Paper chase

"http://www.kfcplainfield.com/sound/paperchase.wav Thats the paper chase theme song.

'.... you teach yourselves the law...but i train your minds
you come in here..with a skull full of mush..and if you survive! you leave thinking like a lawyer!'

Well, words that will apply to anyone whos gone to school at any level. Education or for that matter paper qualification is just that. The foundation upon which one builds ones lives. Some call it a safety net. Naturally theres also other means to get that headstart by working and learning the ropes of the trades. Unfortunately too many seem to think a paper qualification is the passport to immediate monetary gain! And an automatic right to get a job! Looking at the applications for jobs that ive received over the years, its a bit scary. The universities and schools are churning out people who cant think. Not to mention of low standards. Proficiency of language is a nightmare. OK, my profienciency is bad... really bad. I've always wished i had spent more time reading more rather than drool at attractive pictures during my younger days. Even now, reading is restricted to the newspapers and the occasional fiction books. The book rack is sort of filled with many books bought that merely gather dust.

As usual, i digress too much. Theres supposedly thousands of unemployed graduates out there. First and foremost i would suggest all be sent to study english. It helps if they are multi lingual. Its better when english is one of the languages they know. But then again, once a blue moon we do come across some who arent so proficient but are willing to learn. Have one in the office. He was willing to learn. He answered questions well. Able to think and able to reason. After a few years he is still with us, and his command of english has improved. And he's become more confident.

The thing is, the government has got itself to blame for churning out too many graduates. Supply isnt matching demand." I cant think straight. Painkillers doing a great job now. Time to sleep, again.

"whats wrong, why is it wrong. 29th June 2005
I was typing and typing and typing. And i realised it was too long to be posted as a comment to Noh's comment. So here goes. I blame it on the heavy lunch that mom packed and sent over.

1.IMHO its all got to do with the general asian mentality. Everything is measured in monetary terms. Asset accumulation. The need to show that one has the material fruits of labour. And when the race started, anyone staying out is left out to fend for themselves. Those earlier days when we were younger, most of us had a carefree life. Yes there was sufferings. We didnt take things too seriously (on hindsight perhaps we should have studied harder/smarter). And yet we somewhat turned out ok. We're not robbing or killing or raping, amongst other vices. And i could like to think most of us arent croonies!.

We had top students who we were proud of. I still remember back in 1983 i was watching the national news at second college in kg baru. They were announcing the STPM results. Only 5 students in the country achieved 5As! ONLY 5!! And one of them was from English College. Someone we knew. There was a feeling of pride. This guy achieved glory for himself and the school.

Now, we have hundreds or thousands getting straight 5As! In some cases tens of them within a school! Someone please re-assure me that the young ones are getting much smarter nowadays. Perhaps its easier to score As nowadays? I have no idea. But once society starts to judge its students based on the distinctions that theyve obtained, then theres no turning back. Its a race. Who cares whether the students have gained knowledge. As long as they have the As, theyre entitled for rewards.


If the Govt. was serious about walking the talk, they will publish the names of everyone who has obtained scholarships and their results. And for heavens sake can we have a standardised system for the form 6. Why create room for doubt by having a separate matriculation system and then equating both. I went through 2 months of form 6 and immediately knew there was no way i was going to excel, or pass for that matter. And i was lucky enough to hop over to the U and enjoy the benefits of the semester system. You get tested every few weeks or months. Unlike the STPM where you get tested for one and half years work!

2. While some in govt. knows the importance of english, there are also those who play the politics game. To remain popular with the older rural populace. The very ones who keep saying the national language must be given priority, are the very ones who are not writing enough to broaden our knowledge base. The amount of material in english is in abundance. Perhaps we should introduce a system whereby right from the primary school, one has got to pass english and malay language subjects.Fail either of the subjects and you stay in your level. No promotion. Perhaps then there will be people taking languages seriously. But then again, knowing the malaysia boleh spirit, more often than not, most students will get the answers from their nice teachers beforehand.

3. I think its any govt.'s duty to provide education at low cost to ALL its citizens.The buku pinjaman scheme was good. I benefited from the scheme. Parents saved lots of hard earned money by not having to buy kilograms of books every year! The helping hand should stop at that. Facilities are given. But standards must be maintained. If the product of students are not up to standard, fail them. Let them repeat again. Our problem seems to be that some quarters think its the govt.'s duty to provide education, pass the students and then give them jobs that pay good money! :O And in the same breath, they want the country to be a centre of education!

Sad to say, i think its the govt.'s policy to make it hard to fail substandard students. The professional institution that i am a member of had a feedback session once, a few years ago, with a local university. We gave constructive criticism. Students lacked good command of english and practical knowledge. And the U reps admitted, for every student that they fail, they need to justify the failure. There was lots of questioning by the higher ups. And having been a product of the place, i know as a fact its so very difficult to fail, unless one is there looking for failure. I was on that verge once, but probably some kind hearted souls facilitated my moving on.

Bottom line will be, those needing help, must be helped. Those who can stand on their own two feet, must do just that.

4. CVs that shows lots of job movement is indicative the person will probably treat every job as a stepping stone. There are some here in JB who may be quite good at their jobs, but in the social circles they've been labelled as job hoppers. Its to their detriment. Its not like as though at every hop they climb up the ladder. Performing well, and job hopping vertically is a very positive thing.

5. Everythings about having cash in the wallet NOW. Even is something is wrong, more often than not people will just keep quiet instead of bringing the matter to your attention. Theres lots of pride and sense of belonging when the company pays them top dollar and 5 digit bonuses year in year out :)) Have a slowdown, and they consider jumping ship!

6. Agree with you, Noh. Top 1% deserves the scholarships. Bond them to serve the country in return. Perhaps everyone else can get study loans which will be converted to scholarships if they get top results? And for heavens sake, if people who take loans dont pay, just go after them! The govt. dept. mentality has just got to go. There was a case of a guy passing and able to pay back within a year, instead of paying monthly for years. He wrote and asked to pay back in one lump sum! So admirable! And our administrators tell him, NO! He has to pay in installments!!!!! This mentality amongst administrators in the civil service is so prevalent. The best arent running the country, sad to say.

7. On race issues. Honestly speaking, i think i was living under a coconut shell during the school years at English College. Its either that or things were not so bad those days. If youre good, youre rewarded. If youre good, youre selected for sports team in school. Or if you talk too much, you get selected to the english debating team, even if you suck big time. (sigh.. still have nightmares. Losing to SDJ, and me not playing my part still annoys me. Was that the time i first met Kuljeet the pilot? My memory fails. Need to check with him. We were the opposition to the topic of co-ed schools are better, or something to that effect. Damn. EC had girls in form 6. Some were nice to look at [the days when girls wore short skirts and white blouses to school] We were in form 5 and wanted girls in the school, and we were asked to oppose the motion!. How to win lah. But then again SDJ was an all boys school, and didnt have girls at all. Easier for them to argue hypothetically! ).

Come to Gurney Road, and oops, i was in a different world. Everything was segregated. And its then the issue hits straight in the face. Self realisation? Yeah, perhaps. The indians hanging out with themselves. The malays hanging out with themselves albeit in two camps.. PAS and the moderate. The buddhists hanging out in their corner. And the Christians hanging out at their corner. Everyone knew where they had to hang out. Was never comfortable at KL. Was used to a mixed race environment all the way till the end of Form 5. Knowing lots of classmates went overseas on federal scholarships that were never made known to me, changed my perspective of the world that i lived in. Living in the U, reinforced that perspective.

Coming out to the work world, it became apparent the civil service was the domain of one race. Even the state economic developement corporation was off limits. That left only the private sector. And i couldnt talk any of the chinese dialects! (saying the chinese words that i knew at that time, didnt qualify me to claim knowing the language). I have to admit that i was lucky an uncle knew another uncle at the top of one of the govt. departments and arranged an introduction. That person was nice enough to write a letter of introduction and i was offered a position at my current place. 17 years later, i think ive been very lucky and made the most of the opportunities that came my way.

We try hard to maintain a fairly balanced work place with no single dominant race. And everything is tied down to performance. The good ones get rewarded. Naturally in the course of doing business, the race issue props up every now and then. And more often than not, we tend to lose out. It doesnt help either that the company doesnt have the benefit of having an english or international name with associate offices all over the world. (most dont bother to realise even those with those names, are basically run by locals of similar standing). So much for not judging the book by its cover.

Perhaps we need a Race Commission. On equal rights. Then we may stop hearing of discriminations in the civil service as well as the private sector. Elaborate lah, madnoh. We're all adults whut :) I've long endured the snub of being left out of conversations all because some decide to talk in a language thats not english or malay. :))

8. Gone are the days the employer can call a staff into the room, and "screw" the person verbally. Doing that only results in the employee leaving and you receiving a notice of being sued for abuse. The management has had to change. More diplomacy. More kindness and polite words. This is a good thing. Where the staff dont repent or change, give sufficient notice and ask the person to leave. But i would say most are still hard working, with constant supervision. Being humans, most employees will always find opportunities to take breaks.

9. Rich, well-to-do parents. They build the fortune, the children spend it. The grandchildren finish the fortune. Thats a chinese saying right? In most cases its true. As usual theres always exceptions. Children who take advantage of the opportunities they get and excel. Our old friend Ben comes to the mind. Well to do, and he excelled. He's a cancer specialist now i think. I should have called him long ago.

10. The internet has indeed become a major distraction to the productive world.Cant help it cos its addictive. Blogging though i do only when am free. Chatting was the killer. Was so addicted. There were times i would come in early and yak and yak and yak online and not get work done. Well, everyones entitled to make mistakes :D On the plus side have learnt a lot. On work, on IT, on people, on relations. err and on things that turn on people. lol. Have managed to meet up with so many, from all over.

To effect change, the government should start the ball rolling. Start recruiting the best brains. The most capable. Stop asking for the race or religion of applicants.Promote based on merit. On capability. Not on who the applicant knows, or the ball-carrying the person has does. Show to the world and the private sector particularly theyre being fair to all. And ensure that the civil service does its job. To serve the public and not serve their own pockets!

And on a final note, to scrap the "get back our best brains from overseas" program. It wont work. Theyre already earning top bucks overseas. We should concentrate on keeping our best brains in the country. Singapore has been tapping our schools from form 1 onwards. We have to stop that. Reward deserving students early without them having to ask. And at the end of the day, perhaps, the country will reap the benefits of these actions. We become better. And happier.

The day i sat for my first year first semester exam for the compulsory islamic studies or something subject, and saw the first question, i gave up on the U. It was run by insensitive asses. That first question sidelined the entire non-muslim student community and all subsequent complaints was brushed aside.It was an objective question which went along the lines of which of the following religions originated from revelations by God. Naturally, i marked all the spaces - A to E. And naturally it was the wrong answer in the U's eyes.

The first thing i did when i was the editor of the student magazine in my dept. during my final year, was to critisize the quality of lecturers. People who had no practical knowledge and only a first degree called themselves lecturers. Unfortunately that article never got published. The head of dept. called me aside and told me (words ill remember forever)..'lets not make our secret the world's secret!'

Defining moment during my stay there would be during my fourth year and my colleague asking the lecturer a simple question. In arriving at a solution to a problem, the lecturer had said that certain percentage adjustments needed to be made. For example, a land fronting the main road against a land immediately behind it. The fore was more valuable. Better accessibility, commercial exposure, potential for development etc etc. Colleague asked how would one arrive at the percentage adjustments..and her nonchalant reply was one did it based on experience. Naturally, all of us grinned. And my fellow student retorted and said...that would mean people who just graduated with no experience would therefore not be able to work!!! Everyone except the lecturer laughed. She was pissed mad. She just made a fool out of herself. Cos in actual fact, there are quantitative means to arrive at such adjustments. Thats another story.

Then again, i cant be too harsh on them. Screwed up my final year project paper cos i had loads of personal problems and i sort of didnt like the supervisor. The paper went in without her vetting. I got "taruh"ed during the viva. Scared shit during the holidays, and so relieved to scrape through at the end.

And they had to further spoil entire experience by asking us to wear songkoks during graduation! duhhh big time.

The most memorable encounter with a female chatter!

There i was. Sitting patiently at a quiet corner at the freezing KLIA. The time was around midnight. It was sometime in the late 1990s. 1998? 1999? My memory fails me yet again. Topaz was one of the first friends i had encountered in yahoo chat and we migrated to ICQ (which was a big thing back then. Now? ive no idea whatsoever)

She was funny and direct. Very outspoken and wasnt the shy type. We had lots of interesting chats. She was a traffic warden in Perth. She drove a 4000 or 5000 cc vehicle that they called a car. Thunderbird? Something... i cant remember :)) She loved her job and she had lots of free time. One fine day she said she was flying into KL and asked if it was possible to meet up!!!! YES! Perfect idea!

After an hour of waiting, it was beginning to be very uncomfortable. The coldness in the arrival hall was a killer. So much for intelligent building systems. They cant even adjust the airconditioning temp. to comfy levels. Finally the plane landed. Touchdown. And the second phase of waiting begun. The usual waiting for luggage being delivered and their respective owners praying their luggages dont get misdirected or pilfered. At the last minute, i realised i forgot to buy something for her. And ran to the souvenier shops. None open except the choc shops! Naturally went for a big box of ferrero rocher. If she didnt like it, i could eat it. Or we could share :D

Stood there waiting at the arrival hall. And there she came, walking, with a beaming smile on her lovely face. I wasnt prepared for the overwhelming moment. Had seen her photo earlier but it was of poor resolution and taken from afar. Here was a lady in her late 20s, standing around 5'10", slim and probably weighing around 55-60kg, blue eyes and ahem... well endowed. C cup was my silent guess. We hugged and exchanged pleasantries. She was a really sweet lady. She needed to check in at the airport hotel. We walked over and brought the luggage to her room. Gave her the chocolates and she was pleased. And she insisted on unpacking.

She brought a small koala bear stuffed toy, a table cloth with the australia map and a mouse pad! And in return i only gave chocs. Felt damn guilty..lol. We talked a lot. We got something to eat and drink. And time stood still. We were going on and on and before long it was almost 330am! She was on transit at 9am or thereabouts and needed sleep. And it was time to leave. We hugged and said our goodbyes.

Many months later she got engaged and married a chat friend of hers from USA, and they got married on a riverboat in Perth on Valentines Day.

But that night at KLIA was unforgetable. She was worth the travel and 2 hour wait at KLIA. Oh yes, my mrs too enjoyed her company and found her to be a very nice person.

The week that was
25th of June came and passed by. As it is, we dont celebrate anything this year. But having to struggle around at home cos of pain, is a real downer.

Had left to KL with Peter on Monday evening. It was a good drive. We checked into the hotel and after a while went up to KLCC to meet sf, mia, coco and max. It was an interesting meet up. Was meeting Mia for the first time eventhough we have known each other on chat for a few years.

Tuesday was the start of the conference. Nothing spectacular, but it had some interesting moments. The talk on diet made me lose a bit of appetite for an hour or so. Had an interesting discussion with an Indian gentleman working at Jeddah, as well as a senior land surveyor attached with the Survey Department. Followed up with dinner and shopping with the latter at MidValley. It was a reminder not to bother heading there again. The traffic jams and mess in the carpark was a real dampener.

Wednesday morning. Arghh. Was adjusting the water flow from the taps. The water was flowing out slowly and stagnating a bit in the bath tub. The next moment i was falling backwards with the flimsy shower curtain breaking my fall. Ribs fell on the edge of the bath tub and the head just missed the water closet! Very noisy fall. And Peter who was outside didnt realise .... BRB.. OK, am back after like 16 hours later :) Struggled out of the bath and told Peter what happened.

The ribs were ok. Made the mistake of not putting an ice pack immediately. Struggled a bit but could still move about and drive. Made a verbal complain at the reception that there wasnt a non-slip mat in the bath tub, and that water was draining out too slowly. The subang medical centre was just next to sheraton, and yet was just too lazy to pop next door and check up on the injury. Peter had to drive as i was feeling to uncomfortable. That evening when we got back, we noticed that nothing was done about the complaint. Again we verbally informed the reception on what had happened. And off we went to KLCC for dinner. This time it was with sf, farmy and a male friend of farmy. Had earlier called Luq, an old school mate, and he joined us.

When we got back to the hotel, as expected nothing was done. Called the reception and asked if one had to fall and break one's head before the hotel would do something. The nice handyman popped by within minutes. It seems that the non slip mats were recently removed from all the hotel rooms. He had no idea why though.

The next morning off we went for the AGM. Half way through, i slipped out and went shopping :) Yeah, did shopping while in pain. Checked out of the hotel and told a guy at the reception that i was surprised no one from the hotel ever bothered to ask me what sort of injury i sustained and why i was complaining. So much for making guests happy and making their stay a pleasant one. Only at that point did the guy ask if i wished to speak to the duty manager. So much that will do considering i was leaving. I'll probably write a letter to the GM later.

On the drive down, I called up my fellow director, Ong. We stopped by Tangkak and got durians compliments of Ong. Two big bags, perhaps about 30 fruits. Dropped off Peter at his home. Passed a few fruits to a colleague at the office and was back home around 8 plus. Carrying the durians, luggage etc probably aggravated the pain. It was a torture to lie down and to wake up.

The next day dropped the kids at mom's place, and took a cab straight to the medical centre. Seems theres a fracture and the prescription was a corset and painkillers. Thats it. And yeah,lots of rest. Sigh.

I hate falling sick. I hate being cooped up. Yes, having the internet at home does help. But given a choice would rather be at the office. I'll probably take a cab or get my staff to come pick me up tomorrow. As for today, am off shortly. Take my painkillers, and sleep. sleep. sleep. And wait for my bro to send lunch over.

"Based on the movie, written by John Osborne, The Paper Chase is a classroom drama about students in a law school (based on Harvard Law School). The two main characters are a stern but fair Contract Law professor, Charles W. Kingsfield, and a student who idolizes him, James Hart. The Paper Chase was voted the best new drama of 1978.

Wish had lecturers like him when i was studying. It was an outstanding series on the lives of law students. There was one defining episode. The student while cyling on the road in the city, hit a pothole, fell and had an injury. He sued the city council. And he was having a tough time winning cos the general consensus or rebuttal by the city was that he ought to have been more responsible and careful while cycling.

In class one day, Kingsfield, while talking about contract laws and responsibilities of parties, made a statement while looking at this particular student. The city council when providing facilities and amenities and discharging its duties for the people, owe a GREATER RESPONSIBILITY to the people to ensure the wellness of the people. My memory fails me on the exact words. But the message that stuck to the mind was, when one is in authority, or presides over others, then one owes a greater responsibility over them. You cant just say youve done your job and the people have got to be careful. Youve got to ensure nothing negative results as a result of you discharging your duties. I guess we have yet to reach this level of responsibility in this country. Things get screwed up and those in power will more often than not say its God's will, or an accident.

Ok..i blabber too much. Summary of thoughts has never been my forte."

No, i've not become a saint or a saintly person. Dont even let that thought cross your mind. Its just that once a while the mind wanders. In moments of utter boredom when theres nothing else to do, the mind guides the physical self to places that one should go more regularly for one's well-being, but more often than not it doesnt.

Was bored last night. And happened to drop by an old favourite resource centre. Theres much to learn, yet the mind refuses to be disciplined.

Worked till late last night. The kids were still up around 11pm! Was pleasantly surprised. Played with them a bit before making sure they slept early. It rained in the morning. That meant more time with them. Only left home around 11am for the office.

Its been a quiet morning at the office. Cleared some reports, signed some documents. And it was lunch time! Time flies when one comes to work late! Been talking a few people from different backgrounds. Its like a worrying trend. Everyone repeating the same mantra. The economy is slowing. The market is very slow. The post chinese new year pickup in the market did not materialise. The softening in the share market has just compounded the problem. Over supply in the developer launches hasnt been helpful. The coming housing fair will probably confirm what the market perceives and feels. Its going to be slow for many months. Its the Federal Government who appears to be pushing for change and development in JB now. Sad sad situation. One of the richest states being so mismanaged to the point theyve lost control. Appearing to be a beggar. The privatisation mantra of the pre-crash period has clearly failed to benefit the state and its people. Those who benefited are clearly the recipients of such projects and the decision makers. Could write pages on the craps that has been happening over the years in JB particularly. Will have to wait for another day.

Just received a phone call. An aunt is unwell. Hospitalised with pneumonia! Sigh. Pray for her to get well soon. Need to visit her shortly.

Anger Management
http://www.hinduism-today.com/archives/2004/7-9/40-49_anger.shtml
July/August/September, 2004

INSIGHT
Anger Management
How to Tame our Deadliest Emotion
By Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami

Two cars bang fenders at an intersection; tempers flare and a fistfight breaks out. In a store nearby, a man stomps off in a fury, cursing the clerk for declining his credit card. In an apartment up the street, a mother screams at her daughter to clean up her room. Down the block, a schoolgirl pouts because her father won't let her date an older boy. Around the corner a man slaps his eight-year-old son because he won't sit still in the car. Anger is everywhere. It is the most powerful and hurtful emotion we possess. Yet, the average person succumbs to it helplessly, willingly, lapsing into insane episodes now and again without thinking much about it. Many would defend it as if it were an ally, a tool they would not live without.

Anger is expressed by humanity in drastically different manners. Low-minded individuals take great delight in being angry toward others and expressing that anger in aggressive and violent ways--gang wars, robbery, vandalism and more. They deliberately use anger and violence to get what they want from life. Then there are the mass of generally law-abiding people who live a normal, working life but are seriously angry on the inside about one thing or another and express that anger regularly in their words and actions. They are simply angry at life and have neither the means nor the motivation to eliminate anger from their lives.

Anger and the spiritual path: Finally, there are those who are striving to live a life following spiritual principles but are at times unable to control their anger and as a result end up hurting others and breeching Hinduism's core principal of nonviolence, ahimsa, as well as creating new negative karmas to live through in the future. It is to these individuals, who are striving to control anger, even eliminate it from their pattern of behavior, that this Insight is addressed.

To improve our understanding and control of anger, it is helpful to look at the concept of the three-fold nature of man: 1) superconscious or spiritual, 2) intellectual or mental and 3) instinctive or physical-emotional. It is the instinctive nature, the animal-like nature, that contains the tendencies to become angry and harm others. The goal of living a religious life is to learn to control these animal instincts--as well as the ramifications of the intellect and the pride of the ego--and thereby manifest one's spiritual nature. Spiritual striving produces gradual improvement in harnessing and transmuting our instincts, intellect and ego, with the entire process of soul evolution spanning many lifetimes.

Anger is the instinctive behavior of responding to challenging situations by becoming frustrated, upset, enraged to the point of attacking others with words or fists. Webster compares the terms for anger as follows: "Anger is broadly applicable to feelings of resentful or revengeful displeasure; indignation implies righteous anger aroused by what seems unjust, mean or insulting; rage suggests a violent outburst of anger in which self-control is lost; fury implies a frenzied rage that borders on madness; ire, chiefly a literary word, suggests a show of great anger in acts, words, looks, etc.; wrath implies deep indignation expressing itself in a desire to punish or get revenge."

Learning to control anger is such an important part of harnessing the instinctive nature that the 2,200-year-old, South Indian scripture on ethics, the Tirukural, devotes an entire chapter to the subject. It is, in fact, the chapter that precedes "Avoidance of Injuring Others "-- the order of these chapters itself suggesting that to successfully practice nonviolence we need to first control anger. The Tirukural warns that anger gives rise to teeming troubles. It kills the face's smile and the heart's joy. Left uncontrolled, it will annihilate you. It burns even friends and family who try to intervene, and easily leads to injuring others.

A few years ago we had a perfect opportunity to observe serious anger. Two carpenters were building a house next door to the monastery. One carpenter, James, was more prone to anger than the other. Every few minutes, when something didn't work out right, he would react by swearing loudly and at length. About once a week the two men would have a huge argument and James would drop his tools, stomp off the job and drive away with tires squealing in defiance. It was definitely an interesting study in anger and human nature, showing how anger is simply an accepted part of life for many people.

Swami Budhananda (1917-1983) of the Ramakrishna Mission, noted in a series of talks on anger (published in Vedanta Kesari, http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org): "The evil effects of anger are innumerable. The first thing that happens to an angry person is that he forgets the lessons of wisdom he has learnt in life. After that, he loses control over his thoughts and emotions. He becomes overactive, with his highly charged ego as his only guide. He loses his power of discrimination, sense of proportion, and becomes aggressive in manner, hostile to his own welfare. When anger becomes the second nature of a person, physical health and equanimity of mind suffer, and inner peace vanishes in a trice. Anger can destroy friendships, families, business partnerships, professional prospects. Communal and ethnic riots, arsons, wars, suicides, murder and many other forms of crime are basically products of anger. In fact, anger makes even a handsome person look ugly. I suggested to a friend, who is remorseful about his flashes of anger, that he keep a large mirror facing his office desk. In case the anger-prone person has a lively sense of humor, this mirror-therapy is likely to work."

People's natures are quite different in their tendency to anger. Some are usually calm, but occasionally flare up. Others anger quite easily. Many people are quite selective about whom they get angry with--perhaps just their spouse.

My Gurudeva, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, observed that anger is the most difficult fault to overcome, because it manifests in so many different forms: pouting, long silences, shouting, yelling, swearing and more. In Living with Siva, Gurudeva lists the eight forms of anger from the book Angry All the Time (see below): 1) sneaky anger; 2) the cold shoulder; 3) blaming and shaming; 4) swearing and yelling; 5) demands and threats; 6) chasing and holding; 7) partly controlled violence; 8) blind rage. These are called the eight rungs on the ladder of violence, an analogy that Gurudeva found quite helpful in showing how anger can easily snowball. For example, an evening might start with a mild expression of anger that seems harmless enough but soon escalates into shouting and swearing and culminates in physical violence.

Anger and the chakras: We gain useful insights into the nature of anger and how to control it by relating it to the Hindu system of chakras, the subtle centers of consciousness within each individual (see sidebar). There are seven primary chakras along the spinal column and in the head. When our awareness is flowing through these chakras, consciousness is in the higher nature. The seven chakras, or talas, below the spine, down to the feet, are all seats of instinctive consciousness, the origin of fear, anger, jealousy, confusion, selfishness, absence of conscience and malice. The eighth rung on the ladder of violence--blind rage--corresponds to the second lower chakra, called vitala. Gurudeva explains, "Anger comes from despair or the threatening of one's self-will. When people are in the consciousness of this chakra, they are even angry at God. With their wrath, they often strike out at those around them, leaving a trail of hurt feelings behind them. From sustained anger arises a persistent, even burning, sense of resentment."

When someone goes into a blind rage, he has dropped far below the chakras of memory and reason--the muladhara and svadhishthana. Therefore it is no wonder that afterwards he may not even remember what happened. His consciousness was totally in the vitala chakra, having given up its normal faculties of memory and reason.

Many people think that sneaky anger and the cold shoulder are natural and harmless. Gurudeva warns that, while they are not as vicious as yelling and screaming or throwing objects against the wall, these practices stimulate the lower chakras and over time can easily lead to the more violent expressions of anger, as well as the experience of other lower-chakra emotions, such as fear and jealousy. For these reasons, it is best not to indulge in either sneaky anger or the cold shoulder. Sarcasm and cynicism can also be forms of anger. Gurudeva said, "People who are cynical are expressing their anger and contempt with snide remarks. They may seem to be joking, but their sharp feelings come across anyway, which stimulates that lower chakra until one day their cynicism will turn into really good anger. Then they build up new karmas they never had before, which they will live with until they are faced with those karmas."

Swearing is even more problematic, as it stimulates the lower chakras to a greater degree than sneaky anger, the cold shoulder or cynicism. Therefore, it is quite important in managing anger to break the habit of swearing.

Step one for conquering anger: For those on the spiritual path who are striving to control anger, there is an important first step. That is to acknowledge that anger is a serious problem that easily leads to violence and is a quality that should be totally absent from those dedicated to making progress in their spiritual life.

I gave the following advice via e-mail to a devotee who was working to refrain from expressing occasional anger toward a parent: "Thank you for sharing the details regarding your angry encounters with your parent. I would suggest you reflect on the seriousness of disharmony in the home. It is taking a few steps backward in spiritual progress. When you do sadhana, you move forward. But if you become angry regularly, you step backward, and as a result you could end up standing still. It is like trying to save money for a special purpose. You save for a while, but then become angry, which is like spending what you saved for the last month. It is difficult to make your financial goal. By taking anger more seriously, you are more motivated to avoid it at all costs."

The devotee recently e-mailed again saying the advice had helped her cope with the force of anger. She had taken the first step--acknowledging that it is a serious problem, an unacceptable mode of behavior for those on the spiritual path.

Seven remedies: With this resolve firmly in mind, she was ready to take the second step, which is to apply remedies to improve her behavior. In the following sidebar, we offer seven remedies. The first is to affirm the Hindu philosophy that everything in the universe is perfect; the entire physical, mental, emotional and spiritual flow of events is moving in perfect harmony and exquisite coordination according to the divine laws of karma and dharma. Each happening is as perfect as an ocean wave or a butterfly's wing. Anger is an instinctive-emotional protest to what is happening at a particular moment. "Things are just not right!" anger declares. The source of peace and contentment is the opposite sentiment--a wholesome, intelligent acceptance of life's conditions, based on the understanding that God has given us a perfect universe in which to grow and learn, and each challenge or seeming imperfection we encounter is an opportunity for spiritual advancement. Gurudeva wrote: "We are all growing toward God, and experience is the path. Through experience we mature out of fear into fearlessness, out of anger into love, out of conflict into peace, out of darkness into light and union in God."

The second remedy is a first-aid technique to apply during angry outbursts. It is to visualize light blue flooding out from the center of your spine into your aura, displacing the blackish reds that anger automatically displays in the colorful field of subtle energy radiating within and around your body. Mystically, this has the effect of moving your awareness out of the angry state of mind into a more peaceful mood. The third remedy is to worship Lord Ganesha, the elephant-faced Lord of Dharma, a compassionate God, ever available to assist embodied souls with immediate needs to further their evolution. Remedy four is a penance, setting aside a specified sum of money every time you experience anger. The fifth remedy is to skip the next meal if you become angry. These two sacrifices are designed to remold deep-seated subconscious patterns, called vasanas, convincing your subconscious that you are serious about controlling your anger, and gradually subduing any occurrence of wrath. Remedy six, the flower penance, is a way of letting go of angry feelings that you hold toward another person. Offering flowers with a loving heart has the effect of dissolving the resentment and awakening forgiveness--be it toward a parent, spouse, employer, sibling or friend. The seventh remedy is to perform three kindly acts toward someone who has disturbed you. For a loved one or close acquaintance, the acts can be performed openly. For others, such as business associates, employers or fellow employees, your good deeds may be done subtly, even without their knowledge. It may be difficult to fulfill this, as it requires you to go against the instinctive compulsion to hold on to hard feelings. But acting kindly toward offenders releases you from the grip of seething anger, as surely as the sun dispels a morning fog, dissolving it in the light of higher consciousness. The seven remedies are designed to help seekers objectify their anger, to see it in a clear, detached manner, as a force that they have the power to harness and transmute into higher forms of expression and ultimately be free of it altogether.

Diet and ayurveda: What we eat influences our state of consciousness and where we are in the chakras more than most people realize. The Hindu ideal of following a strict vegetarian diet has many benefits, including lessening the tendency to become angry. Eating meat, fish, fowl and eggs, on the other hand, opens the door to lower consciousness and makes it harder to stay out of the states of fear, anger, jealousy and the subsequent remorseful emotions that follow. Food is largely a matter of temperament. The Chandogya Upanishad (7.26.2) teaches: "When the food is pure, mind becomes pure. When the mind becomes pure, memory becomes firm. And when a man is in possession of a firm memory, all the bonds which tie him down to the world are loosened." A vegetarian diet helps put us in touch with our higher consciousness and is therefore quite helpful in increasing our control over anger, as well as the other lower states of mind.

In the healthcare industry, anger is viewed as an insidious malady that, if not harnessed, leads to serious illness, causing high blood pressure, various diseases and even fatal heart attacks. It is addressed with prescription drugs, aromatherapy, massage and homeopathy. The Hindu medical science, ayurveda, views anger as a primary sign of imbalance of the three bodily humors, known as doshas. Dr. Virender Sodhi of Bellevue, Washington (http://www.ayurvedicscience.com), explained, "Anger is under the control of the pitta dosha. Pitta is intelligence, anger, digestion, fire, sight and so on. At the mental level, we have four drives: anger, attachment, ego and desire for sex. Although all these are normal animal behaviors, imbalance in these leads to imbalance of their respective doshas. Just as attachment increases kapha, anger increases pitta. Imbalance in pitta dosha can cause excessive anger, liver maladies, hypertension, etc. Balance is achieved by calming yoga, shitali pranayama, walks, mantra, self analysis and diverting the anger into a different form. Ayurvedic medicine also advises cooling foods and environment."

Dr. Vasant Lad, director of the Ayurvedic Institute (http://www.ayurveda.com) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, offers basic remedies for anger in The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies:

"Pitta is necessary for right understanding and judgment, but when it gets disturbed or out of balance, it creates misunderstanding and wrong judgment, leading to anger and hostility. Here are several simple home remedies to cool down that hot pitta and keep tempers under control.

"Diet: Perhaps most important, a person who becomes angry easily or often should follow the pitta-pacifying diet, especially avoiding hot, spicy and fermented foods, citrus fruit and sour fruit. Favor simple, bland foods and cool drinks, and avoid alcohol and drinks with caffeine.

"Keep cool: It's also not recommended for people with a pitta body type to take saunas or steam baths, to get overheated from exercise or sports, or to be in too much direct sun.

"Oil massage: Rub some bhringaraj oil or coconut oil on your scalp and on the soles of the feet. That will help to bring down the excess pitta. You can do this every night before getting in bed to regularly moderate pitta.

"Sandalwood oil: Another simple and effective way to help balance your emotions is to place a drop of sandalwood essential oil on the third eye area between your eyebrows, as well as on the throat, breastbone, navel, temples and wrists.

"Herbal teas: Take 1 teaspoon of chamomile and 1 teaspoon of fresh, finely chopped cilantro leaves and steep them in 1 cup hot water for about 10 minutes. Allow this tea to cool before you drink it. You can drink it three times a day, after each meal.

"Ghee nasya: Dip your little finger into a jar of brahmi ghee (or plain ghee) and lubricate the inside of your nostrils with a small amount. (Make sure your nails are trimmed so you don't scratch yourself.) Then gently inhale the ghee upward. This sends a calming message to the brain.

"Shitali pranayama: Make a tube of your tongue; breathe deeply through your mouth down into your belly, hold the breath for a few seconds; exhale through your nose. Do about 12 repetitions.

"Yoga postures: Good yoga asanas for pitta include the camel, cobra, cow, boat, goat and bridge poses. Avoid the headstand or other inverted poses, such as the plow and shoulder stand.

"Meditate: There is an ancient method of meditation that involves watching your every emotion come and go, without either naming it or trying to tame it. As the feelings arise, breathe deeply and exhale the emotions out."

Anger and spiritual striving: Anger is a natural emotion, a protective function of the instinctive mind, not to be vilified or feared. It is a part of our nature, and it is normal to express it--that is, if we are content to live on the instinctive level of our being, which many people are. But each soul inevitably reaches a point where it seeks to harness the natural instincts. Gurudeva explained, "Anger is also, like fear, an instinctive control, and at one time served its purpose. The onrush of anger served to protect man's private interests in critical situations by injecting adrenaline into his blood and thus preparing him for defense. But as man evolves closer to his real, actinic being, he discovers that actinic love, understanding, compassion and wisdom are higher qualities than anger."

Managing anger is important for anyone who seeks success at sophisticated endeavors and stable, wholesome relationships. For aspirants seeking self-transformation on the spiritual path, it is absolutely essential, for only when the lower nature is subdued can the divine nature be fully expressed.

Daily spiritual efforts designed to bring forth the divine nature are known as sadhana, such as japa, meditation and yoga. As Gurudeva wrote, sadhana, spiritual discipline, is "the mystical, mental, physical and devotional exercise that enables us to dance with Siva by bringing inner advancement, changes in perception and improvements in character. Sadhana allows us to live in the refined and cultured soul nature, rather than in the outer, instinctive or intellectual spheres." But, Gurudeva warned, every time you become angry, you destroy one month's worth of spiritual striving and practice, or sadhana. So, if you don't control anger, performing sadhana is a waste of time. Hence, the number-one sadhana is anger management. Gurudeva is adamant that seekers refrain from any serious meditative practices until anger and other lower emotions have been harnessed. "Those who remain prone to anger should not do raja yoga or any form of intensive mantra, japa, or pranayama amplification of the energies into higher chakras--lest that collective energy plummet into the corresponding lower chakras and be vented through fear, anger and jealousy. Rather, they should perform the always healing vasana daha tantra [writing down and burning recollections of the past] and confine themselves to karma yoga, such as cleaning in and around the temple and picking flowers for the pujas. These simple acts of charya [humble service] are recommended, but should not be extended to intense worship. Then, and only then, their life will be in perspective with the philosophy of Sanatana Dharma and begin to become one with Siva's perfect universe. Brahmadvara, the door to the seven chakras below the muladhara, will then be sealed off as their experiential patterns settle into the traditional perspective of how life should be and each individual should behave within it."

When working to harness the instinctive nature, what is it that tells us how well we are doing? It is the subtle irritation, the seed of wrath, that preceeds every form of anger, from the cold shoulder to blind rage. Viewed in this way, the impulse to anger is--at the beginning of the path, the intermediate stages and even subtly at the upper reaches--our astute teacher, signaling to us each split-second opportunity to be more patient, more understanding, more compassionate and to find a better way to cope with tense situations and keep closed the door to the lower chakras.
The Perils Of Anger:
The Tirukural Chapter 31
By Saint Tiruvalluvar, 200 bce

1. It is restraint that restrains rage when it can injure. If it cannot harm, what does restraint really matter?

2. Wrath is wrong even when it cannot cause injury, but when it can, there is nothing more evil.

3. Forget anger toward all who have offended you, for it gives rise to teeming troubles.

4. Anger kills the face's smile and the heart's joy. Does there exist a greater enemy than one's own anger?

5. If a man be his own guard, let him guard himself against rage. Left unguarded, his own wrath will annihilate him.

6. Anger's fire engulfs all who draw near it, burning even friends and family who risk rescue.

7. As a man trying to strike the ground with his hand can hardly fail, just as surely will one who treasures his temper be destroyed.

8. Though others inflict wrongs as painful as flaming torches, it is good if a man can refrain from inflammatory tantrums.

9. If hostile thoughts do not invade his mind, all his other thoughts may swiftly manifest.

10. As men who have died resemble the dead, so men who have renounced rage resemble renunciates.
Eight Rungs on the Ladder of Violence

1: Sneaky Anger:
You act and speak normally but purposely neglect to do certain tasks others have asked you to do, pretending that you forgot all about the duties. Example: A teenage boy, upset with his father for firmly disciplining him, retaliates with sneaky anger by chronically "forgetting " to do his household chores.

2: The Cold Shoulder:
You shun another person and make it clear you are mad about something. However, you absolutely refuse to let him or her know what it is. Example: A wife is upset with her husband for working late and, rather than talk the issue through, gives him the silent, cold shoulder for the entire evening.

3: Blaming and Shaming:
You fault others for something that happened and then tell them they are "no good " in order to make them feel shame. Example: an employee makes a simple mistake at work, and her boss is upset. Rather than help resolve the problem, he points blame at her, demeaning and intimidating her with personal criticisms.

4: Swearing, Screaming, Yelling:
You lose control over your speech and scream and yell at others. Those who have a habit of swearing are most prone to this form of anger. Example: A teenage girl has admitted to a minor wrongdoing at school. Her teacher, known for his foul mouth, yells at her harshly, using cruel, out-of-control words to punish her.

5: Demands and Threats:
You demand that others behave as you want them to or threaten you will do something drastic if they don't, such as hurt them or yourself. Example: An argument between two business partners gets out of hand and reaches the point where the younger threatens to beat up his associate unless he gets his way.

6: Chasing and Holding:
You approach or pursue others and physically restrain them against their will and prevent them from leaving your presence. Example: A woman's fiancee has been accused of seeing another woman. Incensed, she follows him to work, grabs him desperately and insists they talk about the problem right now.

7: Partly Controlled Violence:
You physically strike someone for the purpose of forcing him or her to do what you want, but without losing control. Example: A young boy is caught stealing at a neighbor's home. The owner, outraged, confronts the boy and swats him several times with a stick, wrongly thinking that this will reform the errant youth.

8: Blind Rage:
You physically attack a person with total loss of control, to the extent that when you return to normal consciousness, you may not even remember the incident. Example: A sassy teenager deliberately insults an overweight stranger. Instead of just scowling, the fiery man flies into a blind rage and beats him mercilessly.
Wheels of Consciousness

The fourteen chakras are centers of force and consciousness within the inner bodies of man--with corresponding nerve plexuses, ganglia and glands in the physical body. Where we reside in the range of chakras deeply influences our state of mind, our actions and reactions. Anger is the predominant consciousness of the vitala chakra, second among the seven lower chakras, all of which are instinctive realms of distress, darkness and confusion.

1 SAHASRARA...Illumination--crown of head

2 AJNA...Divine sight--third eye

3 VISHUDDHA...Divine love--throat

4 ANAHATA...Direct cognition--heart

5 MANIPURA...Willpower--solar plexus

6 SVADISHTHANA...Reason--below navel

7 MULADHARA...Memory--base of spine

8 ATALA...Fear & lust--hips

9 VITALA...Raging anger--thighs

10 SUTALA...Retaliatory jealousy--knees

11 TALATALA...Prolonged confusion--calves

12 RASATALA...Selfishness--ankles

13 MAHATALA...Consciencelessness--feet

14 PATALA...Malice & murder--soles of feet
Anger's Rousing Threat... and Retorts from Patience, Universal Love and Discrimination

Anger: "I will make the people blind and deaf. I will overpower them with wrath and suffocate them with rage. I will catch hold of even wise men. They shall neither harken to what concerns their own happiness, nor reflect what they had read in the scriptures. In a moment I can destroy even the learned, the famous, those who are attentive to duties, the charitable and the mighty potentates. I can infuse fury, resentment, wrath, indignation into the minds of all in the twinkling of an eye. I am very powerful. I will disturb the tapas of the aspirant and even yogis and destroy serenity. Atman, the soul, despaired, "Alas, who will help me now?" Kshama, the virtue of Patience, spoke up: "I will! I will pull out the venomous tooth of this demon, Anger."Vishva Prema, Universal Love, cried out, "I will! I am the water to quench the fire of anger." Finally, Viveka, Discrimination, roared: "I will! When I rise, anger dies."

Swami Sivananda (1887-1963) founder, Divine Life Society
Seven Remedies for the Habit of Anger

Have you ever suggested to someone who was furious at you that he shouldn't get so angry? Perhaps you offered, "It certainly doesn't make me feel very good when you unleash that force on me! And it's not good for you either!" What was the result? He just got madder, right? "How dare you tell me not to get angry, you #%*$¿ !" The point is, no one can change a person except that person himself. We only change when we want to change. Are you ready? Controlling anger could well be viewed as the very first exercise in spiritual life, because it stands so squarely between the soul and peace of mind while living in a physical body. Nothing is more fundamental to conquer, and doing so unleashes great energy and provides emotional stability for all other endeavors. The work is well worth the effort. So, here are some sharp tools--powerful enough to make even a nice person nicer. They are philosophical, penitential, metaphysical, devotional and psychological. Use them in good health!

1: Affirm: Everything Is Perfect!
From a mountaintop perspective, God is everywhere, in all things, and everything is in a state of balance and perfection at every point in time. Affirm this Hindu wisdom regularly to cultivate patience and wise acceptance, even of situations that tend to arouse anger. To do so, be seated, close your eyes, breathe deeply and affirm quietly to yourself, "I'm all right right now, and everything is as it should be from a mountaintop point of view."

2: Fill Your Aura with Light Blue
If you are overtaken by anger and resentment--emotions which fill your aura with blackish red, streaked with yellow--sit in meditation, breathe and visualize light blue entering your aura and surrounding your body. The light blue will neutralize the fiery reds, and before you know it the anger and resentment will be gone. Simply relax and visualize soothing blue radiating out from the center of your spine into your inner and outer aura.

3: Worship Lord Ganesha
The worship of Lord Ganesha is helpful in overcoming all emotional problems, including anger. As He is seated on the muladhara chakra, tuning in to His shakti helps raise us up into the muladhara chakra and therefore out of anger and fear into a calm, stable state of mind. In fact, you can slowly seal off these lower states of mind and keep awareness permanently lifted above fear and anger through the regular worship of Lord Ganesha.

4: Pay for Each Burst of Ire
An effective and practical financial remedy is to put a sum of money, such as five dollars, in a jar each time you become angry, and later donate that money to a favorite orphanage or temple. Consistently performed, this penance soon makes it too expensive to get angry! This remedy impresses the subconscious mind that expressions of anger have karmic costs, and that anger can be completely eliminated by sincere efforts to overcome it.

5: Don't Eat the Next Meal
For those who can easily afford to put five dollars in a jar frequently, an alternate penance is fasting. Each time anger arises, simply skip the next meal. Denying yourself a meal has a potent impact, deeply impressing your subconscious mind. If you follow this without fail, the instinctive nature soon catches on that whenever it expresses anger it will soon experience hunger, and in this way is motivated to better control this destructive emotion.

6: Offer Flowers
Put up a picture of the person you are angry with and for 31 days place a flower in front of the picture. While doing so, sincerely forgive the person in heart and mind. When it becomes difficult to offer the flower of forgiveness, because hurtful memories come up from the subconscious mind, write down the memories and burn the paper in a trash can. Say, "I forgive you, for I know that you gave back to me the karma that I set in motion."

7: Perform Three Kindly Acts
If you have gotten upset with another person, do three kindly acts to make up for it. This releases you from your anger and guilt even if he or she is unaware of your good deeds. Example: A husband shouts abusively at his wife after returning from work. After apologizing, he takes her dining to a place of her choosing, buys her an item that she needs for the kitchen and gives her some free time by taking care of the younger children for a half-day.
Sagely Reflections

I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.
Booker T. Washington

If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.
Chinese proverb

Nor he who owns the least of things, nor he whom anger chains, can ever pass through maya's gates. So, give these up sannyasin bold! Say "Om Tat Sat Om!"
Swami Vivekananda

There is nobody who lives happily with anger.
Shantidevi

When we speak with hatred and anger, it leads to unhappiness pain and misery. So one should always be soft spoken.
Yajur Veda 3,4

If we could read the secret histories of our enemies, we should find sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.
Longfellow

Suppose you have a weakness of getting angry easily. Now what you should do is this: Once you become normal again, go and sit in the family shrine room if you have one, or sit in solitude; then regret and repent your own anger and sincerely pray to your beloved diety or to Mother Nature, seeking help to get rid of it.
Shri Mata Amritanandamayai Devi

There should be no yelling in the home unless there is a fire.
David O. McKay

A nagging sense of discontent, a feeling of being dissatisfied, or of something not being right, is the fuel that gives rise to anger and hatred. Generally this discontent arises in us when we feel that either we ourselves, or someone we love, or our close friends are being treated unfairly or threatened: people are being unjust toward us or our close friends....The idea is to stop it at an early stage, rather than wait for that anger or hatred to arise fully.
The Dalai Lama

Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.
Malachy McCourt

Worshippers of Siva who are victim to anger or hatred refrain from meditation, japa, and kundalini yoga. They confess sins, do pennance and engage in bhakti and karma yoga to raise consciousness. Aum Namah Sivaya.
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

Stay True! Study and Preach!
Rishis exhort every Hindu to share Vedic Dharma with all

Advice to graduates to carry Vedic values into their new life in the world is given in the Taittiriya Upanishad. It elicits rousing commentary from the great Swami Chinmayananda.

It is clear that the present world's tribute to the glory that was of India is not the compelling glory of some rare beings, mighty in their own perfections and glorious in their worlds, but it is the loving reverence that an age feels towards a past generation that knew how to live the right values of life and bring the entire generation to enjoy a greater quota of intellectual poise, mental stability, physical health, social happiness, communal growth and national well-being. In order to create such a consummate scheme of things around and about us, among a people, it must be the duty of the educationists to see that they impart to the growing generation not merely some factual knowledge or some wondrous theories, but they also must instill into the growing generation ideals of pure living and train the children to live those in their individual life.

This section gives twelve immortal ideas of living and rules of conduct and insists an equal number of times that the student should continue his study of the scriptures and propagation of the immortal ideas of his glorious culture among the people all through his life. To believe that the Hindus are not missionary in their zeal for the propagation of their ideas in the world is not to understand at all the spirit of Hinduism. Our present idea that the spread of our culture and free discussions on the scripture is the special right of a few and that it should be addressed to only a few specially selected individuals is an absurd notion which has not the sanction of the Rishis, especially in our age. Here we find that the brilliant students are repeatedly commissioned, with twelve repetitions in just one small verse, to continue their study (swadhyaya) and to be preachers (pravachanam) throughout their lifetime.

For this missionary work the Hindu Rishis saw no necessity for organizing a special class of teachers. It was made every householder's duty! The householder was not asked to sacrifice his duties. Instead, while emphasizing the need for pursuing his duties, he is asked to keep continuously in touch with the scriptures and to preach that same truth to others.

The great qualities insisted on are: the practice of what is right and proper as indicated in the scripture (ritham); living up to the ideals that have been intellectually comprehended (satyam); spirit of self-sacrifice and self-denial (tapas); control of the senses (dama); tranquillity of the mind (sama); maintenance of a charitable and ready kitchen at home in the Seva of all deserving hungry fellow beings (guests-athiti, agni); practice of concentration and ritualism through fire worship (agnihotra), one's duty towards humanity, children, grandchildren and society (manusham, prajaha, prajanaha, prajati).

In the close of the section, three great masters have been quoted who had in the past declared the most important of the above. The section reads as though it is a manifesto upon the Hindu way of living in which every Hindu, striving to live up to his or her sacred culture, is charged to live true to his or her own intellectual convictions (satyam), in a spirit of self-denial (tapas), the study of his sacred bible (swadhyaya) and the spread of his culture among the peoples of the world (pravachanam).

The practice of what is right and proper, along with studying the texts oneself and propagating the truths therein; 'Truth', regular studies and preaching; penance, study and preaching; control of the senses, study and preaching; tranquillity, study and preaching; the 'maintenance of fire,' study and preaching; offering to fires in fire sacrifice, study and preaching of the Vedas; serving the guests, study and preaching; the performance of duties towards man, study and preaching; duties towards children, study and teaching of Vedas; procreation, study and preaching; propagation of the race, study and preaching--all these are to be practised sincerely. ¦Satyavachas, son of Rathitara, declares truth alone. Thapanitya, son of Paurusishti, declares penance alone. Naka, son of Mudgala, holds to study and preaching alone. That is penance, indeed, that is penance.

Krishna Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Upanishad 1.9

Swami Chinmayananda (1917-1993), Vedantist writer, lecturer, translator, dynamic spiritual leader and Hindu renaissance founder of Chinmaya Mission International

Visiting a Hindu Temple
http://www.hinduism-today.com/archives/2004/10-12/41-48_hindu_temple.shtml
October/November/December, 2004

INSIGHT
Visiting a Hindu Temple
A beginner's guide to the Joys of worship

The Hindu temple is a sacred space where man and God commune. It is the home of God and the Gods. Within these sacred abodes, priests conduct puja rites--presenting flowers, water, incense, lights, food and other choice offerings--to honor God and the Gods and invoke their presence and blessings.

In this Insight, we explore the experience of attending a temple, drawing from Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami's wisdom on the mysticism of Hindu worship. While basic customs described here are common to temples of all traditions, we focus mainly on the style of puja done in the temples of South India.

God and the Gods are real beings; they are not mere symbols or figments of imagination. If you could view the temple from the inner worlds, you would see a brilliant ray coming from the Third World right into the temple on the physical plane. This ray allows communication similar to a live video conference. The priest opens the connection by performing puja worship. When the puja is performed with loving devotion, the ray becomes strong and inner doors open from God's world to ours; the angelic helpers, called devas, hover around and through the temple, and blessings pour out to the devotees. A Hindu temple's devonic rays have the power to transform the course of karma, open inner doors to new opportunities, assuage long-held hurts and provide inner visions equaling the fullness of devotion.

Devotion in Hinduism is known as bhakti. it is an entire realm of knowledge and practice unto itself, ranging from the child-like wonder of the unknown and the mysterious to the deep reverence which comes with understanding of the esoteric interworkings of the three worlds. Hinduism views existence as composed of three worlds. The First World is the physical universe, the Second World is the subtle astral or mental plane of existence in which the devas, or angels, and spirits live, and the Third World is the spiritual sphere of the Mahadevas, the Deities, the Gods. Hinduism is the harmonious working together of these three worlds. Religion blossoms for the Hindu as he awakens to the existence of the Second and Third Worlds. These inner worlds naturally inspire in man responses of love and devotion and even awe. They are that wonderful.

Devotion in Hinduism occurs on many levels and at different cycles of time in the evolution of the soul. All forms of devotion are equally valid, and none claims itself as the only proper form of worship. There is devotion to the tribal Deities, to the scriptures, to the saints and to the satguru. But the most prevalent expression of worship for the Hindu comes as devotion to God and the Gods. In the Hindu pantheon there are said to be 330 million Gods. Even so, all Hindus believe in one Supreme Being who pervades the entire universe.

The many Gods are perceived as divine creations of that one Being. These Gods, or Mahadevas, are real beings, capable of thought and feeling beyond the limited thought and feeling of embodied man. So, Hinduism has one God, but it has many Gods. There are only a few of these Gods for whom temples are built and pujas conducted. Ganesha, Siva, Subramaniam, Vishnu and Shakti are the most prominent Deities in contemporary Hinduism. Of course, there are many others for whom certain rites or mantras are done in daily ceremony, often in the home shrine. These include Brahma, Surya, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Agni, Chandra, Ayyappan, Hanuman, Mariyamman and others.

The Hindu traditionally adopts an Ishta Devata. This is a personal Deity chosen from the many Hindu Gods, often according to the devotee's family background or the feeling of closeness to one form of divine manifestation. It is the unique and all-encompassing nature of Hinduism that one devotee may be worshiping Ganesha while his friend worships Subramaniam or Vishnu, and yet both honor the other's choice and feel no sense of conflict. The profound understanding and universal acceptance that are unique in Hinduism are reflected in this faculty for accommodating different approaches to the Divine, allowing for different names and forms of God to be worshiped side by side within the temple walls. It may even happen that one may adopt a different personal Deity through the years according to one's spiritual unfoldment and inner needs.

The Hindu religion brings to us the gift of tolerance that allows for different stages of worship, different and personal expressions of devotion and even different Gods to guide our life on this Earth. Yet, it is a one religion under a single divine hierarchy that sees to the harmonious working together of the three worlds. These intelligent beings have evolved through eons of time and are able to help mankind without themselves having to live in a physical body. These great Mahadevas, with their multitudes of angelic devas, live and work constantly and tirelessly for the people of our religion, protecting and guiding them, opening new doors and closing unused ones. The Gods worshiped by the Hindu abide in the Third World, aided by the devas that inhabit the Second World.

It is in the Hindu temple that the three worlds meet and devotees invoke the Gods of our religion. The temple is built as a palace in which the Gods reside. It is the visible home of the Gods, a sacred place unlike every other place on the Earth. The Hindu must associate himself with these Gods in a very sensitive way when he approaches the temple.

Though the devotee rarely has the psychic vision of the Deity, he is aware of the God's divine presence. He is aware through feeling, through sensing the divine presence within the temple. As he approaches the sanctum sanctorum, the Hindu is fully aware that an intelligent being, greater and more evolved than himself, is there. This God is intently aware of him, safeguarding him, fully knowing his inmost thought, fully capable of coping with any situation the devotee may mentally lay at His holy feet. It is important that we approach the Deity in this way--conscious and confident that our needs are known in the inner spiritual worlds.

The physical representation of the God, be it a stone or metal image, a yantra or other sacred form, simply marks the place that the God will manifest in or hover above in His etheric body. It can be conceived as an antenna to receive the divine rays of the God or as the material body in or through which the God manifests in this First World. Man takes one body and then another in his progression through the cycles of birth and death and rebirth. Similarly, the Gods in their subtle bodies inhabit, for brief or protracted spans of time, these temple images. When we perform puja, a religious ritual, we are attracting the attention of the devas and Mahadevas in the inner worlds. That is the purpose of a puja; it is a form of communication. To enhance this communication, we establish an altar in the temple and in the home. This becomes charged or magnetized through our devotional thoughts and feelings, which radiate out and affect the surrounding environment.

Chanting and satsanga and ceremonial rituals all contribute to this sanctifying process, creating an atmosphere to which the Gods are drawn and in which they can manifest. By the word manifest, I mean they actually come and dwell there and can stay for periods of time, providing the vibration is kept pure and undisturbed. The altar takes on a certain power. In our religion there are altars in temples all over the world inhabited by the devas and the great Gods. When you enter these holy places, you can sense their sanctity. You can feel the presence of these divine beings, and this radiation from them is known as darshan. The reality of the Mahadevas and their darshan can be experienced by the devotee through his awakened ajna vision, or more often as the physical sight of the image in the sanctum coupled with the inner knowing that He is there within the microcosm. This darshan can be felt by all devotees, becoming stronger and more defined as devotion is perfected. Through this darshan, messages can be channeled along the vibratory emanations that radiate out from the Mahadevas, as well as from their representatives, the Second World devas who carry out their work for them in shrines and altars.

To understand darshan, consider the everyday and yet subtle communication of language. You are hearing the tones of my voice through the sensitive organ, your ear. Meaning comes into your mind, for you have been trained to translate these vibrations into meaning through the knowing of the language that I am speaking. Darshan is a vibration, too. It is first experienced in the simple physical glimpse of the form of the Deity in the sanctum. Later, that physical sight gives way to a clairvoyant vision or to a refined cognition received through the sensitive ganglia within your nerve system, the chakras. Through these receptors, a subtle message is received, often not consciously. Perhaps not immediately, but the message that the darshan carries, direct from the Mahadeva--direct from Lord Ganesha, direct from Lord Murugan, direct from Lord Siva Himself--manifests in your life. This is the way the Gods converse. It is a communication more real than the communication of language that you experience each day. It is not necessary to understand the communication immediately. The devotee may go away from the temple outwardly feeling that there was no particular message, or not knowing in his intellectual mind exactly what the darshan meant. Even the words you are now reading may not be fully cognized for days, weeks or even months. The depth of meaning will unfold itself on reflection.

Visiting a Hindu temple, receiving darshan from the majestic Gods of our religion, can altogether change the life of a worshiper. It alters the flow of the pranas, or life currents, within his body. It draws his awareness into the deeper chakras. It adjusts his beliefs and the attitudes that are the natural consequence of those beliefs. But the change is slow. He lives with the experience for months and months after his visit to the temple. He comes to know and love the Deity. The Deity comes to know and love him, helping and guiding his entire evolutionary pattern. Darshan coming from the great temples of our Gods can change the patterns of karma dating back many past lives, clearing and clarifying conditions that were created hundreds of years ago and are but seeds now, waiting to manifest in the future. Through the grace of the Gods, those seeds can be removed if the manifestation in the future would not enhance the evolution of the soul.

Devotees ask, "Why do we circumambulate the temple?" When we come to the temple out of the world, off the street, we are often shrouded by negative vibrations, which can actually be seen in our aura. Our nerve system may be upset, especially now, in the technological age, when we often suffer from stress and strain, the insecurity of so many changes and the rapid pace of life. In order to prepare ourselves to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, the great mandapam inside, we walk clockwise around the temple very slowly. In this way we prepare our mind. We consciously drop off worldliness, letting the sufferings go, letting all disturbances leave our mind the best we can, and trying to reach deep inside of ourselves where peace exists eternally. We become as celestial as we can during the time we are walking around the temple, so that we can communicate with the celestial beings within the temple.

In a Hindu temple there is often a multiplicity of simultaneous proceedings and ceremonies. In one corner, an extended family, or clan, with its hundreds of tightly knit members, may be joyously celebrating a wedding. At another shrine a lady might be crying in front of the Deity, saddened by some misfortune and in need of solace. Elsewhere in the crowded precincts a baby is being blessed, and several groups of temple musicians are filling the chamber with the shrill sounds of the nagasvaram and drum. After the puja reaches its zenith, brahmin priests move in and out of the sanctum, passing camphor and sacred ash and holy water to hundreds of worshipers crowding eagerly to get a glimpse of the Deity. All of this is happening at once, unplanned and yet totally organized. It is a wonderful experience, and such a diverse array of devotional ceremonies and such an intensity of worship can only be seen in a Hindu temple. There is no place on Earth quite like a Hindu temple.

Esoterically, the Gods in the temple, who live in the microcosm, can work extraordinarily fast with everyone. There is so much going on that everyone has the sense of being alone. The weeping woman is allowed her moment of mourning. No one feels that she is upsetting the nearby wedding. No one even notices her. The temple is so active, so filled with people, that each one is left to worship as he needs that day--to cry or to laugh or to sing or to sit in silent contemplation in a far-off corner.

Like the Hindu religion itself, the Hindu temple is able to absorb and encompass everyone. It never says you must worship in this way, or you must be silent because there is a ceremony in progress. It accepts all, rejects none. It encourages all to come to God and does not legislate a single form of devotion.

Hindus always want to live near a temple so they can frequent it regularly. When we go to the temple, we leave with our mind filled with the shakti of the Deity. We are filled and thrilled with the shakti of the temple in every nerve current of our body. When we return to our home, we light an oil lamp, and that brings the power of the temple into the home. This simple act brings the devas in the Second World right into your home, where they can bless the rest of the family who perhaps did not go to the temple. Each Hindu temple throughout the world has its own rules on how to proceed and what to do within it. In some temples, in fact most temples in South India, all the men are required to take off their shirts and enter bare-chested. However, if you are in a business suit in the South Indian temple in New York, that's all right. You are not required to take off your shirt. Every temple has its own rules, so you have to observe what everybody else is doing the first time you go.

In the beginning stages of worship, a Hindu soul may have to wrestle with disbelief in the Gods. He may wonder whether they really exist, especially if his own intuition is obscured by assimilation of Western, existentialist beliefs and attitudes. Yet, he senses their existence, and this sensing brings him back to the temple. He is looking for proof, immersed in the process of coming to know the Gods for himself. He is heartened and assured by hundreds of saints and rishis who have fathomed and found close and enduring relationships with the Gods, and who then extolled their greatness in pages of scripture and chronicle.

The devotee stands before the sanctum and telepathically tells the Gods a problem, and with hopeful faith leaves and waits. Days or weeks later, after he had forgotten about his prayer, he suddenly realizes the problem has disappeared. He attempts to trace the source of its solution and finds that a simple, favorable play of circumstance and events brought it about. Had the Gods answered his prayer, or would it have happened anyway? He brings another prayer to the Gods, and again in time an answer appears in the natural course of his life. It appears to him that the Gods are hearing and responding to his needs. Trust and love have taken root. He goes on, year after year, bringing the Gods into his secular affairs, while just as carefully the Gods are bringing him into their celestial spheres, enlivening his soul with energy, joy and intelligence.

The Hindu looks to the Gods for very practical assistance. He devoutly believes that the Gods from their dwelling in the Third World are capable of consciously working with the forces of evolution in the universe and they could then certainly manage a few simpler problems. He devoutly believes that the Gods are given to care for man on the planet and see him through his tenure on Earth, and that their decisions are vast in their implications. Their overview spans time itself, and yet their detailed focus upon the complicated fabric of human affairs is just as awesome.

The Gods of Hinduism create, preserve and protect mankind. It is through their sanction that all things continue, and through their will that they cease. It is through their grace that all good things happen, and all things that happen are for the good. Now, you may wonder why one would put himself under this divine authority so willingly, thus losing his semblance of freedom. But does one not willingly put himself in total harmony with those whom he loves? Of course he does. And loving these great souls comes so naturally. Their timeless wisdom, their vast intelligence, their thoroughly benign natures, their ceaseless concern for the problems and well-being of devotees, and their power and sheer godly brilliance--all these inspire our love.

Worship is pouring all your energy into one-pointedly adoring the God or Goddess feeling your loving sincerity, the Diety responds with life changing blessings
Approaching the Temple

Temple Manners
Remove your shoes before entering. Be respectful of God and the Gods at all times, as if approaching the benevolent leader of a great realm. Bring your problems, wishes or your sorrows but leave improper manners outside as you enter this holy sanctuary. Do not enter the shrines without invitation. Do not sit with your feet pointing toward the Deities, the guru or another person. Hugging and other demonstrations of affection between adults are not appropriate. Refrain from gossip and worldly talk. Treat the priests with respect.

Look and Feel Your Best
You will want to look and feel your best when you go to the temple, God's home. Prepare yourself by bathing and putting on clean clothing. Traditional dress is best - saris or punjabis for ladies, long dresses for girls, and kurta shirt and dhoti or pants for men and boys. But any nice, modest clothing suitable for sitting on the floor is acceptable.

Prepare Mentally; Bring a Gift
Prepare your mind by thinking about God in anticipation of your visit. Bring an offering, such as fruits and flowers. Prostrate and walk around the temple where possible. Hands pressed together in namaskara, greet the Deities at their shrines, starting with Ganesha, and present your offerings. Inwardly feel God's uplifting presence, called sannidhya.

Prostrate to the Deity
Prostrating is a traditional expression of worshipful surrender and adoration. The form of prostration differs for men and women. Men perform a fully prone pose, called ashtanga pranama, in which hands, chest, forehead, knees and feet touch the ground. Women perform a kneeling pose, panchanga pranama, in which hands, head and legs touch the ground.

Worship Wholeheartedly
Ardent worship takes many forms in a temple. You can be immersed in the joys of devotion, in prayerful communion, seeking solace for a loss, singing hymns, chanting mantras or celebrating a rite of passage. Meditation is appropriate, especially after the puja, and emotion is not out of place. God will receive your devotion, however you offer it.

There are three worlds of existence: the gross plane where souls live in physical bodies; the subtle plane, where souls reside in astral bodies; and the causal, divine plane of God and the Gods.
Attending the Puja Ceremony

Conducted by a trained priest called a pujari, a Hindu worship service or puja, literally "adoration," is similar to a grand reception for a king. Pujas can last from ten minutes to several hours, but all follow one basic pattern. First, the pujari purifies himself, the sacred implements and the place of worship. He chants in Sanskrit the time, place and nature of this particular puja. Through hand gestures (mudras) and chants, he beseeches the Deity to come and dwell in the image. Ringing a bell and chanting mantras and hymns from the ancient Vedas and Agamas, the pujari then offers precious substances to the Deity, including water, uncooked rice with turmeric powder, holy ash, sandalwood paste and kumkum. Sometimes water, sesame oil, turmeric water, saffron, milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, lime juice, vibhuti, sandalwood paste, panchamritam (mixture of five fruits), coconut water and rosewater are poured over the Deity in a ritual bath called abhishekam. Devotees are seated during most of the puja, in some traditions, men on the right and women on the left. After abhishekam, the Deity is dressed in new clothes and beautifully decorated with flowers. At this point, devotees may sing devotional songs. After decorating the Deity, the pujari offers incense, oil lamps and food. He offers flowers while chanting 108 names of the God. At the high point of the puja, a large, sacred lamp is waved before the Deity and the temple bells are rung loudly as God sends His power through the holy image of Himself. When the lamp is lowered, everyone prostrates to the Divine. The lamp is then carried out to bless the worshipers, who often leave a donation on the tray (or later in the temple offering box). Finally, depending on the tradition, sacraments such as holy ash, holy water, sandalwood paste, kumkum, fruit, sweets and flowers are passed out to bless all present. These include a portion of the offerings - flowers, cooked food and more - brought by devotees. Devotees may then sit in meditation, basking in the blessings invoked by the puja.

Partaking of the Sacred Flame
The sacramental lamp which has just been offered at the high point of the puja is sometimes passed among the devotees. The devas can see and bless you through this flame as it lights up your face. Sometimes you, too, can glimpse into their world. When the priest comes to you with the lamp, hold your hands a few inches apart with your palms down. Reach out and pass both hands devoutly over the flame. Then bring your hands back, turn your palms toward your face and touch your eyes with your fingertips to receive the Deity's blessings. At Lord Vishnu's shrine, the priest may bring out the silver or gold crown of the Deity and lightly touch it to the head of each devotee as a personal blessing.

Receiving Holy Ash & Water
A sacrament offered in many temples is holy ash, vibhuti, by burning dried cow dung cakes with ghee, flowers, yogurt and and other ingredients. It symbolizes the purity we attain by burning the bonds of ego, karma and maya to reveal the soul's natural goodness. The priest will put a pinch of ash into your right palm. (Accept all offerings with your right hand.) Transfer the vibhuti into your left palm, then apply it to your forehead using your right hand, generally three broad stripes for men, one short stroke for ladies. Next, a small spoonful of holy water, or tirtham, is placed into your cupped right hand, which you then sip, afterwards touching the right palm to the crown of your head.

Accepting Other Sacraments
Chandanam, or sandalwood paste, is a traditional precious substance, valued for its wonderful scent. A small dab is placed in your hand by the priest, which you transfer to your left palm with a wiping motion. Dip your right-hand ring finger into the paste and apply it with a small circular motion between the eyebrows. Kumkum, a red powder, is next. The priest will either place a small pinch in your right hand or invite you to take some from the container which he holds for you. Apply the kumkum on top of the sandalwood, creating a dot, bindi, which represents the third eye of spiritual seeing.

Internalizing Your Worship
The bhakti of uncompromising surrender, prapatti, to the God during a temple puja awakens the amrita. The amrita is the sweet essence from the sahasrara chakra. It is the binding yoke to the Divine. Sit down in the lotus posture after the puja and internalize all the feeling that you had for the God during the worship. Draw into yourself the pranas you feel around your body. Then draw those energies up the spine into the head. This is done with the mind and with the breath. Devotees who want to awaken the higher chakras and sustain that awakening on the safe path will throw themselves into becoming uncompromising bhaktars.

Invoking Special Blessings
An archana is a short puja for an individual, usually done after the main puja. It is a way of asking God for something specific, such as success in school or business, or to express thanks for good fortune. Inform the priest that you want an archana. You should bring fruit and flowers, as well as the archana fee, on an offering tray, which can also have a coconut, incense, kumkum, camphor and sandalwood paste. As you stand before the shrine, the priest will ask your name, gotra (family lineage), and nakshatra (birthstar). During the archana, pray for your special needs. Afterwards the priest will return part of your blessed offerings to take home.

Celebrating Rites of Passage
A central part of every Hindu's life, samskaras are sacred rites of passage. You can arrange for a samskara with the temple priest. There is a charge for these rites, which usually include a puja and homa, or fire ceremony. The priest will set an auspicious time, explain how to prepare and what to bring, as well as what you do during the ceremony. The principal samskaras held in temples, homes or halls are: name-giving (11 to 41 days old for a child, or anytime for an adult entering Hinduism); first solid food (6 months old); ear-piercing (1, 3 or 5 years old); head shaving (1 to 4 years old); first learning (4 years old); initiation into Vedic study (9 to 15 years old); marriage and funeral.

Religion is the harmonious working together of the three worlds. This harmony can be created through temple worship, wherein the beings of all three worlds can communicate.
Free Will and Surrender to the Divine

As we come closer to the wonderful Gods of Hinduism, we come to love them in a natural way, to be guided by them and to depend on them more than we depend on ourselves. The exuberant enthusiasm so prevalent in the West, of holding to an existential independence and expressing an autonomous will to wield the direction of our lives, loses its fascination as we mature within the steady radiance of these Gods and begin to realize the divine purpose of our Earthly sojourn.

One might ask how the Hindu can become so involved in the love of the Gods that he is beholden to their will. Similarly, one might ask how does anyone become so involved and in love with his mother and father, trusting their guidance and protection, that he is beholden to them? It works the same way. Where you find the Hindu family close to one another and happy, you find them close to the Gods. Where they are not close, and live in a fractured or broken home, the Gods will unfortunately have been exiled from their lives. They will not be invoked, and perhaps not even believed in.

Many think that the ultimate devotion, called prapatti in Sanskrit, means giving up their willpower, their independence and their judgment. This is not the meaning of prapatti at all. Not at all. I shall give an example. People who are employed by others work with full energy and vigor, utilizing all their skills on the job, day after day after day, year after year after year. They give of their talents and energies freely, but they do hold back some of the energies and fight within themselves. This is called resistance. That resistance is what they have to offer on the altar of purification. Getting rid of resistance, to be able to flow with the river of life, is what prapatti is all about. Prapatti is freedom. This truly is free will. Free will is not an obstinate will, an opposite force invoked for the preservation of the personal ego. This is willfulness, not free will. Free will is total, intelligent cooperation, total merging of the individual mind with that of another, or of a group. . In religious life, we must have prapatti twenty-four hours a day, which means getting rid of our resistance.

There are various forms of free will. There is free will of the ego, or the instinctive mind, there is free will of the intellect that has been educated in dharma, and there is free will of the intuition. For many, free will is an expression of the little ego, which often entangles them more in the world of maya. For me, true free will means the dharmic will that is divine and guided by the superconscious. In reality, only this kind of will makes you free.

You might ask how you can love something you cannot see. Yet, the Gods can be and are seen by mature souls through an inner perception they have awakened. This psychic awakening is the first initiation into religion. Every Hindu devotee can sense the Gods, even if he cannot yet inwardly see them. This is possible through the subtle feeling nature. He can feel the presence of the Gods within the temple, and he can indirectly see their influence in his life.

Pray first to Ganesha. When in the temple, take every opportunity to serve in simple ways, sweeping the floor, polishing the brass, making flower garlands.

During the puja, focus on the acts of worship, rather than letting your mind wander. Learn the inner meaning of what the priest is doing and follow along.

Go into the temple as you would approach a great king, a governor, a president of a great realm, anticipating, with a little trepidation, your audience with Him.