Month: October 2021

What is a Prayer?

| Chandru Gidwani

What is a prayer?
Prayer doesn’t just happen when we kneel or put our hands together and focus and expect things from God.
*Thinking positive and wishing good for others is a prayer.*
When you hug a friend.
*That’s a prayer.*
When you cook something to nourish family and friends.
*That’s a prayer.*
When we send off our near and dear ones and say, ‘drive safely’ or ‘be safe’.
*That’s a prayer.*
When you are helping someone in need by giving your time and energy.
*You are praying.*
When you forgive someone by your heart.
*That is prayer.*
*Prayer is a vibration. A feeling. A thought. Prayer is the voice of love, friendship, genuine relationships. Prayer is an expression of your silent being.*
Keep praying always… Stay Blessed.

The cobbler who also mends souls!…Contributed by Murli Thadani

| Chandru Gidwani

The Cobbler who also mend’s souls

There is a cobbler who sits across the street in front of my office building.

Every day, I see that there is a stray dog who comes and sits with him as soon as he arrives at the place, and he feeds him biscuits and some times milk.

The man goes about his work while the dog sits there and gives him company.

One can feel that there is a connection between them and that unknown to everyone, they are having a conversation without a word being said.

There is also food that he brings for birds, which he keeps at different places on the street pavement where he sits for his work.

Many people stop by and ask him for directions, and he always guides them with a smile. Even if he doesn’t get any business from them.

If he sees a homeless person going by, he offers them water and food that he has brought for himself, and engages in conversations with them. One can see and feel the peace the conversations bring to them.

I felt called to go and meet him today.

He smiled at me and said his name is Dayaram, and asked me if I would like to have tea?!

Pleasantly surprised, I say, "Sure, let’s have some tea."

Here is a man who would be struggling to make Rs. 100 a day, out of which he would be spending around Rs. 12 – Rs.15 on the food that he brings for the dog and the birds, and the two cups of tea would cost him another Rs. 14.

His being is rich, he smiles radiantly, and his calm, effortless, abundant state of being is infectious.

I tell him that I have been observing him and what he does, and that I am humbled and fascinated by it.

We get talking, and I refer to the dog, and he says "Oh! he’s just one of us – God’s Own Creation".

Talk about non-duality! He goes on to say that "I am not serving…it is He who is making it happen via this person. It would be egoistic to say that ‘I’ am doing it!"

I fold my hands and bow to him, and request him to accept some money, saying, "It is not I who is giving you this money, it is He who is sending it to you via myself."

We laugh and he graces me by accepting it.

As I am about to leave, he says: *"Maango Ussi se, Baanto khushi se, Kaho na kissi se"* (Ask from Him, but then don’t just accumulate it – give it away to others with happiness and gratitude, and do it silently!)

The cobbler who apparently mends shoes, mended my soul today.

Zero and Infinity…Contributed by Kamal Bhojwani

| Chandru Gidwani

*HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE RICH?*

*Amazing answer by a IIT student.*

*When I was doing my B Tech, there was a Professor who used to teach us ‘Mechanics’*.

*His lectures used to be very interesting since he had an interesting way to teach and explain the concepts*.

*One day, in the class, he asked the following questions*,

1. *What is ZERO*?
2. *What is INFINITY*?
3. *Can ZERO and INFINITY be same*?

*We all thought that we knew the answers and we replied as following*,

ZERO means *nothing*
INFINITY means *a number greater than any countable number*

ZERO and INFINITY *are opposite and they can never be same*

*He countered us by first talking about infinity and asked, ‘How can there be any number which is greater than any countable number*?’

*We had no answers*.

*He then explained the concept of infinity in a very interesting way, which I remember even after more than 35 years*.

*He said that imagine that there is an illiterate shepherd who can count only upto 20*.

*Now, if the number of sheep he has is less than 20 and you ask him how many sheep he has, he can tell you the precise number (like 3, 5, 14 etc.)*.

*However, if the number is more than 20, he is likely to say “TOO MANY”*.

*He then explained that in science infinity means ‘too many’ (and not uncountable)* *and in the same way zero means ‘too few’ (and not nothing)*

*As an example, he said that if we take the diameter of the Earth as compared to the distance between Earth and Sun, the diameter of earth can be said to be zero since it is too small*.

*However, when we compare the same diameter of earth with the size of a grain, the diameter of earth can be said to be infinite*.

*Hence, he concluded that the same thing can be ZERO and INFINITE at the same time, depending on the context, or your matrix of comparison*.

*The relationship between richness and poverty is similar to the relationship between infinity and zero*.

*It all depends on the scale of comparison with your wants*.

*If your income is more than your wants, you are rich*.

*If your wants are more than your income, you are poor*.

*I consider myself rich because my wants are far less than my income*.

*I have become rich not so much by acquiring lots of money, but by progressively reducing my wants*.

*If you can reduce your wants, you too can become rich at this very moment*.

4Qs…IQ,EQ,SQ and AQ…Contributed by Murli Thadani

| Chandru Gidwani

According to psychologists, there are four types of intelligence:

1) Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
2) Emotional Quotient (EQ)
3) Social Quotient (SQ)
4) Adversity Quotient (AQ)

1. Intelligence Quotient (IQ): this is the measure of your comprehension ability- to solve maths; memorize things and recall subject matters.

2. Emotional Quotient (EQ): this is the measure of your ability to maintain peace with others; keep to time; be responsible; be honest; respect boundaries; be humble, genuine and considerate.

3. Social Quotient (SQ):
This is the measure of your ability to build a network of friends and maintain it over a long period of time.

People that have higher EQ and SQ tend to go farther in life than those with high IQ but low EQ and SQ. Most schools capitalize in improving IQ level while EQ and SQ are played down.

A man of high IQ can end up being employed by a man of high EQ and SQ even though he has an average IQ.

Your EQ represents your character; your SQ represents your charisma. Give in to habits that will improve these three Qs but more especially your EQ and SQ.

EQ and SQ make one manage better than the other.

Pls don’t teach children only to have higher IQ , but also to have higher EQ and SQ.

Now there is a 4th one :
A new paradigm

4. The Adversity Quotient (AQ):
The measure of your ability to go through a rough patch in life and come out without losing your mind.

AQ determines who will give up in face of troubles and may abandon their families.
In the current context of Corona, many professionally successful people are going thru bouts of Depression. Because they haven’t seen and thus are unprepared for Adversity.

To parents:
Expose children to other areas of life than academics. They should adore manual work, sport and art .

Develop their EQ, SQ and AQ. They should become multifaceted human beings able to do things independently of their parents.

Finally, do not prepare the road for the children. Prepare the children for the road.