Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Tips for NIMHANS DM Neurology entrance exam preparation
I managed to secure 6th rank in NIMHANS DM neuro and 2nd rank in PhD neuroscience examination.I took up DM neurology seat.. I m writing this in order to help students to be better prepared for this entrance exam
First , the background.. I graduated from Kasturba Medical College .Mangalore in march 2011 and just finished my internship in march 2012…I was able to score this rank in my first attempt for the course
Here are the few points which I think will help you to succeed..
1. Dream.. as Kalam sir would always say, before you should achieve something big you should dream about it..I started to dream about working in NIMHANS by 3d year end or so..In the sense I’d talk to my friends like, If I go to NIMHANS I d do this that and all..Also make sure you wont forget the dream..My computer password was something related to neurology..so everytime I logged in to my comp in last 2 years I remembered it..
2. Learn from your mistakes…I did not qualify in all india pg exam 2012 or JIPMER exams..this was because I had a hectic Internship and I didn’t mind working and thought pg preparation would start after end of internship..I gave the KCET exam too, had read the previous 5 papers and miraculously same questions appeared and I foolishly raced through the paper in 60 minutes.. didn’t even realize that I had to read a question twice before answering..was the first one to come out of exam hall and I realised my mistake when I got the answer key..so many stupid mistakes I had done just because I thought it was an easy paper..I got some 1600 odd rank..! then I realized no matter how easy questions appear one MUST read them twice, also thinking that exam is easy during exam will actually cause harm …you shouldn’t judge it until you get all the correct answers
3. Prepare in advance..although I had no intention of doing psychiatry I gave the entrance for DPM and PHD neurophysiology in February..It gave me a huge advantage I think..Because the exam pattern and procedure will be same for both sessions for admission..I d say clinical neuroscience aspirants would benefit a lot from giving PhD neurophysiology entrance.. question patterns will be similar..
4. Do not join a job unless there are no other options..I studied at home only..I got extremely desperate by 3 months.. ;) all the saved stipend money was dwindling, some friends had got into PG seats in posh colleges others joined as JRs and were earning quite a lot and I was alone and I had no option but to succeed … this desperation helped me to achieve I think
5. Always have a back up plan… no matter what happens don’t think it as end of the world..I had prepared very well for aiims june session but didn’t come in the first 500( I got 55%)..that was very disappointing for me..I thought NIMHANS entrance is there..and when NIMHANS exam came near whenever I felt anxious I d say dnb/next aiims is there..so during the exam I had no tension at all. If I didn’t succeed this time ,I d most probably applied for a tutorship in my college by this time..at least that ‘d give me library access!
6. Desire to make quick money and addiction to technology are the most serious roadblocks in path to success in entrance exams..I left them till I was sure I had succeded..In such a competitive world as ours , for achieving success you do have to sacrifice these..
7. Having a fixed time schedule helps…I d study from 9 to 5 with only 45 minutes gap in between and then from 8.30 to 11 p m..ya that’s it, I can’t boast of a 16hr schedule ;)..but when I studied I didn’t think of anything else but the question, the concept and the factual importance. I’d lock my room during study hours..made sure my ‘study ‘room had nothing but books,a table and a chair. No electronic items, no mattress/pillow..No talking with friends.. No distraction. Mental discipline is very important..if you don’t know how to achieve it ,refer to point 6
8. Now coming to what books I studied..
I started studying 2 days after I completed my internship, luckily my place is near to mangalore only so shifting took only a day. I continuously studied every single day till NIMHANS entrance exam..interrupted only for travelling to aiims exam centre and a bout of fever once..Might look like OCD but I knew every minute I studied would put me a lil’ bit ahead of others…remember it’s a race..If you take a break in between you will fall behind…so once you start DON’T stop..
Initially I prepared for aiims ..I finished amit ashish 2 volumes (2011-2000) and gave one revision also side by side I started few small subjects from across and other question banks like dermatology, psychiatry, ophthalmology and forensic medicine..my seniors had told me PSM was extremely important so I read it from Arvind arora which is very well written..
My 8-11pm session was mainly listening to usmle videos..they help a lot in refreshing biochem, embryology and micro..I used to make notes also during lectures for next day revision..writing down things helps you remember it better..
I started serious neuro revision after may 7(after aiims) …the first and foremost is always neuro-anatomy and embryology…again from usmle videos..that made the further studies much logical and easier to remember..I tried reading Harrisons neurology twice but I m still not confident how much I remember out of it I bought both the books (omkarnath and neuro integrated by pramod k s) but did not find them useful..I tried solving omkarnath questions without seeing options for a few papers and then gave up..and by june I started doing pre test series which I think was the best thing I ever did..I did pretest neurology, neuroscience and physiology which gave me a complete review of neurology within 3 wks..I wrote down the explanation and question in a separate notebook whenever I made a mistake..
On text books throughout my mbbs I read only standard textbooks, no guides, shortcut books..for entrance exam I referred Guyton , Harrison and Tripathi whenever I had doubts..
I came online twice a week to give free medpg thrissur online exams. Although many seniors donot believe in exam without review, I just gave it a try and it worked for me..It gave a good review of psm and pharma with lots of new stuff.. I restricted my online activity to medpg,rxpg,Wikipedia only..how? slow 2g internet over mobile helped me, and I made sure I had no other options!
9. On the day before exam I took the two notebooks which I made and ‘sure success magic’ by ramgopal to Bangalore..was able to revise my notebooks only..so much for carrying huge books!
10. I read every question twice and even if I had a little doubt I marked them for review..I attempted all 100 questions in both the exams I gave. My thinking was for five seats cut off would be in decimal point differences. If I left a question or made a mistake it wouldn’t really matter which I did as I was already out of race..also my previous exams I learned how to make an educated guess and was able to use it here effectively for few critical questions..I know lot of people will not agree with me but this is what I did…I wouldn’t recommend it for 200-300 question exams or exams where higher no. of seats are available but for NIMHANS this was effective for me that’s it…
11. Coaching…well it’s a personal decision..My primary education was in kannada and in high school I joined English medium and I learnt to teach myself..I was one of the toppers in sslc exam that gave me confidence that I could do without coaching. My only bout with coaching was in 1st p.u. /11th when I went for IIT coaching..was terrible..both coaching and my performance ;) in 12th/2nd p.u. I took guidance from class lecturers and was able to get a merit seat in KMC mangalore (cet 200 rank).To cut the long story short, if you are used to coaching then go, if you are not used to it then give self study a try before you go the coaching way.
Well that’s all I have to say, I hope I haven’t been a terrible bore. I d be very happy if this post helps or inspires pg aspirants to achieve more..and to help others to achieve the same …
Signing off
Dr. PawanRaj
UPDATE: Kindly note that I did not give Mch neurosurgery entrance exam as I was not interested in it. Hence I cannot guide you regarding its preparation. This post is mainly directed towards DM neurology entrance preparation.
As of 2014 exam pattern has been changed and there is a single entrance exam. This post is pertaining to exam system which was there in 2012.So I suggest aspirants to contact people who've given new pattern exam for further guidance.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
THE FINAL MOMENT
FICTION
Suddenly Raj woke up. He couldn’t recognise the surroundings but he was wide awake nonetheless..Then it dawned upon him that he had to reach the conference by 6 p.m. where he’d conclusively prove the absence of human soul to the world. He wasn’t a fanatic atheist but he believed in scientific rationale and he believed his experiments would prove it to be a failsafe construct of the mind itself. But still he couldn’t make sense of his surroundings..something had gone terribly wrong somewhere…
His arms and legs appeared smaller..he seemed to be submerged in liquid of some kind. He panicked once he realized that. He flailed his limbs violently but to no effect..he also noticed He was completely naked. What the hell had happened?
“Hm I must be captured by a fanatic religious group who have put me in this container. I had heard of these immersion chambers before but I never thought they could afford to build one here..”That was the only reason he thought he was alive although there was water in his lungs..
His captives had put a thick rope like structure around his neck. He wondered what they would do if he tried to escape..probably it would tighten instantly killing him. He didn’t dare to try to remove it. He remembered his training. He calmed himself down..he tried to remember what had happened. He started late as usual so he had to rush his car to the venue..then while driving his secretary had called and when he took it a light had flashed, brilliantly and the next moment he was here..probably that was the light of the vehicle they used to kidnap him..
And then it began…
They started crushing his head…or so he thought as the pressure inside is head built up..any moment my brains gonna pop out of my ears , he thought..but the pressure kept steadily increasing. He lost track of time.. “some sick pervert is enjoying this” he thought in between his terrified attempts to scream. The world around him started collapsing. Suddenly there was blood everywhere..
And in his final moment he experienced the worst kind of pain in his chest. It was so searing and burning it made him forget everything else, he was ready to accept death..suddenly his identity vanished..he didn’t know who he was ..all he could do was cry..cry at the top of his voice...And then there was bright light everywhere and a terrible chill…..
Meanwhile the midwife said to the mother “ you have a male baby, it had umbilical cord around its neck but fortunately it cried immediately after birth so its fine you don’t have to worry..congratulations….”
Suddenly Raj woke up. He couldn’t recognise the surroundings but he was wide awake nonetheless..Then it dawned upon him that he had to reach the conference by 6 p.m. where he’d conclusively prove the absence of human soul to the world. He wasn’t a fanatic atheist but he believed in scientific rationale and he believed his experiments would prove it to be a failsafe construct of the mind itself. But still he couldn’t make sense of his surroundings..something had gone terribly wrong somewhere…
His arms and legs appeared smaller..he seemed to be submerged in liquid of some kind. He panicked once he realized that. He flailed his limbs violently but to no effect..he also noticed He was completely naked. What the hell had happened?
“Hm I must be captured by a fanatic religious group who have put me in this container. I had heard of these immersion chambers before but I never thought they could afford to build one here..”That was the only reason he thought he was alive although there was water in his lungs..
His captives had put a thick rope like structure around his neck. He wondered what they would do if he tried to escape..probably it would tighten instantly killing him. He didn’t dare to try to remove it. He remembered his training. He calmed himself down..he tried to remember what had happened. He started late as usual so he had to rush his car to the venue..then while driving his secretary had called and when he took it a light had flashed, brilliantly and the next moment he was here..probably that was the light of the vehicle they used to kidnap him..
And then it began…
They started crushing his head…or so he thought as the pressure inside is head built up..any moment my brains gonna pop out of my ears , he thought..but the pressure kept steadily increasing. He lost track of time.. “some sick pervert is enjoying this” he thought in between his terrified attempts to scream. The world around him started collapsing. Suddenly there was blood everywhere..
And in his final moment he experienced the worst kind of pain in his chest. It was so searing and burning it made him forget everything else, he was ready to accept death..suddenly his identity vanished..he didn’t know who he was ..all he could do was cry..cry at the top of his voice...And then there was bright light everywhere and a terrible chill…..
Meanwhile the midwife said to the mother “ you have a male baby, it had umbilical cord around its neck but fortunately it cried immediately after birth so its fine you don’t have to worry..congratulations….”
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
My experience in Goa
I'm just returning from a trip to goa and this is an account of what I saw there
Good advertising
The goans have advertised themselves as tourist friendly and it shows everywhere. For the first time I saw a state almost entirely concentrating on developing tourist places.
towns and beaches
Sadly this is a disappointment. Towns are filthy..lots of plastic thrown everywhere...main beaches are similar too..in monuments only a certain area around is kept clean and surrounding it is again garbage..
Roads
Single most amazing and exciting experience...flawless..goa is best experienced by roaming around with a rented vehicle..infact roads need a separate blog post..they are THAT good..
Dining
A place to be for carnivores and boozers...i dont do both...but I managed to get veg food in all the places..food is good here..although service is a bit late
People
People are very friendly here.everything here is laid back, relaxed and cool..sometimes they are plain lazy too ! People coming here are incredibly stylish. Nobody's in a hurry here..It feels as if time is stagnant here. No deadlines ,no time limits, no nothing..Its an Ideal place to relax from a hectic schedule. Goa is literally full of foreign tourists.
Weather
Its a combination of the extremes..mornings are typically chilly. As sun goes up you get literally roasted! 11 to 4 is hottest then after 5 p.m. Sudden everything cools down and nights are chilled..
Overall its a wonderful experience i must add..to conclude, one must experience the place ..so go goa !
Good advertising
The goans have advertised themselves as tourist friendly and it shows everywhere. For the first time I saw a state almost entirely concentrating on developing tourist places.
towns and beaches
Sadly this is a disappointment. Towns are filthy..lots of plastic thrown everywhere...main beaches are similar too..in monuments only a certain area around is kept clean and surrounding it is again garbage..
Roads
Single most amazing and exciting experience...flawless..goa is best experienced by roaming around with a rented vehicle..infact roads need a separate blog post..they are THAT good..
Dining
A place to be for carnivores and boozers...i dont do both...but I managed to get veg food in all the places..food is good here..although service is a bit late
People
People are very friendly here.everything here is laid back, relaxed and cool..sometimes they are plain lazy too ! People coming here are incredibly stylish. Nobody's in a hurry here..It feels as if time is stagnant here. No deadlines ,no time limits, no nothing..Its an Ideal place to relax from a hectic schedule. Goa is literally full of foreign tourists.
Weather
Its a combination of the extremes..mornings are typically chilly. As sun goes up you get literally roasted! 11 to 4 is hottest then after 5 p.m. Sudden everything cools down and nights are chilled..
Overall its a wonderful experience i must add..to conclude, one must experience the place ..so go goa !
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Inner Light
FICTION
Rahul was eagerly waiting for his father to arrive , a rare occasion one would say as he s a young boy but its diwali time you see, and this day his father would bring a big gift box, full of crackers..packed and sent from sivakasi. He had asked his mother innumerable times when dad will come home and got scolded in the end. But enthusiasm is a like a magic fountain in kids ,never drying up. He looked up thinking of asking once more but decided not to stretch his luck.
Although his parents were wealthy, they weren’t much interested in buying crackers. Rahul had to beg them innumerable times had to throw a tantrum before they agreed to bring crackers home. He had spent last two days imagining how he would light each type of cracker along with his friends this diwali night . His favourite cracker was ‘atom bomb’ promptly named because of the deafening sound it produced. He had planned to bury it in ground and light it so that it could create the explosion effect!
At eight p.m. he heard the sound of dad’s car arriving. He couldn’t control his excitement anymore, he ran to the gates..jumping and giggling. His father stepped out of the car looked at his boy and gave him a big smile and slowly extracted the colorful gift packet. He shouted with joy and took it and ran straight to his room.
The box was beautifully wrapped in colors which he removed once he was in his room. And it contained many a variety of crackers but rahul cotinued searching .. but it wasn’t there..his favourite cracker wasn’t in the box. He was so disappointed. He ran to his mother and cried loudly. Mother was utterly confused by this and asked what was wrong. ‘ I wanted atom bomb mommy it isnt there in gift box’ . Next moment two slaps landed on his cheek. ‘ why do you need such dangerous cracker why cant you enjoy safer ones. No way you are getting that!’
He was so crestfallen he didn’t even want to eat anything that night. His dad too was surprised to see his kid sulk during dinner and asked why. Mother ‘ whatever we give him is not enough , he needs atom bomb it seems..he’ll become a terrorist I feel.’
Next morning, the day before the festival, rahul started walking to his school heads down,sullen faced. His father saw him walk..something happened..he went to his son and gave him 50rs.’go buy it son,whatever you want..’
His joy knew no bounds ..finally he would get his favorite cracker. He couldn’t sit in the classes. His mind was set at the cracker shop nearby. Evening came and bell rang..he rushed out of school eagerly crossing the gully to reach the cracker shop. Then something caught his eyes. Three little children, all in ragged clothes were trying to lit a half burned cracker, hoping that it would light. He stood and thought for sometime. Then rushed to the crackershop and bought few smaller flowerpots and lightersticks and gave it to them. And he watched them light it..he could see the light in their eyes ,and somewhere inside him, a light was lit.
Rahul was eagerly waiting for his father to arrive , a rare occasion one would say as he s a young boy but its diwali time you see, and this day his father would bring a big gift box, full of crackers..packed and sent from sivakasi. He had asked his mother innumerable times when dad will come home and got scolded in the end. But enthusiasm is a like a magic fountain in kids ,never drying up. He looked up thinking of asking once more but decided not to stretch his luck.
Although his parents were wealthy, they weren’t much interested in buying crackers. Rahul had to beg them innumerable times had to throw a tantrum before they agreed to bring crackers home. He had spent last two days imagining how he would light each type of cracker along with his friends this diwali night . His favourite cracker was ‘atom bomb’ promptly named because of the deafening sound it produced. He had planned to bury it in ground and light it so that it could create the explosion effect!
At eight p.m. he heard the sound of dad’s car arriving. He couldn’t control his excitement anymore, he ran to the gates..jumping and giggling. His father stepped out of the car looked at his boy and gave him a big smile and slowly extracted the colorful gift packet. He shouted with joy and took it and ran straight to his room.
The box was beautifully wrapped in colors which he removed once he was in his room. And it contained many a variety of crackers but rahul cotinued searching .. but it wasn’t there..his favourite cracker wasn’t in the box. He was so disappointed. He ran to his mother and cried loudly. Mother was utterly confused by this and asked what was wrong. ‘ I wanted atom bomb mommy it isnt there in gift box’ . Next moment two slaps landed on his cheek. ‘ why do you need such dangerous cracker why cant you enjoy safer ones. No way you are getting that!’
He was so crestfallen he didn’t even want to eat anything that night. His dad too was surprised to see his kid sulk during dinner and asked why. Mother ‘ whatever we give him is not enough , he needs atom bomb it seems..he’ll become a terrorist I feel.’
Next morning, the day before the festival, rahul started walking to his school heads down,sullen faced. His father saw him walk..something happened..he went to his son and gave him 50rs.’go buy it son,whatever you want..’
His joy knew no bounds ..finally he would get his favorite cracker. He couldn’t sit in the classes. His mind was set at the cracker shop nearby. Evening came and bell rang..he rushed out of school eagerly crossing the gully to reach the cracker shop. Then something caught his eyes. Three little children, all in ragged clothes were trying to lit a half burned cracker, hoping that it would light. He stood and thought for sometime. Then rushed to the crackershop and bought few smaller flowerpots and lightersticks and gave it to them. And he watched them light it..he could see the light in their eyes ,and somewhere inside him, a light was lit.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Whose life is it anyway?
FICTION
As usual i got up earlier than everbody.But it was still early dawn i started reminscing about my life..
I dont know who my parents are..i think i was separated when i was very small.I dont remember much of my childhood really..most of it was terrifying..until i was rescued by this guy. He likes to be called as 'boss' . And i dont mind calling him like that. Because he raised me from my vulnerable childhood to this vigorous youth.
Boss will be busy most of the time. He stays out of this house. I stay here most of the time. Somebody should look over house also right? And i dont think i can manage much outside. But i have few talents of my own. Like my hearing is lot better than his and vision too..but still i cant do whatever he's capable of. Like the food he prepares...is there any better food anywhere else?? I think not!
Well i think boss got up. I can hear him getting up from his bed,walking lazily towards bathroom. I looked forward to our morning walk together. I know he'd never change that .
He came out of the door. I greeted him. He acknowledged. He had something hidden behind his back. He showed it to me and threw it right in front of me..
I couldn't control the temptation... I ran quickly towards the toy...A dog can never resist the tempt for a fetch game you see..
As usual i got up earlier than everbody.But it was still early dawn i started reminscing about my life..
I dont know who my parents are..i think i was separated when i was very small.I dont remember much of my childhood really..most of it was terrifying..until i was rescued by this guy. He likes to be called as 'boss' . And i dont mind calling him like that. Because he raised me from my vulnerable childhood to this vigorous youth.
Boss will be busy most of the time. He stays out of this house. I stay here most of the time. Somebody should look over house also right? And i dont think i can manage much outside. But i have few talents of my own. Like my hearing is lot better than his and vision too..but still i cant do whatever he's capable of. Like the food he prepares...is there any better food anywhere else?? I think not!
Well i think boss got up. I can hear him getting up from his bed,walking lazily towards bathroom. I looked forward to our morning walk together. I know he'd never change that .
He came out of the door. I greeted him. He acknowledged. He had something hidden behind his back. He showed it to me and threw it right in front of me..
I couldn't control the temptation... I ran quickly towards the toy...A dog can never resist the tempt for a fetch game you see..
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The basic question
what do I mean by this title? these are rather simple questions for which there are no easy answers..i always believe complex questions have simple answers where as easy looking questions may need a lifetime to understand and one maynot be able to explain it to others!
Sometimes one might think He knows the solution but, the next day it doesn't look so!these questions define one's quest sometimes..simplicity so, can be great in its own way
coming to my reason for writing this blog, since i was a science student i was thinking about one very interesting concept.what would one get, if one delved too deep into the depths of knowledge of subject?
Lets start with biology. If one went on studying it finally it would lead towards chemical interactions or chemistry.then one had to study chemistry and one day it would lead to interaction between atoms i.e, physics . But the thought process wouldn't stop..if one studied physics in depth he would find mathematics everywhere .then on studying maths deeply he would find out logic inside. And logic is based on our belief of the system of logic. In short; we are ,what we believe..
But now since i focused my efforts on biological science, i find the differences..it isn't so simple to explain biology. Its a mixture of sorts. A biological phenomenon has inside itself, all the other scientific phenomena..its simultaneous.. not serial manifestations.
And when i took medicine as my graduation subject, i chose my basic question, my personal quest..it comes every now and then in my mind ..and as i told before the answer keeps changing or rather ' updating' as i know more about it. I may not get the final solution but i dearly like the search..
The question by the way, is 'what is life?'
Sometimes one might think He knows the solution but, the next day it doesn't look so!these questions define one's quest sometimes..simplicity so, can be great in its own way
coming to my reason for writing this blog, since i was a science student i was thinking about one very interesting concept.what would one get, if one delved too deep into the depths of knowledge of subject?
Lets start with biology. If one went on studying it finally it would lead towards chemical interactions or chemistry.then one had to study chemistry and one day it would lead to interaction between atoms i.e, physics . But the thought process wouldn't stop..if one studied physics in depth he would find mathematics everywhere .then on studying maths deeply he would find out logic inside. And logic is based on our belief of the system of logic. In short; we are ,what we believe..
But now since i focused my efforts on biological science, i find the differences..it isn't so simple to explain biology. Its a mixture of sorts. A biological phenomenon has inside itself, all the other scientific phenomena..its simultaneous.. not serial manifestations.
And when i took medicine as my graduation subject, i chose my basic question, my personal quest..it comes every now and then in my mind ..and as i told before the answer keeps changing or rather ' updating' as i know more about it. I may not get the final solution but i dearly like the search..
The question by the way, is 'what is life?'
Friday, July 23, 2010
Palpable differences
I was just reading gerald durrell's 'my family and animals ' few days back and while reading i couldn't help noticing few facts and differences between his time i.e, early 20th century and ours or 21st century..
In his book he describes the island corfu beautifully..and how minimalistic the life was there.people lead simple lives and were proud of it. There was ample space for each and everyone.They had enough time for spending for their interests.people could sleep for 12hours a day and still do a good job..oppurtunities were everywhere.Education was rare but whatever they learnt,it was direct one to one learning.they learnt what they wanted to learn.
Coming to our times, we can see how much changes have taken place..our lives are so complex, an amalgamation of mechanical and biological comforts. But oppurtunities are becoming rather less as there are more people..now one has to work whole day and night in order to achieve similar success. The word 'rest' &'personal interests' are losing their value..we are defined by our occupations..and our success is measured in amount of money more than anything else.people are thinking of sleep as a folly!and about education everybody learn but most often not what they want but what they have to learn to earn...looks like we have become a result oriented ,money minded ruthless society.
In his book he describes the island corfu beautifully..and how minimalistic the life was there.people lead simple lives and were proud of it. There was ample space for each and everyone.They had enough time for spending for their interests.people could sleep for 12hours a day and still do a good job..oppurtunities were everywhere.Education was rare but whatever they learnt,it was direct one to one learning.they learnt what they wanted to learn.
Coming to our times, we can see how much changes have taken place..our lives are so complex, an amalgamation of mechanical and biological comforts. But oppurtunities are becoming rather less as there are more people..now one has to work whole day and night in order to achieve similar success. The word 'rest' &'personal interests' are losing their value..we are defined by our occupations..and our success is measured in amount of money more than anything else.people are thinking of sleep as a folly!and about education everybody learn but most often not what they want but what they have to learn to earn...looks like we have become a result oriented ,money minded ruthless society.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Turned Table
FICTION
Jack was feeling anxious already. He knew it was a mistake to go in place of his
friend to meet a girl as a blind date but he had agreed to do it on a whim, maybe he was too irritated that day, he cursed himself again. He wouldn’t make such promises again, now that he knew how uneasy it felt to do this .
He didn’t wear any fancy clothes, thinking she wouldn’t be much worth it, whoever she is.. ‘must be desperate, otherwise nobody would’ve agreed for a blind date..hope I can escape without talking to her somehow. He absentmindedly scratched his head. Well here I am ,at the restaurant right at the time ,at the right table…hope she wont turn up, I can lie to him anyway later.
Then he saw a beautiful girl entering the restaurant. To his eternal surprise she started walking towards him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was as if things bloomed around her. His heart started beating fast. He had never felt such a rush before. He knew in a moment that she was made for him. It was as if all his fantasies came true. He could think of nothing else for the moment. He noticed he was sweating. She made her way towards him slowly. Came near him and asked , with widened eyes ‘hi ,are you john?’
Jack was in a dilemma. He knew as per his previous idea he had to say yes to that question. But now he was not so sure about it.
He suddenly made a decision. And started talking, oddly his tongue felt dry..he could mumble few words incoherently.
‘Beg you pardon?’ she asked again..now sounding not so sure in her voice
“h…hi listen to me please.. I ‘m jack and I came in place of him ..he had challenged me and I accepted foolishly. Will you please sit with me?? I can explain it better..I don’t want our relationship to begin with a lie so I am telling you the truth. “
She was taken aback for a second and she smiled. what a perfect smile!!
‘ Guess what jack? I also came in place of my friend…never thought it will turn out this way. I liked your way of being truthful . lets talk ‘
As the young couple got immersed in a world of their own, cupid smiled from heaven..he had scored one more trophy ..
Jack was feeling anxious already. He knew it was a mistake to go in place of his
friend to meet a girl as a blind date but he had agreed to do it on a whim, maybe he was too irritated that day, he cursed himself again. He wouldn’t make such promises again, now that he knew how uneasy it felt to do this .
He didn’t wear any fancy clothes, thinking she wouldn’t be much worth it, whoever she is.. ‘must be desperate, otherwise nobody would’ve agreed for a blind date..hope I can escape without talking to her somehow. He absentmindedly scratched his head. Well here I am ,at the restaurant right at the time ,at the right table…hope she wont turn up, I can lie to him anyway later.
Then he saw a beautiful girl entering the restaurant. To his eternal surprise she started walking towards him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was as if things bloomed around her. His heart started beating fast. He had never felt such a rush before. He knew in a moment that she was made for him. It was as if all his fantasies came true. He could think of nothing else for the moment. He noticed he was sweating. She made her way towards him slowly. Came near him and asked , with widened eyes ‘hi ,are you john?’
Jack was in a dilemma. He knew as per his previous idea he had to say yes to that question. But now he was not so sure about it.
He suddenly made a decision. And started talking, oddly his tongue felt dry..he could mumble few words incoherently.
‘Beg you pardon?’ she asked again..now sounding not so sure in her voice
“h…hi listen to me please.. I ‘m jack and I came in place of him ..he had challenged me and I accepted foolishly. Will you please sit with me?? I can explain it better..I don’t want our relationship to begin with a lie so I am telling you the truth. “
She was taken aback for a second and she smiled. what a perfect smile!!
‘ Guess what jack? I also came in place of my friend…never thought it will turn out this way. I liked your way of being truthful . lets talk ‘
As the young couple got immersed in a world of their own, cupid smiled from heaven..he had scored one more trophy ..
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
way of survival...
Over the last few months , so many things have happened in my life. I had to face so many tough situations. But now as I have faced them successfully, I feel ever more confident in my day today life. I think the challenges have toughened me up , also they have made me more practical, analytical and less emotional. I had always wondered how on the earth some people manage to keep their cool in tense situations, well now I know how……
It’s the previous experience which helps you out. If you had been in a tense situation before and managed to get through it, it will give a certain type of confidence that you’ll some how pull through this situation too..This helps in conquering the fear about the future..I can even say it’s a way of controlling your mind from thinking all the absurd stuff which will prevent you from doing what you are capable of doing. I would like to remember the thought that in life in facing any kind of situation you have two choices, as they say in hindi ‘bhaag lo (run) ya phir bhaag lo “(participate)!!.
It’s the previous experience which helps you out. If you had been in a tense situation before and managed to get through it, it will give a certain type of confidence that you’ll some how pull through this situation too..This helps in conquering the fear about the future..I can even say it’s a way of controlling your mind from thinking all the absurd stuff which will prevent you from doing what you are capable of doing. I would like to remember the thought that in life in facing any kind of situation you have two choices, as they say in hindi ‘bhaag lo (run) ya phir bhaag lo “(participate)!!.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Ramblings of a coherent mind..
This is just ramblings of my mind put directly into words. I haven't been writing recently since I m facing stressful situation. I‘ll be back in January since my exams will finish and I’ll have some free time . . Now the things coming in my mind.
Stress
Stress is a natural phenomenon . You do need some amount of stress to function properly . But the line separating good and bad stress is very thin . You need to draw the limit yourself. You know the amount of stress you can withstand or which you are comfortable . You do have to make your own choice . Once you have made it never ever regret it, since it will be in your best interest . Nobody else knows more about you than yourself .
Achievements
About achievements my idea is that one can achieve absolutely anything he wants to achieve, provided he's willing to pay the price . . Yes nothing comes free in this world! You do have to sacrifice in order to achieve your goals .Most of the time it is something very dear to you. But only by making what you want to achieve as the most dear thing will you be attaining the eligibility of an achiever. I always believe that behind great achievements there are untold stories of great selfless sacrifices . I could quote many examples here but time doesn't permit me . .
Trust
Now something about trust . Its absolute belief in a person or institution or phenomenon. I had read a nice example somewhere . Its about a baby when you throw it above, it laughs loudly since it completely trusts you that you'll hold it when falling! Its an important issue that whom should we trust. My idea is time will tell you whom to trust . . Always the people who have been with you for long time are more reliable . Don't open up to people who try to be close in a hurry . As they say the faster they rise the sooner they fall. . Most of the time these people will be trying to manipulate you for their gains. . My idea is first trust yourself, then trust god ,then trust parents and then your friends . . It works well . .
Back up plans
This one is good . I took this idea from a children’s fantasy book! Artemis fowl series to be precise . . Well the idea is not committing yourself into one single plan or route . Always have a back up plan . Even though it sounds silly but i found it highly effective. You'll be better prepared to face the situation if you have a back up plan although you may not use it. It boosts your confidence . It makes you think about situations more clearly and in more detail . . Basically life is unpredictable and change is the one constant thing in life . . This provides a shortcut to adapt yourself into new situation optimally . .
I d like to write more about this later. . All the things written above are my personal opinions and you are free to disagree . . Will be coming back after a short leave . . So see you next month .
Stress
Stress is a natural phenomenon . You do need some amount of stress to function properly . But the line separating good and bad stress is very thin . You need to draw the limit yourself. You know the amount of stress you can withstand or which you are comfortable . You do have to make your own choice . Once you have made it never ever regret it, since it will be in your best interest . Nobody else knows more about you than yourself .
Achievements
About achievements my idea is that one can achieve absolutely anything he wants to achieve, provided he's willing to pay the price . . Yes nothing comes free in this world! You do have to sacrifice in order to achieve your goals .Most of the time it is something very dear to you. But only by making what you want to achieve as the most dear thing will you be attaining the eligibility of an achiever. I always believe that behind great achievements there are untold stories of great selfless sacrifices . I could quote many examples here but time doesn't permit me . .
Trust
Now something about trust . Its absolute belief in a person or institution or phenomenon. I had read a nice example somewhere . Its about a baby when you throw it above, it laughs loudly since it completely trusts you that you'll hold it when falling! Its an important issue that whom should we trust. My idea is time will tell you whom to trust . . Always the people who have been with you for long time are more reliable . Don't open up to people who try to be close in a hurry . As they say the faster they rise the sooner they fall. . Most of the time these people will be trying to manipulate you for their gains. . My idea is first trust yourself, then trust god ,then trust parents and then your friends . . It works well . .
Back up plans
This one is good . I took this idea from a children’s fantasy book! Artemis fowl series to be precise . . Well the idea is not committing yourself into one single plan or route . Always have a back up plan . Even though it sounds silly but i found it highly effective. You'll be better prepared to face the situation if you have a back up plan although you may not use it. It boosts your confidence . It makes you think about situations more clearly and in more detail . . Basically life is unpredictable and change is the one constant thing in life . . This provides a shortcut to adapt yourself into new situation optimally . .
I d like to write more about this later. . All the things written above are my personal opinions and you are free to disagree . . Will be coming back after a short leave . . So see you next month .
Saturday, September 5, 2009
That was a lesson well taught Ma'am
A teachers day special from my side. How I learnt to be a topper in class.
This happened when I was in 3d standard, I used to think myself as a big boss of the class, I used to get good marks too but I wasn't the topper in class. There was this class teacher of mine, her name was Philomena teacher. She used to take special interest on me I don't know why. . She must've seen something special.
And so it was exam time. class test in science I think. I didn't study for it but simply went just like that! I was overconfident there. Amazing to say that I still remember the questions of that exam! It was the structure of a plant and one question on environment . I hadn't studied well so I made a diagram of whatever that came to my mind. So that was it.
Two days later it was the result time and she started distributing answer papers. To my ultimate horror I found out that she had failed me! I had never failed in an exam before. . . I felt so ashamed and humiliated that time.
Then she was giving two beatings with scale to those who failed. When it was my turn , I held my hand out and started crying . I still think cried pretty badly there ;-) she gave me one beating and then she took me into her arms and consoled me. She told where I went wrong and that all was not lost .
She said I could come first in class if I wanted to, just that I had to work for it . That was a lesson well taught and well learnt. I never looked back after that , I started reading with the zeal from that day . I was a topper in class all through my primary, high school and pre universities . . Nice to remember now that all my successes began with that failure! I am ever grateful to her for opening my eyes at such a young age and lighting the fire of knowledge inside me .Thank you madam..
This happened when I was in 3d standard, I used to think myself as a big boss of the class, I used to get good marks too but I wasn't the topper in class. There was this class teacher of mine, her name was Philomena teacher. She used to take special interest on me I don't know why. . She must've seen something special.
And so it was exam time. class test in science I think. I didn't study for it but simply went just like that! I was overconfident there. Amazing to say that I still remember the questions of that exam! It was the structure of a plant and one question on environment . I hadn't studied well so I made a diagram of whatever that came to my mind. So that was it.
Two days later it was the result time and she started distributing answer papers. To my ultimate horror I found out that she had failed me! I had never failed in an exam before. . . I felt so ashamed and humiliated that time.
Then she was giving two beatings with scale to those who failed. When it was my turn , I held my hand out and started crying . I still think cried pretty badly there ;-) she gave me one beating and then she took me into her arms and consoled me. She told where I went wrong and that all was not lost .
She said I could come first in class if I wanted to, just that I had to work for it . That was a lesson well taught and well learnt. I never looked back after that , I started reading with the zeal from that day . I was a topper in class all through my primary, high school and pre universities . . Nice to remember now that all my successes began with that failure! I am ever grateful to her for opening my eyes at such a young age and lighting the fire of knowledge inside me .Thank you madam..
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Lets Meditate!!
I'd like to share my views on meditation with you. I think the concept of meditation is ever more relevant in 21st century .In the present world full of hectic schedules and deadlines and lots of other stresses and strains, one should try to calm his mind otherwise he is sure to get hypertensive or diabetic. Also incidence of heart attacks in young people is on the rise. So all of us should try to get hold of our emotions and behavior otherwise we might be in a high risk situation later in life.
I have to tell you why I turned towards meditation. My day to day life was full of stresses and I used to feel very bad about myself at the end of the day . Also that I felt alone most of the time and that used to depress me a lot. From this year beginning I started getting migraine headache also! So I had to do something about it . To tell you the truth I didn't like to start meditating , I thought it was old fashioned .
But one day as I was talking with my classmates I found out that many of them were practicing meditation. I was surprised and then even I wanted to do it ! Peer pressure you see, I never thought my friends would be doing it, but once I found out that they also did it then I didn't have any inhibitions.
I referred many books before starting and once I started meditating I realised what all I had missed! It was such a wonderful experience! I have been practicing it from last two months and I have noticed myself thinking more clearly, being more calm and I have better control over my emotions now. My headaches have subsided . Although its too early to declare success , I am very confident that my personality will improve .
I have realised that I had a very wrong perception of what meditation is when I started doing it. Meditation is not about controlling your mind like a remote, you don't need to concentrate to meditate , you don't have to sit in difficult postures and you don't need to do it for hours. Rather my understanding of meditation is that it is a science of observing your mind . Its not about control but about release of pent up emotions and thoughts .Its a scientific method, has nothing to do with religion. If you want to meditate you'll have to learn to allow disturbing thoughts but not being affected by it. Restriction never helps. .
You can practice it sitting in a chair or cot. I meditate only 10-15 minutes per day but even this little does help . One of the easiest methods is to sit in calm surroundings and observing your breath . So concluding my article, I'd like all people to try meditation as it is easy to learn and doesn't take much of your time and has many benefits.
I have to tell you why I turned towards meditation. My day to day life was full of stresses and I used to feel very bad about myself at the end of the day . Also that I felt alone most of the time and that used to depress me a lot. From this year beginning I started getting migraine headache also! So I had to do something about it . To tell you the truth I didn't like to start meditating , I thought it was old fashioned .
But one day as I was talking with my classmates I found out that many of them were practicing meditation. I was surprised and then even I wanted to do it ! Peer pressure you see, I never thought my friends would be doing it, but once I found out that they also did it then I didn't have any inhibitions.
I referred many books before starting and once I started meditating I realised what all I had missed! It was such a wonderful experience! I have been practicing it from last two months and I have noticed myself thinking more clearly, being more calm and I have better control over my emotions now. My headaches have subsided . Although its too early to declare success , I am very confident that my personality will improve .
I have realised that I had a very wrong perception of what meditation is when I started doing it. Meditation is not about controlling your mind like a remote, you don't need to concentrate to meditate , you don't have to sit in difficult postures and you don't need to do it for hours. Rather my understanding of meditation is that it is a science of observing your mind . Its not about control but about release of pent up emotions and thoughts .Its a scientific method, has nothing to do with religion. If you want to meditate you'll have to learn to allow disturbing thoughts but not being affected by it. Restriction never helps. .
You can practice it sitting in a chair or cot. I meditate only 10-15 minutes per day but even this little does help . One of the easiest methods is to sit in calm surroundings and observing your breath . So concluding my article, I'd like all people to try meditation as it is easy to learn and doesn't take much of your time and has many benefits.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A rendezvous with the forest king
This event happened four years back. It was holidays for us after the end of yearly exams in pre university college. As usual we had planned an adventure .
The idea was to visit the Nagarhole wildlife sanctuary. We went till there in a quails and when we reached the place to our utter dismay we came to know that their safari vehicle had already left. Also the costs were high so we decided to cross over to Kerala and see the forest from that side.
It proved to be very good decision since we were able to see much of the forest for a longer time at half the price.
Coming to the main point, as we went inside that forest we saw many animals there, all kinds. I still remember some of them , for eg: Malabar squirrel, bisons, deers and many others. As we were moving in the jeep, we were confronted by a single male elephant.
That was one hell of an experience for me. The elephant was towering over us, waiting for us to make the move. There it stood in that majestic manner in which only they can show. It was the king of that forest and was not pleased at us invading its territory. The tension was palpable in the atmosphere. Then our jeep driver slowly started to move the jeep in reverse gear. The elephant trumpeted lifting its trunk, dismissing us.
We moved back for next 10 minutes expecting it to attack but it didn’t come. We used an alternate route to see other places inside the forest.
After that incident I have seen so many elephants in the captivity but none of them had that imposing personality and the fearsome attitude like this one.Deep down I have this doubt that I never will see such an animal again. .
The idea was to visit the Nagarhole wildlife sanctuary. We went till there in a quails and when we reached the place to our utter dismay we came to know that their safari vehicle had already left. Also the costs were high so we decided to cross over to Kerala and see the forest from that side.
It proved to be very good decision since we were able to see much of the forest for a longer time at half the price.
Coming to the main point, as we went inside that forest we saw many animals there, all kinds. I still remember some of them , for eg: Malabar squirrel, bisons, deers and many others. As we were moving in the jeep, we were confronted by a single male elephant.
That was one hell of an experience for me. The elephant was towering over us, waiting for us to make the move. There it stood in that majestic manner in which only they can show. It was the king of that forest and was not pleased at us invading its territory. The tension was palpable in the atmosphere. Then our jeep driver slowly started to move the jeep in reverse gear. The elephant trumpeted lifting its trunk, dismissing us.
We moved back for next 10 minutes expecting it to attack but it didn’t come. We used an alternate route to see other places inside the forest.
After that incident I have seen so many elephants in the captivity but none of them had that imposing personality and the fearsome attitude like this one.Deep down I have this doubt that I never will see such an animal again. .
Monday, August 10, 2009
To be carried or not...
Here's an good zen story which I read long back and still remember.
Long time back there was a famous zen guru. He was constantly travelling from one place to other , helping people and preaching religion. He had few disciples who followed him . One day while travelling, they had to cross a river. The flow was high . Also by the riverside, was a beautiful young woman, alone and worried . She also had to cross the river but she couldn't swim.
The disciples ignored her, since they had sworn celibacy . The guru saw her, suddenly went near her, took her in his arms, carried her across the river and left her on the other side.
The disciples were astonished and angry. How can our guru do this ? Being sworn celibacy how could he lead us in wrong path? They were angry but didn't have the courage to ask him directly. So they continued their journey .
The next day, senior most disciple gathered his courage and asked guru ' master , after being sworn celibacy , why did you touch that woman ? ‘
The guru simply said ' oh I left her on the other side of the river, I can see that you have been carrying her all the time till here!'
The disciple immediately understood that he had mentally thought of her all the time, where as his guru had seen her as a just another human being sworn in need of help. He bowed to the guru, feeling ashamed.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Three Years @ KMC
This day , three years back, I entered KMC. I can't believe time has elapsed in such a fast pace . It seems like just yesterday ! I was a novice then and now also I don't feel any different!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Trekking to charmadi in monsoon
It was a rainy day when I got the call. Kabir had called me to inform about a trek to charmadi ghats and Ballala rayana durga .’ Mostly it won't be possible as the heavy rains may disrupt traffic and all no?’ I asked . Kabir reasoned that we would take a Toyota qualis and that we had never gone trekking in rainy weather and it would be a great adventure . That much coaxing was enough for me . I joined the group.
We left at 6 30 am on Saturday morning . Our team had 10 members which was quite big . . Most of them were my class mates in high school or pre unis . I hadn't seen them for years . So it was like a small reunion . We had breakfast in Ujire. And we bought snuff powder and tobacco leaves in a shop. From our previous experiences, we had learnt not to go trekking without some stuff to get rid of leeches. We also bought some snacks .
It had started to drizzle lightly by then. We had expected heavy rains but this weather was ok . As we slowly progressed through the hair pin curves , we saw many beautiful waterfalls just beside the road . We stopped in many places to take photos. Then we also saw the beautiful alekan falls , which is also on the way. The weather was getting chilled . There was thick mist everywhere.
(alekan falls)
We reached kottigehara by 11 a.m. Its a small town situated above charmadi ghats . From this place we didn't know the way up properly. So we asked bystanders for directions . We had to reach sankasale and climb from there. All the people were astonished to see us going there in this time. We were curious about this , but soon we found out why.
As we reached near B.r.durga , road became narrow and after 10km there was only mud road. We went 5 kms more in that road and parked our vehicle. There was still 5 more kms to walk. Suddenly the sky turned dark grey. And within few minutes it started to rain heavily. We got a bit discouraged but we expected this so we put on our jackets and started our trek.
It was not too long before someone shouted ‘leech’!! suddenly everyone started looking at their legs..!! some of the team members were getting this ‘leech therapy’ for the first time so they were cursing these slimy, bloodthirsty creatures. I remembered my first encounter with the leeches. I too was terrified by them at that time but now after many trekkings I had few tactics which would give me some advantage. The idea is to stay ahead and not to stop anywhere. But after some time my shoes were also covered with crawling sticky leeches. So I stopped at the middle of a small stream , removed the leeches one by one patiently with the help of tobacco leaves. If you hold the leaf over the leech, it will stiffen and get dislodged. Mud road came to an end when we reached Hori Khan estate.
From this place we’re supposed to see beautiful view of Ballala rayana durga, but nothing was there to be seen. Everything was covered by mist. We found a place relatively free of leeches and discussed about our next step. We had come this far and nobody wanted to go back simply so we decided to move ahead.
What we entered next was pure hell…
Full of leeches and other creepy crawling creatures, Thorny bushes everywhere also big logs obstructing the path. In fact there was no path as such. There was very little light creeping inside the thick canopy. It was a humid and wet climate with constant rain. Obviously within few minutes we were lost inside the deep forest. We didn’t know how to go forward now.
Then we saw two dogs following us, probably they were from that estate so we let them move forward, showing us the way . They did move smartly for some time but afterwards they went on two different directions confusing us. All of us were quite tired by now .. then, we saw the remains of the fort wall..
There were some pavement or something above our route. So me and Kabir took a detour to examine it. As we went near it I heard the most terrifying sound I’ve ever heard! Some wild animal was very near to us and had warned us not to come near. Mostly it was a wild boar or a bison I don’t know for sure. The moment we heard it, we panicked and ran for our life!! After 5 minutes we met the other members and told them to change the route. Now we moved along a stream , slowly climbing upwards over slippery rocks and we reached the top of the hill. We could see the vast view only for few seconds before the mist covered all of us again. We couldn’t find the main entrance in that fog…hell ! we could hardly see each others faces!! We tried to move over the old wall in hopes of finding the entrance but sadly it too ended shortly. We saw there was no sense in moving ahead, we decided to go back..
We were almost there…had reached the top but couldn’t get that sense of fulfillment. We will climb it again , some other time, to conquer it again..
We came down very slowly and by the time we had reached our vehicle, it was 3 p.m. We were exhausted and hungry . We had steaming hot neer dosas and mirchi bhaji in kottige hara. Then we started our journey back home. Thus it was the end to our adventure.
team: Bharat,Kabir,Sharath,Karthik,Pradeep,Vineeth, Nishanth,Ramachandra, Gautham (L-R)
me and my cousin
Thursday, July 16, 2009
PURPOSE OF LIFE
FICTION
Long time back there was a man. He wanted to achieve something great. So he started acquiring knowledge. He wanted to know the purpose of life . But no book could give him that .
It was not mentioned by any of his mentors , some of whom were of great expertise and fame . He became very sad that he couldn't get the answer. He was depressed all the time. He further studied and studied . .
Later he thought penance would give his answer. So he went to a mountain and started his penance. But no avail , he still didn't get the solution . His sadness persisted and progressed . He became very old and fragile, still his quest moved on.
Finally he was in his death bed , when God appeared in front of him.' Son , what is it that you want to know from me?' God asked in a kind voice. The old man asked 'The great one, please tell me the purpose of this life, the existence .'
God replied ' I pity you, for the reason that the answer is rather simple, life is there so that you can enjoy it. Purpose of this life is to be happy . Too bad you spent it in misery.'
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Where are the rains????
That's the question everybody is asking now! I m so astounded at seeing a clear blue sky in June end! How can that ever happen? June, for people like me who were born and brought up in coastal karnataka is a dark wet and humid month . But this is the first time I am seeing so less rainfall here. And if it rains less here, I don't know what will happen in the arid plains above the ghats. . We really underestimate our dependence on monsoon rains . Since in South India rivers also require adequate rains the situation looks much more concerning. It looks as if nature skipped a season. .
Although we say we are very advanced and all still this situation is showing how still we are so dependent on nature. All the reservoirs have dried up. Means no water , no electricity from next week . . Two of the most basic needs of 21st century. . Now all that can be done is to wait and pray for rains. Weathermen say its going to rain next week but I don't think they are reliable. They lost their credibility when they predicted this time its going to rain in early may! But hope remains that some how the situation will turn normal.
P.S. I asked my grand pa when was the last time he had seen a situation like this. He told me it was the end of 70's when the rains didn't come in June like this . . Now that’s 30 years ago!Monday, June 22, 2009
A story of two stones
Long time back there were two big stones lying near a city. One of them was a bit prideful and the other one was very humble.
The king of the city decided to build a temple so he thought of building it outside the city. So the workers started building the temple . The two stones were selected as good ones . They were washed and cleaned. One of the stones thought it was very valuable where as the other one was silent.
Soon the sculptors started hitting the stones with their instruments . It was highly painful process, chips of its own parts were being removed. So the proud stone prayed to god.
God appeared in front of it and asked what was its problem . The stone said people were causing harm to it and creating pain throughout its body. So it wanted the pain to stop. The god granted its wish .
From that day sculptors didn't come near it. Where as the other stone was still getting blows and pains all the time . It didn't break down or budge . It silently took all the pain and still didn't complain . The proud stone felt like laughing at this idiotic behavior.
Time went on and the temple was completed. It was a majestic structure . The king himself came for the opening ceremony . He saw the proud stone lying by the side and instructed it to be used as a place to wash legs and clean the utensils . So the stone was used for that purpose, everyday getting all the dirt and filth. One day one of the sculptors was passing by , stopped to wash his legs in that stone.
The stone asked him what had happened to the other silent stone . “Oh that one? We constructed a beautiful idol of god out of that stone. Now it resides inside the garbha griha of the temple receiving all the prayers and offerings from people .”
This story had appeared in some book or magazine long time back. I like the way how the moral is brought out in this story. Hope you liked it too.
My ideas about stories
Its interesting to study human habit of constructing stories and telling it to others. Many a times a story is not what it seems to be. Although the story looks simple, it does have very profound and deep meaning if you really look at it clearly .
In India there is no scarcity for stories . Even a stone lying by the roadside has its own story! Also important is the Indian tradition of imparting values through small stories. I can say the panchatantra , jataka stories, the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata , Birbal, Tenali.. so many more . All intended to impart the profound philosophy of life into the young minds . Indian system of joint family is also of importance here. Grandparents are the one who usually tell such stories to children in home. In fact my earliest memories comprise of my grandpa telling me stories from Mahabharata. .I can vaguely remember how I used to fantasize about the great battles and other stories. They had a big impact on me. By the age of 4 I was already into story books . I have read thousands of stories by now but still the enthusiasm hasn't subsided.
May be it has to do something with the basic mechanics of mind. The philosophy appears bland and tasteless if its imparted as it is but if you hide the philosophy behind a story it does look interesting . Its like how a mother gives a bitter medicine hidden in honey to a child.
So I believe our culture is so rich and ancient not only because some great men did some works but also because those values were transmitted from generation to next through stories . My next post is going to be such a story which I read when I was a kid .
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