Just as I was thinking along these lines, they occur in the interview a sportsman gave. This is a man I've admired for a while now, for all his calmness through achievements, a man who came back from failures, but all the time remaining gloriously controlled and dignified. This is the sort of character I like for a role model: a man with a drive for achievement, tempered with dignity, culture and composure. He brings an intensity into the game that is as focused on the goals as is measured. Well, the sport is cricket and I'm Indian, so no marks for guessing that its Rahul Dravid. Here's the quote I was talking about earlier, and its from this interview:
Q: Your cricket is characterised by intensity ... whether it's batting or captaincy. How do you manage to sustain that intensity over a long period?
RD: You have to enjoy playing. And you have to make sure you never forget that it's just a game. You have to love the game. I always think about how I began.
When I was a young kid I remember what it felt like to come back from school, throw the bags, quickly get something to eat and then get out to the street to play cricket. We played for two-three hours and how we enjoyed it. It was so much fun. Then there were the school nets and I couldn't wait to go out and play. I was so keen just to hear the bell ring so I could get out there and bat. That's something that never goes away.
Obviously when you're playing professionally for such a long period of time the pressures are different. You taste success, you face defeats, there are some lonely days on the road ...
but if you can always go back to the joy of why you began playing the game in the first place, then the intensity will automatically come whether you're playing your first game, the second or the hundredth.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Friday, March 10, 2006
Self-giving and self-discipline
I have often thought on the theme of self-giving and selfless patriotism, ever since I read Swami Vivekananda's views on patriotism some 7 years ago.
Swamiji's ideas, to me, for the first time, showed that patriotism could be an intense spiritual practice, and in the light of his ideas, patriotism could also raise us to a summit from where we could survey our own role in the larger context of human welfare.
But this greater idea of patriotism also means, we need to exert ourselves more to achieve it. Because it is easy to be patriotic in the sense of cheering one's national sports team or being passionately jingoistic about one's own national ideals. It is easy to even die for one's nation. But it is more difficult to mould oneself according to, and live for, a noble ideal.
If to be patriotic means to feel the suffering of fellowmen coursing through the veins every second, and work in that attitude, the idea enters the rarified realm of the sublime. In that realm, self-giving is the meaning of love. To love then means to suffuse oneself with the ideal. Then, life of the self is control of the self.
Ofcourse the more someone wants to conform to these ideals, the more he or she has to strive to manifest them. But if patriotism must lead to human welfare, it must be practiced in no less a light than this!
Swamiji's ideas, to me, for the first time, showed that patriotism could be an intense spiritual practice, and in the light of his ideas, patriotism could also raise us to a summit from where we could survey our own role in the larger context of human welfare.
But this greater idea of patriotism also means, we need to exert ourselves more to achieve it. Because it is easy to be patriotic in the sense of cheering one's national sports team or being passionately jingoistic about one's own national ideals. It is easy to even die for one's nation. But it is more difficult to mould oneself according to, and live for, a noble ideal.
If to be patriotic means to feel the suffering of fellowmen coursing through the veins every second, and work in that attitude, the idea enters the rarified realm of the sublime. In that realm, self-giving is the meaning of love. To love then means to suffuse oneself with the ideal. Then, life of the self is control of the self.
Ofcourse the more someone wants to conform to these ideals, the more he or she has to strive to manifest them. But if patriotism must lead to human welfare, it must be practiced in no less a light than this!
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Bhajans and Ambulance Sirens
As the evening draws close, the temples in our Varanasi resonate with peace- the chimes of bells, evening Aratis, the aspiration of the human soul for the Divine all merge to create an atmosphere of bliss. It feels like Gods descend on earth to savour the sublime flavour of the hour.
Not on tuesday. The sirens of ambulances that immediately fileld the air after the blasts, perhaps modified and modulated the evening Bhajans: 'Lord, show us a way of of this madness'.
What do Hindus do?
They have a religious leadership which is confused and rudderless and unable to respond to times. A secular leadership which cares more about power and votes. A government that cannot protect their interests. A law enforcement mechanism which is medieval. And the miscreants who aid these inhuman deeds are almost invisible amongst the sea of innocent Muslim citizens of the nation.
A thousand years later, we are free in our lands. But our lives, religion and culture are not still safe. Each new incident only reminds the sad fact more poignantly, 15 August 1947 was only an illusory day of freedom.
Not on tuesday. The sirens of ambulances that immediately fileld the air after the blasts, perhaps modified and modulated the evening Bhajans: 'Lord, show us a way of of this madness'.
What do Hindus do?
They have a religious leadership which is confused and rudderless and unable to respond to times. A secular leadership which cares more about power and votes. A government that cannot protect their interests. A law enforcement mechanism which is medieval. And the miscreants who aid these inhuman deeds are almost invisible amongst the sea of innocent Muslim citizens of the nation.
A thousand years later, we are free in our lands. But our lives, religion and culture are not still safe. Each new incident only reminds the sad fact more poignantly, 15 August 1947 was only an illusory day of freedom.
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