The road to heaven - Bilvamangal

Ramdas was a devotee brahmin who had a son, Bilvamangal. Bilvamangal was a calm, sober and educated boy. However after the death of his father he fell into bad company and adopted bad practices. During this course he got attracted to a courtesan, Chintamani, and would spend most of his time with her. Once when it was the death anniversary of his father he could not meet her. So he decided to see her in the evening. His friends advised him not to due to the nature of the occasion but he wouldn't listen to anybody. Before he could leave the house, a storm broke out and it started to rain heavily. This too couldn't stop him. He approached the boatmen at the river and asked them to row him over to the other side but none was willing to put their life at stake in such a heavy storm. Not deterred by anything he decided to swim across the river. While swimming he came across a log of wood and decided to use it to float across. Finally he reached the house of Chintamani but the door was shut and it was dark. So he decided to climb over the boundary wall and enter the house. The wall was high so he looked around for some rope when his hands felt some rope hanging from the wall. He climbed using it and entered the house. On hearing the noise, Chintamani woke up and was surprised to see him in this bad weather. She asked him how he managed to reach her house and he told the story. Curious, Chintamani went out with a lamp and was shocked to see that what Bilvamangal used as a rope was a snake and the log of wood was the dead body of a woman. She reproached him for being so blind and selfish. She told him that if instead he had been so madly in love with Krishna he would've attained moksha. On hearing her words, he felt ashamed. From that moment onwards he decided to submit himself to the devotion of God. He would roam all over the jungles and villages singing His songs. One day he came across a beautiful woman. His dark side had not yet completely escaped him and he once more fell into the trap of temptation. He followed him to her house and sat outside. On seeing a brahmin, the house owner came out and asked him how he could help him. Bilvamangal mentioned that if only he could once see the woman who entered the house his heart would be at peace. The house owner being simple-hearted thought that there was no harm in it if just that could appease the brahmin. So he went inside to call his wife. Bilvamangal was God's devotee God couldn't let his devotee commit anything that would lead to his downfall. Soon He caused Bilvamangal to realize what a grave mistake he was doing; how could he stoop so low. As soon as it struck his mind, the owner's wife came outside. Ashamed at himself and cursing his eyes he picked two thorns from a nearby tree and poked his eyes. The owner and his wife felt sad for him but could do nothing for him. Once again Bilvamangal went around villages praising God. He was waiting for the day when he would be able to see God; for whom he was roaming all over the world; for whom he'd forgotten what was hunger or thirst and for whom he'd gone blind. Then one day he heard the sweet mesmerizing voice of a child. The child told him that he had got some water and food for him. Bilvamangal was completely fascinated by the child. He had the food and the water that was brought to him by the child and asked him what his name was. The boy said that irrespective of what people called him, he answered their call. He loved those who loved him. He came daily to offer victuals to Bilvamangal and soon Bilvamangal got attached to the boy. One day he cursed himself thinking that earlier he'd got entrapped in the attachment to a woman and now to this boy. That day the boy asked him if he wanted to go to Vrindavan. Bilvamangal's heart did a merry dance on hearing this but he then told the boy that it would be impossible for him as he was blind. Then the boy offered him a stick and to lead him. So they embarked on their journey. When they reached Vrindavan, the boy told Bilvamangal that he must leave now. Unknowingly Bilvamangal grasped his hand. As soon as he did that he felt some divine energy pass through him and realized that he had got back his sight! And he saw that the boy was none other than God himself!! He was thrilled and told God that he wouldn't let him leave since he's been searching for him all this while. The boy then forcefully took leave of him. At which Bilvamangal said that he may leave physically with force but he can't leave his heart.

Thus, we see that Bilvamangal who was under the claws of bad practices when he became a devotee, not only was he protected from any downfall but in the end he found God.

From a swindler to a saint

Even a person with a bad conduct who becomes a devotee of God is worth being considered a saint. This is because he has decided that God is the supreme power, the omniscient, the always generous, the master of all, the only one who can destroy all your sins and it is the duty of a human being to serve God. This the most significant decision he has made in life. Even though he may not have been able to leave all his bad practices he would eventually. Devotion to God would purify his being and take him away from the temptations.  One who is God's devotee is always uplifted in life and never has a downfall. This is illustrated by the story of Bilvamangal.

He loves all

Only those who are completely devoted to God, get him. This does not mean that He is difficult to get. On the contrary, he is equally present in all beings and vice versa. He neither likes nor dislikes anybody. However, those who are his devotees He resides in their heart and they reside in his. If you can't forget him then he can't forget you. That is the greatness of devotion to Him. Just like sunlight is reflected by all objects but it is reflected most in the mirror than in any other object. That's not because the sunlight falling on the mirror is any different; it's because of the mirror.

The Unbearable lightness of being

Author: Milan Kundera

Before I picked this novel, I was reading its various reviews and one of them said that there's a lot of psychology there. That's the review I would agree with!

It's about four people: Tomas, Tereza, Franz and Sabina primarily. Some of their paths cross the others at various stages of their life. The backdrop if that of russian invasion of Czech. More than the story, the highlight of the novel is the explanation of the actions of the various characters: why they do what they do; and the general psychology of human beings. It's very interesting to read their line of thought. I really liked one statement:

"Human life occurs only once, and the reason we cannot determine which of our decisions are good and which bad is that in a given situation we can make only one decision; we are not granted a second, third or fourth life in which to compare various decisions."

What a beautiful saying! There's not much I can say about this book because it is a little beyond me.

Bottomline: A good read.

The Name of the Rose

Author: Umberto Eco

The story started in a very interesting manner. A monk, William and his disciple, Adso, are invited to a monastery to solve the puzzle of the mysterious deaths happening there. William is shown to be a person with great acumen. All the dead bodies are found in bizarre places and in the most gross manner. William wants to look into the library but it is the forbidden ground. Nobody but the librarian is allowed to enter the inner sanctums of library. There are people who are eager to provide him with some information but one by one they seem to be on the hit list of the killer. There are a number of suspicious people but there's no evidence.

The beginning is very impressive but I found it dulled as the story progressed especially places where the author goes into the religious history of Europe. It isn't the kind of murder mystery that I was expecting.

Bottomline: An ok read.

Love in the time of cholera

Author: Gabriel García Márquez

I liked this book a lot probably because I'd been looking for a nice love story for sometime and this fit the bill!

It's about the life of a boy, Florenzo, who falls in love with a girl, Fermina Daza,  at a very tender age. He's too shy to admit it to her and hence derives satisfaction by just watching her from different places and different angles. Once his feelings get communicated to the girl she also reciprocates appropriately and soon they get involved in an intense love affair known to all those who matter except her father. When the word gets to him, he reacts just as a father of a girl would in a love story - with vehemence. He wanted his girl to be the star of the society and he'd worked hard for it. So he couldn't let his dreams be shattered by an ordinary post man. To distract Fermina, he takes her on a long journey but where there's a will there's a way and the two find ways to communicate to each other.  However, years after when she returns to her town she doesn't even want to see Florenzo and marries a rich doctor Juvenal Urbino. They have kids who grow up, get married and eventually the doctor dies. Florenzo still hasn't forgotten Fermina but he has changed in a lot of other ways.

The story is set in the time when cholera was spreading in the carribean and hence I think the name. I found the novel to be very well written and interesting.

Bottomline: A very good read.

Rantidev

Rantidev was the son of a king named Sankriti. He was very generous and magestic. So much so that he donated and distributed all his wealth among the unfortunates and lived in utter poverty with his family.
Once, he had to go without food and water for a total of 48 days. Due to lack of food his body had started shivering. On the 49th day, he got some food and water from some where. He was about to distribute it among his family members when an ascetic came along and asked for something to eat. It is easy for a millionaire to donate a few hundreds and not even feel a pinch; but the true generosity of a person is manifested when he has to donate that which he dearly wants. True to his nature, Rantidev didn't even flinch before giving some eatables to the ascetic.
After the ascetic left, he again sat down to eat with his family. Just when he'd distributed the food among his family and was about to start his own, a poor man came along. Looking at his pathetic state, Rantidev gave him something to eat. Soon after, another man came along with his dogs saying that he was hungry. So whatever was left from his share of the food, Rantidev gave it to that man and his dogs. Now all he had was some water for one person. That too didn't seem to be destined for him as there came an outcaste. He begged Rantidev for some water. Rantidev felt pity for him and gave him all the water that he had. He proclaimed to God that he wanted to reside in the body of all the people on this earth so that he could absorb the sadness that they experience, leaving them happy; that by offering water to this man all his hunger, thirst and pain had vanished!
This was actually a test by Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. they had disguised themselves and appeared as all the hungry guests at the door of Rantidev. They were elated to see the patience and devotion exhibited by him and wanted to grant him a boon. So they appeared before him and told him so. However, Rantidev had done all this without any desire for the fruits of his labor and without any attachment. Hence, he didn't want anything from the Gods. From then on, Rantidev got engrossed in His devotion with all his heart and soul and so did his family.