In God We Believe

Why do people worship God so much in such a ritualistic manner? Why do people try to “own” God? Don’t they realize that God Himself might not have wanted them to try so hard to please Him, but actually wanted everyone to behave nicely with other people? That He wants His children to remember Him, but not in a manner that their beliefs about Him hurts someone else’ belief too? Whether you believe in any form of God, what is the need to be so possessive about your beliefs that you are able to ignore the other aspects of a person just because he/she doesn’t share your beliefs or share the intensity of your beliefs? Isn’t that actually going against the Will and Command of God?

People think that holding on to one’s beliefs about a particular form of God is going to help them attain salvation (in the least and after Life), but do they realize that they are so far away from reality? Only one’s Karma is going to lead one to salvation. And that’s the rule God has made for all living beings. Period. Sitting in front of God and taking his name a thousand times is (probably) going to purge one’s sins, but – to me – it is not going to lead one to salvation. If that was the case, then the Gita and Bhagwad would not have emphasized so much on Karma. Instead, they would have just preached to take His name throughout the day and our Lives so that we attain salvation. In a very strange way, this seems to be the only thing people are interested in eking out of religion. Nobody ever focuses on the other things that our texts have to offer, like sad-acharan (Good Behaviour) and sad-vichar (Good Thinking)…even I am no authority in these matters, but even I know this much.

Huh! Hypocrites! They want to “attain” God…by being dogmatic in their religious beliefs! Do they even realize that God is in Love, Flexibility, Good Behaviour, Tolerance…God is in our Will to keep others around us Happy and Productive.

Don’t try to “buy” God by chanting His name a thousand times, guys. Just care for the God in everyone and He will Love you. If you get His Love, you will have the best out of your Life. And that itself is Salvation.

Moments

Mendus wrote on "Moments" ...I liked the idea...moments..so I told him I am going to steal the concept and write a post on it myself...so here.. :)

We spend our lives looking out for "special moments"...trying to be alert to such moments so that our life "becomes worth living"/"happy"/"special"...

"Special moments" make us think our life is worth the grime and effort that we are putting in to survive everyday...

...the moment when you sit for the interview...the moment when you get in that coveted Institute...the moment when you first step through the black gates...the moment when you first smell the fresh air of that place...

...the moment of the sweet coincidence...your first 'hi'...that first long conversation..that first walk and deliberation...the first class...the first exam...the moment of your first success...the moment of your first struggle...

...the moment of your coming back for the first holidays...the first moment at home after so many days...the moment of that first bite of Mom's food after 3 months...the moment of remembering your new friends...

...the moment of excitement and sadness of leaving home again...the moment when you told yourself that this is a regular thing now...the moment when you took your first drag...the moment when your friend funneled the first sip into your mouth...

...the moment of your first walk...the moment when you realized you both were alone...the moment when your hands brushed against each other other...the moment when you held each other...the endlessness of that moment when you thought let this be the last moment of your life...

...the moment when you first felt the anxiety of separation...the moment when you first realized that you have to go from here...the moment when you realized that your room is no longer yours...the moment when the rear wheel of your auto-rickshaw crossed the main gate for the last time...

...the moment when you first entered office...the moment when you first felt responsible for an outcome...the moment of your first learning...the moment of 'growing up' once again...

...Moments...why are they so special?

Interview With I

Tushar Kataria, B.Com(H), DBF, ADF, MBA (XLRI)

Since I have now become a “MBA”, part of the elite class of people who “have been taught the mantra to rule the business world”, I have become a local celebrity of sorts. Hence, obviously, ek interview to hona hi chahiye, right? Excerpts from an interview that Mr. Interviewer (I) had taken recently of this not-ordinary-anymore gentleman:

I: So Mr. Kataria, you are an MBA now…from XLRI…what was your specialization –HR or IR?

Me: Ummm, No…neither…I have…

I: Oh, so you’ve done both, is it?

Me: No No, I wanted to say that I have graduated from the BM batch, not from PM&IR

I: (Visibly disappointed) Oh! Not the flagship course, huh…? Well OK…you are a MBA nevertheless…

Me: (Mix of defense and offense) Excuse me, but the BM batch is equally capable and talented..

I: Of course, Of course…I meant the same, please don’t take offense…So how does it feel now, having graduated from one of the most elite Institutions in one of the most sought after courses in the country?

Me: (Smiling now, feeling good!) Well, it feels great…still taking a while to sink in that the course is complete…the Diploma’s in my hand…

I: So…which company are you working with now? I am sure you must have been inundated with offers…!

Me: (Smiling politely) Er…I didn’t sit for placements…I am going to do my business

I: (Appalled) What?! You are a MBA and not going to do a job! Then why did you do it in the first place!?

Me: [Aside: I don’t know for how long I will have to answer this question!!] Because I wanted to do it.

I: Don’t you think that by taking such a decision, you have stolen a seat from a student who could have studied and done a good job? And don’t you think that this decision of yours has also deprived the industry of a professional they could have got from here? You very well know that the corporate world is short of able managers…

Me: No, I don’t think I have “stolen” a seat from somebody else. The interview panel questioned me on various topics, just like they questioned others. Out of all of them, they came to a conclusion that I was a better fit than the rest of the candidates! So anybody else wouldn’t have done justice to the seat.

As for the industry, which industry are you talking about? This is a random, meaningless statement. Even I am working in an “industry”. I have my own business and that is better than any job. And by which definition does every employee become a “professional”? I think XL is (and should be) proud of its breed of entrepreneurs!

As for the shortage, well, look at it this way – (i) one more manager is not going to help any corporate; (ii) an average entrepreneur is going to contribute more to the nation’s kitty and to his own than an average graduate in a job in his lifetime;

An MBA is not a course meant only for a job. It is finishing school, at the end of which you are expected to know your calling for a career. This is my career. This is my profession. My business.

When you're in trouble...perturbed...when you think you are the only one with such a painful problem in Life...try searching for quotes on the net and you'll be surprised to find that all these things have happened earlier, in the exact same intensity with people like us and different from us...pain has this way of affecting people in the SAME manner...no matter what kind of a person you are and no matter the subject/incident/person which has inflicted the pain on you, once you are in pain, your feelings are the same as anyone else when they are in pain...

...which just makes me think...all these emotions leading to nothing but increasing self-importance and magnifying one's losses...they are the biggest culprits of all...baah!

Just thought...

- My daily horoscope in the paper says, "Expect Emotional Turbulence today" ...strange, sometimes these things are accurate, and when they are, seem so uncanny....Is someone really looking at your Life from above? Looking at it closely enough to give out these signals, and in a manner that these 'astrologers' are able to catch them and convey it-just for us?

...weird...of course, I know its not like that...but I just like to put it thus!

Just thought...

- I have been wanting to write since such a long time...wanted to write so many things..have been planning to get the lappy home since so many days in the hope that at least on Sunday, I'll find some time to write...but this is so not done - today is a Sunday, I have some time on my hands, the opportunity to write as much as I want...but now I can't think of things to write...

...or is it that what I want to say can't be written...and can't be read by all...??

....who knows..! well, in that case, Bloggie, time to go back to watching Kuch Kuch Hota Hai on TV...good movie...but then, why don't I like it anymore??

A New Chapter in Life...A Whole New World..

Dear Bloggie,

Sorry, I've been away from you for quite some time without telling you why...but circumstances have been such that I just couldn't find the appropriate opportunity :( ...anyways, first things first..

I have got married...on the 28th of May, 2010. Yes...you've read correctly - Married! Boy!

Yeah...it still hasn't sunk in..its just..too much/over-whelming/life changing/responsibility-inducing...oh damn! I don't know...now how does one define the "married state" ??

anyways, I'll have to get back to you on this one...but before going, I want to make a small list of the things I want to tell you...

1. The prep time before marriage and what a thunderstorm it brought with it...the hours spent every weekend at South City (which, if calculated, will convert into days!)...the fatigue and fervor of shopping...

2. The run-up to the D-Day....the last one week...

3. The D-Day ... and the phone call from a client 2 hrs before the wedding!

4. Post-Traumatic Stress and my attempts to cope with it!

Whew! do we have a lot of talking to do or what! :D I'll come back to you soon...stay put! :)