INDEPENDENTLY DEPENDENT

The sanatana dharma has a unique approach to life. If we observe and analyze, we experience and realize.  Dharma principles are realistic and friendly rather than imaginary and easy.
Modernity talks about freedom without any discipline, but it fails to recognize that the very freedom creates restrictions. Freedom of throwing or squandering  away one’s wealth without discrimination makes restrictions in a future healthy living.
Unrestricted habits makes one exhaust resources and to fix these unhealthy habits we are forced to follow a restrictive life style.

There is nothing  free in this world.  Material nature does not allow that.  Therefore Santana dharma urges one to live a harmonious life. A little restriction gives a little pleasure.  Restrictions becomes the currency and we can buy pleasure.  Unrestricted pleasure leads to paying in the future with greater interest and by force.

Ravana wanted to convey something which the modern world is proposing. It  sounds great but is highly  unrealistic.
Ravana  said “Sita why you are wasting your youth and time for Rama, why cant you  enjoy with me, whatever you want I will provide, just agree to my proposal.”
Sita was not foolish and imaginary.   She retorted back at Ravana, and informed  him of her commitment to Rama.
The point is who is right and realistic?
Is it Sita or Ravana?
We  see  that eventually Ravana  lost everything including his pride.
One may raise a question that even  Sita lost everything.
No she did not lose everything she had her self righteousness, her healthy pride and her dignity even though she had to go to the forest in the asrama of Valimiki Maharshi. No one punished her, rather she continued to live her dignified life.  Dignified life is not showy and superficial. Dignified life is a life of commitment to values which gives result to inner satisfaction.

At the end of the day when we live a   life of free flow it takes away our very vitality at every level.
There are very few people who make tons of disproportionate wealth based on this unrestricted  life style. They make these bucks in health, food, fashion, psychology, and certainly in technology.  What is the market strategy? 
Target the uncontrolled mind that will  buy everything you tell them to  buy in the name of sweet freedom.They say, “freedom is your right,”  and the silent part of this slogan  is “money and wealth is mine.”

With a controlled mind and controlled   senses we save money and head aches. Look around and you will realize this. No rocket science is required to understand this  principle . Hence we see that Ayurveda professes dietary restriction and medicine to bring your health back.  restrictions give rise to self control, food gives nourishment.  when nourishment happens along with self control, it gives rise to life which is meaningful and fulfilling.

FREE THINKER?

Real intellectualism is free from all prejudice. Free from a prejudice caused either by being purchased by some one with more resources or a prejudice caused by our own personal experiences.Our prejudice  should not decide, how we see things and people around us.

However much intellectual power one may possess, unfortunately most people make systems and analysis based on some influence other than intellect. Unfortunately they do not have the dharma to be honest in themselves. The so called intellectual rigor only comes where they are comfortable to criticize, but they do not dwell or have the guts to speak  when the realities go against their own so called intellectual observations. It is very selective.  Intellectual ego is of the highest order, because the so called intelligencia is preoccupied in judging others but fails to self analyze.

Therefore Dharma calls for deep self observation to hear the inner voice.  The  traditional  dharma says" in dwelling  the soul witnesses the supersoul." He is the observer and the witness, we cant avoid him.

Therefore intelligence without proper sadhana can easily be purchased.  If we see the intellectual club of the world, either they are  either exclusive religionists or they are bought by the prejudice.

Rishis in yore time could not be purchased , therefore the vedic knowledge was transparent. One such Rishi was Daumya, he was chosen as the pandava priest.
He was selected when they were in the jungle, and he continued as their priest when they were the kings of Indraprastha.When they lost everything he did not deter rather he stayed on with the penniless   Pandavas. Duryodhana could not purchase him.Daumya gave advise to the Pandavas even without having any resources in return coming from the Pandavas.

Vasishtha was the Priest of Dasaratha Maharaja, he too could not be purchased.He lived with Dasaratha, but lived without his resources so that he  could remain uncontaminated.

If the king was mean, the priest   would  try to make him meaningful by making him understand. If the king would not budge they would leave the king but to move them from their integrity was impossible. The Pandavas  and Dasaratha maharaja were fortunate and at the same time they were kept dharmik by the power of these independent thinking rishis.

Therefore to be free from influence for an ordinary intellectual is a rare phenomena. It is possible when one is truly dharmik, and does rigorous self analysis for his motives and purpose.
A purpose that is beyond himself  his community and his religion.

DIFFERENT INFLUENCES

Some people are good at impressing,
some are good at inspiring and some others are good at impacting.  Impressing is a consciously thought out  action with an aim to impress, it is very superficial, dazzling and glittering.It has a short of life, like a Divali crackers.

People who inspire are those who in their field of activity do really well steadily and they create inspiration in the hearts of people who see them steadily achieving their goal.

Those who create impact are those, who establish the legacy of transformation. It creates an impact over a large area sometimes an entire nation, if not the entire globe. People who create an impact could be either  a political leader, or a spiritual leader. In India, a great spiritual leader created such an impact and the impact is still continuing. We also have  political leaders, who create impact on a national scale.

In Mahabharata we see the story of Abhimanyu which was very inspiring.
He did something wonderful and  it has stayed in the heart of listeners of Mahabharata. He lived a short life,   but the  story of his life was heart melting.The story has valour and character combined and though it could not make the Pandavas win, it created a lasting effect from the inspiration point of view.

Karna was very impressive, he had great skills, great friendship but it was not beneficial to any one neither the Pandavas nor Duryodhana. But people who seek to be impressed over something external and superficial follow his example.

Arjuna and Bhima  were impact creators.They brought unlimited changes from transforming bad governance to good governance.  They may not be very impressive or    inspiring at all  times , but they create an impact for sure. They were impressive and inspiring  and  they made the legacy of good governance continue for long . 

Impressing can be purchased by advertisement. One can have a grand marriage to impress, but does it fulfill the purpose of an impact creating marriage  ? Impressing can be intoxicating for those who are impressing and those who are getting impressed. But the  intoxication dies down once the festival is over.
Of the three, those who inspire, are non controversial. The general mass likes people who impress and always  wants  to be like them.
Inspiration is heart melting, but inspirational  people are few.
We do need inspiration, but what we really need is impact creators who move things for large number of people and  for a longer duration of time.
Impact creators are not the ones who can be purchased, rather they are the ones who want to see the change in a very distinct way.They live in a real world, and deal with life in a real way.  Impact creators are sometimes  harsh, but they are the one who deliver.
The impact creators do not allow their followers to change   them rather they want them to change the crowd. Ultimately impact creators are impressive and inspiring too.

We have to choose what we want to do in life  impress inspire or impact?  Based on what  we chose we  produce results.

ARE ALL PERSPECTIVES RIGHT?

With regards to different perspectives how one sees, why one sees and how he understands and applies what he or she sees makes things right or wrong.

Some one said  "it is better to have Ravana as one’s brother, because he was willing to stand by his sister at the cost of losing everything. On the other hand what is the use of Rama who did not protect his wife, rather he sent her off  to the forest, even though she had served him for 14 years in the forest."
Their rationale is--- It's not about one is good or bad rather how we see it.  According to them in one perspective Rama is good, and from another perspective Ravana is good.

Unfortunately  the above argument may sound logically correct, but it has a jaundiced view.
Ravana did not protect his sister, he was trying to protect her cruelty.
He was the very person who killed Surphanakha’s husband.To pacify her he gave her more sensuality so that he she would not disturb his nonsensical activities.
Ravana was the one who had raped hundreds of women and kidnapped a  few hundred more.
He was the one who caused much pain to his chaste wife Mandodari by completely neglecting her. She was the one who said sobbing near his dead body,“ you did not get killed by the arrows of Rama, rather you are killed by the tears of mother Sita and many other women who were made to cry by you .”
Ravana was the one who for the sake of his selfishness allowed all  his family members to get killed so that he could continue to remain unreasonable.
Ravana was the one who stole everything that belonged to his brother Kubera.
Ravana was the one who kicked his only well-wisher and brother Vibhishana, out of his kingdom.
Ravana was the one who asked Shiva to give his wife to him as a gift.  Ravana was the one who, when asked by his minster Prahastha, why he had not raped Sita? replied “I would have raped her long back, but I cannot touch her unless she agrees else I will be burnt to death.”

Rama on the other hand, was the protector of his wife, bringing  her out from the jaws of death.
He suffered in separation more than any one could imagine , the description of which is given by Valmiki and it is for everyone to read . Sending her to the forest was not done out of choice,  rather it was done out of duty towards the people of Ayodhya.
With great pain he had asked Laxmana to take her to Valmiki Muni’s hermitage.  Even when he sent Mother Sita to the forest he had the hope that the inhabitants of Ayodhya would repent for their outburst towards Rama and Sita.
Sure enough the inhabitants of Ayodhya repented but it was too late and Sita was done with this world.
She decided to go back to the spiritual realm.
One should read the melancholia of Lord Rama after her departure. His love which was like a  dormant volcano  suddenly broke forth solid rock and erupted into a volcano of love in separation for Mother Sita.
He pleaded and threatened to destroy the whole world.
Rama never remarried, and remained loyal to his citizens, taking care of them, and in return the citizens of Ayodhaya with great repentance and responsibility reciprocated with Rama.
He remained  loyal to Sita, in spirit and in form. Millions of sensitive people choose to love this very Rama, while having much deeper affection for mother Sita.
They both remain in the heart forever never being separated and these people keep chanting Jai Sita Rama.

Now it is for us to make  the choice, whether we want Rama as our brother or Ravana?

FORWARD THINKING, BACKWARD REFLECTING

There is a constant battle between  forward thinking visionaries and backward reflecting traditionalists.  Forward thinking gives rise to movement, progress, freedom from prejudice, and speedy action.  Backward reflection gives rise to, authenticity of legacy, which has endured generation after generation. It is safe and secure.
On the flip side the forward thinking gives rise to fear of speculation, experimenting something new and different. No history of experience in experiments till the future reveals it.
On the other hand backward reflection give rise to no innovation, people, ideas are stuck in the  past and are irrelevant in the future.

Dharmik scriptures are very innovative friendly and at the same time the give some signal if one is going astray.
So there is Samavada or discussion.  When Pandavas married Draupadi, it was revolutionary, new, never a part of the regular culture, and it could never set a trend in the future, but still  it was very authentic.

Krishna asked the pandavas to break many rules.
Rules which were  causing blockage to progress. And they  also established  new rules without compromising the principles of the past. 

One rule was the rule of respect, Shakuni and Duryodhana used this rule against the pandavas to invite them for the gambling match.  Yudhisthira accepted knowing very well that it would be detrimental, but he could not disobey. And the rest is the history, they had to go the forest for 13 years.

Kurus wanted to use this facility again to cheat and misuse. Krishna was alert and used the new rule to break the misuse of the old rule.  Drona, Bhisma were killed by using the new law of utility. Knowing well that the law of utility  will  be misused in the future.  Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the leader to see that he does not break the old rule for sake of it, and or get stuck to the old rule by blocking the progress of the future.

We have seen in recent history, when the great Shivaji, used the principle of looting the non cooperative business people in Surat to establish his Swarajya.
However over time the Marathas, became  habituated to looting , therefore one of the reasons that they lost the battle of Panitpata is because the local Rajaputs and Jats did not help them for their wrong strategies. Was Shivaji's act  wrong?,
No  it was right but it had the risk of future misuse.  Therefore forward thinking and backward reflection go hand in hand with the sole understanding that every one who has to move forward must maintain the past principle.
Principles allow us to reflect, and action allows us to apply that principle for the present time.

THOUGHT AND ACTION

Dharma perspectives are very deep and at the same time very practical to implement. Some ideas which are not rooted in dharma, are great ideas and they remain great till you implement them. As soon as we try to implement them on a practical level, they fail miserably.
One of the ideas that is great is that if no body is violent then every one will be happy, let us all give up violence.
But unfortunately all the countries still invest and will contue to invest big money for a defense budget. So the idea is good but can never be implemented.
Some actions are unreasonable but they will continue to dominate the world. Every one knows, and talks about it -'"the consumption madness". If some of the developing countries consume the way America consumes, we  would need five earthly planets and watch around the developed countries are continuing to consume and underdeveloped countries are not far behind.
Almost all Indians and Chinese  continue to imitate American model of consumption.
India will over take America in regards to the number of 4 wheelers in a few decades. But it will be unable to provide the infrastructure, for sustaining the vehicular movement on the road.  
Dharma always talks about harmonizing thought and action.  Thought should be action friendly, action should be fully thought out.  Dharma for effective action requires o profound philosophical thought.
The thought of Duality, or Dvandva, which says, anything in this world, has a second side too.  Good has some bad side  and bad has some good side.  Every person, every thing, every quality, has a utility side and a flip side.
This is the original SWOT from the  duality perspective. Men have a good side and a bad side, and women too, have both sides. Trying to make anything or any one bigger than what they are simply creates conflicts and chaos. Or making them too small causes troubles too.  Everything has its utility and everything has its disadvantage. Therefore Dharma calls for samavada. Equal discussion. Seeing things from material, spiritual, emotional, intellectual and social perspective.
Dharma is  a multifaceted reality, and adharma means  a one faced and now approach, therefore it is artificial and nonsustainable.
Are your perspectives wholesome or having holes in different places? 

GRATITUDE OR OBLIGATION

Gratitude is heart felt, obligation is heart burdened.
Gratitude is inspiring to do more for the person who we are grateful to. In obligation we want discount, and some times release without being paying the due.
In gratitude we look for the opportunity to  be grateful. In obligation we look for the opportunity to over come it by avoiding it, or making it less.

Obligation is legal, gratitude is moral.  Legality is an external force, morality is internal awakening.
Therefore when gratitude is forced upon a person rather than an internal awakening then it becomes an obligation. The same obligation when transformed and made into a personal decision it becomes gratitude. Eg:- loan paying off is an obligation, but a  good son, understanding the value of  money which  his father had received from the giver, the son takes the responsibility and pays it off, and thanks the person for lending the money at the right time.

In the Mahabharata we see how most people who were fighting on the side of Kauravas were obliged. But those who were fighting on behalf of the Pandavas like, Abhimanyu, Ghatodgaja, Virata, and other such warriors, were fighting  had taken the responsibility  of fighting on their own shoulders and they were willing to sacrifice. People who are obliged  want release and those who are grateful they are free, by their inner awakening.  Obligation is binding therefore it restricts our movement it stifles creativity,   Gratitude is an expression of freedom  it empowers,it opens up creativity, it builds every aspect of life.

Gratitude in Sanskrit is called “krtajna” means, to carry the memories of the favors received by us. 

In gratitude there is nothing to give back except one’s consciousness and gifts.  In obligation, we have to pay everything we have taken with interest, without our mind and consciousness being involved in it.  Obligation is heartless, gratitude is hard-less, or in other words, it softens heart.

In this world if we really want to grow, it is better to be grateful than to have the burden of obligation. Choice is ours, do we want an obligation or gratitude. Depending upon whether we chose obligation or gratitude it changes everything around us including our mental structure. In turn it gives us a healthy and integrated growth .

5 AND 1

When all the 5 Pandavas married Draupadi it was a difficult decision for all those who were involved in making the decision. Any one would  have experienced a foul smell in this marriage. But, the marriage was not the height of whimsicality, or an animalistic indiscriminative relationship. Neither was it arrogant or sensual rather it was their strong destiny which forced them to go through what normally or abnormally one would not even think of in a dream. Lord Krishna and the great sage and compiler of all sastras, Vyasadeva also  gave  their approval for this marriage.Yudhisthira maharaja, who was  a personification of Dharma agreed and said, he could do nothing that was not dharmik. From another perspective, how difficult  it  must have been to manage such a marriage. It could have led to so much of suspicion, mistrust, conspiracy and conflict amongst them. Each could have complained and  fought for Draupadi’s exclusive affection. On the other hand this marriage was one of the most efficiently managed  marriages in history. Who gets the credit for this? All of them, because even  if one was on the wrong path, it could have created disaster. The pandava's marriage teaches us unity in diversity. Even if one unit in diversity, makes the claim that he is the best then it creates an artificial oneness, because others are eliminated, which is anti-nature.  It creates war. And at the same time there has to be one uniform goal other wise it is only diversity, not unity in diversity . without unity in diversity  the marriage would have been chaotic, indisciplianary,  hazy and ultimately would have no destination. Panadavas so dynamically represent diversity while having a unified goal.  Kurus on the other hand were united but lacked diversity. There was no intellectual rigor and independent thinking. They became a herd going down the valley of death. Pandavas  were united, and diverse at the same time They were a herd but were guided by Lord Krishna about  when to come together and when to have a separate identity. So they were victorious, not only in war, but in the war of life, which was full of diversity and challenges and  yet they sailed through  it successfully  unitedly and at the end of the day  were ready to walk their journey alone confident of the final destination of life- from death to divinity. We have to make a choice--- Whether we want a journey of  death to divinity or death to destruction?

OPERATING SYSTEM

Vedic systems operates unconsciously whereas  modern systems are operated in a conscious way. In other words this culture is preciously called  the "happening culture" and "the doing culture".

In  the doing culture one takes full charge, and thinks he can manage any amount of numbers. It becomes system centered rather than human centered. On the other hand the vedic system operates from the principle of a happening culture. Meaning, whatever is happening, is happening because it is people centered. Relationship based system.   If the number increases then divide the group, or village. For eg:- The market is not organized but a market happens.
If we go and see different kinds of market setups, we 'll observe that they are a very happening .If they over grow then it is the duty of the king or the minster to divide the village and make it organically operate. This mean that a happening culture does involve system but it is less visible.
Systems are so arranged that they are conscious and aware of every member of the community.  When the market  is unable to identify with a  community member, then it means that the market has over grown, divide it.

Therefore Gandhi spoke of village swaraj, self governance, based on villagers taking the responsibility of their village. Other  villages would provide, if the first village  had trouble. They would never control even remotely  or make a law which had no practical or cultural connection to the previous village.
Whenever the Pandavas with the help of Krishna conquered other states, they never replaced the self rule. On the contrary they continued to assist the local kings to rule.
The locals knew the culture better than the outsiders. This diversity of system was based on the need of that local community.  It is said that,  language and water change quite frequently within the radius of a few kilometers. So super imposing something from some where else shows ignorance of the principle of diversity.

Unfortunately domination by the European imperial rulers coupled with religious exclusivity destroyed many civilizations from the map of the world. The civilisations have been reduced to becoming  museum pieces for  the people to go and watch.

In vedic culture, therefore we see diversity is still maintained but the ignorant people called it chaos
rather than appreciating it as a part of a complex nature, which is diverse.   The beauty of the Pandava rule,  was that they were kings based on inspiration and not on super imposition of  their ideology towards  subordinate kings.

Understanding others in their term and condition is the sign of human sensitivity.  Destroying others in the name of giving them a better culture is sign of arrogance. Helping each other and taking out the rotten one and replacing it with whatever is good for growth of human society is the height of culture.

Pandavas represent this diversity .

POLITICS THE DIRTIEST TOOL.

Why can't we avoid politics? The answer can easily be compared to this analogy.
No one wants to spend money and space on a wash room in the house  but can we avoid it? We need it.  Politics is by nature crooked and the path of politics is one long arduous journey. 

In Vrindavana Lord Krishna played many naughty games, stealing butter from the house of the gopis,  breaking the butter pot and stealing even the clothes of young girls of Vraja. This naughtiness of Krishna was very pleasing to his family and the community, because he was innocent and  he was naughty out of love .

In Hastinpaura and the other parts of India where Krishna was traveling,  the people were not innocent like the people of Vraja. The kingly order and politicians were using politics for increasing the dirt every where.  Krishna had to stop this .
He had to use Vrindavana’s naughtiness, as a  strategy to stop the dirty politics.  There were many people  like Shakuni  who had to be dealt with. Shakuni and his students were like crooked trees and crooked trees cannot be cut easily. Krishna had to use his innocent naughtiness as a strategy to deal with the people who were political crooks.

Unfortunately these crooked people created a situation where  they forced people like the Pandavas to walk away.
People like the Pandavas prefer to walk away  because dealing with people like the Kauravas destroys their character.
When crooked people are not dealt  with then people like Shakuni destroy an entire civilization and the people  who are left behind simply became crooks.This only creates a culture of unending conspiracy

Lies become natural. In that sceanario one has to decide whose lie is profitable, or less damaging?
Unfortunately lies become unavoidable. Political intrigue forces one to choose between the bad and the worst. The method of cleaning  bad politics is sometimes unclean.
It is a clear that this principle cannot be used elsewhere in life just as we follow the principle that what is used in the rest room is not used in the kitchen.

Think about it dharma politics and  adharma politics look  the same but the consequences are very different.

RAMA’S STRATEGY

Often a  question is asked as to why Rama killed Vali  in hiding?  If Rama was powerful he should have openly challenged Vali .
People also interpret that maybe Vali was more powerful since Vali also had  the benediction of getting  half the strength of the opponent.
The experts of Ramayana give us a very practical and profound answer in regards to Sri Rama’s strategy, here it goes:

Vali was arrogant, insensitive and punished his opponent and subjects  more than required.
For him no opinion was valuable unless it came from himself.  He was powerful, but  this did not matter to the  people of Kiskinda .
They preferred a change of King, in the form of Sugriva.  Attacking  the entire country for bringing about this change  would  cause massive blood-shed . Hence Rama thought it would be  better  to kill him alone, without giving much information and  scope for speculation of  Lord Rama’s attack on Kishikinda.

But why hide?

Rama knew very well that, Vali was bad, but  he was not  a demon like Ravana.
Vali had some religious sentiments. If Rama would declare his identity openly, Vali would politically surrender but not from his heart, and would say, ‘I can easily bring Sita back from Ravana.”  In fact this is what he said, as he lay down  hit by the powerful arrow of Lord Rama.  He said “ why did  you not ask me about your Sita, I could have  easily done this task.” Lord Rama did not want to take help from a person who had committed similar crimes as Ravana. Vali had abducted the wife of  Sugriva, by force. So taking help form him would mean  supporting one person for the  very crime  for which he wanted to punish another.
So Vali needed to be punished, and that had to be done in a way where Vali had no chance of using any strategy. Lord Rama had to checkmate.

Thirdly, Rama did not  want to enter Vali’s kindom,  thereby giving no iota of speculation to the people of Kishkinda about Rama trying to  remote control the kingdom. He allowed Sugriva  to take compete control over the kingdom, and Sugriva asserted his authority over Kishikinda not as a representative of  Rama, rather as the king chosen from amongst their own people. Although personally Rama had became Sugriva s worship able deity.

Rama as a last stroke of strategy, assured the protection of Tara, Vali’s wife, by by asking her to marry Sugriva  as per the custom of  Kishikinda.
The custom was different from Ayodhya but Rama did not superimpose his rules in another kingdom, and at the same time Vali’s son was made into prince .

Even if we consider that  it was injustice to Vali, but collectively if we see it was everybody’s gain.
Most importantly a  good and sensitive leader would lead Kishikinda who was guided by a selfless intelligent, powerful  innocent, heroic  and devotional,  adviser, like Hanumana.

WHAT TO ASK

If we have a choice of asking from someone who has the capacity and the heart to give, what would we ask?

Ravana, when asked by Brahma, said, "Give me death from no one, but don't bother to include human and subhuman like monkeys.  I will manage them."  His brother Kumbhakarna asked for sleep. What a desire! We
see in modern age that people are disrobed of their sleep. Insomnia is an epidemic. In Gita, certainly Lord Krishna values the importance of sleep. Therefore, in Ashtanga Yoga chapter which talks about minimizing the gratification of flesh, he emphasizes the effect of healthy amount of sleep. But asking benediction for sleep, is too much. Asking for benediction is an art.

Duryodhana was expert enough to gratify a raging sage Durvasa. Knowing the temper of sage Durvasa, it was not an easy achievement to please him. Durvasa was pleased enough to grant him a boon. Duryodhana asked the sage to go to Pandavas after Draupadi had eaten from "Akshaya patra," a vessel that would give unlimited food every day to feed the needy till Draupadi finished eating. The pot would become exhausted each day once Draupadi finished her meal. Duryodhana, secretly wanting Durvasa to curse the Pandavas in anger, asked the sage to visit his cousins in the forest after Draupadi had eaten her meal, knowing that the Pandavas would then have nothing to feed him. This is an example of benediction to put others in difficulty, which is totally meaningless and full of meanness. Worshipping God for destroying others is perversion of worship.

We should love God without any desire to get anything. Students, these days, are praying to God to get freedom from human body and become a dog so that they do not have to study any more.

On the other hand those who are Dharma sensitive, true devotees of God, prayed for something substantial. Vibhishana prayed for not giving up Dharma even in the most difficult times. He concluded by saying, “The greatest difficulty is giving up Dharma itself.” Yudhisthira prayed to his father Yamaraja to get freedom from lust, greed and anger.

Therefore it is said in dharma scriptures to pray for good character and right purpose rather than skills and unlimited money. Money without character will lead to abuse and assault. Money with character is meaningful and assuring.

What are we asking from our superiors and what are our superiors granting us? Choose wisely and give discreetly.

HANUMANA AND HIS CURSE

Hanumana at his birth received many benedictions form different gods.He became powerful by these benedictions.
Hanumana had the power to use  these benedictions and at the same time not knowing how to use them he simply used it to create terror. This was done consciously but out of naughtiness, which was bad but not mean. Hanuman got the benediction without asking for it. Some people want to be powerful to show their power in a very mean way. Many adharmik demons, in the scriptures performed tapasya to get benedictions, with the sole aim of consciously terrorizing and destroying  for the sake of showing their power and being the only ruler. Hiranyakashipu was such a demon, who had acquired the power and who used this power for causing fear and terror.

Hanumana had no such foul intentions. He used the power of the benedictions for the sake of fun. The rishi’s knowing the power of Hanumana, which was power unlimited but innocent, wanted to withhold that power until a future date so that he became mature to handle the benedictions .

Power with wisdom creates help, Power with innocence creates disturbance,
Power with arrogance creates destruction. Hanumana was fortunate  to be transforming himself from being powerful with innocence to powerful with wisdom. This transformation took place by the grace and teaching of the surrounding rishis, of Kishikinda, the place where Hanumana grew.

It was the greatness of the rishis to transform the power into a positive force.They could have destroyed his power thinking that power is all bad, but they knew the force of power and they channelized it rightly . He went across the ocean to look for Sita, and gave pleasure to everyone including Sita and Rama. He became the figure who is adored and worshipped by one and all without having controversy surrounding him.

Hanumana is one character, who  no body objects or criticizes.
Hanumana did use violence, but this violence was a combination of strategy, innocence,  showing the power of Rama to Ravana, and trying to stop Ravana from destroying Lanka. Therefore Hanumana is powerful  not only physically but spiritually, intellectually, and socially.

It our choice whether we use power for the  right cause or the wrong cause , but the consequences of both  are vastly different.

POWER AND POSITION

Influencing and controlling are two different things. Those who are transparent, selfless and enterprising have the power to influence and those with the wealth and muscle-power have the position to control.

Influence happens from the receiving party and control happens from the doer party. Influence creates inspiration. Control can inflict artificial fear and orderliness. An influencing personality is empowering and human-friendly while the controlling personality makes others choke and is position-friendly, meaning they experience happiness by controlling.

The Pandavas had great influence over their subjects but the Kurus were controlling their subjects. Those who had the influence were thrown out of Hastinapura and the reigns were, although temporarily, in the hands of those who knew how to manipulate.  On the other hand, Krishna, When he moved around with people,  had no ruling position. He was neither King, not the commander of the Yadavas. But He was the most influential person. He had affection for the people. 

Kamsa had the power of position; therefore he was always worried about losing his position. With position comes the fear of losing it, and when lost, it gives rise to pain and madness.

It is better to have a positive influence over people than the fear of losing power in oneself, leading to creating madness for oneself and others. The Pandavas lost their position but never did they lose their influence. Kauravas never lost their power but had zero influence. Eventually, they lost power too so whatever influence they did have due to their power was also lost in war. Whatever power the Pandavas had, they used it wisely to increase their positive influence. When they lost everything in the gambling match, they still held the wealth of influence. 

 One must choose wisely, so that he can rise easily when position is taken away, instead of succumbing to madness. Pandavas lost power many-a-times but they came out victorious. Kauravas were anxiety striken even by the thought of losing power. So they were influenced by their own fear and had no time and interest to influence anyone else postiviely.