Poet Seers

A great collection of poems.

Poet Seers is a collection of spiritual and illumining poetry by poets from around the world, including many different spiritual traditions.

http://www.poetseers.org/the_great_poets

"Desiderata" by Max Ehrman

Thanks Deepa for sugesting this wonderful poem.

Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

"If" by Rudyard Kipling

Thanks Deepa for suggesting the following poem. Beautiful poem.

If by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

And treat those two imposters just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!



Bhagavad Gita

Friends,

Many of you have suggested / asked, why "Bhagavad Gita" is not one of my inspirational book. A short answer, I haven't read it yet. I am sure once I read it and more importantly understand it, it could be the best inspirational book of all time.

There have been hundereds of commenteries written on Bhagavd Gita. I would like to draw from the reader's experiences in terms of their recommendation for a particular commentary.

Manish.

From Wikipedia.

Bhagavad gita - The discourse on the Bhagavad Gita begins before the start of the climactic battle at Kurukshetra. It begins with the Pandava prince Arjuna, as he becomes filled with doubt on the battlefield. Realizing that his enemies are his own relatives, beloved friends and revered teachers, he turns to his charioteer and guide, Krishna, for advice.

In summary the main philosophical subject matter of the Bhagavad-gita is the explanation of five basic concepts or "truths":

Ishvara (The Supreme Controller)
Jiva (Living beings/the soul)
Prakrti (Matter)
Karma (Action)
Kala (Time)

The Complete List: TIME Magazine – ALL-TIME 100 Novels"

Time Critics - Lev Grossman and Richard Lacayo picks the 100 best English language novels from 1923 to present.

http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/the_complete_list.html

An excellent link.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Here's a suggestion which has come from many friends as a highly inspirational book. I haven't read the book. I intend to read it as soon as I get a chance.

Meanwhile, I would like to hear from the rest about this book, if they had a chance to read it.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

Piscine "Pi" Molitor Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, explores issues of religion and spirituality from an early age and survives 227 days shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean. "Pi" is the narrator and main character of the story. The story is told as a narrative when Pi is much older and living in Canada. He recounts the story of his life and thus the 227 day journey on a lifeboat when his boat sinks.

Here's the link to the summary of the book for a quick review.

http://www.wikisummaries.org/Life_of_Pi

Enjoy.

Manish.

Back from Vacation..

Friends,

Sorry for not updating the blog in last two weeks. I have received lots of new book recommendations from friends, which I plan to update as soon as possible.

I was in India for 2 weeks. A short and sweet trip. Visited Chandigarh, Shimla, Begaluru and Purthpathy (Sai Baba's Ashram). Just came back Sunday.

Enjoy reading.

Manish.

The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

One of my good friend suggested that the following book has been inspirational to her.

The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Prophet is a book of 26 poetic essays written in English in 1923 by the Lebanese-American artist, philosopher and writer Kahlil Gibran. In the book, the prophet Al-mustafa who has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses many issues of life and the human condition. The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.

I have had the chance to read this book many years ago and had enjoyed it. This is probably the best known work of Khalil Gibran. A collection of 26 poetic essays on various topics. A great book.

I am privileged to have a Gujarati translation of this book which belonged to my maternal great grandfather.

Here's the link to the entire text.

http://leb.net/~mira/works/prophet/prophet.html

Manish.

Richard Bach

Here's are couple of books which have inspired my friends.

Illusions, The Adventures Of A Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The novel tells the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a seagull who is bored with the daily squabbles over food and seized by a passion for flight. He pushes himself, learning everything he can about flying, until finally his unwillingness to conform results in his expulsion from his flock. An outcast, he continues to learn, becoming increasingly pleased with his abilities as he leads an idyllic life.

One day, Jonathan is met by two gulls who take him to a "higher plane of existence" (reminiscent of the beliefs of Chinese, in that there is no heaven but a better world found through perfection of knowledge), where he meets other gulls who love to fly. He discovers that his sheer tenacity and desire to learn make him "a gull in a million". Jonathan befriends the wisest gull in this new place, named Chiang, who takes him beyond his previous learning, teaching him how to move instantaneously to anywhere else in the universe. The secret, Chiang says, is to "begin by knowing that you have already arrived".

Not satisfied with his new life, Jonathan returns to Earth to find others like him, to bring them his learning and to spread his love for flight. His mission is successful, gathering around him others who have been outlawed for not conforming. Ultimately, one of his students, Fletcher Lynd Seagull, becomes a teacher in his own right and Jonathan leaves to continue his learning.

Manish.

Thanks for the Comments

Friends,

I have started receiving nice feedback and some great suggestions from some of you who have started reading the blog. Most of you have shared your comments directly with me. I plan to share the comments on the blog (without naming anyone), since the dialogue about a particular book and why someone liked the book is important to me and hopefully other readers. I will also make sure I have shared in my comments, why I like a particular book.

I have also started listing the books which have inspired my friends/readers. I hope this will serve as a list for all of us to pick up another great book to read.

Regards,

Manish.

Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy by Osho

Friends,

During my high school and college days, Osho's writings had influenced me. I have read lots of his books but I have loved one in particular - Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy. The original book is in Hindi which was compiled from the discources given from July 20, 1970 to October 5, 1970, which was later translated into English.

In this book Osho presents the opportunity for every person to become a dancing, celebrating Krishna as he reveals the relevance of Krishna’s ancient teachings for contemporary life.


Manish Desai.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

During my college days I had come across Ayn Rand's writings which had a great influence on me. In particular, I loved Atlas Shrugged. The Fountainhead is also a master piece.

Ayn Rand believed that individuals should choose their values and actions solely by reason. According to Rand, the individual "must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life."

Ayn's philosophy, sometimes difficult for me to digest and mostly opposite of what society and religions preach, is very thought provoking.

Here's the link to the book.

http://atlasshrugged.com/book/

Manish.

Positive Attitude

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone asked him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. 'You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man. " I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'"

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

- Author Unknown

The Story of My Experiments with Truth: Auto Biography of Mahatma Gandhi

One of my good friend suggested me to read the following book.

The Story of My Experiments with Truth: Auto Biography of Mahatma Gandhi

I have had the chance to read this book in original Gujarati version many years ago, "Satya Na Prayogo". I have read a few auto biographies and two things which sets this book apart is its, 1) simplicity of language, 2) candid articulation of his personal experiences and the learnings from it. A gem of a read.

The english translation of the book, An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments With Truth was done my Mahadev Desai.

Manish.

You've GOT to Read This Book!: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life

Recently my wife, Anu got the following book from the library. I had the chance to read few chapters from the book and it was very interesting reading.

The book explores the stories of the books that changed the lives of some of the notable people.

This prompted me to share with all of you the books/writings (crux of this blog) which have influenced me in my life and more importantly explore from my friends and family and know what have influenced them. This way, not only I would know what books/writings shaped your lives but more imprtantly help me know all of you better. It would be a priviledge if you share your experiences with me.

Regards,

Manish Desai.

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"You've GOT to Read This Book!: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life"

Bestselling authors and transformational speakers Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks have invited notable people to share personal stories of books that changed their lives. What book shaped their outlook? Helped them in tough times? Spurred them to success? The contributors include Dave Barry, Stephen Covey, Malachy McCourt, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Mark Victor Hansen, John Gray, Christiane Northrup, Bernie Siegel, Craig Newmark, Michael E. Gerber, Lou Holtz, Pat Williams, and more. This fascinating and inspiring collection is guaranteed to change your own life—and add many wonderful titles to your list of must-read books!

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Seven years ago, this book was strongly recommended to me by a good friend, who later became my better half. A fabulous book which helped me crystalize my thoughts during one of the most difficult time of my life, read a few omen and pursue my dreams.

Here's the crux of the book.

Manish.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Alchemist, is a bestseller that was first published in Brazil in 1988 and is the most famous work of author Paulo Coelho. It is a symbolic story that urges its readers to follow their dreams.

Being able to observe and read omens is a key motif throughout the book.

The Personal Legend is one's reason for living; essentially, one's goal in life. Everyone in the world has a Personal Legend; by reaching his/hers, he/she adds to the Soul of the World, or its purity.

Here's the link to the summary of the book for a quick review.

http://www.wikisummaries.org/The_Alchemist

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Four years ago, this book was strongly recommended to me by one of my good friend. I had read it in one sitting during one of my transatlantic flight. A fabulous book for someone like me who grew up believing that "growing up is experiencing and trancending".

Here's the crux of the book.

Manish.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Siddhartha is a novel by Hermann Hesse which deals with the spiritual journey of an Indian man called Siddhartha during the time of the Buddha.

"Siddhartha" means "he who has attained his goals" or "every wish fulfilled". The Buddha's name, before his renunciation, was Prince Siddhartha Gautama, later the Buddha. The main character of Siddhartha in the book is not the same person as the Buddha, who in the book goes by the name "Gautama".

Experience is the aggregate of conscious events experienced by a human in life – it connotes participation, learning and perhaps knowledge. Understanding is comprehension and internalization. In Hesse’s novel Siddhartha, experience is shown as the best way to approach understanding of reality and attain enlightenment – Hesse’s crafting of Siddhartha’s journey shows that understanding is attained not through scholastic, mind-dependent methods, nor through immersing oneself in the carnal pleasures of the world and the accompanying pain of samsara; however, it is the totality of these experiences that allow Siddhartha to attain understanding.

Thus, the individual events are meaningless when considered by themselves – Siddhartha’s stay with the samanas and Siddartha’s immersion in the world of love and business do not lead to nirvana, but yet they cannot be considered detractions, for every action and event that is undertaken and happens to Siddhartha helps him to achieve understanding. The sum of these events is thus experience.

Butch O'Hare and Easy Eddy

I have lived in Chicago for about 12 years now and have flown out of O'Hare airport numerous times. Recently I came across the following story which was fascinating.

Manish.

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Butch O'Hare and Easy Eddy

Story number one

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to an aircraft carrier in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mothership, he saw something that turned his blood cold. A squadron of Japanese Zeroes were speeding their way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor, could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch weaned in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until finally all his ammunition was spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the Zeroes, trying to at least clip off a wing or tail, in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly. He was desperate to do anything he could to keep them from reaching the American ships.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival he reported in and related the the event surrounding his return. The film from the camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He was recognized as a hero and given one of the nation's highest military honors.
And today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.


Story number two

Some years earlier there was a man in Chicago called Easy Eddy. At that time, Al Capone virtually owned the city. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. His exploits were anything but praiseworthy. He was, however, notorious for enmeshing the city of Chicago in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Easy Eddy was Capone's lawyer and for a good reason. He was very good! In fact, his skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big; Eddy got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced in mansion with live in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago city block. Yes, Eddy lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddy did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddy saw to it that his young son had the best of everything; clothes, cars, and a good education.

Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddy even tried to teach him right from wrong. Yes, Eddy tried to teach his son to rise above his own sordid life. He wanted him to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things that Eddy couldn't give his son. Two things that Eddy sacrificed to the Capone mob that he could not pass on to his beloved son..... good name and a good example.

One day, Easy Eddy reached a difficult decision. Offering his son a good name was far more important than all the riches he could lavish on him. He had to rectify all the wrong that he had done. He would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al Capone. He would try to clean up his tarnished name and offer his son some assemblance of integrity. To do this he must testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. But more than anything, he wanted to be an example to his son. He wanted to do his best to make restoration and hopefully have a good name to leave his son. So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddy's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. He had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer at the greatest price he would ever pay.
I know what you're thinking. What do these two stories have to do with one another?

Well you see, Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddy's son.

A letter from Abraham Lincoln to his son’s teacher

Kids will start school in few weeks after the summer break.

I remembered reading the attached Abraham Lincoln's letter 25 years ago when I was in school. Between me, my wife, my family and the teachers of our kids, if we can teach these qualities to them, it would be a great start. It is going to be a tall order.

Manish Desai.

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A letter from Abraham Lincoln to his son’s teacher

"He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true.

But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader…

Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.

It will take time, I know; but teach him if you can, that a dollar earned is of far more value than five found…

Teach him to learn to lose… and also to enjoy winning.

Steer him away from envy, if you can,

Teach him the secret of quiet laughter.

Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to lick…

Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books…

But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hillside.

In school teach him it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat…

Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him he is wrong…

Teach him to be gentle with gentle people, and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the bandwagon…Teach him to listen to all men… but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good that comes through Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad…

Teach him there is no shame in tears.

Teach him to scoff at cynics and to be aware of too much sweetness.

Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders, but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob… and to stand and fight if he things he is right.

Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage to be impatient… let him have the patience to be brave.

Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order, but see what you can do…

He is such a fine fellow, my son!”

Randy Pausch Inspired Millions

"If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself," Pausch said. "The dreams will come to you."

Randy Pausch, the professor at Carnegie Mellon University who inspired countless students in the classroom and others worldwide through his highly acclaimed last lecture, died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008. He was 47.



Randy Pausch's documented life in last 10 months or so made me wonder and think - "how can a person have such a tremendous amount of courage and positive attitude while dealing with maybe the most tough time of his life". He proves and teaches us that it is the quality of life which matters than the quantity (length) of life.

May Randy's soul rest in eternal peace.

Manish Desai.
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Pausch delivered his "Last Lecture," titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," at Carnegie Mellon on September 18, 2007. This talk was modeled after an ongoing series of lectures where top academics are asked to think deeply about what matters to them, and then give a hypothetical "final talk", i.e., "what wisdom would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance?"

A month before giving the lecture, Pausch had received a prognosis that the pancreatic cancer with which he had been diagnosed a year earlier was terminal. Before speaking, Pausch received a long standing ovation from a large crowd of over 400 colleagues and students. When he motioned them to sit down, saying, "Make me earn it," some in the audience shouted back, "You did!"

During the lecture Pausch was upbeat and humorous, shrugging off the pity often given to those diagnosed with terminal illness. At one point, to prove his own vitality, Pausch dropped down and did push-ups on stage. He offered insights on computer science and engineering education, multi-disciplinary collaborations, and working in groups and interacting with other people. Pausch also offered his listeners inspirational life advice that can be applied to one's professional and personal life.

Source: Wikipedia