Change I have seen from my recent past - Tenzin Jambey

Time goes on. We become old, much more experienced as the year passes (like a changing season). Reflection on things and my surroundings has become a part of my life. And from them, I get life lessons. This summer vacation was full of learning and knowledge, indeed. Knowledge is something other than what you get by opening books. 

Sometimes life and time teach you the best and most unforgettable teachings. So this vacation, I worked as a labour. Working under the orders of our boss was a different story. Well, for me, it was a lesson I learned that- life is not easy. For every human being, from poor to rich; and businessman to doctor, life is tough, and it is up to us- how we deal with it. The poor people think living a luxurious life is best and that money is everything. 

We chase money like a donkey chasing a carrot tied with a rope to a stick, while the master controlling the carrot takes the donkey where he wants. It's just an illusion a donkey sees. And the same case is with us people running behind an earthly thing like money. But if we think deeper, then we realise that money is an important asset to earn a living today and the same case for the donkey who runs behind a carrot to overcome hunger. 

There is a saying that "Too many cooks spoil the broth". Similarly, more money would not solve the problem but could lead to problems like - greed, desires, etc. And the conclusion for this will be that - 'For every problem, there is a solution'. And behind every solution, there is a problem. Recently, I have seen myself developing and becoming an idol for my juniors and even becoming a favourite of my house mother due to my efforts. Even in my village, I have a good image among everyone because I push myself to do better every time. 

Whenever I see any person older than me, I talk with them in a very respectful and comfortable way. They always give me a big smile when I meet them. If you work hard with your soul, life will pay you for that. When we push ourselves harder by getting out of our comfort zone, life teaches us lessons. And we are rewarded for the same accordingly. "That's the change that I have seen in my recent past".

Tenzin Jambey, Pestalozzi Children's Villiage India

War and Peace - Aria Gupta

We all can agree on one thing, which is that war is a horrible, horrible thing. It was a war that tore our country apart, which is how the Britishers were able to take advantage of us. It also takes the lives of innocent people, leaving their loved ones in immense pain.

If war has such negative consequences, then why does it still happen?

What’s even worse is that they try to cover up their greed and selfishness and say they’re doing this for the people or justice.

How can they say that they’re doing this for the people if they end up so traumatised and malnutrition after a war?

Instead, they should live peacefully and try to share resources; there is no denying that humanity is trying to achieve that. The United Nations has prevented many conflicts between Countries from arising. But humans should try harder to avoid war and encourage peace to live happily and peacefully without violence.

Aria Gupta
Grade VI
Gyanshree school

Our broken relationship with Nature - Rishona Chopra

Nature is all around us. The magnificent trees, the lush green forests, the animals and the birds. And in fact, we humans are nature. We are not a part of it, but we are nature. 

Nature heals us. By this, I don't mean just the trees and forests that heal us. Our loved ones, friends and parents care for and support us, standing selflessly as our backbone. 

Human's greatest enemy is ego. Is it the fuel for anger, jealousy, greed and whatnot? For desire, we fight wars. Why? For a mere piece of land. That very land belongs to none of us. Countries fight for the mountain areas that come into our country. But, in reality, that land is neither ours nor theirs. It is nature which has no possession. We don't have the owners we belong to, and neither does the land. 

Without realizing it, we hurt nature for a silly reason. Amid these wars, aren't oceans and mountains being affected? 

We greedily fight for possession, but do we take that possession with us when we die? One day, it all has to be lost. 

Plants, humans, animals and birds are all nature. We are one and are meant to live in harmony. But we have all broken ourselves into different categories. We are told to live in peace and harmony, yet we have created a broken relationship with one another. 

The beauty of our world lies not in our planet's biodiversity but in the harmony that we create with one another. 

Due to the broken relationship, neither are satisfied; neither are we nor are the plants and animals. 

It is high time we fix this relationship by realizing that ego is our greatest enemy and has ruined so much for us. 

We must cure the wounds we have caused and prevent more from being created. 

Listen to my podcast.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

A Dilemma - Reveda Bhatt

"…wondering whether I wait to live or if waiting is also living;" - From 'Extinctions' by Sharmistha Mohanty.

Due to the greed pertaining in humans, which doesn't seem to have an end, every moment of our lives is spent waiting for something from our to-do list. Some people are lucky enough to get what they want while waiting for theirs, and some do not understand that what they lost for what they wanted was what could have been gained.

In life, some of us just fix a pinpoint around our life circles wherein instead of living freely, we tie ourselves onto a mystical bull's eye, which we aren't even sure about. We, people, save money for our future or future generations, dragging ourselves into a so-charming-as-seen-superficial bond which limits our life, wings, and flight.

Now, realizing what we are doing with our lives raises a dilemma: whether to wait to live or to live! Taking a step towards waiting to live, the thought popping into our mind is the worry about whether the next generation would be much self-obsessed to even pay us back for the time we spent establishing a bright future for them. Believing they won't, we reframe our step back towards the initial position and then towards living, when we tend to wonder what if our next generation will not be able to get all the best things in life just because of our one stupidity to live freely and fully. That is how few moments of
our lives slip off our hands just like that, waiting for another.

The fact that we limit ourselves in this materialistic world when we can grow out of it really makes me wonder why we want such pleasures? It's not that I am saying let go of them. No! We also need them for our living, but picking out for them in excess is bad. It shouldn't ever be like you are stealing someone's right. All I am saying is that what gets sowed here on this planet, ultimately, wilts.

We get decayed in the same soil where we used to play, blow away in the same air that we
used to breathe, flow out in the same water that we used to swim in and get ash-ed up in
the same fire that once used to give us warmth.

In the past few years, I've learnt that by waiting for something else to come in, we make something go out, out of our mind, out of our soul, out of our body and lives. Halting for a moment to catch on, we lose another. People come, people, go, and moments come, moments go, although once the present is gone, it never comes back but haunts you as your past, a past that could have been better.

So, what I've been doing since those years after realizing that waiting is also living, is- "Forget the past, live in the present and think of the future."

Future, too, sometimes, but not always.
Long way ahead!? 

Reveda Bhatt

Grade IX

The Aryan School, Dehradun

Image courtesy My Good School, spreading the joy of learning for a better tomorrow.

Endless Cycles Of Desire - Rishona Chopra

 

We all have so many wishes in life. We want so much more, but it is through natural materialism that our greed grows. Like Mahatma Gandhi said - There is enough for everyone's needs but not for everyone's greed.

Greed is this emotion that is never endless and will continue forever, desire leads to sorrow and the end of desire is the ned of sorrow. The more we want, the more our ego increases; if we don't get it, we are unhappy. These are endless cycles of desire and sorrow. If only we realize that we have everything in the world and we don't need it anymore.

Don't we feel the want when we see someone has something that we don't, and it's all about material possessions. It's never about noticing that we made mistakes in life or never did good deeds and the want to be a better person but we think that being big doesn't lie in the heart but in what we possess.  

Rishona Chopra

Grade VI

Gyanshree School  

Ignorance - Rishona Chopra

Ignorance is when we ignore the law of nature.

When we think life will never end and we are immortal and will live forever is ignorance. When we forget that things change, we and ignorant.

 If you think you have come out of the world of ignorance and have achieved something great, and now you are more extraordinary, this thought simply displays that you are in the world of ignorance.

Ignorance is thinking that you are greater or your success will never end. Once you achieve something big and instead of being greedy for more, you cherish it: being free from ignorance. When the thought does not come to your mind that your success will never end, you are free.

The most prominent example is Lord Buddha. Did he ever show off his success and strength? No, because he was free from ignorance. And as he rightly said, desire is the cause of pain. This doesn't mean we shouldn't have ambitions and dreams. There is a simple difference between the desire of want and need. If you desire to be selfless and humble, then be it but then don't be too proud over that because once you link want and greed with need, all the pain begins.

Ignorance leads to ego, and ego leads to anger and greed. To stop this connection, we need to be humble.

Rishona Chopra 
Grade VI 
Gyanshree School

Appreciation - Rishona Chopra

Appreciation is to appreciate as in to be grateful and thankful for something. 
Most of us have so much to appreciate, but we still take time for finding mistakes and forget to embrace all the privileges we have and don't appreciate that. There shall always be greed for more, but it's on us to know how to control it, appreciate what we have, avoid finding what we don't have and stop this greed for more.

I know finding out mistakes is easier and catchy to talk about. I faced this problem myself! Although I have a lot to appreciate, I used to find what I didn't have. I have worked on that mistake and have stopped complaining and enjoying what I have. It's a little tricky but the moment you think about the things you have - a home, good clothes, education which most people might not even have you feeling happy and grateful for what you have. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade - V
Gyanshree School

A new world to bring - Rishona Chopra

If you look at the world now compared to the past, you might find the present life easier, but you will also notice that the world's culture and spirituality are lost. 

There was a lot of respect for culture and religion in the past. Everyone looked forward to religious festivals and ceremonies, but most of us hardly care about culture and faith in the present world. Most of us have forgotten that we have a family to spend time with. We look up to social media to communicate and share things. Most of us have forgotten that social media is just an app. We have our family and friends, some real people that actually understand our feelings. 

Apart from that, there is also a lot of unemployment in the world. People are greedy for money, even businessmen! Despite having more than enough, they still want more! People with greed pay less to their employees and don't control their spending. 

Now, it's your choice. What would you like - a spiritual and happy world or a lost and greedy world?

Every small step can make a big one.

Rishona Chopra

Grade V

Gyanshree School