Man who inspired Team India in 2011 WC

Mike Horn 
(Courtesy Wikipedia)

Article in Cricinfo.com

DV7

"Spain begins to dream".... was the headline in the most widely circulated daily in Spain, after their 1-0 victory over Portugal. David Villa's goal makes him now the joint lead goal scorer in FIFA 2010 worldcup. Is he peaking at the right time for Spain? Well his fans would be hoping and praying... to see "The Kid" score more and more goals for his country... their dreams has just begun!!!

Name: David Villa Sánchez
DOB: 3/12/1981
Country: Spain
Shirt number: 7
Position: Forward (devastating striker)
Nick name: El Guaje ("The Kid" in Asturian)

Vamos Villa!!!!!

44th President of United States

Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Place: Capitol Hill, Washington DC, US
Date: January 20, 2009
People gathered: Estimated 2 million!
Gathered for: To witness swearing in of America's first black President
Name: Barack Obama



"President" Obama's first speech

My fellow citizens:


I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.


Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.


So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.


That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. Video Watch the full inauguration speech »


These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.


Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.


On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.


On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.


We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.


In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.


For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.


For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.


For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.


Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.


This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.


For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.


Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.


What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.


Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.


As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.


Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.


We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.


For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.


To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.


To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.


As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.


For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.


Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.


This is the price and the promise of citizenship.


This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.


This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.


So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
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"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."


America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Source: CNN.com, timesofindia.com

Obama is the US president!

Another man to live his dreams!!!

Videos of Barack Obama claiming victoy in the US 2008 elections. The first African-American to ever climb the stairs of the White House.

Listen to his opening statement...

Part-1



Part-2



Part-3

The Battle Inside

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 wolves.

"One is Evil. It is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

The other is God. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Take care of your thoughts

"Thoughts lead to purposes;
Purposes go forth in action;
Actions form habits;
Habits decide character;
Character fixes our destiny."

So take care of your thoughts!

Warne-Muralitharan Trophy!!

Children's Day Thought

The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any - Fred Astaire
APJ Abdul Kalam starts a newspaper "Billion Beats"

Former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam was the people's President, and on the occasion of Children's Day, Kalam dons a new hat by turning editor for an online paper. Never one to sit idle, former President APJ Abdul Kalam has moved on. Today (November 14) is Children's Day - a day when Kalam launches his own e-paper, which will celebrate the success stories of ordinary Indians. Anantha Krishnan, National Affairs Editor, 'Billion Beats', puts it, "It all started with an informal chat with Dr Kalam. He felt that there's an overdose of politics, murders, crime and there's a lot of negative stories in print. So, he felt that we should celebrate the victories also. Children's Day seemed to be the right time to launch the paper. Dr Kalam wants all the success stories of scientists, agriculturists, farmers and technocrats. Basically 'Billion Beats', will try to bring to the fore, the tales of unsung heroes."

Source: Timesnow.tv

Safdar Hashmi (Apr 12, 1954 - Jan 2, 1989)

"It was when JANAM was enacting a chillingly prescient play called Halla Bol, which touched on issues of workers' rights and the right to perform in the face of injustice, that the group was attacked. Even as Safdar attempted to help others escape, he was bludgeoned to death with iron rods. "The horrific murder caused immense revolution across the country," says artist Ram Rehman. "I will never forget the funeral, the staggering number of people who marched in solidarity with us." The mourning cut across political affiliations, and linked artists, thinkers, journalists and concerned citizens in a visceral reaction to the outrage.

Two days after his death, his wife Moloyshree Hashmi went back to Sahibabad with the Janam troupe to finish the performance of Halla Bol, saying: "It is what Safdar would have wanted."

Safdar Hashmi

Article about Safdar

JaNaM
Poem by Safdar Hashmi
A tribute to Safdar - SAHMAT

People who Ignite Minds

No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men. - Thomas Carlyle.

There are innumerable such men and women, each one with a dream, a vision who have written the history of this world. Many, not so popular, yet been an inspiration to the masses. Working for the people at the grass root level, living, being, sharing and making them see new dreams was their dream. Recently i heard a scholar on one of the popular Indian news channel criticising people who laud and treat the achivements and victories of Bobby Jindal, Sunitha Williams - as victory for India/Indians. He said "First of all, they are not Indians.... get that straight into your heads... secondly... its NOT a victory for India... should we (Indians) feel elated of a person who wins a Governer's race in US, merely because his forefathers had their roots (very very faintly) linked with India?? Now, we must not take away the victory and achievements of the Jindals, the Williamss', and other people who have risen to fame and glory. No doubt they are fantastic people having achieved great feats in their streams, but there are scores of people who have toiled for the sake of India, lived and died for a social cause, for the sake of the poor and downtrodden. These are the people who have given their entire self in bringning a change to the narrowest mindsets of people, and made them realise their rights and duties as responsible citizens of the nation. True nation building happens when people realize, look and act at social issues, to eradicate the scums in whatever possible way they can. The impact it has on the generations to come will be immense. But the stories of such great men and women have always been short lived in the memories of the people. The struggles and pains in bringing these revolutionary changes have been soon forgotten. When someone scores a century in a cricket match, or make a class act in one of the Bollywood flicks, we (and the media) worship them, they become Gods in no time.... they become our role models!! How sad that we forget the true legends and live in a fantasy world.

Speaking out on my blog, i will be introducing and talking of some great Indian personalities, who have not been as popular as Jindals or the Khans or the Bachhans on the world stage, but of some lesser known people who have had a huge impact on the lives of a common man and India. These are the people who really ignite minds.

My candidate for the next President

Born in London... and educated in Bombay, Calcutta and Delhi.. !!!
Ph.D. holder in Law and Diplomacy at the age of 22 (phew!)
Joined United Nations at the age of 22 (phew! phew!)
Served for 29 yrs at the UN (phew! phew! phew!)
Named "Global Leader of Tomorrow" by World Economic Forum in Davos.
Youngest and the most experienced to run for the post of UN Secretary-General in the history of UN in 2006.

An impressive resume isnt it!!!

Above are just some of the uniqueness and achievements of the "genius" Shashi Tharoor. As a diplomat and writer, Shashi Tharoor has explored the diversity of culture in his native India. On Indian diversity he says - "If America is a melting-pot, then to me India is a thali, a selection of sumptuous dishes in different bowls. Each tastes different, and does not necessarily mix with the next, but they belong together on the same plate, and they complement each other in making the meal a satisfying repast"

No better person can give us a complete inside into the working, evolution, changing times and strides UN has taken since its formation in the October of 1945. Ending a 29 yr long career at UN only a few weeks back, here is what he writes for TOI. After reading this I felt hez tailor-made (read God-made) to be the next President of India.

[Do read the last few lines, really impressive]

"April Fool's Day 2007 is actually a rather serious day for your columnist. Yesterday, i ended my career as an international civil servant, just one month shy of what would have been 29 years at the United Nations. Today is the first day of the rest of my life, and yet i can't help looking back a bit at the organisation i've just left behind. I joined the UN in 1978 as an idealistic young man of 22, hoping to serve refugees and discover the world. I did a bit of both. But how much the institution i joined has changed! If i had suggested to my seniors at that time that the UN would one day observe and even run elections in sovereign states, conduct intrusive inspections for weapons of mass destruction, impose comprehensive sanctions on the entire import-export trade of a member state, or set up international criminal tribunals and coerce governments into handing over their citizens to be tried by foreigners under international law, i am sure they would have told me that i did not understand what the UN was all about. Indeed, since those were the late 1970s, they might well have asked me, "Young man, what are you smoking?" And yet the UN has done every one of those things during the last three decades, and more: it has administered territory, conducted huge multi-dimensional peace-keeping operations with nearly 80,000 soldiers in the field, deployed human rights monitors to report on the behaviour of sovereign governments. The UN, in short, has been a highly adaptable institution that has evolved in response to changing times. There's little acknowledgement of that in the perennial calls for 'reform' of the UN. 'Reform' is a term that means different things to different people nowadays any change a country wants at the UN is labelled 'reform', which conveniently garbs self-interest in the cloak of institutional progress. Today's reform imperatives can be traced back to the divisions over the Iraq war. In the summer of 2003, a poll conducted by the Pew Organisation in 20 countries around the world revealed that the UN's standing had gone down in all 20. It had gone down in the US because the UN did not agree to support the US Administration on the war, but it had also gone down in the 19 other countries, because the UN was unable to prevent the war. So we got hit from both sides of the debate. We disappointed both sets of expectations. Some famous and rather powerful voices began to speak of the UN's irrelevance. It was at the peak of this intense scrutiny of the UN, at a time when its potential and its deficiencies had never been more in the public eye, that talk of reform reached a crescendo. But as former secretary-general Kofi Annan never tired of pointing out, reform is a process, not an event. There is a case for reviewing and reviving the entire architecture of the international system that had been built up since 1945, in order to construct a more effective house of global governance for the 21st century. But change comes as adaptation, rarely as legislative fiat. The perennial saga of Security Council reform (the 'Open-Ended Working Group' of the General Assembly set up in 1992 to resolve the problem is now widely disparaged as the 'Never-Ending Talking Group') demonstrates the point.

No one disputes that the Council's composition reflects the geopolitical realities of 1945 rather than those of 2007, but change will benefit only a few, so the rest resist it even at the price of perpetuating an anomaly. But one day what merely seems anachronistic today will begin to ook absurd. At that point change will have to come. So the UN reflects the realities of world politics, even while seeking to transcend them. The UN, at its best and its worst, is a mirror of the world: it reflects our differences and our convergences, our hopes and aspirations — as well as our limitations and failures. The UN is a forum where sovereign states can work out common strategies for tackling global problems, and an instrument for putting those strategies into effect. But it can be a much more effective instrument. As Mahatma Gandhi put it, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." The UN is no exception. When i joined the UN, it was almost unthinkable for the UN to take sides between democracy and dictatorship, or seek to intervene in the internal affairs of its members. Even human rights were by no means universally agreed, with some states seeing them as a tool of western neo-imperialism. Today, by contrast, the UN itself does more than any other single organisation to promote and strengthen democratic institutions and practices around the world. India is a leading donor to the UN's Democracy Fund, which provides assistance for building democracy, and we have established a Peacebuilding Commission to help countries transition from war to durable peace. The UN is more focussed on combating terrorism than ever before. As we face these new challenges of our time, let us not forget the old ones, especially the persistent terror of underdevelopment. The combination of poverty, drought, famine and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa threatens more human lives than terrorism or the tsunami ever did. The Millennium Development Goals have become better known, but we are not on course to achieving these targets by 2015. All governments must be held accountable for fulfilling their part of the bargain, both to their own peoples and to each other. There is no longer any excuse for leaving well over a billion of our fellow human beings in abject misery. Of course, the UN isn't perfect. As the great second Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold, put it, "the UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell." Sometimes the best the UN can do is to keep trying to prevent us all from tumbling into hell. It's a worthwhile battle the UN is waging, and it deserves our support, if we are to sustain our hopes for a fairer and safer world."

Swami Vivekananda (January 12, 1863 - July 4, 1902)

Big bright saffron turban… yes, the first thing that comes to our mind when we think of Swami Vivekananda is this. From when did Vivekananda start wearing the turban, and why? I just wanted to share this small piece of information, on this great monk who is believed to have walked like an "Incarnation of God". The turban that Vivekananda used to wear is believed to be suggested by Maharaja of Khetri. But some historians and researchers view that Vivekananda visited the Swamithope Pathi during his visit to Kanyakumari in December 1892 and believe that he was impressed by the principles behind rituals of this monistic faith, such as wearing a head gear during worship in temple, worshipping in front of mirror etc., and started wearing a turban from then on. Some say that Vivekananda received some spiritual instructions from the disciples of Ayya Vaikundar. It is also said by many that while he was a child, he was impressed by the turban of the horse cab driver, who used to ferry his father on his daily work. Subsequently when he renounced the world and took to sanyasa, he started using one himself.

On his birthday today lets experience one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of Vedanta, who is regarded by millions as the Messenger of God, through his preachings. This is what the greats had to say about Vivekananda:

Rabindranath Tagore - If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative

Mahatma Gandhi - Swami Vivekananda's writings need no introduction from anybody. They make their own irresistible appeal.

Some of the sayings of Vivekananda:

As different streams having different sources all mingle their waters in the sea, so different tendencies various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to God.

Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.

All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.

FIFA WorldCup Germany 2006

The story so far....

Being a die hard fan of football .. i certainly am not gonna miss the last two matches of the FIFA Worldcup 2006 ... first being the fight for the third place between Germany and Portugal, two young teams fighting it out for pride... and the second... the great clash for the title between France and Italy in the finals on Sunday (July 9th). Klinsmann (the german coach) certainly wud want to make it at the third spot for his nation. I greatly admire him for giving his commitment towards the game and in grooming the young lads of the german national team to the last four in the championship this year. His energy, passion and love for the game is simply unmatched.. (guess wat.. he is a Leo!). German football hasn't always been attacking and attractive, but Jurgen Klinsmann has changed all that... he knows wat it means to hold the golden world cup in one's hands.. he has been a part of the victorious West German team in 1990 versus Argentina in Rome. Just read this interview of his to timesonline.... truly a legend. Hmmmm.. so, this time its gonna be either France or Italy to lift the world cup. And before i end this blog.. here are a couple of "did u knows" ;) ...

Did u know that someone had predicted that....
Did u know where the 2010 FIFA World Cup's gonna be held??

The Man who walked like an Incarnation of God

I happened to read an article about Swami Vivekananda in 'Wisdom'. The article was about the first couple of meetings betw Naren and Sri Ramakrishna. A classic of an article. I had thought that the first time they met was in Dakshineswar. But its not so, it was actually in Calcutta. A relation of Narendra used to advise him to visit Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar, who, he said, would be able to remove all his doubts about religion. In the year 1881 at the age of eighteen for the first time Narendra happened to meet Ramakrishna at the house of a neighbour. Sri Ramakrishna had gone to Calcutta to the house of a devotee which was near Narendra's. Devotional songs were to be sung during Sri Ramakrishna's visit, but the singer failed to show up. The devotees invited Narendra, their neighbor, to fill the gap, knowing he excelled in both singing and playing musical instruments.

Thus came Narendra to the house of the devotee and sang one of the most touching songs in Bengali. This was their first meeting and Sri Ramakrishna was visibly moved by the sincerity and quality of Narendra's voice. He invited Naren to visit Dakshineswar at his earliest convenience.

As the days passed, Naren began to grow restless about the various riddles that religion presented to him. He particularly wanted to meet a person who could talk about God with the authority of personal experience. In November of 1881 Narendra went to Dakshineswar with some classmates. The second meeting betw the Guru and the disciple was even more eventful. Sri Ramakrishna treated Narendra not as a stranger but as as old friend. Commenting on this first visit Narendra said, "It was most unusual kind of meeting. I could not understand the peculiar behaviour of that 'mad, monomaniac Brahmin'. I was reluctant to visit him again, but his simplicity, genuine renunciation, and love for God pulled me again and again, despite protests of logic and reason." His skepticism and logical mind was not ready to accept the 'powers' manifested in Sri Ramakrishna. He thought that this 'simple insane' Brahmin might be playing tricks with others in the form of hypnotism or mesmerism. In fact Swami Vivekananda postponed his next visit to Dakshineswar for about six months, although he had promised Sri Ramakrishna to visit him soon.

Swami Vivekananda's inspiring personality was well known both in India and in America during the last decade of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth. The unknown monk of India suddenly leapt into fame at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, at which he represented Hinduism. His vast knowledge of Eastern and Western culture as well as his deep spiritual insight, fervid eloquence, brilliant conversation, broad human sympathy, colourful personality, and handsome figure made an irresistible appeal to the many types of Americans who came in contact with him. People who saw or heard Vivekananda even once cherished his memory even after a lapse of more than half a century.

Lets salute the giant today, on his birthday, who is regarded as the "Man who walked like an Incarnation of God".

One of his preachings....

"Wherever there are many, there is fear, there is danger, there is conflict, there is strife. When it is all One, who is there to hate, who is there to struggle with? When it is all He, with whom can you fight? This explains the true nature of life; this explains the true nature of being. This is perfection, and this is God. As long as you see the many, you are under delusion."

Swami Vivekananda
(January 12, 1863 - July 4, 1902)