8 weekend LIFE

THE FREE PRESSJOURNAL

DECEMBER 13, 2015

here are some risks that you hardly see in

the heat and dust of active investment.
But they are very much present; you do
not perceive them simply because they are too
close they lie hidden within you. You do risk
scans on the investment products you plan to
buy, you scout for risks in the companies, you
probe risks in the volatile markets and the
economy in the rough seas. But seldom do you
look within : am I harbouring some risks in my
own mind that can bring despair to me ? But
often these prove to be the worst risks, as they

THE

not have the appetite to eat it !

You may get so engrossed in
earning and saving and earning on it, that you just forget how
to spend what you have earned.
Jaane bhi do yaaro, take a holiday
in Switzerland ! There are
days to earn, and then
there are days to
spend; where to stop
earning and where to
begin enjoying the earnings, is the key to happiness.
The simple rule is the
norm of sufficiency.
When your children
are well settled and
you have provided

Planning

SUNDAY

do not
have sufficient to live on.
It is a common mistake to
confuse insurance for investment; insurance is not investment. The purpose of investment is to carry your present
earnings into future for future
spending; and to use the savings from your
current earnings
to boost your future
income. Insurance
has an entirely different
purpose. It is a cover

HIDDEN
RISK

WHEN YOU INVEST, LET IT BE A WELL CONSIDERED DECISION. DO NOT

TREAT INVESTMENT CASUALLY. FOR INVESTMENT IS FOR LIFE; NOT THE
OTHER WAY ROUND. PUT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE, AND INVEST
When investing, do not make the mistake of
missing the big picture; it is very easy to miss it,
given all the noise in the media that surrounds
us. For instance, when you are choosing an MF
scheme to invest in, what is your prime concern ? Obviously a good return with a suitable
risk. But if you are distracted with something
like the commission that your agent gets, you
can easily lose your focus. Keep the focus on
yourself : What am I likely to gain from this
investment ? How much risk will I be taking for
that ? Am I comfortable with that risk ? Does
the investment offer me liquidity that I need ?
Is the return I am likely to get the best for that
level of risk and liquidity ? Thats all that matters. Baki sab bakhwas hai. Consider the essentials and ignore the rest.
Something that one often tends to forget is
the impact of inflation on investment calculations. Inflation affects your investment in two
ways : one, it distorts the value of your target
sum. You work out your future requirements,
and accordingly save to build up the target

corpus. But if you have not taken inflation

into account, the corpus you end up with
may fall short of your requirements. Two, it
renders unreal your rate of return. When you
look at a rate of return, it may look attractive;
but inflation may eat away the best part of it.
So adjust the rate for inflation to get a realistic
feel simply deduct the expected rate of
inflation from the expected rate of return.
Similarly, you can get a realistic estimate of
the corpus by using this inflation corrected
rate of return for calculation, instead of the
raw rate.
In short, when you invest, let it be a well considered decision. Do not treat investment casually. For investment is for life; not the other way
round. Put your entire life in perspective, and
invest for it. Just two important questions you
need to ask yourself when you invest : How
much do I need to invest to achieve my goals of
life ? And how do I do that ? Perhaps there is
nothing more to investment than this. Happy
investing; happy life!

Tensing Rodrigues says while

investing remember that when
things go awry; do not worry about
it, but just provide for it.
make a mockery of the best of your investment
strategies and all your efforts.
Probably the biggest of such risks is dying
without having enjoyed the fruits of your
investment. Could there be a more stupid thing
? The whole morning you have been sweating it
out in the kitchen cooking the most delicious
Chicken Dum Byriani you have ever eaten. You
have searched for the best recipe; you have
chosen the best of the ingredients; you have
meticulously gone through the tedious procedure. And then you are not there to eat it !
The next such risk, and closely connected
with the above, is : Even when the byriani is
ready, your heart is still in the kitchen; you do

enough for your old age, what remains behind

is redundant. Why struggle to earn something
which can add nothing to your happiness ?
None of us can carry over the balance to the
next life !
When going is good, you should not forget
about the bad that can happen; do not worry
about it, but just provide for it. Things can go
wrong any time; and they mostly go wrong at
the wrong time. You need to insure yourself
against any mishaps - accidents, illness, loss,
etc; and insure your family against your death.
But a note of caution is in order here : do not
insure your tomorrow at the cost of your today;
that is, pay so much for the insurance that you

against financial distress to protect your

financial well being against adverse events. One
cannot be used in place of the other. Insurance
is based on the pooling principle; those who
live long pay for those who die early. So it is a
zero sum game; it cannot give you any earnings. Why insurance may sometimes look like
investment is because in Endowment Policies
(which include Money Back and ULIP policies)
investment and insurance are bundled together. Keep away from such policies. The reason is
very simple : an insurance company is best at
managing risk not investment. So leave your
investment management to someone who does
it better.

Symptoms of low level

of Pitta and its treatment
W

hen the level of Pitta falls in

the body, there is a corresponding reduction in the digestive
power, low body temperature, color and
luster in the skin, and also an increased
sensitivity to cold. There is a slowing
down of the body processes controlled
by Pitta. In this condition, regular intake
of Pitta increasing foods and medicines
are useful, especially those predominant in the fire element. Similarly,
herbal preparations which increase the
digestive fire should be administered.
These are mainly items that are pungent, spicy, sour and salty in taste. In
addition, such a lifestyle is recommended which helps to aggravate Pitta dosa.

Kapha Dosa or Slesma: the

theme of structure (stability)
and lubrication (cohesion)
Kapha is derived from Sanskrit. Kena
jalena phalati nispadhyate iti kaphah
means that which originates from
water while slesma slishyati iti slesma,
maens that which joins together and
brings about cohesion.' Often Kapha is
translated as mucus or phlegm, which
is an important part of Kapha, particularly in disease, but Kapha is much
more than that. Il represents the source
of potential energy in the body.
Kapha dosa provides nourishment to

Sama and Nirama Pitta

When pitta mixes with dma (sdma), it
ferments and changes into a soursmelling, heavy, blackish or greenish
liquid, which does not easily mix with
water and other liquids. In this condition, sour eructation (acidity), heart
burn and burning in the throat and
chest are experienced. On suffering
from Sama Pitta, foods with bitter taste
should be consumed to remove the
dma. When Pitta is without dma (nirama) it is very pungent, hot, bitter in
taste, red or yellow in color and mixes
easily in water. It increases the interest
in food, appetite and digestion. When
suffering from Nirama Pitta, sweet and
astringent substances should be taken
in order to pacify it.

all parts of the body and regulates the

other two dosas, Pitta and Vata. Kapha
provides moistness, oiliness and
smoothness to the body organs. It lubricates and connects the joints and
bones, increases libido, strength, enthusiasm, heals wounds, improves immunity, provides energy for mental and
physical labor, and regulates patience,
knowledge, wisdom and mental bal-

Attributes of Kapha and their Effect on Physiology

ance. Kapha is also the primary cause

for sleep, lethargy and inertia (tamas).
When there is an increase in heat due to
Pitta or dryness due lo Vata, then
Kapha, by increasing the secretion of
oily and smooth fluids, protects the tissues from damage.
There is a corresponding increase in
opposing dosas, Pitta and Vata, if Kapha
decreases. This results in damage to the
dhatus (tissues) by the heat of Pitta, and
accumulation of Vata causes dryness
and lightness in the dhatus, joints, heart
and other body parts. However, in normal conditions when Kapha is in balance, it nourishes all the cells and bodily constituents, strengthens them and
does not provide space for the flow of
Vata. The five types of Kapha according
to their locations and functions are:
Kledaka - that which moistens the
food in the stomach to break it up.
Avalamhaka - that which maintains
body fluids and physical stamina; protects and fortifies the heart.
Bodhaka - that which controls the
taste and sharpens taste perception.
Tarpaka - that which ensures the
well-being of sense organs.
Slesaka- that which connects and
lubricates the joints of the body and
aids in all movements.
To keep these five types of Kapha in
their right function is important for
managing the Kapha dosa. There are
twenty types of Kapha diseases, the
fewest of all the dosas. In order of
importance, sequentially Kapha is
placed last. Following is the description
of its various aspects.

S.No.

Attributes

Physiological Manifestations

Natural attributes of Kapha

Gurutd (Heaviness)

Firm and steady gait; heavy digestion.

Sitalata (Coolness)

Low appetite and reduced thirst, low perspiration and

reduced feeling of heat.

Mrduta (Softness)

Pleasing appearance, soft skin and hair, soft manners, soft

look in the eyes; cheerful, beautiful; tenderness and clarity
of complexion.

Snigdhata (Smoothness)

Smoothness in body organs and tissues.

Madhurata (Sweetness)

Increase in quantity of semen.

Sthiratd (Stability or
Steadiness)

Slow initiation of actions, slow manifestation of serious

illnesses.

Picchilata (Viscousness or
Stickiness)

Firmness, stability and lubrication in tissues and joints;

well-built and beautiful.

Drdhata (Firmness)

Compactness, strength and firmness in the body.

Ghanatd (Denseness)

Plumpness and tendency towards obesity; well-built body

and sturdy muscles.

10

Mandata (Dullness or
Slowness)

Slow in action, lack of physical activities; deliberate

thinking.

11

Slaksnata (Oiliness)

Oiliness in body organs and tissues.

Kapha is heavy, cold, soft, oily, sweet,

firm and viscous in its natural attributes'". Besides it is dull, stable, moist
and white in qualities. People with
dominant Kapha dimhave a Kaphatype body makeup. The following
effects of Kapha manifest in a Kaphatype constitution. People with Kapha
constitution usually have an abundance of strength, material wealth,
knowledge, power and peace. They
most commonly have a long life-span.
However, this depends upon them
managing their weight. Obesity can
neutralize all the good qualities of
Kapha dosa and make them more susceptible to disease and reduces longevity. Their qualities arc mentioned in
Table 5.
(Excerpted from the book A Practical
Approach To The Science Of Ayurveda:
A Comprehensive Guide
For Healthy Living authored by Acharya
Balkrishna)

w w w. f r e e p r e s s j o u r n a l . i n

You versus Problems:

THE BOXING MATCH

DR. SHRIRANG BAKHLE says that by acquiring a calm
and happy mindset, we can tackle the problems better
and not allow the problems to damage our mind.

verybody is generally happy. But

the problem comes when a problem comes! And then the boxing
match starts. This is a two-way match:
we try to overpower and solve the
problem. At the same time, the problem can harm us, make us unhappy.
The problem can be anything: fear of
failure in exam, financial problems,
career dissatisfaction, interpersonal
problems, sickness or death in the
family etc.
So, what is the final outcome? Do we
come out happy and strong or do we
end up being unhappy (sad, fearful or
angry)? It is important to recognize
that most of this battle happens in our
mind. And the final outcome happiness or unhappiness happens in the
mind, too. Hence, by understanding
the dynamics, we can determine the
outcome.
Simple logic tells us that if we solve
the problem, we will become happy.
And if we are unable to solve the problem, we will become unhappy. But this
isnt always the case. Suppose, someone
insults you. If the person admits the
mistake and apologizes, you will
become happy. If the person does not
do this, you will remain unhappy. Is it
so? Not always. It is possible that even if
the person apologizes, you may keep
remembering the unhappiness and
remain unhappy for a long time. It is
also possible that even if the person
does not apologize, you can remain

strong and get on with your life happily.

One half of this boxing match is what
we do to the problem: Solve the problem, or at least reduce the severity and
take steps to ensure that the problem
does not recur in future.
You must have observed that some
people are better at solving problems
than others problems such as exams,
interpersonal problems etc. What is
the difference between these two
groups of people? Is it the physical
strength - the size of the biceps? No.
The difference is in the mindset the
attributes of the mind. If we understand these abilities, we can learn
them.
The most important ability is remaining calm in the middle of problem situations. Whenever we realize that we
have a problem, the first reaction is that
we become unhappy - sad, fearful,
angry. For example, when a student
realizes that he may not do well in an
exam, the first reaction is fear. However
we see many students who remain anxious for a long time and are unable to
concentrate on studies. This worsens
the situation, increasing the chances of
doing poorly in the exam. Hence, the
first step in solving a problem is to
become calm. It is easier said than
done. But it can be done. There are
various techniques for removing the
negative emotions; techniques that
can be learnt. We will discuss them in
future articles in this series.

A calm mind offers several advantages: it can think of more facets of the
situation whereas the emotional mind
can hold only a few facets. For example, while tackling interpersonal problems, the calm mind can think of many
related events, people and different
options before deciding on an action
plan. The emotional person takes decisions based on few emotional facets
and hence has a less chance of tackling
the problems well.
The calm person has more patience
while the emotional person rushes
into actions. For example, a young
child is having difficulties while learning to do some activity (such as tying
shoe laces). The calm person will
patiently observe and teach the child.
The emotional person will have an
emotional outburst quickly.
The calm person has better empathy.
The emotional persons mind is so
clouded by the emotions that he cannot perceive what is going on in other
peoples minds. Hence the calm person
can tackle interpersonal problems better. The other half of the boxing match
is what the problem does to you. Sometimes the problem leaves the emotionally shaken even if the problem gets
solved. For example, a person may face
the possibility of losing his job. This
experience may make the person fearful or bitter even if he manages to
retain the job. This typically happens if
the person keeps on brooding about
the unpleasant experiences.
The person with the happy mindset
understands that problems are a part
of every persons life and that they are
to be taken in the stride. So this person
tries to learn from the problem, is
happy that the problem is solved and
then gets on with the life. Even if the
problem is unsolvable (e.g. death of a
dear one), the calm person overcomes
the distress and gets back to living a
productive life. So, by acquiring the
calm and happy mindset, we can tackle the problems better and not allow
the problems to damage our mind.
ss.bakhle@gmail.com

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