English Literature – Weekly Column ☆ Witful Warmth # 42 – The Great Deceiver Maya, Our Mistress ☆ Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’ ☆

By Hemant BawankarNo Comments

Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’

Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra, known for his wit and wisdom, is a prolific writer, renowned satirist, children’s literature author, and poet. He has undertaken the monumental task of writing, editing, and coordinating a total of 55 books for the Telangana government at the primary school, college, and university levels. His editorial endeavors also include online editions of works by Acharya Ramchandra Shukla.

As a celebrated satirist, Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra has carved a niche for himself, with over eight million viewers, readers, and listeners tuning in to his literary musings on the demise of a teacher on the Sahitya AajTak channel. His contributions have earned him prestigious accolades such as the Telangana Hindi Academy’s Shreshtha Navyuva Rachnakaar Samman in 2021, presented by the honorable Chief Minister of Telangana, Mr. Chandrashekhar Rao. He has also been honored with the Vyangya Yatra Ravindranath Tyagi Stairway Award and the Sahitya Srijan Samman, alongside recognition from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various other esteemed institutions.

Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra’s journey is not merely one of literary accomplishments but also a testament to his unwavering dedication, creativity, and profound impact on society. His story inspires us to strive for excellence, to use our talents for the betterment of others, and to leave an indelible mark on the world. Today we present his satire The Great Deceiver Maya, Our Mistress.  

☆ Witful Warmth# 42 ☆

☆ Satire ☆ The Great Deceiver Maya, Our Mistress… ☆ Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’ ☆

So, dear friends, the story begins on that fateful day when the greatest con artist of all—the human mind—decided to play its grandest trick on me. I woke up in the morning, rubbing my eyes, thinking, “Today, I’ll do something big, something that’ll go down in history!” But history? I couldn’t even cross my doorstep before Maya threw her first punch. “Beta, make some tea!” came my mother’s voice. Now, making tea isn’t exactly a grand feat, but Maya wove such a web around it that it wasn’t just tea—it squeezed the life out of me. No sugar, curdled milk, empty gas cylinder—and there I was, standing on the street with a pot in hand, singing like an unemployed poet, “Oh life, what have you given me?” Maya laughed, “This is just the trailer, the movie’s yet to come!” And trust me, the movie was so intense that even Shah Rukh’s films would pale in comparison. The shopkeeper said, “Cylinder will come tomorrow, cook on a stove today.” A stove? Is this 2025 or 1825? But behold Maya’s game—she turned me into a poet even while I hauled wood: “Life’s a stove, all smoke, no glow.” Neighbors laughed, “You’re quite the craftsman!” There was pain in that laughter, but who sees the tears in my eyes? Maya whispered, “Don’t cry, the day’s just begun.” And I, the fool, believed her and stepped out to embrace the day. Embrace? More like I got choked. 

The sun rose higher, and I thought, let’s hunt for a job. I grabbed my resume, polished my shoes, and set off—“There are more destinations to conquer!” But Maya had already written the script. I boarded the bus, reached for my pocket—my wallet was gone. The driver barked, “Ticket or get off!” I pleaded, “Brother, adjust a little, I’m jobless.” He laughed, “Then this isn’t a bus, it’s a train straight to Footpath Station!” The crowd clapped, and I stepped off—not as a hero, but as a villain. Standing on the road, I wondered, “Is this Maya or my fate mocking me?” Just then, a beggar approached, “Sir, spare two rupees.” I said, “Brother, I’m a beggar myself, you give me some.” He laughed, “You’re worse off than me!” Maya cackled, “See, I’ve made you the king of the streets!” King? Yes, without a crown, without a kingdom. My shoes were worn out, my stomach growled, and Maya shouted, “The interview’s still left!” Interview? That became a distant dream because by the time I reached the office, it was night. 

Evening fell, and I thought, let’s meet some friends—maybe my heart will feel lighter. But Maya outdid herself here too. My friend said, “Good you came, I’m broke, lend me some money.” I replied, “Brother, my pocket’s full of air—and that’s polluted too!” He said, “No worries, sit, I’ll get tea.” Tea arrived, I started sipping, and the dhaba owner yelled, “Who’s paying?” My friend vanished, and I was trapped. The owner said, “Wash the dishes, then leave.” Now witness Maya’s magic—my day began making tea, and ended washing dishes. Hands covered in soap, eyes brimming with tears, and a single question in my mind—“Is this life or a punishment?” Maya placed her hand on my shoulder, “Not punishment, my art.” Art? This isn’t art, it’s cruelty! But who can reason with Maya? She just kept laughing, and I, like an empty vessel, kept sobbing. My friend called later, “Sorry, I was joking.” Joking? My life’s become a joke, and Maya’s sitting in the director’s chair, clapping away. 

Night arrived, and I returned home. Mom said, “Where were you? The food’s cold.” I replied, “Mom, I’ve gone cold from life itself.” I ate, but where was the taste? Maya had stolen that too. I tried to sleep, but Maya had kidnapped my sleep. Lying in the dark, I wondered, “What did I do wrong?” Maya answered, “Wrong? You were born—that’s your mistake!” And then her laughter echoed—ha ha ha! I buried my face in the pillow, but the tears wouldn’t stop. Outside, a dog was barking—perhaps another victim of Maya. “Brother, are you crying too?” I asked. The dog fell silent, maybe Maya scolded him too. I survived the night, morning came, and Maya was ready again—“New day, new drama!” I pleaded, “Enough, Maya! I can’t take it anymore.” But she said, “You’ll have to, because I’m Maya, the Great Deceiver!” And I, like a puppet, got entangled in her game again. 

Morning followed the same routine. I made tea, but this time Maya added a new twist—she swapped the sugar with salt. Mom shouted, “What is this?” I said, “Mom, this is the taste of my life—salty tears!” She snapped, “Stop the nonsense, go get milk.” I went, but the shopkeeper said, “Money first, milk later.” Empty pockets, teary eyes. I returned, and Mom taunted, “You’ll always be useless.” Useless? Yes, Maya had made me the emperor of the useless. The day progressed, and the phone rang. The electricity guy said, “Pay the bill, or we’ll cut the power.” I said, “Brother, my life’s already cut off, what’s electricity?” He laughed, “Then cry in the dark!” Darkness? It’s become my friend. Maya said, “See, I’ve shown you every shade—black, white, salty!” And I, without electricity, sat with a candle, talking to my shadow—“You’re better than me, at least Maya doesn’t toy with you.” 

Noon arrived, and a neighbor came by, “I hear crying from your house.” I said, “Brother, that’s my life, clinging to me and weeping.” He asked, “Some girl trouble?” I laughed, “Yes, a girl named Maya!” He didn’t understand and left. Then the postman arrived with a letter. I opened it—a job rejection: “You’re unfit.” Unfit? Maya taunted, “See, you’re unfit even for my game!” I tore the letter and screamed, “Maya, you’ve won!” But she said, “Won? The real fun of defeat is yet to come.” That evening, the power was cut. Sitting in the dark, I wondered, “What’s left?” Then water dripped from the ceiling—rain had started. Maya laughed, “I’ve summoned your tears from the sky!” I got drenched, and Maya danced. 

The night deepened, and I had a dream. Maya stood before me, saying, “You think I’m cruel? I’m your teacher.” I asked, “What have you taught me? To cry?” She said, “No, to endure!” Endure? Yes, Maya had turned me into an endurance machine. I woke up, my pillow soaked. The rain had stopped outside, but the storm inside me raged on. Mom said, “Get up, do something.” I replied, “Mom, what can a man defeated by Maya do?” She stayed silent—perhaps she sensed Maya’s presence. The day began, but for me, every day was the same—Maya’s game, Maya’s trap. I looked at the sky, “Oh Maya, you’ve taken everything, what’s left?” She said, “Your tears are left—I’ll squeeze those too!” And she did, while I kept crying. 

In the end, I was sitting on the street. A child approached, “Uncle, why are you crying?” I said, “Son, what else can a man defeated by Maya do?” He asked, “Who’s Maya?” I laughed, “The guest who’ll soon visit your life!” The child left, and I sat there. Maya came to me, “Game over, now go.” I asked, “Where?” She said, “Back where you came from.” I thought, maybe it’s time to die. But Maya threw her final punch, “I won’t even let you die—keep living!” And I, like a living corpse, lay on the street. The crowd watched—some laughed, some cried. But Maya? She moved on, hunting for her next prey. My tears dried, but a sigh escaped my heart—“Oh Maya, you’ll always be the Great Deceiver!” And reader, if you’re crying too, know this—Maya has already arrived at your doorstep.

****

© Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’

Contact : Mo. +91 73 8657 8657, Email : [email protected]

≈ Blog Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM ≈

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English Literature – Weekly Column ☆ Witful Warmth # 41 – The Universal Truth ☆ Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’ ☆

By Hemant BawankarNo Comments

Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’

Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra, known for his wit and wisdom, is a prolific writer, renowned satirist, children’s literature author, and poet. He has undertaken the monumental task of writing, editing, and coordinating a total of 55 books for the Telangana government at the primary school, college, and university levels. His editorial endeavors also include online editions of works by Acharya Ramchandra Shukla.

As a celebrated satirist, Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra has carved a niche for himself, with over eight million viewers, readers, and listeners tuning in to his literary musings on the demise of a teacher on the Sahitya AajTak channel. His contributions have earned him prestigious accolades such as the Telangana Hindi Academy’s Shreshtha Navyuva Rachnakaar Samman in 2021, presented by the honorable Chief Minister of Telangana, Mr. Chandrashekhar Rao. He has also been honored with the Vyangya Yatra Ravindranath Tyagi Stairway Award and the Sahitya Srijan Samman, alongside recognition from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various other esteemed institutions.

Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra’s journey is not merely one of literary accomplishments but also a testament to his unwavering dedication, creativity, and profound impact on society. His story inspires us to strive for excellence, to use our talents for the betterment of others, and to leave an indelible mark on the world. Today we present his satire The Universal Truth.  

☆ Witful Warmth# 41 ☆

☆ Satire ☆ The Universal Truth… ☆ Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’ ☆

It is a truth universally acknowledged (though seldom admitted by those who ought to know it), that in our modern metropolis—in which industrial mechanizations, fraudulent schemes, and the ever-expanding folly of commerce preoccupy the hours of both the diligent and the idle—the art of common sense has been, by degrees, effaced by the artful incompetence of modern industry. In this spirit, I now present to you a tale—half mirthful, half mournful—a chronicle of the curious misadventures of Mr. Bartholomew Gudgeon and his motley assembly of compatriots, who in their blind pursuit of profit, have rendered themselves as veritable marionettes to the inane puppetry of economic absurdity.

Mr. Gudgeon, a man of no small ambition and even less common sense, had risen from the squalid bowels of the lower quarters to preside, however insignificantly, over an establishment known simply as “Gudgeon & Sons, Importers of All That Glitters.” This establishment, rather than being a beacon of integrity and industrious labour, had become a veritable repository of every modern contrivance that promised to convert common superstition into extraordinary profit. Gudgeon’s offices, festooned with gaudy advertisements extolling “The Miracle of Modern Mechanisms,” bore witness to the grand delusion that all problems might, indeed, be solved by mere acronyms and flashy slogans. “Efficiency”—that once noble ideal of honest labour—is now a word bandied about by corpulent managers in carbuncles of greed, each one eager to see society reduced to a series of figures balanced in monstrous ledgers. And so it came to pass that Mr. Gudgeon, amidst a veritable circus of accounting fiascoes and misappropriated funds, set forth a series of “innovative” directives, which, while promising to cut expenditures and inflate profits, only served to exacerbate the endemic foolishness that had long infested his establishment.

In the bustling thoroughfares beyond the precincts of Gudgeon’s offices, one might observe the common folk scuffling about in an array of colourful garments and broken dreams, all the while subjected to the whims of a modern aristocracy whose passion for waste often knew no bounds. Mrs. Prudence Tickler, a matron of some repute among the local trade unions, once declared, in a tone as mournful as it was melodious, “The world is a stage where folly and greed are worn as badges of honour, while the blood and sweat of good men are used to grease the wheels of avarice.” Her words, though steeped in despair, carried with them an undercurrent of hope—that human decency might yet triumph over the impersonal tyranny of profit and procedure. Alas, such sentiments fell upon ears as deaf as those of the proverbial mariner, who, lost amid the cacophony of modern ventures, would not pause to consider the lamentations of his fellow travellers.

Meanwhile, in the somber parlours of civic administration, a cadre of officials—more concerned with the latest fashions in bureaucratic jargon than with the corporeal well-being of their constituents—laboured under the illusion that life’s complexities could be distilled into neat sections and subsections of policy. It is a truth, indeed, that the pen is mightier than the sword; yet in these modern times, the pen appears oft to be wielded by those who have never seen the sharp edge of human hardship. A memo issued one fateful morning proclaimed, with all the gravity of a schoolmaster’s reprimand, that henceforth all public complaints were to be reduced to strictly formatted inquiries, to be answered with the precision of a clock’s tick and the mercy of a ledger’s arithmetic. This, dear reader, was not the tongue of compassion nor the voice of understanding—it was the cold, unyielding sound of mechanized jargon, designed to stifle the heartbeat of a nation in distress.

Yet among the throng of such recondite administrators, there existed an oddity—a mild, almost comical figure, by the name of Mr. Chesterfield Pumblechook. Mr. Pumblechook, though neither stout nor particularly resplendent, possessed a curious talent for navigating the labyrinthine corridors of government offices with a jaunty air of misplaced confidence. With his threadbare waistcoat and spectacles perpetually askew, he laboured under the delusion that every bureaucratic form was but an unwritten love letter to reason, and every stamped document a token of his own importance. “By Jove,” he would exclaim amidst piles of unsorted files, “if this is not the apex of administrative genius, then I am a lowly clerk in the realm of ignorance!” His proclamations, laced with the irony of fate and a wit as dry as the arid plains of misfortune, were received with a blend of amusement and pity by those who understood that very few possessed the subtle grace to laugh at one’s own absurdity.

In the marketplace of ideas—a marketplace as corrupted by the stain of greed as any bazaar of trifles—there stirred a movement, nascent yet resolute, composed of thinkers, writers, and reformers who dared to challenge the prevailing superstitions of progress. They gathered in dimly lit taverns, under the flickering light of gas lamps, to debate with fervour the impending collapse of a society governed not by wisdom but by the sterile pursuit of fiscal advantage. “The spirit of man is not for sale,” they declaimed, with a passion that stirred the soul even as it mocked the inanity of those who would have it otherwise. Yet their voices, though potent in their candour, were drowned out by the roar of machines and the clangor of coin, for the modern era had, in its relentless march toward mechanized desolation, forgotten the warmth of a genuine human heart.

Thus, in the great theater of modern existence, where each act is scripted by the architects of commerce and every scene orchestrated by those who profit from our folly, we are left to ponder the true cost of progress. It is a cost measured not merely in pennies or pounds, but in the lost hours of youthful exuberance, in the shriveled dreams of those once luminous with hope, and in the silent laments of a people made to feel insignificant amid the towering edifices of ambition. For what is progress but a fevered dream, a grand illusion that dances on the edge of despair? And what, dear friends, is the role of the individual but to bear witness to this tragic comedy and perhaps, if fortune favours, to inject a measure of sanity into the ceaseless machinery of avarice?

In the final analysis, it behooves us to remain vigilant against the encroachment of unthinking conformity and the cold tyranny of the profit motive. Let us raise our voices, however faintly, against the tidal wave of absurdity that threatens to wash away the delicate filigree of human decency. For in every petty misadventure and every bureaucratic blunder lies a lesson—a reminder, perhaps, that while the gears of industry might grind on relentlessly, the human spirit, with all its quirks and contradictions, remains the true engine of our existence. And so, in the spirit of resolve and reflection, let us not forget that the parody of our modern age, though wrapped in the garb of progress, is, in truth, a lamentable spectacle of self-inflicted imbecility.

May the echo of our protests be as enduring as the clamor of the mills, and may we, with courage and wit, continue to challenge the follies of our time. Thus, I leave you with this thought: if our era is to be judged by the measure of its contradictions, let us at least choose to pen our destiny with the quill of conscience rather than the blunt instrument of greed.

****

© Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’

Contact : Mo. +91 73 8657 8657, Email : [email protected]

≈ Blog Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM ≈

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हिंदी साहित्य – संस्मरण ☆ दस्तावेज़ # 20 – मैहर में एक दिव्य संगीतमयी संध्या/A Night of Divine Music in Maihar – ☆ श्री जगत सिंह बिष्ट ☆

By Hemant BawankarNo Comments

श्री जगत सिंह बिष्ट

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker.)

(ई-अभिव्यक्ति के “दस्तावेज़” श्रृंखला के माध्यम से पुरानी अमूल्य और ऐतिहासिक यादें सहेजने का प्रयास है। श्री जगत सिंह बिष्ट जी (Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker) के शब्दों में  “वर्तमान तो किसी न किसी रूप में इंटरनेट पर दर्ज हो रहा है। लेकिन कुछ पहले की बातें, माता पिता, दादा दादी, नाना नानी, उनके जीवनकाल से जुड़ी बातें धीमे धीमे लुप्त और विस्मृत होती जा रही हैं। इनका दस्तावेज़ समय रहते तैयार करने का दायित्व हमारा है। हमारी पीढ़ी यह कर सकती है। फिर किसी को कुछ पता नहीं होगा। सब कुछ भूल जाएंगे।”

दस्तावेज़ में ऐसी ऐतिहासिक दास्तानों को स्थान देने में आप सभी का सहयोग अपेक्षित है। इस शृंखला की अगली कड़ी में प्रस्तुत है श्री जगत सिंह बिष्ट जी का एक ऐतिहासिक दस्तावेज़ “मैहर में एक दिव्य संगीतमयी संध्या/A Night of Divine Music in Maihar“।) 

☆  दस्तावेज़ # 20 – मैहर में एक दिव्य संगीतमयी संध्या/A Night of Divine Music in Maihar ☆ श्री जगत सिंह बिष्ट ☆ 

वह शाम किसी और शाम जैसी नहीं थी। वह एक ऐसी शाम थी जब समय ठहर गया था और संगीत ने सांसारिक सीमाओं को पार कर दिया था। आज भी, जब मैं अपनी आँखें बंद करता हूँ, तो सितार और सरोद की स्वरलहरियाँ मेरी स्मृतियों में गूंज उठती हैं, तबले की थापों के साथ, जो मैहर की पवित्र हवा में गूंज रही थीं।

यादगार यात्रा

यह मार्च 1983 की बात है, जब हम जबलपुर से मैहर के लिए निकले थे। यह एक छोटा सा तीर्थ नगर है, लेकिन हिंदुस्तानी शास्त्रीय संगीत में इसकी विरासत अपार है। यही वह स्थान है, जहाँ महान उस्ताद अलाउद्दीन खान ने अपना जीवन संगीत को समर्पित किया और मैहर घराने को नई ऊँचाइयों तक पहुँचाया। इस यात्रा का उद्देश्य अलाउद्दीन खान संगीत समारोह में भाग लेना था, जो हर वर्ष उनकी स्मृति में आयोजित किया जाता है। यहाँ हिंदुस्तानी शास्त्रीय संगीत के महान कलाकार अपनी कला को गुरुदक्षिणा स्वरूप अर्पित करते हैं।

मेरे साथ मेरा बचपन का मित्र ओमेन थॉमस और मेरे सहकर्मी सरदार सरन सिंह सलूजा तथा तिजारे साहब थे। हम ट्रेन से मैहर पहुँचे, यह सोचकर कि यह एक और सुंदर संगीतमयी शाम होगी। लेकिन हमें क्या पता था कि हम जीवन की सबसे अविस्मरणीय संध्या में प्रवेश कर रहे थे।

संगीतमयी संध्या का शुभारंभ

कार्यक्रम की शुरुआत पंडित जितेंद्र अभिषेकी के भक्तिपूर्ण भजनों से हुई, जिनकी सुमधुर आवाज़ में गहरा आध्यात्मिक भाव था। हम मंत्रमुग्ध होकर उन्हें सुनते रहे। इसके बाद प्रसिद्ध कथक नृत्यांगना सितारा देवी का अभूतपूर्व प्रदर्शन हुआ। उनकी मोहक मुद्राएँ, तीव्र गति के कदम, और गहरी भावनाएँ हमें किसी और ही लोक में ले गईं।

लेकिन असली जादू तब शुरू हुआ जब चार महान संगीत सम्राट मंच पर उतरे—सितार पर पंडित रविशंकर, सरोद पर उस्ताद अली अकबर खान, और तबले पर पिता-पुत्र की जोड़ी—उस्ताद अल्ला रक्खा और उस्ताद ज़ाकिर हुसैन। उनके मंच पर आते ही पूरा सभा स्थल तालियों की गड़गड़ाहट से गूंज उठा।

एक स्वप्निल संगीत यात्रा

रात्रि का आरंभ राग यमन कल्याण से हुआ, जिसका विस्तृत आलाप और जटिल बंदिशें हमें एक अनोखी यात्रा पर ले गईं। यह प्रस्तुति एक घंटे से भी अधिक समय तक चली, और जब इसकी मधुर तान समाप्त हुई, तब रात आधी बीत चुकी थी।

इसके बाद राग मालकौंस की गहरी और आध्यात्मिक स्वर लहरियाँ बहने लगीं, फिर राग सोहिनी ने वातावरण को अलौकिक बना दिया। फिर जो हुआ, वह किसी जादू से कम नहीं था—

पहले पंडित रविशंकर और उस्ताद अली अकबर खान के बीच एक दिव्य जुगलबंदी हुई, जहाँ सितार और सरोद ने मानो एक संवाद छेड़ दिया। फिर सितार और तबले के बीच अद्भुत संगति हुई, उसके बाद सरोद और तबले की झंकार ने सबको रोमांचित कर दिया। लेकिन असली चमत्कार तब हुआ जब तबले की जुगलबंदी शुरू हुई—पिता-पुत्र उस्ताद अल्ला रक्खा और उस्ताद ज़ाकिर हुसैन के बीच।

जहाँ एक ओर पिता की परिपक्वता थी, वहीं पुत्र की युवा ऊर्जा। उनकी उंगलियों से निकलते स्वर जादू की तरह बहने लगे। एक लयबद्ध प्रतिस्पर्धा में उस्ताद ज़ाकिर हुसैन ने अपने पिता को चुनौती दी, और उस्ताद अल्ला रक्खा ने अपनी अनुभवी थापों से जवाब दिया। सभागार तालियों और वाह-वाह से गूंज उठा, और यह सिलसिला कुछ देर तक यूँ ही चलता रहा।

भैरवी के साथ सूर्योदय का स्वागत

जैसे-जैसे रात्रि समाप्ति की ओर बढ़ी, कलाकारों ने अंतिम प्रस्तुति दी—राग भैरवी। इसे सुबह की रागिनी कहा जाता है, और जब सितार, सरोद और तबले की मीठी स्वर लहरियाँ गूंजने लगीं, तो ऐसा लगा मानो यह पूरी रात की साधना की अंतिम आहुति हो।

हम सभी सम्मोहित थे, समय मानो ठहर गया था। और जब अंतिम सुर भी हवा में विलीन हुआ, तब एहसास हुआ कि हम एक अद्वितीय संगीतमयी यात्रा से गुज़र चुके थे। सूरज की पहली किरणें हम पर पड़ रही थीं जब हम मैहर रेलवे स्टेशन की ओर लौट रहे थे, अपने हृदयों में इस अनमोल रात की यादें संजोए हुए।

एक दुर्लभ सौभाग्य

मैंने अपने जीवन में अनगिनत संगीत समारोह देखे हैं, किंतु मैहर की वह रात सबसे अलग थी। शायद ऐसी घटनाएँ केवल भाग्य से ही मिलती हैं।

पंडित रविशंकर, उस्ताद अली अकबर खान, उस्ताद अल्ला रक्खा और उस्ताद ज़ाकिर हुसैन—ये चारों एक साथ मंच पर हों, यह दृश्य ही अपने आप में दुर्लभ था। आज भी, जब मैं ओमेन थॉमस से मिलता हूँ, तो हम उस रात को याद कर मुस्कुरा उठते हैं। वह स्वर, वह लय, वह जादू—सबकुछ आज भी जीवंत लगता है।

ऐसी प्रस्तुतियाँ कभी-कभार ही होती हैं, और जब होती हैं, तो वे आत्मा पर एक अमिट छाप छोड़ जाती हैं। वह रात केवल एक संगीत सभा नहीं थी, वह एक दिव्य अर्पण थी—संगीत के माध्यम से ईश्वर की आराधना। और इस अनमोल अनुभव के लिए मैं सदैव आभारी रहूँगा।

☆ A Night of Divine Music in Maihar ☆

It was a night like no other, a night where time stood still, and music transcended the earthly plane. Even today, as I close my eyes, I can hear the notes of the sitar and sarod weaving a tapestry of celestial beauty, accompanied by the rhythmic beats of the tabla that echoed through the sacred air of Maihar.

A Journey to Remember

It was the month of March in 1983 when we set off from Jabalpur to Maihar, a small temple town with a towering legacy in Hindustani classical music. Maihar was the home of the legendary Ustad Allauddin Khan, a man who reshaped the Maihar Gharana and mentored some of the greatest musicians of our time. The occasion was the annual Allauddin Khan Sangeet Samaroh, a festival dedicated to his memory, where maestros of Indian classical music gathered to offer their art as a tribute.

Accompanied by my childhood friend, Oommen Thomas, and my colleagues Sardar Saran Singh Saluja and Tijare Sahab, we took the train to Maihar, eager to witness an unforgettable musical soiree. We had attended many concerts before, but little did we know that this night would be etched in our souls forever.

The Evening Unfolds

The concert began with the soulful bhajans of Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, whose voice carried a devotional fervour that left us spellbound. This was followed by a breathtaking Kathak performance by the legendary Sitara Devi. Her footwork, her expressions, and the sheer grace with which she moved transported us to another realm.

But the true magic began when the four greatest stalwarts of Indian classical music stepped onto the stage—Pandit Ravi Shankar on the sitar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan on the sarod, accompanied by the father-son duo, Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain, on the tabla. The moment they appeared, the entire audience rose in a thunderous ovation.

A Night of Musical Enchantment

The performance began with Raga Yaman Kalyan, a majestic piece that stretched over an hour, drawing us into its hypnotic embrace. By the time the notes settled into silence, it was already midnight.

Then came Raga Malkauns, a deeply meditative raga, followed by Raga Sohini, which filled the air with an ethereal quality. What followed next was sheer brilliance—a jugalbandi (duet) between Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, their instruments conversing in a divine dialogue. This was followed by an interplay between sitar and tabla, then sarod and tabla. Each transition was seamless, each note more mesmerizing than the last.

And then came the moment that left us all breathless—the jugalbandi between the father and son, Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain. The seasoned mastery of the father met the youthful brilliance of the son in an electrifying exchange of rhythms. The beats rained down like a celestial symphony, leaving the audience in rapturous applause that refused to die down.

The Dawn of Bhairavi

As dawn began to break, the maestros offered their final piece—Raga Bhairavi, the queen of morning ragas. The melody was like a prayer, a soulful farewell that lingered in the cool morning air. We sat there, transfixed, unwilling to break the spell.

It was only when the final note dissolved into silence that we realized how deep a trance we had been in. The first light of the morning sun greeted us as we made our way to the railway station, our hearts full and our souls touched by something divine.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

I have attended countless classical music performances, but nothing has ever come close to that night in Maihar. Perhaps such experiences are not just a matter of chance but destiny. To witness Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Alla Rakha, and Ustad Zakir Hussain together on one stage was nothing short of a blessing. Even today, when I meet Oommen Thomas, we reminisce about that magical night, each note still alive in our memories.

Such renditions happen rarely, and when they do, they leave an imprint on the soul. That night in Maihar was more than just a concert—it was a divine offering, a moment in time where music touched eternity. And for that, I will forever be grateful.

♥♥♥♥

 #AllauddinKhanSangeetSamaroh  #Maihar

© जगत सिंह बिष्ट

Laughter Yoga Master Trainer

LifeSkills

A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.

The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.

≈संपादक – श्री हेमन्त बावनकर/सम्पादक (हिन्दी) – श्री विवेक रंजन श्रीवास्तव ‘विनम्र’ ≈

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English Literature – Weekly Column ☆ Witful Warmth # 40 – The Accidental Death of Honesty, Hope, and Hunger☆ Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’ ☆

By Hemant BawankarNo Comments

Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’

Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra, known for his wit and wisdom, is a prolific writer, renowned satirist, children’s literature author, and poet. He has undertaken the monumental task of writing, editing, and coordinating a total of 55 books for the Telangana government at the primary school, college, and university levels. His editorial endeavors also include online editions of works by Acharya Ramchandra Shukla.

As a celebrated satirist, Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra has carved a niche for himself, with over eight million viewers, readers, and listeners tuning in to his literary musings on the demise of a teacher on the Sahitya AajTak channel. His contributions have earned him prestigious accolades such as the Telangana Hindi Academy’s Shreshtha Navyuva Rachnakaar Samman in 2021, presented by the honorable Chief Minister of Telangana, Mr. Chandrashekhar Rao. He has also been honored with the Vyangya Yatra Ravindranath Tyagi Stairway Award and the Sahitya Srijan Samman, alongside recognition from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various other esteemed institutions.

Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra’s journey is not merely one of literary accomplishments but also a testament to his unwavering dedication, creativity, and profound impact on society. His story inspires us to strive for excellence, to use our talents for the betterment of others, and to leave an indelible mark on the world. Today we present his satire- The Accidental Death of Honesty, Hope, and Hunger.  

☆ Witful Warmth# 40 ☆

☆ Satire ☆ The Accidental Death of Honesty, Hope, and Hunger… ☆ Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’ ☆

It was an ordinary day in the Republic of Promises, where potholes were deeper than policies, and citizens were mere statistics waiting to be updated. At a deserted bus stop in a remote village—where election banners arrived more frequently than electricity—three coffins lay silently. Inside them rested an old farmer, a young graduate, and an honest officer. Their deaths were accidents, of course. The farmer accidentally mistook a rope for a government loan, the graduate mistakenly believed in merit, and the officer, well, he simply forgot that honesty was an outdated currency.

The villagers watched with silent reverence, for these three had achieved something extraordinary—they had managed to make the system notice them, albeit as corpses.

Ramprasad, the farmer, had a legacy of debt that grew faster than his crops. Every election season, a man in a white kurta would arrive, promising “Farmer Welfare” with one hand while holding a bank foreclosure notice in the other. One day, exhausted from running in circles between government offices, he decided to apply for a farming assistance scheme. The clerk smiled, took a bribe, and rejected his application in the same breath. That evening, Ramprasad found an easier government scheme—hanging from a tree. His suicide note was the only paper the authorities ever approved. It read: “I have cleared my debt. Will you?”

The next morning, politicians arrived for a quick photo session. They announced an investigation, formed a committee, and drove off in their air-conditioned cars. The village remained unchanged—thirsty, bankrupt, and ready to produce another Ramprasad for the next election cycle.

A few miles away, Abhishek, a young man with more degrees than his father’s entire generation, had spent years chasing a government job that the minister’s nephew secured in a single afternoon. He had memorized every motivational quote about perseverance but found no chapter on how to survive without a salary. Every time a job vacancy was announced, a convenient court case postponed the recruitment indefinitely. His father, once proud of his son’s education, now suggested, “Son, why don’t you start a small shop?”

But Abhishek was stubborn. He had sworn to serve his country, unaware that in this country, dreams belonged only to those who could afford them. His lifeless body was found near the railway tracks, clutching an old newspaper with the headline: “India’s Youth: The Future of the Nation!” The irony was poetic—the future had just thrown itself in front of a speeding train.

Meanwhile, Shivnath, an engineer who foolishly believed in the power of honesty, made the mistake of exposing corruption. His colleagues warned him, “Don’t fight the system. It’s older than you.” But Shivnath was honest, which, in his profession, was more dangerous than being a criminal. When he refused to approve a fraudulent contract, he unknowingly signed his own death certificate.

A few weeks later, he met with a “tragic accident”—his motorcycle mysteriously lost control on a dry, empty road. The police called it “death due to reckless driving,” the newspapers labeled it “an unfortunate incident,” and the system wrote him off as just another man who didn’t understand how things worked. His wife pleaded for justice, his son knocked on every door, but all they got was “We are investigating.” Investigation, after all, was just another word for waiting until people forgot.

Back at the bus stop, life continued around the coffins. The tea vendor poured another cup of tea, the shopkeeper discussed cricket, and a politician’s convoy sped past, not even slowing down. A journalist arrived but left quickly—there was bigger news in town. A celebrity had just bought a pet dog worth ₹5 lakh.

As the sun set, the villagers whispered, “Who’s next?”

No one knew the answer, but they all understood the game.

The system did not kill people. It simply created the circumstances for them to die.

And so, the nation moved forward, marching proudly toward progress—stepping over the graves of honesty, hope, and hunger.

****

© Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’

Contact : Mo. +91 73 8657 8657, Email : [email protected]

≈ Blog Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM ≈

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English Literature – Books ☆ Books by Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

By Hemant BawankarNo Comments

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker.)

Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!

☆ Books by Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

1. CULTIVATING HAPPINESS

A GUIDE TO PRACTICES THAT DO WONDERS:

LEARN PRACTICES TO FIND MEANING, PEACE AND WELL-BEING:

You can change your life if you have the right understanding and adopt proven practices for creating happiness.

This is a comprehensive guide on the art of living and the science of being, based on years of study and practical sessions.

It includes a step-by-step guide to twelve sets of exercises and a treasure trove of timeless wisdom.

The book is a unique confluence of positive psychology, laughter yoga, yoga, meditation, and spirituality.

It is the right place for beginners to take the first steps and for the advanced learners to add more skills to their repertoire.

You will experience cheerful health, authentic happiness, and everlasting peace once you adopt these practices.

https://read.amazon.in/kp/embed?asin=B08VD9RP2S&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_54VXKK1M1878JGDK25VS

 

2. MISSION HAPPINESS

My Idyllic Life:

This is a book on happiness, an autobiography, and a memoir that takes you for a journey on the pathway of authentic happiness, well-being, and a meaningful life. It gives you a new understanding of happiness and well-being and how to achieve them.

It takes a peek at my formative years, my work life, and my experiments with happiness. You will find, inside, a roadmap for a fruitful and fulfilling life, based on years of deep study and practical experience. It blends the best of positive psychology, meditation, yoga, laughter yoga, and spirituality.

The book will enable you to discover new ways to flourish in life, find inner peace, and contribute towards enhancing well-being on this planet. You will gain tremendous insight into life and happiness. The new learning, investigation, and wisdom can catapult you into higher realms of existence!

https://www.amazon.com/Mission-HAPPINESS-My-Idyllic-Life-ebook/dp/B099P3Z9YQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2L32GPDOTBCX1&dchild=1&keywords=mission+happiness+by+jagat+singh+bisht&qid=1626855240&sprefix=mission+happines%2Caps%2C360&sr=8-1

 

3. NIRVANA – THE HIGHEST HAPPINESS

BE A BUDDHA IN THE MODERN WORLD:

The Buddha taught the Dhamma – the law of nature, the path of truth -about two thousand and five hundred years ago.

A lot of time has since elapsed, and much water has flown down the rivers. The whole world has changed drastically but the guiding principles of spirituality remain the same.

The Buddha understood that this world is in turmoil. There is stress, misery, and pain all around. The human beings are suffering.

After a long struggle for enlightenment, he arrived at the root cause of all suffering, and discovered a path leading to liberation from suffering, to peace, to happiness.

This book helps you to understand Nirvana – the culmination of the quest for perfection and happiness – and takes you on the path leading to Enlightenment.

It presents the Buddha’s teachings in a crystalline form and acquaints you with the quintessence of the practice of meditation.

It takes you on the way to the end of suffering, pain, and distress.

If you are seeking a stress-free life, peace of mind, and spiritual wisdom, this book would be of immense benefit.

https://read.amazon.in/kp/embed?asin=B0951QW4P4&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_966HA62W96PFGTXKDKH8

 

4. MEDITATE LIKE THE BUDDHA

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE:

This is essentially a book for beginning, establishing, strengthening, and consolidating your meditative practice. The instructions are simple and crystal clear.

It is a step-by-step guide for meditation based on practical experience. It explains in detail a universal practice of meditation thousands of years old. The Buddha attained enlightenment practising it and taught it to thousands of people for the next forty-five years. If you seek the serenity of the Buddha, you must learn to meditate like the Buddha.

Meditation calms the mind; removes anger, hatred, and ignorance; and develops love, compassion, and wisdom. It enables us to live our life optimally. Deep meditation leads to Nibbana – the state of supreme bliss, where you are free from all pain and suffering.

It includes supplementary reading material derived from the Pali Canon for gaining insight and spiritual development. This book is a treasure trove for all meditators.

https://read.amazon.in/kp/embed?asin=B0977RNTT1&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_RJ7XQ61PHCCFRK4M7F59

 

5. THE LITTLE BOOK OF HAPPINESS

SIMPLE WAYS TO BEAUTIFY YOUR LIFE:

SIMPLE, HASSLE-FREE, AND DIY WAYS TO CREATE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS:

This book describes activities derived from the modern science of happiness as well as ancient spirituality, based on years of study and practical sessions with people.

You will learn about flow, work-happiness, mindfulness, laughter meditation, and happiness activities.

There are beautiful parables and inspirational quotes inside.

Experience new joy and freedom!

https://read.amazon.in/kp/embed?asin=B08W1KMXCV&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_9SMB9J4S073NFDJC46X9

 

6. A FLOURISHING LIFE

EFFORTLESS PRACTICES FOR HAPPINESS AND STRESS MANAGEMENT:

Do you want to be happier? Would you like to increase your well-being and flourish? This book will help you flourish!

Flourishing is the experience of life going well – a combination of feeling good and functioning effectively. It is the opposite of languishing – living a life that feels hollow and empty.

Everyone seeks a flourishing life, but the modern-day lifestyle generates a lot of stress, which is the cause of psychosomatic disorders, including hypertension, respiratory ailments, gastrointestinal disturbances, migraine, and ulcers.

In this book, you will find simple, effortless, and painless practices for authentic happiness, stress management, and lasting peace. These exercises are easy to do, can be taken up by anyone, and require no previous training or experience.

The contents include how to relax your body and mind, knowing your inner self, freestyle exercise, life-long learning and evolving, autonomy and self-determination, flourishing, and spirituality.

After reading this book, you will have a deep understanding of the elements of authentic happiness and well-being. This book helps you to lead a flourishing life.

https://read.amazon.in/kp/embed?asin=B08ZL2493F&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_0DQ3QF1WDVJJS3C214JG

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

© Jagat Singh Bisht

Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker

FounderLifeSkills

A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.

The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.

≈ Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

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English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 15: Summary and Conclusion ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

By Hemant BawankarNo Comments

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker.)

Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!

☆ Positive Education # 15: Summary and Conclusion ☆

A Flourishing Life

“You have to do your own work,

those who have reached the goal will only show the way.”

Buddha

Children and parents need to learn and understand the fundamentals of happiness and well-being to flourish in life.

Positive Psychology is the modern science of happiness and well-being. It provides a new understanding of happiness and well-being and how to achieve them.

Positive Education is the combination of traditional education with the study of happiness and well-being. It is an approach to education that blends academic learning with character and well-being.

Positive Education focuses on specific skills that assist students to strengthen their relationships, build positive emotions, enhance personal resilience, promote mindfulness and encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Happiness is the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.

The five elements of well-being are positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.

Flow is what we feel when we are fully alive, involved with what we do, and in harmony with the environment around us.

It is something that happens most easily when we sing, dance, or do sports – but it can happen when we work, read a good book, or have a good conversation.

Happy people are good at their friendships, families, and intimate relationships.

You can be happier if you cultivate good relationships with your family, friends and even strangers whom you meet in your day-to-day life.

Meaning, or purpose, is an important element of happiness and well-being.

We derive meaning by developing the best within us and serving something beyond ourselves.

Achieving your goals in life brings happiness. Deep absorption in an activity brings achievement.

Grit is defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Components of grit include self-regulation, discipline, and sacrificing short-term results for long-term gain.

Exercises are not only good for your body. They bring happiness and well-being.

Along with sports and games, the practice of yoga, tai chi, and martial arts sharpens the mind and reflexes, and enhances concentration and patience.

One of the greatest obstacles to attaining happiness is that most of our beliefs about what will make us happy are in fact erroneous.

There are several myths surrounding happiness. The most common myth about happiness is: “I will be happy when I am rich.”

The Happiness Formula:

H = S + C + V

where H represents the enduring level of happiness, S is the set range, C is the circumstances of life, and V represents the variables under our voluntary control.

Every major religious and cultural tradition endorses six virtues: Wisdom and knowledge, Courage, Love and humanity, Justice, Temperance, and Spirituality and transcendence.

Signature strengths are the routes – the strengths of character – by which we achieve the virtues. If you want to be happy, you have to discover your signature strengths and put them into action.

50% of happiness is in our genes, 10% depends on the circumstances of life, and the rest 40% can be cultivated by us by taking up activities, intentionally and voluntarily, that bring joy and happiness.

You can create your own happiness by engaging in exercise, yoga, meditation, helping someone, being kind, expressing gratitude, and savouring life’s little pleasures.

The practice of meditation is especially useful for children in developing concentration and focusing on their studies. It improves memory and makes them more creative.

Nurturing and developing your spirituality may be just as important as eating a healthy diet, exercising, and building strong relationships.

Flourishing is the experience of life going well – a combination of feeling good and functioning effectively. It is the opposite of languishing – living a life that feels hollow and empty.

People flourish when they experience a balance of positive emotions, engagement with the world, good relationships with others, a sense of meaning and moral purpose, and the accomplishment of valued goals.

May you flourish in life!

“Do not accept something:

because you have heard it many times,

because it has been believed traditionally for generations,

because it is believed by a large number of people,

because it is in accordance with your scriptures,

because it seems logical,

because it is in line with your own beliefs,

because it is proclaimed by your teacher, who has an attractive personality and for whom you have great respect.

“Accept it only after you have realized it yourself at the experiential level and have found it to be wholesome and beneficial to one and all. Then, not only accept it but also live up to it.”

Buddha

Reference Books

Flourish: A New Understanding of HAPPINESS AND WELL-BEING – and How to Achieve Them –  By Martin Seligman

Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfilment – By Martin Seligman

Flow: The Classic work on How to Achieve Happiness – By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want – By Lyubomirsky

The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn’t, What Should Make You Happy, but Does – By Sonja Lyubomirsky

Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment – By Tal Ben-Shahar

The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom – By Jonathan Haidt

The Art of Meditation – By Matthieu Ricard

The Dhammapada: Wisdom of the Buddha – Translated by F. Max Muller

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Please click on the following links to read previously published posts “Positive Education” 👉

 

English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 10: Myths and Reality ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 11: Happiness Equation ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 14: Flourish ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

 

© Jagat Singh Bisht

Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker

FounderLifeSkills

A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.

The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.

≈ Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

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English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 14: Flourish ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

By Hemant BawankarNo Comments

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker.)

Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!

☆ Positive Education # 14: Flourish ☆

FEELING GOOD and DOING GOOD 

“We can all say “yes” to more positive emotion. We can all say “yes” to more engagement. We can all say “yes” to better relationships. We can all say “yes” to more meaning in life. We can all say “yes” to more positive accomplishment. We can all say “yes” to more well-being.”

Martin Seligman

People flourish when they experience a balance of positive emotions, engagement with the world, good relationships with others, a sense of meaning and moral purpose, and the accomplishment of valued goals.

Flourishing is the experience of life going well – a combination of feeling good and functioning effectively. It is the opposite of languishing – living a life that feels hollow and empty.

If you have experienced the positive emotions of gratitude, forgiveness, contentment, mindfulness, hope, and optimism, you are closer to flourishing than a person who has just enjoyed the fleeting pleasures of life.

Flourishing is not just a simple measure of happiness or life satisfaction or positive thinking. It is a state where people experience positive emotions, positive psychological functioning, and positive social functioning, most of the time.

Positive relationships are at the core of a flourishing life. The richest source of happiness in life are other people. If we could build good relationships with them, we would be much happier.

You can be happier if you cultivate good relationships with your family, friends and even strangers whom you meet in your day-to-day life. A warm greeting, an authentic conversation and a goodbye full of loving care can work wonders.

A Full Life

Happy people are good at their friendships, families, and intimate relationships.

To flourish, an individual must be authentically happy – experiencing positive emotions, deep engagement, and meaning in life. This means access to the pleasant life, the engaged or good life, and the meaningful life.

‘Pleasure’ and ‘gratification’ are two different words that are sometimes used interchangeably. Eating an ice-cream or getting a massage are examples of pleasure, while playing football or doing an act of kindness are examples of gratification.

Gratitude, forgiveness, savouring, mindfulness, optimism, and hope are some of the positive emotions that we can feel. A life that successfully pursues the positive emotions about the past, present, and future is the pleasant life.

If you want to be happy, you must discover your signature strengths and put them into action. Using your signature strengths to obtain abundant gratification in the main realms of life is the good life.

A meaningful life is a life of meaning. Using your signature strengths and virtues in the service of something much larger than you are is the meaningful life.

To live all three lives is to lead a full life.

Positive emotion is good for happiness but engagement in meaningful work helps you flourish. Happiness is the experience of positive emotions like joy and ecstasy along with a feeling that life is meaningful and worthwhile.

Gratitude helps us build new relationships and strengthen existing ones. It dissolves anger, bitterness, and jealousy. Gratitude is a meta strategy for happiness. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude to be happier in life.

According to Edward Deiner, “Happiness doesn’t just feel good. It is good for you and for society. Happy people are more successful, have better relationships, are healthier and live longer.”

Apart from experiencing positive emotions, one must be engaged in a creative pursuit, and have a purpose in life. If you have an engaged and meaningful life, you are experiencing flourishing in life.

The individual must also have a positive outlook of life, full of hope and optimism, coupled with positive relationships and strong social support system. The person must always strive for positive accomplishments in life that become foundation stones for lasting happiness.

A person who has strived for positive accomplishments experiences authentic happiness and a greater sense of well-being.

Magic Triangle

People that exhibit flourishing are engaged in social participation and people that are engaged in social participation exhibit flourishing. Along with personal achievement in their life, they also focus on civic duty and social engagement.

According to Stefan Klein, “A civic sense, social equality, and control over our own lives constitute the magic triangle of well-being in society.”

Features of Flourishing

To flourish, an individual must also have a good measure of self-esteem, vitality, resilience, and self-determination. We must learn to be resilient in handling day-to-day problems that are common and thinking more realistically and flexibly about the problems we encounter.

Flourishing is not something that you can find, acquire, or achieve directly. You must get the conditions right and then wait. Just as plants need sun, water, and good soil to thrive, people need love, work, and a connection to something larger.

Jonathan Haidt has expressed it succinctly, “It is worth striving to get the right relationships between yourself and others, between yourself and your work, and between yourself and something larger than yourself.

“If you get these relationships right, a sense of purpose and meaning will emerge. Happiness requires changing yourself and changing your world. It requires pursuing your own goals and fitting in with others.”

Please spare a while and answer the following questions honestly:

  • Taking all things together, how happy would you say you are?
  • Do you love learning new things?
  • Do you generally feel that what you do in your life is valuable and worthwhile?
  • In general, do you feel very positive about yourself?
  • Are you always optimistic about your future?
  • When things go wrong in your life, do you bounce back to normal soon?
  • Are there people in your life who really care about you?

Your answers to these questions are indicative of the following features of your personality:

  • Positive emotion
  • Engagement, interest
  • Meaning, purpose
  • Self-esteem
  • Optimism
  • Resilience
  • Positive relationships

Based on their research in each of the twenty-three European Union nations, Felicia Huppert and Timothy So of the University of Cambridge have defined flourishing.

According to them, to flourish an individual must have all the core features – positive emotions, engagement, and meaning – and three of the six additional features – self-esteem, optimism, resilience, vitality, self-determination, and positive relationships.

According to their findings, Denmark leads Europe, with 33 percent of its citizens flourishing. The United Kingdom has about half that rate, with 18 percent flourishing; Russia sits at the bottom, with only 6 percent of its citizens flourishing.

When individuals flourish, health, productivity, and peace follow. According to an estimate, 51 percent of the people of the world will be flourishing by the year 2051.

“By happiness I mean a deep sense of flourishing that arises from an exceptionally healthy mind. This is not a mere pleasurable feeling, a fleeting emotion, or a mood, but an optimal state of being. Happiness is also a way of interpreting the world, since it may be difficult to change the world, it is always possible to change the way we look at it.”

Matthieu Ricard

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Please click on the following links to read previously published posts “Positive Education” 👉

 

English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 10: Myths and Reality ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 11: Happiness Equation ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker

FounderLifeSkills

A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.

The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.

≈ Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

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English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 13: Meditation and Spirituality ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

By Hemant BawankarNo Comments

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker.)

Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!

☆ Positive Education # 13: Meditation and Spirituality ☆

Recipe for A stress-free life

“Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.”

St. Francis de Sales

Meditation and spirituality give us peace of mind and enhance our well-being. Daily meditation reduces stress, calms our nerves, and leads us to serenity. Living a spiritual life keeps us away from negativity and fills our heart with kindness and generosity towards all living beings.

The practice of meditation is especially useful for children in developing concentration and focussing on their studies. It improves memory and makes them more creative.

According to Matthieu Ricard, “Meditation is a practice that makes it possible to cultivate and develop certain basic positive human qualities in the same way as other forms of training make it possible to play a musical instrument or acquire any other skill.”

When you are young, make it a habit to sit down, with legs folded crosswise, for ten to fifteen minutes daily. Keep your back straight but not stiff. Close your eyes and be still. Observe your breath, around the nostrils, quietly and attentively. Look at yourself from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, keeping your eyes closed.

Grown-ups must meditate for thirty to sixty minutes daily. Along with breath, they may observe their feelings and thoughts dispassionately. Just observe, let them float away like clouds, do not get involved. Early morning is the best time for meditation. Its fragrance will linger all through the day.

Experienced meditators have demonstrated qualities of focused attention that are not found among beginners. For example, they are able to maintain more or less perfect concentration on a particular task for forty-five minutes, whereas most people cannot go beyond five or ten minutes before they begin making an increasing number of mistakes.

“Mindfulness is a kind of energy that helps us to be fully present in the here and the now, aware of what is going on in our body, in our feelings, mind, and in the world, so that we can get in touch with the wonders of life that nourish and heal us,” says Matthieu Ricard.

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

Spirituality

Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives. In general, it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than us, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life.

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that spiritual practices are associated with better health and wellbeing. Spiritual strength can help you overcome hardships.

According to Dalai Lama, “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions. Ultimately, the source of happiness and joyfulness is within ourselves.”

Nurturing and developing your spirituality may be just as important as eating a healthy diet, exercising, and building strong relationships.

Taking the time to reconnect with what you find meaningful in life and returning to life’s big questions can enhance your own sense of connection with something larger than yourself.

All the religions of the world have spirituality at their core. Spirituality means loving kindness and compassion for all sentient beings. A spiritual being harms no living being, performs wholesome deeds, and avoids unwholesome actions.

Spirituality may be expressed by working for a noble and worthy cause – taking care of the environment, conservation of wild life, rescuing child labour, educating girl child, feeding hungry ones, and healing those who are suffering from misery and illness.

The essence of spirituality has been beautifully summed up in this verse of the Dhammapada, one of the most widely read books on spirituality:

“Abstain from all unwholesome deeds,

Perform wholesome ones,

Purify your mind.

This is the teaching of the Enlightened Ones.”

Any action that harms others, that disturbs their peace and harmony is a sinful action, an unwholesome action. Any action that helps others, that contributes to their peace and harmony, is a pious action, a wholesome action.

One must abstain from any misconduct in speech, bodily actions, and mental thoughts. The aim of spirituality is taking fellow human beings from misery to happiness and creating an environment of world peace and harmony.

“All the joy the world contains,

Has come through wishing happiness for others.

All the misery the world contains,

Has come through wanting pleasure for oneself.”

Shantideva

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Please click on the following links to read previously published posts “Positive Education” 👉

 

English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 10: Myths and Reality ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 11: Happiness Equation ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker

FounderLifeSkills

A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.

The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.

≈ Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

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English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 12: Virtues and Strengths ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

By Hemant BawankarNo Comments

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker.)

Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!

☆ Positive Education # 12: Virtues and Strengths ☆

Discover your signature strengths

“Contrary to what most of us believe, happiness does not simply happen to us. It is something that we make happen.”

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Authentic happiness comes from identifying and cultivating your most fundamental strengths and using them every day in work, play, love, and parenting.

By identifying the very best in ourselves, we can improve the world around us, and achieve new and sustainable levels of authentic contentment, gratification, and meaning.

Every major religious and cultural tradition endorses six virtues:

Wisdom and knowledge,

Courage,

Love and humanity,

Justice,

Temperance,

and Spirituality and transcendence.

Signature Strengths

There are several distinct routes to each of the six virtues. Happiness is nothing else but virtues in action.

Signature strengths are the routes – the strengths of character – by which we achieve the virtues. If you want to be happy, you have to discover your signature strengths and put them into action.

The routes to achieve the virtue of wisdom and knowledge are:

curiosity or interest in the world,

love of learning,

critical thinking, open-mindedness,

ingenuity, originality, practical intelligence,

social intelligence, personal intelligence, emotional intelligence,

and perspective.

The routes to courage are:

valour and bravery,

perseverance, industry, diligence,

integrity, genuineness, and honesty.

The routes to the virtue of humanity and love are:

kindness,

generosity,

loving,

and allowing to be loved

The virtue of justice is attained through:

citizenship, duty,

teamwork,

loyalty, fairness, equity,

and leadership.

Temperance may be achieved by:

self-control,

prudence,

discretion, caution,

humility, and modesty.

Transcendence may be reached by:

practising gratitude,

optimism,

spirituality, religiousness, faith,

sense of purpose,

forgiveness, mercy,

and appreciation of beauty and excellence.

Playfulness, humour, zest, passion, and enthusiasm are also routes to transcendence.

We possess these strengths of character to a lesser or more degree but some of these strengths are well pronounced and in abundance.

We enjoy exhibiting these strengths and they come naturally to us.

They are our signature strengthens and we must use them more and more, again and again in the mansions of life – work, love, and parenting.

VIA (values in action) survey of character strengths helps determine the highest strengths you have.

The signature strengths, when used often, enable you to increase the amount of flourishing in your own life and on the planet.

Peter Drucker says, “Individuals who invest in their strengths are happier and more successful. Only when you operate from strengths, can you achieve true excellence.”

Building strengths and virtues and using them in daily life are very much a matter of making choices.

Building strength and virtue is not about learning, training, or conditioning, but about discovery, creation, and ownership.

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately happy. What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization.”

Abraham Maslow

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Please click on the following links to read previously published posts “Positive Education” 👉

 

English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 10: Myths and Reality ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 11: Happiness Equation ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

 

© Jagat Singh Bisht

Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker

FounderLifeSkills

A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.

The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.

≈ Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

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English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 11: Happiness Equation ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

By Hemant BawankarNo Comments

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker.)

Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!

☆ Positive Education # 09: Happiness Equation ☆

Factors under our voluntary control

“We cannot reach happiness by consciously searching for it. It is being fully involved with every detail of our lives, whether good or bad, that we find happiness, not by trying to look for it directly. The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”

William Morris

You feel happy after having chocolate or a serving of ice-cream. That happiness does not last long. It is momentary happiness.

You feel sad when you lose a game or fare poorly in a test. That sadness also does not last long. You return to your normal level of happiness soon. It is the enduring level of happiness that you experience most of the time in your life.

The enduring level of happiness is different from momentary happiness. Momentary level of happiness may change with small burst of positive feelings.

The Happiness Formula:

H = S + C + V

where H represents the enduring level of happiness, S is the set range, C is the circumstances of life, and V represents the variables under our voluntary control.

Set Range

Almost 50% of our inherent happiness level is genetic. This means that we can only be as happy as our parents or grandparents. That is the set range of happiness.

Furthermore, there are two barriers to becoming happier forever:

The Happiness Thermostat

Whether good fortune comes our way or misfortune strikes, the built-in happiness thermostat reverts us to our personal set range.

The Hedonic Treadmill

This causes you to adapt to good things rapidly. As you accumulate material possessions and accomplishments, your expectations rise.

Circumstances of Life

It is possible, but sometimes impractical, to bring about an increase in happiness level by changing the life circumstances. Only 10% of our happiness depends on the circumstances of life. Let us consider how some circumstances impact happiness:

Money

Wealth is necessary for life satisfaction but, beyond a certain level, added wealth brings no further life satisfaction. People who, value money more than other goals are less satisfied with their life.

Marriage

Married people are generally happier than unmarried people.

Health

Objective health is barely related to happiness; what matters is our subjective perception of how healthy we are. Moderate ill health does not lead to unhappiness, but severe illness does.

Education, Climate, Race, and Gender

None of them matter much for happiness.

Religion

Religious people are somewhat more happy and more satisfied with life than nonreligious people.

Place of living

To be happier, live in a wealthy democracy, not in an impoverished dictatorship.

Voluntary Activities

The good news is that 40% of happiness depends on factors under our voluntary control. If you decide to change them, and make the required efforts in the direction, your level of happiness is likely to increase lastingly.

You can make yourself happier by taking up activities, intentionally and voluntarily, that bring joy and happiness.

You can create your own happiness by engaging in exercise, yoga, meditation, helping someone, being kind, expressing gratitude, and savouring life’s little pleasures.

“Your acts of kindness can have a big impact on other people’s lives. But what about you? Don’t you feel better when you help someone?

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”

Maya Angelou

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Please click on the following links to read previously published posts “Positive Education” 👉

 

English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 10: Myths and Reality ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

© Jagat Singh Bisht

Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker

FounderLifeSkills

A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.

The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.

≈ Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

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