So what's happening?

There’s so much to write, so much to be shared. All these days, I was away from blogging for I found tweeting & facebooking more convenient. Plus, you get more comments and likes than you do on a blog. All that accompanied by indolence made me stay away from the blog for a very long time. 

But I have to admit that, I really missed writing. On Twitter the max that you can write is just 140 characters and on Facebook people don’t like reading long posts. So the only option left for a ‘writer’, is to go back to the world of blogging. Don’t know how many are going to read the posts, but at least it will satisfy my quest for writing. 

You can keep a track of the everyday happynings on my twitter account, at sJain00.

Also, I launched my company's website a couple of days back. You might like to see it : www.jaincorefractories.com 

feedback welcomed : )

It is time to hit the bed now. As I bid adieu, I promise to write again very soon. 

much love

Happyning Blog!

Time to make the Blog a 'Happyning' Blog :)

Starting this week, we will have Guest Writers from different fields who will be giving in their views on Issues that matters the most - Be it Socio-Economic or Politics or anything under the sun which is of relevance.

If you'd like to contribute, then please write in to siddharthjain00@gmail.com.

Comments are most welcome!

Love,
Siddharth

Hello World!

After a 'brief' period of hibernation, I am back to the world of writing. It feels great!!!

Had another tryst with the MBA entrances, was successful in conquering some of them and humbly defeated by the rest. CAT is a Rat race in which 'Rats' are supposed to chase CAT. How IRONICAL!!

I was one of the many Rats and you know what happens when a Rat chases a CAT, CAT takes a U-turn and eats away the Rat. Ha Ha! Whenever I experience failure in life, I console myself with the adage that, 'What doesn't kill you, makes you only stronger'. Trust me these words are magical, for your failures are nothing but another of those opportunities to learn. Grab it and move on.

and so with this little piece of 'learning', I sign off.

Ain’t going Anywhere.

I just read an article in the ET talking about the declining popularity of blogs in the recent years. Ever since facebook and twitter stormed the market, the popularity of blogs has indeed seen a downward spiral.

I personally do feel that posting something on facebook does manage to catch more eye balls than the same being posted on a blog. As a matter of fact, sometime back when I re-posted a poem written long time back by me on the facebook, it got more hits compared to the blog. A recent data indicates that a number of teenage bloggers have switched over to mediums like the facebook and the twitter because of their growing popularity whereas adults in the range of 30-40 years have continued staying on their respective blogs.

I am 22 right now, and wondering as to whether to stay or migrate away to a world of more exciting comments and hits.

Hmm…

Well for the time being I have decided to retain my citizenship of the blogger-world and stay for some good time.

And yeah, I have been shortlisted for some GD/PI’s for Management Entrances this season and so have been reading a lot of stuff on the current happenings all over the world. In the coming days, the blog is going to be flooded with some well researched articles on economy, politics and the current affairs with some being directly taken from the media (newspapers, magazines etc.) and the others having my own views.

So stays hooked, and keep commenting!

Bathroom Secret!

After filling the bucket y'day, I realized that there was a lot of mud and dirt in the water. After a lot of deliberation as to what can be done, I decided to have a bath some other time. Today when I checked the bucket again, I saw that the dirt had settled down , and the water at the surface level was crystal clear.

I decided to throw away the water.

Sounds like a lame situation. Right?

Not really. Lets apply the same situation to life. Many a times there are certain unfavourable instances in our lives that leads to formation of negative toxins or the so called 'Stress'

On the surface level maybe we express happiness or act happy, but somewhere inside we feel that there's some contraction and the feeling of "Not so right!"

The muddy water can be thrown out, but what about the negative emotions which gets stored inside the body? How do we flush them out?

Here comes the power of awareness and the act of breathing through which not only can we get rid of these negative emotions, but also instead of acting happy - can be actually happy!

Waiting eagerly for my Guru to conduct the Live Sudarshan Kriya here in Jaipur on the 2nd of March.

Be there if you have done the Art of Living Course. For more details please leave a comment : - )

Preach what you practice!

I personally feel that stories are the best way to convey the important lessons in life. Guruji loves to impart knowledge through stories, and i am simply very fond of them! They not only catch hold of my attention but also end up subconsciously saving the message.

All of us are quite fond of the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. There's so much of knowledge in those epics, and also we never get bored of hearing the same story again and again ,but would we have enjoyed them if they were devoid of the heroes and the villains? Of course not! We have gained so much from them because they were told in a story form and not like a lecture.

Once a mother brought her young son to Mahatama Gandhi. She begged, "Please, Mahatama. Tell my son to stop eating sugar."

Gandhi paused, hen said, "Bring your son back in two weeks." Puzzled, the woman thanked him and said that she would do as asked.

Two weeks later, she returned with her son. Gandhi looked the youngster in the eye and said, "Stop eating sugar."

Grateful but bewildered, the woman asked, "Why did you tell me to bring him back in two weeks? You could have told him the same thing then."

Gandhi replied, "Two weeks ago, I was eating sugar."
Point to remember : "Embody what you teach, and teach only what you have embodied."

love,
Siddharth

The Maxim of the Crow and the Coconut

This story has been well-known in India for thousands of years. It is the story of a crow landing on a branch of a palm-fruit (coconut) tree. At just the instant the crow lands, in a very unexpected and accidental occurrence, a ripe fruit falls from above the branch and lands upon the head of the crow, killing it.

In India, the mention of the crow and the coconut denotes any very unexpected, coincidental occurrence, whether it be positive or negative; welcome or unwelcome.

I know this is a very short story - but it has a much profound meaning. Most of us tend to see events with a cause and effect angle. This thing happened in our lives because this thing preceded it or maybe this thing is going to happen because so or so event happened. We attach the event with a cause and its mostly unintentional.

Like for example, I meet Guruji on the day before my CAT exam. Feeling high and blessed I take the exam and score exceptionally high - my mind starts the journey. Because I met Guruji, I did well in CAT and if I hadn't I wouldn't have fared well. The mind just wants to find a cause and attach the event to it. It just does not want to see the two events independently. Now this is ironical?! On one hand people say that its all Guru's grace, and on the other hand the Scripture says that God helps only those who help themselves.

So is it you helping yourself or the God helping you? Are events independent of each other or are they influenced by the circumstances around?

As Guruji says, "See the past as your destiny and future as your free-will." Now just because Paul the Octopus predicted that so and so team would win the match during the FIFA World Cup, it was not necessary at all that it would be true. Much depended on the team's hard-work and dedication and a little on the fate? Or maybe vice-versa. Who knows?

I think, no... I believe that life can be enjoyed the most when we just flow with the flow! We keep doing our best, and leave the results at rest.

love,

Siddharth

V for Vendetta!

Off late i have been feeling that after seeing so many english movies, reading umpteenth novels, I have develop an impregnable lexicon (flaunting eh!). But after hearing these lines, I chortled for i now know that there's just no point in our life when we can put a stop to learning.

Frankly, I can't understand a thing about these lines. I had to consult the dictionary, Pause the movie, consult the dictionary and so on - more of a GP (Geometric Series) series!

Have a confusing read : )

Evey: Who are you?

V: Who? Who is but the form following the function of "what", and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey: Well I can see that.

V: Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation, I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
Evey: Oh...right.

V: But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis personæ.

V: Voilà ! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you, and you may call me V.

Evey: Are you like.. a crazy person?

These lines have been taken from the movie V for Vendetta.

Seems as if the protagonist has literally used all the words starting from the alphabet 'V' in the dictionary.

Keep Breathing.

Siddharth : )

Bon Voyage

Train journey has always been synonymous to fun for me. Lots of conversations, beautiful panorama, long journey hours and an interesting book to read is something that I really look forward to. The way Indian trains have undergone a change in the recent years has been something that is truly remarkable. I remember the last time I had travelled by train it was so filthy that I had second thoughts about keeping my luggage on the floor. There were no charging points and if your phone/laptop went dead, you were left on your own! The walls were painted with spitted beetle leaves, and with constant intrusion of vendors there was just no privacy.

But now things have changed, and for the good! I am travelling from Bombay to Jaipur, and am truly delighted at the sight of the interiors of the train. The floor is so bloody clean that I don’t even mind sleeping on it (hyperbole?), there are nice beautiful curtains, vendors are not intruding my privacy that much and yeah there are a couple of charging points which are facilitating this writing.

We end up meeting so many people on board that it feels as if we have come out for socializing. Some tell selected stories, and some just bombard you with the entire story of their life. I happened to be a victim of the latter one. It didn’t matter to the guy sitting next to me whether I was interested in his stories or not. But he just kept on going. I know so much about him now that I can write his biography. He is with the police department and so had couple of interesting stories to share, but then after a point of time it became too much. So to avoid him, I plucked in my earphones and switched over to writing.
That’s it for now.
Keep exercising your lung!

What's happening inside...

Life is like a cycle, it has to be balanced well otherwise we would fall. We all have certain commitments to our family, especially parents and siblings which we have to fulfill. No doubt that these committments cannot be ignored but then our entire lifetime cannot be just devoted to fulfilling them. For our spiritual growth we have to be little self centered.

Ever since I came back to Jaipur, I have been thinking about this and praying to Guruji to give me some clarity. I am a good son, a good brother, a good grandson, and all those goody goody stuff. But I want to move beyond, by doing something for my self. Sacrificing nature is a virtue, but too much of it can lead to suffocation. One should never compromise on the stuff that he/she really wants to do in their life, because life is the most unpredictable thing in the entire universe and we don’t know even know whether we would be born a human again. Like if I am born a donkey in my next life, i cannot cook, i cannot serve others but i can only sing and that too but like a donkey!

I am not running away from my duties/obligations/commitments but I just want to balance it out with my own dreams. Only my Guru can provide me with the skills that are required to do it.

Now the next step that I need to take is to identify what I really really want to do in my life?

an Art of Living instructor and want to work with youngsters as well as in rural areas to empower the villagers spiritually and improve their quality of life. It is a tough job, but I would be ready to take it up in the next 4 years. I would strive to balance it out with my family commitments with Guru’s grace and blessings. Also as a hobby I want to master the art of cooking (i.e. serving others with super delicious food) and singing.

Writing down all these things gives me immense peace and courage to lead the life I want to and not what an xyz person wants me to.

I might fall while cycling, but I would continue to learn and not give up.

love,
Siddharth

Ministers at work!

After reading my last post, people are bound to think that I am anti-UPA. Though its true, there are certain Ministers in the present Government who I think are doing a commendable job, and so they deserve to be praised.

Here's the list :)

1. Jairam Ramesh

The Honorable Environment and Forests Minster is not only a staunch environmentalist but also someone who doesn't bow to any political pressures in implementing policies that are aimed at preserving the Environment. His stand on GM food was commendable. Not many times have we seen a public hearing on a new reform or policy but Jairam ensured that public opinion is considered before introducing the harmful(why?! do some research) genetically modified Brinjal and other crops in the country. There might be a possibility that the public might have a wrong opinion, but the fact that he considered it important to talk to public and NGO's is itself laudable.



I also liked his stand on the "Convocation Gown" which he called as "barbaric colonial relics". It is true that the wearing of a Convocation Gown is a Western culture, which we Indians blindly accepted. Instead we could just wear something lighter and simpler considering the hot Indian summers. Wonder why the Christian community is objecting to it? Why can't we follow our own tradition -- the Indian tradition, and not simply ape the West?

Jairam made a statement after taking over the Ministry, a statement which speaks a lot about him and his policies.

"India has not caused the problem of Global Warming. But will try and make sure that India is part of the solution. Be constructive, be proactive"

love,
Siddharth

PS. not many people know that Jairam Ramesh is a founder member of the prestigious Indian School of Business, Hyderabad (ISB)

PPS. More to follow in the coming week :)

what I feel...

Minority appeasement is what the Government is doing,
so what if the majority is suffering?
Vote is what they need,
and in this greed
they simply forget the hour of the need...

Bt.Brinjal is what the Government wants us to eat,
simply ignoring the public heat...
and why we ask standing on our feet,
that the government is so adamant to make us eat?
Then I realize that they are
being paid for that
because they simply occupy that seat.

M.F.Hussain is considered an asset to the country,
because he makes nude paintings offending the majority community.
Creativity, artistic freedom is being talked about,
because Hindus have a less clout.

Inflation is high,
and the Government says with a sigh
that the only thing they could do is sympathise,
with the poor for the rising price...

Corruption at its peak,
making the future of our country bleak...
with crores stashed up in the Swiss Bank
of politicians, and people of higher rank.

Money which could have been used for the development of our country,
is lying in those banks without any entry.

These are the issues that makes me speak,
against the Government that i consider meek.

End of rant.

birth-day :)

Had a great b'day :)

Got many surprises and many gifts :) Am utterly grateful to everyone who wished me today :) But a poem written by Arnav, a dear friend of mine stands out :)

My poem is about Siddharth....
What a sad start to this ode!!
Siddharth is....I'm mad
I'm taking the wrong road!!

I scratch my head and rack my brains
as I look to start this complimenting
but the right words just don't come out
now... Oh! that's the perfect starting

Words are less to describe this man
who downloads many a movie, makes many a plan.
He's devoted to AOL, smart on the street
enjoys blogging as well as many a tweet

His ambitions are unknown, but weaknesses are
His success could be rare, but knowledge spread far
messages are sweet & salty, SJ's are a pain
So he does to irritate, or for other's gain

Great is character, soft at heart
His friends are near but wide and far apart
The smile might not look good at all
But he's worthy to be friends with and give a call

On the day of birthday No. 21
I'd want him to enjoy, have loads of fun
No matter what he might do today
No one forgets the "Siddharth Jain" way

love,
Siddharth

A childhood obsession...

Its been long time since i blogged! As a matter of fact its been 2 months, but anyways feels great to start it all over again :)

Yesterday i.e. 14th January was Makar-Sakranti, the festival of kites. This was one day that I always looked forward to, even more than my birthday! I used to start flying kites from November onwards, i was that obsessed by it. On the D-day, I used to get up at 5:00 a.m. in the morning, was on top of my roof by 5:30 a.m with 'yellow' colour kites (only they are visible in dark) and 'charkhi'... Aah i can't forget those days... From morning till late evening i just used to fly kites and nothing else.. Every other thing took a backseat on that very special day. Me being the only kite-flyer in the house used to get around 100 kites! I was actually quite famous in my colony for my skills in cutting other's kites..The entire sky looked so colourful that day, kites of different shapes, sizes and colours used to brighten up the sky :)

But ever since i came to Delhi, this day has taken a backseat in my life. There are so many other things which keep me occupied, to name a few -- exams, exams and more of them!! The situation was so bad this year, that my mom actually had to remind me that it was Sakranti on that particular day.. There was not even a bird flying in the sky, leave alone kites! People here observe the Kite festival on 15th August though not as passionately as the people of the Pink-City. Delhites actually are too busy to fly kites, they are themselves flying half the time (bad one!).

So, I see as i am growing up my definition of 'pleasurable' activities is also changing. From GI-Joe's to kites to video games to comics to cricket to girls to movies to some xyz thing, they have constantly been evolving. So now if i get hold of a comic will I be able to enjoy it the same way as I used to when I was 6-7 years old, i guess the answer is no.. Am wondering why?

love,
Siddharth

The Illusionist

Hello everyone : )

Sorry for not writing all these days... Am quite busy with CAT as its just a month away (consider it as an excuse not for writing)

Have also seen some amazingly fantastic movies recommended by Rajesh Bhaiya off late. Just saw one right now, but am hungry for more... :)

Source : Rajesh Jagasia's blog

The movie curls around you like a snake and powerfully and mysteriously allures you into its grip and releases you into a world full of illusions which only enhances its enticement. Edward Norton is a magician illusionist who has given his best performance here, his eye contacts with the camera, his composure and his moves are magical and magnificent. His lady love, the Duchess Sophie has been separated from him since 15 years and he is back as a master magician. His powers become a peril for the Crown prince and his to-be held engagement to the beautiful Dutchess.

The Dutchess gets murdered and Inspector Uhl whose work is honed by easiness and intelligence, investigates into the powers and intentions of the magician. The illusion is a parable about what you see and what is really happening. The end is mesmerizing and is left for the audience to conclude whether the magician was an illusionist or a man possessed by darker forces. A Must Watch.

love,

Siddharth

PS : More movies later :)

A quickie...

What to do when there is a confusion?

If you notice confusion is never between a good and a bad thing. If this had been the case, then there would have been no confusion! But the irony is that confusion is always between two equally good/important things. For example : A person has to choose between a Nokia and a Motorola cell phone. Both have same advantages/disadvantages and both are priced same. Assuming everything else (looks, style, applications, durability etc..) is also the same, he can choose either of them. Now, the confusion lies here :)

What to do now?

Just toss a coin. If head comes, buy Nokia otherwise settle for Motorola.

Isn't it simple? Of course had he to choose between Nokia and LG there would have never been any confusion :)

So there are two options when a confusion arises :

1. Toss a coin (only once, not best of three :)

2. Take a pillow and go off to sleep (Decide on anything when you wake up)

I personally prefer the first way.

love,

Siddharth

The You that You want to change - Part 1

Well off late, i have been quite anguished with my bad habits. As if nobody is! Hmph... Now i am not going to discuss the problem, but would like to go for the solution. Usually what we do is that we focus more on the problem rather than on the solution, even i used to do that. But not anymore.

Opened "Celebrating Silence" and got my answer. And yeah since our true nature is to share, i am going to do that :)

Guruji says : You want to get rid of bad habits because they give you pain and restrict you. Habits clog you when there is no liveliness or juice in life. The nature of habits is to bother you, or bind you, and wanting to be free is the nature of life. Life wants to be free and when a soul does not know how to be free, it wanders through lifetimes desiring freedom.

The way to break bad habits is through vows, or samyama. Everyone is endowed with a little samyama. When your life force has a direction, you can rise above bad habits through samyama.

When the mind dwells on the useless thoughts of bad habits, two things can happen. First, all your old patterns arise and you feel discouraged by them. You blame yourself and feel that you have made no progress.

Second, you see the habits as opportunities for samyama, and feel happy. Without samyama, life will not be happy and disease-free. You know you should not eat three servings of ice-cream because it will make you sick. It is samyama that prevents such indulgence.

A vow should be time bound, and the time and place for making the vow should be considered. Suppose someone has a habit of smoking cigarettes and says, "I will quit smoking," but cannot do it. He can take a time bound vow for 90 days. If you have a habit of cursing and swearing, take a vow not to use foul language for 10 days. Do not take a vow for a lifetime ; you will break it immediately. If you happen to break it before the time has elapsed, do not worry. Just begin again. Slowly increase the duration until it becomes your nature.

All those habits that bother you, that bring you pain - bind them in vows, in samyama.

What I say : So, the remote control of our life is in our hands. Just recharge the battery and tune in to some really nice channels :)

Love,

Siddharth

PS : For the next "four" Sunday's, i am going to write some beautiful knowledge by Guruji. Don't miss it :)

PPS : If you really understood this post, then comment on as to why have i written "four" in italics?

Auto-experience...

Any mention about Delhi is incomplete without mentioning the Auto's, Blue line's and the Metro which are the lifeline of the city! I always prefer travelling by auto(as metro is still under construction in South Delhi),it not only saves time, but is also quite cheap :) Yeah one caveat though,the auto drivers hardly run by meter and tend to overcharge also at times!

Yesterday, while getting back from the domestic airport i met this Auto-driver who not only ran by meter but also had some interesting displays inside and outside the auto :) See it for yourself...

It felt really good travelling with this guy. He had just one line for whatever i was asking him "NO problem" and this is what i loved about him! He has decided to abide by his principles no matter what comes, and that iteslf inspires a lot....

When i offered to give him a tip, he simply refused because he said he never accepts tips from a student! This all might sound very logical but here in Delhi, it is a rare thing...

In my excitement i forgot to click his picture... But this memory is always going to stay with me :) After all it is a feel good memory...

Keep smiling and breathing,

Siddharth

Winner or a loser?

Hurdles, obstacles, obstructions, mood swings, ego and what not comes on our way whenever we want to do something. Especially it is said that whenever we want to do something good, nature would keep on testing our committment towards our goal. If we give up, we are called a loser and if we move through it, then we become a winner :)

Today i was really bothered by some events, and was wondering that why were these "weird" things happening to me ?! Then this one thought that : "Question marks (?) are like a hook, they hook on to the past" changed my entire viewpoint about the events happening. I realized that these things are happening to me because my committment is being tested. Aho! I smiled, and i moved on :)

Now even after giving my 100% if i lose, then i won't be a loser but a winner. So there's no choice but to smile, smile and smile : ) :)

Love,

Siddharth

How to conquer Jealousy?!

Our true nature is sheer happiness, joy and total bliss :) Felt nice to know that?!

Its only on the surface level that we experience negative emotions like jealousy, hatred, anger, guilt, and lust. So the question ringing in your mind would be how to dig deeper and how to get free of all these not so feel good emotions!

Let us talk about one emotion at a time :)

Hmm...How many of us feel that emotion called 'jealousy' on seeing our competitors doing really well in their respective fields? How many of us after seeing a movie are really jealous of the main protagonist in the movie? Let me make an honest confession, i am! And how do i feel when i am jealous, bad really bad! I just want to get rid of it immediately, and here comes Sri Sri's knowledge to the rescue :)

He gives the following means to conquer it :

Know that person of whom you are jealous has done some good deeds in the past and is now reaping the fruit.

See jealousy as an inspiration to gain merit for yourself.

Create a sense of belongingness with those of whom you are envious. See them as a part of you.

Think of all you have that they do not have and feel grateful.

Simply observe the sensations (You get some tingling sensations on your navel region)

Join hands and form a team with them (Ha! you will also come in the limelight)

Realize that in the current of moving time all will perish - your envy along with who you envy! :)

Jai Gurudev!

Siddharth

ps Guys, good ideas are just not to be heard/read but they are to be IMPLEMENTED!