The Dalai Lama Quote

Recently, I came across this quote on the internet (thanks to my FIL for this!)...

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, said -

“Man.

Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present;
the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;
he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

Need I say more? How true is that? What's striking is that all of us are guilty of doing exactly the above at some point in our lives. 

I was well on my way to working like a maniac, not exercising, and in general, ignoring my health. Luckily for me, I had a chronic health issue to deal with for a year and half in my early thirties when I was in pain/discomfort all the time. That taught me a thing or two about not taking my health for granted and so I made the necessary life style changes which enabled me to eat well and get at least 30-40 minutes of exercise everyday. I was guilty of thinking that my body needs no maintenance, but I am thankful that I was taught a good lesson early on in life.

The second point that Dalai Lama drives home, I think, is equally important. Live in the moment. I am guilty of brooding over the past, regretting the decisions I have made and sulking over the mistakes I have committed. I have realized that it's time to settle with the past and make peace with it. While it is easier said than done, I will try my best to do this consciously.

Today, I came across this very thoughtful speech given by Sudha Murthy at Berkeley in 2008. Sudha Murthy, better known as the wife of Narayan Murthy, founder of Infosys Technologies, ought to be known in her own right because of the phenomenal philanthropic work that she has done in India with the Infosys Foundation. After listening to her, I was so humbled and moved that I have decided to "make a difference" in whatever capacity I can...

This week, I also heard the wonderful "Phir le aaya dil" song from the movie Barfi. It's one of those rare soulful, ghazalish songs which conveys so much emotion with great music and memorable lyrics...