Sanskrit Pearl of the day:

यदि सत्सङ्गनिरतो भविष्यसि भविष्यसि ।
तथा सज्जनगोष्ठिषु पतिष्यसि पतिष्यसि ॥

– हितोपदेश, मित्रलाभ 

Meaning of the subhAShita:

If (you) stay in good company, you shall stay.  Similarly, if (you) fall off from good company, (you) shall fall.

Commentary:

One’s character is immensely influenced by the company he keeps.  The more one stays in good company, the better he prospers.  That, in turn implies, that when one’s company or association is not up to the mark, he shall fall off from the pedestal of character.  The company one keeps speaks volumes about his mettle.  Someone once said, ‘tell me thy friends and I shall tell you thy character’!  Such is the profoundness of one’s  association.  The more one keeps good company, the more he grows.  The more one moves away  from it, the more he regresses.  One has to be mindful of this always.  It is not a goal to achieve one day and forget all about it!  It is a constant process towards progress.

The beauty of the verse, is also in the play of the words.  The verse at first shot might seem confusing or even wrong!  But punctuation is powerful.  There is a ‘,’ between the two bhaviShyasi-s and the two patiShyasi-s!  The first bhaviShyasi indicates, being in good company.  The second one means, you shall be (as in, survive)!  Similarly, the firstpatiShyasi means, fall off from good company.  The second one implies, you shall fall (in morality and survival)!!

May each person be good and keep good company, so the entire universe will become a ‘company to keep’ :).

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:

अक्रोधेन जयेत् क्रोधमसाधुं साधुना जयेत्
जयेत् कदर्यं दानेन जयेत् सत्येन चानृतम्

– महाभारत, उद्योगपर्व

Meaning of the subhAShita:

Anger is won over with calmness (without anger); the immoral are won with morale; a miser is won by giving; lies are won over with truth.

Commentary:

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, then, limb for a limb, life for a life….. There is no solace inspite! This is no way to put an end to any kind of misery!

If one displays anger all the time and the onlooker continually keeps his calm, how long can the angry man keep his temper? He would feel like he is kicking his arms and legs against the air – no matter how much he tries, can’t hurt the air :). Eventually, he shall learn to keep his calm, he has no choice. Anger is won over with calmness.

When immoral laws are exercised, they are won over with morality. Many independence struggles were based on this principle. Non-violence has sustained against violence. Good has triumphed over evil.

A miser is won over with generosity. If a miser is given and given without reservations, he is bound to get saturated at some point and understand the importance giving. Possessions are not for clinging on, but for putting it to good use for the welfare of those around. That is taught by giving.

Winning over lies is as simple as telling the truth! Honesty keeps the mind and soul peaceful. Lies do not stand a chance in front of it. Also, it is so much easier to be honest than not. When telling the truth, one doesn’t have to remember anything! Don’t have to keep track of all the lies or have the fear of being caught :). Moreover, truthfulness is the only way, when one’s quest is the ‘ultimate truth’. Truth is hence a win win situation for anyone.

Keep thy calm, morality, generosity and honesty. Makes life simple and peaceful too.

मोको कहां ढूँढे रे बन्दे –कबीर

मोको कहां ढूँढे रे बन्दे
मैं तो तेरे पास में
ना तीरथ मे ना मूरत में
ना एकान्त निवास में
ना मंदिर में ना मस्जिद में
ना काबे कैलास में
मैं तो तेरे पास में बन्दे
मैं तो तेरे पास में
ना मैं जप में ना मैं तप में
ना मैं बरत उपास में
ना मैं किरिया करम में रहता
नहिं जोग सन्यास में
नहिं प्राण में नहिं पिंड में
ना ब्रह्याण्ड आकाश में
ना मैं प्रकुति प्रवार गुफा में
नहिं स्वांसों की स्वांस में
खोजि होए तुरत मिल जाउं
इक पल की तालास में
कहत कबीर सुनो भई साधो
मैं तो हूं विश्वास में

नीति के दोहे — कबीर

प्रेम न बाड़ी ऊपजै, प्रेम न हाट बिकाय।
राजा परजा जेहि रूचै, सीस देइ ले जाय।।

जब मैं था तब हरि‍ नहीं, अब हरि‍ हैं मैं नाहिं।
प्रेम गली अति साँकरी, तामें दो न समाहिं।।

जिन ढूँढा तिन पाइयाँ, गहरे पानी पैठ।
मैं बपुरा बूडन डरा, रहा किनारे बैठ।।

बुरा जो देखन मैं चला, बुरा न मिलिया कोय।
जो मन खोजा अपना, मुझ-सा बुरा न कोय।।

साँच बराबर तप नहीं, झूठ बराबर पाप।
जाके हिरदै साँच है, ताके हिरदै आप।।

बोली एक अनमोल है, जो कोई बोलै जानि।
हिये तराजू तौलि के, तब मुख बाहर आनि।।

अति का भला न बोलना, अति की भली न चूप।
अति का भला न बरसना, अति की भली न धूप।।

काल्‍ह करै सो आज कर, आज करै सो अब्‍ब।
पल में परलै होयगी, बहुरि करैगो कब्‍ब।

निंदक नियरे राखिए, आँगन कुटी छवाय।
बिन पानी, साबुन बिना, निर्मल करे सुभाय।।

दोस पराए देखि करि, चला हसंत हसंत।
अपने या न आवई, जिनका आदि न अंत।।

जाति न पूछो साधु की, पूछ लीजिए ग्‍यान।
मोल करो तलवार के, पड़ा रहन दो म्‍यान।।

सोना, सज्‍जन, साधुजन, टूटि जुरै सौ बार।
दुर्जन कुंभ-कुम्‍हार के, एकै धका दरार।।

पाहन पुजे तो हरि मिले, तो मैं पूजूँ पहाड़।
ताते या चाकी भली, पीस खाए संसार।।

काँकर पाथर जोरि कै, मस्जिद लई बनाय।
ता चढ़ मुल्‍ला बांग दे, बहिरा हुआ खुदाए।।

Words of Ratan Tata

Value of VALUES in today’s world…..

Values multiply the power of action and its results. Values express in physical acts, in attitudes and in thoughts. Each has its own power.

We all know that a skilled act generates greater results than an unskilled one. The skilled worker—carpenter, painter, accountant, salesman, lawyer, physician—produces a more useful, beneficial or beautiful result in a shorter period of time with less waste. What is not often recognized is that skilled work expressing values produces far greater results.

The master chef may find his finest dish rejected when he fails to serve it on a clean platter. The skilled driver who lacks the value of punctuality may cause his employer to miss a crucial meeting or a great opportunity. The clever accountant who lacks the value of orderliness can misplace an important document or even a customer’s payment, as an accountant in a public sector transport company once misplaced a draft for a crore of rupees. The brilliant arguments of a skilled lawyer may fail to persuade when the judge knows the lawyer lacks the value of truthfulness. The dynamic, visionary businessman who lacks the value of taking the other person’s point of view may fail to win the favour of a big customer or the support of his own people at a crucial moment.

Values exist in an ascending series of planes, each higher plane being more powerful than the one before it. Physical values express in how carefully and reliably we handle material things. Vital values express in how pleasantly, harmoniously, generously we relate with other people. Mental values express in honesty, truthfulness, trustworthiness and idealism. Spiritual values express our faith, sincerity, patience, perseverance, goodwill and self-giving. Every act is a universe which can express many values. The more it expresses, the greater its power and effectiveness.

Values and Prosperity

How can someone working in an office or factory become vastly prosperous? No one will deny now that education is the foundation of today’s prosperity. Money that issues out of physical labour is better earned when education, a mental tool, is added to it. Values are a higher TOOL. Values are spiritual skills.

Whatever your vocation, when you add values to it, you will see Prosperity in abundance is the result. Honesty, integrity, truthfulness, fairness, and justice are higher values. Punctuality, politeness, pleasantness, record keeping, orderliness, soft speech, cleanliness, accuracy, precision, workmanship, and thoroughness are physical values. Perfection is the wider term that covers both. Be where you are. Do what you are doing. Add values to your work. Go on adding them in quantity and quality. You will reach the heaven of Prosperity.

The 100-fold Power of Values

A thousand years ago man was physical. His life was elementary. He survived. Today he has multiplied his comforts, enjoyment, reach, mastery a hundred or even a thousand-fold. The progress in one millennium has been phenomenal. This occurred because man moved from being physical to being mental. Though he has not yet acquired a fully formed mental life, a rational life, certainly he has moved away from the physical to the vital life. Both body and vitality accept the guidance of the mind, at least in material matters. Thus, we can say that man today is mental.

If this phenomenal expansion was the result of moving from the physical to the mental, moving from mind to the Spirit can bring another phenomenal expansion of similar magnitude. Today’s life will further expand in its richness, inner peace, outer security, harmony and, especially, in Prosperity a thousand-fold.

Though Spirit in its original splendor is a high goal, its values of honesty, loyalty, truthfulness, cleanliness, and silence are what we can now know and follow. By adhering to these values seriously, one can bring the power of Spirit to bear upon life. Values, which are really spiritual skills, can raise the results of work a hundred-fold or more.

We consider money as a thing for use. Spiritually, money is a force of the Divine. An unceasing in-flow of money will begin when the money we use is fully supported by all the Spiritual values. But the effort must be exhaustive and strive for perfection.

A long list of spiritual values can be applied in a company. Paying greater attention to the needs of all others in the company than to one’s own needs is a spiritual value that can turn a losing company into a profit making one the next month. Results of Spiritual Power when released into action by the truth of inner sincerity are INSTANTANEOUS.

Power of Values to Earn Money

Earning money is an act, like any other act such as winning an election, passing an examination, etc. The components of an act are energy that comes from interest, goal that gives the direction, organisation from which power issues, and skills that convert that power into results. This is the process of Energy Conversion.

Each component of an act contributes to determining the quantum of money earned, but the earning itself depends on the harmonious functioning of all these components. None of these components can be omitted or supplied in half-measure. When all the components are adequately present and harmoniously functioning, the result, the amount of money earned, is decided by the values of each component. This is so because values are spiritual.

One who is earning $2,000 or $20,000 a month can raise that income five-fold, if he introduces values at every stage and gently raises them to their maximum. By this approach a company that is marginally losing will at once become marginally profitable. A company that is making profits can double or triple its net income very quickly by raising the implementation of values to a higher level.

There is no work in which values do not arise. Attention, organisation, comprehension, integrity, truthfulness, etc. are just a few of the values we know. The list can be endless.

A family presided over by a person whose priority is his own wants practices selfish values. If he decides to meet the needs of all other family members before meeting his own needs, he practices selfless values. Or, he may decide to practice Self-giving, which means going all out to meet the needs of every person he is in contact with, whether or not it is his responsibility to do so. If he does that, he will soon witness a burst of income.

Owners of companies taking such an approach will discover the ORDERS for which they have been searching all over, like a needle in a haystack, start coming on their own.

Values are spiritual. They can earn a vast quantity of good money.