Hi Folks,

The nation was gripped with the Commonwealth Games (CWG)fiasco. The drama never looked to end. The falling ceiling, corrupt officials, unhygenic living conditions etc etc. The media made merry, cashed on these incidents and made loads of money. All of us too joined the brigade and started to curse the officials who were behind these games. Did we ever ponder why we were in this pitiable situation?

Who should be blamed for this mass disgrace. Can we blame the builders for faulty constructions or janitors for keeping the premises very unclean or Kalmadi & Co. for everything or the ruling Government for the total failure. In my humble opinion we are to blame ourselves for this mess. It is we who have chosen these incompetent and greedy bureaucrats & politicians who are functioning in the same manner as they were functioning twenty years ago. In other words we have become immuned to the attrocities administered by these corrupt politicians and today when our secrets are out in the open before the world, our false pride has been hurt. Anyways, all these shortcomings were gloriously covered up by an electrifying and fantastic opening ceremony. But the best thing to have happened is that our athletes have done extremely well and are looking to break India's all time best record in CWG. That is definitely someting for all of us to cheer about. Best of Luck guys and keep up the good work....

There is something that I want to share with you all about an incident which happened a couple of weeks ago which left me disturbed (only slightly). There is a certain temple that was close to my home and I used to visit the temple as often as I could. My occasional visits for its very tasty prasadams and its proximity to my home made it very special to me. A couple of weeks ago there was a theft in the temple and sadly the thieves looted the idol of all it's valuable ornaments. When I heard the news, I was shocked.

I still cannot conjure the reason of me getting disturbed. Was I becoming disturbed because it happened to the idol to which I was attached or because I had to answer myself to the question " If God cannot protect himself, how can He protect his people". Now that is a very sensitive question which can shake your faith in what you have believed or made to believe all your life. We have read and heard enough philosophical discourses that we can come up with an explanation for the incident. But, I wanted something more...With these thoughts I was skimming through Tagore's Geetanjali where I read the following poem.

Leave this chanting and telling of beads.Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut? Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee.
He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground and where the path-maker is breaking stones. He is with them in sun and in shower, and his garment is covered with dust. Put off thy holy mantle and even like him come down on the dusty soil.
Deliverance? Where is delivarance to be found? Our master himself has joyfully taken upon him the bonds of creation; he is bound with us all for ever.
Come out of thy meditations and leave aside thy flowers and incense. What harm is there if thy clothes become tattered and stained? Meet him and stand by him in toil and in sweat of thy brow.

I don't know if this poem has answered my question as there are innumerable things that are beyond our scope of understanding but it definitely has broadened my narrow vision. We usually get emotionally connected with an idol in a temple which is very natural and reasonable. But believing it to exist only in the temple is foolishness as God is omnipresent. Let us all understand this truth and try to put it into practice.

Signing off for now,
Krishna