SURiMOUNT: September 2010

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

A Thought for Today-427:

Occupation is scythe of time - Napoleon

Monday, September 27, 2010

A Thought for Today-426:

There lives more faith in honest doubt, believe me, than in half the creeds - Tennyson

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Random Thoughts-37: Unique Talent

I strongly believe that every living being is endowed with some unique talent. Take human beings, nay take only Indians; the figure runs to more than a billion. Then take the entire population of the world. Go further, take all the living things including plants, animals, insects etc. You get a mind-boggling number. Still I believe every living being is endowed with some unique talent or the other. No kidding.

The tragedy of life is most of us, human beings, are not even aware of this fact. Even those who are aware of it - or who get an inkling of it now and then - never pursue or probe it further. Tragedy again. Some of us - the number dwindles down further - do not stop with the awareness but try to identify it; look for it; search for it. The number is down further. Sometimes life is gone before we identify it. Greater tragedy. The few who nurture it, cultivate it but use it only for their own selfish ends or still worse, use it to oppress or exploit others. Even greater tragedy. Then there is the luckiest few who become aware of their unique talent at a very young age, nurture it cultivate it, allow it to blossom and manifest it in their lives; they go further and use it not only for their own welfare, not only for the welfare of near and dear but also to the welfare of the world at large. I feel only these people find fulfillment in their life. Their life becomes meaningful, purposeful and fruitful.

What stops others in making life meaningful and fruitful? Past karma? Lack of effort? Plain laziness? Lack of divine grace? or something else? Honestly, I don't know.

But I do know this. The least one can do is to strive. To borrow a few lines from Tennyson's Ulysses, Strive, Seek, Find and Never Yield. Never yield to distractions, temptations, unmanliness, slovenliness, laziness and faint-heartedness. Continued effort, relentless effort with a strong will - that is what is needed. I am sure divine grace shall follow.

There is this assurance of Lord Krishna in the Gita:

NO EFFORT IS EVER WASTED.

Let each one of us put in our efforts to the best of our ability. All the best.