Honoring The Living

My Meditations

I thought a lot about what to write, about whom to write in this meditation on “Honoring The Living”.

I had it in my mind that my grandmother and my mother are good candidates for this post, but as the days went by I reckoned that though my mother does possess some good points but I honestly can't bear her, I can't hear her speak, she makes me mad.

Another person I think of suitable for this post with whom I have a sort of love (or 'respect' would be a more appropriate word) -- hate kind of relationship is my chachaji (younger brother of my father), Yashvir Singh Jain.

So I thought I will make this post about my grandmother mostly, and write a bit about my uncle, and in the end, pay tribute to my mother with some kind words.

After my grandfather passed away in early 2020s, I thought there would be a lot of mess in the family around who gets what from babaji's assets, but there wasn't. And I think the reason behind that is my grandmother, for whom everyone cared and no one spoke about any redistribution. And things were kept and went on as status quo. It would definitely be a painful experience to go through if I have to sit in with my three bua(s) and uncle in a redistribution -- assuming I would be asked for in such a meeting.

Well, the two things that my grandmother teaches me are faith in god, and respect for duty. 
In my view and visibility, religious values in my entire family (my parents, my uncle, and the three bua(s)) came from my late grandfather, and my grandmother. 
I remember from my school days, my grandparents would wake up as early as five in the morning and would be first to show up at the temple while the sun still hasn't come out yet. 
They would return by 7 - 7.30, and then my grandmother would make failed attempts to wake me, would make breakfast for my sister and myself to take to school, and would send us to school. 
And let me tell you that what I was doing then was none of anybody's fault but my own doing: I remember being late to school every once in a while. Or finding myself standing in the defaulters during morning assembly for missing belt, missing ID card, unpolished shoes, untidy nails 😀

~~~

My uncle epitomizes religious values, hard work and discipline (and none of those qualities have brushed on me till -- maybe -- even today)
After my grandfather passed away in my family at Mayur Vihar, my uncle is the seniormost male in the family/my closest circle.
He has been a pillar of support at different moments in my life. 
Though I could spill venom for all the bad times and moments I had with him but this is not the right platform for that, here I come to honor.
And let me tell you one thing -- he is respected by many for a reason.

~~~

My mother:

For one, like others (my grandfather, my grandmother, my uncle), my mother would be one of my role models in adhering to religious discipline and religious values. 

She practices the Jainism way of life.

She could teach me cooking, in fact she has -- a couple of simple recipes like khichdi or aloo tamatar sabzi, for example.
I admire her cooking.

Started on Nov 25th, and completed on Nov 29th.

Honoring The Dead

My Meditations

Lately, I was reading this book “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. 
In that book, in the first chapter, Marcus recollects the life lessons epitomized by his friends, family and relations.
So here I am recollecting mine.
This I am planning to be a three part writing:
Honoring the dead
Honoring the living
And, Honoring my friends

There are several people I can think of suitable for this meditation like: my great grandfathers (Saatam vaale babaji and Chauth vaale babaji), my grandfather Digamber Prasad Jain (babaji), my father (Viresh Chandra Jain) and my bua Shail Bala. Some known people like Puneet's grandfather (and babaji's friend), and the old temple priest at the Pandav Nagar Jain temple.

Let's start with my father:
The lessons I draw from my father's life are simplicity, contentment, impermanence and appreciating the blessing called 'life'.
He dressed simply, he lived simply. He did not have a lot (or any, I can say) of wishes or expectations. He did not ask, he did not speak. I recall his life as one of simplicity and contentment. He had epilepsy and he passed away in his early 50s -- so I took away the lesson of impermanence from him and also hence, the lesson of appreciating this life as a blessing.

Next, my grandfather;
My grandfather was a very strong man in a spiritual, mental and emotional sense. He took care of my sister and me. Although he could have very easily chosen not to; but he did not do that and took up the responsibility. He showed immense strength when his son's life was going down. He showed immense strength when I was wasting away my peak years at college in chasing a back log and living an indisciplined life. As I feel today: he meant everything to me. And the last of the last lessons that he tried to teach me was “thanda raho” (in Hindi) -- meaning: stay calm, stay cool.

Next:
Puneet's grandfather considered me a bright child as told to me by Puneet's mother (Mamta aunty). I just want to recall one last meeting with him. It was 2008, I was studying in XII. I was coming back from the temple around 12 pm as I did daily and on my walk back to home near Navbharat and Sahyog apartments he met me on the way coming from the opposite direction.

This is somewhat close to what he told me that day about my preparation for IITJEE:
'This is a very important time for you, study hard, it is a matter of life and death.'

Today, I both agree and disagree with him.
Yes, the year was important. Yes, my life would have been very different had I cleared the IITJEE but the truth is I didn't, and I am still alive.
But even today, I try to live in that spirit -- I do not consider hard work as optional.

Time-travel with Music

My Meditations

Music takes you places. Music is a drug. Music lets you time-travel. Music brings old memories back.

This time we are going back to winters of 2018 and 2019 during my time in Chandigarh at Infosys.

The songs I am listening to are:
Sakhiyaan by Maninder Bhutto
Daaru badnaam by Param Singh
And Lamborghini by Doorbeen

When I hear 'Sakhiyaan', I recall the day I listened to it on repeat the entire day from morning till evening. It was a winter morning. Probably Friday, with less crowd on the office floor and less people on the campus.

I listened to this song that day on repeat while walking in the Infosys campus -- in the backyard full of greenery and picturesque setting.

And as I think of that time, I think of Shalu Yadav.

Next, as I listen to this song 'Daaru Badnaam', I remember the winter mornings in the house in Manimajra, my first rental accommodation. 
I remember I had this song as my alarm tone, and I used to wake up to this song. Hummed by the singers in the opening. 
And it is winter today and I am lying in bed in the same blanket/comforter which I also had at that time.

And I remember walking on the floor in formal attire, black pants and light colored shirt, outside the prestiged secure lab called “Digital Garage”.

And as I think of that time, I think of Priyanka.

From the song “Lamborghini”, I get the same vibes as my time in Chandigarh while I was working with Amitabh and the team of Kajal Singh, Megha Gupta, Akhil Sharma, Sahib Singh, Asmita and Ravi Bhaskar. Amazing people… except that I lost contact with all of them. Ravi is added on my Facebook and maybe some of these guys are added on my LinkedIn but I miss that time with them.

These guys tried to teach me to live life joyfully, enjoy work, have fun and not be so serious all the time. I miss these guys.

When I moved from Mobileum to Infosys, I used to reminisce about my time at Mobileum, and now when I have moved past Infosys, I reminisce about my time at Infy.

Living Below My Means -- A Meditation on Paychecks and Peace

My Meditations

Lately, I’ve been meditating on this idea of the “paycheck” — not just the money I earn, but what it means to live by it, for it, or despite it.

Let’s be honest — I’m not really living paycheck to paycheck. But sometimes, it feels like I am. Not because the money isn’t enough, but because my mindset often makes it feel that way.

For years, I’ve lived below my means. Every purchase was a calculation — counting pennies in the cost, and counting pennies in my pocket. I’ve always believed that living cautiously was smart — that building a safety net was the mark of responsibility. And in some ways, it was.

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Redefining “Paycheck to Paycheck”

To me, living paycheck to paycheck means spending what you earn with nothing left to save — and spending mostly on necessities. That was never my case. I’ve always saved. I’ve even splurged on quality things once in a while.

Except for that one stretch — from October 2021 to June 2022 — I’ve always been a big-time saver. I was living under my means, not just within them. And my reason was simple: I had seen days where one unexpected event could shake everything. That helplessness — the kind where you shed a quiet tear, wipe it, and move on — left a mark on me. So I built my walls of savings to feel safe.

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The Irony of “Doing Everything Right”

I was doing all the things financial influencers preach:
✅ Saving
✅ Investing
✅ Budgeting
✅ Tracking

But somewhere along the way, I missed the joy part.
The “treat yourself” part.
The “celebrate small wins” part.

In my life, there was always a trade-off between money and happiness — and 95% of the time, I chose money. Looking back, I don’t regret choosing stability, but I do wish I had known other ways to find joy — like meditating, volunteering at the temple, or simply reading something that nourishes the soul.

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The Question I Keep Asking

We’ve all read about delayed gratification — that the people who can wait, who can resist the short-term thrill, are the ones who make it big in life.

But today, as I reflect on my own choices, I find myself asking:

How much delay were those books really talking about?

Because sometimes, the line between discipline and deprivation gets blurry.

Maybe the real art isn’t in delaying joy — it’s in learning how to afford joy wisely.

Why I Spoke of Death Today

My Meditations

Why do I speak of death today?
Well, my mom’s a bit sick. She had cataract surgery yesterday.

Yesterday — Day 1 — she was on hourly doses of eye drops. One of them, PredoRx, is a steroid called Prednisolone, prescribed to reduce inflammation and soreness. Today and tomorrow, she’ll be taking it every two hours.

Meanwhile, I’ve been dealing with some neck pain myself — nothing severe, but noticeable. On a scale of 0 to 10, I’d call it a 3 or maybe a 5.

And somehow, these small brushes with physical fragility — her eyes, my neck — led me to think about death. Not in a morbid way, but in that quiet, reflective sense that sometimes surfaces when life slows you down.

Because life is fragile.
But that’s not the end of it.

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Seeing Death from Different Angles

I often look at death through multiple lenses — spiritual, psychological, physical, societal, and even business or motivational.

After a deep breath, here’s what’s been going on in my head lately:

I’ve begun to see death as a kind of relief — though not in every sense. Let me explain.

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1. The Psychological Sense

From a psychological point of view, death can feel like a relief.
Not because one wants to die, but because the mind, when fatigued or overwhelmed, starts craving stillness — the kind of stillness it associates with death. It’s a signal that something inside needs rest, or a pause, or simply someone to talk to.

If you find yourself seeing death as a relief, maybe it’s your inner self asking for respite, not an ending.

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2. The Physical Sense

Physically, death is simply the end of the body’s biological processes — the cessation of existence in tangible form. But it isn’t always instantaneous. It can be slow, painful, and full of struggle. There’s no button that turns life off neatly.

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3. The Spiritual Sense

Spiritually, traditions like Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism teach that death isn’t an end — it’s a continuation.
The soul moves on. Rebirth may follow. But there’s no guarantee it will be an upgrade. You might come back as a dog, a cow, or something entirely unexpected. The idea can be both comforting and unsettling, depending on how you see it.

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4. The Societal Sense

Societally, death removes one participant from the collective rhythm of humanity.
Yet, its ripples linger. For those close to the person who passes, the absence shapes futures, memories, and even identities. The loss of one life alters the texture of many others.

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5. The Motivational Sense

From a business or motivational standpoint, thoughts of death can sharpen focus.
They remind us of impermanence, of time’s scarcity. For a short while, death-awareness pulls distractions away and forces clarity — on what matters, what doesn’t, and what must be done now.

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A Gentle Reflection

So, why did I speak of death today?
Because it’s there — in the background of life, quietly teaching us the value of the present moment.

Thinking of death isn’t always dark. Sometimes, it’s a mirror.
And sometimes, it’s a whisper: slow down, breathe, take care.

My Meditations

1. Honoring The Living
2. Honoring The Dead
3. Time-travel with Music
4. Living Below My Means -- A Meditation on Paychecks and Peace
5. Why I Spoke of Death Today