​Lessons learnt from here and there

1. Power and Wealth are not the last words

J Jayalalithaa was a powerful Chief Minister. She was a powerful person in life. Nobody could stand straight in her presence.
However, during the last several months of her life, she was undergoing severe suffering. It was more than one can get from an Indian prison for politicians. Many belive that she was killed by her own people. It is worse than capital punishment. Her power and wealth couldn't save her life from an unnatural mysterious death... Her death was not like any of the endings of her films.
It's a lesson to learn. Let us do good things. Even if we suffer, then there is a merit in it.

2. Judge not

What lesson can we learn from these persons?
1. Justice John Michael Cunha found some people guilty.
2. Justice C R Kumaraswamy acquitted them.
3. Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy annulled the acquittal.

Logically, all the above judgements are not true. Hence, who is the real culprit: a criminal or one who misuses the power to help criminals escape and crimes to flourish?
We are helpless when we heard their judgments of naming white black, then black white and then white black.
Justice delayed is justice denied. Similarly judgement leaked is judgement sneaked. An influenced judgement is a crime...

3. Succession plan is a myth

No leader paves way for another leader as leadership is one of the most enjoyable pleasure. It is way above money and sex. One who enjoys power will never think of someone else stepping into one's shoes. Successor emerges by successful strategies.

4. India is a land of wonders

Here in our motherland,

• A person of humble origin can be the emperor one day. Royalty is not mandatory to success.
• Human beings venerate and respect non-human beings and inanimate things more than human beings themselves.
• One can the richest in the land by theft alone.
• One can live in a prison but still can enjoy freedom. One is free, but still can be someone's captive.
• We convert prison to a spa and a spa to a prison.
• It is strange to see that the MPs and MLAs who are elected by people by secret ballot have no right to elect their leader by secret ballot.
• Spiritual leaders can convert water to wine, urine to saccharin, ash to cash and shit to asset.

5. We are not extraordinary

Our memory is weak. Our actions can be influenced. We are a people who can be easily provoked and many a time misguided. It has antecedents in the history.

Brutus was a hero. After a few hours he became a zero. People turned against him.
Jesus was a hero. After a few days he became a zero. People crucified him.

Sasikala was a hero. After a few months she became a zero.
There are many other heroes here. After a few years they surely will become zeros.

Individually all of us are brilliant and intelligent. Collectively, I am not sure what we are...

Message to the Graduating Students of Christ University May 2013

Jesus after his resurrection delivered a convocation address. After training his disciples for three years, he addressed them saying, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15).  At this glorious moment, when you are brimming with joy and happiness, when your parents are in elated mood of fulfilment and when your dear and near ones are proud of you, we sent you the entire world. We sent you to the world with a mission. It is a mission to spread the good news you have heard from this alma mater.

You are chosen ones from various parts of the world. Several young ones of your age hoped to study in Christ University. Only a section of them could apply to the University. Among those who applied, all could not turn up for the selection procedure. From among them, only those like you could prove the credentials and potentials to become students of Christ University. Again, not all those who started with you could graduate today. This is a wonderful message to your future life. The process through which you passed through for the last couple of years is a blue print for your life. The lectures you listened to, the classes you attended, the tests you had taken, the assignments you submitted, the people with whom you interacted with and who interacted with you, have all prepared you to this glorious moment. But they are not just for this moment. It is for your life. Your dreams have come true today. But, you are only at the beginning of your bright future ahead. Your dreams are not over. You should have more and more dreams from today. Dreams for a successful life, for a peaceful world, for a united humanity and for a stable family life.

Christ University has given you ample of opportunities for your holistic development. The training given and opportunities you grabbed, made you to this august graduation ceremony. As you are graduates of Christ University, you will always bear the signs of this University. You have the potentials to be excellent. You must serve others with grace. The vision of the University, Excellence and Service and the tag “Christite” will help you to cast out sadness in others, to speak in golden tongue, to overcome difficult tasks, to mantle tough responsibilities and to work miracles in the lives of others.

The visionary of this institution had a great hope of combining secular and sacred education. Your professors have fulfilled that vision with a mission of training you with and to have faith in God. They trained you to be socially responsible and morally upright. You sometimes had gone through some struggles during your studies here. But it is the same struggle, diamond or gold has, before becoming an attractive jewel. You are precious stones. Same as precious stones make the owner rich, proud and happy, you make the people around you rich, proud and happy by involving in socially responsible tasks and morally upright ways.

Be other-oriented in this largely self-centred world. You can expect a corruption-free nation, only if you are also corruption-free. Corruption is the after effect of self-centredness. It is the outcome of selfishness. The practise of one of the core values of the University, love of fellow beings, should be motivation for you to be other-oriented. When you start loving others, when you have other-oriented life, this world will be a corruption-free world.

Your pursuit of excellence does not end with graduation. Your real journey begins here. A beautiful piece of advice given by St Paul to his disciples is very apt here. “Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.”(Col 4:5-6). Have a great life ahead!