VIVA-RKMM - Inspired Living , PerspectivesVIVA-RKMM - Inspired Living , Perspectiveshttps://viva.rkmm.org/blogs/perspectivesWed, 02 Sep 2026 02:21:33 +0530http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[The Freedom Month Issue]]>https://viva.rkmm.org/blogs/post/aug2026Our readers share their views on some of the biggest challenges facing India today, from upgrading education and building character to understanding true inner freedom, and offer thoughtful solutions that provide food for thought for us all as citizens.]]>

For the August month, we asked our readers to contribute on what according to them is a big challenge facing the country today and what solution would they propose to tackle the problem. From upgrading the education system, the need for character building and reflecting on what true inner freedom is, these insightful articles provide food for thought for all of us as citizens.

India I hope we Build
​​- Charu Madan, Delhi

India, to me, has always been a country of incredible contrasts and possibilities. It is a vast and colourful tapestry woven from different cultures, languages, religions, regions, traditions, cuisines, and ways of life. This diversity is perhaps our greatest strength, but it also brings with it complexities and challenges that we cannot ignore. Almost eighty years after gaining independence, I often find myself wondering about the kind of India we are building for the generations that will come after us. We have made remarkable progress in many areas, yet we continue to struggle with poverty, gender discrimination, caste-based inequality, environmental degradation, unemployment among our youth, and several other social challenges.

When I look at these issues, I feel that there is one common thread running through many of them—the absence of meaningful education. I say this not merely as an observation, but as someone who has spent a considerable part of my life learning, teaching, working with young people, and being closely associated with the performing arts. Over the years, I have come to realise that education has the power to change not just what a person knows, but who that person becomes. The question we need to reflect on is if education is meant to simply know how to read and write or acquire qualifications? Or should true education should teach us how to think?

True Education should give us the courage to question what we are told, the wisdom to make responsible choices, and the confidence to stand up for what is right. It should teach us to recognise injustice, to speak when something is wrong, and equally importantly, to listen and understand another person's point of view.

In a nutshell, it should also prepare us for life—not just examinations. A well-educated person should be able to face failure, uncertainty, disagreement and stressful situations with some degree of grace and dignity. They should have empathy, resilience, self-respect and respect for others. These qualities, in my view, are as important as academic achievement, if not more. This is where I feel there is a significant gap in our present education system. We have become increasingly focused on marks, examinations, qualifications and competition, while the deeper purpose of education—building thoughtful, responsible and compassionate human beings—is getting lost in most situations.

If we genuinely want to address some of the larger problems facing our country, I believe the change has to begin at the grassroots level, with the way we educate our children. And at the heart of that transformation must be the teacher. We need to attract people into teaching who genuinely care about children and about the future of the country. Teaching should be seen not as a fallback career, but as one of the most important professions a person can choose. Our teachers should be respected, well compensated and given meaningful incentives so that some of the brightest and most committed minds see education as a profession worthy of their time and talent.

At the same time, teacher training needs to go beyond teaching methodologies and academic content. There should be a conscious and sustained emphasis on character building, empathy, emotional resilience, critical thinking and values. A teacher who possesses these qualities can influence generations of students in ways that no textbook ever can. I believe that if we invest in our teachers and rethink what we mean by education, the impact will eventually reach every corner of society. We will not simply produce a more literate population. We will raise young people who are brave enough to question, confident enough to speak, compassionate enough to understand others, and responsible enough to make choices that benefit not only themselves but the larger community. That I believe is the India of our dreams.

- Ramesh Dwivedee, Delhi






Developing the Future of India by Character Building of its Young Citizens
​
​- Sonali Sengupta

A big challenge facing the country today is “corruption” and “laid-back disinterested attitude towards work by many Indians.” “Corruption” arises when you think albeit in a wrong way about how a system functions. A corrupt person assumes that by bribing people, you can get your work done faster. A laid-back (tamasic) disinterested attitude towards work assumed by many workers is based on the belief, that I will work for my salary only, and get it no matter whether I show up to work every day and do my work efficiently or not. Both these types of attitudes require “character building” as a solution.


Two components of character building are “integrity” and “humility”. Integrity can be developed when the system rewards the honest person for doing the work efficiently. Basically, the system, should not reward people who are working for salaries and titles only, but are working with purpose and intentionality. Humility can be developed if the person sheds “ï know it all” attitude. Even the illumined mystic Sri Ramakrishna who was the guru of Vivekananda said, “As long as I live so long do I learn. That man or the society which has nothing to learn is already in the jaws of death”. A service-oriented attitude or seva bhav with purpose is what will create great leaders of India, as these people are not working for their own selfish means, but for a greater noble cause i.e., nation building via service to the nation. Both integrity and humility can be integrated in school curricula from middle school to high school level via character building workshops, which inculcate values of integrity and humility and then mould the students’ character by involving them in team projects that develop their honesty and humility quotient. Humility can also be inculcated by involving students in service oriented projects like serving the less privileged, by teaching them and providing the less privileged with material resources. 

The Freedom of Choice: The Value of Values
​- Subha Kannan, Bangalore

Freedom gives us something incredibly powerful: choice. 
​The choice to think, to question, to speak, to create, to disagree and to decide the course of our own lives. It is one of the greatest gifts of a free society. 
But every choice also asks something of us: What will guide that choice?
This is where values matter. 
​We often speak about values as if they are a list of qualities we should possess: honesty, respect, empathy, courage, responsibility. But values become meaningful only when they influence what we actually do. 
  • Choosing to be honest when dishonesty is easier. 
  • Respecting someone even when we disagree with them. 
  • Thinking before reacting to something online. 
  • ​Taking responsibility for a public space instead of assuming it is someone else’s problem. 
  • ​Standing up for what is right even when it is inconvenient. 
These are ordinary choices. Yet, when millions of citizens make them every day, they shape the character of a nation.   
​This is perhaps one of the challenges before India today. As opportunities expand and young people gain greater freedom, access and influence, how do we ensure that our freedom is accompanied by the values needed to use it well?   
Swami Vivekananda said, “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.”   
​Perhaps education must therefore go beyond preparing young people to succeed in life. It must help them understand themselves, make thoughtful choices and recognise that their choices have consequences beyond themselves.   
​The India we leave for the next generation will be shaped not only by the economy we build or the technology we create, but also by the everyday culture we leave behind .   
​What we choose to value today will become the world they inherit tomorrow.   
​That is why freedom of choice matters.  And that is why the value of values matters even more.   


Saurav Bisht from Rajasthan questions thoughtfully on what real freedom is. Does external freedom necessarily mean that we are internally free from our various negativities and biases? 

]]>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:31:54 +0530<![CDATA[Perspectives - दृष्टिकोण]]>https://viva.rkmm.org/blogs/post/feb2025In this multimedia post, we explore perspectives through two poems, an article in Hindi about acceptance, an article on active listening, a quiz and a short video titled Swami Vivekananda and purposeful inconsistency. There is also a teaser for the launch of the podcast on 1st March 2025!]]>

Podcast with Swami Shantatmanandaji Maharaj premieres on March 1st, 2025! 

Handling Hurt

By Smt. Saswati Ghosh

We stand on two ends of the spectrum wide,
You carry your sorrow, quietly inside.
I let mine erupt, like a storm in the sky,
You smile through the tears, while I let mine fly.

Your silence is poetry, deep and strong,
My voice - a siren warning those who do me wrong. 
You endure the weight with words unspoken,
I shatter the chains before I am broken.

Yet neither is wrong, for pain finds its way,
Through whispers or echoes, someone has to pay
Your calm is a river, my storm is the sea,
Both flowing toward where our souls long to be.

For life is a journey of battles unseen,
Of scars that we carry, both loud and serene.
Both of us look for what we think right,
Through the shadows of day and the trials of night.
In your quiet pain, and my fierce fight,
We both are struggling to find the light







Difficult People
By Smt. Reena Sinha
We’ve all come across them, sometime or the other,
For some, it’s a one-time hassle, for others, a daily bother. 
Difficult people come in all ages and forms,
There’re no clues to help spot them, nor any norms.
How to deal with them, no one can tell,
But they sure make our lives a living hell.
A domineering parent who wouldn’t let go,
A cantankerous boss with a massive ego,
A nagging wife breathing down your neck,
A headstrong child who doesn’t care a heck,
An opportunistic colleague, a troublesome friend, 
A suspicious neighbour, always ready to offend,
I’ve had my share of them too, as all of us do,
Let me share here some of my experiences with you.
A student of mine he was, a little boy of eight,
An innocent face, but a heart full of hate 
For his mother, his teachers, his school and studies,
And, will you believe it, even his buddies?
His teachers complained, his mother was ashamed,
He day-dreamed in class, whether Science or Arts,
His notebooks were empty, his homework undone,
Negatives he had so many, positives not one.
He was often marched down to the Principal’s office,
He was often punished, at times given toffees,
But kindness or sternness, nothing seemed to work,
He’d stare hard at you and stand like a rock.
I prayed hard to God to show him the light,
Years later, suddenly I met him on a flight.
“Hello, young man,” said I, “What a difficult one you were!”
“So I was,” said he, “but then, did you care?”
I was taken aback by his bitter stance,
What had I done to get such a response?
“I was difficult,” he said, “but so were you,
What you did to me, I did unto you.
You never gave me a chance, you always complained,
You never allowed me to express or explain.”
His outburst on me had a sobering effect,
It forced me to sit down and reflect.
Had I known all this, years ago,
I’d handle him differently, without much ado.
My thoughts went back to my former boss,
Who never ever agreed with my views or thoughts.
Undercurrents, bitterness, tension in the air,
Anger, hatred, for she was being unfair,
Fear, that she may cause me some harm,
I always lived in a state of alarm.
Would things have been different, had I understood
That I was the cause of the difficulty too?
My pupil and boss have taught me a lesson,
While judging people, let us not hasten.
Difficult people do not love being so,
More often than not, they just do not know!
Or perhaps, just cannot let go.
Sometimes it’s their egos that come in the way,
At other times, it’s ours that blocks the way.
Here’s what I learnt about dealing with them.
Peep into their minds and try to understand
What makes them act the way they do,
Their ego, a whim, some truth about you?
Then deal with them as the situation demands,
Calmness for anger, obedience for commands,
Compliance for stubbornness, truth for falsehood,
Humility for arrogance, will do a lot of good.
It always pays to bow down for a while,
To help them realize, it wasn’t worth their while.
Be a parent to a mother, who acts like a child,
Be a child to a daughter, who acts very wild,
A boss can be handled with gentle persuasion,
A friend, with a calm and forgiving disposition,
Psychological handling while dealing with them,
Can turn them around and make them your friends.
A positive attitude will also help,
Then negatives will become roads to success!
Let us consider yet another fact,
We haven’t perhaps thought of that:
It’s strange but true that we don’t realize
We are often those difficult people whom we so criticize.
A wonderful father may be a horrendous boss,
An excellent teacher may be at a loss
When it comes to dealing with her children dear,
So, she fills their lives with misery and tears.
It’s therefore odd to put people in slots,
Say who is difficult and who is not.
We are all difficult and easy at times,
Like our lives that are filled with both rain and sunshine.
So, what’s to be done when a difficult one
Walks into my life, removes peace for strife?
Apply understanding, patience, tact and thought,
Try my level best and leave the rest to God. 
Difficult people or people misunderstood?
It’s all the same, it’s just the way you look!

THE END

स्वीकृति - क्यों और कैसे?

By Dr. Nandini Seshadri

जब  बच्चे घर का सुरक्षित माहौल छोड़कर बाहर की दुनिया के साथ बातचीत करना शुरू करते हैं, उनका दृष्टिकोण धीरे-धीरे बदलने लगता है।  ऐसा होना लाजमी है क्योंकि बच्चा साथियों के प्रभाव में आने के साथ-साथ स्वयं अपनी सोच भी विकसित कर रहा है।  इसे अनदेखा नहीं किया जा सकता। मतान्तर, छोटी से छोटी बात  जैसे कि कपड़ों का चुनाव से लेकर इतनी बड़ी बात कि वह  जीवन पर  प्रभाव डाल  सके, कहीं भी हो सकता है।
हमारे पास उपलब्ध साधनों में से एक है स्वीकृति – अर्थात, यह स्वीकार करना कि बच्चे का दृष्टिकोण हमसे अलग है।
 जब आप स्वीकार करते हैं तो -
  • स्थिति का नियंत्रण आपके हाथ में होता  है
  • आप भावनात्मक रूप से स्थिर होते  हैं और बेहतर सोच सकते हैं कि आप अपनी बात दूसरे तक कैसे पहुंचाएं या समस्या का समाधान कैसे खोजें। 
उदाहरण के लिए, आपका बेटा मानता है कि सोशल मीडिया उसके लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है और वह हर समय उसी में व्यस्त रहता है, जबकि आपका मानना ​​है कि यह समय की बर्बादी व हानिकारक है। यह स्वीकार कर पाना कि वह इसका आदी है और उसकी मदद करने का उपाय और साधन ढूंढना ही आगे बढ़ने का बेहतर तरीका होगा.
लेकिन क्या इसे स्वीकार करना आसान है?  नहीं, बिलकुल  नहीं!!
स्वीकारने की  दिशा  में  बढ़ने के  लिए  कुछ  क़दम 
  • स्थिति को बच्चे के दृष्टिकोण से देखें।
  • बिना किसी पूर्वाग्रह के, सकारात्मक होकर उसकी बात सुनें
  • आवेशपूर्ण प्रतिक्रिया देने के बजाय समझ कर प्रतिक्रिया दें
  • उसकी बात सुनने के बाद उसे अपना दृष्टिकोण बताएं 
  • स्वयं  को उसके स्थान पर रखकर देखें कि उस स्थिति में आप कैसा महसूस करेंगे ? 
  • उस पर विश्वास रखें 
  • इस बात पर विचार करें कि आपने उसकी उम्र में ऐसी ही परिस्थिति में क्या किया था?
  • हो सकता है इससे आपको कोई सौहार्दपूर्ण समाधान मिले 
  • हो  सकता है आप बहुत कुछ न बदल पाएं पर आप स्वयं में धैर्य बरतने जैसे गुण विकसित कर सकते हैं

आप बच्चे को गलती करने दें ताकि वह उससे सीखे और मजबूत बने। इसके लिए आंतरिक शक्ति की अत्यावश्यकता होती है जिसका प उपयोग करते हैं। आप जीवन में उन स्थितियों से निपटने के लिए, जिन पर आपका कोई नियंत्रण नहीं है, धीरे-धीरे लचीलापन विकसित करते हैं। 

उसके विचार को स्वीकार करते हुए -
  • उसे यह आश्वासन दिया जाता है कि उसे अपने स्वतन्त्र विचार रखने का अधिकार है, भले ही वह आपके विचारों से भिन्न क्यों न हों ।
  • इससे उसमे आत्म-सम्मान विकसित होता है जो उसे जीवन में उत्तरदायित्वपूर्ण विकल्प चुनने में सहायक होगा
  • संभवतः वह भविष्य में अपनी बात सम्मानजनक ढंग  से रखेगा 
यहां तक ​​कि यदि  उसने कोई गलती भी की है तो वह इसे स्वीकार करने से नहीं हिचकिचाएगा क्योंकि उसने आपके साथ एक सुदृढ़ सम्बन्ध स्थापित कर लिया है।

L.I.S.T.E.N

By Dr. Neera Pant

Listening is an essential yet often overlooked skill that plays a significant role in building stronger relationships. Let’s look at the word L.I.S.T.E.N. as an acronym. This provides us with a tool to be an active listener.

L - Look at the eyes of the listener while speaking

Maintain eye contact

I - Inquire with short questions

Is what is spoken clear?

S - Summarise

Tell the speaker briefly what you have understood of the conversation so far

T - Take part in the interaction

Using non verbal cues like nodding your head, etc.

E - Empathy

Listening with feeling

N - Non-judgemental listening

As a listener you do not respond with advice to a problem unless asked

This is the major difference between listening and active listening.

Weger et al. (2014) defines active listening as focusing on the speaker’s message, offering feedback to show understanding, and avoiding quick judgments or evaluations.

Research highlights that active listening improves empathy, reduces misunderstandings, and boosts problem-solving skills. It creates an atmosphere of trust and respect, which fosters more meaningful interactions. Feeling heard enhances self-worth and reduces stress. In the workplace, strong listening skills are linked to better teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution. Developing active listening skills requires practice. By becoming better listeners, individuals can strengthen relationships and navigate challenges more effectively.

Play a quiz on differing perspectives!

Non-violent civil struggle vs armed struggle 

Krishna's army vs Krishna himself 

Skilling for employment vs Knowledge of Self 

Swami Vivekananda and Purposeful Inconsistency

  • Tall lady talking to a small girl by Rajiv Eipe, for KİTAP KURDU LOLİ written by Fatma Günbey under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on www.storyweaver.org.in
  • different children by Aindri C, for Your Body Is Yours written by Yamini Vijayan, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books, 2020) under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on www.storyweaver.org.in
  • Sad man and people by Angie & Upesh, for Annual Haircut Day written by Rohini Nilekani, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books, 2007) under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on www.storyweaver.org.in
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  • Angry woman by Rijuta Ghate, for Naughty or Not (Tell me now series) written by Madhav Chavan, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books, 2004) under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on www.storyweaver.org.in
  • An angry girl in the midst of other children playing by Vinayak Varma, for Angry Akku written by Vinayak Varma, supported by Oracle, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books, 2017) under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on www.storyweaver.org.in
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  • Diverse people by Gitanjali Iyer, for How I Feel written by Varsha Seshan, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books, 2020) under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on www.storyweaver.org.in
  • different sizes and shapes of human bodies by Aindri C, for Your Body Is Yours written by Yamini Vijayan, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books, 2020) under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on www.storyweaver.org.in
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