SWASTI PANTHAA MANU CHARAYMA SOORYAA CHANDRAMA SAA VIVA
PUNAR DADHATAA DHNATAA JAANATAA SUNGA MAY MAHI (RIG 5, 51, 15)

President Lehman, distinguished faculty, university administrators, guests and, most importantly, the Graduating Class of 2005! I am honored and humbled at having been asked to address the graduating class of this great institution. I am delighted to be part of this celebration, the celebration of a task completed and the celebration of a new beginning, which we call commencement.

I congratulate you on all your accomplishments, and I honor you for your contributions to the University, your service to the community, and for your abiding commitment to a Pluralistic society

The Vedic Mantra I just recited is one of my favorite mantras. I have prayed with it for as long as I can remember. Its meaning is that just as the Sun and the Moon are beneficial to the Mankind without wanting anything in return, so may I be helpful to others by seeking the company and friendship of learned and good people.

Today, in answer to my prayer, I find myself in the company of distinguished educators, scholars and students; educators, who are passing the torch of learning to students who are poised to carry it forward.

According to the most ancient Indian scriptures called the Vedas or the Books of Knowledge, blessed are the people who impart knowledge. Even more blessed are those who receive knowledge. The greatest and the highest form of giving, (Daan) is the giving of knowledge, (GYAAN) and the greatest gift one can ever receive is the gift of knowledge.

Today, we honor the givers and the receivers, the teachers and the students, and especially the retiring faculty who have served this institution well; and who have instilled in you, the graduating class, a lifelong passion for learning and thinking. The Retiring Faculty, We honor you and wish you the very best as you begin the next phase of your lives.

We must acknowledge the important contributions of the many parents who spared no thought for themselves in bringing you up, who attended to your needs and who provided you with security and stability in your lives. Parents of the graduating class of 2005, we honor you!

Last but not the least, let us thank the unsung heroes, the university administrators, the academic counselors and advisors who supported you and guided you relentlessly for the past four years and sometimes even substituted for your friends and parents away from home.

Today, I stand before you to share some of my deeply felt thoughts and beliefs. The foundation of these beliefs of course is the universal message of the Vedas. From them and from multitude of my life's experiences, I have come to the title of my today's talk: "From one to many and From Many to One"

Dear Students, just a little over two decades ago, you came into this world as beautiful and helpless babies. For a brief time, you thrived as carefree little boys and girls. Then it seemed as though overnight you became teenagers and now you are young adults who are to become responsible for the future of your nation.

Throughout your life thus far, others have been responsible for your well-being. You have been responsible only for yourselves. You have been the center of the lives of your parents, grandparents, uncles, friends, teachers, counselors, advisors. Now you will be on your own. You will be independent and free. You will have all the freedom in the world to do whatever you wish to do.

With this new freedom, it is only natural that the number of your obligations will gradually increase. You will take on responsibilities and toward your employer, your spouse, children, family, parents, your in-laws, your community, your country, and perhaps even the entire world.

No longer will your own happiness be the most important thing in your life. The happiness, comfort, and joy of many other individuals will become paramount.

The Vedas say: "Ayko aham bahu syam": I am One and I AM Many

I am One. I am Uma. At the same time I have an obligation to be a good daughter, a good sister, a good mother, a good teacher, a good friend, a good employer, a good employee, a good neighbor, and a good citizen. As I grow older, I will, of necessity shrink back into the self-absorbed individual I was as a baby. My adult responsibilities and commitments will gradually recede and fall away. My commitment will be fewer and fewer as I get older and older. At 90, if I live that long, I will again be responsible for myself alone. This is the way of life, from One to Many and from Many to One.

The Vedas claim: There is One Truth, called by many names. "AYKUM SAD VIPRAH BAHUDAA VADUNTI". Like one sky with many stars, like one Sun with many rays, like one ocean with many waves and like one tiny seed with many Blossoms

After your first two years at Cornell, your academic life was pretty much mapped out for you. You knew exactly the total number of credits you had to take for your degree. You knew exactly the required courses you needed in your major.

Today's celebration heralds a brand new phase of your life, a life without a core curriculum, a life without final examinations; and remarkably, a life of your own choice. A life of only electives, electives in the form of choices and decisions that you will need to make every day for the rest of your life. Infinite will be the choices, unlimited will be decisions and uncertain will be the results and outcomes.

All of you have been successful in your studies here at Cornell. Cornell defined this success. However, success in life is defined in many ways. Each person must find his or her own definition of success.

For some of you success will mean - contributing to your society whether it means becoming a professor, doctor, economist, journalist, photographer, an artist or something else and for others, it will mean becoming famous. For some of you it will mean making an important discovery that will change people's lives, and for others, it might mean becoming a millionaire or billionaire, or it might mean marrying into wealth.

How you achieve your success, what you will do with it, and how you will use it for the for the benefit of the world-family will depend entirely on you.

Today, when you walk out of the gates of Cornell, you will embark on a journey that will demand all your energy. Your personal journey will be challenging, exciting, demanding and hopefully fulfilling and meaningful.

This journey, the next phase of your life let us call it a 'Train Ride", might not always run smoothly. It may take you through tracks that are bumpy, terrains, tunnels that are dark and forbidding, snow-capped mountains that are dazzling, torrential downpours and rain showers filling valleys with fragrant flowers and occasional rainbows.

How will you fare on your life's journey? Will you meet each bump on the track fearlessly or will you cower and shrink from the blows life deals you?

On this occasion, at this time of reflection, I would like to mention just five simple letters that have helped me on my life's journey thus far.

LESSON # 1

First, cultivate in your selves the qualities and virtues of a good human being - patience, forgiveness, compassion and truthfulness. You must practice patience= Dhriti. It is the key to all other virtues. Patience will lead you to compassion & forgiveness. You must be true to your self in everything you do. You are the only one who knows who you really are. Listen to your inner voice and answer to your own conscience. Truthfulness =satyataa= Truth in thought, word and deed.

Just as physicians, pledge to promote health, prevent diseases and save lives, similarly in ancient India, everyone at the time of graduation had to take an oath with the following words:

"SATYAM VADAAMI, DHARMAM CHARAMI" i.e.

"I will speak the truth and fulfill my duty whatever it may be" (Tattareeyopanishad-shikshavalli). Cultivating these virtues or qualities is the DUTY/Dharma of a good human being. These virtues will separate you as human beings.

LESSON # 2

Choose a profession that you love and love what you do. If you enjoy what you do, you will at least be happy if not wealthy. You will enjoy your life more, you will bring happiness to others around you, and others will enjoy your company.

After all, success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you do, you will be successful eventually.

Driving through the parking gate of Johns Hopkins University each morning, I encounter an elderly man who wishes me a good day as if it were to give away. He clearly enjoys his job and he does it so well that it makes everyone happy just to watch him. If he is not there, we all miss him.

Similarly, there is a woman by the name of Marcy whose job is to receive guests and seat them in the Faculty Club. She does it day after day with a big warming smile you will ever see. Whenever I go to the Faculty Club, I feel that I am a guest in Marcy's own home.

My own job as an educator is a great source of joy to me. Many moons ago I was told by a dean I worked with that I would die poor but happy.

LESSON # 3

Maintain a positive attitude for attitude is everything.

Remember, there will be obstacles on the train ride of your life. How you react to adversity and meet your challenges will depend on your attitude. I am reminded of a story that is told in many cultures with different titles. My father used to tell me this story when I was young. In English, it is entitled,"Carrots, Eggs or Coffee Beans."

One day, a young woman came to tell her mother that her life had become unbearable. As soon as she solved one problem, another came her way. She was tired of struggling and had no interest in living any longer. Her mother led her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a hot fire. Soon the water came to boil. In the first, she put two carrots, in the second, she added two raw eggs and in the third, she put some ground coffee beans and continued listening to her daughter's complaints. Ten minutes later, the mother turned off the burners. After a few moments, she fished out the carrots and the eggs from the pots and put them on a plate. She then ladled the coffee into a cup.

The mother asked her daughter to feel the carrots. She noticed that they had become soft to the touch. The mother then asked the daughter to touch the eggs, they had become hard and upon breaking one of them, she observed that the interior too had become hard. Finally, the mother asked her daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter tasted the rich aroma and asked, "What does this all mean, Mother?"

The mother explained that each of the objects had faced the same adversity of being in the boiling water. However, each had reacted differently. The carrots went in strong and solid. Being in the boiling water, they became soft, mushy and weak. The eggs were fragile to begin with. The thin outer shells had protected their liquid interior. Having been in the boiling water, their inside had hardened and the outer color had changed. The ground coffee beans were UNIQUE, however. After being in the boiling water, they changed the water instead of being changed themselves.

When adversity knocks on your door, how do you react and respond? Ask yourself: Am I like the carrot that seems strong but under pain and adversity wilts and becomes soft and loses its strength or am I like an egg that had a fluid spirit and after a death, a breakup, an illness of a child, a financial hardship or some other trial, became hardened and stiff. Have I become bitter and tough with a rigid unbending soul and a hard heart? Alternatively, am I like the coffee bean the bean that changed the hot water, and the circumstances that brought pain? When the water gets hot, the coffee bean releases its fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when the heat of life becomes unbearable and things are at their worst, do you change the situation around it.

When the hour is the darkest and the hardships seem insurmountable, elevate yourself to another level. Change the situation around you. Maintain a positive attitude; and the bad times, too, shall pass.

LESSON #4

Count your blessings!

Enjoy each moment of your life. Be grateful and thank the Almighty for what you have and do not complain about what you do not have. Be satisfied with your share. Things could be worse.

I have a friend who loved to read, visit art galleries and the Smithsonian institution all the time. She has all the money she would ever need. However, five years ago, her eyesight began to deteriorate. She consulted the best eye doctors in the USA, had a couple of operations. No one could help her and two years ago, she lost her eyesight completely. She has come to realize that although she is unable to see the beautiful faces of her children and grandchildren, she is still able to hear their voices. She is grateful the other things she has in her life and still thanks her God each day.

Each morning, I thank God for giving me the eyes that can see the beauty of this world. Ears that can hear the birds chirping and the children giggling; a nose that can smell a rose, hands that can reach out to do a good deed and feet that can walk to a church, a temple, a synagogue, a mosque and to this podium. Am I blessed or what!

During my life's train ride, many a time the cars derailed. What kept me going was the daily enumeration of my blessings. Like many other teachers, I have a 'Rainy Day Folder' in which I keep an account of all the good days that I have had and the thank-you notes from my friends, teachers, students and their parents.

Tonight, all of you and this blessed day too, will be added to my cherished memories. When I am down, really down, I open this folder and suddenly my perspective on life changes. I do not mourn for what I lack, but rejoice in the abundance of the universe in which we all share.

Make all your responsibilities and obligations as your Dharma, your duty, and your essence. Keno-panishad, an Indian philosophical treatise, claims that you have responsibility only to do good deeds/actions and not in their results or consequences.

"KARMANYAVAA-DHIKAA RUSTAY, MAA PHALAYSHU KADAACHANA"

The Gita says and so does the Bible: "seeing the results of your actions is not important, just your actions". Therefore, it is of utmost importance that we do good actions to the best of our ability and leave everything else in the hands of the Almighty. By whatever name you call the highest power you, must be connected to it. You will be completely satisfied with yourself once you have made a connection with the Highest Power, the Power that is within you.

You already know that the modern world is a hectic place filled with ever changing technology. (E-mails and voice-mails, palm pilots and lap tops) With every new responsibility you will take on, during your life's journey and during your transformation from ONE to MANY and back again, make sure that you make time in your day to savor the simple things that cost nothing, but bring one such joy. Watch a sunset or sunrise. Spend some time with a child. Give someone a gift just because. Listen to sound of wind, water and sometimes the sound of silence. Hand- write, do not e-mail a note to a loved one. Share your happiness with another and remember to call your mother.

According to the first mantra of THE ISHO-PANISHAD, another Indian philosophical treatise says, all that is, in this world, is created by the Almighty. Enjoy it with others. Do not be greedy. It is ours just for a while and not forever. After all, we are just the temporary custodians of our possessions.

"Eesha vaasyam idum sarvum yad kincha jagatyam jugat
Tayna tyaktayna bhunjeetha maa kasya swit dhanum" (Yaj. 40, 1.1)

LESSON # 5

Finally, remember that: WE ARE MANY BUT ONE

We may look different from one another, or speak a different language, we may enjoy different foods or belong to a different race, creed, nationality or faith; we all have the same emotions. We procreate the same way, we die the same way; we laugh or cry the same way. All of us want to succeed in our lives. We all want the best for our children and we all want to be appreciated and loved because, we all are the same. We all are the human beings. =MAANUVAS=

One day a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Jewish man approached a well of water. Each had a different word for the water. However, essentially, what was in the well was water, the same thing to all four men.

Ten years ago after the Oklahoma tragedy, then after 9-11, and the in December last year after the Tsunami, we all suffered with others who had lost their belongings, livelihoods and families. We were united for a while regardless of our many outer differences. How wonderful this world would be if we could live with each other in unity without needing such calamities to unite us.

After all, we all belong to one race -- the human race!

We have an extended family, the world-family. The Vedas call it, "VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKUM". Therefore, From One to Many and From Many to One.

In the letter I received from Cornell inviting me to deliver this address, I was overjoyed to read the following words imprinted on the stationary: "One world, Many Faiths, and One Destiny"

How fortunate you, the Class of 2005 are to have been given such a firm foundation of knowledge and wisdom. You have been taught to be creative, productive and contributive to the society. You have been well prepared to become citizens of the global community. "VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKUM"

Now, it is up to you to sculpt yourself into the kind of person this institution and all who know you, will be proud of. Get on your train and do not look back. Do not hesitate & do not be afraid. You are fully equipped to face the challenges of your life. Enjoy the journey of your life to the fullest! Along the way, do not forger to plant a beautiful garden that will be your legacy to the world.

Grow some roses in your garden and do not be afraid of the thorns. Remember, thorns do not affect the beauty or fragrance of roses. Water your garden with affection and respect for all human beings. Fertilize your garden with knowledge, knowledge of other people, places, faiths, and cultures, diversify it with friends and teachers from different nations, races and ethnicities and, infect it with patience, compassion, forgiveness, humility and truthfulness.

Above all, keep a positive attitude. Then sit back, watch, and count the many blessings you have blossoming all around you.

As you move from one to many, I pray, that your future be as bright as the shining sun and your life an exemplary one! I pray that you become courageous seekers of wisdom and truth. By way of thought, word, and deed you may extend a helping hand to someone in need. May you live in unity and harmony with others, recognizing your blessings, sharing your joys and serving Humanity.

May the Almighty lead your way & bless you with the:
-Strength of HEAVEN
-Brilliance of the SUN
-Radiance of the MOON
-Depths of the SEA
-Stability of the EARTH, and
-Firmness of a ROCK

SHANTIH,        SHALOM,      SALAAM,
HEIWA,          PAZ,              HA-PEENG,
E-RENEE,        PEACE,          SHANTIH,
SHANTIH,      SHANTIH,      OM