71. BIRTHDAY MESSAGE
(FEBRUARY 27)

Dear Readers,

On this happy occasion, I would like to point out that for the first time in my life, I am experiencing a strange sense of satisfaction which is coming from your continued encouraging response to my efforts towards making everyone’s life easier, through this blog, by stressing in various ways that it is only how we think that makes all the difference

(Also see #13).

On this occasion, I would also like to request you to kindly join me in spreading the message, far and wide, that if we think properly, we won’t ever be unhappy.

Hausla afzahi k liye thanks.

Sirf tumne meri kadar jana,

Ek dost ka dil pehchana,

Kabhi chup reheke na tadpana,

Phir samay mile to ana …

Thank you very much indeed.

Yours truly,

Sujit Mukerji.

70. I WAS WRONG

- Sujit Mukerji

 I thought I had given all I could give

And didn’t know why I continued to live;

It only meant He had more plans for me

What He simply did not want me to see;

I wondered what more role I had to play

And why in His call for me was the delay;

And asked if only he shouldn’t stay on

Who had anything to usher in the dawn?

Now I see how wrong was I

For more I know with days gone by;

The more I live, the more I grow -

The more I can give: life has this to show;

Experience is something that makes us wise -

So, we turn to the older when problems arise;

Thus I wish to God I live and live -

So, as I grow I can just give and give …

69. ‘Ashanti’ (disturbance) ó ‘Swarth’ (selfishness) ó Destruction.

‘Shanti’ (peace) ó ‘Uchit (what is ethical) ó Construction.

- Sujit Mukerji

68. We have only to choose between ‘swarth’ (selfishness) and ‘uchit’ (what is ethical). ‘Swarth’ means how we feel now, whatever the ultimate result; ‘Uchit’ means whatever we might feel now, the ultimate result is definitely good and desirable.

- Sujit Mukerji

67. We know that if there is a beginning, there has to be an end. Yet, we tend to hold on to certain things, just refusing to accept the inevitable, and thus invite pain.

- Sujit Mukerji

66. Destiny can be said to have had (or have) a role when nothing could have been (or can be) done about something.

 - Sujit Mukerji

65. Life in its varied hues,

Never forgets to give us the clues;

To keep us away from the horrid blues …

Is it not something for us to muse?

- Sujit Mukerji

64. Zindagi kat rahi h yahi kya kam h?

Sab Usi ki hi to marzi h -

Isi baat me dum h;

Mana kanto ki rah me fasen hum h …

Par jab Wo h to kis baat ka gam h?

(We are at least continuing - Isn’t that the good part? Everything is His wish - only this fact holds water; of course, life is a bed of thorns but when He is there then why should we worry?)

- Sujit Mukerji

63. Jab saza kis gunah ki samajh me na aye,

Zindagi ek bojh ban jaye,

Tab Us par bharosa hi kaam aye,

Usne bhala bhi to kiya- ye yaad aye,

Ek asha, ek umang, ek josh le aye,

Sapno ka ek aur daur shuru ho jaye …

(When we fail to understand the cause of our sufferings, i.e., when we can not understand why we are being punished and life becomes a burden, then only it is the Trust in Him that helps. It reminds that He has also done us good. This brings a new ray of hope which, in turn, brings the zest for life back in us. And this enables us to see and envision new dreams …)

- Sujit Mukerji

62. For every situation, we have only three options:

(i) Accept it anyhow: if there is no alternative but to accept it then what is the point in grudging about it?

(ii) Change it:  if it can be favorably altered, what is the point in not doing so?

(iii) Seek help: There is nothing wrong in seeking help but doesn’t that prove our inability to manage things on our own and our tendency to be dependent? In other words, by being dependent we prove to ourselves and to the world that we are, on such counts, pathetically handicapped deserving nothing more than sympathy. Why should we bring ourselves to a point where we have to denigrate ourselves in our own eyes and in the eyes of the world?

- Sujit Mukerji

61. Anger is nothing but manifestation of our frustration. By getting angry, we simply declare ourselves as failures in getting our wishes fulfilled. In other words, we declare ourselves as misfits.

- Sujit Mukerji

60. Life would indeed be a wonderful experience if each and every one of us could be more conscious of our own duties than of our rights.

- Sujit Mukerji

59. Bachpan ki nind to befikri aur sukoon ki nishani thi,

Aaj wahi sirf thakan ki majboori h …

Par dukhon wali raat nind kise aati h,

Aur khushi hi mil jaye to sota kaun h?

(Childhood sleep was a sign of peace and absence of concern.

Today it is just a compulsion due to fatigue.

But how can one sleep during nights of sadness and who wants to sleep when there is happiness?)

- Sujit Mukerji

58. Revelation?

– Sujit Mukerji

Whatever comes your way,

In it be firm to stay;

Whatever you lose in the fray,

Don’t lose heart, try all the way

And be happy night and day …

Take lessons from the Nature,

To rise in your stature …

An example of the rose

Can rid you of your woes …

If the input is right,

The plant looks bright;

It grows its thorns

As though full of scorns

And stands straight

When it thinks it’s great

But it finally blossoms

… And bows …

As now it knows it’s great!

Thorns are for safety

For risks are hefty

Flowering shows the trust

 The love, not the thrust …

The mountain teaches a lot

Like the head shouldn’t be hot!

The grass says its share

That to all be fair!

The eucalyptus stands tall

Not just to appal!

Stand tall despite the blow

Or be soft though so ‘low’!

The river finds its route

Through hurdles so brute!

Creatures continue their toil

Putting up a front so brave

 They live in the soil

Which is also their grave …

57. Every heart has a tale to tell …

But God had planned it so well!

He kept the heart below the mind

So, peace in life we can manage to find;

And mind above the heart

So, we can think of a fresh start!

The mind can be the best of friends,

When we foresee the trends;

And the worst of foes,

When we fall prey to woes …

- Sujit Mukerji

56. The more I grow,

The more I know that there is a lot more to know …

Then I was a big fish in a small pond;

And now I am a small one in an ocean …

- Sujit Mukerji

55. (MODIFYING #42)

If we were/are right, then why did/do we feel bad?

- Sujit Mukerji

54. Happiness is only an Interval

(which gets over automatically)

 between Two Miseries;

 Misery is the Gap

 (which needs to be bridged)

 between Two Moments of Happiness …

53. Most of us often have the tendency to see things from our own standpoints. We forget that only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. We also forget that we need a mirror to look at our own selves. Again, we need to remember that our position is always with respect to someone or something else. All our actions- or, inactions- will have a definite bearing not only just on our own selves but also on others. We simply have no right to think of our own selves in isolation.

- Sujit Mukerji

52. Information is knowledge. Knowledge is realized with experience. This realized knowledge is wisdom. For example, a child is informed that the fire can burn. The child can only know how it feels to get burnt if and when it has the actual experience. With experience, it actually knows. It is wise on this count.

- Sujit Mukerji

51. The first outcome of the ‘Sagar Manthan’ was poison. So, we should not get carried away by the first results.

50. Growing old is natural but growing up is optional.

People who agree with us help us feel better but those who don’t, help us grow.

The moment we think of giving up any relationship, we should think of the reason why we held it so long.

Getting upset will not help but getting ‘up’ to ‘set’ things right will help.

49. (BANGLA) Samne dekhlam ek ‘bikolango’;

Bhablam, sudhu sei? Aar amra?

Kono na kono rokum e sobi to tai!
Tobay tai to projyolito hoi baki ongo- protyongo!

Ektu bhablei to hoi bhai …

(We refer to certain people as ‘handicapped’ whereas, each and every one of us is so in one way or the other. However, as the cliché goes -- when one door closes, others open; likewise, when one of the faculties is absent, our other faculties become more pronounced.)

- Sujit Mukerji

48. Five men looked out of their windows.

One saw nothing.

One saw the mud below.

One saw the goings-on in front.

One saw the stars above.

One saw everything.

Who was right?

47. Positive words help make one’s day,

That too in a special way,

Or else, each day is like every day,

With boredom for ever to stay …

To make life funny it’s not always the money,

But one with a will strong enough,

Is surely to live however tough …

He will strive and strive,

But he will live, not just survive …

- Sujit Mukerji

46. It’s worth the while to smile and let smile …

Take things as life’s part or topple your cart!

So, for all out there I always pray -

Woes be out of your way,

Brilliance be with sun’s every ray,

And worries remain at bay,

Joyful be your every day,

Wherever you live or stay,

Be blessed by God you may …

- Sujit Mukerji

45. Apna uchit kabhi na dekha,

Sirf dusro k liye kheenchi rekha,

Sambandhon me aye sudhar,

Agar iss par kare vichar …

(Our ties would be better if we look for our own mistakes rather than those of the others.)

- Sujit Mukerji

44. In reply to a good wish,

I thank but at times have to say:

This day is like every day,

I am tired in every way,

Taking refuge in dreamland stay,

Seeking Hope’s elusive ray,

However, for you I wish the same way,

As you for me always pray,

Lifting my morale in a special way …

- Sujit Mukerji

43. Should others control our feeling(s)?
 (Should others decide how we should feel?)
- Sujit Mukerji

42. If we were/are right, then why the bad feeling(s)?

- Sujit Mukerji

41. Patient: Doctor, everybody looks down on me. People think I am inferior. I think, I am developing a complex.

After a few sessions …

Doctor: You ARE inferior.

(Moral: Instead of complaining, we should constantly try to improve ourselves.)

- Sujit Mukerji

40. MODERNIZATION

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

THE POSITIVE SIDE: Man has been blessed with an insatiable urge to improvise. His ever increasing curiosity drives him for making endless explorations. With every passing day, we see more and more things becoming possible. The newly discovered Boson or God-particle is a case in point as, in time, it will make everything unimaginably faster. In this journey towards modernization, man has covered an unbelievable span since he first learned to understand his needs. The start was slow but as he kept on making progress, his achievements facilitated his further progress and it thus became a virtuous cycle. Life today is replete with glorious examples of man’s accomplishments. The opportunities are ever-increasing. The quality of life is ever improving. Today it has become possible to do just about everything. The world has been reduced to a global village. Communications have become so easy and fast. Transportation more accessible, medical facilities more effective and far reaching, education and knowledge spreading more - both horizontally and vertically, comforts and luxuries- ever on rise, thus encouraging us for a still better lifestyle. No doubt, everything calls for a sacrifice. But, is it not worth all the trouble? Modernization is a very important thing because if it had not occurred even the pen and paper would not have been invented. If we see the history of the world, we would simply know the side-effects and the right effects of modernization. In the beginning, when the man was new, he didn’t even know how to communicate. But, as a result of modernization, now he not only knows how to communicate but also many other things. Due to modernization, we can now even travel out of the world. Isn’t it amazing?

THE NEGATIVE SIDE: Today’s world is witnessing an ever increasing rush for modernization. However, as we know, everything comes with a price-tag. Everyone seems to be so obsessed with the idea of staying in the race and, possibly, end up becoming one of the leaders, that there is a general tendency to ignore the negative fall-outs which reduce the entire exercise to the stature of mere misadventure. The madness is so intense and the approach is so lopsided that one is unable to realize the magnitude of the losses incurred therefrom. Lack of proper planning and strategies is making the whole endeavour a costly bargain. This we can observe in every walk of our life. Let us take, for example, the case of urbanization.

Urbanization, as a part of modernization, entails deforestation and pollution. Cut-throat competitions, without properly effective monitoring channels, despite best efforts, are encouraging corruption and crimes. Everyone wants to take a giant leap forward and stay ahead and so, with new avenues opening up, people are trying to get hold of whatever opportunities they get, as also, wherever and whenever. This means that there are possibilities of uncertainties, staying away from families, resorting to unfair means, leading a stressful life and so on …

Consumerism is another face of modernization. Lack of enough resources is leading to stress, frustration, depression, crimes, corruption, loss of peace etc.

A general drift from our customs and traditions, our cultures, our value system and such things of which we could really be proud of is being noticed as another side effect of the so called modernization. So, it can be safely said that modernization can prove to be a curse if it means uprooting our own selves, jeopardizing our own lives, destroying our own mental and physical health, damaging our own potentials, disturbing our own families and environment etc.

Here again, the only solution is foresightedness and farsightedness.

39. Puja k liye puja-sthal, parivesh evam sharir ka swachh hona zaruri h …

Aur mann ka mayel ka kya?

(We are advised to keep our body and environment clean to get best results like, for instance, during prayer sessions. But what about our mind, which is so often pre-occupied with negative thoughts?)

- Sujit Mukerji

38. Achhi nazar ho to achhi baat h;

Achha nazariya ho to kya baat h!

(Good eye-sight is nice but good way of looking at things and good vision is what we actually need.)

- Sujit Mukerji

37. WHY ENGLISH IS POPULAR –

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

Any language is a potent means of expression. English has proved to be one of the most popular languages because vast territories were ruled by English people. Therefore, they have left their mark on them. Moreover, this language is flexible in nature and adaptability and, therefore, it has many variants. In fact, the latest Oxford dictionary also contains words taken from different languages, including Hindi. The English people have also had a very significant contribution in the field of literature ...

36. (BANGLA) Se jokhon chhilo,

Shudhu dilo ar dilo …

Pran dhele dilo …

Se jokhon galo,

 Amar mon tai nea galo …

Mane shobi to nea galo …

 (Ar to kichhui chai na!)

Sunlam asha mane jawa

Ei jibon shara,

Tobuo bojhano kano mushkil

 nijeke akhon para?

(At the death of a mother: When she was alive, she just gave and gave … Ultimately, even her life … Now, that she is gone, she has taken away my mind with her i.e. everything I could ever want to live for, leaving me with a sense of complete hollowness: with my mom gone, I do not have the desire for anything else …

All through my life, I have heard that if there is a beginning, there has to be an end; if someone comes, he has to go … But, why is it so difficult to make my mind understand this now?)

- Sujit Mukerji

35. Night has ended for another day,

Morning has come in a special way,

May you smile like the sunny ray,

And leave your worries at the blue, blue bay ...

- Sujit Mukerji

34. Man’s pursuit of a meaningful life

Often ends with a meaningless strife!

At the end, it is the peace that counts,

In a life where it is the stress that mounts …

Man reaches for the rainbow,

To get a blow after blow!

He seeks a spice with a piece for a price …

When he gets what he seeks,

His heart to him speaks ­­–

Wasn’t this what you needed?

Then why are you looking so weeded?

-Sujit Mukerji

33. Yeh to atma ki pukar h,

Kehti jivan ka yeh saar h,

Sharir to ek akar h,

Ek alankar, ek sringar h

Aur waqt ka bhi shikaar h ...

- Sujit Mukerji

32. TO BE OR NOT TO BE …

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

Many of us have the tendency to praise the new things and when they become old, we start disrespecting them and the things get ignored. It is not just about the things but also about people as, nowadays, we hear of instances when guardians get turned out from their own houses. In such cases, the guardians are thought of as burdens. Is it right? No, not at all. We must not forget that whatever we are today, it is just because of our guardians. But, unfortunately, some people forget this fact. When it comes to things, the question arises – why do we want such things which we will discard later? The answer is – because we feel their need at that time. Then why do we discard them? It’s because the thing has become of no use or it can not serve our purpose as per our expectations or it is proving to be harmful to us.

Discarding something harmful is understandable but when discarding something becomes harmful, then what should be our approach? For example, we tend to discard certain good practices because they are inconvenient for us. Families break up because each individual seeks his or her own convenience. If this approach continues, then the day would not be far when the whole society will start breaking up. Hence, a careful consideration of all the pros and cons before arriving at any decision would be the wisest action on our part.

31. It is always a game,

 None is ever to blame,

Because it adds the flame,

Nothing remains the same …

There is forever a cause,

And a cause behind a cause,

Just think with a pause!

- Sujit Mukerji

30. Life is so full of pain,

 But let nothing ever go in vain,

 For there is so much from it to gain,

 Then why look at it with such disdain …

 And be wary of the strain?

- Sujit Mukerji

29. What I say is only my view,

 With supporters maybe a few,

 You can choose to disagree,

 After all, you are free …

 What we see today,

 It is only to say,

 It is an outcome of something past,

 Needing some thinking fast …

- Sujit Mukerji

28. GOD PROVIDES EVERYTHING

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji (when in class 4^th, inspired by father.)

As we all know that Nature provides all the beautiful things except man-made things. But do we know who has made the Nature? Yes, some of us know but some of us do not know! God had created the Nature. God has provided everything. God has also provided talent in us. Some of us use the talent but some do not and start blaming others, our own luck or even God for our failures and sorrows! Why do we enter this blame-game when all we need to do is to keep trying patiently, having full faith in God and our own selves! The one who has used the talent has made his own, and also others’, life easy; like Galileo Galilee, who furthered the horizon of our wisdom by inventing the telescope. Therefore, there is no doubt that we owe everything to God and we can get these right results only if and when we use what God has given us properly. That would be our best tribute to God.

27. Par lagey -- agar ho chinta yahi

matlab sab kuch chhorna sambhav nhi?

Samay par sab choottha yehi,

to swarth kyon ho kahi na kahi?

Us par yedi bharosa h to chhoro chinta kya kaisa h,

zindgi ka kya kat jayegi,

chah lo to sab kuch bha jayegi! 

- Sujit Mukerji

26. Iss bhagdaur mein dosto ko bhulaya nhi karte

kisi ko pas lakar unse dur jaya nhi kate.

Mana zakhm aapno sehi h atey

par use bhi to apne hi h bharte … 

- Sujit Mukerji

25. How we are affected by a situation depends only on how we respond to it … 

- Swami Vivekanand

24. How we feel depends only on how we choose to feel ...  i.e. how we think …

- Sujit Mukerji

23. When we say we can not work due to lack of certain facilities we forget that those who invented those facilities had worked without them …

- Suit Mukerji

22. If we had thought differently the results would have been different … 

- Sujit Mukerji

21. There are so many things to learn and remember from each experience, our own and others’ … but how often do we really care?

- Suijit Mukerji

20. Blaming someone or something else is escapism. Losers make excuses. We are affected means we are involved means we are responsible … somewhere … somehow 

– Sujit Mukerji…

19. The solution lies in the problem... Everything is an effect of a combination of factors… A cause is also an effect of something – a chain of reactions.

- Sujit Mukerji

18. It is either a vicious or a virtuous circle:  the choice is ours ... Many of us try to control/change/manipulate others. When doing so with the self is so difficult! 

– Sujit Mukerji

17. Many of us want others to be like us when it is so difficult for us to be like them!

- Sujit Mukerji

16. Destiny is full of shocks

For doors of dreams have different locks

Asks: can’t you see the worst is yet to be?

Still live with hope

And look for a scope

I say to me

As I have “promises to keep

And miles to go

Before I sleep … “ 

– Sujit Mukerji

15. Only He knows how much more there is to take

Everything looks so fake

Something is always at stake

Whenever you have a thing to make

You sure have a thing to break

We do our bit …

And get what comes in the wake … 

- Sujit Mukerji

14. Life is like a tight-rope-walk. All we need to do is the balancing act. Difficult. Very difficult. But certainly not impossible.

-Sujit Mukerji

13. OUR THINKING MAKES IT SO …

-Sujit Mukerji

The mind can be the best of friends,

As only it can reverse life’s ugly trends!

The mind can be the worst of foes,

As only it can raise life’s horrid woes!

Take up all the cases one by one,     

See if the battle is lost or won! 

It’s only the mind that had the role,

To make one miss or hit the goal!

Take the life with a pinch of salt,

Or let it come to a grinding halt!

And if we make this mind our foe,

Whatever we do we will get the woe!

What matters is nothing but the mind, 
If we play it right, peace we’ll find!
A thing goes wrong, we start to blame,

Don’t we know it is a horrible game?

As nothing is good and nothing is bad,

Then why is that we are so sad?

It is our thinking that makes things so,

Look ahead, we’ve a long way to go!

He told me this, she told me that,

May be good for a small time chat!

If thinking is proper, the result is positive,

And the effect of that is so formative!

The stance pulls the shots, play or work,

Do what’s to be done, don’t ever shirk!

If the way is right, the result’s good,

So it is always ‘think how we should!’

The ways are right if the mind’s friendly,

‘Friendly’ as then the end is so bright!

That does call for some hard work now,

This will make all others later on bow!

All that we get to hear and see,

Ask if that’s what they’re meant to be!

If the mind is clear, perception is right,

If we go by logic, future is bright!

We should know in life our own place,

Only then we can act with some grace!

So that we have a life smooth-sailing,

Not wasting it so repenting or wailing!

Our face and act do reflect our mind,

On study each will so many things find!

We ought to be careful in everything,

Then see with awe how life has wings!

If we are at any point too sure,

The harm done may be sans any cure!

So better will it be to remember that,

Excess is bad and makes us fall flat!

A balance in all there must always be,

With the will, how we can surely see!

If there’s any tilt, how can we stand,

Making it possible for life to be grand?

For every thing there is sure a cause,

We’ll find if we think with a pause!

It’s the result of a thing which we see,

With a change, different it’s sure to be!

Here we’re sure a lot’s been left out,

Or not a thing we can talk about?

If we try we can find a scope,

Or must we lose all heart and hope?