The Transformation for betterment.. (is it ?? Think again !!)

Each and every day of life is different, filled with a variety of experiences. Sometimes pleasant, sometimes not. We take it all as it comes. At times it really takes a toll over our minds. All that we need during that moment is to forget it all for a moment and be with JUST ourselves. No friends no family. Then it’s just MY time to unwind. That is the time when we try and look into ourselves, talk, introspect and try and find answers to some questions we never asked ourselves. This is the time we give to break free from all the mess going around in our lives.

But the way we do the ‘unwinding’ and ‘relaxing’ activity has changed over the years. Thanks to the technology. But is that for good or for bad? I shall come to that in some time.

I would like to present 2 pictures. Both of unwinding, relaxing and getting a transformation. But the difference between the two is huge due to which the outcome differs drastically.

                                                              

Here’s the age old traditional method of getting relaxed and unwinding self. Trying to know the unknown by way of meditation. This helped a lot in understanding self AND the higher self. It helped in knowing the deeper meaning of life. It helps a lot in overcoming stress, burnout, anger, sadness, hatred, worry, fear and all such negative emotions. The result was a better, healthier and stress free living.

But all this is now substituted by the ‘modern’ technological, so-called ‘cool’ gadgets. But does it serve the purpose ?? 

Not really.

                                                                 

 Today, whenever we feel stressed, nervous, angry, etc. we tend to get our gadgets out and listen to music. Or even when we have some free time, we spend time by listening to music. This is the modern way of getting disconnected from the world. But unlike the traditional way of disconnecting, which is meditation, does this serve the same purpose ? The answer is a clear NO. All it does is, drags our attention away from the concerned topic for a while. But later, as we switch the music off for a while, the negative emotions crowd our mind the very next second. So is the purpose really served ?

I am not against listening to music. But the point here is, we have become so dependent on music that we feel helpless and sad without it. Especially when we are having a bad day. All this would have been fine if music really did the job of meditation. It does have calming and healing properties but could it really be compared with meditation? Something that has promising and permanent solution to our problems? And can we really take the liberty to ignore meditation as the best medium of disconnecting and substitute it with listening to music ?

Now it is for us to think and decide that the next time when we have some free time or even if we are a bad mood, do we listen to music and get temporary relaxation, or meditate for a while and get answers to problem and a permanent healing.

Peace.

We all love Ganpati Bappa, but do we really love and care for his creation ?? I don’t think so !!

So, my dear lord Ganpati’s visit has come to an end. The divine feel of his presence during the festival cannot be expressed in words !!

So all the young boys start collecting the contribution, arrange for the pandal, order a moorti, hire a music system ( I will definitely come back to that in some time). They all work with their heart and soul in it and finally the day arrives when Bappa is actually here !!

Kids, yong and old, all come and bow in front of Bappa and ask for some or the other thing. Bhajan sandhya is presented by women and games are arranged for children by the mandal. Then comes the day of visarjan. Again, lavish expenses are made just for the visarjan. The dholwallas are called from various places and people go dancing for the visarjan. And that’s how the festive season comes to an end.

But the real question is, HAS BAPPA ASKED FOR ALL THIS ?? Does he really want us to do all of this or would he be happy only by knowing how much we love him !! Even more by knowing that we are doing something good to his creation ?

Let me tell you that I am not against celebrating this festival. This is one festival which is so close to my heart and that’s why I am giving thoughts to improving our approach towards it. Let me tell you how..

The pandals always keep the music so high that it could easily affect an old woman who is at her place, trying to get some sleep or a young boy whose trying to study because he has an important exam ! Knowing the ‘implementation’ part of the rules and regulations of Indian system, it would be better if one avoids lodging a complaint.. But are we really so insensitive towards our surroundings that we conveniently ignore our neighbors and play the music loud.. Is Bappa really happy with it ?

Another concern is the Ganesh idol. No doubt many sentiments are attached to the moorti, but can we not be sensitive towards our environment and go for eco friendly moortis ? Is that really difficult, knowing that the moorti would be as beautiful as its POP counterpart ? So where is the problem ? Its in the way we are conditioned to do something and it is really necessary to uncondition and adopt new values, ideas and systems for the betterment of the planet and mother nature.

Visarjan plays a very important role in creating a havoc ! The roads are jammed and its difficult to step out of the house !

Moreover, is Bappa really happy if we play songs like ‘Sheela ki jawaani’ DJ version for his visarjan ?? Where has the conventional style of visarjan gone where men and women sing songs, dance, play the dhol AT LOW VOLUMES and go for visarjan ? Is this song so important that it need to be played during visarjan ? I thank god that there are no such fools in my locality who do such immature stuff. But in some parts of Mumbai, they do exist..

And the most important point, how nice it would be if out of the contribution the mandals get, if they keep a part of it aside and contribute it towards some noble cause.  Old age home, child education, be it anything ! Trust me Bappa will be the happier than how much he would be on getting a modak ! If this is implemented by even a few, it would affect positively the lives of many people around us… 

Yes there will be issues with collecting the contribution as people will be reluctant, not sure if money will really go for a noble cause. But we can at least start from somewhere right ?? If a member of any mandal is reading this, I really hope you guys implement this next year onwards.

These points need to be seriously thought upon. Do love Ganpai Bappa, but as Christ and Krishna say, we need to love people around us and that is when God will be really happy…

God bless J