A school boy’s small act of kindness made a big impact on my life!

A school boy’s small act of kindness made a big impact on my life! 

A class X school boy living in my street is known to me since his childhood. He used to visit us often and much interested in knowing about Gandhi. I am associated with Gandhi Peace Foundation, Madras and share Gandhian thoughts and children’s books to him. On a Gandhi Jayanthi Day, during Covid period, when no one visited other’s home, he came to my house and spoke on Gandhi for few minutes as homage to Mahatma. This news was published in local weekly newspaper. Now he is studying in SBIOA Model School. He wanted to donate books to his school library and sought my help. I have my own home library and I am in the process of giving away books to the right person, I gave him a set of imported Encyclopedia of 24 volumes and Gandhiji’s autobiography in many languages. Added to this he took other books useful for children and gave it to his school library. He was honored in the assembly for his act of kindness. 

 Now, coming to me, he introduced me to his Headmistress and Tamil Dept. Head on his own by sharing my Gandhian activities. This act of kindness turned a leaf in my life. Teachers have trusted him and gave me a call and visited my home to invite me, as a Special Guest for the Independence Day last month. On receipt of my profile, they have printed my name in the Invitation for the celebration. It was a great honor for me to speak among students along with other dignitaries.

 Micro action of a young mind brought a significant on my life. He inspired me to give back such a kind of act to others in need. I am always grateful to such persons, whether young or old.

 “The simplest act of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in a prayer “ – Mahatma Gandhi

'Time" cries ...they are killing me softly!!!

 

‘TIME’ cries …”They are killing me softly”!!!

“Killing time is not an easy job”. If you are killing time, it’s not murder. It’s suicide!

Why do people kill time?

Before starting my episode, I tested myself, whether am I killing time. To the best of my knowledge and from the past experience, I feel that I am managing time, to the extent possible, wisely and so I do share the slogan “Waste Time Wisely” among students.

In my observation I have noticed that many students don’t use time as it needs to be. Apart from attending school or college and spending time for reading or writing of subjects related to curriculum, they simply comes out to spend time as they please, for entertainment, gossip, social media and other ways. When we ask them for the reason, their reply was “De-stress and or free from boredom”. I don’t see even few students read books on subjects of their interest or self-improvement books or for updating their skills and knowledge.

According to me books are the best friends to keep us engaged, to spend time wisely and usefully.  Every student should develop reading habit to improve themselves in all walks of life. All educational institutions have their own library and students are privileged to pick and read books. But very few only visits library often for reading and taking books to home. 

It has been speculated by publishers, book critics and teachers, that because of the gradual decline in students' interest, reading is now dead. Researchers say that the social media takes the students time and controls them rather they control the social media. Whatever may be the reason, there are number of ways to come out of that entanglements.

 I personally think that reading is not dead. I may be optimistic but I think people are more curious in learning new things and there seems to be a rise in reading non-fiction genre and more of self-help books. Students should learn for elders on how to improve their reading habits than killing time.

 If you’re one of countless people who don’t make a habit of reading regularly, you might be missing out.

 Let us look into the few best benefits of reading shared by experts:

 Exercise our brain. If we don’t our cognitive abilities may decline.

Gain valuable knowledge.

Reduce stress.

Improve our focus, memory and communication skills.

Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills.

Writings of other authors will invariably improve our writings.

Books improves creativity.

Reading great speeches of great leaders improves our speaking ability.

…..many more benefits you can experience once you start reading.

 

What happens if you kill time?

When you kill time, you are killing your opportunities to do more and be more.

Why you need to stop killing time?

We kill time by procrastinating and doing unproductive activities to ignore what is really at hand. Killing time may work for a few minutes, but it adds up when things need to get done.

Want to stop killing time?

Successful people make the most of each hour of every day, using every moment to their advantage. Learn to get a handle on what is distracting you from accomplishing your tasks each day. Effective time management is a habit that can be learned. It starts with your decision to invest your time into what is important.

“Time is your most precious resource; make every minute count.”

Should we kill ‘Time’? Let’s stop ‘Time’s cry!!!

 

41 minutes Miracle at Bull Temple Road, Bengaluru

 

41 minutes Miracle at Bull Temple Road, Bengaluru!

Does miracle happen to all?

Do miracles happen every day?

How do miracles happen in life?

These are the common questions comes to our mind, when someone talks about a miracle happened or experienced in his or her life.

Miracle is an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. Such an effect or event manifesting is considered as a work of God.

I wish to share a miracle, act of God, happened to me at Bull Temple Road, Bengaluru, on the first Sunday of June 2022!

I had been to Bengaluru to attend the Shataabdhi function of a close friend’s parents. His father’s centenary birthday celebration was well organised in a hall at Nava Mantralaya Complex. As I was early to the function, I could visit the adjacent temples, Sri Raghavendra Temple and Sri Balaji Mandir and two opposite temples, Shree Dodda Ganapathi Temple and Sri Big Bull Temple.

I always carry a small shoulder bag and inside I kept my wallet with cash, credit and debit cards, Aadhar Card and small Lord Krishna picture cards. My backpack was kept in the hall safely.

The function went off well, attended by close relatives and well-wishers of my good friend. I met few of my old colleagues and one after 30 years! I got the blessings from my friend’s parents on the stage. During the lunch time my friend’s elder brother gave a silver coin of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha in a plastic casket to all the guests and I also got one and kept in the same shoulder bag.

My testing time started at 2.19 pm and I am not aware of it! I bid farewell to my friend, the host, after a very special lunch and joined with another friend and his wife to proceed to their hotel for refreshing before proceeding to KSR Railway station for return journey to Chennai, scheduled at 4.15 pm. He called an auto-rickshaw and both of them boarded first and I took the corner seat and to sit comfortably, I removed my backpack and kept on my lap. We went the hotel, refreshed and when we were about to leave, I checked my backpack and looking for my shoulder bag. I couldn’t find my shoulder bag either inside my backpack or separately! I was perturbed at that moment because of  the missing shoulder bag. My friend suggested to rush up immediately to the function hall, to check whether anyone found and kept it safely. So I joined with him and we took another auto-rickshaw on return basis and rushed to the hall.

 On reaching the hall main gate, we told the driver to park a little front and we will return soon. Both of us went inside and checked separately at all the places and with friends but in vain. My friend worried a lot on this unfortunate incident. Then I decided to go back as we have to catch the train by 4.15 pm and told my friend that train ticket is in mobile and we can move. We came out and reached the auto-rickshaw, stationed just ten feet away in the same Bull Temple Road.

The Miracle happened to me at that moment. As I was about to board the vehicle, I found my shoulder bag was caught under the left rear wheel of the same auto parked and the driver was sitting inside and he too not noticed it while parking. It was a shocking relief for me and my friend too. We can’t believe our eyes. Then I came to realise that my shoulder-bag fell on the road, when I boarded the first auto to move to hotel room. For the next 41 minutes it was lying in the same place, on the road, unnoticed by none of the passersby till 3.00 pm, including us, when we came out of the same auto and rushed up to the hall to search.. Hundreds of vehicles, bikes, cars, autos and few walkers would have crossed the same road where my bag lies and really it is a miracle for us.

Before we asked the driver to move the auto to pick the bag, my friend took a photo to share the miracle to the host and to relieve his worry. I took the bag and checked for the contents and everything was intact. I believe that the miracle is , my bag was protected by Lord Narasimha, in the form of a silver dollar, inside my bag, gifted by the host.  The impact of the auto wheel was also taken by the Lord, as the plastic casket containing the Lord Narasimha’s silver dollar, which cracked a bit but the dollar is intact. This is first of a kind experience happened in a new place where I had never been before.

This MIRACLE happened only because of the faith we have on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the form of Lord Narasimha. Added to this, I wish to share that the  Shataabdhi function of the couple was performed in front of Lord Narasimha deity picture and the entire family are devotees of Lord Narasimha and their blessings means a lot for us.

This ordeal of 41 minutes is a lesson for me to increase my devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Yes, Miracles can happen to all of us at any time by the mercy of the Lord and we can see God’s presence in this type of act by Him.

Chant Hare Krishna and Be Happy. Sri Narasimha Dev ki Jai.                                                   

Chander is a History Buff Episode 7

 

Chander is a History Buff Episode 7

 

Greeting to my readers.

 

I am posting my new episode 7 (a book of 96 years old, from my bookshelf) before episode 6, as the book I am reviewing in episode 6 needs more exploration, to share with the readers, for more interesting facts and photos!

 

This historical episode covers a great author, a Zorastrian Barrister-At-Law, an Advocate in High Court, Bombay, KAIKOBAD BHICAJI DASTUR,(MEHERJIRANA), and his First Edition Book “ LOST KINGDOM FOUND or THE REVELATIONS, published by himself in 1925 @ Rs.3, printed by G.M.Pandya, at The Maneck Prionting Press, Benham Hall Lane, Girgam, Bombay.

 

The subject is – Future Life. From his own personal experiences, in the preface, the author shares his knowledge of what happens on and after death and conveys information about our next life and about the homes of the departed, and it is intend to bring next worlds nearer to us!

 

I am so keen to know more about his realisations on this subject by reading the full book of 133 pages, beautifully bound in red colour. It contains XV chapters with various headings. The title of the chapters are: The Title, The Dead are Alive, The Other Worlds, Love, Divine Justice, The Dark Spot, The Awakening, Battling With Nature, Set Backs, My Visits, The Most Surprising Revelation, Heaven, The Dark World, Common Features, Miscellaneous Matters and an Appendix.

 

I would like to share the author’s few interesting lines from his original text, which attracted me to go ahead from chapter I till the end. 

 

“Know this for certain, that the body only is mortal, but the man is immortal.”

Unquote: Many books and articles use this as a standard example of logic:

• All men are mortal.
• Socrates is a man.
• Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

The question is: where did this example come from? Some people think this example comes from Aristotle, but Aristotle did not say anything like this example.

 

Quote:

“… there is no death, that our departed dear ones are alive, and that they are residing in one or others of several worlds which are round about us.”

“Though death is the greatest enemy of mankind, it is only an imaginary enemy, because in reality it does not exist.”

“We begin our next life according to the progress made by us and according to the good or evil which we may have done while living in this world.”

“Love is the currency of God….By love I mean something more than what is generally supposed. It means a true desire to see all happy, and more happy than ourselves….Heaven is not an imaginary dreamland but a solid region like the earth, and inhibited by living intelligencies like ourselves…Love all, love well and love true. Think of others and then only God will think of you.”

“It is everywhere the Kingdom of God. Hell is a myth…God pardons nobody, because He condemns none.”

In the chapter “The Most Surprising Revelation”, the author says,”…Dreams are a mixture of truth and untruth, and on many occasions we are able to remember only the untrue portion of our dreams and entirely forget the true knowledge intended to be conveyed to us.”

The author’s daily prayers are:- “Oh, Lord! Make me a better man and give me light to make mankind happy.”

Unquote:

I find it difficult to give the complete essence of the author’s revelations here, and once the reader reads the full book, he or she can realise his or her own revelations on this subject. But I found from the internet that there is no copy available in any Indian libraries and only 5 books available in UK and USA libraries, with no reviews as on date, according to the data gathered from Worldcat.org! So, mine is the first review after 96 years of publication, I believe!!!

I will come back with my episode 6 …..

Internet data:

Lost kingdom found; or, the Revelations,

Author:	Kaikobad Bhikaji Dastur.
Publisher:	[Bombay] 1925.
Edition/Format:	Print book : English : 1st edView all editions and formats
Rating:	(not yet rated) and not reviewed yet.
Subjects	·         Future life.

 

LibraryHeld formatsDistance1.

The British Library, St. Pancras

London, NW1 2DB United Kingdom

 Book8200 km

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 13244 United States

 Book13300 km

New York Public Library System
NYPL

New York, NY 10018 United States

 Book13400 km

 

Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center (HRC); University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas Libraries

Austin, TX 78713 United States

 Book15200 km

Chander is A History Buff Episode 5

 

Chander is A History Buff Episode 5

Greetings to my readers.

This blog is dedicated to book lovers and in particular to literary books of olden time, who are keen in knowing the history of the author of a book, they read and love to read again and again! I am one such book lover and here I am going to write about an author, Charlotte Bronte and her life sketched by Mrs.Gaskell.

The Book: The Life of Charlotte Bronte

By: Mrs.Gaskell, Published by: Smith, Elder, & Co., 15 Waterloo Place, Year of publication: 1889 ( First published in 1857)

This is a pocket book edition, bound in half cloth with uncut edges, which seems to be special for me! In addition, the facing page of the title page contains the portrait of Charlotte Bronte by George Richmond in 1850,with her signature : Sincerely yours – C Bronte.

The 447 page book with XXVIII chapters.

Special mention: There are many notes in ink and pencil marked while reading the book, by the original owner alongside the text! ( may be made in 1889 ).

Charlotte Bronte: As recently as 2017, The Life of Charlotte Brontë was listed in The Guardian (UK) as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time! Charlotte was a literary star on both sides of the Atlantic, so it was exciting to find this 1857 review published in a Washington, D.C., newspaper:

An 1857 review of The Life of Charlotte Brontë

An original review dated June 4, 1857, The National Era, Washington, D.C.: A sadder book than this we have never read. The very volumes which gave to Charlotte Brontë her brilliant reputation are less sad, less gloomy than this — the true story of her life. It is only through this sorrowful tale that her books can be understood — it is only after reading it, that we can do her justice.

Charlotte Brontë was a woman of heroic character, of great nobility of heart. Sorrows which would have crushed others, or driven them made, seemed by to sadden her, and add gloom to her soul. Not for a moment did she give way, but continued her steady work, her life of unremitting industry.

Charlotte Brontë (1816 – 1855) outlived all five of her siblings, including her literary sisters, Emily and Anne. The grief at losing her sisters at ages thirty and twenty-nine, respectively, may have been easing with the happiness she found as the wife of Arthur Bell Nichols, and the widespread recognition of her talents as a writer.

Jane Eyre, Shirley, and Villette had all been published, and Charlotte was recognized as a major talent. Her books sold well, too. And though she was still known as “Currer Bell,” the male pseudonym she’d use to break into the publishing world, her true identity had been established.

But it was not to last. When Charlotte died of complications due to pregnancy in 1855, she had nearly reached her thirty-ninth birthday. 

Two years after her death, The Professor, the first novel she had written (but which remained unpublished in her lifetime) was published. The Life of Charlotte Brontë by Elizabeth Gaskell was also published that same year (1857), helping to seal her legacy and reputation. Mrs. Gaskell, as she was known, was at the time also a respected novelist, having published Mary Barton and Ruth.

The Author, Mrs.Elizabeth Gaskell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Gaskell

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (née Stevenson; 29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor. Her work is of interest to social historians as well as readers of literature. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë, published in 1857, was the first biography of Charlotte Brontë. In this biography, she wrote only of the moral, sophisticated things in Brontë’s life; the rest she left out, deciding that certain, more salacious aspects were better kept hidden. Among Gaskell's best known novels are Cranford (1851–53), North and South (1854–55), and Wives and Daughters (1865), each having been adapted for television by the BBC.

The history of Charlotte Bronte may induce the readers to read her books.  Let us start searching for copies from Internet Archives and begin reading. Of course Audio Books are also available in YouTube, for listeners in separate volumes running to many hours! One of the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP4e-PKH9jY

See you soon with more books of antiquity and the history of the book and it’s author…

Photos of my copy of the book...

Charlotte Bronte

Mrs.Elizabeth Gaskell (Author)

Chander is a History Buff Episode 4

 

Chander is A History Buff Episode 4

Greetings to all readers.

This episode covers the history of an author and a publisher of a book in my shelf aged 124 years since its publication( 1897)! More than that the author is very famous among English Classics readers.

About the book: HOMER – THE ODYSSEY - Ancient Classics for English Readers ,

Edited By The Rev. W. LUCAS COLLINS, M.A.

Published  and Printed by WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, Edinburgh and London in 1897.

Contents: Introduction and XI Chapters in 136 pages.

History of Homer : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer

Homer (/ˈhoʊmər/; Ancient Greek: Ὅμηρος [hómɛːros], Hómēros) was the presumed author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are the foundational works of ancient Greek literature. 

The Odyssey focuses on the ten-year journey home of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, after the fall of Troy. Many accounts of Homer's life circulated in classical antiquity, the most widespread being that he was a blind bard from Ionia, a region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey.

Modern scholars consider these accounts legendary. It is generally accepted that the poems were composed at some point around the late eighth or early seventh century BC.

The Homeric epics were the greatest influence on ancient Greek culture and education; to Plato, Homer was simply the one who "has taught Greece" 

The orally transmitted Homeric poems were put into written form at some point between the eighth and sixth centuries BC. Some scholars believe that they were dictated to a scribe by the poet and that our inherited versions of the Iliad and Odyssey were in origin orally-dictated texts.

About the Editor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lucas_Collins

Rev William Lucas Collins (baptised 23 May 1815 – 24 March 1887) was a Church of England priest and essayist.

William Lucas Collins was born in 1815 at Oxwich, near Swansea, Glamorgan, south Wales. He was sent to be educated at Rugby School (1829–33) and Jesus College, Oxford (matriculating in 1833, obtaining a BA in Literae Humaniores in 1838 and his MA in 1841).^[1]

He was ordained in 1840 and held the benefice of the parish of Cheriton, Swansea from 1840 until 1867. He also held positions as curate of Great Houghton, Northamptonshire (1853 to 1862), a diocesan inspector of education, rector of St Peter's Church, Lowick (1873 to his death) and vicar of Slipton, Northamptonshire (1876 to his death). He was an honorary Canon of Peterborough Cathedral from 1870. Collins died on 24 March 1887, in Lowick rectory.

About the Publisher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackwood

William Blackwood (20 November 1776 – 16 September 1834) was a Scottish publisher who founded the firm of William Blackwood and Sons.

Blackwood was born in Edinburgh on 20 November 1776. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed to a firm of booksellers in Edinburgh, and he followed his calling also in Glasgow and London for several years. Returning to Edinburgh in 1804, he opened a shop in South Bridge Street for the sale of old, rare and curious books. He undertook the Scottish agency for John Murray and other London publishers, and gradually drifted into publishing on his own account.

Homer’s Odyssey contents: Introduction, Penelope and her suitors, Telemachus goes in quest of his father, Ulysses with Calypso and Phaeacians, Ulysses tells his story to Alcinous, The tale continued – The visit to the shades, Ulysses return to Ithaca, The Returrn of Telemachus from Sparta, Ulysses revisits his palace, The day of Retribution, The recognition of Penelope and Concluding remarks.

The complete book is available for online reading. Use the link: https://archive.org/details/homerodyssey00collrich/page/46/mode/2up

 

The epic poem in brief : The Odyssey is Homer's epic of Odysseus' 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus stave off suitors vying for Penelope's hand and Ithaca's throne long enough for Odysseus to return. The Odyssey ends as Odysseus wins a contest to prove his identity, slaughters the suitors, and retakes the throne of Ithaca.

 The photos are for the readers viewing pleasure to see the original pages of the 124 years old book. The original owner of the book signed in the opening page in black ink as : Ramanathan, 18^th July 1897, Madtas.

I will return with more history on books, people, art and culture!