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Being an Indian is a gift in itself. The nature of this land is very well suited for the growth of one’s soul. I play chess, but some of my moves bear the Indian flavor. It might be difficult for a non-chess player to understand it, so I will stick to sharing experiences related to overall life and how the culture has impacted me positively. If you ask me what makes me Indian? I would say that it is my culture!  If you want to explore India and its ways, Gita could be a good hook.  I am very grateful to my parents for introducing Gita to me at an early age.

#1. You are your hero. So, Love yourself!
If this belief is installed in every individual at an early age, the individual can reach great heights. I have written a few lines from Gita in my journal and they help me to stay on the course even where there is no help.  There was a situation in my life where I lost 4 games in a row. A friend even sent a message, asking me to withdraw from the event. But, I didn’t know how to give up. It didn’t seem like an idea at all. It is easy to hate yourself when you make mistakes, isn’t it? I made mistakes and then I backed my self. I said to myself ‘I can’t change what happened. But, I can focus on improving the situation. For that to happen, I need myself.’

I continued the event and finished the event strongly without conceding a loss in the remaining four games.

A man should uplift himself by his own self, so let him not weaken this self. For this self is the friend of oneself, and this self is the enemy of oneself.  – Gita, 6.5

 

#2. Do the best, leave the rest to God.


He who does actions forsaking attachment, resigning them to Brahman, is not soiled by evil, like unto a lotus-leaf by water.  – Gita, 5.10

Expecting good results after the work can push you into more worry and anxiety. You might fail to enjoy the present of the present moment. I have experienced that doing the best without focusing too much on the result helps in keeping pressure at bay. Focusing on the process is more rewarding and fulfilling.  I owe this learning to Gita!

#3. HOPE: Hold on, pain ends. 

Even if thou be the most sinful among all the sinful, yet by the raft of knowledge alone though shalt go across all sin. – Gita, 4.36

No matter how bad your life is, you still have to hope. Remember the scene from Shawshank Redemption:

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. – Andy Dufresne.

Here is an extract from the teachings of Swami Vivekananda:

Let a man go down as low as possible; there must come a time when out of sheer desperation he will take an upward curve and will learn to have faith in himself. But it is better for us that we should know it from the very first. Why should we have all these bitter experiences in order to gain faith in ourselves? We can see that all the difference between man and man is owing to the existence or non-existence of faith in himself. Faith in ourselves will do everything! 

The soulful concept of staying on the course and not giving up is also conveyed in the Batman Trilogy! Remember, how the dark knight rises?

I have shared how concepts like these have helped me in creating magical moments here.

The lessons are universal and conveyed through different mediums. Isn’t it? 

#4. There is only ONE destination.

In whatever way men worship me, in he same way do I fulfill  their desires; (it is) My path, O Son of Partha (that) men tread in all ways. – Gita, 4.11

India is a country that has taught the world ‘Universal tolerance and acceptance’. It is this nature that is a source of acts of kindness. The ways of praying may differ, but all the roads lead to Almighty!

#5. Look at the BIG Picture!
Don’t let the temporary challenges blind you from the BIG picture. Count your blessings, be grateful and focus on what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t have.

Just by being grateful, one can attract more goodness. During my evening walks, I think of all the things I am grateful for – it is an instant mood changer! Try it 🙂

These ideologies have shaped the way I think and live. They have made me, ‘me’ and I owe it to the culture of my country!

Few weeks back, I came across a video on a social media group that shared Gita’s lessons in 90 seconds:

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In the language of tech, India is a software that is being picked for installation in every culture and society for the immense qualities it beholds within.  I am going to share a few instances that have made an impact on me.

Hearing the first five words of the Indian Giant at the World Congress of Religions, the members showered him with three minutes of thundering applause! Yes, I am talking about Swami Vivekananda ji.

Brothers and Sisters of America! 

The welcoming salutation carried respect, dignity, humbleness and divinity that moved the members in Chicago. Now, this is #MoreIndianThanUThink.

I’m sharing a link of a movie based on Swami Vivekananda. It is worth watching!

A few days back, I saw a picture of Modiji with the Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull having a chat at The Akshardham Temple! The picture was the news of the day on all the newspapers because it symbolized our culture. We are open and welcoming.

Akshay Kumar recently came up with the initiative Bharat Ke Veer which lets people contribute to the families of the soldiers. I cannot NOT write about the Indian Soldiers while writing about India. They sacrifice their sleep so that we could sleep peacefully.

Two months back, I was in Lienz for a chess event. Lienz is a medieval town in Austria, beautiful, simple and high in culture. They have ice sports and various tourist attraction spots. On the way to the tournament venue, I found this amazing picture that brought a smile on my face:

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A group of people have established a meeting point where they meet and meditate at the centre of Paramahansa Yogananda. We are everywhere, Isn’t it? 🙂

Be it food, Yoga, Ayurveda or the mantras – they all have something unique that strikes a chord and impacts your soul. There are Indian Chai corners in The United States. There are Paan centres abroad. Even Barack Obama has had the pleasure of enjoying a paan. Talking about food reminds me of Veeraswamy’s 90 year old restaurant in London, UK. He was honored with a Michelin Star in 2017!

Yes, we are everywhere. Recently, Lufthansa came up with a special commercial where the coach talks about how important it is to imbibe the Indian-ness to beat the Indians. He asks his players to think like Indians, train like Indians, eat like Indians, dance like Indians and even FLY like Indians. Don’t believe me? Watch it:

If you ask me what touched the most? It is the food at 00:50 where the air hostess places the plate with Indian dishes. Being an Indian, we long for Indian food desperately while we are flying abroad. For some of us (vegetarians), it is probably a last Indian meal before reaching another country and we may not see Indian food for a while. Also, while we are returning back to India, we desperately want an Indian dish to be a part of the menu in the flight as our taste buds are thirsty for Indian food.

I am hoping to experience Lufthansa soon as they have Basic I and Basic II fares in both economy and premium. They have Hindi newspapers, desi channels and radio as part of In-flight entertainment. Hindi newspapers? Yes! In addition to this, they also have AVML (Indian Veg) and HNML (Non-Veg) meal options. Oh, How can I forget to mention the Chai? 🙂 Fantastic, isn’t it? 🙂 #MoreIndianThanYouThink

Explore your possibilities here: bit.ly/2oQTj8q

This feels like a home away from home. I am hoping to fly through Lufthansa to Germany for a chess event in the future.

How about you? 🙂