2189 ~THE GOD OF SPINOZA!

Did you know that when Einstein attended some conferences in the numerous universities of the USA, the recurring question that the students asked him was:

- DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD?

And he always answered:
- I BELIEVE IN THE GOD OF SPINOZA.

For the ones who haven't read Spinoza
hope this shall give them an idea.

Baruch De Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher, of Portuguese Jewish origin, considered one of the great rationalists of his time along with the French philosopher Rene Descartes. Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in the 17th century of a businessman father who was successful but not wealthy.

THIS IS THE NATURE OF THE GOD OF SPINOZA:

GOD WOULD HAVE SAID:
"Stop  praying and giving yourselves blows on your chests, what I want you to do is to GO OUT INTO THE WORLD TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE.
I want you to enjoy, you sing, have fun and enjoy everything I've done for you.
STOP GOING TO THOSE GLOOMY, DARK AND COLD TEMPLES THAT YOU BUILT YOURSELF AND that YOU CALL MY HOME.
MY HOUSE is in the MOUNTAINS, in the FORESTS, the RIVERS, the LAKES, the BEACHES. That's where I live and express all my love for you.
STOP BLAMING ME FOR YOUR MISERABLE LIFE; I NEVER TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE A SINNER.

STOP BEING SO SCARED. I do not judge you, nor criticize you, nor ever is angry with you, nothing bothers me, nor do I devise punishment. I AM PURE LOVE.

Stop asking me forgiveness, there's nothing to forgive. If I made you... I filled you with passions, limitations, pleasures, feelings, needs, inconsistencies... of free will, how can I blame you if you do or say something out of that what I put in you? How can I punish you for being as you are, if I'm the one who made you? Do you think I could create a place to burn all my children who misbehave, for the rest of eternity?
What kind of God can do that?
FORGET ABOUT ANY KIND OF COMMANDMENTS, of any kind of laws; THOSE ARE WILES TO MANIPULATE YOU, TO CONTROL YOU AND  ONLY TO CREATE GUILT IN YOU.
Respect your peers and DON'T DO TO OTHERS WHAT YOU DON'T WANT FOR YOU. The only thing I ask is that you pay attention in your life, that your alert status is your guide. This LIFE IS THE ONLY THING THERE IS, HERE AND NOW and the only thing you need.

I have made you absolutely free, there are no prizes or punishments, there are no sins or virtues, no one carries a marker, no one carries a record.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY FREE TO CREATE IN YOUR LIFE A HEAVEN OR HELL.

I couldn't tell you if there's anything after this life, but I can give you a tip. LIVE AS IF THERE WASN'T (AFTER LIFE) .
As if this was YOUR ONLY CHANCE TO ENJOY, TO LOVE, TO EXIST.

So, if there is nothing, then you will have enjoyed the opportunity I gave you. And if there is, be sure that I will not ask you if you behaved well or not, I will ask you. Did you like it?... did you have fun ?..What did you enjoy the most? What did you learn?...

Stop believing in me; believe is to assume, guess, imagine. I don't want you to believe in me, I want you to feel me when you kiss your beloved, when you play with your little girl, when you love your dog, when you bathe in the sea.

Stop praising me. What kind of egotistical God do you think I am?
I'm bored of your praise, I'm fed up with thanks . Do you feel GRATEFUL? PROVE IT TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF, YOUR HEALTH, YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, THE WORLD AROUND YOU. Do you feel  overwhelmed?... EXPRESS YOUR JOY! That's the WAY TO PRAISE ME.

The ONLY THING SURE IS that YOU ARE HERE, that YOU ARE ALIVE, that THIS WORLD IS FULL OF WONDERS.

What do you need more miracles for?
Why so many explanations?

Don't look for me outside, you won't find me. FIND ME INSIDE... THERE I'M BEATING IN YOU."

2139~ HANDBOOK for LIFE

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in the previous year.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile!

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Eliminate negative thoughts and things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive and in the present moment.
13. Don't over do. Know your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake!
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are part of the curriculum; they appear and fade away but the lessons you learn last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day do something good for others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. For a learning experience spend some time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 8.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. BE HAPPY EACH DAY!

2135~ OM PURI

OM PURI,  MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE! 😢
----------------------------------------
"Marnei se pehlei mere baal dye kar dena. I want to die young"
(Please dye my hair before I die. I wish to die young.)
Om Puri ji in "Awaraa, pagal, Diwana"
....

And he did. Gone at the very young age of 66. Rest in Peace.
Another irreplacable loss to the world.
Hamari Shraddhanjali.
(Thanks Cuckoo Choudhary)

2119- The link between man and God is FAITH

An Atheist Professor of Philosophy was speaking to his Class on the problem science has with GOD , the ALMIGHTY. He asked one of his New students to stand and . . .

Professor :Do you Believe in GOD ?
Student : Absolutely, sir.
Professor : Is GOD Good ?
Student : Sure.
Professor : Is GOD ALL -POWERFUL ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal
him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn't.
How is this GOD good then? Hmm?
(Student was silent )

Professor : You can't answer, can you ? Let's start again, Young fella.
Is GOD Good?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Is Satan good ?
Student : No.
Professor : Where does Satan come from ?
Student : From . . . GOD . . .
Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make everything.
Correct?
Student : Yes.
Professor : So who created evil ?
(Student did not answer)

Professor : Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So, who created them ?
(Student had no answer)

Professor : Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son . . . Have you ever seen GOD?
Student : No, sir.
Professor : Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD?
Student : No , sir.
Professor : Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD , smelt your GOD ? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Professor : Yet you still believe in HIM?
Student : Yes.
Professor : According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.
Professor : Yes, faith. And that is the problem science has.

Now the dtudent asks and the professor answers
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Professor : Yes.
Student : And is there such a thing as cold?
Professor : Yes.
Student : No, sir. There isn't,
(The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this turn of events )

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything
called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we
can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is
only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure
cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the
absence of it.
(There was pin-drop silence in the Lecture Theatre )

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Professor : Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something.
You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light . . but if
you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness,
isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it is, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?
Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical premise is flawed.
Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how?
Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is
life and then there is death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Professor : If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes,
of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the
argument was going)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class was in uproar )

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's
brain?

(The class broke out into laughter)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain,
felt it, touched or smelt it? . . .No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face
unfathomable)

Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student : That is it sir . . . exactly ! The link between MAN & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.

2077- Ravindra Patil , the prime witness in actor Salman Khan's rash driving case

Salman Khan
Here I am giving a point just ask all the people what they will say when in place on the people died or injured is replaced by the ones they love...

Just saying, all those who are supporting Salman Khan, and saying footpath is not a place to sleep, obviously it is not I agree completely, but I think it is also not to drive... and is it obvious people sleeping over there must not be on leisure trip or participating in any reality show, they were sleeping just because they don't have roof over their head to stay safe like we all do...whatever be the reason and whoever is responsible for their condition, that is totally different topic of discussion..
Just a flipside view: Just imagine a member of your family walking on the same footpath or just standing there for some reason, same Salman khan came drunk and driving, and hit that member of your family....will then also your logic goes same of it will change just because that person is your near and dear ones, If your statement changes then we should think of what kind of humanity we are practicing.....
And this whole lot of bunch of bollywood morons, esp. Mr. Abhijeet Bhattacharya (singer I admire since childhood) not any more....will say the same, dogs walking on the footpath, they can't afford this that and blah blah blah...
If all get out of trauma of Salman getting convicted please give it a thought...
-Sethu Srivastava, in the fb,The Logical Indian

________________________________
Judiciary
_________
After the Salman Khan, Jayalalitha & Ramalinga Raju verdict,
Dawood Ibrahim is keen on returning to India...
He has faith in the Indian Judiciary !
-----------------------------------------
I went to the Bhelwala asked him for a bhel.
Asked him "jara jaldi dena."
He told me "Saab bhel hai, bail nahi. Time lagegaa !"
__________________________

2055- Value

2053- Ram or Ravan?

A pregnant mother asked her daughter, “What do u want- A brother or a sister?“
Daughter:- Brother
Mother:- Like whom?

Daughter:- Like RAVAN
Mother:- What the hell are you saying? Are you out of your mind?
Daughter:- Why not Mom? He left all his Royalship & Kingdom, all because his sister was disrespected.
Even after picking up his enemy’s wife, he didn’t ever touch her. Why wouldn’t I want to have a brother like him?
What would I do with a brother like Ram who left his pregnant wife after listening to a “Dhobi” though his wife always stood by his side like a shadow? After giving “Agni Pareeksha” & suffering 14 years of exile.
Mom, you being a wife & sister to someone, until when will you keep on asking for a “RAM” as your son???
Mother was in tears.
Moral:- No one in the world is good or bad. Its just an interpretation about someone. Change Ur perception.
_______________________________

2046- Rahul or Vijaykant, ,it doesn't matter, as long as we smile at it!

____________________________
✨Vijaykanth is back😃😃😃
Vijaykanth went to a bank to open a S.B. A/C.
After seeing the Form he went to Delhi for filling it up.
You know why?
Form said: 'Fill Up In Capital.'
😀
Vijaykanth standing below a tube light with open mouth.
Why?
Because his doctor advised him: 'Today's dinner should be light !'
😃
On romantic date vijaykanth's fiancee asks him:
'Darling ! On our engagement will you give me a ring?'
He said: 'Sure ! What's your phone no.?'
😀
Vijaykanth found the answer to the most difficult question ever.
What will come first, chicken or egg?
what ever u order first will come first.
😀
Teacher told all students to write an essay on a cricket match.
All were busy writing except vijaykanth
He wrote:'Due To Rain, No Match!'
😀
What does vijaykanth do after taking a Xerox?
He will compare it with the original for any spelling mistakes.
😀
Vijaykanth & wife buy coffee in a shop.
Vijaykanth: Drink quickly before it gets cold.
Wife: Why?
Vijaykanth: Hot coffee $5 and cold coffee $10.
😀
Manager asked vijaykanth at an interview.
Can you spell a word that has more than 100 letters in it?
Vijaykanth replyed: -P-O-S-T-B-O-X.
😃
After returning back from a foreign trip, vijaykanthasked his wife,
Do I look like a foreigner?
Wife: No! Why?
Vijaykanth: In London a lady asked me Are you a foreigner?
😁😉
Lecturer: write a note on Gandhi Jayanthi
Vijaykanth writes, "Gandhi was a great man, but I don't know who is Jayanthi.
😖😠
Interviewer: just imagine you are on the3rd floor, it caught fire
and how will you escape?
Vijaykanth: its simple. I will stop my imagination!!!
😝😜✌
Vijaykanth: My mobile bill how much?
Call centre girl: sir, just dial 123to know current bill status
Vijaykanth: Stupid, not CURRENT BILL my MOBILE BILL.
🙌👉😝😁
Friend: I got a brand new Ford IKON for my wife!
Vijaykanth: Wow!!! That's an unbelievable exchange offer!!!
😍
Teacher: "What is common between JESUS, KRISHNA , RAM, GANDHI and BUDHA?"
Vijaykanth: "All are born on government holidays...!
________________________________

2041- 'G'

2039- Pizza

😆😆😆😆
Rahul called up Dominos Pizza and shouted at the branch manager, "You idiot, I just received delivery of pizza from your boy and there's nothing on it!! No cheese, no toppings, nothing - it's just a circle of plain bread! What the hell is wrong with you guys? I am gonna close you guys down permanently and get you personally arrested!!!"
10 mins later Rahul's mother calls back Dominos and apologises to the manager, "Sorry, he opened the box upside down!"

________________________

2035- Personality and character

2011- Gita, National flag, Rudraksha mala

1986- Vipassana

Amit Agrawal‎VIPASSANA GROUP

A large number of foreigners participated in some courses held at Dalhousie. An elderly Christian priest and two elderly nuns participated in one of these courses. They were happy that many hippies discontinued LSD and other intoxicants as well as sexual misconduct after practising Vipassana. But they wanted to find out whether I was converting their followers to Buddhism. After directly experiencing the benefits gained from the course, they were delighted. Mother Mary said, “Goenka, you are teaching Christianity in the name of Buddha.”

After this course, many Christian priests and nuns started participating in courses. Now, a course is held exclusively for them in Mumbai. More than 6,000 priests and nuns have benefited from Vipassana courses so far.
My friend, Shri Yashpal Jain and Vishnu Prabhakar attended one of the courses held at Dalhousie. Both of them were pleased with this teaching. Shri Yashpal Jain told Acaryashri Tulsiji, the Principal Teacher of Terapanth Saṅgha, about Vipassana and introduced me to him. Acaryashri Tulsiji was impressed and organized a course in Delhi for Acarya Munishri Nathmalji and other male and female disciples. All of them liked the purity of this teaching. As a result, he organized two courses in Tulsi Adyatma Needam of Ladnun, in which many of their male and female disciples participated and took benefit. After Acarya Tulsiji, the young Acarya Mahapragya (Munishri Nathmalji) became the Principal Teacher of Terapanth Saṅgha. He had already taken four courses in Vipassana. He made some modifications and started teaching it as Preksha Dhyan.
Sthanakvasi Sramansanghiya Chaturth Patdhar Acarya Dr. Shivmuniji and Munishri Amarendravijayji, Munishri Bhuvanchandraji, Munishri Parshwachandraji of Parshwachandragaccha Saṅgha had participated in many courses. However, there is no report of any of them making changes in the teaching of Vipassana. Along with Upadhyaya Amarmuniji, Sadhvishri Chandanaji, the manager of Virayatan, arranged a course at Rajgir and also at their second branch Naval Virayatan in Pune. Several other munis and sadhvis benefited from Vipassana and encouraged others to practise it.
Nirmalaji, Gandhiji’s daughter-in-law, organized the 50th Vipassana course at Mahatma Gandhi Ashram, Wardha. Some of Gandhiji’s followers participated in it. At the end of the course, I was taken to Vinoba Bhave’s Ashram. He stated that he will accept Vipassana only if it benefits prison inmates. I accepted the challenge. However, due to the government’s policy, a course could not be organized in the prison then.
Later, the first prison course was made possible by the efforts of Shri Ram Singhji, the Home Secretary of Rajasthan, who had participated in the 109th course. He relaxed the prison rules so that the courses could be conducted in the Central Jail of Jaipur. The beneficial results achieved in these courses paved the way for Vipassana courses in prisons all over the world. Kiran Bedi arranged several courses in Tihar Jail and a Vipassana centre was established there. Courses are being held in prisons of different countries. The Government of Myanmar has also allowed courses in prisons and centres have also been opened in two prisons there.
~ SNG @ Chronicles of Dhamma !!!

1978- Happiness & Peace

1977- when we are alive...

1976- Service

If one can see God in a stone, can't he see God in living beings!
- Swamy Vivekananda
One who gives/ serves with 100% involvement, love and compassion,gets primarily self fulfilment, then by way of awards/ rewards, money and a network of loving people too.
They say people are in Govt SERVICE, but many never serve and those who really give and serve get Magsaysay/ Padma/ Noble awards and love of people. Never the takers, but they may make only pots of money!

1965- Does evil exist?

The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists?
A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!"
"God created everything? The professor asked.
"Yes sir", the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil". The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?"
"Of course", replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.
The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."
The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"
The professor responded, "Of course it does."
The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colours and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
The young man's name was Albert Einstein.

1956- Attitude,aptitude,altitude

We cannot change 3 things in our life-
(1)our past,
(2)the fact that people will act in a certain way and
(3)the inevitable.
The only thing that we can alter is, attitude. Life is ten percent what happens to us and ninety percent how we react to it. And so it is with us…we are in charge of our attitudes. Therefore, man can alter his life by altering his attitudes.
_____________________________

1955- "What startups in India can learn from Singapore’s founder Lee Kuan Yew"

Vinay Dora | March 24, 2015
____________________________________
Known as the founder of modern Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister for three decades, had transformed the former British colony from a poor fishing hamlet into what’s now a global financial hub and economic powerhouse (area715 sq km, population 54 lakhs). Though the city-state is among the most expensive places to live in, in fact the most expensive city according to a recent report, many a talent still throng to Singapore for potential opportunities and growth.
Singapore has been among the easiest places to do business for almost a decade now, according to World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking. The country has branded itself as the gateway to South-East Asia and with giant economies like China and India in its vicinity. The government funding and assistance schemes as well as a low-tax system, legal support and good infrastructure have made it a startup-friendly city. The country continues to woo startups, invite global investors and help the set-up of incubators.
Much before its reaching out to entrepreneurs, innovation-led companies and global talent — Singapore in the 60s has had high levels of unemployment and poverty, with many of its citizens living out of overcrowded slums. Though Singapore may lack the natural resources, the country has made good use of its strategic port. Unlike other troubled parts of Asia back then, Singapore’s port was always considered safe.
With the port well established on the world map, the city-state then focused on the manufacturing sector — with electronics, chemicals and biotechnology product exports leading the way. Over the last couple of decades, Singapore’s focus was also on energy, infrastructure and banking. Today, Singapore’s a leader in wealth management services and considered a global financial hub.
Also what has played a major role in Singapore’s growth was its focus on the safety of its citizens. Singapore’s among the safest places for women and has a very low crime rate comparable only to the Scandinavian countries. Though one may not see many cops on the streets of Singapore, it’s sophisticated surveillance and the fear of the law has helped the country remain safe.
Most of this progress Singapore has seen can be credited to its forward-thinking leadership and its law-abiding citizens — many of who have had to endure tough measures for the larger fruits of development.
Lee Kuan Yew has often shared his thoughts about India, sometimes critical and at other times (he understood the challenges of such a diverse region) even showed signs of admiration. Here we reflect upon some of the statesman’s India views and with an Indian startups angle:
When asked hypothetically by an Indian Administrative Officer if he could transform India like he did Singapore, the pragmatic rebel said, “No single person can change India. You speak 320 different languages.” Hence while it may be difficult to compare the two nations, having a visionary, along with a larger and more effective leadership can help make the difference.
In the Indian innovation-led startups space, there are many entrepreneurs and innovators who have been doing all they can to solve challenges and explore opportunities. If we can all fit into a long-term vision, join the collective leadership and implement plans – each of us may well be on the path to success. The ability to collaborate with communities is increasingly becoming a must-have for businesses.
During the same convention, Lee Kuan Yew, also suggested three rules for good governance:
1) Integrity and absence of corruption.
2) Meritocracy – best people for the best jobs.
3) A fair level-playing field for everybody.
If you look at these rules, if we percolate personal integrity amongst ourselves and our emotional extensions — corruption and dishonesty can be quelled leading to a more level-playing field.
On the other hand, in one of his interviews he also had this to say of the average Indian civil servant and administrator. He felt they saw themselves more as regulators and not as facilitators. And that some of these bureaucrats viewed Indian business people as money-grabbing opportunists who do not have the welfare of the country at heart.
It takes a lot of effort to build trust and credibility, not just with administrators but when reaching out to potential customers too. The whole thing is complicated when mishaps in a diverse nation of a billion plus get amplified and not so much solved.
Nevertheless, a useful attribute we seem to have managed to gain in all noise is, well, an increase in communication. Our communication options have helped us identify challenges, take stands, hear perspectives (at least some) and generally accept critical feedback.
This communication learning, especially from the ICT startups space in India, is something I’d be sharing during the upcoming Global Crowdsourcing Week event in Singapore. Along with some communication traits from diverse India, I’d also be exploring other community attributes such as collaboration and building trust, along with the thought-leaders present at the conference. YourStory will be there to cover the event closely.
Concluding, I’d end with another line of Lee Kuan Yew’s, who said, “India must make up for much time lost.” As entrepreneurs and change-makers in India, many of us do understand this urgency and see the massive potential ahead. Our ability to quickly find and solve challenges, besides developing qualities such as being collaborative, communicative and credible in our approach may be our best tribute to this global leader’s vision of bettering lives

1952- Ayn Rand's Philosophy

-Bruce E. Levine
__________________
Rand said, “Capitalism and altruism are incompatible….The choice is clear-cut: either a new morality of rational self-interest, with its consequences of freedom, justice, progress and man’s happiness on earth—or the primordial morality of altruism, with its consequences of slavery, brute force, stagnant terror and sacrificial furnaces.”
For many young people, hearing that it is “moral” to care only about oneself can be intoxicating, and some get addicted to this idea for life.
I have known several people, professionally and socially, whose lives have been changed by those close to them who became infatuated with Ayn Rand.
To wow her young admirers, Rand would often tell a story of how a smart-aleck book salesman had once challenged her to explain her philosophy while standing on one leg. She replied:
“Metaphysics—objective reality.
Epistemology—reason.
Ethics—self-interest.
Politics—capitalism.”
How did that philosophy capture young minds?

(1)Metaphysics—objective reality.
Rand offered a narcotic for confused young people: complete certainty and a relief from their anxiety. Rand believed that an “objective reality” existed, and she knew exactly what that objective reality was. It included skyscrapers, industries, railroads, and ideas—at least her ideas. Rand’s objective reality did not include anxiety or sadness. Nor did it include much humor, at least the kind where one pokes fun at oneself. Rand assured her Collective that objective reality did not include Beethoven’s, Rembrandt’s, and Shakespeare’s realities—they were too gloomy and too tragic, basically buzzkillers. Rand preferred Mickey Spillane and, towards the end of her life, “Charlie’s Angels.”

(2)Epistemology—reason.
Rand’s kind of reason was a “cool-tool” to control the universe. Rand demonized Plato, and her youthful Collective members were taught to despise him. If Rand really believed that the Socratic Method described by Plato of discovering accurate definitions and clear thinking did not qualify as “reason,” why then did she regularly attempt it with her Collective? Also oddly, while Rand mocked dark moods and despair, her “reasoning” directed that Collective members should admire Dostoyevsky, whose novels are filled with dark moods and despair. A demagogue, in addition to hypnotic glibness, must also be intellectually inconsistent, sometimes boldly so. This eliminates challenges to authority by weeding out clear-thinking young people from the flock.

(3)Ethics—self-interest.
For Rand, all altruists were manipulators. What could be more seductive to kids who discerned the motives of martyr parents, Christian missionaries and U.S. foreign aiders? Her champions, Nathaniel Branden still among them, feel that Rand’s view of “self-interest” has been horribly misrepresented. For them, self-interest is her hero architect Howard Roark turning down a commission because he couldn’t do it exactly his way. Some of Rand’s novel heroes did have integrity, however, for Rand there is no struggle to discover the distinction between true integrity and childish vanity. Rand’s integrity was her vanity, and it consisted of getting as much money and control as possible, copulating with whomever she wanted regardless of who would get hurt, and her always being right. To equate one’s selfishness, vanity, and egotism with one’s integrity liberates young people from the struggle to distinguish integrity from selfishness, vanity, and egotism.

(4)Politics—capitalism.
While Rand often disparaged Soviet totalitarian collectivism, she had little to say about corporate totalitarian collectivism, as she conveniently neglected the reality that giant U.S. corporations, like the Soviet Union, do not exactly celebrate individualism, freedom, or courage. Rand was clever and hypocritical enough to know that you don’t get rich in the United States talking about compliance and conformity within corporate America. Rather, Rand gave lectures titled: “America’s Persecuted Minority: Big Business.” So, young careerist corporatists could embrace Rand’s self-styled “radical capitalism” and feel radical — radical without risk.

Rand’s Legacy
In recent years, we have entered a phase where it is apparently okay for major political figures to publicly embrace Rand despite her contempt for Christianity. In contrast, during Ayn Rand’s life, her philosophy that celebrated self-interest was a private pleasure for the 1 percent but she was a public embarrassment for them. They used her books to congratulate themselves on the morality of their selfishness, but they publicly steered clear of Rand because of her views on religion and God. Rand, for example, had stated on national television, “I am against God. I don’t approve of religion. It is a sign of a psychological weakness. I regard it as an evil.”
Actually, again inconsistent, Rand did have a God. It was herself. She said:
I am done with the monster of “we,” the word of serfdom, of plunder, of misery, falsehood and shame. And now I see the face of god, and I raise this god over the earth, this god whom men have sought since men came into being, this god who will grant them joy and peace and pride. This god, this one word: “I.”
While Harriet Beecher Stowe shamed Americans about the United States’ dehumanization of African Americans and slavery, Ayn Rand removed Americans’ guilt for being selfish and uncaring about anyone except themselves. Not only did Rand make it “moral” for the wealthy not to pay their fair share of taxes, she “liberated” millions of other Americans from caring about the suffering of others, even the suffering of their own children.
The good news is that I’ve seen ex-Rand fans grasp the damage that Rand’s philosophy has done to their lives and to then exorcize it from their psyche. Can the United States as a nation do the same thing?
(Bruce E. Levine is a practicing clinical psychologist. His latest book is Get Up, Stand Up: Uniting Populists, Energizing the Defeated, and Battling the Corporate Elite.)