350. A child sees an elder panicking and raising a hue and cry, it learns to do the same thing and with that kind of learning he grows.

- Sujit Mukerji

349. Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.

- Isaac Newton

348.  Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.

–Washington Irving

347. Deeds are fruits; words are leaves.

346. The only time when we are rendered powerless is when we give up and decide for ourselves that we can not go on.

- contributed by Dr. Ashok Tahiliani

345. Falsehood is cowardice. Truthfulness needs courage.

- Sujit Mukerji

344. Appearances are deceptive, we know. Yet, we tend to be influenced by appearances!

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

343. Kids find enjoyment in small things. They do not harbour grudge nor do they nurture vengeance for long. They do not take much time to forget their sorrows. Yet, they learn their lessons and move on … Why do such things become difficult on growing up, generally speaking?

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

342. Lack of focus, we know, delays success. Yet, there are instances when in an attempt to explain certain things, there is a tendency to drift away from the core issue and the thrust is lost.

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

341. Do not be like the cat who wanted a fish but was afraid to get his paws wet.     

– William Shakespeare

340. Shouldn’t we think both before and after we act?

- Sujit Mukerji

339. When all religions advocate only the good things, why does it become so necessary for some of us to disagree – at times, so violently – with each other in the name of religion?

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

338. We were told that God helps those who help themselves and work is worship … I’ve realized this … So, what amuses me is the increase in the crowds at the places of worship at the commencement of examinations and when the results are due …

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

337. A word of wisdom is respected by the wise and ridiculed by the fool.

336. Let the body and mind be continuously at work to such a degree that the labour may not be felt at all.

- Swami Vivekananda

335. Life is simple. We complicate it.

334. Kids quarrel, even fight … but then they also forgive, forget and become friends again … Isn’t that wonderful? We, adults, are supposed to be more capable than kids but aren’t there things, as cited above, to be learnt from them?

- Sujit Mukerji

333. A friend is a rare book of which but only one copy is made.

332. We can not believe in God until we believe in ourselves.

- contributed by Dr. Ashok Tahiliani

331. We are so quick to reprove, oblivious of the fact that we could well be inviting reprisals. Why do we always forget that to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction? Newton’s third law is kept limited to physics!

- Sujit Mukerji

330. Things keep happening all around us. If we care to notice, observe, learn, analyze, understand, remember, recognize, know and be prudent why would we go wrong?

- Sujit Mukerji

329. The uncontrolled heart following the dictates of the moving passion, snatches away our spiritual knowledge.

328. The secret of life is not enjoyment but education through experience.

- Swami Vivekananda

327. You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.

- René Daumal

326. The book-binder may be totally illiterate yet, how wonderfully he binds the book. He can do so because he doesn’t take things for granted. In contrast, we take each other and so many other factors for granted …

- Sujit Mukerji

325. Instead of standing on the shore and proving to ourselves that the ocean cannot carry us, let us venture on its water just to see.

- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

324. Real winners do not compete.

- Samuli Puronen

323. A joyous spirit is the driving force for new endeavours, development, victory, happiness.

- contributed by Dr. Ashok Tahiliani

322. Some of us even earn their “enemies’” genuine love and respect. Isn’t that wonderful?

- Sujit Mukerji

321. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

Freedom of expression means the freedom for such expressions that don’t harm. No one has the right or justification to express anything that can be bad or harmful in any way. As it is known; well-timed, proper, complete and desirable expression is what is recommended. We often take this freedom of expression for granted. There surely is a limit to everything and there is also a special and unique way of doing things. Our Constitution gives the freedom to express only such things that won’t prove to be harmful.

320. When I think of life as a burden, I suffer it; when I think of it as a game, I enjoy it.

- Sujit Mukerji

319. IF WE COULD READ EACH OTHER’S MIND …

(… then I couldn’t have dared to write this …!)

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

I was wondering what would happen if someone was gifted with the special power of reading exactly the goings-on in the others’ minds. Various interesting scenes came to my mind. The queerest one was people coming to blows with each other without most of them, barring the specially powered ones, knowing why. Obviously, certain people were harboring ill-will against certain other people. Unfortunately, while one could read minds, the others couldn’t. But, they had to hit back anyway …

Another image that comes to my mind is of a man reading the minds of everybody – say, dozens of people – around; all at once; and his mind goes berserk!

I am thankful that we don’t have that special power because it would not have been good for us to read others’ minds so easily and, as a result, act in such a way as to make a total chaos of life. Maybe, not being able to read others’ minds so easily makes us learn. Learn to distinguish between true and fake using one’s intelligence and act accordingly, more maturely. It is really amazing that we and everything for us has been planned so well …

318. Some of the greatest accomplishments were made because of the failure in other accomplishments … Often, the best comes out when the worst is around e.g., “The sweetest songs are those that tell of the saddest themes” …

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

317. Sorrow inspires us to work and work alone can regulate and develop one’s life and powers. If a man is not constrained to struggle from time to time, can he be so striving, intelligent, wise and educated as now? Thus, sorrow is the means to advancement and perfection. Moreover, sorrow softens the heart, humbles pride, stimulates daring and courage, augments sympathy and leads to faith in religion. So, it may, at the outset, appear undesirable, its after-effect is good.

- Flint

316. The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character integrity, faith, love and loyalty.

- contributed by Dr. Ashok Tahiliani

315. So much misery is out there. In comparison, my problems are nothing.

- Sujit Mukerji

314. The good and bad experiences that are not because of our own doings (or not doings) may be taken as opportunities for us to test ourselves whether we have learnt to deal with life efficiently.

- Sujit Mukerji

313. Blaming means the self has no role which means helplessness which means weakness. But, owning responsibility means can do something which means hope.

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

312. Blaming means the self has no role … The situation to blame means the self has a definite role …

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji