The National Highway 8 or NH-8 or Delhi Gurgaon Expressway Entry and Exit points

The National Highway 8 or NH-8 or Delhi - Gurgaon Expressway Entry and Exit points, so that it's easier to give people directions. 

EXIT-01	DOMESTIC AIRPORT, DWARKA, PALAM VILLAGE.
EXIT-02	MAHIPALPUR VILLAGE, VASANT KUNJ, FORTIS HOSPITAL, RANGPURI VILLAGE, SHIV MURTI.
EXIT-03	IGI AIRPORT.
EXIT-04	RAJOKRI VILLAGE, KAPASHERA VILLAGE, FUN & FOOD VILLAGE, DUNDAHERA VILLAGE, SAMALKHA VILLAGE, BIJWASHAN RLY STATION, NAZAFGARH.
EXIT-05	DLS PHASE-II & III, UDYOG VIHAR-1,2,3 & 5, SECTOR 55-56, NATHUPUR VILLAGE, SIKANDER PUR VILLAGE, KENDRIYA VIHAR, TRIDENT HOTEL, MEHRAULI ROAD, AMBIANCE MALL.
EXIT-06	MEHRAULI, GURGAON CITY, GURGAON BUS STAND, CHAKARPUR VILLAGE, SIKANDER PUR VILLAGE, SECTOR-17,18, SUKHRALI VILLAGE, SEC-14, PRIVIT HOSPITAL, LASER VALLEY PARK.
EXIT-07	SOUTH CITY PART-1, SUSHANT LOK, SECOTOR-55-56, SECTOR-14, GURGAON CITY, MAX HOSPITAL, PARAS HOSPITAL.
EXIT-08	SECTOR-30-31, JALVAYU VIHAR.
EXIT-09	JHARSA, SEC-15, RLY STATION GURGAON, BUS STAND, CIVIL HOSPITAL, PATEL NAGAR, RAIL VIHAR.
EXIT-10	SECTOR-32, BADASHPUR, SOHNA, SADAR THANA, MINI SECTRIATE, SOHNA CHOWK, CIVIL COURT, NEHRU STADIUM, RLY STATION.
EXIT-11	HERO HONDA, INDUSTRIAL AREA, NURSINGH PUR.
EXIT-12	SECTOR-10, SECTOR 10A, BASAI, SECTOR -4, PATAUDI ROAD.
EXIT-13	SADAR THANA, MINI SECTRIATE, RLY STATION, NEHRU STADIUM.
EXIT-14	CIVIL HOSPITAL, SECTOR-15, RLY STATION, JHARSA.
EXIT-15	JALVAYU VIHAR, SEC-30&31, 32 MILE STONE RESTRURENT, ITI GOVT COLLEGE.
EXIT-16	SOUTH CITY PART-1, 55,56 CUT, MAX HOSPITAL.
EXIT-17	SEC-17,18, SUKHRALI, SECTOR-14, GURGAON CITY, MG ROAD, CHAKARPUR VILLAGE, SIKANDER PUR VILLAGE, SHYAM CHOWK, ATLAS CHOWK.
EXIT-18	UDYOG VIHAR PHASE-1,2,3,4 & 5, TRIDENT HOTEL, 55-56 CUT, KENDRIYA VIHAR, NATHUPUR VILLAGE, SIKANDER PUR VILLAGE, MEHRAULI ROAD, DLF PHASE 2 & 3.
EXIT-19	RAJOKRI VILLAGE, KAPASHERA VILLAGE, FUN & FOOD VILLAGE, DUNDAHERA VILLAGE, SAMALKHA VILLAGE, BIJWASHAN RLY STATION, NAZAFGARH.
EXIT-20	DWARKA, POCHANPUR.
EXIT-21	IGI AIRPORT.
EXIT-22	DOMESTIC AIRPORT, DWARKA, PALAM VILLAGE.
EXIT-23	VASANT VIHAR, R.R. HOSPITAL, NEHRU PALACE. Courtesy: http://www.dgexpressway.com/entry-exit.htm

An exercise to overcome writer's block

There is very little that gives me more joy than writing. However, I am a little sad that these days I have not been able to write the way I wish to. I have not taken out enough time for solid writing and my mind has been overly distracted in work, personal issues and spending a lot of time on the Internet. Even this blog that I am writing is basically an exercise to literally ‘force’ myself to write something, anything. So here I am, just typing out whatever is coming to mind and I guess it’s not such a bad idea. Before I even could realize what’s happening, I have already crossed 115 words.

I suppose it’s a reflection on certain things that sometimes when something gets a bot dusty or rusty you just have to shake off the dust and scrub off the rust and start to use it. That is what I am trying to do here.

So for those of you out there that have been suffering from ‘writer’s block’, just read these words and see what is possible if you just sit down on a computer or in front of a paper notebook and just write down whatever comes to your mind. Do not worry about the grammar, coherence and relevance of what you are writing at this point. JUST WRITE!

Just doing it will make you feel good about it. Just sit down and type out whatever comes to mind. See, 250 words already!

Best of luck, my fellow writers.

Difference between faith and hope

I have wondered what the difference is between Faith and Hope. First I pondered over it and then I prayed over it. The following is what came into my mind after praying.

There is one story from the life of Jesus Christ that comes to mind regarding the difference between Faith and Hope:

The night before he was crucified, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples and prayed alone to God in which he said: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42 NIV).

This prayer of Jesus consists of both Hope and Faith as shown below:

1. Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me (HOPE)

2. Yet not my will, but yours be done (FAITH)

So Hope is wanting something. Faith is accepting that God will do what's best for us.

Prayer works with faith, patience and perseverance

I have been reading a lot the past few months. Primarily, I've been reading about God and prayer. I have read many authors for the first time and am thoroughly enjoying their work. People like Father James Martin, SJ whose book 'A Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything', Stormie Omartian's Pray Big Series on Parenting, Marriage, Husband, Wife, etc. Currently, I'm reading Michael Harold Brown's 'The God of Miracles' and loving it!

The past few months have been like a roller coaster of life - up and down, then up and then down. I have been going through some difficult times emotionally that I wouldn't like to get into here, but suffice it to say that - PRAYER WORKS!

God has been with me through this storm in my life and remained in the same boat, asleep in the back at first and then woke up and asked me clearly, 'Where is your faith? Peace. Be still!'

Prayers have results. But these results come in God's time, not ours. Patience, faith and perseverance are the pillars of getting results from prayers.

Take the storms of your life not as a curse, but as a blessing that jolts you into thinking more about God than the things of the world. For it is only in these times that you begin to see the impermanence of it all worldly things and the permanence of heavenly things. You begin to realize that life and the tests that come with it are meant to teach and prepare you for the spiritual life that will follow this physical one after we transition from this world to the next. 

Give your anxieties and worries to God

Why be anxious in life? Problems come to each and every one of us sometime or the other. The important thing to remember is to have faith that you are never alone. God is with you through your problems. Just as we read about in the Bible when there was a storm in the Sea of Galilee and Jesus slept in the rear of the boat as the disciples got scared and thought they were going to sink. They woke him up and said, "Don't you care?" (Mark 4:35-41). Jesus rebuked the storm by saying "Peace. Be still." Immediately, the storm calmed. He then asked his disciples, "Why are you so afraid. Do you still not have faith?" 

There are many things in life that we need to be thankful for. But yet, every time we worry about little things that mostly never happen. While there are some more serious events in life that we face where we can get hopeless, worried, anxious and scared about. But this is the time to have faith in God and surrender our worries and problems to Him. Remember that God loves you and will never leave your side. Sometimes we have problems in life, but take this positively. It is only in our problems and how we face them that we learn and grow. Cast your care upon God and have faith that He will be at your side through the storms of life. You have to just weather these storms and learn what you can. No storm is permanent and neither are your troubled situations. Things will always get better. Smile. 

The Difference In Doing And Being

(published in The Speaking Tree, The Times of India - August 29, 2013)

The simple art of passive observation is something that is becoming a rarity. In today's world we are many times obsessed with 'doing' something. In the car, we are either driving, listening to music, reading or talking on our cellphones. Or we are thinking about yesterday and tomorrow with our minds totally absent from the herenow. An experiment was conducted where instead of always trying to do something, the passenger in the car was instructed to just look outside the window and observe. No thinking, no worrying, no communicating, just observing. The result was amazing!

The daily route to work taken more than one thousand times over the years revealed many surprises unnoticed before. The observation yielded new alleys, lanes, signs, trees, structures and other things never before seen. The simple but not easy task of eliminating all thoughts from our minds during the observation also yielded strange results. Suddenly from the silence within came forth a form of communication with the Divine hitherto heard but rarely. A feeling that asked, 'Have you never observed these things before? You pass by here every day but have seen these never before. They have been here all along, but you have seen them not.'

The observer then realises that though he had travelled on this route perhaps thousands of times earlier, he had never noticed so many of the things he saw that day. The fact that he could even hear the Divine voice talk to him could also be an indication of the same phenomenon – that sometimes the mind has to be still from the thoughts of yesterday and the hopes or worries of tomorrow and just be in the here-now. The Divine voice itself could be calling out to us all the time but perhaps could never be heard because of this same lack of observation of what is. Our minds are now caught in a virtual web that comprises constant communication with other people, constant bombardment with information, constant worrying or thinking about yesterday or tomorrow but very often never with just being in the here-now.

But there is another aspect of the experiment that needs mentioning. After a few minutes of observation and the hearing of the Divine voice, it continued further, ''All these things you see – love them and you love me!'' God wants us to see the world and observe it. From that will come the lessons that need to be learnt and the love that needs to be loved.

With all this constant race and pursuit of material things, we forget the simple things. The butterflies and flowers, the leaves swaying in the trees, children playing in the park, the setting sun, the wind blowing through your hair, the joy of seeing a baby laugh or simply sit in the rear seat of a car and observe the world as it passes by…there are so many things you will notice if you just look and see. It is not a 'waste of time', for at the end of the day, what are we really here in this world for? Sure, it is important to do also. It is important to work and play and laugh and cry and love and hurt, but it is also very important to process all that information. It is important to feelthe moment. It is important to live in the herenow and just be! After all, we are all human beings not human doings.

-----------------------------

To read this article on the Speaking Tree, Times of India site, click here

To read a scanned version of this article, click here

Studying Is Not Mugging

(published in Millennium Post Edit page August 27, 2013)

Education in India needs to be more learning-oriented and less examination-centric.

It is the children of any nation that are the biggest resource of the future and India is no exception. The population of India is around 1.22 billion and more than 50 per cent of the population falls under the age of 25 and around 65 per cent under the age of 35. Among the hundreds of millions of children in our country, some could be the next Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Gandhi, Newton, Bill Gates or Abraham Lincoln. Somebody out there amongst the children of today are the national leaders of tomorrow. But what are we as a nation and as a society doing to gear them up for the challenges and opportunities ahead?

What kind of education system are we giving them? And how much of a priority is education to the national leaders and governments of the day? The education ministers and education secretaries of all Indian states may not be the most powerful or even well known amongst their peers, but one thing is for sure – for the long term welfare of the Indian Republic, they are the most important people in this country. For in their hands lie the future development and growth of India's most precious and important asset – its youth. They also have the power to formulate and implement new policies that will improve the quality and quantity of educational institutions.

So now we are in 2013, 66 years after the British left our shores and left us with the responsibility and destiny of governing our own land and preparing our own youth for the challenges of the future. But let us examine our own selves and ask how have we really changed the education system that the British left us with? It has been said often that the British system of education was designed to create a nation of clerks amongst the Indians and perhaps that is true. All of us remember the anxious nights we had cramming for an examination the next day. We all remember trying to memorise dates in History, formulae in Physics, Chemistry and Maths, trying to remember important latitudes and longitudes in Geography, trying to remember all the Latin associated with Biology and so on. But is that the right way for youngsters to learn?

The system needs an overhaul and fast. We have to move far away from the system of clerk creation that the British left us with and introduce a much more interesting, fun approach to education and we also need a totally new approach towards examinations.

Education in India needs too be more learning-centric and less examination-centric. At the very least, it needs to have a completely different approach to examinations. Instead of having voluminous textbooks that are meant for purely cramming information into the minds of our youth so that they can go and take an exam, there needs to be a much more practical research based approach to education. Children at a certain age need to be able to choose their subjects according to their interest and capability instead of according to a pre-defined curriculum.

We live in a rapidly accelerating Information Age. Can we possibly keep stuffing all this information into our brains? And why should we? The very term Information Age implies that we have access to information of all kinds accessible instantly through the Internet and other digital forms, yes also physical books and papers as well.

But in such an Age, is it not more important to know how to access that information quickly and easily and to be able to use it as and when needed. Research needs to be encouraged where children will be encouraged to actually research something and use whatever information tools are available for the task. This is how our youth will learn how to learn and think. Education is about learning and thinking and not memorising! When are we going to understand this simple fact.

Examinations should also be such that children can have access to their research materials and use them so that their answers will be more accurate. But of course within a prescribed time limit.

Evidence of this lack of thinking and innovativeness is seen around us. Just think of how many Indian products or brands are available globally. Products that were invented in India. How many inventions and discoveries in general are made in India? Very few. This is because of this lack of research approach in education and a lack of research and development of science and technology in general.
Children will learn more when they experience things and do things on their own. In the US, schools regularly take their students to zoos, museums, planetariums, aquariums and such places. They have outdoor excursions to the forests where kids can experience plants and certain animals face to face.

I remember as a child (I studied in the US as a kid) in class 2, we were taught about the Mayan civilization. I remember that we hardly read anything in a textbook. We were shown a Discovery channel type documentary in our classroom and were shown and physically held artifacts of the Mayans. We were explained things through maps, diagrams, etc. Generally, the information was portrayed in a very interesting and meaningful way, so much so, that I remember everything clearly even now 34 years later!

But there is another thing that needs to be highlighted. Education is not only about science, social studies, etc. It is also about morals, ethics, civics and ideas. Imagine a subject called 'Ideas' where children are encouraged to think and try to discover and invent new concepts. This is how a nation will grow into a great nation.

Our children are tomorrow's leaders. They are the only hope for this country. If they learn to have respect for society, for country, for women, for environment, for rule of law, for research, for entrepreneurship, for poverty reduction, for education, for lofty and noble thoughts and ideas, for honesty, for truth – then we have an education system that is worth it.

We need more schools, colleges, adult schools and adult colleges, more museums, more libraries, etc. The private sector's participation is needed more. Allow schools, colleges, museums, libraries, etc. to be profit making bodies. Let them be run by companies listed on stock markets and pay teachers well. Why not? Which is better – that a company provides quality education and makes a profit in the process? Or that governments continue to allocate budgets to education and yet not be able to provide quality classrooms, teachers or teaching.

Just like we had an economic liberalisation process that started in 1991, we need an education revolution starting now!


-----------------------------------
To read this article on the Millennium Post site, click here
To read a scanned version of this article, click here

Don't be anxious, pray and have faith in God

When we are faced with anxiety in life, we do tend to worry about it. We think that the worst may happen to us. The uncertainty of life is also something that tortures us. "What will happen to me?" is one of life's most uncertain and perplexing questions.

Recently, I found a small passage in the Bible that has given me a lot of hope.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

During a rather difficult moment in my life, in a moment of tears, I prayed to the Lord to help me and the words 'Philippians 4:6' flashed into my mind. I opened my Bible and read this verse. In that moment of anxiety and worry, imagine how I felt the moment I read the words 'Do not be anxious'. Praise God!

So brothers and sisters, I urge you also, in times of anxiety, fear or worry; do not be anxious. The right thing to do is PRAY and PETITION the Lord and give THANKS to Him. When you do this, the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Yes, this peace of God that comes does really transcend all understanding. A moment of tears can suddenly be followed by peace.

Have faith in God. Do not worry, fear or be anxious. Pray and petition God with thanks and then leave it to Him. Be content in the knowledge that if you hand over the situation to Him, the results will certainly come. Have faith that His will is done and that His will is the best thing for you. The results may not happen overnight (it could though) but it will come in His time, not in yours. Have patience in God.

Most importantly, remember that you are not alone. We all have problems. We all have anxious and worrisome moments, but God is with those who have faith in Him. And remember "If God is for us, who can be against us?" - Romans 8:31 (NIV)

Wake Up Call For Citizens

This is my first column which appeared in Millennium Post newspaper on August 2, 2013

Wake up call for Citizens

India is destined for greatness. But where will this greatness come from? Is it only the government of a country that can lead it to greatness? Is it only the political leaders that can forge the destiny of a nation? No. The true greatness of any nation lies in its people.

There is potential for greatness in every citizen of the land. For the true owners of our nation are its citizens. Government is only the custodian of the nation and is there exclusively to serve the people of the country. This is what a true democracy should be like. However, for a true democracy to thrive, the citizens have to play a larger role and fulfil their duties towards the nation.

The most famous line from US President John F Kennedy’s inaugural address is, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.’ What is this but a call for citizens to rise to the occasion and do their duty?  What we in India many times tend to forget is that while the Constitution of India gives us several fundamental and other rights, it also has prescribed a set of Fundamental Duties in Article 51(A). 

The purpose here is not to list these out as a simple Google search can reveal them in more detail to anyone interested. However, what is important is for us to understand the concept of citizen’s ownership. If you go to any of the world’s great countries and look at the progress and development made in these places, you will see that it is not just the role of government, but also the role of citizen. It is from the citizenry that political leaders emerge and they cannot be divorced from people. In a true democracy, the leaders that the people get are the leaders that they deserve. If we simply sit in our drawing rooms and debate about the quality of leadership this country has, we will achieve nothing. We have to take an active role in creating a new type of leadership in the country. 

As mentioned earlier, it is the citizens who are the owners of the nation, but they need to act like owners. Here ownership means to play their part in building the nation. It is the citizens of any nation that are the true nation builders.  Leaders are not only political. There are leaders in the fields of business, education, social service, science and technology, literature, arts, music, sports, entertainment, etc. They are all doing their duty to the nation by using their talent to not only bring glory to the nation, but also to highlight important issues that are important to tackle in order to make the country into a better place. 

How can this be achieved? It can be done in a variety of ways. Just strive to live each and every day with the intention of using your talent and resources to help improve the nation in any way. 
For the concept of duties to become strong, educating the youth of the country is of paramount importance. Here education is not only formal education in schools and colleges. Education means focusing on youth at home and in the workplace as well. In formal education, civics and moral science should be taught with the same fervour and importance as maths, science, economics and English. A sound foundation of good citizenship and ethics is crucial for the better future of the country. 
Parents need to teach their children the importance of obeying laws and being patriotic. Being patriotic is not only about respecting the national anthem and flag, it is also about living your life for the betterment of your world and in particular your country. Children need to learn and be encouraged to express their talents and skills and consider themselves as a national asset. Every citizen is an asset that needs to be developed. 

Our citizens could be the one discovering the cure for AIDS, finding cheaper and cleaner ways to produce energy efficiently, discovering ways to solve the problem of water and food, inventing new technologies in various fields, creating new industry that can provide employment to millions, and so on. This is why it is important to inculcate the spirit of creative thinking and entrepreneurship keeping in mind  the development of the nation at the foundation of any endeavour.

All this will happen when people start to think about their country first. Instead of envying other countries, they should strive to make India prosperous. Things you do for your country do not have to be big, small things can lead to bigger chain reaction. 

Whether you start a small business, write an article, teach a child, shop at local stores with local goods, not pollute, participate in cleanliness drives, create a work of art, volunteer for some social cause etc, you are performing your duty as a citizen. You are contributing to the consciousness of community development and this will begin the process of change. Considering that most young people spend most of their time at school or work, it is also important for teachers and employers to inculcate a sense of patriotism and duty into the hearts and minds of young people.

For it is the youth who is the future of the country. Some day, the older generation will be gone and it is today’s young generation that will be tomorrow’s leaders in various fields. Do not be discouraged by the present state of affairs in the country. Don’t let anybody say that things cannot change. They can. Do your bit starting today. Plant the seed of greatness now and some day it will blossom into a tree of national pride.

The author is a businessman and freelance journalist

Read this on Millennium Post site....

An excellent visit to Edinburgh and London

I just returned from a very relaxing vacation to the United Kingdom. Our first stop was Edinburgh. I simply loved it. The greenery of Scotland is something wonderful. We stayed at The Caledonian Waldolf-Astoria in the heart of the city right in front of The Edinburgh Castle. Let me say this - the view from our room was breathtaking!

The view from our room of The Edinburgh Castle

The next day we did the HOHO bus tour of the city and also visited the Camera Obscura and the Whisky Tour on the one mile road of fun right at the entrance to the Edinburgh Castle.

The day after that, we visited the castle itself, but were rushed as we wanted to catch a train to Lake Windermere in the Lake District.

When we got to the Edinburgh Waverley station, we were told that a one way trip to Lake Windermere would take us 3^1/2 hours! It was already almost lunch time, so we dropped the idea of Lake Windermere and opted for a 51 minute trip to Glasgow instead. That was a good choice. We got to experience a train ride in Scotland and also didn't have to sit for too long. Glasgow also we enjoyed a lot. We had lunch at a restaurant called The Counting Room, which used to be a bank once. Here, I had my first ever traditional Fish-n-Chips experience. What can I say? I loved it, mate!

Buckingham Palace

The next day we flew on Virgin Atlantic to London Heathrow. We checked into The Kingsway Hall Hotel in the heart of Central London in Covent Garden. Ate lunch at The Prince of Wales Pub nearby, excellent place. Over the course of the next six days, we did the HOHO bus, the London Eye, Riverboat Cruise, steaks at Gillians in the Marriott Hotel on the Embankment, the Making of Harry Potter at the Warner Bros Studio at Leavesden and also won a wee bit of money at a casino in Leicester Square. And let us not forget the amazing Indian food at Moti Mahal, right next to The Prince of Wales in Covent Garden. Ofcourse, we took the kids to Hamleys and also to the Royal Air Force Museum and also did some shopping on Oxford Street.

View of The Tower Bridge and The Shard 

Oh yes, I also watched Man of Steel one more time at the largest screen in the UK - the BFI Imax! What an experience that was.

Hogwarts model from The Making of Harry Potter Tour

Oh if only I could have stayed a few more days. This was the first ever vacation, where I actually wanted to stay longer!

Welcome the problems of life

Life is about learning, growing, exploring and loving. In this process, there are moments where you encounter problems, hardships, difficulties, pain and suffering. You are not alone! Everybody has faced these. This is as much a necessary part of life as the good times where you are happy, joyous and blissful. 

It is when we have these so-called 'negative' experiences that we are able to put our own life in perspective. Mostly people reflect only after something 'bad' happens to them. This is a normal thing. God has His ways of reminding us about the Big Picture. We are here to grow, learn, explore and love. On the way, we all enter into attachments of some kind or the other. Be it to material things, people, ideas, habits, etc. But attachment, though a very normal thing, can be limiting to our own growth and happiness. 

God reminds us that true happiness lies in accepting that all Earthly things are temporary and are to be enjoyed as such. While we are here, we must love and respect one another as fellow Children of God, who are all a permanent resident of the Spiritual Realm as we are, but here on Earth they are as temporary as us. Someday when we all return to our True Home we will sit back and laugh at all the things that we took so seriously while on Earth. We will sit together and see how we faced challenges, grew from hardships, explored the various things that the material plane offers, learned from the experiences that we had on Earth and also how we loved one another. 

Many people who have had near-death experiences have stated that after the transition is made back to our True Home, the being of light at the end of the tunnel is only interested in two things - what did you learn about love? and How did you use the gifts I gave you to help the World? So, reflect on this for a while and do not worry about the problems you are facing. While we are on Earth everybody faces problems. These are meant to learn valuable spiritual lessons from. Every living thing on Earth (without exception) will someday eventually 'die' or make the transition back into the True Home, so do not worry! It is a natural part of life. It is only the uncertainty that we are afraid of. But believe me, you have experienced the transition many time before in previous incarnations. There is just a veil of amnesia that is surrounding you. 

When we return Home, we will look at our Earth lives like a movie that we starred in and use the lessons learnt to further our spiritual evolution.

The Place Beyond Dreams

These words came into my mind a while ago, I thought it is best suited as a poem.

The Place Beyond Dreams

Prashant Solomon

There is a place beyond dreams;

A place where we were born;

Where there is no space or time;

No yours or mine.

A place where we all belong;

Where we are all of light;

No sorrow, fear or pain;

To this place we all shall go again.

The place beyond dreams is where we were all born;

Descended from there upon this Earth we have;

Mistaken we are that Earth is our home;

We are but sojourners here.

Sent by our Father in Heaven to reap what we have sown before;

This place beyond dreams we visit again and again;

Between our trips to Earth - our temporary dwelling place;

Home we call it but it is not.

The place beyond dreams is where we were born;

Before time, beyond space;

That place we will see again but only after we finish this mission;

Arise, awake, do not sleep.

Back to our home we must go;

Full of love and light it is;

That world from which we have come;

God our father lives there - in that place beyond our dreams.

In my heart I can hear the music - the symphony of my dreams;

That sweet music that is calling me;

Once again to that same place beyond my dreams;

A music embedded in my soul, that has accompanied me on my course.

A journey I started long ago. How long ago?

I may never know;

I was made in that place beyond my dreams; 

In His image, my light was made and then sent away to learn.

This trip to Earth I do make, to grow in love and light;

Onwards I go and try my best, to do what is right;

Each one of you is from my home;

from the place beyond our dreams.

Sojourners all like myself;

Each one of you are;

Seeking, searching, learning things;

That we take back.

For God made us to experience things;

And become flesh for a while;

But our true selves are the light;

That is the current of our life.

Onwards, onwards we shall race;

But for those on Earth;

We have vanished without a trace;

For back to the place beyond our dreams we go.

No sorrow, fear or pain;

As long as we are there;

Until our Lord decides again;

For us to briefly say good-bye.

Then again we are in the flesh;

This time with a new face;

Onwards, onwards another race;

Then again we disappear without a trace.

Sojourners to this Earth we are;

To the place beyond dreams we will return;

Our home beyond time and space in the realms of love and light;

That land O my dear is where you and I were born.

Our true home it is, only forgotten we have;

Listen to the music embedded in your soul;

And memories will awake;

Remember, you are that, remember you are that.

I am you and you are me and we are that;

That which we call God - omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent!

The place beyond our dreams beckons us all;

But there is work to do before we return.

prashantsolomon@gmail.com

Welcome Pope Francis

Pope Francis (CTV/AP)

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope on March 13, 2013. He took the name of Francis becoming the first Pope to ever do so. He is also the first Pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit Pope. When he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican City, he endeared himself to billions of people around the world by asking first for the prayers and blessings of the people before he blessed them. He is known as a very humble man who travels by bus to work in his native city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also opted not to use the official car and house allotted to the Archbishop of Buenos Aires living in his old apartment instead.

There was a moment when he asked for the silent prayers of the people when there was a complete hush in the crowd of hundreds of thousands in the square. I watched this entire episode on CNN, thousands of miles away in New Delhi, India. But even I closed my eyes and prayed for the new Pope. I could feel an energy, a power, a feeling of new hope and new promise in that moment. I believe it was the Holy Spirit that connected me and billions of others to those in the square and the new Pope.

The first impression I got of the new Pope Francis is that he is a man who will try to return the flock to the Lord Jesus Christ. He just seemed immediately so much more human and humble than his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI and seemed to me to be almost like in the mold of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. Well, time will tell.

The choice of the name Francis is in honor of St. Francis of Assisi who is known to be a great lover of the poor and of nature. He is also known for his kindness and gentleness towards animals. A great choice of name I must say. He also proved everybody (including me) wrong about the probably names that the new Pope would take.

The next day during a mass for the Cardinals, Pope Francis said this:

"If we don't proclaim Jesus, we become a pitiful NGO, not the bride of the Lord. When we walk without the cross, and when we preach about Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are mundane. We are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but we are not disciples of the Lord." 

I pray for Pope Francis. May he restore the Catholic Church to truly love and live the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

A child writes a letter on a One World Government

[The text of the letters that I sent to then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, President R. Venkataraman and Vice President S.D. Sharma of India when I was fourteen years old in May 1987. I will post their replies shortly]

Dear Sir, 

I am a fourteen‐year‐old boy living in New Delhi. I am quite concerned about the future of not just India, but the whole world. As you know, in the olden days people were recognized as the members of a certain tribe, eventually of a village, then towns, cities, states and now countries. I think it is time to take one step further so that mankind will be known simply as ‘Citizens of the Planet Earth’.

I have heard many of your speeches on TV and I am impressed that you want peace in India, you say we live in India, you say we are all Indians. I agree, but sir, don’t you think it is right to say that we live on the Planet Earth and that above being Indians, or Asians, we are (all of us) ‘Humans’.

Wouldn’t it be correct to say that we are citizens of the Planet Earth. In a book, I read that the late Albert Einstein was in his later life a crusader for a World Government. Don’t you feel that we should establish a World Government based on the principles of Equality, Democracy, Secularism and Socialism?

I know that perhaps it will take time to make an effective World Government, but let us begin.

Perhaps if you agree on this topic you could make a few speeches about it. It would indeed be a bold step towards a better tomorrow. A step towards peace and a step closer to a world where one can sleep without the fear that he may never see tomorrow due to a nuclear bomb bursting over the home where he was born, raised and now due to this explosion, would die.

Indeed if we could try to establish a World Government, it would be a step closer towards a world without fear.

Thanking you,
Sincerely,

Prashant Solomon

Oprah's top 7 tips for creating the life you want

A very interesting article I found while browsing the Net this evening.

Oprah's top 7 tips for creating the life you want

New Delhi Nirbhaya gang rape juvenile should be punished

The recent gang rape and subsequent death of 'Nirbhaya' in New Delhi is another shocking reminder of the importance of changing certain laws related to juveniles.

The fact that someone can commit a heinous crime like rape and murder and be let off simply because they are a juvenile goes against the very nature of justice. According to reports in the media, the unnamed juvenile who was involved in this case was the most brutal of the lot. So, why should he be free to roam the streets of New Delhi in a few months or year simply because he is a juvenile?

The fact that he cannot even be identified is something that is even worse. How can women feel safe in Delhi knowing that this brutal juvenile is on the loose and they do not even know his name or what he looks like?

There should be an amendment in the law in which juveniles who are involved in heinous crimes must be sentenced by a court of law as soon as they become a major and then punished accordingly.

Identification restrictions should be imposed on victims but not on culprits - juvenile or adult. Sex offenders names, photographs, fingerprints should be on record and their names and photos should be published in newspapers and websites so that people are at least warned.

The juvenile involved in the 'Nirbhaya' case needs to be severely punished for his deed.