REMEMBRANCE

 

REMEMBRANCE

“Remembrance” is defined as the capacity for or the act of remembering some past event or situation. Its common synonyms are memory, recollection and reminiscence.

In the world calendar the Sunday nearest to the 11^th November is celebrated as Remembrance Day on which those killed in wars, especially the wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45 are remembered in ceremonies.

Memory is a gift of God. We don’t want to forget everything we see, learn or experience, so we need memory to remember them.

Memory is the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information. In old age, human memory does not  remain so strong and rich as in earlier years.

Many people, especially writers, use medical devices to improve their fading memory.

 The English writer Hannah More (1745-1833) said: The world does not require so much to be informed as reminded.”

The Roman historian Marcus Porcius Cato  (95-46 B.C.) said: The greatest comfort of my old age, and that which gives me the highest satisfaction, is the pleasing remembrance of the many benefits and friendly offices I have done to others.“

According to the Scottish poet Robert Pollok (1798-1827)  : “Sorrows remembered sweeten present joy.”

And the English poet-dramatist William Shakespeare (1564-1616) had this to say: Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear.

Finally, this unforgettable quote: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched  -- they must be felt with the heart.

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G.R.Kanwal

20 November 2024

 

GOSSIP

 

                   GOSSIP

“Gossip” is defined as informal talk or stories about other people‘s private lives, that may be unkind or not true.

Some of its synonyms are : tattle, tittle-tattle, idle talk, hearsay, smear campaign, whispering campaign and mud-slinging.

            There are lots of people who love gossip because besides venom it has an element of good humour and  entertainment.

 

Newspapers have gossip columnists who write gossip columns which are liked by a large number of readers as entertainment.

            A person who talks eagerly about other people is called a gossiper. Women who talk too much are humourously called chatty.  

 

            Gossip is also classified as (a) positive gossip which leaves us feeling light, informed and connected, and (b) negative gossip  which we feel as a weight on our conscience.

            The English playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816)  who wrote his most famous comedy The School for Scandal said: There is a set of malicious, prating, prudent gossips, both male and female, who murder character to kill time; and will rob a young fellow of his good name before he has years to know the value of it.

This writer also said: Tale bearers are just as bad as tale makers.

           

According to the English novelist and poet George Eliot (1819-1880):  Narrow-minded and ignorant persons talk about persons and not things; hence gossip is the bane and disgrace of so large a portion of society.

 

She further says: As to people saying a few idle words about us, we must not mind that any more than the old church steeple minds the rooks cawing about it.

The American historian  George Bancroft (1800-1891) had this to say: Truth is not exciting enough to those who depend on the characters and lives of their neighbours for all their amusement.

 

Finally, this short but realistic quote: Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys.

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G.R.Kanwal

19 November 2024

 

 

SOME THOUGHTS ON EQUALITY

 

SOME THOUGHTS ON EQUALITY

            It is impossible to give a foolproof definition of equality. Dictionaries define it very briefly in terms of equal rights, status, advantages and opportunities. But in practice, we find many people more equal than others.

            It is right to say that the answer to whether humans are “truly equal” depends on how you define equality. You have economic quality, political equality, legal equality, natural equality, social equality, civil equality, religious equality and even gender equality.

            Businesswise, while socialism advocates production, distribution, and exchange to be owned by the community as a whole, capitalism supports private actors to own and control property in their personal interests with the  sole motive of making profit . As for Communism , it rejects private ownership of land, factories and machinery.

            Inequality is a common feature in the whole world. It is rightly defined as “an unfair situation in which some people have more rights or better opportunities than other people.” However it is justified on the ground that  talents differ, so do their rewards.

A rustic justification is cited about the unequal five fingers of the human hand and the foot.

Then there is the justification through  Karma theory, fate, destiny,  inheritance, geological locations,  availability of material resources and many other factors.

            The French writer and philosopher M.de Voltaire (1694-1778) said: They who say all men are equal speak an undoubted truth, if they mean all have an equal right to liberty, to their property, and to their protection by the laws. But they are mistaken if they think men are equal in their station and employments, since they are not so by their talents.          

              According to the English clergy Caleb C. Colton (1780-1832) : Kings and their subjects, masters and slaves, find a common level in two places ----at the foot of the cross and in the grave.   

            Finally, this short but interesting quote: Before God, we are all equally wise, and equally foolish.”

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            G.R.Kanwal

            18 November 2024

 

 

THE FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION

 

          THE FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION

“Religion” is defined as the belief in the existence of a god, and the activities that are connected with His worship.

Whereas the Supreme God is one, there are many other  gods and goddesses who are worshipped for different purposes.

As on today, there are twelve major religions. They are known as : Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Judaism, Confucianism, Baha’i, Taoism and Zoroastrianism.

 The main purpose of religion is defined as “to achieve the goals of salvation for oneself and others, and (if there is a God) to render due worship and obedience to God. “

I believe that all religions should have at least one common purpose and that is to teach its followers a perfect moral behavior and make them ideal members of society.

Almost every religion condemns sin, viciousness, hatred, greed, gluttony, violence, revenge, destabilization, conflicts, war, blasphemy, adultery, lack of charity, non-compassion and disunity.

Great religions like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism, believe in the oneness of God and the whole world as one family.

Empathy, helpfulness, mercy and justice are the chief attributes of certain religions.

Every religion believes in the existence of a god or a creator of this world. Some spiritual leaders like Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) define God as Truth.  

Religion and science must act together in search of Truth. Without science some religious practices  become a group of superstitions and myths.

Religions should unite not divide society.  One of their chief purpose is relationship between people and a higher power.

English Quaker William Penn (1644-1718) said : Religion is the fear and love of God; its demonstration is good works; and faith in the root of both, for without faith we cannot please God; nor can we fear and love what we do not believe.

   Finally, this short quote on religion: Science has made the world a great neighbourhood, but religion must make it a great brotherhood.

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G. R. Kanwal

16 November 024

 

 

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT GOD

 

          SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT GOD

On this auspicious day of Guru Nanak Jayanti, it is perfectly appropriate to express some unforgettable  thoughts about God.

If we go by Wikipedia  Guru Nanak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539) , also known as Baba Nanak was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.

My personal belief in Guru Nanak’s teachings, especially those  related to his thoughts about God is everlasting.  According to him there is one God, True is His Name, creative His personality and immortal His form. He is without fear, sans enmity, unborn and self-illumined. He is genderless and transcendent. Due to this, He cannot be fully understood by human beings. He dwells within the human heart. All people are equal, regardless of their caste, religion or gender. They are created by His will therefore, deserve to be treated alike and with respect.

 Elsewhere we have the following thoughts about God.

He is a spirit, infinite, eternal, unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.

God is one of the names which we give to incomprehensible being, the creator of all things, who preserves and governs everything by His almighty power and wisdom, and who is the only object of our worship.

There is nothing on earth worth being known but God and our own souls.

Finally, this suggestion by the French writer.de Voltaire (1694-1778) : If God did not exist it would be necessary to invent him.

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G.R.Kanwal

15^th November 2024

 

NEHRU ON SECULARISM

 

NEHRU ON SECULARISM

Born on 14 November 1889 at Allahabad (now Prayagraj) , Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru is described as  “an Indian colonial rationalist, secular humanist,, social democrat, author and statesman who served as country’s 1^st Prime Minister.” He died on 27 May 1964. His birthday is celebrated as Children’s Day.

               What follows are Pt. Nehru’s views on secularism expressed by him in the Foreword to the book  Dharam Nirpeksh Raj written by  by Raghunath Singh (1961).

 

Pt, Nehru says: We talk about a secular state in India …..Some people think that it means something opposed to religion. That obviously is not correct.

What it means is that a state which honours all faiths equally and gives them equal opportunities and  that, as a state, it does not allow itself to be attached to one faith or religion, which can become the state religion.

            In a sense, says Pt. Nehru, this is a more or less modern conception. India has a long history of religious tolerance. That is one aspect of a secular state, but it is not the whole of it.

 

In a country like India, which has many faiths and religions, no real nationalism can be built except on the basis of secularity.

           

According to Pt. Nehru any narrower approach must necessarily exclude a section of the population, and then nationalism itself will have a much more restricted meaning then it should possess.

 

            As a result of this approach, he thinks, India would have  to consider Hindu nationalism, Muslim nationalism, Sikh nationalism or Christian nationalism and not Indian nationalism.

           

Pt. Nehru thinks that these narrow religious nationalisms are relics of a past age, no longer relevant today.

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G. R. Kanwal

14 November 2024

 

 

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT PAIN

 

          SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT PAIN

“Pain” is defined as “a signal in our nervous system that something may be wrong. It is an unpleasant feeling, such as a prick, tingle, sting, burn or ache. It may be sharp or dull. It may come or go, or may be constant.

There are also types of pain like physical, mental, emotional or neuropathic. They may dull or acute. Some respond to medicines quickly, others continue for long and may even become incurable.

            Almost every person experiences pain in one’s life. There is a famous proverb : ‘No pain, no gain’ which means you need to suffer if you want to achieve something.

Some synonyms of pain are : hurt, sorrow, grief, sadness, unhappiness, distress, misery, wretchedness, anguish, affliction, woe, agony, torment, torture, bother, vexation, worry and irritation. These are the general experiences of life from infancy to old age.

Lord Gautam Buddha  (563 - 483 B.C.) said: Pain is the outcome of sin and suggested an eightfold path to get rid of it.

 According to Arthur Henry Hallam (1811-33), the English subject of Lord Tennyson’s In Memorium : Pain is the deepest thing we have in our nature, and union through pain and suffering has always seemed more real and holy than any other.”

            The English bishop Thomas Bentham (1513-79 ) had this to say  : Nature has placed mankind under the government of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do. On the one hand, the standard of right and wrong; on the other, the chain of causes and effects, are fastened to their throne. “

            Pain is not always the result of some hurt or wrong doing. It is there in a different form at the time of our birth and then in old age  which the English poet  William Shakespeare (1564-1616) calls in his poem The Seven Ages Of Man  :

Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness, and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.    

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G.R.Kanwal

13 November 2024