Power Capsules

Visited the Ramakrishna Math in Ulsoor (Bangalore) for the new year last week. It was quite, not unexpectedly, crowded. Though I generally prefer sitting there in solitude and silence, it was a visit that I am thrilled about. Ask me why! :-) Primarily because I discovered a lot of new books at the Math's book-shop.

One of the books I picked up is called "Power Capsules" and comprises short and inspiring thoughts by Swami Vivekananda. Simply awesome stuff. Believe me. I am in total awe of Swami V all over again! There's an electrifying power in his words...enough to charge a billion people to start with. I can't imagine how powerful it may have been to hear him live! As I read the book, I couldn't help but wonder why we're not making it compulsory for school students to read his works. I think every school-going kid must be introduced to Swami V's thoughts and ideas. My mind jumps with joy at the very thought of what a wonderful influence and experience that will turn out to be for the kids. The sooner they get to know him, the better. I have no doubts that it will lead them on to a brave and constructive life. (Wonder if the Ramakrishna Mission schools make it compulsory for their students to read the Mission's literature. Would be a joy to observe the influence that it has on the kids studying there).


Sample this from the book "Power Capsules": "Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas. If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library"

"Be not afraid of anything. You will do marvellous work. The moment you fear, you are nobody. It is fear that is the great cause of misery in the world. It is fear that is the cause of all our woes and it is fearlessness that brings heaven even in a moment"

"We need to have three things: the heart to feel, the brain to conceive, the hand to work. Make yourself a dynamo...If you are pure, if you are strong, you, one man, are equal to the whole world."

I think I'll share more in my subsequent posts......if this post doesn't motivate you to go around and look for books by one of the most charismatic and inspiring people I've ever come across.