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)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
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.
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