Millions of stars start to wink at me,
Beckoning me to the abode with no boundaries.
The rabbit leaps out of the moon
Smiling graciously at my mundane existence,
Beckoning me to come frolic on a land
That promises fantasy and more.
The night sky appears in its regal splendor
Bedecked like an emperor out on a roll,
Like the way it was meant to be.
Noise from idle distractions waft no more
Finally, one can hear the sound of a trillion thoughts
That makes thee mind numb with fright!
Some think the silence is deafening;
Like the way it was meant to be.
The pure elements bask in their own light
Making one frolic as a lamb with no plight!
Like the way it was meant to be.
O, what a glorious night this is,
May the KEB power Gods heed my prayers,
To bestow on me in all their kindness,
Darkness and silence night after night!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Astrology - Science or pseudo-science ?
This is one of the most common debates..something that one can never convince somebody on the other side of the fence. Most people are sitting on the fence regarding this issue. Even before delving into pros & cons, we need to have a clear understanding of what 'Science' really means to us. As commonly accepted, it is a set of laws based on observation of phenomenon & characterized using a formal methodology which we call as Mathematics. Inherently, what you can express in words is limited by the language you use. So also is the case with Science, often limited by the observable phenomenon & the Mathematical conjectures developed over 1000s of years. What if the formal body of knowledge had come to be defined in a different way ? Would that have changed our concept of accepted beliefs ?
One of the foundational reasons why we call some conclusion Scientific is usually because of the certainty we associate with it. I feel I know with 100% conviction that the apple that detaches itself from the tree will fall only down & not up. In practice, every prediction is probabilistic, always lying between 0 & 1, but never either of these. It is on this premise that Astrology can be called a Science, albeit a probabilistic one, just like anything else. Now it becomes much easier to understand that perhaps some planet somewhere has an effect, however small on us.
There is a much deeper significance to astrology. The planetary system is a macro-cosmic model of the human micro-cosm. The planets relate in some way to the chakras, subtle sources of energy as yet un-discovered by mainstream Science. Everything in the Universe being interconnected in some way, it is not preposterous to assume this just because the laws of interaction are unknown! By themselves they have neither a good nor a bad effect. However, what they do is to activate the karmic tendencies already present in the psyche. I’ve been amazed by the accuracy with which the astrologer can predict your nature & the past without any prior information.
Some pointers to astrology is the chapter from “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramhansa Yogananda discussing this subject in depth. This book, by the way is my all time favorite read & it’s what got me started & interested in self-discovery.
Finally, information is constantly present in the universe. It is up to us to make sense of it & apply it to the task at hand. That is all astrology does – provide a means where information can be meaningfully interpreted. I say this from a simple experience. It was in the back of my mind for past few days to buy additional stock of bathing soap, but I kept forgetting. Yesterday, while on the bus back home, I saw this ad. for soap & it suddenly reminded me to do the needful! All the ad. did was to activate the intent for action already at the back of my mind. So do the planets & the horoscope is merely capturing details of that! All this is in a probabilistic sense as I mentioned earlier!
One of the foundational reasons why we call some conclusion Scientific is usually because of the certainty we associate with it. I feel I know with 100% conviction that the apple that detaches itself from the tree will fall only down & not up. In practice, every prediction is probabilistic, always lying between 0 & 1, but never either of these. It is on this premise that Astrology can be called a Science, albeit a probabilistic one, just like anything else. Now it becomes much easier to understand that perhaps some planet somewhere has an effect, however small on us.
There is a much deeper significance to astrology. The planetary system is a macro-cosmic model of the human micro-cosm. The planets relate in some way to the chakras, subtle sources of energy as yet un-discovered by mainstream Science. Everything in the Universe being interconnected in some way, it is not preposterous to assume this just because the laws of interaction are unknown! By themselves they have neither a good nor a bad effect. However, what they do is to activate the karmic tendencies already present in the psyche. I’ve been amazed by the accuracy with which the astrologer can predict your nature & the past without any prior information.
Some pointers to astrology is the chapter from “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramhansa Yogananda discussing this subject in depth. This book, by the way is my all time favorite read & it’s what got me started & interested in self-discovery.
Finally, information is constantly present in the universe. It is up to us to make sense of it & apply it to the task at hand. That is all astrology does – provide a means where information can be meaningfully interpreted. I say this from a simple experience. It was in the back of my mind for past few days to buy additional stock of bathing soap, but I kept forgetting. Yesterday, while on the bus back home, I saw this ad. for soap & it suddenly reminded me to do the needful! All the ad. did was to activate the intent for action already at the back of my mind. So do the planets & the horoscope is merely capturing details of that! All this is in a probabilistic sense as I mentioned earlier!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Some workdays
These days that slip by so slowly
That I feel like a snail on the track of time
Unable to move any faster on this long journey
Seeing others move by faster than I can blink
All I can do is find many ways to think
Of ways to escape this drudgery that haunts me
Everything around me is so still
It feels like eternity has descended on this moment!
That I feel like a snail on the track of time
Unable to move any faster on this long journey
Seeing others move by faster than I can blink
All I can do is find many ways to think
Of ways to escape this drudgery that haunts me
Everything around me is so still
It feels like eternity has descended on this moment!
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Riders on the storm
Riders on the storm
Riders on the storm
Into this house we’re born
Into this world we’re thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out on loan
Riders on the storm
This is the first stanza from the song 'Riders on the storm' by Doors. It's a wonderful song & you probably need to be doped to get the full effect. Else you need to be philosophical to begin to understand its implications. Actually, it's quite simple. I had no control over which body to take on, which family to be born into, the part of the world to be born into, what kind of intellect/mind etc to possess. Coming to think of it, these are THE defining factors that're shaping the course of this life, which I sometimes think is mine. If I had absolutely no control whatsoever on these super critical factors, then how much control do I really have on daily activities & other more significant events? It's a chilling reality check on all of us who keep spending the present making plans for the future!
Riders on the storm
Into this house we’re born
Into this world we’re thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out on loan
Riders on the storm
This is the first stanza from the song 'Riders on the storm' by Doors. It's a wonderful song & you probably need to be doped to get the full effect. Else you need to be philosophical to begin to understand its implications. Actually, it's quite simple. I had no control over which body to take on, which family to be born into, the part of the world to be born into, what kind of intellect/mind etc to possess. Coming to think of it, these are THE defining factors that're shaping the course of this life, which I sometimes think is mine. If I had absolutely no control whatsoever on these super critical factors, then how much control do I really have on daily activities & other more significant events? It's a chilling reality check on all of us who keep spending the present making plans for the future!
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