Sarve bhavantu sukhinaha.

"Sarve bhavantu sukhinaha,
Sarve santu niramaya,
Sarve bhadrani pasyantu,
Ma kashchit dukha-bhag bhavet,
Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi."

This is a sloka that I guess most of us (of Indian origin) know by rot. We learned it when we were kids... Most of us even know the literal meaning of it "May everyone be happy, may everyone be safe/healthy, may everyone see good (in all), may no one be sad/have sufferring, let there be peace, peace, peace..".

So far, I never paid much attention to this sloka, as I thought that it is unrealistic. I felt that it is unrealistic for most common people to pray to god for others. Just few days before the Mumbai blasts, a new understanding dawned upon me. [ May be because of the Mumbai blasts, I am inspired to write it down. ]

I feel that this is probably the most selfish (in a good sense) prayer that can ever be possible. This prayer is not just about others but ones own self! No, I am not saying it in a socialistic sense that if everyone prays for the others, then it will have a great effect. I am saying it in a perfectly capitalistic sense! I am saying that this sloka has only one aim: "the well being of ones own self!".

The sages of old times had realized that one cannot be happy, if their neighbor is unhappy / sad / unhealthy / is sufferring. The neighbors problems will spill over and will become your own problems. The neighbors sufferrings will become your own sufferrings! Directly or indirectly. Directly as in, you take direct interest in your neighbors problems and become party to it. Indirectly as in, due to neighbors inconveniences he/she will live in a manner that would cause inconveniences to you (for example, not parking his car properly, keeping his surrounding/house in a filthy manner, bringing bad elements to his house, or still worse, the neighbor psychologically getting effected and treating you the reason of his/her sufferrings.. this list is endless. You will have your own set).

The only way one can be truly happy in long term basis is if their surroundings are happy. Even if you want to live like a monk in a jungle, even then the surroundings make or break your bliss. And if you are living in the society it is directly visible.

The surroundings we are talking about cannot be just our immediate surroundings. It has to include the whole world! Because one Chengiz Khan was too greedy, Delhi had to bear the consequences. Because one Bush was insane, Iraq had to bear the burnt. Because some injustice was done to Palestines, thousands died in twin towers. [ These may not be the only reasons, but definite catalysts ].

The only way for lasting peace is that all have to be free from suffering. As long as there is suffering in the world around, you cannot be happy. As long as there is fear around you, you cannot be safe!

Please come and chant with me:

"Sarve bhavantu sukhinaha,
Sarve santu niramaya,
Sarve bhadrani pasyantu,
Ma kashchit dukha-bhag bhavet,
Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi."

Cell fone indeed!

9- It was December 2005, when I last had a cell phone connection on my name and that was when I was in US. When I was leaving US, along with other things I also left one more thing as a past : a cell phone connection. To be honest, I did buy a cell phone SIM after coming to India (thinking that it will help in my marriage coordination in December); but do not remember if I ever used it beyond the "free" 10 minutes or so it had. Anyway, pretty much after 2005, I do not think I bothered to have a cell phone connection. After our marriage my wife had a cell phone that she brought to our home, but after a month or so we did not bother to get a new (local) SIM nor keep the funds in her old SIM.

7- It has been more than 2.5 years when I am happy to live without a cell phone. It is not that I do not see the positives of the cellphones... But, I think mainly following reasons have contributed to my not having a cell phone: (a) I think, I do not like to carry more stuff with me, (b) I felt that I will be on the cell phone all the time, (c) I wanted people not reach me at times when I am not at home/office -- These are the times when I could reflect / introspect / be with myself alone. These were pretty much the reasons why wanted to dispose off my cell phone connection during my last year of PhD. But somehow did not. Till date, I think I still stand by these reasons (I can cook up more reasons, of course).

3- Lot of my friends have tried to show me the light and convince to buy a cell phone. And a tiny select few actually have congratulated me on being able to control the temptation. Anyway, the fact remained that slowly it had become kind of an issue that I would happily ignore. If anyone is asking me / talking to me on this, I would just ignore most of the discussion and give some vague answers and my friends would get irritated beyond any reasons. I guess there is some pleasure in that to see that I have friends who care, and want me to see their point.

9- After reaching Bangalore, for the first two weeks or so, when we were hunting for a house, we felt the need to contact people while we were mobile - in the cab or on the road. Luckily for us, our cab drivers always had cellphones and I was shameless enough to use the drivers' cellphones (and pay them, of course).

6- After we had settled here, I was reflecting on those two weeks, and felt that probably the more smart thing would have been to buy a cell phone and not use it after those days. Then I felt that probably I did the right thing in not falling to the temptation, as once bought it will be practically impossible (due to peer pressure) not to keep the cell phone attached to me.

0- It took around a week or so to get a landline connection and life came to normalcy. And I continued my cellphone-less-life in bliss! Then something happened.

0- Around four weeks back, my BSNL phone line got disconnected and it remained in the "dead" state for nearly a week; disrupting our life in a big way. I needed to make / receive regular calls (official) from home, and not having the connection made my life hard. And not having a phone line at home, for such a long period made the life of my family members painful. I escalated the issue in the BSNL office and finally got it done. And again it happened last week: the phone line was dysfunctional for nearly the whole of the week. Besides my official requirements, we were severly affected personally as there were some urgent communication that did not reach us. Not having the line for a couple of days was okay, but I guess not having connectivity for a week or more was beyond my "acceptable limits". (In Delhi, somehow the phone line never was dysfunctional for more than a day or two -- MTNL was just too prompt and professional. Here the situation in Bangalore was a bit too much for me. I was pretty much talking to the highest people and pretty much every day the discussion would go like this: at 10AM: Sir my phone line is not working yet, response: Sir, it will be done today afternoon; at 4-5PM: Sir it did not get done, response: Sir it will be done tomorrow first thing in the morning. And this continues in a loop). And it made us think of possible alternatives.

9- The first thing that struck us was that of taking a cell phone connection. Then I thought that it might be a knee-jerk reaction. Then I thought that I could probably take another land line (from some agency other than BSNL). But then there were arguments from people on why one is better than the other. It was fairly confusing.

7- Suddenly, do not know why, but I was searching my old cell phone instrument (one I had not used from 2005, and had actually given it to Prerana to play). I could locate the charger as well. Connected the two and it was charging. It was 8.45pm the phone was charged. I don't think I thought too much. Just acted out of nothing.

2- Stepped out to the nearest phone store, thinking to get a AirTel number. But the shop was closed. There was a Vodafone store next to it. Went inside, paid the minimum ammount and got a cell phone connection. And I am an owner of a cell phone connection again!!

Postscript: No, even now I am not carrying the cell phone. Just that, there are two numbers in which you can reach me at home and one of them happens to be a mobile connection. And yes, the BSNL line is now functional. God bless the technology.