Tag Archives: tragedy

BOOK CORNER: THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK–a counterintuitive approach to living a good life by Mark Manson

book corner, book launch, book review, Book review and excerpts, book review, book synopsis, book synopsis, book talk, book talk,, casual causerie, causerie, column, fable, facts, fiction, literary corner, novel, parable, parables, short story, snippet, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Copyright@shravancharitymission

 

Khidki (Window)

–Read India Initiative—

This is only an attempt to create interest in reading. We may not get the time to read all the books in our lifetime. But such reviews, talk and synopsis will at least convey what the book is all about.

 

    ‘Fuck’ is a scandalous and a vulgar cuss word not meant for the civilized society. But then it has a lot to do with the making and breaking of life. Before, I move ahead let me refresh you with the meaning of this word. One of course is the usual one—to have a sexual intercourse. And running alongside that, it is also used, while expressing, extreme anger, or to add force, to what is being said. Some words get ostracised because of its dirty meaning. According to Oxford dictionary, fuck also means ‘your ruins.’ Let me now construct, two sentences for you, using the four letter word. One is.

  1. I don’t give a fuck—which means I don’t care.
  2. I give a fuck—which means I care.

    I am telling you all of this, to make you understand the book even better. The book has a long title supported by an even longer sub-title that goes as, “THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK—a counter-intuitive approach to living a good life.” by Mark Manson. Counterintuitive means, contrary to intuition, or a kind of common-sense expectation. I would call this book a wonder book, because the author converts the four letter word ‘fuck’ into a handy an appropriate life lesson for readers. New York Times and Globe and mail a Canadian chronicle have declared it, as a bestseller. The other word extensively used in this book is sucks which is an expression of disappointment. The book is priced at $17.99, published in 2016 by Harperone.   The book lives up to its title in all boisterousness. Mark Manson is a star blogger, with more than two million readers. He lives in New York City. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, is his, first book.

     For this day and age the book is a self-help guide, written by a super-star blogger. It charts the course for us, to make us happier and stronger. The real panacea of which is how to handle adversity better, and stop trying to be positive all the time. Of course the gap between the two is quite wide.

    For the past few years, Mark Manson through his ecstatically popular blog, has been working on correcting, our delusional expectations, for ourselves and for the world. He now brings his hard fought wisdom to this ground breaking book. Manson makes the argument that human beings by nature are imperfects and even limited. As he writes, ‘not everybody can be extraordinary—there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know your limitations and accept them as they are. This he says, is the real source of empowerment. Once we embrace our fears, faults and uncertainties. Once we stop running from and avoiding, and start confronting, painful truths—we will begin to find the courage and confidence we desperately need.

    In life, we all have a limited amount of fucks to give. So, you must choose your fucks wisely. Manson brings a much needed, grab-you-by-the-shoulders-an-look-you-in-the-eyes moment, of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories, and profane, ruthless humor. This narration is a refreshing pat on the face of all, so that we can start living a more contented and grounded life.

     The book is a little over two hundred pages and if one goes at an uninterrupted pace, one could finish it within two days. It is in many ways a page turner written in lucid English quite easy to comprehend. It has long gripping sentences with appropriate pauses in terms of sentence breaks and well suited prepositions. The author has curtailed unnecessary flab in his narration. Within a para, the breaks are few and that gives a good flow of thoughts so very necessary for such life-lesson emitting books. Many sentences are somewhat unconventional, and more than that the thoughts are quite out-of-the-box. It is divided into nine chapters with sub-chapters. The book hinges on two prime words—‘fuck’ and ‘sucks.’

    Everyone believes. The key to a good life is a nice job, a sexy limousine, or a pretty girlfriend. The world keeps telling you over-and-over again, that the matrix for a successful life is to have more … more … and … more. Buy more, own more. You are constantly bombarded with messages to give a fuck about everything, and at all times. But the key to a good life is not giving a fuck about more; but giving a fuck about less, or giving a fuck about only what is true and immediate and important. I’m sorry for having used the four letter word so very often in this narration. But without which you wouldn’t have got the real feel of the book.

    The book has many interesting stories and anecdotes that I would not like to disclose in great detail. But yes of course. I liked the one about the Japanese second lieutenant and the Rock Star band. The book teaches that life is essentially an endless series of problems. Problems never stop they only get exchanged or upgraded. Happiness is a constant work-in-progress. It teaches you the value of suffering. Human beings often dedicate a large part of their lives to seemingly useless and destructive causes.

    It says happiness is a problem yet happiness comes by solving problems. And mind you, you are not special. The book defines certain values as shitty and even obsolete. It says a lot of time in our life is wasted in choosing. And of course failure is the way forward. It talks about action, inspiration and even motivation. Most of us commit to action only if we feel a certain level of motivation. And we feel motivated only when we find enough emotional inspiration.

    The book inspires you to believe that you’re wrong about everything. The author cites examples in terms of cartographers who some five hundred years ago believed that California was an island. Doctors believed that by slicing a person’s arm open (or by causing bleeding anywhere) one could cure a disease. Scientists believed that fire was made out of something called phlogiston (a combustible substance). Women believed that rubbing dog urine on their face had anti-aging benefits. Astronomers believed that the sun revolved around the earth. But then were they right?

    I would recommend this book. If not for anything else, at least it will advise you how to be comfortable in negative situations. While reading this book I was even reminded of my own poem that I wrote sometime back. The title of which is … ‘Bad times is a friend of all times’ published in a book titled, ‘Rhythm … in poems.’ I would give this debut book of Mark Manson eight out of ten.

   Synopsis by Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

*

Share it if you like it

*

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

 

REMEMBRANCE–SHRADHANJALI

beautiful lines, column, poem, POETRY, Remembrance, spiritual, tributes, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Copyright@shravancharitymission

 (Shravan Tripathi 23.1.1993 — 24.2.2009)

DEAR SHRAVAN

I see you here and I see you there,

Even when I know,

All very well,

You aren’t … really there.

*

And every year on this very day,

You do send me to despair,

But when I reflect,

 I still can recollect.

*

Those lovely moments,

When you were born,

When I had thought,

We’ll be together … life long,

But that was not to be.

*

In your fight for life,

I remember with gripe,

Seasons had come, and seasons had gone,

Where time was kind, but destiny was strong.

*

Though time fought well,

 Yet destiny won,

As it snatched you away,

With its divine intent.

*

Now that you’re gone,

There isn’t too much of a song,

Except for the noble mission,

That you had brought along.

*

You often come in my dreams,

That brings me loads of serene,

Is when, I wilfully dream,

To serve those sick umpteen.

*

It is said,

Life is a mystery,

Where destiny,

 Is another name of cruelty?

 But where God is kind,

But time is like a serpentine.

*

And when I bring it upon myself,

I realise,

Your short life span was indeed the mystery,

Where destiny pulled off the grim cruelty,

And between the mystery and the cruelty,

Was God’s beauty?

But where time still meanders,

Like the serpentine’s ferocity.

*

And in this windswept life of mine,

 One more year, goes by,

But I’m happy to tell you,

I’ve kept your mission alive.

*

So rest in peace,

For you have achieved,

What you came for, in discreet.

***

Only the luckiest of the lucky don’t encounter the agony of losing their child

*****

By Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

*

Share it if you like it

*

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

 

SHORT STORY: KING CHITRAKETU

article, ARTICLE SPIRITUAL, causerie, column, short story, snippet, spiritual, spiritual article, story, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Copyright@shravancharitymission

chitraketu 2
chitraketu

THE STORY OF KING CHITRAKETU

    Once upon a time there lived a very eminent king by the name of Chitraketu. He had many wives but no children. One day, Maharishi Angiraj landed up in his Raj-Bhawan. With his spiritual powers he deciphered, Chitraketu was very unhappy and even desperate for a child. So, he decided to perform a yagya to help his queen conceive. After the yagya was over he handed over the leftovers to the eldest queen Kritdhuti as blessings and decided to leave. While leaving, Maharishi Angiraj said—‘Hey Rajan! You will soon be blessed with a son but he will be the reason for both your happiness and sorrow.’

    Maharani Kritdhuti was soon pregnant and at the opportune moment, the king was blessed with a son. With this Maharaj Chitraketu’s happiness knew no bounds. The whole kingdom was under celebrations, as after remaining issue less for such a long time, Maharaj Chitraketu was finally blessed with a child. Therefore, his love for the new born prince was boundless and was oozing all over his persona. Further, just to be in the company of his newly born child the king started spending more time at the residence of his eldest queen Kritdhuti. He once again started loving her immensely for having given birth to the baby boy. This resulted in the neglect of his other wives by the king himself, who now started feeling demoralised and even jealous of the eldest queen Kritdhuti. Soon, the situation aggravated to such a level that the younger queens lost their noble senses. The main reason for that was the king’s neglect because of the newly born child.

    This led to a drastic consequence when all the neglected wives of the king consented to quietly poison the child and soon he died. Upon realising, the mammoth tragedy that had struck both the king and his Maharani Kritdhuti, Maharaj Chitraketu fell unconscious, next to the body of their child like an uprooted tree. The entire kingdom was now in a pall of gloom.

    When, amid the cloud of sorrow and wail, two distinguished personalities arrived in the Raj Bhawan. Maharishi Angiraj this time was accompanied by Devrishi Narad. Upon coming to know of the tragedy, Maharishi Angiraj said to the king—‘Rajan (king) you are a great devotee of Brahmins and God. So, I was happy with you, and because of that I had come to you earlier, thinking, I would teach you the prowess to attain God’s darshan. But since it was written on your face that you desperately wanted a child, I instead, gave you a child as a blessing. Now that you have suffered the tragedy of losing your son, and there isn’t a tragedy, bigger than this, you would have known by now, that this world is a place, filled with sadness.’

    King Chitraketu was still in mourning. He therefore could not understand the essence of Maharishi’s address. But he was spellbound at the sight of them. Devrishi Narad who was accompanying Angiraj could understand that, Chitraketu’s intense love for his child will not go like this. So using his divya-shakti (divine-power) he attracted the soul of the child and as it came he said—‘See my son! They are your parents and they are mourning for you. So please get into your body, to make them happy and start enjoying the royal life, as the son of the king.’ And, after this, everyone out there, clearly heard what the soul of the child had to say—

    ‘Devrishi they are my parents of which life? A soul does not have any parents, brothers or friends. Many a times I was their father and many times they were mine. Many a times they were my friends and even enemies. All these relations are because of your mortal body and as you leave your mortal remains behind, you also leave behind your relations. And then, everyone is all by himself and has to suffer, as per his karmas.’

    The soul, after saying all this vanished from the scene. King Chtiraketu’s deep affection for his son after hearing the conversation started waning. After cremating him, with a fresh and sombre mind he appeared in front of Devrishi and Maharishi. Devrishi Narad, then gave instructions to commence the prayers and the puja of Lord Shesh Narayan, and with that, King Chitraketu got his darshan and soon he started on a long pursuit of spiritual knowledge and became a big scholar and was ranked as a Vidyadhar.

    The story is from our mythology and gives a very bold message. That beyond your mortal life it is only your karmas that go with you and you are all alone after death. So, always insist on doing good deeds.

***

 

Share if you like it

Translated by Kamlesh Tripathi

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to contribute for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

         Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

         IFSC code: BKID0006805

*****

SHORT STORY: DIVINE ALIGNMENT

ARTICLE SPIRITUAL, casual causerie, causerie, column, short article, short story, snippet, spiritual, spiritual article, story, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Copyright with shravancharitymission


c1c

    Today, once again, early in the morning I was woken up by a phone call from Sukhwinder Singh. He is a Granthi in a Gurudwara in Faridabad. But he also happens to be my friend, in the abstract spirits of comrade-in-arms. It appears he has a satellite connect with God and is able to figure out. When, over a period of time my entire self goes into a depression, thinking about my younger son, whom I lost some six years back. And just then he calls up.

    He doesn’t understand English and I can’t talk fluent Punjabi and so we make the most of it in Hindi. His occasional calls pep me up but I am not sure if it’s the other way round too. And, unlike most Sardars he is short and stout and often wears a saffron patka. We came together in life because we both share the curse of losing our sons in a space of a week.

    It was sometime in mid-February when I had admitted my younger son, when he was towards his last in a hospital in Faridabad for palliative care, where I found Sukhwinder’s son also admitted for liver disorder. He was in serious state, around twenty years of age; and the next day he expired. Our rooms were adjacent and so I had enough opportunities to picture and frame him in my mind. And, upon the sad and untimely death of his son, that afternoon, I walked across to his room and paid my deep sense of condolence. Thereafter, in a ballooning bundle of grief, he along with his wailing wife, family and the body of his son left the hospital.

    I was feeling sad for him. But I too wasn’t far behind. As my tragedy too, befell upon me within the next four days. I was thereafter on leave for a couple of weeks. And when I resumed office. Every morning I used to drive past a Gurudwara where one day I spotted Sukhwinder. I stopped my car and went up to him. Just to ask how he was, and quite frankly also to discern, better or worse than me. He was looking the other way when I put my hand on his shoulder. He turned around and without wasting time, I reminded him of the hospital and politely enquired about him, post his son’s death. He could recollect me in seconds and asked about my son. I gave him the tragic news. He sounded hurt. I decided to leave after a brief chat, but he ordered for a cup of tea. And our friendship thus began.

    Since that day till the time that Gurudwara was on my way to office, once in a while we used to meet over a cup of tea and he used to narrate quite a few invigorating episodes from ‘Granth Sahab’ and ‘Gita’ that helped me tide away, and soften my tragedy.

    It is now more than six years we continue as friends and we make it a point to talk to each other at least once a month just to share happiness and sorrow, and probably one day when we stop receiving calls from each other one of us will know the other has kicked the bucket.

    Our world is full of affinity, when it comes to being from the same religion, sect, ethnicity, language and food. But after I lost my son I realised there is also an affinity that takes birth out of unusual tragedies in life. I and Sukhwinder had similar tragedies leading to a very unusual experience in life not known and felt by many, and that brought us together.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

*****

#NEPAL-#QUAKE- 25TH APRIL 2015

Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Copyright@shravancharitymission

n1n2

The cruel Zalzala took just fifteen seconds to pulp Nepal into rubble. ‘Nepal!’ India stands by you in this moment of gruesome tragedy.

Prayers, for all who left us, and may their souls rest in peace; and may God give their families strength to bear this untimely and unwanted departure of their loved ones.

n3

And, as they say in times of tragedy, a good neighbour reaches even before close relatives, like the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who never lets his neighbours down on such occasions.