பசி

பசி :

ஒரு நாட்டில் ஒரு இளவரசன் இருந்தான். அவன் சிறந்த போர் வீரன். அவனுடைய வாள் வீச்சிற்கு அந்த நாடே ஈடு கொடுக்க முடியாது. அந்த அளவிற்குச் சிறந்த வீரன்.

அவன் ஒருமுறை அரண்மனையில் வாள் வீசி பயிற்சி செய்துக் கொண்டிருக்கையில், ஒரு எலி குறுக்கே ஓடியது. உடனே அதன் மீது வாளை வீசினான். அந்த எலி லாவகமாக தப்பித்துச் சென்றது. பிறகு மீண்டும் அதனைத் துரத்தி வாளை வீசினான், மீண்டும் தப்பித்து வளைக்குள் புகுந்துகொண்டது. உடனே மனம் உடைந்து போனான்.

அப்போது வந்த அரசர் "ஏன் சோகமாக இருக்கிறாய்?" என கேட்க "இந்த நாடே எனது வாள் வீசும் திறமைக்கு ஈடு கொடுக்க முடியாது போது, இந்த சாதாரண எலியை என்னால் கொல்ல முடியவில்லையே!" என விவரித்தான் இளவரசன்.

மன்னர் சிரித்துவிட்டு "எலியைக் கொள்ள வாள் பயிற்சி எதற்கு? அரண்மனைப் பூனையைக் கொண்டு வந்தாலே போதுமே!" என்றார்.உடனே அரண்மனை பூனை வரவழைக்கப்பட்டது.

அந்தப் பூனையும் எலியை வேட்டையாட முயன்றது. ஆனாலும் அந்த எலி எளிதாக அதனிடம் இருந்து தப்பித்து, தப்பித்துச் சென்றது. மீண்டும் இளவரசருடன் அரசரும் சோகமானார். அப்போது மந்திரி வந்தார். "என்ன அரசே..நீங்களும் இளவரசரும் சோகமாக இருக்கிறீர்கள்?" என்றார்.

அதற்கு அரசர் நடந்ததை கூறினார். "நம் நாட்டு பூனைகள் எதற்கு லாயக்கு...? ஜப்பான், பாரசீகம் போன்ற நாடுகளில் உள்ள பூனைகள் புலி உயரம் உள்ளன. எனவே அங்கிருந்து வரவழைப்போம்" என்றார் மந்திரி. அதேபோல் அவ் நாடுகளில் இருந்து பூனைகள் வரவழைக்கப்பட்டன.

ஆனால் அவற்றிடமிருந்தும் அந்த எலி சாமர்த்தியமாகத் தப்பித்துச் சென்று வளைக்குள் புகுந்தது. எலிக்கு இவ்வளவு திறமையா! என அனைவரும் வியந்து கொண்டிருக்கையில், அங்கே இருந்த அரண்மனைக் காவலன் "இளவரசே! இந்த எலிக்குப் போய் ஜப்பான், பாரசீகப் பூனையெல்லாம் எதுக்கு? எங்க வீட்டுப் பூனையே போதும்" என்றான். மன்னருக்கு நப்பிக்கை ஏற்படவில்லை. "என்ன.. அரண்மனையில் வளர்ந்து வரும் பூனையால் முடியாதது சாதாரண பூனையால் முடியுமா?" என்றார்.

உடனே இளவரசர் மறித்து "சரி...எடுத்து வா உனது பூனையை" என்றார். வீட்டிற்குச் சென்று தனது பூனையைக் கொண்டு வந்தான் காவலன். அந்தப் பூனை அந்த எலியை ஒரே தாவலில் "லபக்" என்று கவ்விச்சென்றது. இதனைப் பார்த்த இளவரசருக்குப் பெருத்த ஆச்சரியம். "என்ன இது அதியசம்!

ஜப்பான்,பாரசீக, அரண்மனையில் வளர்ந்த பூனைகளிடம் இல்லாத திறமை எப்படி இந்தச் சாதாரண பூனைக்கு ஏற்பட்டது? எப்படி சாத்தியம்? என்ன பயிற்சி கொடுத்துப் பூனையை வளர்க்கிறீர்கள்?" என்று வியந்தவாறே கேள்விகளை கேட்க தொடங்கினார்.

அதற்குக் காவலாளி "பெரிதாக என் பூனைக்குத் திறமையோ, பயிற்சிகளோ எதுவும் இல்லை இளவரசே... என் பூனைக்கு ரொம்பப் பசி அவ்வளவுதான்" என்றான்.

உடனே இளவரசருக்கு "சுரீர்" என்றது. அரண்மனைக்குள் பூனைகள் நன்கு தின்று கொழுத்திருப்பதால் அவற்றுக்கு பசி என்பதே என்னவெற்று தெரிய வாய்பில்லை, எனவே அவற்றால் எலியை எப்படி பிடிக்கமுடியும்?.

ஆக எந்த ஒரு வேலையையும் வெற்றிகரமாகச் செய்து முடிக்க வேண்டுமென்றாள், முதலில் அதனைப் பற்றிய பசி அல்லது தேவை இருக்க வேண்டும். அப்போதுதான் அந்தக் காரியத்தை கச்சிதமாக செய்து முடிக்க முடியும்.

Prof.U.R.Rao & Prof Yash Pal passes away..

Former ISRO Chairman, founding director of ISAC and father of Indian satellites, padma vibhusan Prof.U.R.Rao passed away today morning 3.30 am at his house in Bengaluru. This is definitely a loss to lndian scientific community and a great loss to the nation. He is the only Indian scientist to be displayed in the international Hall of fame for Astronomics. His contribution to ISRO from the first Indian satellite Aaryabatta to first Indian inter planetary mission Mangalyan is enormous. May his soul Rest In Peace.

Possitive Parnting

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/delhi-9-yr-old-cuts-arm-with-knife-in-youngest-case-of-mobile-dependence-4734244/

The doctor says the parents gave the mobile phone to the child at first to “save time”. “Both parents are working, the father a businessman and the mother a lecturer, and had very little time for the child. It was also found that when the child was an infant, he was given the mobile for entertainment. Slowly, it developed into a habit. He would have his meals only when he had a mobile. Either he would see YouTube or play games while having food,” says Dr Mehta.

When the counselling began, the boy initially sat absolutely silent, refusing to talk. “He opened up when we started talking about his relationships and the mobile phone. He said he preferred the mobile over outdoor games.”

The parents, who are being counselled separately, admitted that they too never pushed him to go out, telling themselves this would keep him from bad company.

They started realising something was wrong around a year ago when the boy started showing symptoms of withdrawal, anger and tension when the mobile phone was taken from him. “He had started having constant headaches, which were found to be due to failing eyesight. He was advised spectacles. To control further deterioration of his eyesight, parents were advised not to let the child use mobile phones and other screens like laptop and television.

However, by this time, his habit had transformed into mobile dependence. Any effort to remove the mobile invited irritable behaviour and temper tantrums. He would bang his head against the wall if his wishes were not complied with,” Dr Mehta says. “Finally, he tried cutting his forearm with the kitchen knife to have his way.”

According to the doctor, cases of mobile phone dependence are getting increasing attention, with its effects now seen to be equivalent to substance abuse.

“Anything is termed as dependence when it is in excess and when it starts affecting social and occupational life.

In case of substance dependence, the person knows that excessive consumption of the substance is affecting his social and occupational life but still he cannot control it. Just like in drug dependence, in this case, the child had signs of craving, social isolation, feelings of anger and tension when the mobile was not with him.

While ‘mobile phone dependence’ has still not made its way to the diagnostic manual, psychiatrists are now using this nomenclature,” says the doctor.

The boy is now being advised about “alternative ways of living”, the doctor says. “While he has been put on anti-depressants, the main treatment is changing his dependence. He is trying to meet new children. We are ensuring he has new hobbies. We are encouraging him to play table-tennis. He has started liking it. He is also going for music classes to relax his mind.”

Dr Mehta also emphasises the role of *“positive parenting”*. “The main focus of the treatment is positive parenting. We have told them to spend quality time with the child. We have asked them to have gadget-free time at home. And this should continue till he is 13. We have asked that they must have one meal a day together and go for walks together. That is key to his recovery.”

*Now adays offering mobile to children to keep them silent during feeding and during routine house hold work. and this became a habit for children to carve for it.* As a result children are getting addicted to the phone. They are becoming ill tempered restless. *Parents should spend time with children, to disassociate them.*

To young engineers in ISRO

Most of the young men and women, who join ISRO, come starry eyed. Space technology is glamorous from outside. When you view from inside, it is back breaking, highly involved, boringly detailed, full of rigour and tough discipline and highly test intensive. In essence all the unglamorous task collection, designed to achieve zero defect product.

Young employees, who have joined fresh, conjure up themselves as great engineers, building rockets, satellites, payloads like camera,radars, satcom equipments just like a magic, as in the Hollywood movie 'Martian'. Single man building everything singlehandedly, a feat even beyond the ability of Einstein.

In SAC we build payloads. In reality, some have to design RF circuits; some carry out system designs; some digital packages; some do quality assurance; some design PCBs; some design ASICS, some solder components; some do integration of payloads; some carry out thermo-vacuum tests; some do mechanical machining; some carry out vibration testing; architects design buildings; medical professionals look after health of employees and families; some assemble packages; some maintain computer networks; some write softwares; some wade onto rice fields, walk miles in forests, move like zombies on treacherous glaciers; some count waves and clouds (I mean meteorologists and oceanographers).

There are myriad of other jobs. Actually all of us do small jobs, including myself as head of institution. I mostly do paper jobs, file reading and talking to people, plan activities and programmes, walk around the labs like possessed ghost. We all build small things. By collective intelligence, they start talking to each other, then start working together and then they miraculously get life form and them start beaming microwaves with coded entertainment to your home DTH; as radar, beams pulsed microwaves to generate colourful radar images; as camera starts sending breath taking images of mother earth. And many more instruments.

Young engineers do not get this insight so easily. So I met the engineers and scientists, who joined SAC in last one year, on 9th June 2017 for a freewheeling conversation. I understood that they are yet to understand the working philosophy and modus operandi of space industry. They like their jobs (mostly). Yet have apprehensions, not yet gelling with their starry eyed imaginations of space industry. Many expressed that they did not at all expect to do such jobs in ISRO. I patiently explained the above mentioned insights which I gained in my more than three decades of association with ISRO. I gave an example. In their house, when they were small, their mothers made tasty dishes. I asked one chap what dish he relished most in his childhood. He replied a 'sabji' (vegetable curry) of potato and brinjal. I asked him what were the ingredients. He replied, potato, brinjal, tomato, onion and other condiments etc. I said, had he tried to eat them raw. He sneered. Nobody can eat them raw: they are tasteless. Then I replied: See same unpalatable raw vegetables, when cut into appropriate pieces, sauntered in oil and condiments in proper sequence and gently boiled with appropriate quantity of water, will lead to cooking of tasty curry. All of their jobs are like raw vegetables. But when planned and executed and integrated in correct sequence can only lead to development of sophisticated payloads which are pride of ISRO and nation and draw respectful admiration from global peers.

Learn to Live

1. A person with unsteady mind cannot achieve anything worthwhile. By doing all work, big or small, with concentration and methodically, one gathers the ability to work with efficiency and ease.

2. There is nothing which cannot be obtained in this world, provided man has made a proper and earnest effort.
- You Vasishta.

3. Great tasks are achieved not by sudden application of strength but by steady and long-drawn effort.
- Dr. Johnson.

4. I have learnt that success is to be measured not so much by the position that the man has reached in life but by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.
- Booker T. Washington.

Power of Appreciation.

Question: What is the best advice your mother ever gave you?

Answer By Jonathan Pettit

I was about ten. My mom had just finished creating one of her amazing meals, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Delicious. Later, as I was washing the dishes, my mom came up to me. “Sorry dinner was so awful again,” she said.

I was shocked. “What? No, it was great. I loved it.”

“Really?” she said, with mock surprise. “You always eat so quietly, never saying anything. You’ve never told me you liked my cooking, so I thought you hated it.”

“No, you’re the best cook I know.”

“Then you should tell me that,” she said. “Whenever someone does something nice for you, you should thank that person. If you don’t, then she might think she’s not appreciated and stop doing those nice things.”

Something clicked right then. From that day forward, I thanked everyone for literally everything. If you did something that even vaguely helped me, I thanked you profusely. It became a habit, something I didn’t even think about, and that’s when the magic started happening.

People liked me more. They talked to me more, shared with me, were more friendly. In my first year of high school, during the final week, I came home and found a giant freezie (a kind of sweet frozen snack) waiting for me. “Thanks, mom,” I said instinctively.

“This isn’t from me, she said. “This is from your bus driver.” He had been driving that bus for years, and my siblings and I were the first people to ever thank him as we got dropped off. Those two simple words made a huge difference, so much so that he went out of his way to tell our mom and give us a present.

That’s the power of appreciation. When you have it, all is right in the world, but when it’s missing life is empty. My mom taught me many things, but taking two seconds to say ‘thank you’ every time, in any situation, was the best.

*Debriefing of this Story*

You would have met people who call themselves as good critics but have you ever a person who says I am good at appreciating others? Isn't that a sad part of our society?

Let's start appreciating people more frequently especially people who are close to us.

"The sweetest of all sounds is praise"

https://www.cla.purdue.edu/facultyStaff/profiles/new/newfaculty-14/Pettit._Jonathan.html

Kasi...

"Kashi was created by Lord Shiva and is an independent intelligence called Kashi Devi.

After He created Her, Kashi Devi asked a boon of Lord Shiva, Mahadeva, “Bless me so that whoever enters Kashi (Varanasi) will obtain liberation.”

Mahadeva then gave three boons: 

‘First, whoever comes into Kashi and gets into the Ganga (the Ganges River) to take snaan (sacred bath), will have all their sins washed away.

Second, whoever dies in Kashi will be liberated.

And third, whoever’s body is brought and burnt in Manikarnika Ghat or Harishchandra Ghat will also be liberated.’  Kashi Devi was really happy with these three boons.

But Devi Parvati interfered and said, ‘Mahadeva, don’t you feel you made liberation very cheap and enlightenment so easy? Everyone can get it!’

Mahadeva said, ‘Don’t worry, I will take you to Kashi and show you. Come.’

Meanwhile, this boon that Mahadeva gave to Kashi Devi became very popular. In the next few days, almost the whole world had gathered to take a bath in the Ganga.

Mahadeva and Devi arrived in Kashi. Mahadeva said to Devi, ‘Now let both of us become human beings. I will lie down pretending I’m your dead husband and you sit down here acting as the widow, crying.  If any person without sin touches me, I will come back to life.  If somebody with sin touches me and tries to bring me back to life, they will die.’

Mahadeva lay down as a dead body and Devi sat there crying extremely loudly. 

All the people who had come to take a bath in the Ganga came and asked Devi, ‘What happened? What happened? Why are you crying? Why is such a beautiful lady sitting and crying in front of such a beautiful man?’

Devi said, ‘My young husband has died.  If anybody without sin touches my husband’s body, he will come back to life.  But if you have done some sin and you touch him, your head will burst and you will die!’

From morning to night, millions of people took bath in the Ganga, but not a single person dared to touch this body!

Late that night, one drunkard fellow came.  He also asked Devi, ‘What happened?’ Devi said, ‘If anybody without sin touches my husband, he will come back to life.  But if a person with sin touches him, that person will die!’

Devi thought that this man will start running away like all the others. But that drunken fellow looked at Devi and said, ‘Wait, wait, wait …. I heard Shiva has given some boon.’ So he gets into the Ganga, takes a bath and comes out.  Then he said, ‘I have done all types of sins.  But now, after taking bath in the Ganga, I am free of all sins because Shiva gave this boon.’

Then he touches the dead body of the husband! Naturally, Shiva comes back to life and gives darshan, liberating him.

Then Mahadeva asks Devi, ‘Do you see now? Millions may take a bath in the Ganga, but how many of them really believe in my boon?'

Millions may visit and perform religious rituals, but how many of them understand the context of what they are doing?

So don't worry, even if I shower everyone with boons, only those who are worthy, who are already in the space of completion and feeling connection, will even be ready to receive them!'.