberate Before Acting - Wisdom from Tirukural

When action is needed, ponder what is to be gained, what lost, and what ultimately achieved, then proceed.

There is nothing too difficult for a man who, before he acts, deliberates with chosen friends and reflects privately.

The wise never undertake an enterprise that rashly risks existing capital to reach for potential profits.

Those who dread ridicule and disgrace will not commence any task that is unclear.

To sally forth without a well-conceived plan is one way to cultivate an enemy’s strength.

Doing what should not be done will bring ruin, and not doing what should be done will also bring ruin.

Embark upon an action after careful thought. It is folly to say, “Let us begin the task now and think about it later.”

Any task not methodically performed may go awry, though men in multitudes support it.

Even in doing good deeds a man may err if he does not consider the recipient’s unique nature.

Having made his plans, let a man keep his actions above blame. The world will never approve of acts that are beneath him.

Friends and admirers of Vivekananda,

Here is your copy of Uttishthata Groupzine for the month of June 2007.

Contents of this issue are:

Swami Vivekananda on Himself: Interaction with Sri Ramakrishna.
Education for Character – by Swami Ranganathananda.
Glory of the Gita – Bhagavad-Gita for Executives.
Character formation: Divine Message of the Veda.
Are values necessary today? – Topic discussed by college students.
Kautilya’s (Chanakya) Arthashastra – The Scripture of Wealth.
What a Leader should not do – Management lessons from Chanakya.
Visual presentation of the teaching of Sri Ramakrishna – God dwells in devotee’s heart.
Comforting Words of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.
Wisdom from the scriptures.

You may download Uttishthata Groupzine June 2007 from the following link:
http://www.uttishthata.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/Issue11June07.pdf

To read and download previous issues of Uttishthata Groupzine please visit:
http://www.uttishthata.org/download/uttishthata-groupzine/groupzine-download/

If you are interested to contribute to the Uttishthata Groupzine please send your write-up.

With love and namaskar,

Yours in the service of Swami Vivekananda.

Moderator
on behalf of Uttishthata Mailing Team

Than they happily lived thereafer - Weekly Inspirational

During childhood we used to read fairy tales where the Princes and her dream lover who used to be always on the horse, they overcome various difficulties to come together and the end of the story used to be always by the sentence ‘… than they happily lived thereafter’.

This is not a fairy tale of or a concocted story but a real life account of a renowned doctor of Calcutta. His marriage was shattered for years. Let us read his experience in his own words narrated to swami Akshayananda.

Mahapurush Maharaj was at that time under the treatment of Amarnath Mukherjee, a homeopathic doctor. I used to go to his house around eight o’clock each morning to give him a report about Mahapurush Maharaj’s condition. His house and furnishings were all Western in style and the doctor himself was always dressed in Western style. I went there one morning and was sitting in his drawing room. He greeted me and said, ‘Tell me something about Mahapurush Maharaj.’

I said, ‘You go to the Math very often and have seen him to many times. What more can I tell you about him?’

Then he said, ‘Through the grace of Mahapurush Maharaj, today is an auspicious day for me. Let me tell you what happened. I have been married to a girl of the Tagore family of Calcutta. But my wife and I have never seen eye to eye even for a single day. You see this house? It is divided into two separate sections. The eastern portion is mine, and the western portion my wife’s. I have always followed a Western way of life. A Muslim cook prepares Western style food for me. In the western portion of the house, a Brahmin cook prepares food for my wife with Ganges water. Though we have been married for a long time, we have not been in harmony with each other even for a single day. All the members of my wife’s family as well as various friends have tried to reconcile us many a time, but to no avail. My wife has refused to give up her orthodox habits, and I have also refused to bend. But for the last two or three days, I have lost my taste for meat and the food prepared by my Muslim cook. Yesterday I was unable to eat any of it at all. So I have let the cook go, and since yesterday my wife and I are together again. None of this would have been possible without the grace of Mahapurush Maharaj. I can clearly see that it has been through his holy company alone that this transformation has taken place in my mind.’

As he said this, his eyes welled up with tears. Instead of giving me that day’s medicine, he got up from his chair and said, ‘Come along. I would go to see Mahapurush Maharaj today.’ He called his driver, and we went together by car to the Math. He came that day wearing traditional Bengali dress.

[Source: Mahapurush Maharaj as we saw Him, page 232]