RIGHT LIFE DIRECTION

Life direction

 

(to 4 kids of slum dwellers).

 

I remember the day about 2 years back on which 3 little boys of the age of 6-7 years came to my home and knocked the door asking for alms.

 

I made them sit inside my office housed in my house.

 

They were very happy to sit on chairs.

 

 

Then I started lecturing them.

 

“Begging is a bad thing in this world. You are young children, gift of God. Why don’t you do something and go to schools?”

 

“Our parents are poor labor and they do not send us to school. Rather they ask us to beg and bring money. Father drinks a lot and mother quarrels a lot.” The youngest one told.

 

“Go and tell your parents we want to attend school.”

 

“Uncle on the name of school, papa starts beating, mother starts weeping.” Another one replied.

 

“Ok then don’t beg but do business.”

 

“Business!” All were looking towards one another in awe struck surprise.

 

“Yes, business.”

 

“But how can we do that. We don’t have money?” One of them said.

 

“Ok I will give you money.”

 

Next day I found the small kids sitting outside my door.

I came out and asked them to come inside. They did as directed.

 

They told me :

You were telling about business.

 Yes! Business.

 

I made 2 of them sit on my scooter and one stood in the front.
We went to the market, bought sugar canes from the market.
20 for Rs. 100/- . The vendor gave them 22 .
I told them : Now sit and sell for Rs. 10 each.
They sat whole of the day. They were smiling and laughing.
It was a new experience of useful life.

 And  by the evening all pcs of sugar canes were sold.

All the kids were very happy. Directly, the came to my home and reported like disciplined soldiers that they have sold all the sugarcanes. They were dancing and smiling. 

They had Rs. 220/- in total.
They earned profit of Rs. 120/-
Returned my Rs. 100/- and kept another Rs. 100/- with me for future business.
Rs. 20/ - they took for their own spending and enjoying.

 

They were very happy because today they had experienced new life of self-pride.
No abuses. No slaps from the people they begged from.

 

Whenever they met me  during these 2 years,  I encouraged them to go to school.

 

After 2 years:

 

They met me today at about 6.30 pm.

They met me and asked for note books and pencils.
I hugged them tightly and kissed them on the head saying :
"I am very happy you have joined school."

 

They told me further:
They were offered drugs by someone but they refused. "Very good", was my reply.
Now they go to temple too daily.

 

My eyes went up          to thank God.
I felt that small souls are now on the right track of life.
They will become responsible citizens.
Now no power on Earth can make them bad or criminals.
Their right consciousness is their guard. They need none to guide them now.
They now know what is "wrong" and what is "right" for them.

Drugs are the worst. Going to temple and living in the company of the good people itself is step towards "righteousness" and "spirituality".

The light of the consciousness has lighted in their minds.

 

They bought note books, pencils and erasers.

It all cost Rs. 170/- for 4 sets for 4 tiny tots.

 

They further told me that they are now asking all other children in their “Behra” ( the small houses or place where migratory poor labor lives) to go to school. School is a good place for children.

 

I was feeling happy:

I have got 4 messengers for spreading the message of goodness and education among tiny tots.

They have a long life to spread this message. Thank God – the merciful protector of ALL.

 

 

TRUE EDUCATION:

by Swami Vivekananda

Bring light to the poor; 

and bring more light to the rich, 

for they require it more than the poor. 

Bring light to the ignorant, 

and more light to the educated, 

for the vanities of the education 

of our time are tremendous.

                                                                                III   247

Addition by Prof P.K.Keshap:

Hard skills are good for profession. 

But soft skills are more important for living in society. 

Nobody cares how much you know

 until he knows how much you care.

 Life is a formal school and we humans learn 

something new each and every moment of the day

till the last day of our lives from all humans, animals, 

ecology and environment.

For learning listening is most important. 2 ears one mouth

means 66% listening and 33% talking.

Learning is a life long process. 

Knowingly or unknowingly

willingly or unwillingly

we learn from our interaction with others or our 

environment.  

Schools/colleges/universities teach hard skills 

but most of the soft skills are self learnt from our culture, 

family and environment at large. No coach. 

Hit and try method works. So, love to learn. 

We are our own coaches and trainers.

We have been given one body. 

Whether to hate it or love is our choice.

 If we love it, many deceases – mental and physically- are eliminated. 

If we hate it, we don’t need external enemies, we have internal enemies. i

External enemies can be fought with weapons 

but internal enemies can only be fought  with mindful living 

and positive affirmations.

Osho says:

 Accept yourself in absolute totality and celebrate yourself. 

Never compare. Comparison is hell. 

Believing in yourself, we can achieve what we wish. 

Biggest problem is that we don’t know who we are, 

what we are and what is the purpose of our existence 

on planet Earth. 

All holy scriptures say:

Know thyself and you will know the world.

World is nothing but your mental creation.

Don't feed your mind with discouraging or negative thoughts.
See the beauty in the world and the beauty within yourself,
you will grow beautiful mentally and physically.

Education enables a person to earn livelihood

but self-learning enables a person to earn a fortune. 

Self-learning includes soft skills too.

Soft skills are about 60 in number,

Most of them are learnt by individuals themselves.

Situations are 10% and 90% is our reaction to situation.
Whether to react or not is our choice that can make us happy or unhappy.

Emerson's words must be remembered always:

What lies behind and
what lies before matters not
as compared to what lies
WITHIN.

Rejection is a part of success.
Series of rejections when reflected upon by continuous soul searching
results in improvement for self-development. More learning, more failures,
more lessons, more success.

Mentally weak bog down from failures while mentally strong get up,
learn a lesson from failure and do not quit but continue. In the end, they win.
Good lesson: Start from scratch. Keep on scratching and it will shine.

Conquering the Everest (highest peak in the world)
a person is able to conquer any goal to fulfill dreams.

Gujarat visit

The wonderful happy moments spent from 19th October to 25th October, 2010 during my visit to Narayan Vidhayalaya, Bharuch (Gujrat)have been stored in my permanent memory.

Alongwith me in the photo No. 1 are Bhai Ranchchod Shah, Director Amity Education Campus, Bharuch, District Education Officer, Bharuch and Hemant Bhai, Chairman Narayan Vidhalaya, Bharuch. In the 2nd and 3rd photos, enjoying last meal with Gharia Sahib, retired principal of Narayan Vidhyalaya, Dr. Bhagubhai Prajapati, principal of Narayan Vidyalaya, Bharuch, principal of another institution of Narayan Vidhalaya, Hemant Bhai Chairman of Narayan Institutions. I will never forget the hospitality accorded to me by the host community from Narayan Vidhayala, Bharuch.