LIFE LESSONS FROM KUMBH - PART II

 

 

 

Last year I was in Sangam, the holy confluence of the Holy Ganga and Yamuna in Prayagraj, to take the holy dip during the Maha Kumbh. I have, in a previous blog, told that story, anf if you have missed it then this is where you can find it: https://surajitbrainwaves.blogspot.com/2025/02/life-lessons-from-kumbh.html

 

The evenings in Kumbh Mela were very interesting. There was something for everyone. From sadhus smoking strong intoxicants from their earthen chillum to some buried neck deep in the river sand to some reciting mantras in rich Sanskrit, there was a wide plethora of sainthood on display. I was most attracted to a sadhu was delivering a very profound and soulful lecture on life lessons – what prevents us from leading a happy life, and what changes can we bring within us to lead a happy life. He was young and he spoke Queen’s English to translate what he was saying in Hindi, because there were quite a few foreigners in that gathering. To some from Latin America he effortlessly conversed in Spanish too! So, this is what he said that evening:

 

If we take a good look at ourselves, we’ll discover that our lives are lead by many factors that create a great deal of tension, pain, and suffering within us. Instead of letting go of these things and allowing ourselves to feel free, we cling to them zealously, confident that they are our fortune. No more! From now on, we will give up on things that no longer serve us and adopt a change

 

1. You can be nice and not right, once in a while.

Many of us don’t tolerate the idea that we’re wrong. We want to always be right and for us, we are always right, even at the cost of ending great relationships or causing pain and stress to ourselves and others. It's just not worth it! Whenever you feel the need to jump into an argument ask yourself: "Is my ego really so big?", "Do I prefer to be right or would I rather be nice?" 

 

2. Give up the need for control

Be willing to give up the need to always be in control of what is happening to you and your surroundings - situations, events, people, and circumstances. Whether the people around you are loved ones or just strangers on the street - let them be. Let the world catch its trouble just as it is, and you'll see how much better you’ll feel. Just remember: "The world is vanquished by those who let it be, but when you try and try, the world will always be invincible."

 

3. Give up blame

Give up your need to blame others for what you have or do not have, what you feel or do not feel. Stop wasting energy and take responsibility for your life.

 

4. Give up defeatism

So many people hurt and cripple themselves because of negative thinking and a defeatist perception of themselves. Don’t believe everything your brain tells you, especially if it's negative. You're better than that! The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.

 

5. Give up limiting beliefs

Give up the limitations of 'can or cannot' of ‘possible or impossible'. From now on you won’t let limiting beliefs keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly high! A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind. I have elaborated this in a previous blog:   https://surajitbrainwaves.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-death-of-i-cant_30.html

 

6. Give up the complaints

Give up the constant need to complain about all the things, people, situations, events, and circumstances that make you feel unhappy and depressed. No one can make you sad and no situation can make you unhappy unless you allow it. It isn’t the situation that triggers these emotions, but your choice of how to look at things. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

 

7. Give up the luxury of criticism

Give up the need to criticize things, events, and people who are different from you. We are all different, but similar in one thing: we want to be happy, loving, loved and understood. Do not judge the means others adopt on their way to achieving this goal.

 

8. Give up the need to impress others

This is a juvenile habit. Stop trying to be something you are not, just to please others. It doesn’t work that way. Once you stop trying to be someone else, once you remove the mask and start being your "true self," people will be attracted to you, effortlessly.

 

9. Give up resistance to change

Change is good. Change helps us move from point to point. Change helps improve your life and that of those around you. Adopt change and don’t oppose it. Joseph Campbell said: "Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”

 

10. Give up labels

Stop labeling things, people and events that you don’t understand or that seem strange to you. Try to open your mind, step by step. Minds work only when they are open. The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something that you don’t know anything about.

 

11. Give up your fears

Fear is only an illusion, it does not exist, we create it. It's all in our minds. Fix what you feel inside and things on the outside will work out on their own. Franklin Roosevelt said: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

 

12. Give up the excuses

Pack all the excuses in a box and send them away, because today you have no need for them. Many times we limit ourselves to our excuses. Instead of growing and improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck in our own lies and make excuse after excuse. In the end, 99.9% of these excuses are not real.

 

13. Give up the past

This is difficult, especially when the past looks much better than the present and the future looks scary. But keep in mind that the current moment is all you need and everything you will ever need. Don’t forget that the past you miss so much is the one you ignored when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life - after all, life is a journey, not a destination. Adopt a clear vision for the future, but don’t forget to be present here in the Now.

 

14. Give up attachments

For many, this concept is hard to understand, but with time, practice, sincerity and awareness it will become obvious. Make a distinction between the things you love and the things you stick to. These are two different things - love comes from a pure place, clinging comes from a place of fear. Once you have detached yourself you can be peaceful and patient.

 

15. Give up the need to meet the expectations of others

Too many people live a life that is not theirs. They live their lives according to what others think is good and right for them; According to what their parents say, their company dictates, their community members expect and the government determines. The culture in which we live paves a "norm" that causes us to ignore our inner voice and lose control. Over time, we forget what makes us happy and what we want. Don’t let distractions divert you from the path you are paving.

With this the Sadhu sweetly smiled at the gathering, folded his hands and said ‘namaskar’. The crowd slowly dispersed. This was a truly digital Kumbh. Digital innovations and AI were used to help crowd management. Thousands of drones were employed to monitor the security at the Mela site. Meanwhile, devotees had been given radio frequency wristbands to help locate lost family members who got separated in the crowd. Kumbh Mela attracts people from all walks of life, from sadhus to ordinary citizens, including families and international visitors. This is a true ocean of humanity in search of salvation. I do not know whether the holy dip in Sangam brings salvation of the soul or not, but getting acquainted with learned people like the Sadhu we just heard, surely brings salvation to the mind.

THE JOB THAT ONCE DEFINED LIFE NOW FEELS LIKE A DISPOSABLE UPGRADE

In our generation, we went to work wanting a salary. Our children now go to work wanting a salary, mental health, work-life balance, personal growth, the option of working from home, a nice boss, and work that doesn’t make them question the point of being alive. And by the way, Gen Z wants all this before lunch. For us, a job was what we did. For them, it is something they have to be. Leaving a job, therefore, becomes an attempt to change themselves.

 

Our parents were lifelong Tata or Railway or Maruti men and women. Loyalty toward their employers was fiercely ingrained. Changing jobs felt like breaking a loyalty code—absolutely unthinkable. Employers, in turn, took care of them with perks, promotions, bonuses, LTCs, medical benefits, provident funds, retirement support, and sometimes even jobs for family members. What was wrong with that system? Why did it break down? Are the younger generations unstable and impatient, or progressive and ambitious as they claim?

 

What Held the Old Compact Together—and Why It Fractured

The old model worked in a relatively closed, slower-moving economy dominated by public-sector undertakings and a handful of large private houses. Jobs were scarce, alternative opportunities limited, and the social contract was clear: stay loyal, work steadily, and the organization would provide security across a lifetime and sometimes across generations. Productivity expectations were different; the pace of technological change was gentler; and competition, both domestic and global, was muted.

 

That world ended with economic liberalisation, globalisation, the rise of private and multinational capital, rapid technological disruption, and the shift from stakeholder capitalism toward sharper quarterly performance pressures. Lifelong employment guarantees became liabilities. Mass restructuring and layoffs moved from exceptional responses to routine efficiency tools. Pensions and long-term benefit structures weakened. Skills began to get obsolete faster. The mutual expectation of loyalty eroded because the structural conditions that sustained it disappeared. Employers could no longer (or would no longer) promise the old security; workers rationally stopped offering the old permanence and loyalty.

 

Data on tenure reflects this. Average early-career stints have shortened markedly for younger cohorts, with some reports putting Gen Z’s average tenure in the first five years around 1.1 years in certain markets, compared with longer spans for earlier generations at similar life stages. Job-change intentions remain high among Indian professionals. At the same time, careful historical comparisons (especially from the United States) suggest that young workers have always changed jobs more frequently than older ones; the perception of unprecedented restlessness is sometimes amplified by visibility and weaker traditional retention mechanisms such as defined-benefit pensions. There are exceptions to this rule too in Japan and Korea, where workers are still fiercely loyal to Toyota, Honda, Samsung and Hundai.

 

The New Expectations Are Not Pure Whimsy

Younger workers grew up watching the old promises break—layoffs even in “stable” companies, stagnant real wage growth in parts of the economy, the disappearance or reconfiguration of entry-level roles under automation and AI, and the rise of contractual and gig arrangements. In that environment, prioritising mental health, flexibility, purpose, continuous learning, and the option to leave is less pure impatience and more risk management. Many surveys show Gen Z and millennials ranking work-life balance, growth opportunities, and meaningful work highly—sometimes above pure title progression. They treat careers more like skill portfolios than lifelong identities with one organization or employer.

 

Novelty has come from Consumer Technology to Profession

The impatient generation often treats jobs the way it treats phones, bikes, or watches—constant upgrades, endless consumption, and diminishing joy after each change. Incremental switches rarely transform the fundamental experience of work. Anticipation and waiting once formed part of pleasure and forced accumulation of depth; constant movement can leave people permanently in the shallow end. Money remains a means; sustained satisfaction and those infrequent “aah” moments still require diligence, hard work, and time spent mastering something rather than endlessly shopping for the next role.

 

A perfectly good job accepted last year as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity can feel embarrassingly obsolete today not because the job changed that dramatically, but because the cultural expectation of perpetual novelty has been imported from consumer technology into professional life.

 

Productivity, Investment, and the Cost of Restlessness

High attrition is not costless. Training investments are lost, institutional knowledge walks out the door, team cohesion suffers, and managerial attention is diverted to constant hiring and onboarding. In manufacturing and other capital-intensive sectors, elevated early attrition has been flagged as a real constraint on scaling and quality consistency. Employers, domestic and foreign, notice when workforce instability raises the effective cost of operations. This feeds into broader debates about why large-scale industrial investment sometimes hesitates.

 

Labour-law liberalisation is frequently proposed as part of the solution: greater flexibility in hiring and separation so firms can scale without fear of permanent rigidities, and so labour can flow more easily toward higher-productivity uses. Evidence from Indian manufacturing and cross-country studies is mixed and context-dependent. Excessive rigidity can discourage formal employment and firm growth; excessive precariousness can reduce incentives for firm-specific training and raise turnover costs. Balanced reform that improves both flexibility and basic security (while encouraging formalisation) is more promising than pure deregulation. But laws alone will not restore mutual commitment if the deeper cultural shift toward short-termism continues unchecked on both sides.

 

Neither Pure Nostalgia nor Uncritical Celebration

The old system had real strengths—stability, intergenerational continuity, and a sense that work was embedded in a longer life narrative. But it also tolerated stagnation, limited mobility, and sometimes nepotistic or low-accountability arrangements. The new ethos has strengths—greater agency, insistence on humane conditions, faster skill acquisition, and reduced tolerance for toxic environments. But it risks producing chronic restlessness, shallow expertise, and a workplace in which neither side feels secure enough to invest deeply.

 

Lasting joy and competence still tend to come from how we experience and master work over time, not from the next acquisition. Getting good jobs is becoming harder in a competitive, skills- and AI-disrupted market; executing them with diligence is harder still when the cultural default is perpetual readiness to leave. Employers who offer genuine growth, fair treatment, and some predictability will retain more talent. Workers who cultivate patience, depth, and the capacity to create their own “aah” moments will extract more meaning—and often more long-term reward—than those who treat every role as a temporary upgrade.

 

The real task is not to romanticise the Railway or Tata man of the past, nor to celebrate endless job-hopping as pure progress. It is to rebuild a workable social contract for work in which loyalty is earned rather than assumed, patience is valued without becoming stagnation, and the job remains a significant part of life without having to be the entirety of the self. That balance is harder than either generation’s preferred story admits—but it is the only one that sustains both productivity and human satisfaction.

MENTAL STRENGTH – A PRICELESS POSSESSION

 

 

Cristiano Ronaldo has all the silverwares in his cupboard except the FIFA World Cup and even though he is 41 he is back to give it a last try. His contemporary and the Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is 39, has won the last World Cup, has battled several injuries, but is back again for one more time. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 15 years old boy wonder from Bihar, blazed the recently concluded IPL with mind boggling strike rate and an all time record number of sixes against the best bowlers of the world. What do all these three have in common? They have enormous mental strength. It is not that they don’t fail, they treat their failure as yet another stepping stone towards success, a success that never satisfies them. Despite physical pain and hardship they return to practice and to their big game because of their mental strength.

 

Mental toughness or emotional resilience, is the capacity to handle life’s pressures, setbacks, and challenges effectively while maintaining wellbeing and pursuing goals. In moments of weakness and crisis, after our body has exhausted all its forces, the only thing we have left that can give us the last push we need is our mental strength. We all have mental power at some level or another, and the question is not just how strong it is in general, but how powerful it is in relation to our goals. A person who tries to lose weight and doesn’t give up for a long time is a person of great mental strength. Who doesn’t like to sleep an extra hour in the morning, but to force oneself out of bed and go out for a morning run needs mental strength.

 

The reverse is far more common. So many people try to lose weight and stop or give up after a few months with excuses, although they have not yet reached their goal, These people suffers from weak mental strength. Mental strength is like a muscle that can be trained and strengthened.

Let us see how:

 

1. Be honest with yourself

One in every 4 calories we put into our body is designed to give energy to the brain. When we lie, whether for ourself or for others, some of the brain must remember the truth, while other parts must remember the lie. In order to keep these two memories, we have to feed our brain with 2 times the calories to provide the energy needed for the double action. If we are honest with ourself 100% of the time, we will be less concerned and our brain can operate more efficiently and calmly, which will help improve our mental strength at the moments we need it.

 

2. Think of others more than yourself

Tony Robbins, a writer and personal consultant who has written two books on psychology and self-help, claims that in order to succeed, you have to serve as many people as possible. Someone who is mentally strong always tries to help solve other’s problems and seeks ways to make life easier for others. The best example is our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. At 75 he can work tirelessly with just four hours of sleep because he is working for others, for his country and his party. If you want to be mentally stronger, think less of yourself and see how you can use your knowledge and abilities to help others. Once you understand that you are not at the center of the universe and that you can help others feel that they are, the mental strength and success will come on their own.

 

3. Read books

This unfortunately is a trend we are losing. Social media has reduced our attention span. Reading books is a priceless habit because we live only once, and in one lifetime we can accumulate only that much of experience. However, when we read a book, we are sucked into the lives of others for several days, weeks, or months, and we experience it together with them knowing that in the end all with be resolved. We return to our lives after learning from their mistakes and experiences, and of course a little about ourselves, and that's how we get stronger with each book we read.

 

4. Cultivate healthy relationships

Around every successful person, there are a number of close friends who make them who they are. In fact, many of the most successful billionaires, outstanding athletes, great scientists and talented artists in the world claim that each of us is the average of the five people with whom we spend most of our time. Every successful person in the world surrounds themselves with people who love them, support them, and help him think of and come up with ideas. Surround yourself with the right people who will build you up and not tear you down. Befriend people smarter than you, and develop your own circle of genius around you. They will add to your mental strength.

 

5. Be curious

The only way to learn how things work is through curiosity and asking questions. We are born curious, we broke the radio in childhood to see who was speaking from inside. But, while growing up we lost that curiousness. We were disciplined to conform to a ‘good boy/girl’ type. Now, at this stage of life, find people who inspire your curiosity and from whom you’d like to learn the most. The dumber you think your question is, the faster you need to ask it. There is no stupid question in a field you aren’t familiar with and people with knowledge in the same field will be happy to share it with you. If you are ashamed to ask a question, challenge yourself to ask 2 questions. Shy people don’t make much progress in life and the only reason is that they prevent it from themselves. Curiosity is like an appetite, and you have to feed it as long as it is hungry so you can get the nutrients that your brain needs to get stronger.

 

6. Take care of your health

The type of food we eat also affects the brain's activity and our mental strength. It is hard to be strong and creative and to carry out our ideas when we are ill in bed, or even when our bodies prefer to lie on the couch than to run. You don’t have to lift weights and build muscle to feel healthy, sticking to a healthy diet is enough. Walking at least half an hour every day and 8 hours of sleep each night will allow your brain to work best.

 

7. Learn and repeat what you have learned

Many studies show that students in schools and universities forget almost everything they heard during a lecture 45 minutes after leaving the classroom. To keep information that has just entered your mind for the first time, it is strongly recommended that you write it down or use it in conversation during the hour after the lesson has finished. The next day, repeat the material learned through conversation, so you can make sure it stays in your head for a long time. The best way to instill new knowledge in your mind is to teach it to someone else, so it is strongly recommended that you share with others what you learn. This is something which we practiced in our residency days in King George’s Medical College, and the stuff I taught as a resident to my juniors, is still fresh in my mind.

 

8. Don’t limit yourself

People with mental strength give themselves permission to do things that they haven’t tried before and experience new things. In addition, they give themselves permission to come up with bad ideas, take risks, slip and fall and try again. If you don’t give yourself permission to re-create your world, no one else will give it to you, and it will limit you to the world you know, which will prevent growth and progress toward new things that will improve your quality of life and give you personal satisfaction from what you have achieved in life. Impossible can be made possible only by trying, modifying, and trying again but differently.

 

9. “Ideas” are priceless, keep them coming  

Today, the strongest "currency" in the global economy is ideas. In order to profit from ideas, one must first come up with them, and it is recommended that they be good. To improve your ability to come up with good ideas that will help you fulfill your ambitions, adopt a practice where you write 10 ideas a day on a variety of topics on a piece of paper. It works just like weight lifting - at first, it’ll be difficult, but over time your "muscle of ideas" will grow and strengthen. In the end, you’ll find that you have an almost supernatural ability to come up with a creative solution to any problem that life throws at you. Taking the beaten track is easy, but it cannot lead to a new place. To discover the new, you need a new idea.

 

10. Be present in the moment

Whenever you feel remorse about the past, or you are anxious about the future, you create a journey in time that takes you from the moment you are in and puts you somewhere else that has already passed or has not yet arrived and doesn’t exist. People with mental strength, who find themselves conducting such a journey in time, do so to learn from past mistakes, and plan for future success. Instead of messing with their troubles, which they can’t solve, they think about how they can help others solve their troubles. Miraculously, when this is done, life becomes less stressed, and the success and motivation we achieve in this way usually leads to other successes that guide the future to where we want to go.

 

 

Mental strength is like a muscle - we have to train it to strengthen it so we can use it during the difficult moments when we need it most. With mental strength we can overcome all our fears and all the moments when we feel we want to give up, throw up our hands and settle for what we’ve achieved so far, which usually isn’t the ultimate goal.

 

FLORENCE – WHERE RENAISSANCE BLOSSOMED

 

Whether you think of yourself as a lover of art, culture, history, or just a worldly person, and you simply love Italy's inexhaustible charm and want to experience it in all its greatness - you must visit Florence! One of the most beautiful and well-known cities in Italy, the capital of the wonderful Tuscany region, which has produced some of the most important personalities and artists in human history and gave birth to the Renaissance culture that changed the world, is simply a gem of grace that includes endless treasures for every tourist and traveler. Let me share with you some of the main attractions, sights, and destinations in Florence, which you will undoubtedly want to see when you visit this great city.

 

1. Ponte Vecchio  

Ponte Vecchio

  The Ponte Vecchio (the old bridge) is one of the most iconic and known spots of Florence, as well as one of the first stops to which every tourist comes and visits in the city. This bridge, built by the Romans in 1117 over the Arno River which connects the two parts of the city together, is especially famous for the buildings above it, which continue the city over the waterline of the river and create a beautiful view that characterizes Florence, when at night the bridge lights sparkle on the surface of the river water and spectacular view only intensifies. The bridge area itself is known for the many jewelry shops surrounding it.

 

2. Uffizi Gallery

Uffizi Gallery

In Florence, it’s impossible to talk about art - the field that is so identified with this city - without mentioning the Uffizi Gallery - one of the largest and most important art museums in the world. Built in the 16th century and first used as a government building for the famous Medici dynasty, the gallery building has become a respected museum, one of the city's most prominent attractions. Here you’ll be able to see some of the most famous works of great artists such as Da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael and more. If you click on this hyperlink, you will know a lot about Uffizi Gallery Tours

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3. Boboli Gardens

The green lush gardens in the center of Florence, the well-kept and beautiful Boboli Gardens, are directly connected to the city's glorious heritage. The gardens behind the Pitti Palace (another site in the city we recommend you visit) were founded by the extensive Medici dynasty that once ruled here, and includes all the classic Italian-style design features we so love. The gardens are full of Renaissance-style sculptures, impressive fountains and green lawns, loved by all the city's residents and you will undoubtedly enjoy your time spent here.

 

4. Mercato Centrale

This is a vibrant bustling central market. In this two-story covered market, also known as the San Lorenzo Market, you’ll find the best of Italian produce known for its quality. On the second floor, you can enjoy a variety of small restaurants, cafés, and food stalls, where you can enjoy delicious local Italian delicacies, many of which are famous all over the world.

David in Galleria dell' Accamedia

 

5. Piazzale Michelangelo

To get the best view of all the beauty that is hidden in Florence, you need to get to Piazzale Michelangelo, one of the city's main squares, located on a small hill on the southern bank of the River Arno and also one of Florence's most beautiful and beloved observation points. From here you can view the entire city, with its impressive buildings, as well as sit with the statues of the great artist Michelangelo in one of the cafes spread out here and enjoy the breathtaking views of Florence.

 

6. Santa Croce Church

Santa Corche Basilica

Your visit to Florence won’t be complete if you miss the impressive structure of the Santa Croce Basilica, which is no longer just a beautiful church - but rather the "Temple of Italian Glory," as the locals call it. It is one of the largest Franciscan churches in the world, serving as the resting place of some of the greatest figures of human history, such as pioneering scientist Galileo Galilei, artist Michelangelo, and composer Joaco Rossini. Here, you’ll also be able to take in countless classical works of art - paintings, sculptures, and frescoes - made by the great artists who grew up in this city and its surrounding areas.

 

7. Galleria dell'Accademia

Galleria dell' Accademia

The Art Academy of Florence is first and foremost the home of one of the world's most famous sculptures - Michelangelo's original David statue. This iconic statue, which is 5.17 meters high, is a good reason to visit this important museum, along with millions who come here every year to admire it, although of course, it isn’t the only thing here. Many more works of art from the 15th and 16th centuries are enclosed in the walls of this prestigious institution, which was founded in 1561 and was the first academy to teach painting in Europe. If you click on this hyperlink you can explore Accademia & Michelangelo's David Tours https://thetourguy.com...​

 

8. Palazzo Vecchio

Many years of history, art and a lot of strength and power resonate between the rooms of one of the most unique structures in Florence, which was once the residence of the rulers and kings of Florence, and now functions as a particularly magnificent museum. This magnificent palace, built during the 12th century, was designed and decorated by the best of the city's artists, who were financed by the extensive Medici dynasty that ruled the city and lived there. There are many frescoes, sculptures, ornate ceilings, intricate carvings and large wall tiles, all of which describe historical and biblical events.

Plazzo Vecchio on Piazza Della Signoria

 

9. Piazza Della Signoria

The Signoria Square is a spacious square is also full of magnificent statues, including a marble replica of the David statue and the Neptune fountain. Next, to the square, you’ll find Liga de Lancy - an impressive and open architectural structure with more classic works of art.

 

10. Villa il Palmerino

You can go out to breathe some Tuscan mountain air in the pastoral Villa Il Palmerino, located in the northern sculpted hills of the city. Here too you can find cultural offerings, since the venue hosts events such as concerts and lectures, but apart from them you can also enjoy an exotic, flowery English style garden and a small restaurant that serves local food made using fresh ingredients grown in the place’s very own vegetable garden.

 

11. Piazza Santo Spirito

If you move to the other side of the Arno River you can reach the bohemian Piazza Santo Spirito, which houses an authentic street market as well as a host of small bars and restaurants packed with local Florentines. This can be a good opportunity for you to get to know the city's contemporary culture and to taste the modern cosmopolitan atmosphere in Florence.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

12. Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore  

Just as it is impossible to envision Florence’s skyline without the beautiful and incredible large dome at the top of this magnificent building, it is impossible to describe a visit and a stroll in the city without reaching its famous main cathedral and the large square next to it. The exterior is decorated with red, green and white marble, through the entrance hall and its interior, decorated with dozens of works of art, stained glass, mosaics and of course statues, to its tall bell tower. Your welcome to climb the bell tower (if you’re in good shape) and take in the breathtaking view at its top - you are no doubt going to be moved by this place to the depths of your soul.

Paintings in the dome of the Cathedral

Florence, known as the cradle of the Renaissance, stands as one of the most influential cities in Italian and European history. Its significance extends far beyond art and culture, encompassing economics, politics, architecture, and philosophy. From the Middle Ages through the modern era, Florence shaped the course of Italian history, serving as a model of excellence that continues to illuminate cultural and intellectual life worldwide.

 

Between the 14th and 16th centuries, Florence became a cultural laboratory of Europe, attracting artists, architects, philosophers, and scientists. The patronage of noble families, especially the Medici, provided the ideal conditions for groundbreaking artistic achievements. Florentine art was not merely decorative; it was a symbol of political prestige, technical innovation, and spirituality. Every building, fresco, or sculpture reflected a city determined to be a European protagonist. The dome of Brunelleschi’s Santa Maria del Fiore, Michelangelo’s sculptures, and the frescoes of Leonardo da Vinci exemplify Florence’s unparalleled creative capacity.

I am leaving you with 3 hyperlinks to enjoy the beauty of Florence:

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 Florence Duomo Tours
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Florence is Italy’s greatest village—a place where Renaissance art meets small-town charm. 

 

GAYETRI MANTRA – CALMS THE MIND AND CLEARS THE ILLUSIONS

 

I was 11 years old when my parents arranged my ‘Upanayana’ or the sacred thread ceremony. My head was shaved and my Guru, who was also my Jathamoni (my father’s elder brother), gave me the Gayetri mantra and explained it to me in great details.

Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat

I was first told about the word meaning of every word –

 

·         Om: The universal sound representing supreme consciousness.

·         Bhur: The physical realm (earth).

·         Bhuvah: The mental or atmospheric realm.

·         Svah: The spiritual or celestial realm.

·         Tat: That (referring to the Supreme Being).

·         Savitur: The divine light or Sun God.

·         Varenyam: Worthy of worship.

·         Bhargo: Divine radiance or spiritual illumination.

·         Devasya: Of the divine.

·         Dheemahi: We meditate upon.

·         Dhiyo: Intellect or understanding.

·         Yo: Who.

·         Nah: Our.

·         Prachodayat: May inspire or guide 

And then it was all summed up for me thus - We meditate on the divine light of the Supreme Being, who creates and sustains all worlds. May that light illuminate and guide our intellect.

 

I was told that this mantra is a meditative practice that aligns the practitioner with universal consciousness and recitation purifies the mind, enhances focus, and fosters inner clarity. By invoking the divine light, it helps awaken higher consciousness, dispel ignorance, and cultivate wisdom and self-realization. I knew all along that this is our Dharma, but there is no English equivalent of this word, and certainly not 'religion'.

 

As an 11 year old kid, though it left me overwhelmed, it did not sink in then. But today, when I look back, in the autumn of my life all that the mantra offers makes a lot of sense. There are many illusions in life, which we often consider real. Illusions of all kinds give us pause, either to look at them and understand them or in order to protect ourselves against something unfamiliar or intimidating. However, illusions are not just visible, but they exist in our psyche, and like optical illusions, they can cause our brain to become confused, to stop, and to avoid taking action until they dissipate. The illusions of life will never fade until you understand them and are able to see beyond them. We humans often use illusions as "excuses." It is highly recommended that you see the truth that awaits you beyond them. Let us delve into a few life’s choicest illusions:

 

1. The feeling of not having enough time to do the things you want to do

This illusion is one of the greatest because it makes us believe that eventually we'll have time later in life. The reason this is an illusion is because time is relative, having one free hour a day can seem as though one has no time to do anything, but to someone else, it can be seen as time to devote to what is important to them. Therefore, the secret is simply to understand what is important to you and what is not, and to put it into your daily routine instead of things that are not important, such as idly watching television or browsing social networks. 

 

2. Trying to take shortcuts in life

Although it is possible to take shortcuts while walking, when it comes to life this concept does not exist, at least not if you plan on experiencing a happy and productive life. Every goal in life has several milestones leading to it, and only if you pass through each of them will your life go as planned. Try to enjoy the journey to your goal and all of your small achievements, rather than seeing them as wastes of time. In fact, they make reaching your goal all the more satisfying. Taking the longer route will allow you to grow, improve, and develop enough to reach your goal in the best way possible.

 

3. Thinking that you have control over life

It may frighten you to hear that you have no control over anything in your life apart from your thoughts, but those thoughts will also make you look at things in a positive or negative way. Think of it this way: Your smartphone has access to the Internet, but it does not control the entire network and you can only see and respond to the information in the virtual space – similarly, your existence takes place mainly within your head, and everything that happens around you is not under your control. You can control what you are looking for in real space and how you respond to what you see, but not what happens at any moment. Your responses are within your control, that too if you do not lose your head in rage or fear or excitement, the stimuli to excite your respone was never under your control.

 

4. Waiting for happiness from an external factor

Your existence takes place primarily in your mind, and everything that changes in your feelings is due to your reaction to what is happening around you. However, many people hope that something will happen in the outside world that will affect their inner feelings for the better, but that is not how happiness works. You may be temporarily happy and even ecstatic if you win the lottery, but if you don’t know how to manage your feelings properly, the large sum of money can also be a heavy burden which will be a source of suffering - suddenly you’ll fear being robbed or losing all the money. So, each situation can bring with it positive and negative thoughts, and you must simply decide that you want to be happy in order to be happy - it will come with time as long as you decide that you want IT, and not something that will bring it. You have to choose to be happy, other people can please you from time to time but they can’t force happiness in you.

 

5. Attempting to control other people

The human psyche is often afraid of any kind of change since a regular routine keeps us confident that bad things won’t happen to us, even if our situation is not positive – if we’ve been able to manage so far, we’ll probably be able to manage going forward. So when you try to change other people who have become unconsciously accustomed to a particular behavior or routine, you can expect some resistance on their part. They may know that they have to change, but it is mentally difficult for them to even begin thinking about the process. Moreover, the change you try to apply to another person probably applies to your values, but not necessarily to their values, so you must understand that you can’t change other people, but you can change the way you see them. If you understand their motives and have open conversations about things that bother you, you can change your perspective, and you will also see a change in others without them actually changing - the real change has taken place in you.

 

6. Waiting for a source of inspiration or energy

You may want to do something but you are waiting for the right moment, for example being inspired to write or motivated to exercise. Ironically, waiting for an external source of inspiration or motivation creates a vicious cycle that never ends, where those external elements are reluctant to arrive because they come only through an action that begins with you! The process of writing itself is what inspires the writer, and exercising is what provides motivation. If you’ve done these things in the past you probably already know the feelings that come with them, sitting five minutes in front of a writing page stretches over hours and exhausting exercise makes you more alert and energetic. Do not wait for an external source to arrive, because it won’t. Remember that the change in the way you feel begins only within you.

 

7. Believing that failure is a final and undesirable stage

Failure only exists if you want to achieve something and can’t achieve it, but its definition depends only on how we relate to it. Failure is not necessarily a bad thing, rather, it’s like a dead end in the maze- if you navigate a maze and hit a lot of dead ends, you’ll eventually start to map it out and understand where you stand and how to get out. Therefore, every failure you experience tells you about a stage or something in your path that is not right, so you have to take a step back and correct it. Life itself is a big maze, and our failures can hurt our sense of success, but they help us reach it as long as we learn from them.

 

8. Feeling that you are not good enough to succeed

This is the basis of all our fears. We fear our death because we do not know whether we will be satisfied with our lives when that moment comes, and also the death of our loved ones, because of fear that we won’t be able to cope with this situation. These are extreme examples of the fundamental fears that exist in every person's life, but this also happens with any other fear, and there is a little test that can help you know whether you’ll be able to deal with a situation well or not: Just ask yourself if you are already in a situation that you think you can’t handle – if the answer is yes, then that means you can get through it. You’ll never need to carry more than you can hold because you already carry the heavy sense of fear, and if you want to relieve yourself, give up that fear. You may need to lean on others sometimes, but your friends and family are part of the toolbox that makes you capable of dealing with everything in the right way.

So, back to the Gayetri Mantra, it is a prayer for illumination, guidance, and spiritual awakening, connecting the practitioner to the divine light that sustains all life and consciousness. It helps us to see clearly through the illusions and ambiguities of life. It calms the mind, reduces the stress, purifies the aura, enhances our concentration and memory, and attracts harmony in life. If life is throwing googlies at you only a calm and collected mind will help you to play it correctly and Gayetri Mantra brings that calm.

This blog is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend, Dr. Sunil Saxena