Tag: #Articles

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!

🍀Meditate, He Said: The Heart of the Buddha’s Path 🌺

Of all the teachings the Buddha offered, the one he pressed closest to his heart—again and again, like a mother reminding her child of the way home—was this: 🍀Meditate!🌺

Not once. Not twice. But with the steady urgency of a compassionate friend, he told his disciples, “Do not waste your precious life in idle chatter or the pursuit of empty theories. Meditate!”

For the Buddha, meditation was not a spiritual hobby or an exotic practice for mountain monks. It was the lifeblood of inner awakening. It was the very path to peace, the art of knowing oneself, and the road to liberation from all suffering.

🍀Why Meditate?🌺

Because the human mind, left untended, becomes a tangled jungle. Thoughts jump like monkeys, emotions swirl like storms, and we’re swept away by every mood, memory, or desire. The Buddha saw this clearly and gave us tools to tame the mind, not with force but with awareness and gentle effort.

He famously said, “Mindfulness of in-and-out breathing, when developed and pursued, is of great fruit, of great benefit.” Simple words. But behind them lies a practice that opens the door to serenity, clarity, and profound wisdom.

🍀The Two Wings of Meditation🌺

The Buddha’s system of meditation unfolds like a bird with two wings—serenity (samatha) and insight (vipassanā). Both are essential. One calms the mind, the other enlightens it.

1. Serenity Meditation (Samatha)🍀

This is the art of stilling the restless waters of the mind. It trains the attention to stay steady—like a candle flame undisturbed by wind.

The goal is samādhi, or deep concentration. This state brings peace, joy, and a sense of wholeness. Practitioners can experience the four jhānas, exquisite absorptions of stillness and clarity, which were known even before the Buddha’s time. But the Buddha gave them a deeper purpose: to use them as a springboard to insight.

A favourite method to develop serenity is mindfulness of breathing. The breath is always with us—free, quiet, and subtle. By simply observing each inhalation and exhalation, the mind becomes anchored, like a boat moored against the tide.

Another beautiful pathway to serenity is through the brahmavihāras, the four divine abodes:

🌿Loving-kindness (mettā) – the wish for all beings to be happy,

🌿Compassion (karuṇā) – the response to suffering,

🌿Altruistic joy (muditā) – rejoicing in others’ happiness,

🌿Equanimity (upekkhā) – the calm acceptance of life’s ups and downs.

These are not mere ideals but powerful meditations that soften the heart and refine the mind.

2. Insight Meditation (Vipassanā)🍀

Once the mind is calm, it becomes a mirror—clear enough to see the truth.

Insight meditation is not about zoning out or chasing visions. It’s about seeing things as they really are. Through gentle, mindful observation, one watches the arising and passing of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and mental states.

This flux of experience reveals a profound truth: everything is changing, unsatisfactory, and not truly ours. This realisation—felt, not just thought—is the beginning of wisdom (paññā).

🍀The Buddha’s Greatest Teaching on Meditation🌺

The crown jewel of the Buddha’s meditation teachings is found in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, the Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness. This is not a text to be read and shelved. It is a map to be walked.

In it, the Buddha outlines four great fields of mindfulness:

1. Mindfulness of the body – breath, posture, movements, and the body’s nature. 🌿
2. Mindfulness of feelings – pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral sensations. 🌿
3. Mindfulness of the mind – whether it is greedy, angry, deluded, concentrated, distracted. 🌿
4. Mindfulness of mental objects – teachings, principles, and inner phenomena. 🌿

Practised with sincerity, this teaching leads the meditator beyond confusion to clarity, beyond sorrow to freedom.

🍀In Closing: A Gentle Call to Sit🌺

The Buddha never asked for blind faith. He simply said: Try it for yourself. Sit quietly. Breathe. Observe. Be present.

The world outside will keep spinning. But the world inside, once glimpsed through meditation, reveals a stillness more beautiful than words can express.

He didn’t say: Argue. Analyse. Accumulate beliefs.

He said: 🌺🍀Meditate!🍀🌺

And perhaps that one word is enough to begin.

Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

(Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi —an ex Naval Officer, possesses a multifaceted personality. He served as a Senior Advisor in prestigious Supercomputer organisation C-DAC, Pune. He was involved in various Artificial Intelligence and High-Performance Computing projects of national and international repute. He has got a long experience in the field of ‘Natural Language Processing’, especially, in the domain of Machine Translation. He has taken the mantle of translating the timeless beauties of Indian literature upon himself so that it reaches across the globe. He has also undertaken translation work for Shri Narendra Modi, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, which was highly appreciated by him. He is also a member of ‘Bombay Film Writer Association’.

We present Capt. Pravin Raghuvanshi ji’s article “~ Awakening of Divine Within… ~”.  We extend our heartiest thanks to the learned author Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi Ji (who is very well conversant with Hindi, Sanskrit, English and Urdu languages) and his artwork.) 

~ Awakening of Divine Within… ~ 

☆

The mystery of the universe lies in its pervading divinity, yet it often goes unrecognized. Ignorance stems from not acknowledging the inherent divinity within. The root cause lies in being overly influenced by the senses, perpetually following the path of Pravritti, or the outward journey. This external focus neglects the internal path of Nivritti, or the inward journey.

Every action, thought, and perception is dominated by external stimuli, leaving the inner realm unexplored. To truly understand the value of human existence, it’s essential to look beyond the external. The truth is, divinity is not separate from humanity; in fact, they are intertwined. The distinction lies only in perception.

The world is often seen through a worldly lens, obscuring the divinity that permeates it. To awaken to this reality, one must shift their gaze inward. By doing so, the secrets of the spiritual world unfold, revealing the true meaning of existence. The divine resides within, and looking inward is the key to discovering it.

In this state of awareness, humanity and divinity become one, and the universe is seen in a new light. The journey inward unlocks the mysteries of existence, and the divine that pervades the universe becomes apparent.

☆

~Pravin Raghuvanshi

 © Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

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!

🍀Walking Gently in the World: The Buddha’s Teaching on Right Action in Modern Life 🌺

Two thousand five hundred years ago, under the cool shade of a tree and the warmth of boundless compassion, the Buddha spoke of a path that could lead humanity from suffering to peace — the Noble Eightfold Path. One of its luminous limbs is Right Action, a gentle but firm call to live with purity, integrity and care.

🍀What is Right Action?🍁

Right Action, as the Buddha taught, refers to those deeds that spring from the body — the things we physically do — and he urged us to refrain from actions that bring harm or suffering to others. Specifically, he highlighted three areas of restraint:

1. Abstaining from taking life – not just human life, but any sentient being.
2. Abstaining from taking what is not given – in other words, not stealing.
3. Abstaining from sexual misconduct – refraining from harmful or illicit sexual relations.

But these are not mere prohibitions. They are deeply rooted in compassion, truthfulness, and self-respect. Each of them has a positive counterpart, a virtue we are encouraged to nurture.

☘️Kindness Instead of Harm🍁

To refrain from taking life means not to harm, not even in anger, irritation, or revenge. But more than that, it is a call to love life — to develop a deep kindness and compassion for all beings, whether they crawl, fly, swim, or walk on two legs like us. In today’s world, this could mean caring for animals, protecting nature, and choosing non-violence in word and deed — even when provoked.

🍀Honesty Instead of Theft🍁

To refrain from taking what is not given is not only about avoiding theft or robbery. It is a celebration of honesty and trust. In today’s context, this extends to not cheating in business, not committing fraud, not misusing public funds, or manipulating others for gain. It is respecting what belongs to others — whether it’s a physical object, an idea, a boundary, or a dream.

☘️Fidelity Instead of Misconduct🍁

Sexual misconduct causes deep sorrow and unrest in families and society. The Buddha’s simple advice was to avoid entering into relationships that cause harm — to be faithful, respectful, and mindful of others’ emotions and dignity. In our time, this extends to rejecting all forms of coercion, harassment, and exploitation. Love must be founded on respect and mutual willingness, not power or deceit.

🌻The Message for Our Times🌻

When we reflect upon these teachings in the light of today’s world, their relevance shines brighter than ever. Right Action in our times means:

No killing, no violence, no war — even if wrapped in patriotic words.

No terrorism, no hatred that divides communities.

No stealing, no scams, no fraud — whether small or systemic.

No abuse of power, no sexual violence, no betrayal of trust.

No stirring up of conflict for personal or political gain.

Instead, we are called to become guardians of trust, harmony, and human dignity. We are urged to build a world where peace is the norm, not the exception; where people live not in fear of harm, but in the warmth of mutual care.

🍀A Path of Healing🍀

The world today stands wounded. War, injustice, unrest, and exploitation have left deep scars. But the Buddha’s path remains timeless — a balm to the spirit and a guide to the heart. Right Action is not about rigid rules; it is about living gently, wisely, and with great care — as if every being we meet is a friend whose happiness matters.

Let us not walk through this world with clenched fists, but with open hands and hearts. Let our actions be the kind that plant seeds of peace, trust, and joy.

For in the end, Right Action is not only about what we must avoid, but about the world we choose to create.

🍀🍀🌺🍀🍀

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!

🌌 After ‘Manifest’, Here’s My Manifesto for the Next Binge-Worthy Indian Fantasy Saga 🌌

I did something that would make even the most devout couch potato raise an eyebrow. I just finished watching Manifest on Netflix. Not an episode, not a season, but all four seasons, sixty-two episodes, back to back—like a determined yogi on a tapasya, except my tapasya involved popcorn, tea, and an extraordinary level of commitment to my sofa. I think I’ve not only broken all my previous records of screen-watching but have likely secured a spot in the Guinness Book of Personal Excesses.

Now, Manifest, for the uninitiated, is a heady concoction of mystery, suspense, thrill, romance, supernatural twists, and generous sprinkles of high-voltage drama. It tells the story of Flight 828, which disappears mid-air and reappears five and a half years later, leaving its passengers miraculously unaged and understandably confused. What follows is an intense rollercoaster of callings, divine signals, ancient prophecies, biblical references, government conspiracies, and enough emotional upheaval to require a seatbelt even on your couch.

You remain hooked, booked, and spooked, all at once. Right till the final episode. And after that? The mystery still lingers, much like the memory of a strange dream or the taste of that mysterious achar your nani used to make.

But Let’s Talk About the Overdose

Here’s where I must play the fair critic. While Manifest does keep you engaged like a child listening to ghost stories under a blanket, it sometimes overdoes the biblical mythology. Noah’s Ark. Apocalypse. Day of Judgement. Repetitive murmurs of redemption and salvation. After a point, I began to wonder if the writers had a private WhatsApp group titled “Heavenly Plotlines Only.”

Which got me thinking—why hasn’t anyone made something like this based on our own Hindu mythology?

Picture This: An Indian Manifest

Imagine a mysterious flight crash—not unlike the tragic Air India crash in Mumbai—except the passengers mysteriously survive and reappear twenty years later at the very same spot, unaged and unaware of where time went.

Only this time, instead of an angelic voice whispering divine instructions, a modern-day Hanuman enters the scene. Or perhaps Ashwatthama, still cursed and wandering, appears at the crash site muttering cryptic Sanskrit that Google Translate can’t handle.

The plot could elegantly unravel across the four Yugas, stretching back to Satyuga and flashing forward to Kaliyuga with equal ease. Characters could be avatars in disguise—office-goers by day, Vishnu’s messengers by night. Some could have supernatural memory, like Trikaldrishti, able to see past, present and future in a jiffy (a handy skill for solving cliffhangers). A humble tea-seller might turn out to be Narada, orchestrating cosmic drama with a grin.

You could have rakshasas in three-piece suits, capable of morphing into anyone from your HR manager to your favourite cousin. Entire episodes could unfold in the metaphysical corridors of Mount Meru or the digitised archives of Akashic Records, now available in cloud storage.

Add to this the diversity of our terrain—snowy peaks, desert forts, temple towns, monsoon-soaked ghats—and the infinite emotional bandwidth of Indian families, and you have a mythic thriller-meets-family-drama that can run for ten seasons and still leave audiences asking, “Phir kya hua?”

The Canvas is Limitless

Where else in the world mythology will you find a bridge built by monkeys, a charioteer offering a cosmic lecture mid-battle, and gods who come in ten versions, each with unique personality quirks?

A series like this could dive into karma, illusion, reincarnation, leela, and that ever-elusive concept of moksha, all wrapped in a plot that makes viewers think deeply and binge happily.

Let the best creative minds, writers with a dash of madness and vision, take up this challenge. Let the production houses with grand budgets and grander imagination step up. And please, someone cast Naseeruddin Shah as a time-travelling rishi—because, frankly, who else can pull it off?

Final Boarding Call

As I slowly emerge from the rabbit hole that was Manifest, my heart (and remote) longs for the next epic binge. I’ve had my fill of apocalyptic plagues and biblical visions—now I want cosmic snakes, flying chariots, shape-shifting warriors, and dialogues that begin with “In the age of Treta Yuga…”

So, dear OTT platforms and myth-loving creatives, consider this your calling (pun intended). It’s time for a homegrown mystery saga that draws from our timeless myths but wears a modern trench coat.

Till then, I’ll be here, sipping chai and imagining what Hanuman would make of in-flight turbulence.

Shri Ajeet Singh 

(We present an article ‘Morse Code of News…’ written by Shri Ajeet Singh ji, Ex-Director (News), Door Darshan.)

☆ Morse Code of News… ☆ Shri Ajeet Singh ☆

(Tomorrow we will present Hindi version of this article.) 

Somehow, I got my hands on the Morse codes of basic learning at schools and colleges and cleared the UPSC examination of the junior grade of the Indian Information Service. I arrived in Shimla on June 15, 1971, to learn the Morse code of news and broadcasting at my first job in the Monitoring Service of All India Radio.

On the very first day, I was quite puzzled that the term “stories” was being used for news. To me, stories were imaginative tales of dogs, cats, monkeys, bears, and lions—like the ones in the Panchatantra. How could accounts of people arguing, fighting, or discussing things be considered “stories”?

I didn’t dare ask anyone, fearing they might think I was a dumb person. I simply accepted it. Now, 54 years later, after reflecting, I feel there really isn’t much difference between stories of animals and those of humans. Especially after watching the prime-time debates on TV news channels—there’s hardly any difference.

Recently, I saw a viral joke on WhatsApp.

A man from the neighborhood asks a girl: “What job do you do?”

She replies, “I organize dog fights.”

The man, surprised, says, “What kind of job is that?”

She replies, “I’m a news anchor.”

Indeed, news has become synonymous with conflict. If everything is peaceful and cheerful, it’s not considered news. But if there’s a fight, abuse, violence, or destruction—the bigger the chaos, the bigger the news.

This obsession with news has replaced our grandmothers’ and mothers’ bedtime stories.

To understand news today, one must understand the ingredients that go into making it—fear, sensation, spying, drugs, sex, and whatnot. This is the Morse Code of news.

Thankfully, we were spared from having to learn all of it. Back then, All India Radio still believed in clean and truthful reporting. It still does today, but audiences have moved to private channels. The signal coverage may be 100%, but how many still tune in?

Mass media gets you addicted and then drains your pockets without you even noticing. Now even our minds are being stolen.

The Morse Code of social media these days is complex and twisted. Every citizen must be smarter than their smartphone. That’s what Professor Archana Singh from Panjab University, Chandigarh said in our recent webinar.

⸻

I’m talking about a bygone era when news was sent via telegram, using Morse code.

At the risk of sounding self-praising, I must say—when I became a correspondent in the 1970s, rightly or wrongly, I felt it was the best job in All India Radio.

I interacted with prominent people, traveled across India and abroad, attended press conferences, interviews, had STD phones at home and office, bylines in national bulletins… no fixed office timings! File a story and head off—to the Press Club or anywhere else to relax, eat, or chat.

What more could one want?

Gradually, though, press notes and press conferences began to feel routine and boring. I started enjoying literary gatherings and cultural events. Literature began influencing my journalism. A certain refinement emerged in my writing. I adopted the literary style, though I never had to rely on imagination. As they say, “sometimes facts are stranger than fiction.”

In the field, I often encountered such facts—so vivid they seemed fictional. What I wrote weren’t stories, but reports.

At literary events, journalists were rarely present. They didn’t see any “news potential” there. But the grip that writers and poets had over words—that was something journalism often lacked. I started developing a taste for literature.

Journalism is often called hurried literature. But literature cannot be written in haste. It requires patience. Journalism is a race—who can break the news first. This race can make journalists frantic. Some even mess up reports or exaggerate them to ensure they get published, so news agencies don’t beat them, and they don’t face their editor’s wrath the next day.

In those days, All India Radio was the first to break news. That meant I had to stay extra alert. I realized over time that just collecting facts isn’t enough.

You have to write them in the traditional 5 Ws and 1 H format—or give it a personal touch as a voice cast. News management was essential too. One story had to be prepared in six different time zones—Early Morning, Late Morning, Early Midday, Late Midday, Early Evening, Late Evening. We had to find multiple angles for the same story—Voice Casts, Newsreels, Current Affairs, Spotlights, Morning Commentaries, Reviews.

Writing the intro—or the lead of a news story—is no easy task. Journalists suffer from “mental constipation” over it. They write, cut, and rewrite. Once the lead is ready, the rest becomes easier.

Understanding the Morse code of news takes time.

Reporting is also the process of writing contemporary history. A reporter is a witness to historical events.

⸻

My field posting was in the state of Jammu & Kashmir—13 years in Jammu and around 6.5 years in Srinagar. I worked in difficult conditions. All in all, it turned out well. I was awarded Correspondent of the Year award by All India Radio and also received a Certificate of Merit.

The Newsroom of the News Services Division in Delhi is a peculiar place. Your service seniority doesn’t matter—only professional competence does. Senior officers might handle small bulletins while juniors might be Editors-in-Charge. The place is filled with brilliant people. Even a stenographer might shout at the News Editor saying, “Sir, there’s no ‘the’ before Parliament.” And if you ask why, you might hear, “Because it doesn’t work in English, sir.”

People used to dread attending DG Harish Awasthi’s news meetings. But he was a remarkable professional. Like school kids, we learned the art of news from him. Some got scolded harshly. Amid all this, the Morse code of news started becoming clearer.

⸻

After retirement, I wondered what to do. No more press notes, no more press conferences—who or what would I report on?

I challenged myself—to report on the common man.

The person whose name, work, struggle, and achievements rarely make the news.

We started a small organization with 8–10 friends, called Vanaprasth Senior Citizen Club. We began organizing detailed self-introduction sessions of each member. I began writing engaging news features and sending them to local newspapers.

This continues even after 18 years. The organization now has nearly 140 members.

Strange thoughts come to mind. Moving memories well up in the heart. They compel me to write.

Articles like:

• The House of Makhanlal Bekas..
• The Punjabi Daughters of Harsinghpura: Why They Always Mention Their Village
• In Memory of Chatrapal
• The CRPF Girls in Srinagar
• A Radio Announcer’s Railway Station
• An Entire Family Born on August 15
• Jingoism: On the Rise or on the Wane?
• Pandit Jasraj Came to PilI Mandori Looking for Jasia
• Remembering Father During Pitri Paksha
• Sumitra Had Said…

Writing about your father or wife is both easy and hard. Who knows them better than you? But making such personal stories interesting for readers is difficult. There’s the issue of privacy too.

Sometimes I feel there’s a fundamental flaw in the evolution of human civilization—that we see news in bloodshed, conflict, death, and destruction, and sensationally promote it. But we fail to see news in laughing children, blooming flowers, and celebrating communities.

The kind of information circulated shapes the kind of society we become.

These days, everyone debates like TV anchors—full of rage and agitation.

Good news seems to have vanished.

I search for good news.

I believe every person has remarkable stories. If asked properly, they’re willing to share. That’s what I try to do within my limited capacity.

⸻

For the past six years, I’ve been connected to several groups of talented people who give me immense love, encouragement, and inspiration.

The Morse code of news now seems to be gradually turning into the Morse code of writing.

The telegram system using Morse code is now extinct. New technologies have emerged. Writing styles are adapting to them. You can now speak in any script and get it typed on your phone and send it instantly.

My writing style has adapted accordingly. Some friends say—though my writing is about journalism, its style feels literary.

I want to hear your stories.

And I want to share mine.

The Morse code of news is fascinating, not dull.

It’s difficult, but also deeply enjoyable.

I tried to understand it and shape it my way.

⸻

Thank you, friend Vijay Dixit, the Deputy Director General of All India Radio (Retired) for giving me this new phrase: ‘The Morse Code of News.’

⸻

© Shri Ajeet Singh 

Shri Ajeet Singh ji is a freelance journalist based at Hisar. He retired as Director of News, Door Darshan Hisar in 2006.

Mo. – 9466647037

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