Functioning Under the Three Modes of Nature

Goodness (Satvic), Passion (Rajasvik) & Ignorance (Taamsic)

Depending on the kind of life we lead we get either elevated, remain at the same level or get into a  degraded life in our next birth. 

Whatever we do, we do it under three modes of nature as per what Gita says. 

The three modes of nature are mode of Goodness (Sativc), move of Passion (Rajasvik) and mode of Ignorance (Taamsic). 

The more we function under the mode of Goodness more the chances will become of taking birth as a human being in families that are better than the present ones as far as social position, wealth, health and knowledge is concerned.

This is the only mode which will ultimately lead us towards salvation when we will learn to function in this very mode even at our sub conscious level. 

Functioning in the mode of passion will give rise to a status quo.  We shall get our rebirth in families, backgrounds of the same level.

Those who degrade themselves by intentionally functioning in the mode of ignorance will not get born as humans in their next birth.  This is for certain.

Sukhwant Singh Thaper
17.10.2017

All that Glitters is not Gold!

All that Glitters is Not Gold !
Staying at one place has given me the opportunity to observe the behavior of students, parents, society at large for almost two decades.
I have been in touch with mothers whose children (especially girls) have been studying in the school right from Nursery class and are now in senior classes, i.e., from IX to XII.
This is the time when the children, as teenagers, do things that need parental and teachers control & guidance.
Two of the teenagers were caught in the last two weeks bunking their classes / activities and spending the time with the boys of senior classes.
After reprimanding / counseling the children couple of the mothers from among the group mentioned above, were summoned to the school for being briefed regarding their daughter’s misdeed so that they could be guided properly.  Initially they heard about the whole story and felt bad about it.  but then spilled the beans of all daughters of other friends in their group.  Not only about the daughter but also revealed the wrong doings of their mothers who were their own friends.
All these years I had been observing very good bonding between these very ladies at various social gatherings.
On interacting with couple of other mothers I got the impression that all were bent upon to spoil the image of other ladies in their group.
I really felt bad at how it didn’t take much time for the ladies to spill beans about each other.  Specially after having spent time of two decades of social friendship. This was odd and painful.
Each one is of the opinion that their families are of high moral values so their daughter can’t walk the wrong path.  And each one of them revealed to me that their friend’s daughters were emulating their mothers in befriending boys.
All that glitters is not gold!
What appeared to me outwardly for two long decades as great friendship was built on walls of jealousy and hatred for each other.  The smiles and laughter with which they greeted and interacted with each other were all false and fickle.
More than the mothers I am worried about the daughters who are my students. 
What kind of ladies they will grow into with such mothers around them ?
Sukhwant Singh Thaper
Principal
DPS Nigahi 16th Oct 17

How can one be so Dumb?

Scoring  above 90% & less than 33% in all subjects is both amazing and shocking to me.
As a Principal when I go through the answers sheets of all subjects of students of both bright and slow learners I always get impressed as well as disappointed and shocked.
Impressed to see students scoring above 90% marks and disappointed to see students scoring less than 40% and shocked to notice students scoring even less than 33%.  Few even score less than 10 and 5 or even 0 !
I often wonder that how one could score above 90% as well as below 33%.
Upto some extent we can comprehend the reasons behind students doing well and scoring above 90%.  Like their intelligence, parental / teachers, guidance, good books, resources available online.
But scoring less than 33% and 10% is beyond my comprehension.
How can one be so dumb?

“Teacher is the most ignored part in India’s private Educational Sector.”

Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwaraha
Guru saakshaat ParaBrahma
Tasmai Sri Guruve Namaha
This means,
Guru is the Creator (Brahma)
Guru is the Preserver (Vishnu)
Guru is the Destroyer (Maheshwara)
Guru is the absolute (Singular) Lord Himself.

Salutations to that Guru.

A teacher in India is still looked upon with utmost respect by the parents and students as far as his knowledge, integrity and talent is concerned but unfortunately his knowledge, integrity and talent doesn’t get the same respect from the people who are running the Educational shows in the country under the private sector.

Big schools, small schools irrespective of the brands under which they are functioning / prospering inspite of spending huge amount for developing their 3 star, 5 star rated infrastructures, don’t pay their teachers what they deserve.

Boards, like CBSE & ICSE, have it in their affiliation bye-laws that the salaries paid to the staff need to be at least at par with the states in which the schools are located. But, this is seldom followed by any of the schools across the nation.  During the time of inspections all papers related to the salaries, including acquaintance roll, salary slips, bank documents are made available to the inspectors assigned by the Boards which show that proper salaries are being paid to all staff members but the ground realities remains dismal.






More than the rules the ethics of school promoters needs to be changed in order to enable the teachers to get their dues. This doesn’t seem to be happening.  Couple of my ex-colleagues who always stood by great idealism when they were teachers have ventured into establishing great learning institutes which get categorized under K schools are also not doing justice with their staff as far as their salaries are concerned.

Hence, I have formed a negative opinion about the fact that the situation will ever stand a chance to improve. It’s high time that the Indian Govt. needs to take cognizance  of the prevailing situation and bring about a revolutionary change in the field of education at all levels, i.e., schools, undergraduate institutes and post graduate institutes.  The sooner it is done the better it will be for the country.

When Government / PSUs can run various schools, JNVs, BHUs, IITs, IIMs, AFMCs, AIIMs kind of educational bodies then with their forevision and good intentions can change the prevailing circumstances and save not only the parents from being cheated by the so called Educational Mafia but also help to provide to the students of the country nothing but the best that is available and also raise the standards of the teachers who are treated to be higher than the God,

“Guru Govind dou Khadhe Ka Ke Lagu Pai
Balehari Guru Apne, Gobind Diyo Batay.”

Both Guru and God stand before me, whose feet do I touch first ? I bow down to my Guru first because without him I would have never been able to recognize God.


S.S. Thaper
Principal
Delhi Public School Nigahi

6.10.2017-6:00 pm

Blue Whale Game!

What’s wrong in asking a Question to students of Class IX regarding ‘BWG’ ?
Is it possible to both highlight an issue and also to keep the same issue wrapped under covers and treat it as a taboo ? Well the school administration, Principals and teachers are exactly being asked to do this as far as the ‘Blue Whale Game’ is concerned.
The very idea of highlighting the harmful effects of ‘BWG’ in schools was itself debatable.
We all know child’s psychology.  Whatever we tell the child not to do he gets more interested in it and his natural curiosity tempts him to explore the same.  Inspite of this the educationists, political leaders, bureaucrats and media decided to highlight ‘BWG’ among the school and college students of our country.
In order to raise awareness among students regarding any leader(s) of the past ; cleanliness; disaster; pollution; road safety; water conservation; empowerment of women etc., social issue, normal activities that we take the students through are : Debates, Extempores, Speeches,  Declamations, Drawing / Painting competitions, Essay writing competitions, Skits, Plays, Road Side Plays etc.
If we can make children do all these activities for raising awareness then one fails to understand what can be wrong with one of the teachers asking a question to Class IX students in the term based exam of a school in Chattisgarh wherein the students w ere asked to write a 50 words conversation between two friends on the topic ‘BWG’ ?

S.S. Thaper
20.09.2017

Unruly at Home But Disciplined in School

“Class III Boy” “Unruly at Home but Disciplined in School”
Couple of weeks before a mother of Class III student came down to meet me. Her grievance was that her son remained unruly at home.  He refuses to carry tiffin to this school frequently because of which she has to come to the school to deliver it to him.  He also removes his school uniform just before leaving the home and runs around the house without clothes and refuses to come to school.  She also said that he threatens them that he will commit suicide by jumping from the roof of their house.
On hearing her grievances I immediately summoned the boy to my chamber.  I had presumed that he would be a pretty strong character and will be a robust boy with a notorious appearance.  But was surprised to see a meekish boy entering my chamber.  He was pretty thin.  He looked very disciplined.  He wished me and didn’t show any signs of anger on seeing his mother in my room.  I made him sit comfortably on a chair beside his mother and asked him, “How are you ?” to which he answered ‘I’m good sir’, and smiled at me. I asked him, “Why didn’t you eat your breakfast and why didn’t you carry your tiffin to school for which your mother had to come to school ? See how much she loves you.” He replied by saying, “I was not hungry so I didn’t take my breakfast and I’m sorry for not having brought my tiffin.”
I was surprised to note his frank nature and also his confidence.  I also noticed that he was unable to articulate words properly and was also stammering but this short coming was not bothering him at all.
I then dared to venture into the difficult zone and asked him, “Tell me my boy, do you threaten your parents that you will commit suicide by jumping from top of your house ?” He just smiled at me and felt embarrassed. Then I counseled him by saying, “Suppose if you jump off what will happen you know? Either you will break your bones or you will die. Who will be at a loss ?”  To this he promptly replied by saying, “My loss sir”: I said, ‘Good you understand this.  Your parents will cry over your death for a week or two or maximum for a month.  Ultimately you will be at a loss.  So never try to get these weird ideas into your head ever and be sincere.”
He said, “Yes sir, I’m sorry for this.”

During this time his mother was observing the proceedings and I could see that she was much relaxed.
I told the boy, “See I’m going to ask your mother to keep informing me about your behavior at home on regular basis.”
He smiled and said, “Ok sir.”  Then I sent him to his class.
Now-a-days he makes eye contacts with me during assemblies and when I look at him he smiles back in assurance.
Mother also conveys over phone that he is behaving well at home.
Sukhwant Singh Thaper
Principal
DPS School Nigahi

“Ghalle aave Nanaka Sadhe uthi jai”.

Nanak says ‘Once the call comes from the Almighty one gets up and departs.’

We all know that death is an inevitable truth.

Yet when someone passes away we mourn for him.

We constantly remain in fear of death whether we are old or young or sick or healthy.

Death due to old age and sickness is painful but still acceptable.  But when death strikes someone at a very young age or due to any untoward incident like an accident or at the war front or murder it becomes very painful and unacceptable.

Yesterday I came across two such deaths which has disturbed the peace of my mind.  One was that of a policeman (Mr. Mishra) at Waidhan.  He was only 35 years old. While crossing the school of Excellence near Chunkumari Stadium he suffered a stroke and when he was taken to the Govt. Hospital which is situated around 200 meters from the spot he was declared dead by the Doctors.

Second death news that disturbed me was that of an old sevadhar (volunteer) at one of the most religious places of the world, i.e.,    ‘The Golden Temple’.  Day before Bhai Charanjit Singh fell in to the couldron in which ‘chasni’ (water mixed with sugar) was being boiled for preparing ‘kheer’ (a sweet dish) for the free kitchen.  He was rushed to the hospital with 80%burns but ultimately he succumbed to death last evening.

I got to see the pics. of both Mr. Mishra and S. Charanjeet Singh.  Mr. Mishra was lying on the stretcher and his face looked so peaceful as if he was having a little nap and will wake up soon.  There were no signs on his face of severe stroke that took away his life so suddenly.  His face neither reflected pain nor fear.  He was lying there as if he would wake up at one call of his child or wife.

The disturbing factor of S. Charanjeet Singh’s death is the fact that he met with the fatal accident of falling into the cauldron of boiling water with sugar at a place which is known for having blessed innumerable people both in the past and present. It is a place which has miraculously cured people of their ailments like blindness, cancer and lameness.  How trouble can befall on an and old person who had been working in the place for so long ?

I know such places can’t become foolproof from death but still being the mortal that we are these doubts come to our minds.

May the Lord bless the souls of both Mr. Mishra and S. Charanjeet Singh and provide us with more understanding.

S.S. Thaper

06/07/2017