Living Good or Not Leaving Good

By J.R. Kokandakar

Everybody wants to progress in life. There is no denial to it. But is it sane to lose humanity in the name of progress? Its the hurry, the impatience that has led man to overlook virtues.
The musings on life in this book are meant for reaffirmation of the greater values that stand for the true identity of man. There is no alternative than to reinculcate the virtues if he is to be called a man.
The book also deals with some of the obstacles mankind faces in being happy. With goodness only we can overcome them. That is the only way. Man must not forget his higher nature.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Dec 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781482814996

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Copyright © 2013 by J.R.Kokandakar.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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CONTENTS

Foreword

Prologue

Undertaking

Truthfulness

Past and Present

Erring

Pettiness

Anger

Goodness

Whither?

Frustration

Love

Talking

Restraint

Happiness

True Wealth

Greed

Moving Forward

Time Consciousness

Virtue

Identity

Valour

Tolerance

Bravery

Dejection

Unlearning

Well-Doing

Being Human

Paradigm Shift

Victory

Criticising

Being Sane

Saying Through Practice

Worry

Saviour

True Friend

Believing

Pessimism

Imagination

Friendship

Ego

One Man Army

Luck

Failure

Hate

Self-Transformation

Spirituality

Reading

Real Being

Mastering Self

Inhibition

Ennui

Nonviolence

Conscience

Greatness

Awakening

Pleasure And Happiness

Ignorance

Divinity

Predicament

Working

Epilogue

To All Known and Unknown

Good People

FOREWORD

T his modern world is proud of having sky-scrappers, high-ambitions, but humanity is at low ebb. Buildings are growing tall, but man is becoming small; roads are widened, but minds are narrowing. In words of Carlyle, when shadows of small men begin to stretch long, we should understand that it’s the time of dusk. Are we nearing that stage? Kokandakar’s book makes us ponder on this theme.

In his prologue, Kokandakar has stated that he is not a preacher. He is not adept in the art of speech. He is also not a teacher. Hence, instead of talking, he has preferred to pour out his thoughts in the form of book. While doing this he has enlightened us about the true meaning of many of the words we use casually in our daily life. Acharya Vinoba used to say that in dictionary we find the synonym but not the true meaning of the word. Kokandakar’s book overcomes this defect.

In todays world everyone blames others. Everybody expresses concern over prevailing social, political, economic and religious state of society. Everybody opines that there must be a change, but nobody thinks of a change in himself. Any process of change, cleansing, purification must start from self. The author urges for participation and not just guidance or suggestion.

We are prone to find faults in others whereas we ourselves are not devoid of defects. Hence, instead of pointing fingers to others we must set our house in order first. Kokandakar believes in self-analysis and self-improvement, and aptly thinks it as the need of the present.

It’s our tragedy that we have failed to distinguish between ‘religion’ and ‘rituals.’ If we remove all the basic tenets like truth, nonviolence, love, prayer from the religions what remains is the ‘rituals.’ We have made mockery of the religions by disowning the basic truths and indulging in rituals. Kokandakar yearns for true faith. He entreats man to prefer goodness which is the core of every religion for that only makes him happy.

The author has, in sixty articles, dealt with different aspects of life. It’s not that all will agree with what the author believes in; and so it should be. Everyone has freedom to think in his own way. But we must try to find in what lays our true happiness. There is a difference between the need-based life and the life based on ambition and money-power. There is limit to needs whereas greed and passion are limitless. It’s enough if we could realise this to some extent after reading this thought-provoking book of Kokandakar.

I hope the readers will welcome these musings on life open-mindedly.

Dr. Justice.Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari

8-A, Samata,

General J. Bhosale Marg, Mumbai-400021

PROLOGUE

I am not a sage, saint or preacher. I am not adept in the art of speech or haranguing. I am not a teacher, psychiatrist nor a philosopher. Good samskaras and reading good books have been my forte. And these have helped me to live as a human being. I cannot disown the fact that I am the part and parcel of this human society and this awareness has led me to pour