My Hobby

The word, hobby is a descriptive term. It stands for an activity that one does for pleasure when one is not working. It is an essential ingredient of our life. It makes us more dynamic, energetic and self-motivated. Perhaps, it is due to the long lasting effects of hobbies on human beings that stimulate them to have a hobby. There is the diversity of hobbies. Painting, shooting, gardening, stamp-collecting, fishing, reading books and photography etc are some important and popular hobbies. One’s hobby is also the indication of one’s nature.

Reading books is my hobby. Whenever I get spare time I read books and magazines. When I was a school going child, I used to read comics and books of fairy tales. Now I like books on spirituality, mysticism, history, self-help books, novels and biographies. I have a real taste for novels, short stories and books that deal with historical events. It is bliss to comprehend great works of distinguished authors. I get constructive knowledge from books. I find out excellent and righteous things of life from them. Besides giving knowledge they entertain us to the maximum extent. I discover the true portrait of life from books.

The blessings and joys of reading are limitless. Knowledge is the basic components for acquiring both the innate and learned powers. It is said ‘knowledge is power’. Books are the treasure of knowledge. We learn at lot from them. They give food for our minds. Books split the boredom of life. They bring charisma and exhilaration into it. They are the best friends. They present an enduring and consistent attachment of friendship. Those who are in love with reading cannot find a better friend than a good book. They are our best guides, too. Books are continued to entertain and instruct generations after generations. They carry forward all that knowledge and wisdom which human race has achieved through ages. They are indispensable. I read such books that give us a picture of our life. That is why I like reading books.

Reading books is science as well as an art. I have learnt many things from my experiences and reading books. I want to suggest one thing here that books should be to our flavor and gains. We have to be very cautious in selecting books. Francis Bacon once said, ‘Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested : that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few books to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.’ There is an abundance of books in the market. There are books on various subjects. But, the choice of books is as important as the choice of friends. Some people are careless in selecting books. They read cheap books based on violence, romance and indecent nudity. I avoid such books because such books have a negative effect on our cerebral mind, attitudes and behavioral pattern. Therefore, care should be taken in the selection of books.

It will not be exaggeration to say that if you have not read today, you have not really lived today. So, I think my hobby is the best of all hobbies.

MY FAVOURITE BOOK

It was the English writer Bacon who said that reading makes a full man. It greatly influences me. When I tested the saying, I experienced the power of reading. Undoubtedly, since then I have been fond of reading books. I am an avid reader. I have read good number of books which are related to diverse areas of subjects. I enjoy reading all kinds of books. No matter, whether books are plays or dramas, novels, short stories, travelogue, essays, fiction, non-fiction or books on spirituality, yoga, science and technology. Books are said to be the mirrors of society. It is true to the great extent. They have grains of wisdom of writers. We receive the fruits of tireless endeavors of writers from the books.

The book which has deeply involved me is the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita is my favourite book. The Bhagavad Gita means the Divine song. It is a conversation between Arjuna, the Pandava Prince and the God Krishna, which takes place on a battlefield. The warrior Arjuna symbolizes the potential youth of the world who are at sea. He became extremely sentimental and highly emotional to see his relatives willing to kill all. Under the stress and strain, firstly; he did not want to fight against the Kaurava who were unholy and corrupt. The same situation prevails all over the world with good and honest men. The good and the young find themselves surrounded with corrupted minds, unjust persons, violent and selfish persons but they feel sorry for them and do not want to destroy them. The Bhagavad Gita teaches all those who are in such an ambivalent situation. It teaches that the young should proceed enthusiastically to fight against the adversary and not to escape from the battle field of life and duty under any circumstances. The great master lord Krishna transforms impossibility into possibility with the help of his teachings. In spite of having a large number of soldiers which were better equipped and more efficiently managed, the Kaurava had to accept defeats. This is the power of teachings of Sri Krishana. Krishna advises, “Perform action, O Arjuna, being steadfast in yoga, abandoning attachment and balanced in success and failure. Evenness of mind is called yoga. Karma yoga is selfless service, to work without expectation of reward or attachment to the outcome.”

The main theme of the book is to channelize the ocean of knowledge in all the human beings through the conversation between Arjun and Sri Krishna. In other words, the theme of the Bhagavad Gita is to transform knowledge into action. The eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad Gita enlighten the human beings and empower them with the ability of judgment and self confidence. It preserves the Hindu way of life as well as reveals the secrets of leading a divine life. It is a practical guide or a work book for holistic development of individuals and nations of the world. It directs us to face challenges that exist in our life. It provides the cure of mental, psychological and behavioral problems such as restlessness, impossible aspirations, unending desires and confusions etc.

 The sacred texts of the Bhagavad Gita describe the logical and philosophical points of views. Its reading is must for achieving every goal in life. It teaches that one must construct a positive and healthy environment. It will not be exaggeration to say that we can grow to be socially more productive and individually more balanced and contented if we lead our life in accordance with the principles and teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.