The fifities and sixties were the heydays of Tamil.  In 1956 when a college celebrated its centenary the Education Minister was the chief guest.  The Principal spoke in English welcoming the Minister.  The Minister stood up and uttered his first word in Tamil and it was greeted by a thunderous applause, Now-a-days we hear that Tamil is dying a slow death.  Many children are in English medium schools where the mother tongue is neglected.  Those students are not able to write Tamil.  Some of them cannot even read Tamil.  It is a sad situation but can only be

Orthodoxy, conservation, tradition  are the old ways of  life summarised by the modern term Establishment.  The old strongly resists the new is the order of the day.  The old ways of life are so strong, that they can come back sooner or later even if removed effectively.  After the French Revolution Napoleon made himself the Emperor.  Later the royalty was restored.  The same thing happened in England earlier.  Even in democratic countries the President of the nation behaves like a Monarch and people at all levels treat him as a King.

"I have worked hard and sincerely all my life but still at the bottom of it".  " I am always successful, but the results go to another", "Everyone cheats me who is totally honest" are statements we often hear.  There are many more such descriptions.  Most of  them are negative as life in general is negative.  Occasionally we hear a positive statement, "I have not done anything special wherever I have worked, but unseen help from all quarters used to come.  Now, as a result, I am presiding over this organisation".  There are several such positive statements

To us big things are important, small things are not, VIPs are attended.  Others are formally received.  Karna's earnings were his protective cover.  Hanuman giving the news of Sita to Rama said, "Saw, Sita" instead of  " I found Sita " .  He is an incarnation of wisdom.  This incident is oft quoted for his thougtfulness.  Engineers know the efficiency of a machine is vastly affected by the way the parts are perfectly fitted.  In the lives of great men there are turning points of great initial success.  Apparently all of them are small events.&nb

The small is significant.  We realise it only when things go wrong.  The value of things is seen only in their absence.  We have heard of micronutrients in agriculture.  When the value of vitamins was first discovered, medical science discovered that permanent ailments could be cured by small doses of the missing vitamins.  A Japanese scientist working in agriculture accidentally noticed the inherent value of MICRO-ORGANISMS.  He found them effective, developed his theory, practised it and published books on it 10 or 15 years a

od has created the world for eternal delight.  It is sought through eternal Romance.  Sri Aurobindo speaks of 4 major events in the history of earth of which HE mentions Krishna's life in Brindavan.  In His view it is the most glorious Hour in the life of earth, Romance, however intense or long, ends in marriage is the human experience.  Spirituality all over the world has demanded  celibacy.  Spirituality is considered as the antithesis of Romance.  The truth is spirituality is the opposite of social, family life, not Romance which is a p

For several decades  I have been dreaming of writing a story or taking a film to convey the message that India is potentially richer than any rich nation on earth.  My contacts with  writers of reputation for my people led me nowhere.  Some wrote after a fashion which I published.  At last I myself wrote a "story" which is really an essay in the shape of a dialogue.  It was quite disappointing.  Serialising it in my journal, I was surprised at the welcome it received.  Bob wrote "Legend of Brahman". I was thrilled by it.

We often hear that if we are not right, God will punish us.  The truth there is very little.  Gods belong to the Overmind.  They too have guna, swabhava like us, but they may be in traces.  They are not free from ego.  What is true is when we propitiate them and they are pleased, they are so powerful to grant us anything they choose.  Punishment is not in their scheme.  But, if anyone wishes to offend any God, woe unto him.  He will certainly be cursed or punished as Siva did to the poet Nakeeran.  What is true in our life, our h

Success makes for happiness; failure gives us sorrow.  Sri Aurobindo says success and happiness are sought after by lower human emotions.  Pious people do their duty regardless of success or failure.  They are invariably happy, rather filled with a sense of contentment.  There are other people who are always found filled with JOY.  They spread joy around.  Such people are found at all levels of life.  Inner Joy, permanently established, is one symptom of a realised Soul.  We do not hear of pensive Saints, or other rel

The word Personality is used in many senses sanctioned by the language.  It is most commonly  heard in a sense language does not grant it.  A tall handsome, well built person is often mentioned as a good personality.  Any of us, or atleast most of us, have two sets of behaviour.  One is what we put up outside.  The other is what we are inside.  I call the first as outer personality and the other inner personality.  The PERSON lies beyond both of them.  The outer personality rises or falls with the outer circumstances.  The inner personality