"My lord has taken so many forms.....I adore him for his versatality......but If I had to make a choice, it would be Raam, the scion of the suryavanshi clan......As with all the god-men he was misunderstood.....
As I see today his name has become the banner for politicized fights between groups, reviled by feminists for sowing the seeds of Sati into the already chauvinistic Indian society.....and for letting go of his wife when she was pregnant......
I was with him when he lived his mortal existence, though you may not see my name mentioned by the robber turned saint Valmiki , I was very much a part of the epic......for every time He descends we too follow him, not to support but to learn.....
He came to teach acceptance of the moment......surrender....surrender to the present moment....neither judging nor rejecting the present moment but take it because the moment right now is life itself......
Enlightened by his kulaguru vashishtha on the secret of life....Raam was already in a state of surrender before his life unfolded.....when his stepmother insists on his exile into the forest for 14 years, there is no inner resistance within Raam......He accepts the moment .....living it fully without much drama......the drama is created by the people around him and who deny the present.....IF Raam had a 20th century intellect he would have obsessed about his decision on days together and would have carried a grudge against his stepmother for the rest of his life....
But he accepts.....lives his life fully in the sylvan surrounding....for him it was an opportunity life had given him to explore the wild......bought up in luxury he never knew how to tame nature for ones own survival......this experience humbles him, making him a better king when he comes to ayodhya after 14 years, as he has seen life from the eyes of the lowliest member of the society......
Separation from Sita threatens nay tests his equilibrium.........it is as if the universe tests him throughout to be dramatic ...to carry a sorry picture of himself as a victimized man......He realises this when sita is taken away from him........It is the monsoon season......he sits morose in a cave contemplating the horrors his wife would be enduring.....there is nothing he can do ...the Monsoon prevents him from enabling his forces to search for sita.....he is left alone with his own mind.....the inability forces him to trace the source of his angst......awakening blossoms.......there is nothing to feel sorry about ......there is no one to feel sorry about.......whatever has happened is what life is at that moment..."takshani" ..."at that moment".......He surrenders.......to the moment.......suspension of thoughts.....stillness envelops him......psychological time stops.......there is no future, no past.....no Sita no Raam....neither monsoon neither the absence of it......neither friend nor enemy.......
In that state ...Brahman is revealed......he sees Brahman smiling at him through Sita and through Raavan......the seed that Vashishtah had sown takes root.....it grows....he realises his role in the scheme of things.....he stops fretting and fuming....when the time comes in the form of the present moment he will do what is right at the moment....he taught me never to hold on to any concept as right or wrong , as each moment brings its own knowledge and to make a decision prior to that would be faulty logic.........accepting the enemy's brother as a commander in chief when his counsel suggests otherwise reveals that Raam lived in the present moment......not judging ....he sees reality as it is and this decision of his becomes a crucial factor in his winning the battle...
We adore him not because he killed Raavan.......if not Raam , Raavan would have died a natural death or would have taken to ascetism like parashuram sick of his own wild ways......the gods praised and eulogized him because of his ability to keep the drama out of his life and react to the moment as it is.....
He is a symbol for the average man.......to reduce drama and increase living .....for only when you have lived each and every moment, have you lived life and not merely existed...."
Monday, December 20, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Old memories......
Something I saw on facebook triggered this.....
My childhood is so vague in my memory.....maybe I was not very attentive as a child.......Those were the days of "chitrahaar" and pepsi cola....:P
It is said that smell is the best trigger of memory ....the smell of "vibhuti" (sacred ash) triggers the vision of my mother in the small enclave in my house in mumbai....
I remember my mother ...fair....beautiful......looking fresh in her 9 yards saree......murmuring incantations ......after the worship she used to force consecrated "prasad" down my throat....and push my head in obeisance towards the laminated photo of our family deity.....
I remember the fights I used to have with my sister......unrecognizable now as a stern matriarch disciplining her children as once my mother did.....
Our fights were legendary......she never backed down and I remember hitting her with my small fists screaming "Dishum" with every wallop I packed....
Battles with my sister were always a lose-lose situation...though I would win the battle by making my mother side with me(I was the younger one so my mother was possessive about me, much to my sisters chagrin). After the fight she would go into the other room and lock herself up.....and how could I let her have all the fun alone...I would knock the door and ask in a gruff voice "what she thought of herself??"......No response....I would then use a more gentler enquiring tone to find out whether she was playing without me and having fun in the process!!!
I can imagine her giggling with suppressed glee while retorting that I may as well say goodbye to the toys which we both shared........Mute rage used to take over me and I would run over to my mother who by this time would have lost interest in our fight and just retort by saying that nowadays I need to pay attention to my studies......I remember thinking how stupid grown-ups were....no sense of priority...the toys were at stake and there was a very good chance my sister may be wreaking havoc with them or worst marrying off He-man and Evelyn....(the He-man doll was my favourite....I had stolen it from my friends house and his sword was moth-eaten)
I specifically remember the clock striking 8:15 p.m......that was the time my father arrived after a punishing day on the Mumbai train.....The moment the bell rang we both would rush for the door........there was a reason for that......my fathers office had a canteen from where he would get us biscuits........that was all he could afford.....he would smile in tired satisfaction as we ruffled through the "red bag" ( He always bought the goodies in the red bag)....Now as I look back I can see the tired eyes of my father.......tiredness from a life which gave him no freedom.......bound him to a chair for 30 years.....he always liked to travel.....A history buff and a naturalist at heart.....he detested being tied to a spot.......someday I hope to take him on a Eurotrip.....
Sundays were good......there used to be Ramayan on TV......and at 2 in the afternoon my friends would call me for playing box cricket.....
I was mortally afraid if someone would suggest over-arm bowling or playing in the ground...since I was very good at thrashing them at under-arm bowling........playing in the ground would mean losing to the guys who I used to make mincemeat of in underarm cricket....:P...
sometimes I would feign stomach ache just to escape playing in the field....
I remember one specific incident which my building friends still refer to......on one such day when I was trying to evade playing in the field...one of the bullies in my building held me the scruff of my shirt and asked me why the little imp thought the field was not good enough for him...
I responded by saying that I am prone to "summer boils" and my mother has strictly prohibited me from playing in the sun.....After 8-9 seconds of stunned silence all of them burst into peals of laughter....because it was winter in Mumbai..:P
My childhood is so vague in my memory.....maybe I was not very attentive as a child.......Those were the days of "chitrahaar" and pepsi cola....:P
It is said that smell is the best trigger of memory ....the smell of "vibhuti" (sacred ash) triggers the vision of my mother in the small enclave in my house in mumbai....
I remember my mother ...fair....beautiful......looking fresh in her 9 yards saree......murmuring incantations ......after the worship she used to force consecrated "prasad" down my throat....and push my head in obeisance towards the laminated photo of our family deity.....
I remember the fights I used to have with my sister......unrecognizable now as a stern matriarch disciplining her children as once my mother did.....
Our fights were legendary......she never backed down and I remember hitting her with my small fists screaming "Dishum" with every wallop I packed....
Battles with my sister were always a lose-lose situation...though I would win the battle by making my mother side with me(I was the younger one so my mother was possessive about me, much to my sisters chagrin). After the fight she would go into the other room and lock herself up.....and how could I let her have all the fun alone...I would knock the door and ask in a gruff voice "what she thought of herself??"......No response....I would then use a more gentler enquiring tone to find out whether she was playing without me and having fun in the process!!!
I can imagine her giggling with suppressed glee while retorting that I may as well say goodbye to the toys which we both shared........Mute rage used to take over me and I would run over to my mother who by this time would have lost interest in our fight and just retort by saying that nowadays I need to pay attention to my studies......I remember thinking how stupid grown-ups were....no sense of priority...the toys were at stake and there was a very good chance my sister may be wreaking havoc with them or worst marrying off He-man and Evelyn....(the He-man doll was my favourite....I had stolen it from my friends house and his sword was moth-eaten)
I specifically remember the clock striking 8:15 p.m......that was the time my father arrived after a punishing day on the Mumbai train.....The moment the bell rang we both would rush for the door........there was a reason for that......my fathers office had a canteen from where he would get us biscuits........that was all he could afford.....he would smile in tired satisfaction as we ruffled through the "red bag" ( He always bought the goodies in the red bag)....Now as I look back I can see the tired eyes of my father.......tiredness from a life which gave him no freedom.......bound him to a chair for 30 years.....he always liked to travel.....A history buff and a naturalist at heart.....he detested being tied to a spot.......someday I hope to take him on a Eurotrip.....
Sundays were good......there used to be Ramayan on TV......and at 2 in the afternoon my friends would call me for playing box cricket.....
I was mortally afraid if someone would suggest over-arm bowling or playing in the ground...since I was very good at thrashing them at under-arm bowling........playing in the ground would mean losing to the guys who I used to make mincemeat of in underarm cricket....:P...
sometimes I would feign stomach ache just to escape playing in the field....
I remember one specific incident which my building friends still refer to......on one such day when I was trying to evade playing in the field...one of the bullies in my building held me the scruff of my shirt and asked me why the little imp thought the field was not good enough for him...
I responded by saying that I am prone to "summer boils" and my mother has strictly prohibited me from playing in the sun.....After 8-9 seconds of stunned silence all of them burst into peals of laughter....because it was winter in Mumbai..:P
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Eye of Garuda--II
The rise of Dhanvantari changes the group dynamics.........as he emerges from the "ksheer sagara".........both asuras and devas vie for his attention......representing the dilemma of an intellectual when he is transforming....
The transformation has been wrought by a balance between the extremes , but the psyche is not sure which side should dominate when the first results of the transformation are seen...
Should the mind wait patiently for the nectar to pour down or rush ahead as this may be the last chance for redemption from the mind.......should the mind drown itself in the bliss of deep meditation giving up day-to-day existence or should it continue the same practice which till now has borne fruits....
When the tussle between the two extremes reaches a point of stalemate......my lord appears.....
His presence soothes everyone.................Vishnu the protector, my master.......the one who worships my lord sees my lord in everything "vasudeva kutumbakam"......because thats what my lord wants them to see......he wants the mind to share its joy......with others.....
My master is for the masses........he believes that every soul has an innate responsibility towards the whole.....he does not want any one overshooting the spirituality curve.........grace shall descend on the individual when he has completed his divine responsibility of helping others.......he will not let the asuric qualities win.......they stand for personal upliftment without thought for the whole......shiva's way.....very personal,aloof,detached.....though there will be followers of this path too......the majority of the masses will have to follow my master's lead........
He transforms into desire , the most instinctive desire that man has known......mohini.....which translates to "that which attracts".....Mohini was a multi-hued goddess , she stood for what each man desires the most according to his stature in life and she is the golden shackle that ties the mind to the earthly existence...she influences both the devas and the asuras......in the devas she is the desire to do good, which is still a desire......a construct of the mind to justify its existence......a last ditch effort by the mind to prove that it is important.....
For the asuras she represents possession....the desire to become overlord of all..... The temptation is too much.......the asuras are smitten by her.......they have to be...they represent instinct.....instinct does not allow contemplation....it forces action.......they try to possess her, each one for himself.....they don't want to share.......my lord does not favour them....if even one of them gains the elixir , he will not share.........
The ones who resist their instinct and stay focussed represent the devas.......tempering their instincts by will they represent the people who vishnu has a bias towards.......the ones who will share their bounty......and who have enough sense to not act instinctively making them better than animals.........
Desire tricks the instinct but helps the strong-willed mind grasp the elixir.........since in the strong-willed mind the desire represents vishnu and not mohini.......the desire to do good.....a good desire......
(to be continued)
The transformation has been wrought by a balance between the extremes , but the psyche is not sure which side should dominate when the first results of the transformation are seen...
Should the mind wait patiently for the nectar to pour down or rush ahead as this may be the last chance for redemption from the mind.......should the mind drown itself in the bliss of deep meditation giving up day-to-day existence or should it continue the same practice which till now has borne fruits....
When the tussle between the two extremes reaches a point of stalemate......my lord appears.....
His presence soothes everyone.................Vishnu the protector, my master.......the one who worships my lord sees my lord in everything "vasudeva kutumbakam"......because thats what my lord wants them to see......he wants the mind to share its joy......with others.....
My master is for the masses........he believes that every soul has an innate responsibility towards the whole.....he does not want any one overshooting the spirituality curve.........grace shall descend on the individual when he has completed his divine responsibility of helping others.......he will not let the asuric qualities win.......they stand for personal upliftment without thought for the whole......shiva's way.....very personal,aloof,detached.....though there will be followers of this path too......the majority of the masses will have to follow my master's lead........
He transforms into desire , the most instinctive desire that man has known......mohini.....which translates to "that which attracts".....Mohini was a multi-hued goddess , she stood for what each man desires the most according to his stature in life and she is the golden shackle that ties the mind to the earthly existence...she influences both the devas and the asuras......in the devas she is the desire to do good, which is still a desire......a construct of the mind to justify its existence......a last ditch effort by the mind to prove that it is important.....
For the asuras she represents possession....the desire to become overlord of all..... The temptation is too much.......the asuras are smitten by her.......they have to be...they represent instinct.....instinct does not allow contemplation....it forces action.......they try to possess her, each one for himself.....they don't want to share.......my lord does not favour them....if even one of them gains the elixir , he will not share.........
The ones who resist their instinct and stay focussed represent the devas.......tempering their instincts by will they represent the people who vishnu has a bias towards.......the ones who will share their bounty......and who have enough sense to not act instinctively making them better than animals.........
Desire tricks the instinct but helps the strong-willed mind grasp the elixir.........since in the strong-willed mind the desire represents vishnu and not mohini.......the desire to do good.....a good desire......
(to be continued)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Eye of Garuda......
Instead of insipid blogs, I have decided to explore the rich Indian mythology and explain it through the eyes of Garuda.....the eagle god......who impressed Vishnu by his prowess.....
Why garuda ?? would be a valid question.....but imagine to be tethered to the supreme god vishnu and still not be able to merge with him.......must be killing him :P.....to reduce his agony , I dedicate the observations made by me to Garuda......:P
Lets look at what the ancients tried to convey through "samudra Manthan"....
The story begins with Indra being cursed by Durvasa for being indifferent towards his gift to Indra.....symbolising that every change or strenuous activity has its roots in indifference and boredom, a non appreciation of the existing splendor that mother earth bestows on us.
Advised by vishnu the devas and asuras start churning the "Milky Ocean" to gain vigour and strength from its gifts.
As vishnu arrives on the scene astride Garuda.....he contemplates.....
"What a sight......both extremes(devas and asuras) combine together for a common cause, by sublimating their base natures.......as the butter is churned out of the ocean, so does the ocean throw out its wealth for the individual who strives to go against his nature and tries to bring change in his life......"
"The devas represent the benign qualities of the mind......humility, kindness , effort....which are required in the requisite amount to lead a balanced life in society.......the asuras represent the impulsive nature within him .....anger, passion, pride which though intense are required for the individual if he is trying to change or revolutionise his character......Without the asuric qualities of pride and passion he will not be able to withstand the backlash of society when he tries to change , in the process becoming a hypocrite in the eyes of his fellowmen....."
"The milky ocean ......represents the frothing , bubbling mind......initially it spews "Halahala", the deadly poison.......which can consume the entire psyche of the individual.....transformation is not a joke and as a side effect the psyche contorts....believing what it wants to believe resembling an elephant in rut.....the poison needs to be consumed by one other than the individual....enter shiva......the tamasic lord...., he consumes the poison....Shiva in the human psyche is the ability to be non-reactive....indifferent to the plays of the mind......introverted and ever present in brahman , shiva represents an escape for the psyche when it threatens to engulf the consciousness by the poisonous thoughts of guilt and anger......when the individual goes into a contemplative state, his own poisonous thoughts are consumed......making the presence of shiva a crucial moment in the transformation.....without him there is annihilation of the psyche......ironically the dark lord acts as the savior untrue to his nature of destruction......symbolising that when an individual changes even the gods change their shades...mirroring him...encouraging him....."
"Material splendor enamoring the mind is created by the mind itself.......ucchaishrava the white horse. walks out of the ocean.......represents the prancing and galloping nature of the mind.....the horse is elegant...so are thoughts....it is a conscious decision to either go behind the horse or stay put for the final reward...."amrit".....nectar of immortality......
subsequently follows "Lakshmi" the goddess of wealth.....she is enchanting......having the ability to fulfill all needs ...she is the epitome of capitalistic consumerism and greed......and she knows it.......wealth has its significance only when channelised and not when hoarded.....she slowly moves towards my lord and garlands him.......he is beyond desires and will not hoard her but will channelise her gifts to the deserving poor....he will hold the purse strings , thus retaining absolute control......
Finally dhanvantari , the god of health and well being emerges holding the pot of nectar......I observe , from the mind comes the elixir for immortality.......when all other desires are emptied from the "milky mind"......what remains is a healthy , balanced, sober , clear mind which is ready to receive the elixir of immortality.....
(to be continued)
Why garuda ?? would be a valid question.....but imagine to be tethered to the supreme god vishnu and still not be able to merge with him.......must be killing him :P.....to reduce his agony , I dedicate the observations made by me to Garuda......:P
Lets look at what the ancients tried to convey through "samudra Manthan"....
The story begins with Indra being cursed by Durvasa for being indifferent towards his gift to Indra.....symbolising that every change or strenuous activity has its roots in indifference and boredom, a non appreciation of the existing splendor that mother earth bestows on us.
Advised by vishnu the devas and asuras start churning the "Milky Ocean" to gain vigour and strength from its gifts.
As vishnu arrives on the scene astride Garuda.....he contemplates.....
"What a sight......both extremes(devas and asuras) combine together for a common cause, by sublimating their base natures.......as the butter is churned out of the ocean, so does the ocean throw out its wealth for the individual who strives to go against his nature and tries to bring change in his life......"
"The devas represent the benign qualities of the mind......humility, kindness , effort....which are required in the requisite amount to lead a balanced life in society.......the asuras represent the impulsive nature within him .....anger, passion, pride which though intense are required for the individual if he is trying to change or revolutionise his character......Without the asuric qualities of pride and passion he will not be able to withstand the backlash of society when he tries to change , in the process becoming a hypocrite in the eyes of his fellowmen....."
"The milky ocean ......represents the frothing , bubbling mind......initially it spews "Halahala", the deadly poison.......which can consume the entire psyche of the individual.....transformation is not a joke and as a side effect the psyche contorts....believing what it wants to believe resembling an elephant in rut.....the poison needs to be consumed by one other than the individual....enter shiva......the tamasic lord...., he consumes the poison....Shiva in the human psyche is the ability to be non-reactive....indifferent to the plays of the mind......introverted and ever present in brahman , shiva represents an escape for the psyche when it threatens to engulf the consciousness by the poisonous thoughts of guilt and anger......when the individual goes into a contemplative state, his own poisonous thoughts are consumed......making the presence of shiva a crucial moment in the transformation.....without him there is annihilation of the psyche......ironically the dark lord acts as the savior untrue to his nature of destruction......symbolising that when an individual changes even the gods change their shades...mirroring him...encouraging him....."
"Material splendor enamoring the mind is created by the mind itself.......ucchaishrava the white horse. walks out of the ocean.......represents the prancing and galloping nature of the mind.....the horse is elegant...so are thoughts....it is a conscious decision to either go behind the horse or stay put for the final reward...."amrit".....nectar of immortality......
subsequently follows "Lakshmi" the goddess of wealth.....she is enchanting......having the ability to fulfill all needs ...she is the epitome of capitalistic consumerism and greed......and she knows it.......wealth has its significance only when channelised and not when hoarded.....she slowly moves towards my lord and garlands him.......he is beyond desires and will not hoard her but will channelise her gifts to the deserving poor....he will hold the purse strings , thus retaining absolute control......
Finally dhanvantari , the god of health and well being emerges holding the pot of nectar......I observe , from the mind comes the elixir for immortality.......when all other desires are emptied from the "milky mind"......what remains is a healthy , balanced, sober , clear mind which is ready to receive the elixir of immortality.....
(to be continued)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The influence.....
"Rules and prohibitions are transcended,nothing is right or wrong, He is above all"-----description of the "perfect" sage by Ashtavakra samhita......
There are certain lines which keep repeating in your head while doing mundane activities or while the mind is performing its routine mischief of jumping from thought to thought....
To some extent , this stage can be reached by the experiences to which the mind is subject to.
Experience and influence being so important in an aspirants life, I find it difficult to believe so many people reached this stage by divorcing themselves from society.
To prove my point ,there are a couple of influences which came from unexpected quarters.....
I met by career services advisor a week ago to talk about an internship. The initial phase of the interview was awkward, both of us acutely aware that behind the apparent goodwill, there was a reason why I came to meet her.....to get leads about the companies to follow....
I was disgusted with myself for using her only for that and not respecting her as an individual.I had fixed an appointment for 15 minutes and had come prepared. Something snapped within me(I call that God...:P) and I asked "when we first met you mentioned that you had gone to japan , just to get away from it all, If I may ask ,why did you go??"
for a moment she stared at me....I guess when you are really interested ,it shows in your demeanor, she talked about her conventional chinese parentage, the unwillingness to let her go to a foreign country.....
The trepidation of whether she will survive the new industry, and most importantly.....the exhilaration when she realized that she could do "anything".......
Its a thing with the human brain, when it encounters the expansion of its limitations in one aspect of existence.......it contemplates..... beautiful mind......realizes that it can beat down all barriers.....and she experienced the same thing.....
For a moment her eyes lit up and exclaimed that it was the best year of her life, the mind was realizing its extent to grow.....at that point we empathized , because I have been experiencing that for the last couple of months......the 15 min interview went upto an hour:P
I listened as I heard the mind of one who was more mature and contemplative than mine......information datamine........
As i mentioned earlier , when we go to a headhunter thats the least on our minds....to connect behind the polished exterior was so much fun.....and I have realised my ability to do that.......what a mindblowing thing to do.......to spark and connect......
The second influence came from watching random videos in youtube.......came across the video of a guy called Eckhart Tolle......physically unimposing......he spoke of the art of focussing on the surrounding so intensely that you are in the present , every second such that only the present exists, tried that for a couple of days and saw that my concentration skills have gone up considerably, I read people when they are trying to explain something and fill their conversations.....irritatingly so...:P.....but its again telling my mind not to argue for its own limitations...
The third influence came from my roommate who believes in class among people......he treats class as something expressed through someone's demeanour and in general dressing sense.....which is irritatingly immature if not downright stupid......
Class comes from taking up challenges, winning .....watching our own mindset as it changes , feeling the exhilaration of challenging and defeating ones own limited thinking.....and maintaning it as a way of life...
Even smaller things, like going up to a girl in a bar , though trivial may do wonders for the self-esteem/class...
I have a good friend who is appearing for a public exam and we had this conversation as to how to improvise on one's personality so that we could create an impact on peoples mind....
today after 8 months I think I am closer to the answer.......His answer would lie more in taking up radical ideas however silly they may be......he need not even tell anyone about it......and watch the decision change his life...the problem with us is that we have goals which take years to complete and we miss out on the smaller challenges....... which keep the drive to experiment alive and which eventually may transform us in unthinkable ways,....
the class which comes from such experiences would be mindblowing.......it would be from ones own
experience, forged in ones own mind.....courage from ones own gut...acceptance from ones own humility....who can beat such a guy......untouchable and irresistible....
I have half a mind to go blast guys who think they can judge people based on which designer company they buy from and which deodorant they use.....
If that is class...then I think its better if we don't have it......I would rather have "attitude" which comes from within myself by my efforts and not from wearing shades of "Ray-Ban"...
I still think that my friend who is maybe 5'6" and doesn't accesorize has far more guts and "Dil' than my other "friends" who believe that they have conquered their surrounding by wearing "D&G"....
Compare all the three influences.....independent but affecting the mind from all directions....pulling it apart .......enlarging it.....exhilarating it.....3 dimensions.....
"Basic need", "spiritual" and "practical"......Science says that there are in all 11 dimensions...we operate only in 3.....in some part of the universe there is a being who operates in the 4th dimension also.....time....that entity would traverse in time too.....
the important question is how Do I reach there....Maybe by challenging my own mind.......maybe the mind has all the dimensions in it.....when I expand it....I will be able to traverse in time too....:P...and maybe date aishwarya rai before she became Miss world......
There are certain lines which keep repeating in your head while doing mundane activities or while the mind is performing its routine mischief of jumping from thought to thought....
To some extent , this stage can be reached by the experiences to which the mind is subject to.
Experience and influence being so important in an aspirants life, I find it difficult to believe so many people reached this stage by divorcing themselves from society.
To prove my point ,there are a couple of influences which came from unexpected quarters.....
I met by career services advisor a week ago to talk about an internship. The initial phase of the interview was awkward, both of us acutely aware that behind the apparent goodwill, there was a reason why I came to meet her.....to get leads about the companies to follow....
I was disgusted with myself for using her only for that and not respecting her as an individual.I had fixed an appointment for 15 minutes and had come prepared. Something snapped within me(I call that God...:P) and I asked "when we first met you mentioned that you had gone to japan , just to get away from it all, If I may ask ,why did you go??"
for a moment she stared at me....I guess when you are really interested ,it shows in your demeanor, she talked about her conventional chinese parentage, the unwillingness to let her go to a foreign country.....
The trepidation of whether she will survive the new industry, and most importantly.....the exhilaration when she realized that she could do "anything".......
Its a thing with the human brain, when it encounters the expansion of its limitations in one aspect of existence.......it contemplates..... beautiful mind......realizes that it can beat down all barriers.....and she experienced the same thing.....
For a moment her eyes lit up and exclaimed that it was the best year of her life, the mind was realizing its extent to grow.....at that point we empathized , because I have been experiencing that for the last couple of months......the 15 min interview went upto an hour:P
I listened as I heard the mind of one who was more mature and contemplative than mine......information datamine........
As i mentioned earlier , when we go to a headhunter thats the least on our minds....to connect behind the polished exterior was so much fun.....and I have realised my ability to do that.......what a mindblowing thing to do.......to spark and connect......
The second influence came from watching random videos in youtube.......came across the video of a guy called Eckhart Tolle......physically unimposing......he spoke of the art of focussing on the surrounding so intensely that you are in the present , every second such that only the present exists, tried that for a couple of days and saw that my concentration skills have gone up considerably, I read people when they are trying to explain something and fill their conversations.....irritatingly so...:P.....but its again telling my mind not to argue for its own limitations...
The third influence came from my roommate who believes in class among people......he treats class as something expressed through someone's demeanour and in general dressing sense.....which is irritatingly immature if not downright stupid......
Class comes from taking up challenges, winning .....watching our own mindset as it changes , feeling the exhilaration of challenging and defeating ones own limited thinking.....and maintaning it as a way of life...
Even smaller things, like going up to a girl in a bar , though trivial may do wonders for the self-esteem/class...
I have a good friend who is appearing for a public exam and we had this conversation as to how to improvise on one's personality so that we could create an impact on peoples mind....
today after 8 months I think I am closer to the answer.......His answer would lie more in taking up radical ideas however silly they may be......he need not even tell anyone about it......and watch the decision change his life...the problem with us is that we have goals which take years to complete and we miss out on the smaller challenges....... which keep the drive to experiment alive and which eventually may transform us in unthinkable ways,....
the class which comes from such experiences would be mindblowing.......it would be from ones own
experience, forged in ones own mind.....courage from ones own gut...acceptance from ones own humility....who can beat such a guy......untouchable and irresistible....
I have half a mind to go blast guys who think they can judge people based on which designer company they buy from and which deodorant they use.....
If that is class...then I think its better if we don't have it......I would rather have "attitude" which comes from within myself by my efforts and not from wearing shades of "Ray-Ban"...
I still think that my friend who is maybe 5'6" and doesn't accesorize has far more guts and "Dil' than my other "friends" who believe that they have conquered their surrounding by wearing "D&G"....
Compare all the three influences.....independent but affecting the mind from all directions....pulling it apart .......enlarging it.....exhilarating it.....3 dimensions.....
"Basic need", "spiritual" and "practical"......Science says that there are in all 11 dimensions...we operate only in 3.....in some part of the universe there is a being who operates in the 4th dimension also.....time....that entity would traverse in time too.....
the important question is how Do I reach there....Maybe by challenging my own mind.......maybe the mind has all the dimensions in it.....when I expand it....I will be able to traverse in time too....:P...and maybe date aishwarya rai before she became Miss world......
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The Pub night
Pubbing ......very different meaning when you enter the US of A.
Back in India.....when I used to go with my friends....pubbing mainly referred to going to a shady smoke filled bar with lot of people jammed into a tiny space.
Go on drinking until the limits of consciousness were stretched...all the while reiterating that I was not drunk and I would not have someone say otherwise...:P
Out here in Boston, pubbing is a way to meet people socially....getting drunk and behaving like an ass is a strict no-no. The first pub night that I attended....I was lost as usual......standing on the sidelines awkwardly holding a beer I was the picture of "FOB" (Fresh of the boat).
Did try to get into a game of snooker with a couple of chinese...who played so well I wondered why they didn't take it up professionally.
There is an unspoken contract between Desis when we meet in a pub(before we had our drinks)......though we may have shared food in the same vessel.....out in the open we dare not show that we are good friends :P....
It's just a casual "How you doing man"?/....and just move on to the next chinese or american.
For us international students even pubbing is an event to be taken seriously.......every occasion is a golden knock by the elusive contact who would finally hook us up with our "dream" job.
I was told by my seniors to move around with as many people I could find....of course there are political sidelines.....there is the distinctive line between the I.T and Finance guys.....since I belong to both the families.....I am a favourite of neither party :P.....
But as it's said all facade fade when the level of alcohol in the blood increases beyond a certain point......As the glasses on the table pile up......we desis start forming small groups or cocoons I should say.......slowly the camraderie builds and then the fun begins....:P
The talk shifts from being sophisticated to "who was seen in whose room "......:P.....why certain females resemble the female counterpart of a dog...and why certain males are like serpents in the garden of eden...:P
Ahhhh....Pure joy.....I always tire quickly of appearing sophisticated and am normally the first ones to become truly desi on the pub floor....scaring away the poor americans with my loud , boisterous talk....:P.....I have been warned many times that if this continues the number of friends that I have will be limited to single digits.....
Desi girls do visit these pub's just to be part of the "In" crowd.....lot of us try our luck....:P.....surreptiously building an image that we hope the female would start to like......but the female species always in possession of their wits .......play along with us.....encouraging all our overtures.....finally to introduce us to their boyfriends....who was always in the shade laughing his ass off at us...:P.....
whatever may be the result......I am better off attending these events ...as they let me make a fool of myself...:P.....making me realize that its the fools and the irrational idiots who have all the fun....
Back in India.....when I used to go with my friends....pubbing mainly referred to going to a shady smoke filled bar with lot of people jammed into a tiny space.
Go on drinking until the limits of consciousness were stretched...all the while reiterating that I was not drunk and I would not have someone say otherwise...:P
Out here in Boston, pubbing is a way to meet people socially....getting drunk and behaving like an ass is a strict no-no. The first pub night that I attended....I was lost as usual......standing on the sidelines awkwardly holding a beer I was the picture of "FOB" (Fresh of the boat).
Did try to get into a game of snooker with a couple of chinese...who played so well I wondered why they didn't take it up professionally.
There is an unspoken contract between Desis when we meet in a pub(before we had our drinks)......though we may have shared food in the same vessel.....out in the open we dare not show that we are good friends :P....
It's just a casual "How you doing man"?/....and just move on to the next chinese or american.
For us international students even pubbing is an event to be taken seriously.......every occasion is a golden knock by the elusive contact who would finally hook us up with our "dream" job.
I was told by my seniors to move around with as many people I could find....of course there are political sidelines.....there is the distinctive line between the I.T and Finance guys.....since I belong to both the families.....I am a favourite of neither party :P.....
But as it's said all facade fade when the level of alcohol in the blood increases beyond a certain point......As the glasses on the table pile up......we desis start forming small groups or cocoons I should say.......slowly the camraderie builds and then the fun begins....:P
The talk shifts from being sophisticated to "who was seen in whose room "......:P.....why certain females resemble the female counterpart of a dog...and why certain males are like serpents in the garden of eden...:P
Ahhhh....Pure joy.....I always tire quickly of appearing sophisticated and am normally the first ones to become truly desi on the pub floor....scaring away the poor americans with my loud , boisterous talk....:P.....I have been warned many times that if this continues the number of friends that I have will be limited to single digits.....
Desi girls do visit these pub's just to be part of the "In" crowd.....lot of us try our luck....:P.....surreptiously building an image that we hope the female would start to like......but the female species always in possession of their wits .......play along with us.....encouraging all our overtures.....finally to introduce us to their boyfriends....who was always in the shade laughing his ass off at us...:P.....
whatever may be the result......I am better off attending these events ...as they let me make a fool of myself...:P.....making me realize that its the fools and the irrational idiots who have all the fun....
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Enthiran...Thailavaaaaaaaaaaaa....:P
Thailavaaaa....:P......a blood curdling yell greeted me as I entered the cinema hall in Boston, wondering how "demi god" Rajni would be received by the people here....
God is truly omnipotent....nay maybe more potent in USA ...as we pay 30$ for a seat to enjoy his antics........Setting aside the fact that we may be converting Mr. Maran's Black moolah to white......Enthiran is a superb pot-broiler......
A slightly aging Aishwarya looks perfect for Rajni........As his image panned across the screen I found myself being swept in the Adrenaline-rush.....To my own chagrin I found myself standing up and hooting into the air...enjoying the rush that comes with being primeval....
That's the thing I guess.....hero-worship does work wonders.....I found my sober mindset again coming out of the mundane groove...and trying to put myself into the actor's shoes......For a couple of hours I forgot that I need to save dollars, get an internship....maybe apply to a couple of companies......living in the moment.....I was thrilled.....hair standing on end.....what mattered was whether Aishwarya is saved form the clutches of Baddie Robo Rajni......
The story if I am not wrong comes from an author who goes by the pen-name "sujatha"....a very renowned Tamil author who apparently revolutionized the thinking of the masses......
I am yet to read his works but I have been told that his writings are beautifully descriptive and I have always been fascinated by the descriptive/romantic style of Tamil language....
I think I miss out on a lot of such good authors, who write only in the regional language......if there was an "enthiram" to convert each book into english with the emotions intact......what a transfer of ideas it would be........
or maybe a Binary language/common substratum which each human could understand instinctively, could help the transfer of ideas more easily...:P
Coming back to the movie......Robo Rajni gets "corrupted" by the human baser emotions which apparently makes us different from the animals....sentience....is brutally punished .....as the baser emotions can be solely enjoyed by the one who is created by nature.....and not one created by man.....sort of the same expectation we have from men of god......
If a young man commits youthful indiscretions....he is maybe forgiven by a puritan society......but not so in the case of holy men....slight deviation from what society expects from them and they are torn apart.....because we want to see them fall....what greater joy than seeing a highly evolved person being subject to the same dilemmas that we face and succumb to it....:P
Obviously in the end..."human" Rajni triumphs,....but somewhere deep down I wanted the "Robo" Rajni to take home the bacon......He was the better guy here....he just obeyed his instincts without seeming hypocritical and says candidly "I want Sana (Aishwaryas character) DOT"......simple...I want it and I will have it.......
A better climax would have been if Robo Rajni impregnates Aishwaryas character and creates the Robo sapien.......and then finally realizes that Life is more than wanting and having ......poisoned by intellect undergo the same existential dilemma that homo sapien goes through but with the additional cross of immortality......
Irrespective...Thalaivaaa rocks...solely for his ability to create mass hysteria....for giving me a high on life......making me understand that life is enjoyed in momentous spurts and for providing me with a enjoyable time slot in the time-space curve :P:P
God is truly omnipotent....nay maybe more potent in USA ...as we pay 30$ for a seat to enjoy his antics........Setting aside the fact that we may be converting Mr. Maran's Black moolah to white......Enthiran is a superb pot-broiler......
A slightly aging Aishwarya looks perfect for Rajni........As his image panned across the screen I found myself being swept in the Adrenaline-rush.....To my own chagrin I found myself standing up and hooting into the air...enjoying the rush that comes with being primeval....
That's the thing I guess.....hero-worship does work wonders.....I found my sober mindset again coming out of the mundane groove...and trying to put myself into the actor's shoes......For a couple of hours I forgot that I need to save dollars, get an internship....maybe apply to a couple of companies......living in the moment.....I was thrilled.....hair standing on end.....what mattered was whether Aishwarya is saved form the clutches of Baddie Robo Rajni......
The story if I am not wrong comes from an author who goes by the pen-name "sujatha"....a very renowned Tamil author who apparently revolutionized the thinking of the masses......
I am yet to read his works but I have been told that his writings are beautifully descriptive and I have always been fascinated by the descriptive/romantic style of Tamil language....
I think I miss out on a lot of such good authors, who write only in the regional language......if there was an "enthiram" to convert each book into english with the emotions intact......what a transfer of ideas it would be........
or maybe a Binary language/common substratum which each human could understand instinctively, could help the transfer of ideas more easily...:P
Coming back to the movie......Robo Rajni gets "corrupted" by the human baser emotions which apparently makes us different from the animals....sentience....is brutally punished .....as the baser emotions can be solely enjoyed by the one who is created by nature.....and not one created by man.....sort of the same expectation we have from men of god......
If a young man commits youthful indiscretions....he is maybe forgiven by a puritan society......but not so in the case of holy men....slight deviation from what society expects from them and they are torn apart.....because we want to see them fall....what greater joy than seeing a highly evolved person being subject to the same dilemmas that we face and succumb to it....:P
Obviously in the end..."human" Rajni triumphs,....but somewhere deep down I wanted the "Robo" Rajni to take home the bacon......He was the better guy here....he just obeyed his instincts without seeming hypocritical and says candidly "I want Sana (Aishwaryas character) DOT"......simple...I want it and I will have it.......
A better climax would have been if Robo Rajni impregnates Aishwaryas character and creates the Robo sapien.......and then finally realizes that Life is more than wanting and having ......poisoned by intellect undergo the same existential dilemma that homo sapien goes through but with the additional cross of immortality......
Irrespective...Thalaivaaa rocks...solely for his ability to create mass hysteria....for giving me a high on life......making me understand that life is enjoyed in momentous spurts and for providing me with a enjoyable time slot in the time-space curve :P:P
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Organized Americans , inscrutable Indians
Before I came to the land of "milk and honey" , I was told by a friend to read the "Inscrutable Americans" .....a book journeying through the mind set of an Indian guy in USA......
Nothing what I experience here matches what the book endorsed.......American's are very organized, in the sense , every day is slotted into compartments, each minute justified ......and it unsettles them if things don't go according to the plan......there is no concept of "jugaad".....rules are meant to be followed.....what is the point otherwise??? there is no "workaround".......
A very organized set of people......and given very much to politeness and grace....
Then we have us.....the lack of "jugaad" is very irritating.....be it any institution...we try to find loopholes....ways to enter the organization in ways which an organized mind cannot think of...because of artificial limitations of rules and conduct.....
It' beautiful to see the two opposing forces merge and entwine in Boston where I stay.....The americans surprised at the resourcefulness of the Indians and the Indians wondering whether there exists such a place where things get done in time and people actually honour their commitment.....
The other day my roommate expalined a beautiful concept...in which destiny of an individual doesn't depend on him alone......its also the effect of the collective or group to which he belongs.....sort of a corollary of the "butterfly effect"......i.e. the triggering and happening of significant events by apparently uneventful and insignificant trifles......
USA to some extent has made me lesser of a misanthrope than I was.......maybe its the collective karma of the country.......here oppurtunity is not gained by hiding the event from a fellowman....rather it is thrown open to all....and since the americans respect individualism......the person who stands out the most wins......since he has the potential to bring change to a sleeping society....it is the iconoclast who is revered.......the fear of non conformance melts into the sense of doing things differently.......where the society doesnt punish you for being radical.....
Not to say less about the collective indian Karma.......friendships bred in the soil of the indian subcontinent cannot be withered away by even the harshest chills.......friendship which blooms with no ulterior motive.....but only for a few.......a place where doing nothing "akarma" among the mendicants is revered.....achievement is not everything....being part of a flock is acceptable...nay encouraged......as safety lies in not standing out but merging.....
So what is the right way.......on one side are the people who live life dynamically.....but lose out on relationships...on the other hand we have people who are blessed by the gods as regards family and relationships.....but do not propel the society ahead.......
The more I contemplate , the more I realize the way lies in being a hypocrite........why is it wrong to change your views everyday.....what has the world gained by steadfastedness......Being a hypocrite is not wrong...its just conforming to the current trend of events....being malleable ..to extract more out of life......what is life ...if not a set of contradictions.....people married to spouses who they dont care about for their entire life...people hurting the ones they love the most.......isnt it the only way to behave in a life where being steadfast just makes you passe.....
Nothing what I experience here matches what the book endorsed.......American's are very organized, in the sense , every day is slotted into compartments, each minute justified ......and it unsettles them if things don't go according to the plan......there is no concept of "jugaad".....rules are meant to be followed.....what is the point otherwise??? there is no "workaround".......
A very organized set of people......and given very much to politeness and grace....
Then we have us.....the lack of "jugaad" is very irritating.....be it any institution...we try to find loopholes....ways to enter the organization in ways which an organized mind cannot think of...because of artificial limitations of rules and conduct.....
It' beautiful to see the two opposing forces merge and entwine in Boston where I stay.....The americans surprised at the resourcefulness of the Indians and the Indians wondering whether there exists such a place where things get done in time and people actually honour their commitment.....
The other day my roommate expalined a beautiful concept...in which destiny of an individual doesn't depend on him alone......its also the effect of the collective or group to which he belongs.....sort of a corollary of the "butterfly effect"......i.e. the triggering and happening of significant events by apparently uneventful and insignificant trifles......
USA to some extent has made me lesser of a misanthrope than I was.......maybe its the collective karma of the country.......here oppurtunity is not gained by hiding the event from a fellowman....rather it is thrown open to all....and since the americans respect individualism......the person who stands out the most wins......since he has the potential to bring change to a sleeping society....it is the iconoclast who is revered.......the fear of non conformance melts into the sense of doing things differently.......where the society doesnt punish you for being radical.....
Not to say less about the collective indian Karma.......friendships bred in the soil of the indian subcontinent cannot be withered away by even the harshest chills.......friendship which blooms with no ulterior motive.....but only for a few.......a place where doing nothing "akarma" among the mendicants is revered.....achievement is not everything....being part of a flock is acceptable...nay encouraged......as safety lies in not standing out but merging.....
So what is the right way.......on one side are the people who live life dynamically.....but lose out on relationships...on the other hand we have people who are blessed by the gods as regards family and relationships.....but do not propel the society ahead.......
The more I contemplate , the more I realize the way lies in being a hypocrite........why is it wrong to change your views everyday.....what has the world gained by steadfastedness......Being a hypocrite is not wrong...its just conforming to the current trend of events....being malleable ..to extract more out of life......what is life ...if not a set of contradictions.....people married to spouses who they dont care about for their entire life...people hurting the ones they love the most.......isnt it the only way to behave in a life where being steadfast just makes you passe.....
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Will of Tripura
Anyone who has experienced the beauty of silence...also understands the presence of a will, which crafts the intricacies of the mundane life......
This "will" decides that part of life which not even the west has been able to organize or compartmentalize and which the east refers to as "naseeb"....
Whatever maybe the effort , the ability , there comes a point in the event of things when "naseeb" has to take your side.......
Till late my vacillating mind did not approve of either "naseeb" or disapprove of its existence.....
This has led finally to a dilemma which may finally culminate in a major lifestyle attitude......., in the sense that paths at this crossroad are spaced out too far to find a middle path.......
empirical evidence has failed .......i.e. I have tried walking down both of the paths and have realised that both of them behave differently in different circumstances.....
The "eastern" part of me insists that the path of vairagya "detached enjoyment" is the golden road.....in the sense......the individual should be like a lazy python , devouring whatever comes to him but never disturbing his own lethargy to find even the basic necessities of life.....
When for a few days , I took up this attitude towards my daily routine........I felt great peace...as there was nothing to plan for....nothing to look forward to, spontaneity went to the utmost extent ..as in every moment was enjoyed without thought of it's consequence.....
and ......."naseeb" took over......things unplanned and unsought for came into my hands......as if I was being rewarded for making the right choice......
"naseeb" is peculiar in the sense for when things fall into your hands they would be much more better and fulfilling than if sought for.......but......the "cloudy lining for this silver cloud" is answering questions which arise periodically questioning the goal of life...since spontaneity doesn't allow even the presence of the next instant....forget about the five year plan....
In interviews I was stumped when I was asked what do want to become in life.....what was my 5 year plan.....these questions cannot be put to the follower of any spiritual discipline......He is already that...what more planning could be done....the goal is to enjoy the spontaneity of every moment.......without taking to heart both the good as well as the not-so-good events of life....
Then things didn't go my way, I was denied oppurtunities, whatever I touched was doomed to a fatal finish...making me wonder what went wrong......again the presence of the "will"......I slowly realised that "naseeb" has only one motivation.....to exhaust whatever proclivities of the mind are present so that the individual experiences the peace of the undisturbed mind....
To understand the peace of an undisturbed mind, the mind has to be shown the presence of the"peace" first , to clear the misconception that such a state does not exist...to make the individual a believer....not by hearsay but by empirical practical experience........after soaking the individual in the peace , the "will" decides to disturb him.......and this is the most difficult phase........the individual has now become like the pupa in a cocoon...he doesn't want to make difficult choices.....he is happy in being docile......He wants no hand in changing himself......a belief that if "I am away from the world I will not be disturbed" takes root....
But the "will" , is all knowing....in fact it is present in each individual making them go through the rigmarole......but this is the point where major aspirants buckle.....
the misery does not end until the individual lets go of his conception that he will not mingle with the world......he has no option, the presence of a body and mind entails action.....not even the gods escape action.....now he has to learn to keep his mind peaceful even in times of turbulence.....which is what the "will" wants, a "peace" that has been earned and not bestowed....
For this to happen the grace of the "will" has to be withdrawn first , for if the child has to walk the mother has to let go......lot of the aspirants don't want to walk.....they will never walk...atleast not in this lifetime.......lot of them do walk....for they have truly felt the bliss of the "will".......its infuriating to be not so peaceful again...:D.....
When this agenda of the "will" is understood.........again the grace shines forth....the path to the goal has been set....now the aspirant will not meander in the grassy meadows of mind-pleasures.....and the "will" has achieved its purpose....life has gained a meaning.....as a sentence is meaningful only when its terminated by a full stop.
This "will" decides that part of life which not even the west has been able to organize or compartmentalize and which the east refers to as "naseeb"....
Whatever maybe the effort , the ability , there comes a point in the event of things when "naseeb" has to take your side.......
Till late my vacillating mind did not approve of either "naseeb" or disapprove of its existence.....
This has led finally to a dilemma which may finally culminate in a major lifestyle attitude......., in the sense that paths at this crossroad are spaced out too far to find a middle path.......
empirical evidence has failed .......i.e. I have tried walking down both of the paths and have realised that both of them behave differently in different circumstances.....
The "eastern" part of me insists that the path of vairagya "detached enjoyment" is the golden road.....in the sense......the individual should be like a lazy python , devouring whatever comes to him but never disturbing his own lethargy to find even the basic necessities of life.....
When for a few days , I took up this attitude towards my daily routine........I felt great peace...as there was nothing to plan for....nothing to look forward to, spontaneity went to the utmost extent ..as in every moment was enjoyed without thought of it's consequence.....
and ......."naseeb" took over......things unplanned and unsought for came into my hands......as if I was being rewarded for making the right choice......
"naseeb" is peculiar in the sense for when things fall into your hands they would be much more better and fulfilling than if sought for.......but......the "cloudy lining for this silver cloud" is answering questions which arise periodically questioning the goal of life...since spontaneity doesn't allow even the presence of the next instant....forget about the five year plan....
In interviews I was stumped when I was asked what do want to become in life.....what was my 5 year plan.....these questions cannot be put to the follower of any spiritual discipline......He is already that...what more planning could be done....the goal is to enjoy the spontaneity of every moment.......without taking to heart both the good as well as the not-so-good events of life....
Then things didn't go my way, I was denied oppurtunities, whatever I touched was doomed to a fatal finish...making me wonder what went wrong......again the presence of the "will"......I slowly realised that "naseeb" has only one motivation.....to exhaust whatever proclivities of the mind are present so that the individual experiences the peace of the undisturbed mind....
To understand the peace of an undisturbed mind, the mind has to be shown the presence of the"peace" first , to clear the misconception that such a state does not exist...to make the individual a believer....not by hearsay but by empirical practical experience........after soaking the individual in the peace , the "will" decides to disturb him.......and this is the most difficult phase........the individual has now become like the pupa in a cocoon...he doesn't want to make difficult choices.....he is happy in being docile......He wants no hand in changing himself......a belief that if "I am away from the world I will not be disturbed" takes root....
But the "will" , is all knowing....in fact it is present in each individual making them go through the rigmarole......but this is the point where major aspirants buckle.....
the misery does not end until the individual lets go of his conception that he will not mingle with the world......he has no option, the presence of a body and mind entails action.....not even the gods escape action.....now he has to learn to keep his mind peaceful even in times of turbulence.....which is what the "will" wants, a "peace" that has been earned and not bestowed....
For this to happen the grace of the "will" has to be withdrawn first , for if the child has to walk the mother has to let go......lot of the aspirants don't want to walk.....they will never walk...atleast not in this lifetime.......lot of them do walk....for they have truly felt the bliss of the "will".......its infuriating to be not so peaceful again...:D.....
When this agenda of the "will" is understood.........again the grace shines forth....the path to the goal has been set....now the aspirant will not meander in the grassy meadows of mind-pleasures.....and the "will" has achieved its purpose....life has gained a meaning.....as a sentence is meaningful only when its terminated by a full stop.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Tripura rahasya......mystery beyond the trinity.....
Chance.....or am I assuming too much as I say this......brought a book "tripura rahasya" to me.....
The book seemed alright with the cover nicely embossed and priced at 250 bucks.....I lingered around a bit in the bookstore to check whether I could buy something else....maybe a who-dunnit or maybe the latest cosmo....
Any moment my friend would be at the bookstore to pick me up....hastily I picked up the book , paid the cashier and convinced myself that reading comedy and comics alone won't give me material enough to write....
After dinner , I picked up the book......it said something about a devotee who had devoted a couple of years in translating it in English...."loser" echoed my mind.....to waste precious life in translating stuff when it could have been enjoyed otherwise....but the book completed change my perception of vedanta....
The book is a dialogue between Dattatreya , the Indian epitome of guruhood.....popularly known as the avadhuta...someone who doesn't follow the normal social rules of conduct.....and parashurama .....son of sage jamadagni...one of the avatars of vishnu...the preserver god....
Dwaita...dualism represented by parashurama.....a form of god who knows the truth but still believes in enjoying and being part of it without getting involved.....and adwaita represented by dattatreya the avatar of shiva....the ascetic lord.......who is so sensitive to pain and rejection , that he draws himself into a cocoon not even accessible to his own spouse....who he believes is responsible for drawing him out in the first place.....
the book teaches the dwaitins the errors of their ways in getting involved with the world...when in effect the entire world is a dream based on the sleeping vishnu's dream....
dattaterya allegorically explains with the help of stories , the various modes of worship and why each form of worship evolved.....
According to the hindu.....there is no apocalypse......there is no end.....things are always cyclical....only eternity and infinity is real......the western concept of final dissolution is just one phase of the cycle when vishnu rises from his sleep.....breaking his dream which in effect dissolves our world.....Eventually again he will sleep , dreaming worlds into existence...
A fascinating outlook on the concept of god granting boons to devotees is explained in the book...
According to dattatreya ....whenever a being rises above the human perception through the five senses....i.e. he consciously rejects the sensory inputs.....these inputs are the medium through which vishnu maintains the sleep of the individual consciousness.....thus preventing the individual from ever realizing that he himself is part of the all-knowing consciousness....of which even vishnu is a form.....it is a game in which the consciouness-vishnu deludes the consciosuness-man so that in effect the world of pain and pleasure could be enjoyed....
so when a devotee dhruva steadfastedly draws himself away from the world......he starts disconnecting himself from the illusory world....in the process realizing that he need not strive.....for what has one to do to become oneself......brings to mind the parable of chrsit "be still and know that I am god"...a more apt description would have been "be still and know that you are god"....
when dhruva attempts to wake up.....he is thwarting the original divine plan of wanting to enjoy duality.... which prompts vishnu to make an appearance and grant him boons...in effect binding him with illusory boons to the illusory world......
Dattatreya tries to explain that since vishnu is the creator of the dream he has power to grant invincibility to the dream residents as he just has to will or wish it.....and he still is the all-powerful , as just by waking up he can smash to smithereens the world of men....
dattareya extols parashuram to realise this and tells him the secret......the core of advaita....that each of us can create world out of nothing if we will so....if we focus our energies to do so......
He himslef explains the case of vishwamitra who by the powers of penance and concentration is able to create a parallel universe for trishanku when he is denied entrance into indra's heaven.
A very daring concept..nihilistic to the core...forms the basis of tripura rahasya...which throws aside worship, deities and even the trinity , plunging straight into the heart of consciuousness ...
a must read for all the vedantic enthusiasts.....who are tired of wrestling out meaning from the ramayan and mahabharaat....which are nothing but cock an bull stories in front of tripura rahasya.......
The book seemed alright with the cover nicely embossed and priced at 250 bucks.....I lingered around a bit in the bookstore to check whether I could buy something else....maybe a who-dunnit or maybe the latest cosmo....
Any moment my friend would be at the bookstore to pick me up....hastily I picked up the book , paid the cashier and convinced myself that reading comedy and comics alone won't give me material enough to write....
After dinner , I picked up the book......it said something about a devotee who had devoted a couple of years in translating it in English...."loser" echoed my mind.....to waste precious life in translating stuff when it could have been enjoyed otherwise....but the book completed change my perception of vedanta....
The book is a dialogue between Dattatreya , the Indian epitome of guruhood.....popularly known as the avadhuta...someone who doesn't follow the normal social rules of conduct.....and parashurama .....son of sage jamadagni...one of the avatars of vishnu...the preserver god....
Dwaita...dualism represented by parashurama.....a form of god who knows the truth but still believes in enjoying and being part of it without getting involved.....and adwaita represented by dattatreya the avatar of shiva....the ascetic lord.......who is so sensitive to pain and rejection , that he draws himself into a cocoon not even accessible to his own spouse....who he believes is responsible for drawing him out in the first place.....
the book teaches the dwaitins the errors of their ways in getting involved with the world...when in effect the entire world is a dream based on the sleeping vishnu's dream....
dattaterya allegorically explains with the help of stories , the various modes of worship and why each form of worship evolved.....
According to the hindu.....there is no apocalypse......there is no end.....things are always cyclical....only eternity and infinity is real......the western concept of final dissolution is just one phase of the cycle when vishnu rises from his sleep.....breaking his dream which in effect dissolves our world.....Eventually again he will sleep , dreaming worlds into existence...
A fascinating outlook on the concept of god granting boons to devotees is explained in the book...
According to dattatreya ....whenever a being rises above the human perception through the five senses....i.e. he consciously rejects the sensory inputs.....these inputs are the medium through which vishnu maintains the sleep of the individual consciousness.....thus preventing the individual from ever realizing that he himself is part of the all-knowing consciousness....of which even vishnu is a form.....it is a game in which the consciouness-vishnu deludes the consciosuness-man so that in effect the world of pain and pleasure could be enjoyed....
so when a devotee dhruva steadfastedly draws himself away from the world......he starts disconnecting himself from the illusory world....in the process realizing that he need not strive.....for what has one to do to become oneself......brings to mind the parable of chrsit "be still and know that I am god"...a more apt description would have been "be still and know that you are god"....
when dhruva attempts to wake up.....he is thwarting the original divine plan of wanting to enjoy duality.... which prompts vishnu to make an appearance and grant him boons...in effect binding him with illusory boons to the illusory world......
Dattatreya tries to explain that since vishnu is the creator of the dream he has power to grant invincibility to the dream residents as he just has to will or wish it.....and he still is the all-powerful , as just by waking up he can smash to smithereens the world of men....
dattareya extols parashuram to realise this and tells him the secret......the core of advaita....that each of us can create world out of nothing if we will so....if we focus our energies to do so......
He himslef explains the case of vishwamitra who by the powers of penance and concentration is able to create a parallel universe for trishanku when he is denied entrance into indra's heaven.
A very daring concept..nihilistic to the core...forms the basis of tripura rahasya...which throws aside worship, deities and even the trinity , plunging straight into the heart of consciuousness ...
a must read for all the vedantic enthusiasts.....who are tired of wrestling out meaning from the ramayan and mahabharaat....which are nothing but cock an bull stories in front of tripura rahasya.......
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Adventures of Bob
Aloha phrends.....or wazup dude/dudette......
Today I wil unleash upon you the doings of bob a.k.a. me, who pretty much himself doesn't know what he is upto...
The past 1 month has been surreal, since I shifted to the US of A , apparently to study and pursue my passion of teaching financial planning to the world.
Every morning I get up , expecting my mom to hand me a sizzling cup of "jaaago re" tea, but for that she would have to travel quite a long distance.:P
I take my instant bru cold coffee....and stare out of the window....looking at people engrossed int their own lives....like I was back in India.
Being an alien in a foreign country, makes you realise that all over the world people are the same, oblivious to how the other three quarters of the world lives like.....
The stereotypes are the same, the aggressive banker in bank of america, the concerned neighbour, the frightened to wits freshman students.....not much has changed except the scenery......
There is nothing called as "change of place" I have realised......we carry
our baggage with us wherever we go, projecting the same world and evoking the same feelings as before.....
To experiece a more wholesome life, rather than shifting places....I think we should change friends :P......that in fact gives a more fresher perspective than migration.
Maybe I havent made much friends out here, which gives me the feeling of not connecting with the place......I appear like a carricature drawn within a beautiful scenery, who the artist realises , could have been avoided.....:P
I read a beautiful blog , where the authoress very accurately points out the reason for monotony and boredom but fails when it comes to giving a solution , or maybe ther is'nt one.....
Anyways, these events have definitely made me enjoy life as small pockets of happiness, which are spontaneous and in the present...and not as a quest for a greater utopian paradise......Maybe this is what is known as maturity ...:P
Today I wil unleash upon you the doings of bob a.k.a. me, who pretty much himself doesn't know what he is upto...
The past 1 month has been surreal, since I shifted to the US of A , apparently to study and pursue my passion of teaching financial planning to the world.
Every morning I get up , expecting my mom to hand me a sizzling cup of "jaaago re" tea, but for that she would have to travel quite a long distance.:P
I take my instant bru cold coffee....and stare out of the window....looking at people engrossed int their own lives....like I was back in India.
Being an alien in a foreign country, makes you realise that all over the world people are the same, oblivious to how the other three quarters of the world lives like.....
The stereotypes are the same, the aggressive banker in bank of america, the concerned neighbour, the frightened to wits freshman students.....not much has changed except the scenery......
There is nothing called as "change of place" I have realised......we carry
our baggage with us wherever we go, projecting the same world and evoking the same feelings as before.....
To experiece a more wholesome life, rather than shifting places....I think we should change friends :P......that in fact gives a more fresher perspective than migration.
Maybe I havent made much friends out here, which gives me the feeling of not connecting with the place......I appear like a carricature drawn within a beautiful scenery, who the artist realises , could have been avoided.....:P
I read a beautiful blog , where the authoress very accurately points out the reason for monotony and boredom but fails when it comes to giving a solution , or maybe ther is'nt one.....
Anyways, these events have definitely made me enjoy life as small pockets of happiness, which are spontaneous and in the present...and not as a quest for a greater utopian paradise......Maybe this is what is known as maturity ...:P
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Iconoclasts......direct dil se......
The word......if you search in the web for the definition.....depicts it as someone who revels in breaking rules......or rigid conventional thought process......
Though I would like to look at myself in this benign light.....it would be hypocritical ...:P.....
My life need not be even studied....if you have seen a south Indian I.T guy....you have seen us all.......There is not much we do....except create the next gene pool......To be fair , the circumstance in which we grow up are the same....hence the lack of variety.....the lack of broad colorful strokes....which make life all the more interesting......people who have small beautiful characteristics are missing......which cannot be experienced in a group of similar minded people......In the bigger scheme of things....chaos is actually a pre-requisite for a complete life.....
As beautiful middle age dawns on me....slowly I feel myself letting go of conventions which I held sacred as a teen.......the mind-numbing need to be like others is slowly losing its grip on me....
As a kid, brought up with strictly orthodox views....I could not view pre-marital sex without a jaundiced eye.....It always felt wrong..something did not seem to fit the slot in my mind....the mind already had pre-conceived grooves....anything which did not conform to it..was vigorously denied or ignored......
But as I see the various compromises that a couple go through in the name of marriage......I am beginning to feel whether it would be so bad if we did not look askance at people who decide to spend their life together without society's sanction , withstanding societies baleful glances.....
These couples seem to cope better with the society actually, they are happy.....they don't impose themselves on each other.....
In actuality any activity or decision , may it be social or political has to end in chaos, such is the logic of the dualistic world, there is always some sector which grumbles at the lack of attention......
In such a society , it is futile to equate happiness with any specific goal......
rather it is the process which is the goal...
The process makes or mars the man or woman.....when either of the individual loses out on such an experience......there is an undercurrent of repressed anger which manifests in expectation from the other person in the relationship.....
A dependency or expectation of appreciation from anyone is one of the worst things to happen to any individual.....
Dreams, ambitions which in effect are not of any consequence , but the pursuit of which makes each man or woman realize himself or herself......is a very important journey that each individual , man or woman needs to undergo....which is missed out in the name of "commitment"......
Instead of leading a contented and satisfied life, the person becomes a slave to opinions of irrelevant people, as self worth has reduced to mere opinion of idiotic people....in fact making him conform more and more to societies idiotic rules......adding one more to the city of dead......
As of now....the heart desires the childish enthusiasm of waiting for my sister to come home so that I could fight with her as I used to when I was a kid..........not even childlike....it has to be a childish pleasure.......
The adults with their make believe world tire me........they don't know fun....in fact they have forgotten how it feels......going to pubs on weekends , dancing to loud music is fun.....but it cannot replace the fun which I had when playing under-arm box cricket with the street urchins next to my friends building ......
Children who were daily belted by their drunk father and did not have enough money to buy a pair of decent clothes, but still managed to contribute 3 Rs per head for buying a rubber-ball.I really enjoyed those days.....the maximum fun I have nowadays is with some boring colleague , who explains why he is the alpha and omega of some XYZ corporation...where obviously he is irreplacable...:P....
The decision is taken........childishness is what I want...and what I will have.......I have enough of friends telling me to maintain a professional image so that people may "respect" me......I think I am ok .....and I guess people should enjoy my company rather than be in reverential awe ......
My job is ok.....and my company can easily find a replacement for me...and no this is not any loser self-degrading self empathy or sympathy.....its the truth....and is applicable to even the CEO of TCS or Infosys.....or any other MNC.......
everybody is expendable.....If a world could go without a rama , krishna or jesus....it should definitely be able to move ahead without us.....
I miss out on my friends .......who never sat lectures in college.......always took life in their stride.....thought with their hearts......revered friendship ...and went even to the extent of helping others at the cost of their own careers....
I miss that childish part of myself....which did things because they felt right.....not because they would lead to a better carrer path or better prospects.....
So listen ye gods :P........Let not me embrace drudgery in the name of maturity....keep me stupid....and childish....for wisdom lies in the toothless smile of a child rather than in the weak/fake smile of an adult.........
Though I would like to look at myself in this benign light.....it would be hypocritical ...:P.....
My life need not be even studied....if you have seen a south Indian I.T guy....you have seen us all.......There is not much we do....except create the next gene pool......To be fair , the circumstance in which we grow up are the same....hence the lack of variety.....the lack of broad colorful strokes....which make life all the more interesting......people who have small beautiful characteristics are missing......which cannot be experienced in a group of similar minded people......In the bigger scheme of things....chaos is actually a pre-requisite for a complete life.....
As beautiful middle age dawns on me....slowly I feel myself letting go of conventions which I held sacred as a teen.......the mind-numbing need to be like others is slowly losing its grip on me....
As a kid, brought up with strictly orthodox views....I could not view pre-marital sex without a jaundiced eye.....It always felt wrong..something did not seem to fit the slot in my mind....the mind already had pre-conceived grooves....anything which did not conform to it..was vigorously denied or ignored......
But as I see the various compromises that a couple go through in the name of marriage......I am beginning to feel whether it would be so bad if we did not look askance at people who decide to spend their life together without society's sanction , withstanding societies baleful glances.....
These couples seem to cope better with the society actually, they are happy.....they don't impose themselves on each other.....
In actuality any activity or decision , may it be social or political has to end in chaos, such is the logic of the dualistic world, there is always some sector which grumbles at the lack of attention......
In such a society , it is futile to equate happiness with any specific goal......
rather it is the process which is the goal...
The process makes or mars the man or woman.....when either of the individual loses out on such an experience......there is an undercurrent of repressed anger which manifests in expectation from the other person in the relationship.....
A dependency or expectation of appreciation from anyone is one of the worst things to happen to any individual.....
Dreams, ambitions which in effect are not of any consequence , but the pursuit of which makes each man or woman realize himself or herself......is a very important journey that each individual , man or woman needs to undergo....which is missed out in the name of "commitment"......
Instead of leading a contented and satisfied life, the person becomes a slave to opinions of irrelevant people, as self worth has reduced to mere opinion of idiotic people....in fact making him conform more and more to societies idiotic rules......adding one more to the city of dead......
As of now....the heart desires the childish enthusiasm of waiting for my sister to come home so that I could fight with her as I used to when I was a kid..........not even childlike....it has to be a childish pleasure.......
The adults with their make believe world tire me........they don't know fun....in fact they have forgotten how it feels......going to pubs on weekends , dancing to loud music is fun.....but it cannot replace the fun which I had when playing under-arm box cricket with the street urchins next to my friends building ......
Children who were daily belted by their drunk father and did not have enough money to buy a pair of decent clothes, but still managed to contribute 3 Rs per head for buying a rubber-ball.I really enjoyed those days.....the maximum fun I have nowadays is with some boring colleague , who explains why he is the alpha and omega of some XYZ corporation...where obviously he is irreplacable...:P....
The decision is taken........childishness is what I want...and what I will have.......I have enough of friends telling me to maintain a professional image so that people may "respect" me......I think I am ok .....and I guess people should enjoy my company rather than be in reverential awe ......
My job is ok.....and my company can easily find a replacement for me...and no this is not any loser self-degrading self empathy or sympathy.....its the truth....and is applicable to even the CEO of TCS or Infosys.....or any other MNC.......
everybody is expendable.....If a world could go without a rama , krishna or jesus....it should definitely be able to move ahead without us.....
I miss out on my friends .......who never sat lectures in college.......always took life in their stride.....thought with their hearts......revered friendship ...and went even to the extent of helping others at the cost of their own careers....
I miss that childish part of myself....which did things because they felt right.....not because they would lead to a better carrer path or better prospects.....
So listen ye gods :P........Let not me embrace drudgery in the name of maturity....keep me stupid....and childish....for wisdom lies in the toothless smile of a child rather than in the weak/fake smile of an adult.........
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tagore.....
"Why these preparations without end?"—I said to Mind—"Is some one to come?"
Mind replied, "I am enormously busy gathering things and building towers. I have no time to answer such questions."
Meekly I went back to my work.
When things were grown to a pile, when seven wings of his palace were complete, I said to Mind, "Is it not enough?"
Mind began to say, "Not enough to contain—" and then stopped.
"Contain what?" I asked.
Mind affected not to hear.
I suspected that Mind did not know, and with ceaseless work smothered the question.
His one refrain was, "I must have more."
"Why must you?"
"Because it is great."
"What is great?"
Mind remained silent. I pressed for an answer.
In contempt and anger, Mind said, "Why ask about things that are not? Take notice of those that are hugely before you,—the struggle and the fight, the army and armaments, the bricks and mortar, and labourers without number."
I thought "Possibly Mind is wise."
The lofty building lies in the dust and all is scattered and broken.
Mind looked about. But what was there to see?
Only the morning star and the lily washed in dew.
And what else? A child running laughing from its mother's arms into the open light.
"Was it only for this that they said it was the day of the Coming?"
"Yes, this was why they said there was music in the air and light in the sky."
"And did they claim all the earth only for this?"
"Yes," came the answer. "Mind, you build walls to imprison yourself. Your servants toil to enslave themselves; but the whole earth and infinite space are for the child, for the New Life."
"What does that child bring you?"
"Hope for all the world and its joy."
Mind asked me, "Poet, do you understand?"
"I lay my work aside," I said, "for I must have time to understand.""
-----Written by "Tagore"
Today I attempt to write an eulogy to the brilliant Tagore......to even understand and appreciate Tagore requires a contemplative bent of mind.....to the superficial mind which thrives on sensationalism and vulgar entertainment, Tagore's poems are just irrelevant, loose-in-detail songs , shoddy and with no definite theme....
But a mind which though mature in its reflections holds the child's innocence in high esteem will definitely accept Tagore's brilliance.
Such poignancy rarely have I come across.....in the above poem Tagore gives life to the eternal conflict within man to either succumb to monotony or live in the eternal spontaneous creativity which his mind exhibits when not dragged down by the worldly cares.....
The initial para.....reflects the mind working incessantly and the poet as an observer questions the mind about the "purpose" of the incessant working....
The mind , if you observe, typical to its nature , creates an artificial aura of importance, which when closely analysed vanishes into thin air....the poet though he understands this,....refuses to rebel....simply because though he knows the minds stupidity.....there is no other anchor where he can hold himself steady......he has still not found his moorings....
By rationalizing that the mind maybe wise , he makes peace with himself....
If we observe.....Tagore clearly points out the childish rituals and falsified sense of duty by which our mind/intellect binds us....what do we need???.....how would I know??....We have always listened to the mind.....who propelled us to crave for social security, position and false notions of responsibility.........whatever truly matters takes place without our interference....
The body moves and breathes according to the brilliantly built nervous system.....if all our bodily functions depended on us...then heaven help us.....a kind God has seen to it that atleast the vital functions are independent of our doings.....
this is the sublime impression that Tagore conveys.......though work needs to be done.....why the long face???......whatever is of importance is already been taken care of.....why then the urgency....why the need to convince anyone we meet, about the importance of what we do.....
Mainly ....nowadays I have observed......friends of my childhood rather than introducing themselves , introduce their job profiles to me......what is the need to do that??....
When we were children, I did not know whether you would be a scoundrel or a political reformer......what mattered was camaraderie........what mattered was whether we could share some common grounds where we could empathize with each others problems and grow mutually....
It still does.......Tagore brilliantly conveys this message.......a message which has gained in meaning as it comes hurtling across half a century........
This monster mind has taken over our lives, demanding at its altar the sacrifice of spontaneity
, no more , says Tagore let it be-fool you......
It has no basis, no argument to defend.....other than turning a blind eye to reason.....the mind has no hope against the philosopher who looks it in the eye and demands an explanation for its mischief.....
The final para's show the awakening of the human intellect to the simple joy of a child running into the light......again Tagore brilliantly portrays the defeat of the adult mind at the hands of a child.....at the hands of innocence.....
An adult businessman......is most happy when he comes home to his children and plays with them, satisfying their every whim.......the man....who during the day works in vain to relieve his debt to the mind...defeats it in an instant when he throws aside the shackles that bind him when he meets his child.....
Tagore , exhorts us to just push our horizon a bit......have a peep at the mind from a higher altitude......know its working and dominate the mind as a child does....
A child who reigns supreme as the king of his empire....free as a lark .....in comparison to his adult counterpart...who is just nothing but a well-dressed and responsible beggar.....
Mind replied, "I am enormously busy gathering things and building towers. I have no time to answer such questions."
Meekly I went back to my work.
When things were grown to a pile, when seven wings of his palace were complete, I said to Mind, "Is it not enough?"
Mind began to say, "Not enough to contain—" and then stopped.
"Contain what?" I asked.
Mind affected not to hear.
I suspected that Mind did not know, and with ceaseless work smothered the question.
His one refrain was, "I must have more."
"Why must you?"
"Because it is great."
"What is great?"
Mind remained silent. I pressed for an answer.
In contempt and anger, Mind said, "Why ask about things that are not? Take notice of those that are hugely before you,—the struggle and the fight, the army and armaments, the bricks and mortar, and labourers without number."
I thought "Possibly Mind is wise."
The lofty building lies in the dust and all is scattered and broken.
Mind looked about. But what was there to see?
Only the morning star and the lily washed in dew.
And what else? A child running laughing from its mother's arms into the open light.
"Was it only for this that they said it was the day of the Coming?"
"Yes, this was why they said there was music in the air and light in the sky."
"And did they claim all the earth only for this?"
"Yes," came the answer. "Mind, you build walls to imprison yourself. Your servants toil to enslave themselves; but the whole earth and infinite space are for the child, for the New Life."
"What does that child bring you?"
"Hope for all the world and its joy."
Mind asked me, "Poet, do you understand?"
"I lay my work aside," I said, "for I must have time to understand.""
-----Written by "Tagore"
Today I attempt to write an eulogy to the brilliant Tagore......to even understand and appreciate Tagore requires a contemplative bent of mind.....to the superficial mind which thrives on sensationalism and vulgar entertainment, Tagore's poems are just irrelevant, loose-in-detail songs , shoddy and with no definite theme....
But a mind which though mature in its reflections holds the child's innocence in high esteem will definitely accept Tagore's brilliance.
Such poignancy rarely have I come across.....in the above poem Tagore gives life to the eternal conflict within man to either succumb to monotony or live in the eternal spontaneous creativity which his mind exhibits when not dragged down by the worldly cares.....
The initial para.....reflects the mind working incessantly and the poet as an observer questions the mind about the "purpose" of the incessant working....
The mind , if you observe, typical to its nature , creates an artificial aura of importance, which when closely analysed vanishes into thin air....the poet though he understands this,....refuses to rebel....simply because though he knows the minds stupidity.....there is no other anchor where he can hold himself steady......he has still not found his moorings....
By rationalizing that the mind maybe wise , he makes peace with himself....
If we observe.....Tagore clearly points out the childish rituals and falsified sense of duty by which our mind/intellect binds us....what do we need???.....how would I know??....We have always listened to the mind.....who propelled us to crave for social security, position and false notions of responsibility.........whatever truly matters takes place without our interference....
The body moves and breathes according to the brilliantly built nervous system.....if all our bodily functions depended on us...then heaven help us.....a kind God has seen to it that atleast the vital functions are independent of our doings.....
this is the sublime impression that Tagore conveys.......though work needs to be done.....why the long face???......whatever is of importance is already been taken care of.....why then the urgency....why the need to convince anyone we meet, about the importance of what we do.....
Mainly ....nowadays I have observed......friends of my childhood rather than introducing themselves , introduce their job profiles to me......what is the need to do that??....
When we were children, I did not know whether you would be a scoundrel or a political reformer......what mattered was camaraderie........what mattered was whether we could share some common grounds where we could empathize with each others problems and grow mutually....
It still does.......Tagore brilliantly conveys this message.......a message which has gained in meaning as it comes hurtling across half a century........
This monster mind has taken over our lives, demanding at its altar the sacrifice of spontaneity
, no more , says Tagore let it be-fool you......
It has no basis, no argument to defend.....other than turning a blind eye to reason.....the mind has no hope against the philosopher who looks it in the eye and demands an explanation for its mischief.....
The final para's show the awakening of the human intellect to the simple joy of a child running into the light......again Tagore brilliantly portrays the defeat of the adult mind at the hands of a child.....at the hands of innocence.....
An adult businessman......is most happy when he comes home to his children and plays with them, satisfying their every whim.......the man....who during the day works in vain to relieve his debt to the mind...defeats it in an instant when he throws aside the shackles that bind him when he meets his child.....
Tagore , exhorts us to just push our horizon a bit......have a peep at the mind from a higher altitude......know its working and dominate the mind as a child does....
A child who reigns supreme as the king of his empire....free as a lark .....in comparison to his adult counterpart...who is just nothing but a well-dressed and responsible beggar.....
Sunday, June 27, 2010
the beauty of slow motion.....
Ever had the feeling as if you are a spectator, watching the kaleidoscope of experiences that we call life ......
Its as if ....the same reel is running slowly .....perpetrating a senseless deja-vu.......
I have noticed ....only a few realize this.....the others never stop and reflect.....sometimes the carnal thirst to win at every cost is so high that the repetitive staleness of life is given a miss-in-baulk.....
Maybe it is the putrid staleness ....that makes one run in the first place.....the attention is so much on the outcome that life seems like a couple of milestones in the beginning.....
only in the beginning................eventually .........there is a part of the human consciousness which somehow detaches itself from the rigmarole of stupidity and watches with a profound detachment the happenings..........
..beautifully silent.....ever aware ...neither self-pitying nor attempting to dramatize the trivial.....this beautiful detachment dawns unaware ......as the sun's beautiful "rays" in the morning.....in sanskrit it's called "aruna" the charioteer of the sun-god......the one who heralds the beginning of dawn.....she looks on from an Olympian height the convolutions of destinies paths as it grinds each man beneath its unyielding heel.....
....maybe this is what the ancient seers meant by "soul".....the "spirit" within......never sleeping, always blissfully aware.....never subject to the machinations of the pilfering , ever-blabbering mind.....
She doesn't have the mind's irritating habit of cross-talk, attempting to justify its every action....."she is".....always.....existing peacefully........
Her purity so unalloyed that even the rush of "ecstatic happiness" seems like a disturbance.....it makes even euphoria look like a gregarious impostor....
Maybe this is what the ancient meant by the "peace that passeth all understanding".......which is not dependent on any object for its arousal.....
a happiness so pure.......her very existence is healing and purifying.......there is no stench of greed, imperfection and longing to be completed...
its already complete.....what more can she add to herself....any addition will just make her imperfect....both pain and pleasure mar her rich beauty...maybe this is why the meaning of "vishnu" is also the "one for whom pleasure and pain are alike"......the underlying note on which the mind dares to enact its play......
when the play finishes......its beautiful again.......the purity is regained......it was always there....ever "shiva" ....ever auspiciousness.....
the nectarine silence........mother of all thoughts and words......how can language describe her......
For language has an apex.........its pinnacle is to express the sublimest of thoughts.....but not silence........maybe that why the ancients said that "she" could not be described by words............words are limited by thought and who can voice something which is not cloaked by thought.....
Maybe that's why the eternal thirst for objects which are beautiful.............beauty which stuns the onlooker into silence.......true beauty does not excite......it soothes......its gentle caress erases out the wrinkles of thoughts.........
the silence that a paramour feels on embracing her secret beloved........is a reflection of the eternal goddess of silence.....
When the embrace is complete....all longing...all desire are stunned into silence for a fleeting moment.....again providing for a split second....the glimpse of reality.......what sublime bliss......
beauty does reflect god's face.....at least for an instant........
The wise recognize the original longing behind the sensual craving.....they understand their true need.....they see the goddess smiling behind the veils....
the search begins for the elusive mistress of silence.......ever she observes her child......tempting and teasing him.......she knows he will find her in the end......
she laughs as he tries to understand her....trying to cloak her with symbols and words........how she laughs.......she has to teach him.....guide him temptingly......he is innocent like a new born baby......trying to grasp his own shadow....and angry when the sun takes the shadow away........
eventually he tries to win her through action.....again she foils him ........how can the inactive mistress of silence be gained through selfish, gross ever-volatile action.......
But the action provides a balm......he feels like he is actively searching for her.....applying himself through the worldly grind,....he desperately hopes she would notice his misery.......but the goddess needs surrender from her child.....at heart a woman.......she knows how to comfort and relive the burden....what can she do......if he does not want to be comforted......
As he sits tired and angry at the world.......he surrenders .......unknowingly.......without reservation.......not attempting to find or question her.....like a child.......unreservedly....unconditionally.......a love that only a child and his mother can understand.........
a bond that does not require constant rationalization nor any tag...........nor justification nor secrecy......
Maybe that's why the "buddha" became the "sakta" as the "shakti" enlightened him.....born a warrior .....he tried everything.....before finally falling asleep in her lap.....
It was not the "bodhi tree" which was responsible for his bliss........his heart was pure ....and at that instant the eternal silence took over.......
The mother of all names and forms..........as we retrace.....we see her true nature.......elusively hidden..........captivatingly beautiful......visible only to the wise....ever cheerful.....beauty personified.....
A beauty so pure that even describing it renders it impure.....
the only way to eulogize her is to close the eyes....and merge within....watch her as she plays with her own myriad forms.....what more is required......
Its as if ....the same reel is running slowly .....perpetrating a senseless deja-vu.......
I have noticed ....only a few realize this.....the others never stop and reflect.....sometimes the carnal thirst to win at every cost is so high that the repetitive staleness of life is given a miss-in-baulk.....
Maybe it is the putrid staleness ....that makes one run in the first place.....the attention is so much on the outcome that life seems like a couple of milestones in the beginning.....
only in the beginning................eventually .........there is a part of the human consciousness which somehow detaches itself from the rigmarole of stupidity and watches with a profound detachment the happenings..........
..beautifully silent.....ever aware ...neither self-pitying nor attempting to dramatize the trivial.....this beautiful detachment dawns unaware ......as the sun's beautiful "rays" in the morning.....in sanskrit it's called "aruna" the charioteer of the sun-god......the one who heralds the beginning of dawn.....she looks on from an Olympian height the convolutions of destinies paths as it grinds each man beneath its unyielding heel.....
....maybe this is what the ancient seers meant by "soul".....the "spirit" within......never sleeping, always blissfully aware.....never subject to the machinations of the pilfering , ever-blabbering mind.....
She doesn't have the mind's irritating habit of cross-talk, attempting to justify its every action....."she is".....always.....existing peacefully........
Her purity so unalloyed that even the rush of "ecstatic happiness" seems like a disturbance.....it makes even euphoria look like a gregarious impostor....
Maybe this is what the ancient meant by the "peace that passeth all understanding".......which is not dependent on any object for its arousal.....
a happiness so pure.......her very existence is healing and purifying.......there is no stench of greed, imperfection and longing to be completed...
its already complete.....what more can she add to herself....any addition will just make her imperfect....both pain and pleasure mar her rich beauty...maybe this is why the meaning of "vishnu" is also the "one for whom pleasure and pain are alike"......the underlying note on which the mind dares to enact its play......
when the play finishes......its beautiful again.......the purity is regained......it was always there....ever "shiva" ....ever auspiciousness.....
the nectarine silence........mother of all thoughts and words......how can language describe her......
For language has an apex.........its pinnacle is to express the sublimest of thoughts.....but not silence........maybe that why the ancients said that "she" could not be described by words............words are limited by thought and who can voice something which is not cloaked by thought.....
Maybe that's why the eternal thirst for objects which are beautiful.............beauty which stuns the onlooker into silence.......true beauty does not excite......it soothes......its gentle caress erases out the wrinkles of thoughts.........
the silence that a paramour feels on embracing her secret beloved........is a reflection of the eternal goddess of silence.....
When the embrace is complete....all longing...all desire are stunned into silence for a fleeting moment.....again providing for a split second....the glimpse of reality.......what sublime bliss......
beauty does reflect god's face.....at least for an instant........
The wise recognize the original longing behind the sensual craving.....they understand their true need.....they see the goddess smiling behind the veils....
the search begins for the elusive mistress of silence.......ever she observes her child......tempting and teasing him.......she knows he will find her in the end......
she laughs as he tries to understand her....trying to cloak her with symbols and words........how she laughs.......she has to teach him.....guide him temptingly......he is innocent like a new born baby......trying to grasp his own shadow....and angry when the sun takes the shadow away........
eventually he tries to win her through action.....again she foils him ........how can the inactive mistress of silence be gained through selfish, gross ever-volatile action.......
But the action provides a balm......he feels like he is actively searching for her.....applying himself through the worldly grind,....he desperately hopes she would notice his misery.......but the goddess needs surrender from her child.....at heart a woman.......she knows how to comfort and relive the burden....what can she do......if he does not want to be comforted......
As he sits tired and angry at the world.......he surrenders .......unknowingly.......without reservation.......not attempting to find or question her.....like a child.......unreservedly....unconditionally.......a love that only a child and his mother can understand.........
a bond that does not require constant rationalization nor any tag...........nor justification nor secrecy......
Maybe that's why the "buddha" became the "sakta" as the "shakti" enlightened him.....born a warrior .....he tried everything.....before finally falling asleep in her lap.....
It was not the "bodhi tree" which was responsible for his bliss........his heart was pure ....and at that instant the eternal silence took over.......
The mother of all names and forms..........as we retrace.....we see her true nature.......elusively hidden..........captivatingly beautiful......visible only to the wise....ever cheerful.....beauty personified.....
A beauty so pure that even describing it renders it impure.....
the only way to eulogize her is to close the eyes....and merge within....watch her as she plays with her own myriad forms.....what more is required......
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Shiva.....
I would request my readers to skip this post if you are not subject to dark, melancholy moods......coz if you are not this article will definitely make you eat your own eyeball :P
....again all in an attempt to discover my own writing capabilities.....
Scene: Shiva after sati immolates herself in daksha's yagna
(shiva in contemplation)
Shivohum.........I am he........eternally......always alone......forged by one of the moods of nature...I am Shiva.....The tamasic......Death.....rebirth....disease......I own them all.....
Who was I born to....where will be my end....even I am not sure....I am nature itself......plagued by the curse to bring death......I love none and am beyond the emotions of attachment.......
The universal law holds me responsible to make mankind realize the futility of all their attempts and hopes.....disregard their every prayer.....so that finally they know the universal law .....the sublime truth underlying all....
Only I have the discrimination to actually see my children as they actually are.....unbiased.....unjudging.....I hold everyone close to me.....
Paradox am I....Shivohum.......unattached yet ever concerned.....given the gruesome task of revealing the truth......
Only one could ever know me......sati........the universal law had to create polarity for every being.....their merger resulting in "shunyata".....the eternal silence.....for every good thought a polar negation had to be created.....
I was entrusted to keep the balance of darkness........protect the undead.....the social outcasts....my children......she was my polarity.....The perfect negation.....
Without her existence the world will not be able to bear my wrath......as I watched over the spirits ...she watched over the suras.....the other polarity........in essence the same....we cannot exist without the other......
without her, its best to recede.......Always my refuge.... into the eternal silence.....where I dont need to even be conscious of myself......again maintaining the balance......the blind rage that the poison of duality has caused......is agonizing ....the role that she wanted me to play...if continued would lead to annihilation....I need to give up......
The only thing I surrender to......the mother of all thoughts and words......silence....only she can chain my chaotic nature.....unbounded I may cause chaos.....unfettered I may cause harm to the very balance......
I can hear my children s cries......they don't want me to recede......but for the welfare of all.....I need to be strong......As I recede.......thoughts have to be given up......My own thoughts....each capable of bringing disolution if brought to action....I need to be careful.......the powerful ones emerge......
Sati.....you always knew......that the agony of separation would be my lot.....only I....Rudra could bear it......before I could stop you.....you gave up your identity.....
Didn't you realize , I would stop without you.....it was you who pulled me out of my meditations.......you robed me with your own characteristics......lending nature to me...Shiva.....who is attributeless.....I embraced imperfection on your insistence.....your disappearance has endorsed my own dictum......Finally everything is transitory......All matter has to return to its source......
So be it...."Tathaastu"
Raavana.....my brave warrior-son......he knew nothing but me.......forced by his prarabdha to be ram's polar.....his destiny was already sealed.........Though as mighty as Indra.....as learned as brihaspati......he knew the world will always remember him for his so called evil deeds.......who else but I could sooth his troubled mind....
As destiny wrought each evil deed by his hands......he clung more and more to me......how could I forsake him....cursed with immortality by brahma....I had to help him.....I decided to hasten his end...
..Give him release before he could be subjected to further humiliations.....I told Rama the secret to finish him.......protected him in the guise of hanuman......
Ravana could never be defeated by might alone.....he was my devotee......On the eve before the final battle......he himself told me to finish the play....reveal the secret of his immortality to Rama......
I was elated......no more would he be subject to the machinations of the world.....let the fools believe that he died of pride.....he finally attained my state.....I never forsake my children.....
A part of me wants to stop ......who will care for my children....the bhutas and the pisachas......in me they find the perfect father.....whoever it may be....however repulsive....to me they are all expressions of the universal truth......
My auspiciousness soothes them....without me they will be lost....in the whirlpool of Karma.....
Who could I complain to.....I am shiva......the destroyer of sorrow and confusion.....how can I myself be subject to my own play......
I give up....let the other gods lift the mantle that I have been carrying since ages......
Without Sati....no more do I find the need to be responsible to anyone........
I am He.....
Shivohum
I know.....its pretty cheesy....but hey its my blog :D
....again all in an attempt to discover my own writing capabilities.....
Scene: Shiva after sati immolates herself in daksha's yagna
(shiva in contemplation)
Shivohum.........I am he........eternally......always alone......forged by one of the moods of nature...I am Shiva.....The tamasic......Death.....rebirth....disease......I own them all.....
Who was I born to....where will be my end....even I am not sure....I am nature itself......plagued by the curse to bring death......I love none and am beyond the emotions of attachment.......
The universal law holds me responsible to make mankind realize the futility of all their attempts and hopes.....disregard their every prayer.....so that finally they know the universal law .....the sublime truth underlying all....
Only I have the discrimination to actually see my children as they actually are.....unbiased.....unjudging.....I hold everyone close to me.....
Paradox am I....Shivohum.......unattached yet ever concerned.....given the gruesome task of revealing the truth......
Only one could ever know me......sati........the universal law had to create polarity for every being.....their merger resulting in "shunyata".....the eternal silence.....for every good thought a polar negation had to be created.....
I was entrusted to keep the balance of darkness........protect the undead.....the social outcasts....my children......she was my polarity.....The perfect negation.....
Without her existence the world will not be able to bear my wrath......as I watched over the spirits ...she watched over the suras.....the other polarity........in essence the same....we cannot exist without the other......
without her, its best to recede.......Always my refuge.... into the eternal silence.....where I dont need to even be conscious of myself......again maintaining the balance......the blind rage that the poison of duality has caused......is agonizing ....the role that she wanted me to play...if continued would lead to annihilation....I need to give up......
The only thing I surrender to......the mother of all thoughts and words......silence....only she can chain my chaotic nature.....unbounded I may cause chaos.....unfettered I may cause harm to the very balance......
I can hear my children s cries......they don't want me to recede......but for the welfare of all.....I need to be strong......As I recede.......thoughts have to be given up......My own thoughts....each capable of bringing disolution if brought to action....I need to be careful.......the powerful ones emerge......
Sati.....you always knew......that the agony of separation would be my lot.....only I....Rudra could bear it......before I could stop you.....you gave up your identity.....
Didn't you realize , I would stop without you.....it was you who pulled me out of my meditations.......you robed me with your own characteristics......lending nature to me...Shiva.....who is attributeless.....I embraced imperfection on your insistence.....your disappearance has endorsed my own dictum......Finally everything is transitory......All matter has to return to its source......
So be it...."Tathaastu"
Raavana.....my brave warrior-son......he knew nothing but me.......forced by his prarabdha to be ram's polar.....his destiny was already sealed.........Though as mighty as Indra.....as learned as brihaspati......he knew the world will always remember him for his so called evil deeds.......who else but I could sooth his troubled mind....
As destiny wrought each evil deed by his hands......he clung more and more to me......how could I forsake him....cursed with immortality by brahma....I had to help him.....I decided to hasten his end...
..Give him release before he could be subjected to further humiliations.....I told Rama the secret to finish him.......protected him in the guise of hanuman......
Ravana could never be defeated by might alone.....he was my devotee......On the eve before the final battle......he himself told me to finish the play....reveal the secret of his immortality to Rama......
I was elated......no more would he be subject to the machinations of the world.....let the fools believe that he died of pride.....he finally attained my state.....I never forsake my children.....
A part of me wants to stop ......who will care for my children....the bhutas and the pisachas......in me they find the perfect father.....whoever it may be....however repulsive....to me they are all expressions of the universal truth......
My auspiciousness soothes them....without me they will be lost....in the whirlpool of Karma.....
Who could I complain to.....I am shiva......the destroyer of sorrow and confusion.....how can I myself be subject to my own play......
I give up....let the other gods lift the mantle that I have been carrying since ages......
Without Sati....no more do I find the need to be responsible to anyone........
I am He.....
Shivohum
I know.....its pretty cheesy....but hey its my blog :D
Monday, June 14, 2010
The passion of "Chris"na
Aloha phrends.....
A warning , today my inspiration is mis-guiding me to write something really cheesy and sentimental....kindly bear with me....as a writer has to explore all the shades of his art.....to make himself feel complete .....or that's what we say ...when we lack ideas and plagiarize somebody Else's work :P
This blog is actually inspired by a book that I read sneakily during my office lunch hours....
without further ado...
Krishna----the blue-hued lord.....much worshiped ....the one who bears the ire of the intellectuals and the vedantins alike...I personally belong to the school of advaita....and hence my experience with this particular deity has been minimal....but Krishna always has been depicted as a personality with so many hues, that sometimes it seems as if different people are talking about different personalities at the same time......a teasing lover , brilliant strategist and statesman, a guide to the uninspired.....
Lets say per se....Krishna was not a deity...maybe he was just a God fully aware of his mortality......what would have gone through his mind during the last few hours before he died....
Scene:
I stood staring at the sea...the source of all creation......I had watched it all begin here.....and to what purpose .......every man , a symbol of perfection who I watched grow under my personal care......today I stand alone offering "arghya" into the waters for their departed souls, whose very death I orchestrated.....
Gandhari has cursed me and my clan to a gruesome fate......I have accepted her judgement with a calm resignation.....every living thing has to live out its prarabdha karma.....be it animal, man or god incarnate....being bonded to the flesh, its pains have to be borne with patience and fortitude.....
Yes that has been my karma (destiny)......to pit brother against brother.....to provide man with the ideal, that nothing is greater than one's duty towards evolution.......towards the entire humanity......
How I wish, I had not been chosen for this......worshiped by yajnaseni (drauopadi), parth (arjun)..I had to protect him from Karna......I feel the weight of Karna's death on my hands......he who destiny had marked out to torture.....how could I not acknowledge that hero when he lived... I....the lord of All.....not understand the agony he went through....not knowing his own lineage.....misled at every turn by both his destiny and me......he had no chance.......
He knew me.......the day he set eyes on me...he knew ...I was the alpha and omega.....He knew that the people whom I support will have no defeat......he saw it the day I met him to disclose his identity....he saw what I could give him....."moksha" from the eternal transmigration that each soul is subject to.......HE surrendered himself to me that day......The bow was taut....the arrows flew....but Karna the mind had already surrendered at my feet......he was just finishing his karma (destiny)
His devotion to me was unsurpassable....though outwardly against me.....he even surrendered his "Kavacha -kundala" knowing fully well that it was I.....his protector who instigated Indra to make him devoid of his armor.....
such devotion....Arjuna will never understand.....truly Karna was "Daanveer"......finally he gave his own self to me......
How I wish I could have been on his side ...been his charioteer....imparted the "Gita" to him.......a man who was ready for the final flight of the soul......but his destiny would not allow me to do that.....forgive me Karna......O son of Surya.....verily you have attained my abode , by going beyond the Maya I created....ever aware of the world of duality, you surrendered yourself to me while fighting me....making me a helpless lord who is awed by the erudition of his disciple.....
Forgive me Parth.....I always knew you loved Draupadi the most, and could not bear her being shared by your brothers....Being a friend ,I knew your mind and I should have helped you......but again I orchestrated her marriage to all of you...as I had to ensure that the Pandavas always remained five.....for I could foresee that it was draupadi who was the common thread, as a string is through a set of pearls.....
without her each one of you would have gone your separate way....and then who would have protected the "dharma" (way of life)......
Her eyes haunt me.......she thinks of me as her own blood ......but what could I do...I had to bring about the game of dice where she had to be humiliated in front of everyone forging the bond between you five brothers......the final nail on the coffin of the Kauravas....
Forgive me yajnaseni.....I had to betray your trust.....for the gretear good....I could have burnt those sinners to cinder within the twinkling of the eye.....but I had to establish dharma.....the protocol had to be established.......
Though bound to the Pandavas.....your mind already was merged in me......Only you could go through all the torture that I put you through and still love me as the Lord.....for your love had no duality in it......it just accepted me as I was.....where people saw "Krishna " -the mayavi......you alone saw reason behind my actions.....
The day I met you and your husbands in the forest in the last year of your exile......and encouraged them to fight Duryodhana....I could see the flicker of pain in your eyes....you knew....that your lord has been using you as an instrument to abolish "adharma"....to bring to justice those who had sinned and at that moment you gave yourself up completely to me......Your husbands will never understand your love for me......A love which knew only the higher good.....which does not even have a tinge of greed in it but flows just because it enjoys in enveloping even the undeserving......You always reminded me of my mother Yashoda......
If ever I am born again....I would be born as your son....for no greater fortune can I think for myself....
Today as Jara (hunter who killed krishna)....prepares the arrow which will finish my incarnation....I remember you the most......I am tired......
I still remember the day when I came to protect you from the wrath of durvasa.....the akshaya patra had been cleansed and would yield no more food.....I ate a grain and the entire assembly of sages went home satiated....
I just want to eat the last morsel of food from your hands....but how dare I show my face to you.....because of me , you mourn the death of your sons in the battle of kurukshetra......
Maybe in the next lifetime........
A warning , today my inspiration is mis-guiding me to write something really cheesy and sentimental....kindly bear with me....as a writer has to explore all the shades of his art.....to make himself feel complete .....or that's what we say ...when we lack ideas and plagiarize somebody Else's work :P
This blog is actually inspired by a book that I read sneakily during my office lunch hours....
without further ado...
Krishna----the blue-hued lord.....much worshiped ....the one who bears the ire of the intellectuals and the vedantins alike...I personally belong to the school of advaita....and hence my experience with this particular deity has been minimal....but Krishna always has been depicted as a personality with so many hues, that sometimes it seems as if different people are talking about different personalities at the same time......a teasing lover , brilliant strategist and statesman, a guide to the uninspired.....
Lets say per se....Krishna was not a deity...maybe he was just a God fully aware of his mortality......what would have gone through his mind during the last few hours before he died....
Scene:
I stood staring at the sea...the source of all creation......I had watched it all begin here.....and to what purpose .......every man , a symbol of perfection who I watched grow under my personal care......today I stand alone offering "arghya" into the waters for their departed souls, whose very death I orchestrated.....
Gandhari has cursed me and my clan to a gruesome fate......I have accepted her judgement with a calm resignation.....every living thing has to live out its prarabdha karma.....be it animal, man or god incarnate....being bonded to the flesh, its pains have to be borne with patience and fortitude.....
Yes that has been my karma (destiny)......to pit brother against brother.....to provide man with the ideal, that nothing is greater than one's duty towards evolution.......towards the entire humanity......
How I wish, I had not been chosen for this......worshiped by yajnaseni (drauopadi), parth (arjun)..I had to protect him from Karna......I feel the weight of Karna's death on my hands......he who destiny had marked out to torture.....how could I not acknowledge that hero when he lived... I....the lord of All.....not understand the agony he went through....not knowing his own lineage.....misled at every turn by both his destiny and me......he had no chance.......
He knew me.......the day he set eyes on me...he knew ...I was the alpha and omega.....He knew that the people whom I support will have no defeat......he saw it the day I met him to disclose his identity....he saw what I could give him....."moksha" from the eternal transmigration that each soul is subject to.......HE surrendered himself to me that day......The bow was taut....the arrows flew....but Karna the mind had already surrendered at my feet......he was just finishing his karma (destiny)
His devotion to me was unsurpassable....though outwardly against me.....he even surrendered his "Kavacha -kundala" knowing fully well that it was I.....his protector who instigated Indra to make him devoid of his armor.....
such devotion....Arjuna will never understand.....truly Karna was "Daanveer"......finally he gave his own self to me......
How I wish I could have been on his side ...been his charioteer....imparted the "Gita" to him.......a man who was ready for the final flight of the soul......but his destiny would not allow me to do that.....forgive me Karna......O son of Surya.....verily you have attained my abode , by going beyond the Maya I created....ever aware of the world of duality, you surrendered yourself to me while fighting me....making me a helpless lord who is awed by the erudition of his disciple.....
Forgive me Parth.....I always knew you loved Draupadi the most, and could not bear her being shared by your brothers....Being a friend ,I knew your mind and I should have helped you......but again I orchestrated her marriage to all of you...as I had to ensure that the Pandavas always remained five.....for I could foresee that it was draupadi who was the common thread, as a string is through a set of pearls.....
without her each one of you would have gone your separate way....and then who would have protected the "dharma" (way of life)......
Her eyes haunt me.......she thinks of me as her own blood ......but what could I do...I had to bring about the game of dice where she had to be humiliated in front of everyone forging the bond between you five brothers......the final nail on the coffin of the Kauravas....
Forgive me yajnaseni.....I had to betray your trust.....for the gretear good....I could have burnt those sinners to cinder within the twinkling of the eye.....but I had to establish dharma.....the protocol had to be established.......
Though bound to the Pandavas.....your mind already was merged in me......Only you could go through all the torture that I put you through and still love me as the Lord.....for your love had no duality in it......it just accepted me as I was.....where people saw "Krishna " -the mayavi......you alone saw reason behind my actions.....
The day I met you and your husbands in the forest in the last year of your exile......and encouraged them to fight Duryodhana....I could see the flicker of pain in your eyes....you knew....that your lord has been using you as an instrument to abolish "adharma"....to bring to justice those who had sinned and at that moment you gave yourself up completely to me......Your husbands will never understand your love for me......A love which knew only the higher good.....which does not even have a tinge of greed in it but flows just because it enjoys in enveloping even the undeserving......You always reminded me of my mother Yashoda......
If ever I am born again....I would be born as your son....for no greater fortune can I think for myself....
Today as Jara (hunter who killed krishna)....prepares the arrow which will finish my incarnation....I remember you the most......I am tired......
I still remember the day when I came to protect you from the wrath of durvasa.....the akshaya patra had been cleansed and would yield no more food.....I ate a grain and the entire assembly of sages went home satiated....
I just want to eat the last morsel of food from your hands....but how dare I show my face to you.....because of me , you mourn the death of your sons in the battle of kurukshetra......
Maybe in the next lifetime........
Friday, June 11, 2010
The pawn "continued"
Though I was planning to complete this misogynist monologue today night......the indian I.T company I slog for has been very understanding and has adopted me as angelina jolie adopts another third world child...:P
They strictly believe in not giving me work, else I may strain myself....so I, conscientious workaholic that I am , have decided to utilize this brilliant time to poke fun at my female colleagues....
d) The "Pied Piper"
This one seems harmless but is one of the smartest mammal around. This breed comes in various flavours. By consistently fending off "chivalrous" male attention this is the creed which invented "If you don't know me don't add me in orkut/facebook" tag
At the age of 15 or so they develop a poise which we hardy males learn somewhere when we are doddering past 70.
The back-offs and the "get a life" lines are so subtly hidden behind well crafted sniggers that even someone as smart as the author has to think twice :P
Now for the title.....this breed always belives in surrounding itself with a protective ring of "bhaiyas" who ironically themselves don't know that they are unhired sepoys :P
Such is the cunning devilry that unsuspecting fellow engineers end up offering the "watchman" services of their own.....:P....moronically believing in awe that they are the "chosen ones" friend :P
And if any of my readers suddenly felt a cold wave of self directed symmpathy, the author would like some part of it ...as even I have danced to the tune of the "piper":P
A mild variation of this type is also interesting.
This new creature is a hedonistic fashionista.....known popularly as the "Jalwa Queen"...inspired by the movie "Fashion".....
Extremely oblivious to the surrounding dog-eat-dog world("duniya kutti hai", for the puritan) , this creature revels in its own beauty.
Neither power, glory nor fame, the very idea that she is better dressed than her kaamwali bai is enough to send this lass above the moon.
Dead-end jobs, pathetic educational curriculum , existential angst, maddening attempts to escape monotony, what-cartoon-to-watch, which-heroines-screensaver-to-download ...all these are the crosses we buckle under ,fellow male engineers.....not for her.....just the fact that Loreal has manufactured a new hairspray which can change her hair color everyday is enough to propel her to rapturous ecstasy...
Normally this creature manages to ensnare 2 or 3 hapless fellow engineers (typically it has been observed that she has a fatal attraction for "bihari bitwaas" ) who pay their daily homage by dropping her off at her house and in general agreeing with everything that she has to make a comment on.......in effect the lives of these hapless beings are ruined , as no girl will look at them for being so spineless and the hapless male-engineering population is ground beneath 5-inch high pointed soles of the "jalwa queen"....
e) the "LBW" (Laambun bari waatli)
Imagine stranded in an arid deset without water for 45 days....and suddenly you see an oasis beckoning enticingly, it holds vague promises and endears to the thirst within......and then poof!!!....nothing.... it was a mirage....:(.....such are the dastardly deeds of destiny...
The LBW is a cunning creature which through certain subtle arrangement of the dress and hair attempts a complete makeover within 200 Rs., which makes her look like a million bucks from afar.....
The already parched male-engineer , who is like the proverbial wolf with puckered lips screaming "yaooooooooza", gasps in surprise at the newly turned out model....but it's a dying hope....on close observation, the charm dies...finito.....it's the sea of sand again....
It is understood that the makeover is for her own dying self-esteem, but this creature is inadvertently the most ruthless of all...as she gives us hope ...and then dashes it into smithereens....
Beware fellow mates...she will take you down...from afar....
f) The "housewife"
I have a definite dislike for this one...:P.....These creatures never play it fair and square...though they speak about women's liberation and the importance of career for the working woman......and will always act as if they have to fight the big bad cruel misogynist world....the moment we start competing with them , they will marry Mr.Moneybags and have the last laugh......
Do they comprehend , how difficult it is , for our fragile egos to even stand in front of Mr.Moneybags....:P....obviously for them money was never a factor ....they just "connected" ....it was never money pshaw!!!.....how dare we even think of such crudity.....twice they met at the local "CCD" (after they both checked out each others resume and bank balance)...and they just knew it....
You and I ...my friend ....we are crass people.....we need time to judge,understand and sync with people...not so for them.....for they were just "meant to be"...
The circus doesn't stop at this.....ideally my friend, when life stops making sense, we change course, try to pursue new challenges to know our own limitations and strengths... ....WRONG!!!....you want change....just get married and scoff at the poor hapless engineer guy as if he is missing out on something...:P...act as if marriage is the answer to all of life's quibbles....
ya.....misguide the poor chap...who already is miserable that he has not yet got laid.....:P...
(Actually lot of my anger comes from the fact that all others are getting sex under some pretext or other and I never get any :P).....
Since I need to attend one such wedding tomoroow...i have to go give my kurta for ironing...:P
(to be continued)
They strictly believe in not giving me work, else I may strain myself....so I, conscientious workaholic that I am , have decided to utilize this brilliant time to poke fun at my female colleagues....
d) The "Pied Piper"
This one seems harmless but is one of the smartest mammal around. This breed comes in various flavours. By consistently fending off "chivalrous" male attention this is the creed which invented "If you don't know me don't add me in orkut/facebook" tag
At the age of 15 or so they develop a poise which we hardy males learn somewhere when we are doddering past 70.
The back-offs and the "get a life" lines are so subtly hidden behind well crafted sniggers that even someone as smart as the author has to think twice :P
Now for the title.....this breed always belives in surrounding itself with a protective ring of "bhaiyas" who ironically themselves don't know that they are unhired sepoys :P
Such is the cunning devilry that unsuspecting fellow engineers end up offering the "watchman" services of their own.....:P....moronically believing in awe that they are the "chosen ones" friend :P
And if any of my readers suddenly felt a cold wave of self directed symmpathy, the author would like some part of it ...as even I have danced to the tune of the "piper":P
A mild variation of this type is also interesting.
This new creature is a hedonistic fashionista.....known popularly as the "Jalwa Queen"...inspired by the movie "Fashion".....
Extremely oblivious to the surrounding dog-eat-dog world("duniya kutti hai", for the puritan) , this creature revels in its own beauty.
Neither power, glory nor fame, the very idea that she is better dressed than her kaamwali bai is enough to send this lass above the moon.
Dead-end jobs, pathetic educational curriculum , existential angst, maddening attempts to escape monotony, what-cartoon-to-watch, which-heroines-screensaver-to-download ...all these are the crosses we buckle under ,fellow male engineers.....not for her.....just the fact that Loreal has manufactured a new hairspray which can change her hair color everyday is enough to propel her to rapturous ecstasy...
Normally this creature manages to ensnare 2 or 3 hapless fellow engineers (typically it has been observed that she has a fatal attraction for "bihari bitwaas" ) who pay their daily homage by dropping her off at her house and in general agreeing with everything that she has to make a comment on.......in effect the lives of these hapless beings are ruined , as no girl will look at them for being so spineless and the hapless male-engineering population is ground beneath 5-inch high pointed soles of the "jalwa queen"....
e) the "LBW" (Laambun bari waatli)
Imagine stranded in an arid deset without water for 45 days....and suddenly you see an oasis beckoning enticingly, it holds vague promises and endears to the thirst within......and then poof!!!....nothing.... it was a mirage....:(.....such are the dastardly deeds of destiny...
The LBW is a cunning creature which through certain subtle arrangement of the dress and hair attempts a complete makeover within 200 Rs., which makes her look like a million bucks from afar.....
The already parched male-engineer , who is like the proverbial wolf with puckered lips screaming "yaooooooooza", gasps in surprise at the newly turned out model....but it's a dying hope....on close observation, the charm dies...finito.....it's the sea of sand again....
It is understood that the makeover is for her own dying self-esteem, but this creature is inadvertently the most ruthless of all...as she gives us hope ...and then dashes it into smithereens....
Beware fellow mates...she will take you down...from afar....
f) The "housewife"
I have a definite dislike for this one...:P.....These creatures never play it fair and square...though they speak about women's liberation and the importance of career for the working woman......and will always act as if they have to fight the big bad cruel misogynist world....the moment we start competing with them , they will marry Mr.Moneybags and have the last laugh......
Do they comprehend , how difficult it is , for our fragile egos to even stand in front of Mr.Moneybags....:P....obviously for them money was never a factor ....they just "connected" ....it was never money pshaw!!!.....how dare we even think of such crudity.....twice they met at the local "CCD" (after they both checked out each others resume and bank balance)...and they just knew it....
You and I ...my friend ....we are crass people.....we need time to judge,understand and sync with people...not so for them.....for they were just "meant to be"...
The circus doesn't stop at this.....ideally my friend, when life stops making sense, we change course, try to pursue new challenges to know our own limitations and strengths... ....WRONG!!!....you want change....just get married and scoff at the poor hapless engineer guy as if he is missing out on something...:P...act as if marriage is the answer to all of life's quibbles....
ya.....misguide the poor chap...who already is miserable that he has not yet got laid.....:P...
(Actually lot of my anger comes from the fact that all others are getting sex under some pretext or other and I never get any :P).....
Since I need to attend one such wedding tomoroow...i have to go give my kurta for ironing...:P
(to be continued)
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The "pawn"
Though I would have liked to give the title as "the spawn" , making it sound like some sleazy exorcist kinda movie, I refrain as this will not be doing justice to the subject under discussion....
If you are an engineer and its been your good fortune to work in an I.T company, then my dear reader you will appreciate my discussion better
The general feeling when the newbie joins an I.T company is very similar to "papa kehte hain bada naam karega".....the novice believes that he will revolutionise the working of the I.T sector....tch tch....such naivety....its actually awe inspiring when I look at it in retrospect...:P
Slowly but steadily "papa kehte hain" transforms into a guttural and nasal soundtrack by "aapdo himesh reshamiya"......slow, painful and never ending ...P
During these testing times.....the novice always has a feeling of impending doom looming over him...which lifts only when the clock strikes the twilight hour of 6:30.....any one who has been working in an I.T company ...would appreciate it when I say that we very much resemble the wilder beasts in the grassy plains of Savannah when chased by a pack of ferocious leopards.....as the clock strikes 6:30....
But on some days nature triumphs, as the Project lead threateningly lurks in the sidelines , lunging at our tender necks just when liberation is at hand i.e. the worst pain that any software engineer could endure..."This weekend due to stringent deadlines, you are requested to attend the office"....
what madness.....!!!!
On such weekends you can actually have a glimpse of the undead when the novice trudges his weary legs towards "mordor" where the dark screen of cobol looms.....where even "gandalf the white" comes dressed in sober gray....:P..
But hope still shines in the form of the "Rings"...which we form with fellow engineers....as practically none of us have any life outside the office...the bond of fellowship forged is unbreakable....If jai and veeru had been software engineers they would have happily married each other instead of mooning away and wasting their lives for jaya bachan and hemamlini...:P
what with our brilliant training in cobol and SQL..we are definitely a catch ...any red blooded female will fall for us when we describe in gruesome detail how we told the Project lead off by rebelliously not going to the office on weekends....the fact that we sat trembling , thinking of how he would pick the flesh off our bones....and how we try to overcome sheer terror by watching b-grade movies of mithun-da just to kill time......we never tell...girls don't need to know all the details....it's just the main points that needs to be covered.....:P
Maybe it is something in our brains that makes us feel cool and important as we chase minor victories of taking unannounced leaves as yardsticks of bravery and courage....
Not to say anything about the female population who darken the corridirs of I.T company...:P
the male population of I.T companies are all the same...we tend to behave the same way in any I.T company...simple-minded creatures....that's what we are...a good canteen in the ground floor and an elvin-looking HR representative is all that we ask for...
But the female population is one intersting subject...in my years of experience I an classify them into varoious sub-sects or cults ...if I may....
a)stuffy know-it-all who doesn't actually know anything
this one is actually petty harmless....but these chicks will always make you feel guilty about your own irresponsible behaviour of god-given work....how dare you not take the coding/testing/maintenance work seriously???
The purpose of life is to be stuffy, uptight and in general spread an aura of self-importance :P....they represent the stern elderly aunt who always spanked you when you made yourself sick at parties by eating too much samosa....
Stay away from these chicks fellow mates.....though the exterior maybe pleasing to the eye....do you really want to spend the rest of your life governed by a stern aunt who will not tolerate flighty foolishness ..:P
b) The ass-kisser
before you start getting ideas...this is one of the nastiest breeds that pollute mother earth....
Mainly the modus operandi is to first hunt for a sugar-daddy who would faintly resemble a mother eagle who viciously protects her little ones....
Destiny, luck, misfortune ..this is common to our ilk fellow men....these are unknown to the ass-kisser......
lady luck constantly accompanies her to on site countries ....and bad luck dare not touch her from fear of the bald/old/horny eagle
An irritatingly condescending attitude also is the AK's (ass kisser) constant companion, which reaches its pinnacle when the "rating" session begins.....
I know fellow men...I could see you wince as I wrote the words.....but life is harsh for you and me comrade..:P.....for without an over sized chest and a bootilicous behind , what else does the harsh world appreciate :P....
Since you and I are not so adept at this art which the AK practices with consummate ease.....we have to put up with raving reviews of how their work has been appreciated by all and sundry...and how indispensable they are to the general health of the company....I really understand and appreciate that....many of my friends really don't care for the company they work for...it is refreshing to see someone who so genuinely feels for the company they work for.....as one of my friends would say "pearly drop of tears" were shed by me on hearing this
Just smile and wave boys...smile and wave....this too shall pass.....
3)The huntress:
this one is also relatively harmless......she resembles the young starlet who is torn between the casting couch and the idealistic,unrealistic way of working her way to the top....
A close friend of the AK ....she nevertheless holds her own .....though sugar daddies have been part of her life too......it has been more of a step-fatherly treatment that she has been on the receiving end of....
Torn between loyalty to the AK and her own inadequacy, the huntress unleashes a powerful whiplash on....you guessed it right ...on the already down trodden male -engeering poulation....its their lot to suffer and they bow humbly before the almighty destruction that the huntress unleashes.....
Ruthlessly judgemental, she does what psychologists do to their patients....make them more miserable....
But I still like this type.....this category means no harm.....she is the female version of Sunny deol....except that instead of the "dhai" kilo ka haat ....it's the "teekhi zaban" that does the damage.....
she has no aim no mission (dialogue lifted from one of sunny paajis flick's , circa 1989), she knows only mayhem.....
4)the cracker a.k.a phataka
No....again you misread the title......phataka as in which when bursts beneath your feet...causess surprise, fear and anger and not exactly in that order.......
again a close colleague of the AK.....she too hides her diffidence by coyly biting of peoples head off when they are getting above themselves....
she is miserable and if you are not....then you had it my friend....she likes misery so much ...sometimes she manufactures it.....and yet again the raw material for the factory is provided by the oft-trodden, much abused male population....
Main difference between the phataka and the huntress is the frequency of attacks....the huntress is systematic and calculating....she waits for the right moment and finishes her prey with one swift stroke.... the phataka does not have the finesse of the huntress.....she explodes when something triggers her fuse....
her unpredictabiliy is her forte....what would you prefer, a death which is swift and clean or a dose of sulphur when you are least expectng it....
personally i prefer the huntress....atleast she gives me time as I calmly resign to my fate....
(to be continued)
If you are an engineer and its been your good fortune to work in an I.T company, then my dear reader you will appreciate my discussion better
The general feeling when the newbie joins an I.T company is very similar to "papa kehte hain bada naam karega".....the novice believes that he will revolutionise the working of the I.T sector....tch tch....such naivety....its actually awe inspiring when I look at it in retrospect...:P
Slowly but steadily "papa kehte hain" transforms into a guttural and nasal soundtrack by "aapdo himesh reshamiya"......slow, painful and never ending ...P
During these testing times.....the novice always has a feeling of impending doom looming over him...which lifts only when the clock strikes the twilight hour of 6:30.....any one who has been working in an I.T company ...would appreciate it when I say that we very much resemble the wilder beasts in the grassy plains of Savannah when chased by a pack of ferocious leopards.....as the clock strikes 6:30....
But on some days nature triumphs, as the Project lead threateningly lurks in the sidelines , lunging at our tender necks just when liberation is at hand i.e. the worst pain that any software engineer could endure..."This weekend due to stringent deadlines, you are requested to attend the office"....
what madness.....!!!!
On such weekends you can actually have a glimpse of the undead when the novice trudges his weary legs towards "mordor" where the dark screen of cobol looms.....where even "gandalf the white" comes dressed in sober gray....:P..
But hope still shines in the form of the "Rings"...which we form with fellow engineers....as practically none of us have any life outside the office...the bond of fellowship forged is unbreakable....If jai and veeru had been software engineers they would have happily married each other instead of mooning away and wasting their lives for jaya bachan and hemamlini...:P
what with our brilliant training in cobol and SQL..we are definitely a catch ...any red blooded female will fall for us when we describe in gruesome detail how we told the Project lead off by rebelliously not going to the office on weekends....the fact that we sat trembling , thinking of how he would pick the flesh off our bones....and how we try to overcome sheer terror by watching b-grade movies of mithun-da just to kill time......we never tell...girls don't need to know all the details....it's just the main points that needs to be covered.....:P
Maybe it is something in our brains that makes us feel cool and important as we chase minor victories of taking unannounced leaves as yardsticks of bravery and courage....
Not to say anything about the female population who darken the corridirs of I.T company...:P
the male population of I.T companies are all the same...we tend to behave the same way in any I.T company...simple-minded creatures....that's what we are...a good canteen in the ground floor and an elvin-looking HR representative is all that we ask for...
But the female population is one intersting subject...in my years of experience I an classify them into varoious sub-sects or cults ...if I may....
a)stuffy know-it-all who doesn't actually know anything
this one is actually petty harmless....but these chicks will always make you feel guilty about your own irresponsible behaviour of god-given work....how dare you not take the coding/testing/maintenance work seriously???
The purpose of life is to be stuffy, uptight and in general spread an aura of self-importance :P....they represent the stern elderly aunt who always spanked you when you made yourself sick at parties by eating too much samosa....
Stay away from these chicks fellow mates.....though the exterior maybe pleasing to the eye....do you really want to spend the rest of your life governed by a stern aunt who will not tolerate flighty foolishness ..:P
b) The ass-kisser
before you start getting ideas...this is one of the nastiest breeds that pollute mother earth....
Mainly the modus operandi is to first hunt for a sugar-daddy who would faintly resemble a mother eagle who viciously protects her little ones....
Destiny, luck, misfortune ..this is common to our ilk fellow men....these are unknown to the ass-kisser......
lady luck constantly accompanies her to on site countries ....and bad luck dare not touch her from fear of the bald/old/horny eagle
An irritatingly condescending attitude also is the AK's (ass kisser) constant companion, which reaches its pinnacle when the "rating" session begins.....
I know fellow men...I could see you wince as I wrote the words.....but life is harsh for you and me comrade..:P.....for without an over sized chest and a bootilicous behind , what else does the harsh world appreciate :P....
Since you and I are not so adept at this art which the AK practices with consummate ease.....we have to put up with raving reviews of how their work has been appreciated by all and sundry...and how indispensable they are to the general health of the company....I really understand and appreciate that....many of my friends really don't care for the company they work for...it is refreshing to see someone who so genuinely feels for the company they work for.....as one of my friends would say "pearly drop of tears" were shed by me on hearing this
Just smile and wave boys...smile and wave....this too shall pass.....
3)The huntress:
this one is also relatively harmless......she resembles the young starlet who is torn between the casting couch and the idealistic,unrealistic way of working her way to the top....
A close friend of the AK ....she nevertheless holds her own .....though sugar daddies have been part of her life too......it has been more of a step-fatherly treatment that she has been on the receiving end of....
Torn between loyalty to the AK and her own inadequacy, the huntress unleashes a powerful whiplash on....you guessed it right ...on the already down trodden male -engeering poulation....its their lot to suffer and they bow humbly before the almighty destruction that the huntress unleashes.....
Ruthlessly judgemental, she does what psychologists do to their patients....make them more miserable....
But I still like this type.....this category means no harm.....she is the female version of Sunny deol....except that instead of the "dhai" kilo ka haat ....it's the "teekhi zaban" that does the damage.....
she has no aim no mission (dialogue lifted from one of sunny paajis flick's , circa 1989), she knows only mayhem.....
4)the cracker a.k.a phataka
No....again you misread the title......phataka as in which when bursts beneath your feet...causess surprise, fear and anger and not exactly in that order.......
again a close colleague of the AK.....she too hides her diffidence by coyly biting of peoples head off when they are getting above themselves....
she is miserable and if you are not....then you had it my friend....she likes misery so much ...sometimes she manufactures it.....and yet again the raw material for the factory is provided by the oft-trodden, much abused male population....
Main difference between the phataka and the huntress is the frequency of attacks....the huntress is systematic and calculating....she waits for the right moment and finishes her prey with one swift stroke.... the phataka does not have the finesse of the huntress.....she explodes when something triggers her fuse....
her unpredictabiliy is her forte....what would you prefer, a death which is swift and clean or a dose of sulphur when you are least expectng it....
personally i prefer the huntress....atleast she gives me time as I calmly resign to my fate....
(to be continued)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
In the last few months,the corporate sector in Mumbai is having a pretty good time.
Whenever there is a dull moment in the office, out they bring my reume and read the balderdash that I have enlisted under the guise of experience......
It comes across as a very shy resume which doesn't want to put out on the first date :P......It slowly draws out the reader making him feel there is more to come and finally dies a sudden death....
Going through it, a thought crossed my mind, as they often do and I realised, what would fate be dishing out to somene who has a distinct disadvantage compared to me...like say a thief...what if such a man decides to join the crime syndicate and decides to submit his resume for due consideration....
What is the procedure.......or should I say Modus operandi??.....do job portals post openings for such jobs.....
I can even imagine the flyers that would be on display
"Wanted .....thief with excellent sleight of hand.....and communication skills (in case he wants to talk his way out of a tight spot)
At least 3 years of work experience in safe-blowing, money-laundering and rooftop-climbing. Preferably should have at least a dozen aliases and should be a master of disguises"
Interested hooligans can contact Miss so and so....at this particular address...."
Lets say our hero or villain ...lets call him Fishy Sam for the sake of convenience....decides to give his luck a chance ....happens to go to the interview..
What would be the conversation like....
An AL-Capone like figure sits on the chair chewing his cigar with his eyes boring into the very soul of the candidates.....
Lets call him The big boss...
Boss: Hello....have a seat..Mr...sam
S: good evening sir...nice hat you have there...I daresay its your own??? No??....
B: So whatchya been doing for the past few years sammy.....any big heists under your belt???
S: Well...I have not been into heisting as much as I have been into pick pocketing....
I mean , I do have long term goals ....but a man has got to eat...and picking pockets is something that I have always wanted to do....
Leaving aside the money....the look of dumb surprise when the chum goes through his pocket trying to find where he kept his bag of doubloons......is worth the effort....
Its the satisfaction of a job well done......that matters....
B:Hmmm....So why do want to leave it now....why the interest in joining the syndicate....???...Have people become more wary....have they started wearing their money closer to their skins.???
S: Actually I am planning to settle......she is a safe-blower form downtown____ place....Looking at her you would never guess that she raids peoples houses at night and still maintains that school girl complexion of hers....
..I fell like I should have a little woman waiting for me at the old homestead when I bring in my loot for the day.......and though going through peoples pockets is good enough for me...I doubt whether it will satisfy the little woman.....
She is a tough cookie , that one.....she told me the other day that unless I get a reward of 20000$ tagged to my name , the wedding bells wont ring out..."
B:...Hmmm.....I see .....I still don't get why you urchins get hitched so early these days...In our days unless we had an assault robbery or atleast a couple of years behind bars...we did not contemplate matrimony...In any case ..I think prison prepares you for the holy state......
Well ..I think we may have something for you on the block...I hope you don't mind working in shifts.....and I hope you don't mind working in groups....I mean it makes the job all the more easier if you have an inside stand....
S: Not an issue sir....I will be quick to learn on the job...and will do you proud...In fact I will be so good that within a year all major security companies will start patenting new designs for locks and will start recruiting heavy weight wrestlers as security guards....
B: well sammy.....Congratulations ....you get the job.....and let me warn as one married man to another....there will be days when you will prefer to be in a cell with 4 guys you haven't had a decent shower in days to the company of your little woman as you call her.....
But all in due time friend...all in due time"
Whenever there is a dull moment in the office, out they bring my reume and read the balderdash that I have enlisted under the guise of experience......
It comes across as a very shy resume which doesn't want to put out on the first date :P......It slowly draws out the reader making him feel there is more to come and finally dies a sudden death....
Going through it, a thought crossed my mind, as they often do and I realised, what would fate be dishing out to somene who has a distinct disadvantage compared to me...like say a thief...what if such a man decides to join the crime syndicate and decides to submit his resume for due consideration....
What is the procedure.......or should I say Modus operandi??.....do job portals post openings for such jobs.....
I can even imagine the flyers that would be on display
"Wanted .....thief with excellent sleight of hand.....and communication skills (in case he wants to talk his way out of a tight spot)
At least 3 years of work experience in safe-blowing, money-laundering and rooftop-climbing. Preferably should have at least a dozen aliases and should be a master of disguises"
Interested hooligans can contact Miss so and so....at this particular address...."
Lets say our hero or villain ...lets call him Fishy Sam for the sake of convenience....decides to give his luck a chance ....happens to go to the interview..
What would be the conversation like....
An AL-Capone like figure sits on the chair chewing his cigar with his eyes boring into the very soul of the candidates.....
Lets call him The big boss...
Boss: Hello....have a seat..Mr...sam
S: good evening sir...nice hat you have there...I daresay its your own??? No??....
B: So whatchya been doing for the past few years sammy.....any big heists under your belt???
S: Well...I have not been into heisting as much as I have been into pick pocketing....
I mean , I do have long term goals ....but a man has got to eat...and picking pockets is something that I have always wanted to do....
Leaving aside the money....the look of dumb surprise when the chum goes through his pocket trying to find where he kept his bag of doubloons......is worth the effort....
Its the satisfaction of a job well done......that matters....
B:Hmmm....So why do want to leave it now....why the interest in joining the syndicate....???...Have people become more wary....have they started wearing their money closer to their skins.???
S: Actually I am planning to settle......she is a safe-blower form downtown____ place....Looking at her you would never guess that she raids peoples houses at night and still maintains that school girl complexion of hers....
..I fell like I should have a little woman waiting for me at the old homestead when I bring in my loot for the day.......and though going through peoples pockets is good enough for me...I doubt whether it will satisfy the little woman.....
She is a tough cookie , that one.....she told me the other day that unless I get a reward of 20000$ tagged to my name , the wedding bells wont ring out..."
B:...Hmmm.....I see .....I still don't get why you urchins get hitched so early these days...In our days unless we had an assault robbery or atleast a couple of years behind bars...we did not contemplate matrimony...In any case ..I think prison prepares you for the holy state......
Well ..I think we may have something for you on the block...I hope you don't mind working in shifts.....and I hope you don't mind working in groups....I mean it makes the job all the more easier if you have an inside stand....
S: Not an issue sir....I will be quick to learn on the job...and will do you proud...In fact I will be so good that within a year all major security companies will start patenting new designs for locks and will start recruiting heavy weight wrestlers as security guards....
B: well sammy.....Congratulations ....you get the job.....and let me warn as one married man to another....there will be days when you will prefer to be in a cell with 4 guys you haven't had a decent shower in days to the company of your little woman as you call her.....
But all in due time friend...all in due time"
Monday, April 26, 2010
ganpatipule......
For the "freaks of nature"
Are you the kind ,who prefers solitude and revels in the beatitude of nature instead of shaking a leg to the mambo beats of a DJ in a sweaty club.....
Maybe it is the healing silence that unwinds you, contrary to what your friends may say....
If you want to shake off the monotony that threatens to engulf you and want to have some "Me-time" then Ganpatipule (Maharashtra) provides the perfect retreat for you.
One of the virgin beaches that Maharashtra is famous for....its still largely undiscovered by tourists who still prefer Goa(ho-hum).....
Located in the district of Ratnagiri on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, its easily accessible by road and rail.
For the "penny-pincher"
Ratnagiri being the nearest major station , state transport buses provide cheap and comfortable commute to Ganpatipule....S.T. buses start from mumbai in the night and reach ganpatipule in the morning, covering a distance of around 375 kms.
Adjacent to the beach is the MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) which provide a good view of the beach..... recommended if you are travelling with spouse/kids....
But if you are at the beautiful age when such encumbrances don't limit you i.e.you are a student / bachelor then I empathize and maybe you should check out the local lodges. They charge around Rs 500-700 a day and you can roam around like a gypsy without worrying about some urchin pilfering through your luggage...
The rooms provided are clean and can be adjusted to accommodate 4 people.That comes to around Rs.100-150 per head.
"Main attraction"
The main attraction is obviously the clean , pristine beach.You can actually see through the ocean water which is great considering majority of the beaches in Maharashtra have been turned murky, courtesy indisciplined tourists....
The best part is, most of the people visit ganpatipule mainly for the temple and not for the beach, giving the beach a "private-beach" kind of feel.
There are no shady guys in trunks trying to sell water sports ...... hence you are spared the agony of dodging them and finding a quiet spot......
Also it's a veritable gold mine for amateur photograph buffs because of its scenic location and beautifully constructed temple.
Flanked on one side by the beach, the temple is surrounded by a hill on the remaining three sides.In fact thetemple is constructed at the foot of the hill around the deity.
Red stones used in its construction give it a distinct "rajasthani" flavour.
The walls have ornate carvings of "Dwar-palakas" (temple-gate guardians) and the presiding deity (Ganapati) in various artistic postures , symbolizing the deity's mastery over the finer forms of art.
The main deity itself is small, about 4-4 1/2 feet in height , vaguely resembling the deity with a trunk and eyes.
Devout's throng the temple throughout the day, paying obeisance to the deity who is considered all the more potent because its a swayambhu (self-made, literally swayam -self , bhu -earth)
Swayambhus are considered auspicious as it is believed that the deity incarnates at those places out of its own volition.
Legend has it that the deity was discovered when a cowherd followed his cow to the hills and found her worshiping the deity with milk from her udders.
On closer examination, the deity was revealed and a temple constructed around it.
A pradakshina around the temple is considered auspicious , symbolizing that God is the centre and we have to keep revolving in the material plane with our thoughts firmly fixed on the centre.
In any case the pradakshina is recommended, as the hill is breathtakingly beautiful especially in the rainy season.The pradakshina leads one to another swayambhu on the upper parts of the hill.
Though not elaborate as the original deity, this swaymabhu represents the face of the deity.
Regular worship is done at this particular spot too.
For the "foodie"
Food is definitely not a problem in Ganapatipule.Closer to the temple , we can find a string of good hotels offering superb malvani/konkan fare.
If you are a gourmet , try out the konkan cuisine......also there is something about the food over there ,You don't feel satiated by the food at all.......a good point if you are planning to try everything on the menu.
I would definitely recommend the "Sol-kadi" , a concoction of kokam and coconut milk, which is supposed to be an appetizer.
The charges are nominal and the total expenditure would not exceed Rs. 200 per person.
"Nearby tourist attraction"
Around 2 kms from Ganpatipule is Malgund, birthplace of the famous marathi poet "keshavsoot"
Jaigad fort is also a definite must-see.
All in all a brilliant get away for the weekend, which would help you rejuvenate both body and soul.
Are you the kind ,who prefers solitude and revels in the beatitude of nature instead of shaking a leg to the mambo beats of a DJ in a sweaty club.....
Maybe it is the healing silence that unwinds you, contrary to what your friends may say....
If you want to shake off the monotony that threatens to engulf you and want to have some "Me-time" then Ganpatipule (Maharashtra) provides the perfect retreat for you.
One of the virgin beaches that Maharashtra is famous for....its still largely undiscovered by tourists who still prefer Goa(ho-hum).....
Located in the district of Ratnagiri on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, its easily accessible by road and rail.
For the "penny-pincher"
Ratnagiri being the nearest major station , state transport buses provide cheap and comfortable commute to Ganpatipule....S.T. buses start from mumbai in the night and reach ganpatipule in the morning, covering a distance of around 375 kms.
Adjacent to the beach is the MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) which provide a good view of the beach..... recommended if you are travelling with spouse/kids....
But if you are at the beautiful age when such encumbrances don't limit you i.e.you are a student / bachelor then I empathize and maybe you should check out the local lodges. They charge around Rs 500-700 a day and you can roam around like a gypsy without worrying about some urchin pilfering through your luggage...
The rooms provided are clean and can be adjusted to accommodate 4 people.That comes to around Rs.100-150 per head.
"Main attraction"
The main attraction is obviously the clean , pristine beach.You can actually see through the ocean water which is great considering majority of the beaches in Maharashtra have been turned murky, courtesy indisciplined tourists....
The best part is, most of the people visit ganpatipule mainly for the temple and not for the beach, giving the beach a "private-beach" kind of feel.
There are no shady guys in trunks trying to sell water sports ...... hence you are spared the agony of dodging them and finding a quiet spot......
Also it's a veritable gold mine for amateur photograph buffs because of its scenic location and beautifully constructed temple.
Flanked on one side by the beach, the temple is surrounded by a hill on the remaining three sides.In fact thetemple is constructed at the foot of the hill around the deity.
Red stones used in its construction give it a distinct "rajasthani" flavour.
The walls have ornate carvings of "Dwar-palakas" (temple-gate guardians) and the presiding deity (Ganapati) in various artistic postures , symbolizing the deity's mastery over the finer forms of art.
The main deity itself is small, about 4-4 1/2 feet in height , vaguely resembling the deity with a trunk and eyes.
Devout's throng the temple throughout the day, paying obeisance to the deity who is considered all the more potent because its a swayambhu (self-made, literally swayam -self , bhu -earth)
Swayambhus are considered auspicious as it is believed that the deity incarnates at those places out of its own volition.
Legend has it that the deity was discovered when a cowherd followed his cow to the hills and found her worshiping the deity with milk from her udders.
On closer examination, the deity was revealed and a temple constructed around it.
A pradakshina around the temple is considered auspicious , symbolizing that God is the centre and we have to keep revolving in the material plane with our thoughts firmly fixed on the centre.
In any case the pradakshina is recommended, as the hill is breathtakingly beautiful especially in the rainy season.The pradakshina leads one to another swayambhu on the upper parts of the hill.
Though not elaborate as the original deity, this swaymabhu represents the face of the deity.
Regular worship is done at this particular spot too.
For the "foodie"
Food is definitely not a problem in Ganapatipule.Closer to the temple , we can find a string of good hotels offering superb malvani/konkan fare.
If you are a gourmet , try out the konkan cuisine......also there is something about the food over there ,You don't feel satiated by the food at all.......a good point if you are planning to try everything on the menu.
I would definitely recommend the "Sol-kadi" , a concoction of kokam and coconut milk, which is supposed to be an appetizer.
The charges are nominal and the total expenditure would not exceed Rs. 200 per person.
"Nearby tourist attraction"
Around 2 kms from Ganpatipule is Malgund, birthplace of the famous marathi poet "keshavsoot"
Jaigad fort is also a definite must-see.
All in all a brilliant get away for the weekend, which would help you rejuvenate both body and soul.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The book of Job
Hallelujah people....
Gosh...It's been ages ain't it......well to be frank its been really a long time since my brow shone with honest sweat....Officially I have been languishing on my plush sofa for five months now....
Golly...things are relative aren't they.....these five months just flew by....and it is not as if I don't want to put my nose to the grindstone...I mean just the other day I had gone to an interview , which lasted for around 15 minutes.....
It would be not wrong to say that the interviewer was plainly not ready to buy my story of giving a shot at technical writing....She was plainly seen pursing her lips and saying to herself, "what has come over kids these days.....He is a developer of software and what bally cheek to try out for technical writing....."
My understanding however had been " how difficult can it be.......I have technical knowledge and I have been told that I write passably....."
Not even my french cut(I refer to the fungal growth on my face here) impressed her.....
After this I was escorted to a room wherein I was told to write a manual to help rural people toast their bread into a crisp browny finish.....
Its a theory.... that more intelligent the person the more irrelevant questions fire through the cerebellum when a seemingly important task is at hand....
Well....As you will soon see...I was no exception :P......
Firstly.....why toast??...If I am not wrong the staple diet of farmers has never been bread.....it has always been the Indian substitute of bread that they prefer....
As far as I know village folks are smart and not specific of the urban niceties ....I will never be able to convince him (the villager) that keeping aside the "roti" he should opt for the more anglicized version version of it.....
He would laugh on my face or at least spit on the side and look askance at me.....
Coming back to the test....if we cant convince our target customer as to the utility of the product itself.....how can we impose the user manual on him.....
Sort of like giving the jack of spades to the player who obviously had made it plain through his secretive signals that ,it is the ace of hearts that his heart coveteth....(kinda neat eh?)
In spite of such genuine issues being unaddressed....I put my shoulder to the wheel.....and rambled on about how to plug the wire to the mains without hurting oneself.....made me feel real silly.:P...
As the document proceeded, I tried to assume an apologetic overtone, sort of to say "Rural guy...I am really sorry to write this bilge as if you don't know a thing about electricity....but if its any consolation , I have full respect for your mental capabilities and just in case this manual finds its way into your hands , I wash away all responsibilities and would like to point an accusing finger towards the corporate bosses who made me write this"
I finished the test with an editing process , which made my head hurt even more than I thought it could .....it was about the relationship between a heat exchanger and a mechanic who operates it.....
apparently the heat exchanger had a nasty way of throwing in the towel at the most inopportune moment(like all women :P)
and it was the duty of the mechanic to pacify it with cooling mixtures and a complete overhaul (spiritual equivalent to the roses-and-chocolate sequence employed by a smitten lover)
Well after all this brouhaha, i was told to wait and put my faith on stars :P .......
Well for now I just hope that even if i get the job.....they would give me something fun to write ....like writing an operating manual for nail polish remover to be used by the natives of Zambia...:P......
Gosh...It's been ages ain't it......well to be frank its been really a long time since my brow shone with honest sweat....Officially I have been languishing on my plush sofa for five months now....
Golly...things are relative aren't they.....these five months just flew by....and it is not as if I don't want to put my nose to the grindstone...I mean just the other day I had gone to an interview , which lasted for around 15 minutes.....
It would be not wrong to say that the interviewer was plainly not ready to buy my story of giving a shot at technical writing....She was plainly seen pursing her lips and saying to herself, "what has come over kids these days.....He is a developer of software and what bally cheek to try out for technical writing....."
My understanding however had been " how difficult can it be.......I have technical knowledge and I have been told that I write passably....."
Not even my french cut(I refer to the fungal growth on my face here) impressed her.....
After this I was escorted to a room wherein I was told to write a manual to help rural people toast their bread into a crisp browny finish.....
Its a theory.... that more intelligent the person the more irrelevant questions fire through the cerebellum when a seemingly important task is at hand....
Well....As you will soon see...I was no exception :P......
Firstly.....why toast??...If I am not wrong the staple diet of farmers has never been bread.....it has always been the Indian substitute of bread that they prefer....
As far as I know village folks are smart and not specific of the urban niceties ....I will never be able to convince him (the villager) that keeping aside the "roti" he should opt for the more anglicized version version of it.....
He would laugh on my face or at least spit on the side and look askance at me.....
Coming back to the test....if we cant convince our target customer as to the utility of the product itself.....how can we impose the user manual on him.....
Sort of like giving the jack of spades to the player who obviously had made it plain through his secretive signals that ,it is the ace of hearts that his heart coveteth....(kinda neat eh?)
In spite of such genuine issues being unaddressed....I put my shoulder to the wheel.....and rambled on about how to plug the wire to the mains without hurting oneself.....made me feel real silly.:P...
As the document proceeded, I tried to assume an apologetic overtone, sort of to say "Rural guy...I am really sorry to write this bilge as if you don't know a thing about electricity....but if its any consolation , I have full respect for your mental capabilities and just in case this manual finds its way into your hands , I wash away all responsibilities and would like to point an accusing finger towards the corporate bosses who made me write this"
I finished the test with an editing process , which made my head hurt even more than I thought it could .....it was about the relationship between a heat exchanger and a mechanic who operates it.....
apparently the heat exchanger had a nasty way of throwing in the towel at the most inopportune moment(like all women :P)
and it was the duty of the mechanic to pacify it with cooling mixtures and a complete overhaul (spiritual equivalent to the roses-and-chocolate sequence employed by a smitten lover)
Well after all this brouhaha, i was told to wait and put my faith on stars :P .......
Well for now I just hope that even if i get the job.....they would give me something fun to write ....like writing an operating manual for nail polish remover to be used by the natives of Zambia...:P......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)