Feeling one with everything is the goal. To that end, I can say it is hardest to achieve when doing mundane (or sometimes interesting) activities that happen daily - like work, commuting, shopping, reading, etc. That's when the mind is very much required to process details & be on high alert.
Being with nature like on a trek or on a wildlife tour is blissful because the mind just drops away. Then there is no limitation of being distinct from everything else. That’s been one of my main motivations for going on treks & trips!
White hill colour lord stands for Biligiri Rangaswamy – that’s right, I’d been to the Jungle Lodges resort at BR Hills with 2 other friends. We had 2 fun filled days (& nights!) out in the wild, all the while enjoying 5 start luxury. It is hard to believe – but there’s toilet paper in the toilets, hot water, electricity & even fewer mosquitoes & insects than in my own home in the city! All this comes at a steep price, but that’s the price you pay for wanting to get away, yet retain useless things. Being a wildlife sanctuary we sighted sambar (not of the rasam fame!), spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar, gaur, elephant, jungle fowl, bear & birds like serpent eagle (one of the most powerful birds of prey), white fishing eagle, 2 types of woodpeckers, Malabar whistling thrush (the male whistles beautifully to attract the female – perhaps humans took a cue from this?). We spotted most of these animals & birds both on the jeep safari & the treks, but being in close unguarded quarters with animals is a whole new experience. A lot of the crowd at JLR was composed of very noisy kids, noisy engineers & few like us too lazy to make noise. The disappointment was that we couldn’t see a tiger or leopard out in the wild – these are nocturnal, shy creatures not exactly people friendly. However, we did see 1 day old tiger shit & felt happy imagining seeing the tiger shitting in the wild!
One afternoon on the trip, I was feeling very active but my lazy friends were lying around on the bed doing nothing. There were plenty of butterflies doing the rounds in front of our hut. I felt attracted towards one particularly beautiful & exotic yellow butterfly with a green eye shaped design. I went out & stood silently. Wonder of wonders – the butterfly came & settled on my chappal clad foot! It was prettier from close quarters & I thought this was a one off incident. But gosh – it kept getting attracted to me so many times! Truly it was no coincidence, but love at first sight. Romancing the butterfly was much better than any human emotions…there were no words, no sense organs involved, nothing unnecessary…just pure love. I could even feel a sense of attachment, however slight & brief! All in all, an extremely touching experience :)
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Friday, May 20, 2005
ooDu Bengaluru...ooDU
Run Bangalore, run! The ads exhorted one to run. Run for your life, for your wife, to chase dreams, run from dogs, from troubles, run behind girls...I've added some of my own here, but this ad was one hell of a creative one! I had a couple of friends running & got plenty of tips from experts & enthu to participate.
Deciding not to hurt my poor knees & in keeping with my super-fit status, I decided to run the 'celebration run' for 7 km. With sufficient training & will power, I might've made it to the 21 km half-marathon. But like most things in my life, I just decided to celebrate, without stretching myself, without competing, without slogging for it, just for the fun of it!
On a hot, sultry Sunday morning, I turned up along with hordes of masses at Kanteerava Stadium. I even met some long lost friends & caught sight of strangely familiar & nameless people. The excitement & heat were at an all time high. Masses of apple & pear shaped corporate workers turned up proudly in company sponsored shorts, shoes, t-shirts & who knows what else :).
The run started off smoothly. It was an amazing experience running with so many people on the streets whose tar I've rarely seen in recent years - thanks to dense traffic jams!!! Like Forrest Gump says, I ran cause I just felt like it. Nothing more to it. I do many things that baffle people, just cause I feel like it. What can be easier or harder to understand? Lots of people sprinted, only to huff & puff & walk wearily...again sprinting like a deer! I paced myself, huffing & puffing all along, but always a runner, never a walker. The only competitor was myself - this might be more apparents in longer distances. Then, it was all over. The sweat drenched t-shirt, certificate, bib number & fond memories kept me company for a while!
I've been running atleast once/twice a week for about 3 km..or try to! I find running has the maximum benefit/time ratio. Just 15 minutes everyday can release oodles of endorphins. For me, all other activities like gymming created an instant distaste. Dependant on none but my own legs, it's one of the things that's kept me from bloating like a balloon! If any of you happen to read this, I urge you to participate in a marathon to have an unforgettable experience.
Deciding not to hurt my poor knees & in keeping with my super-fit status, I decided to run the 'celebration run' for 7 km. With sufficient training & will power, I might've made it to the 21 km half-marathon. But like most things in my life, I just decided to celebrate, without stretching myself, without competing, without slogging for it, just for the fun of it!
On a hot, sultry Sunday morning, I turned up along with hordes of masses at Kanteerava Stadium. I even met some long lost friends & caught sight of strangely familiar & nameless people. The excitement & heat were at an all time high. Masses of apple & pear shaped corporate workers turned up proudly in company sponsored shorts, shoes, t-shirts & who knows what else :).
The run started off smoothly. It was an amazing experience running with so many people on the streets whose tar I've rarely seen in recent years - thanks to dense traffic jams!!! Like Forrest Gump says, I ran cause I just felt like it. Nothing more to it. I do many things that baffle people, just cause I feel like it. What can be easier or harder to understand? Lots of people sprinted, only to huff & puff & walk wearily...again sprinting like a deer! I paced myself, huffing & puffing all along, but always a runner, never a walker. The only competitor was myself - this might be more apparents in longer distances. Then, it was all over. The sweat drenched t-shirt, certificate, bib number & fond memories kept me company for a while!
I've been running atleast once/twice a week for about 3 km..or try to! I find running has the maximum benefit/time ratio. Just 15 minutes everyday can release oodles of endorphins. For me, all other activities like gymming created an instant distaste. Dependant on none but my own legs, it's one of the things that's kept me from bloating like a balloon! If any of you happen to read this, I urge you to participate in a marathon to have an unforgettable experience.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Aptha mithra
Every year the Kannada movie industry manages to exceed expectations atleast once! It is precisely this glimmer of hope that keeps the Kannada fanatics on track - and why not? Insult to sensibilities can be gross in the form of defacing boards, or subtle in the form of snobbishly adopting Tamil, English or Hindi. Either way, it is one set of people transgressing the boundaries of another. For this, the people protesting in gross ways should never be blamed. There are distinctions in the pursuits of people, as widely seen among people in pursuit of physical perfection, intellectuals and spiritual seekers. This manifests in the hobbies, attitude and every walk of life! Having said this, it is obvious that physical crimes are the easiest to spot and punish while intellectual crimes often go unnoticed. As long as the intent behind any action is borne in mind, a level playing field is ensured.
Coming back to the movie, it's definitely worth atleast 1 watch. The storyline is gripping, the thrill is always palpable and the songs leave you stuck with tunes to hum. There are gems like "Experience has to be experienced, it cannot be explained" which I totally agree. There is another memorable incident where things are totally beyond control & all he can say is "the rest is left to God". Vishnuvardhan is a psychic who can read people's minds in this movie - something that is longer unbelievable! The theme of the movie is spirit possession, called in medical terminology as split personality I think. There are a set of modern scientific sceptics and some spiritual/religious folks with certain powers in this movie. I've heard its a definite possibility, even in this modern world :)). Basically, some spirit (set of emotions, likes/dislikes, habits in the form of energy) of a person who died a sudden death can possess somebody weak minded who has a strong karmic link with the dead person. What happens is, the set of energies of the dead person (remember - energy is neither created nor destroyed!) takes the body of the living person. Very intriguing I must say. Google for spirit possession and you'll not be disappointed. The best part of the movie is, it can be watched on many levels - something all great movies such as Matrix share. Depending on how you watched it, you may end up scared - so beware!!!
Coming back to the movie, it's definitely worth atleast 1 watch. The storyline is gripping, the thrill is always palpable and the songs leave you stuck with tunes to hum. There are gems like "Experience has to be experienced, it cannot be explained" which I totally agree. There is another memorable incident where things are totally beyond control & all he can say is "the rest is left to God". Vishnuvardhan is a psychic who can read people's minds in this movie - something that is longer unbelievable! The theme of the movie is spirit possession, called in medical terminology as split personality I think. There are a set of modern scientific sceptics and some spiritual/religious folks with certain powers in this movie. I've heard its a definite possibility, even in this modern world :)). Basically, some spirit (set of emotions, likes/dislikes, habits in the form of energy) of a person who died a sudden death can possess somebody weak minded who has a strong karmic link with the dead person. What happens is, the set of energies of the dead person (remember - energy is neither created nor destroyed!) takes the body of the living person. Very intriguing I must say. Google for spirit possession and you'll not be disappointed. The best part of the movie is, it can be watched on many levels - something all great movies such as Matrix share. Depending on how you watched it, you may end up scared - so beware!!!
Thursday, April 21, 2005
A wish....and it comes true
Thats true! No wishing well required here! All our desires are self fulfilling prophecies. There is no option but for the desire to come true. It doesn't appear to be so only because there is a time-space barrier between the moment of desire & the actual appearance of fulfillment. My wish to become a Nobel laureate if strong enough may need several lifetimes for my intellect to develop sufficiently & then, if the prize still exists it will surely be mine!!!
However, there's a catch here - if my desire to become a lazy cow-herd is greater than the desire for a Nobel prize, the stronger one prevails.
Thus, here I am caught in between these two extreme desires, an oscillating hybrid that doesn't always make sense to me either. Realizing the futility of such unrest makes one want to remain free of desires - life goes on just as comfy without explicitly wishing for it!
Think of dropping a stone into water. The heavier the water is, the faster it sinks to the bottom by it's own weight. Similarly, the stronger the desire, the faster it reaches it's destination.
I wish to be no stone, but water in water :)
However, there's a catch here - if my desire to become a lazy cow-herd is greater than the desire for a Nobel prize, the stronger one prevails.
Thus, here I am caught in between these two extreme desires, an oscillating hybrid that doesn't always make sense to me either. Realizing the futility of such unrest makes one want to remain free of desires - life goes on just as comfy without explicitly wishing for it!
Think of dropping a stone into water. The heavier the water is, the faster it sinks to the bottom by it's own weight. Similarly, the stronger the desire, the faster it reaches it's destination.
I wish to be no stone, but water in water :)
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
A walk....
I go on these walks around Sankey tank every weekend. The cool evening around the water is so soothing. No wonder multitudes throng this place - kids, parents, serious walkers/joggers, blissful couples, groups of noisy friends, taekwondo & yoga practitioners..you name it! Everybody goes around the track - some finish 5 laps, some struggle to complete one. People walk at their own pace - some furious with a sense of accomplishment, some with lay abandon, perhaps knowing that everyone indeed completes it at some point of time! You can choose to take a break in between and let the atmosphere sink in. Some parts are enjoyable, some are too crowded & noisy. Sometimes when walking or jogging with a purpose to 'exercise' I keep looking forward to the completion & somehow it is not very enjoyable. When I come with no purpose at all, walk so slowly that 80 yr olds can overtake me with ease...then it seems there is no end, but only the one current step ! What joy!
Sunday, March 06, 2005
The banyan tree
Strong are the roots that bind me
To this ground that I consider my own
Spreading far and wide are these branches
Each springing a root of it's own
As I spread farther and farther
The original that started it all strengthens
I grow stronger with every springing branch
No wind, hurricane or rain can uproot me
Seems I'm blessed to be this banyan tree
Holding on firmly to where I came from
Imbibing distant ideals to keep on growing
Knowing death scarce, from generation to generation
I cling on to the same old place
But, how will I conquer other worlds
With these roots entrenched so firmly?
Now I know, this is a curse, disguised as a blessing !
Now I wait for the wind so strong
That will uproot me and carry me away
To the far off lands, far off worlds
So the learning can continue,
In another world, another time.
To this ground that I consider my own
Spreading far and wide are these branches
Each springing a root of it's own
As I spread farther and farther
The original that started it all strengthens
I grow stronger with every springing branch
No wind, hurricane or rain can uproot me
Seems I'm blessed to be this banyan tree
Holding on firmly to where I came from
Imbibing distant ideals to keep on growing
Knowing death scarce, from generation to generation
I cling on to the same old place
But, how will I conquer other worlds
With these roots entrenched so firmly?
Now I know, this is a curse, disguised as a blessing !
Now I wait for the wind so strong
That will uproot me and carry me away
To the far off lands, far off worlds
So the learning can continue,
In another world, another time.
Monday, February 14, 2005
What's common to money....and air ?
Plenty if you ask me ! Here's a broad level comparison that seems to hold on many grounds :
- Money is like air, in that it's required to live life. Just like air, if not kept in circulation money is worthless by itself. They are just means to an end.
- Both are of no use to a dead person, nor can they be carried over. No amount of air can save an ailing/dying person; no money has been known to buy happiness.
- When polluted both tend to get "black". Blackened form of either is dangerous !
- The faster you run, the more air you need. Similarly, the faster paced life you lead, more money you spend and vice-versa.
- Montain dwellers lead a good or better life than the plains people, surviving on much less air; People accustomed to the rarified spiritual heights require no more than a minimal amount of money.
- Family people are like swimmers immersed in water, exhausting the supply of air (money) and coming up every now and then for a breath of fresh air ! No matter how many times they come up, they go down again and again thus repeating the cycle.
With some imagination, I'm sure many more can be found...
- Money is like air, in that it's required to live life. Just like air, if not kept in circulation money is worthless by itself. They are just means to an end.
- Both are of no use to a dead person, nor can they be carried over. No amount of air can save an ailing/dying person; no money has been known to buy happiness.
- When polluted both tend to get "black". Blackened form of either is dangerous !
- The faster you run, the more air you need. Similarly, the faster paced life you lead, more money you spend and vice-versa.
- Montain dwellers lead a good or better life than the plains people, surviving on much less air; People accustomed to the rarified spiritual heights require no more than a minimal amount of money.
- Family people are like swimmers immersed in water, exhausting the supply of air (money) and coming up every now and then for a breath of fresh air ! No matter how many times they come up, they go down again and again thus repeating the cycle.
With some imagination, I'm sure many more can be found...
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Orchestra of sorts
I attended a concert last week, the details of which are unimportant here. The music, ambience, artists were all good...as I've experienced many times in the past with other concerts. There was something mighty unusual in the way I listened ! Normally I tend to focus on the vocals, or whichever instrument I like. The rest of the instruments given less importance (by me) sound in the background of my mind. But this time, I was able to perceive the entire music as a whole, without concentrating on any particular instrument. With everything in consonance, the music just flowed...like a river in which you can't see the separate drops of water. At the same time, I discovered that I could listen to each instrument in all it's individual glory. A wonderful experience sprung forth from this deeper appreciation for something quite mundane. Another aspect that struck me was that silence always remained at the background, whether there was music or not. Silence, a mute spectator never seemed to get involved in the concert, yet it stood still as a mountain, being a firm foundation !
I began to realize what a profound significance this has. Life is like that too. Drawn by likes, repelled by dislikes we focus only on particular aspects of existence, without enjoying everything, all at once. Like the silence aspect, Brahman remains the firm foundation upon which entire creation rests, but like silence, it never gets involved in anything !
Like the concert, how many such wise teachers exist surrounding every moment of our life. If only we would listen ! Where did this new found knowledge arise from ? Did it come from the ambience, the musicians, the music or myself ?! Neither - it always existed...with all these only serving to remove ignorance thus exposing existence of knowledge.
A shloka that comes to mind is :
Om purnam-adah purnam-idam
purnaat purnam-udacyate
purnasya purnam-aadaya,
purnam-eva-avashishyate
Taken from the Ishavasya Upanishad it literally means "That is complete, this is complete. From that completeness comes this completeness. Take away this completeness from that completeness, only completeness remains"
Every experience is complete in itself, appearing incomplete due to our focus shifting to particular aspects !
I began to realize what a profound significance this has. Life is like that too. Drawn by likes, repelled by dislikes we focus only on particular aspects of existence, without enjoying everything, all at once. Like the silence aspect, Brahman remains the firm foundation upon which entire creation rests, but like silence, it never gets involved in anything !
Like the concert, how many such wise teachers exist surrounding every moment of our life. If only we would listen ! Where did this new found knowledge arise from ? Did it come from the ambience, the musicians, the music or myself ?! Neither - it always existed...with all these only serving to remove ignorance thus exposing existence of knowledge.
A shloka that comes to mind is :
Om purnam-adah purnam-idam
purnaat purnam-udacyate
purnasya purnam-aadaya,
purnam-eva-avashishyate
Taken from the Ishavasya Upanishad it literally means "That is complete, this is complete. From that completeness comes this completeness. Take away this completeness from that completeness, only completeness remains"
Every experience is complete in itself, appearing incomplete due to our focus shifting to particular aspects !
Friday, January 28, 2005
Hey, are you OK?
This is one of the reactions of my friends on reading this blog ! A tinge of sarcasm & humour colours this question. Answering on the same note, I can say I've never been OK, but maybe closer to getting there. There is no need for concern on hearing the reply if one listens with philosophical ears.
We humans are a strange species resting on our laurels of conquering the planet earth, lording over every other inhabitant. From our narrow perspectives we can convince ourselves that we are all doing OK, immersed in the mundane nitty gritties of life. What about the bigger questions of knowing the mysteries of the entire Universe ? It is obvious that even the greatest scientist ever on earth has only understood a very tiny portion of the entire knowledge that is in existence. No matter the leaps & bounds progress of science & technology, these are like drops of water in the ocean of existence. On being posed these questions, most people either brush it off or appear truly unconcerned. Relativity in it's glory shines forth for I cant help being totally surprised at their answer, while they cant help being equally surprised on my question ! That being said, I think there is no denying the fact that _everybody_ at some moment, however fleeting it might be tend to wonder deeper than their current existence. Getting unnerved, it is very easy to brush off, but never erased it keeps coming back like the relentlessly bloodthirsty mosquito to your ear !
Coming back to the question of Science & technological progress, as a kid I was a firm believer in that alone. Slowly, after 2 decades of witnessing the snail like progress of Science, disappointment set in. Will I ever know or even read about the mysteries of the Universe ? Will I ever in this lifetime meet the aliens on distant galaxies ? If not me, will anybody in the not too distant future get these answers ? It seems very unlikely ! Read about dark matter (or missing mass problem) at http://epo.sonoma.edu/duo/science/cosmos.html & other sites & you'll soon find out that all the Physics, Chemistry, Maths, technology that's been drilled into our heads can't even explain 5% of the Universe ! Isn't that great - most of the Universe does not even follow the laws of the greatest earth born Physicist or Chemist !!! Science is useful, it allows us to spend time & money in relativistic pursuits. But it should be treated as a very small subset of spirituality (reality), without excluding belief in the current unknown.
Perhaps the answer to these profound questions lies in another simple question - do I need to taste all the water in the oceans, rivers, lakes just to know the nature of water ?
Do the surface waves cease to exist in the deep ocean ? Why remain at the surface alone...when I can as well be a deep sea diver rising to the surface as I wish, enjoying equally the sky through the surface & the deep sea dark !!! If you see the connection of this to the start (or topic) of this posting, look in the mirror and ask yourself "Am I OK?"
We humans are a strange species resting on our laurels of conquering the planet earth, lording over every other inhabitant. From our narrow perspectives we can convince ourselves that we are all doing OK, immersed in the mundane nitty gritties of life. What about the bigger questions of knowing the mysteries of the entire Universe ? It is obvious that even the greatest scientist ever on earth has only understood a very tiny portion of the entire knowledge that is in existence. No matter the leaps & bounds progress of science & technology, these are like drops of water in the ocean of existence. On being posed these questions, most people either brush it off or appear truly unconcerned. Relativity in it's glory shines forth for I cant help being totally surprised at their answer, while they cant help being equally surprised on my question ! That being said, I think there is no denying the fact that _everybody_ at some moment, however fleeting it might be tend to wonder deeper than their current existence. Getting unnerved, it is very easy to brush off, but never erased it keeps coming back like the relentlessly bloodthirsty mosquito to your ear !
Coming back to the question of Science & technological progress, as a kid I was a firm believer in that alone. Slowly, after 2 decades of witnessing the snail like progress of Science, disappointment set in. Will I ever know or even read about the mysteries of the Universe ? Will I ever in this lifetime meet the aliens on distant galaxies ? If not me, will anybody in the not too distant future get these answers ? It seems very unlikely ! Read about dark matter (or missing mass problem) at http://epo.sonoma.edu/duo/science/cosmos.html & other sites & you'll soon find out that all the Physics, Chemistry, Maths, technology that's been drilled into our heads can't even explain 5% of the Universe ! Isn't that great - most of the Universe does not even follow the laws of the greatest earth born Physicist or Chemist !!! Science is useful, it allows us to spend time & money in relativistic pursuits. But it should be treated as a very small subset of spirituality (reality), without excluding belief in the current unknown.
Perhaps the answer to these profound questions lies in another simple question - do I need to taste all the water in the oceans, rivers, lakes just to know the nature of water ?
Do the surface waves cease to exist in the deep ocean ? Why remain at the surface alone...when I can as well be a deep sea diver rising to the surface as I wish, enjoying equally the sky through the surface & the deep sea dark !!! If you see the connection of this to the start (or topic) of this posting, look in the mirror and ask yourself "Am I OK?"
Monday, January 03, 2005
Blog Buddies
Everyone's blogging these days. It's a great way to network & know what's going on with your friends. Those of you who know me might know some of my friends too, so here's a guide to my friend's blogs (will update the list as I find more..). Hope this will encourage the tardy ones to be more regular !
1. http://tuck06.blogspot.com/ by Krishna Hegde. Very regularly updated.
"This is an attempt to chronicle my experience at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. As I go through two years of learning, making new friends, living in a different country this blog will be my online diary."
2. http://noizrulz.blogspot.com/ by Ajay Shenoy. Very regularly updated.
"just flowin thoughts..."
3. http://www.geocities.com/prashthy/ by Prashant Murthy. Quite regularly updated.
Personal webpage with blog like content.
4. http://unblogs.blogspot.com/ by Nithin Nagaraj. Updated once in a while.
"I am a shadow in a flood of photons and you need photons to see me."
5. http://random001.blogspot.com/ by Prashanth Kota. Updated once in a while.
"In hope that blogging will bring some order to the otherwise randomness in my thoughts."
6. http://whiteboardwarrior.blogspot.com/ by Gautham Chundi & friends. Updated once in a while.
"Like the title suggests, there's no particular theme or recurring idea here. Its pretty much anything that catches my fancy. So here goes"
7. http://premms.blogspot.com/ by Premchandra Shankar. Only one post...for the heck of it !
8. http://andysen.blogspot.com by Anandraj Sengupta. "Musings". Newly started with one great post !
1. http://tuck06.blogspot.com/ by Krishna Hegde. Very regularly updated.
"This is an attempt to chronicle my experience at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. As I go through two years of learning, making new friends, living in a different country this blog will be my online diary."
2. http://noizrulz.blogspot.com/ by Ajay Shenoy. Very regularly updated.
"just flowin thoughts..."
3. http://www.geocities.com/prashthy/ by Prashant Murthy. Quite regularly updated.
Personal webpage with blog like content.
4. http://unblogs.blogspot.com/ by Nithin Nagaraj. Updated once in a while.
"I am a shadow in a flood of photons and you need photons to see me."
5. http://random001.blogspot.com/ by Prashanth Kota. Updated once in a while.
"In hope that blogging will bring some order to the otherwise randomness in my thoughts."
6. http://whiteboardwarrior.blogspot.com/ by Gautham Chundi & friends. Updated once in a while.
"Like the title suggests, there's no particular theme or recurring idea here. Its pretty much anything that catches my fancy. So here goes"
7. http://premms.blogspot.com/ by Premchandra Shankar. Only one post...for the heck of it !
8. http://andysen.blogspot.com by Anandraj Sengupta. "Musings". Newly started with one great post !
Sunday, January 02, 2005
A new year..a new lease of life
As 2005 dawns upon the world, I can't help wonder about some fortunate happenings towards the end of last year.
Desperate to get away from Bangalore during the last week of Dec. 04, a few of us were planning on a trip to Andaman & Nicobar. Being last minute planners, we could only find bookings aboard the ship, but not the flight. Being stuck for 5 days on a ship with everyone's insides coming outside didn't excite me too much making me the only spoke in the wheel. Somehow, inspite of all my friend's enthu this trip got shelved. The other destination we looked at was Sri Lanka, the beachy paradise. This trip too got junked due to the high costs at that time of the year - prohibitive for the rupee earning non-management folks like us ! Finally we tripp'ed to God's own country (Kerala) - a most enjoyable pleasure filled 5 days, but that's beside the point I'm trying to make here.
Every TDH (Tom-Dick-Harry or Thimmaiah-Deepak-Hari) knows the catastrophic events during the last week of Dec. 04. During the weeks preceding the Tsunami disaster, we were very despondent looking at all our travel plans getting botched. Reminiscing about the chain of events that saved us from turning into debris in the Indian ocean, "fate" or "karma" functioning behind every occurrence in our life becomes lucidly apparent. It was just not meant for us to die young ! Though, it is a very sad plight for the lakhs of people who met with watery graves...& their bereaving families, continuing thinking along same lines, these people MUST have been responsible in some remote past for the happenings today. This appears cruel & unsympathetic, but the laws nevertheless function irrespective of what you or I feel. The universe cannot be a chaotic, random system, cause the very fact that it exists proves otherwise. Even a fool can see the connection between events in time & space.
This raises the age old debate of "fate" vs. "free-will". My fate is my own free-will exercised previously - I may or may not know this & hence choose to hide it conveniently under "destiny" that is beyond control ! These appear to be archaic moth eaten textbook fundas until you experience it & reflect on the same - as appears above. There is further complication. Can I accomplish ANYTHING with my free-will ? That is impossible because anything I do always conflicts with somebody else's free will, perhaps in such a minute way as to be indiscernible. How much control did I have in planning my trip ??
As we ignorant humans spend our entire energies planning & preparing for future events it only during these times when all the cutting edge technology cannot save the world that we sit back & think deeper.
Is this blog post meant to be published & read ? Or did I choose to do so explicitly ? The clue perhaps lies in the answer to this question - do the characters in your dream have control over what's happening in the dream ? Do YOU have control then ? If neither, who does then ? In any case, who is the YOU during this phase ? :))
Think....think.....& it will only help you realize the futility of thinking. Experience, experience & words are like fleeting, ever changing reflections on the water !
Post your comments & let me know what you "think" ... :D
Desperate to get away from Bangalore during the last week of Dec. 04, a few of us were planning on a trip to Andaman & Nicobar. Being last minute planners, we could only find bookings aboard the ship, but not the flight. Being stuck for 5 days on a ship with everyone's insides coming outside didn't excite me too much making me the only spoke in the wheel. Somehow, inspite of all my friend's enthu this trip got shelved. The other destination we looked at was Sri Lanka, the beachy paradise. This trip too got junked due to the high costs at that time of the year - prohibitive for the rupee earning non-management folks like us ! Finally we tripp'ed to God's own country (Kerala) - a most enjoyable pleasure filled 5 days, but that's beside the point I'm trying to make here.
Every TDH (Tom-Dick-Harry or Thimmaiah-Deepak-Hari) knows the catastrophic events during the last week of Dec. 04. During the weeks preceding the Tsunami disaster, we were very despondent looking at all our travel plans getting botched. Reminiscing about the chain of events that saved us from turning into debris in the Indian ocean, "fate" or "karma" functioning behind every occurrence in our life becomes lucidly apparent. It was just not meant for us to die young ! Though, it is a very sad plight for the lakhs of people who met with watery graves...& their bereaving families, continuing thinking along same lines, these people MUST have been responsible in some remote past for the happenings today. This appears cruel & unsympathetic, but the laws nevertheless function irrespective of what you or I feel. The universe cannot be a chaotic, random system, cause the very fact that it exists proves otherwise. Even a fool can see the connection between events in time & space.
This raises the age old debate of "fate" vs. "free-will". My fate is my own free-will exercised previously - I may or may not know this & hence choose to hide it conveniently under "destiny" that is beyond control ! These appear to be archaic moth eaten textbook fundas until you experience it & reflect on the same - as appears above. There is further complication. Can I accomplish ANYTHING with my free-will ? That is impossible because anything I do always conflicts with somebody else's free will, perhaps in such a minute way as to be indiscernible. How much control did I have in planning my trip ??
As we ignorant humans spend our entire energies planning & preparing for future events it only during these times when all the cutting edge technology cannot save the world that we sit back & think deeper.
Is this blog post meant to be published & read ? Or did I choose to do so explicitly ? The clue perhaps lies in the answer to this question - do the characters in your dream have control over what's happening in the dream ? Do YOU have control then ? If neither, who does then ? In any case, who is the YOU during this phase ? :))
Think....think.....& it will only help you realize the futility of thinking. Experience, experience & words are like fleeting, ever changing reflections on the water !
Post your comments & let me know what you "think" ... :D
Thursday, October 14, 2004
When time tires...eternity beckons
In the desert sands I roam
I have no hearth nor home
No sense of direction have I
For I follow my own footsteps
Round and round I go
Deeper and deeper into my own
So clear is the route
That I lose not my way
Beginning there was none, but end I crave for
My feet ache and my senses cry
The experience has become dry
Then come the showers
A saviour just in time
These waters and winds of fate
Erase the tracks I thought mine to keep
No longer can I follow
There are no paths that lead
I stand rooted, mountain like
The journey has ended, where it began
Travel and time there have been none
Ceasing to exist, all but one.
I have no hearth nor home
No sense of direction have I
For I follow my own footsteps
Round and round I go
Deeper and deeper into my own
So clear is the route
That I lose not my way
Beginning there was none, but end I crave for
My feet ache and my senses cry
The experience has become dry
Then come the showers
A saviour just in time
These waters and winds of fate
Erase the tracks I thought mine to keep
No longer can I follow
There are no paths that lead
I stand rooted, mountain like
The journey has ended, where it began
Travel and time there have been none
Ceasing to exist, all but one.
Monday, October 11, 2004
The states...
Am I awake or only dreaming ?
In dreams I glimpse a taste of reality
In reality I dream my dreams
Life and death are but mirages
Shimmering in the scorching sun
It's not mine to deny the fun
Thundering come the clouds
Casting a shadow on the glory of light
Helter-skelter run the mirages
Sheltering behind storms of ignorance
Who cares for this interplay ?
Not the sun, not the clouds, not the storms
An orchestra with no audience
Endless performance with no applause
Unceasing repitition with clockwork precision
Thus turn the wheels of time
Sparing none in their grind
Save the sole eternal witness
I wake up - only to realize I'd been dreaming !
In dreams I glimpse a taste of reality
In reality I dream my dreams
Life and death are but mirages
Shimmering in the scorching sun
It's not mine to deny the fun
Thundering come the clouds
Casting a shadow on the glory of light
Helter-skelter run the mirages
Sheltering behind storms of ignorance
Who cares for this interplay ?
Not the sun, not the clouds, not the storms
An orchestra with no audience
Endless performance with no applause
Unceasing repitition with clockwork precision
Thus turn the wheels of time
Sparing none in their grind
Save the sole eternal witness
I wake up - only to realize I'd been dreaming !
A life less lived
The eyes see, but I don't look.
The ears hear, but I don't listen.
The fingers touch thee, but I dont feel.
The scent wafts in air, but I don't smell.
The tongue eats, but I don't taste.
When the mind no longer is
Then the elements cease
When boundaries blur
Then you and me are but one
What more needs to be done ?
The ears hear, but I don't listen.
The fingers touch thee, but I dont feel.
The scent wafts in air, but I don't smell.
The tongue eats, but I don't taste.
When the mind no longer is
Then the elements cease
When boundaries blur
Then you and me are but one
What more needs to be done ?
Thursday, September 30, 2004
We are all numbers
The infinite creation is comparable to the infinite number line. We the finite body/mind units are like sets of numbers - modulo sets. Say I am a set mod 5. Everything that I do is comparable to any operation on this set. Ultimately the result is always a mod 5 number - this being the law of karma. This limitation of mod 5, mod 6, mod X is self imposed - just like in the number line there is no real or permanent criteria creating this subset. Once this limitation or ignorance is removed, any operation on any number is again a number - and this number already exists as part of the infinite number line. Proceeding along the same analogy, every number already exists - it is just a matter of time in we knowing the result of any operation. Thus, everything already exists, meaning there is no real invention or creation anew by humans - only discovery of one finite aspect by another finite aspect !
The question to ponder here is about different kinds of infinities. Say there is a real number set between 0 to 5. This is infinite, but does not include all numbers..or so we think. Perhaps at infinity it goes beyond the limits of 0 and 5 ? What is the relation between different types of infinities ?
There is another interesting analogy I read in a book : the number 0 is like a circle that is the universe we see and experience. Like a circle that expands from a dimensionless point, this has taken birth from the dimensionless consciousness. The universe like the 0 has no value. Put a 1 to have 01 or 10 and there is value - similarly, the universe without the underlying reality has no value apart from it. Just like all natural numbers can be got from 1, everything is a manifestation in different forms of Brahman.
Let me know what you think about all this :)
The question to ponder here is about different kinds of infinities. Say there is a real number set between 0 to 5. This is infinite, but does not include all numbers..or so we think. Perhaps at infinity it goes beyond the limits of 0 and 5 ? What is the relation between different types of infinities ?
There is another interesting analogy I read in a book : the number 0 is like a circle that is the universe we see and experience. Like a circle that expands from a dimensionless point, this has taken birth from the dimensionless consciousness. The universe like the 0 has no value. Put a 1 to have 01 or 10 and there is value - similarly, the universe without the underlying reality has no value apart from it. Just like all natural numbers can be got from 1, everything is a manifestation in different forms of Brahman.
Let me know what you think about all this :)
The first post
No amount of travel..worldwide or even to the moon, Mars or other galaxies can remove the limitations of time and space !
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