Gopal’s latest post has acted as a stimulant for this piece. I can see him all over the post. I staunchly disagree with anyone who accuses Gopal, for one, among all the contributors of not expressing truly. The latest from his pen, I believe was only a glimpse of the man who has chartered his own course in life, no strings attached, beyond material gratification.
I revere Gopal’s views in reaching an egoless state and agree the path leading to it is thorny and uneven.
Ego, such a lot of negativity attached to this term. I for one believe it is the driving force of your existence. It should be always in you like a tamed tiger, ferocious yet inconspicuous. I always thought it has been misinterpreted literally as some inflated feeling of pride or a sense of hollow superiority. I have imbibed it in me as an inbuilt real time self check apparatus, which pushes me, prods me, reassures and reaffirms the potential I hold in engaging life.
It’s a measure of one’s self worth, the value you attribute to your beliefs. It’s a potent mixture of values, upbringing, culture and a no nonsense attitude. A good filling of this potion in any human being would have an aura and the world around him would take him and his work seriously. The demeanour of a confident and self assured person cautions his opponents and apportions him the respect he deserves. It’s your strongest offence and your mightiest defence.
One person who comes to mind who domesticated the tiger in him and channelled it positively is Mahatma Gandhi. I consider him the most egoist person the world has ever seen. The perspective he gave to this important personality trait is unparallel. He taught to the world that if you bend then they would break you. The frail body had the strongest shoulders on which rested a sterner head.
A person having his ego at the right place would ask questions, seek answers, and never submit to any dictation. Acceptance of any unjust convention laid down by authorities is nothing but mortgaging self respect. Attempts to drive in any ulterior motives should be thwarted tooth and nail. Believe me they are the most insecure, weak kneed, timid kind you would come across and if inobedience is blatantly expressed you would see them leaving, tails between their legs.
It helps you to introspect and revalue one’s self worth and pushes the ribbons further every time you breast it. It helps you not to succumb to mediocrity and prostrate to pseudo achievers with myopic vision. It stops you from adhering to feudal diktats..
Nurture that tiger in you.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The purpose of life
It has been some time since a posting has been made in this blog. Perhaps it is too much to expect people to take time off to write, take time off from this grinding treadmill of samsara (phenomenal world). Mary, my dear friend had this opinion about the postings made so far. She said they did not reflect the true character or persona of the writers or something to this effect. I grudgingly agree with her. At least it could be true of my writing.
I am more of a dreamer than a practical worldly-wise person. That may be the reason my writings reflect the kind of person I wish to be rather than what I truly am. Can’t help it guys that’s how I am.
My understanding of the phenomenal world comes from my own experiences and what little I have read. This whole world is like a dream and all that appears is the product of our own Mind or Manas. All relations such as Mother, Father, siblings, Guru, sishya, friends, relatives, acquaintances and everything we see, feel and experience are the product of our Manas and hence ephemeral. For when there is no Mind or Manas; nothing exists, not even the world. This is experienced by all in the state of deep sleep. This is verily the truth.
Then a question arises. If it be the truth, how do we explain this world? If it is a product of one’s mind then how is it that other people too experience the same world we experience? This experience of the world by all is attributed to the cosmic will. So strong is the cosmic will that we all are inextricably bound by it and believe it to be true. This is akin to our dream state where we are not aware of it being a dream; we never doubt its veracity. It is only after we wake up from the dream do we realize its transient nature. So too is this phenomenal world a dream of the supreme consciousness. When we wake up (know our true self) we realize its falsity.
Our entire life is practically wasted either in dwelling on the past or pondering the future; rarely do we live in the present. In the process we fail to contemplate on our true nature resulting in delusion and an unending cycle of births.
The main impediment to realizing our true nature is the ‘Ego’ which ascribes individuality to us. The goal of our life then is to reach the egoless state, which is the most difficult to achieve. The deep rooted vasanas (impressions of past lives) are very difficult to erase although not impossible. Many are the pitfalls in this path. But eventually the journey is to be made, for that is the purpose of life.
I am more of a dreamer than a practical worldly-wise person. That may be the reason my writings reflect the kind of person I wish to be rather than what I truly am. Can’t help it guys that’s how I am.
My understanding of the phenomenal world comes from my own experiences and what little I have read. This whole world is like a dream and all that appears is the product of our own Mind or Manas. All relations such as Mother, Father, siblings, Guru, sishya, friends, relatives, acquaintances and everything we see, feel and experience are the product of our Manas and hence ephemeral. For when there is no Mind or Manas; nothing exists, not even the world. This is experienced by all in the state of deep sleep. This is verily the truth.
Then a question arises. If it be the truth, how do we explain this world? If it is a product of one’s mind then how is it that other people too experience the same world we experience? This experience of the world by all is attributed to the cosmic will. So strong is the cosmic will that we all are inextricably bound by it and believe it to be true. This is akin to our dream state where we are not aware of it being a dream; we never doubt its veracity. It is only after we wake up from the dream do we realize its transient nature. So too is this phenomenal world a dream of the supreme consciousness. When we wake up (know our true self) we realize its falsity.
Our entire life is practically wasted either in dwelling on the past or pondering the future; rarely do we live in the present. In the process we fail to contemplate on our true nature resulting in delusion and an unending cycle of births.
The main impediment to realizing our true nature is the ‘Ego’ which ascribes individuality to us. The goal of our life then is to reach the egoless state, which is the most difficult to achieve. The deep rooted vasanas (impressions of past lives) are very difficult to erase although not impossible. Many are the pitfalls in this path. But eventually the journey is to be made, for that is the purpose of life.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Yo Gops! This is awesome. An online virtual melting pot of ideas and visions, dreams and nightmares; just anything and everything under the sun and beyond.
I share my nickname with the father of our nation (at least in my office), although I fall woefully behind him while trying (hardly ever) to emulate his ideals. I love working and perfection is my motto. However, I do find not working on 2nd October a bit strange. We tend to idolize our leaders and love to put them on a pedestal and worship them instead of following them earnestly.
Had Gandhiji been alive today, I am sure, he would have suffered a shock to find the nation he dreamt of and strived hard to free from the clutches of British subjugation, in such a mess. We just look for excuses to stay away from work. A fitting tribute to that great man would be to work more (I don't mean working late). It can also take form of working differently, say for example, go and do some charity work. Sitting at home and watching the idiot box never did anybody good.
I may have hurt somebody somewhere, but that's the way I am. I like to be true to myself. Let's see if we can do something for the world around us, for the generation that will inherit from us. That I think would be a good tribute to our leaders.
Till then,
Keep Smiling (it boosts your face value)
Girish Chandra
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Enjoying Life
First of all I would like to tell all of the readers that I am not a proficient writer. So please ignore the mistakes. This is the first time that I am using such a medium to express my thoughts. I do often think of a subject i. e. enjoying my precious life and vice versa wasting my life. We all might have at least heard of enjoying life. What is it? Can anyone ever say that he/she has enjoyed his whole life ? This thought just struck me when I had nothing to do and was watching a movie, thinking hard of writing a blog. What to write and how to start with and how to frame it. Thus in this process of thoughts i started thinking of my current stage of life where i am enjoying this part of my life.
Enjoying life - this was the topic that came into my mind. What is enjoying life in your point of view? Does having lot of money and spending it give enjoyment ? Every one of you ask yourself have you enjoyed your life or are you enjoying your life? I think for the majority the answer is no. This may be due to the human tendency of never being satisfied with what we have. I often do think that am i wasting my time and life but contrariwise at times think it is a part of enjoyment in life. I am still confused about this subject. But i think the best enjoyment is the time spent with your friends. Where there is just laughing, playing and no serious thoughts.
I believe this is the best part of my life, where I have a lot of friends at home and office. Staying in a bachelors room is altogether different experience. I never knew to cook, but still do it and some time even enjoy it. It is because of my good friends and room mates that i have learned so many things in life. Every moment with them is enjoyable. I want all of you to remember your friends and your most enjoyable moments. Just think of it and a smile will sneaks into your face. For me having lot of such moments will be the best way of enjoying life. What about you?
Jitin Vijayan
Enjoying life - this was the topic that came into my mind. What is enjoying life in your point of view? Does having lot of money and spending it give enjoyment ? Every one of you ask yourself have you enjoyed your life or are you enjoying your life? I think for the majority the answer is no. This may be due to the human tendency of never being satisfied with what we have. I often do think that am i wasting my time and life but contrariwise at times think it is a part of enjoyment in life. I am still confused about this subject. But i think the best enjoyment is the time spent with your friends. Where there is just laughing, playing and no serious thoughts.
I believe this is the best part of my life, where I have a lot of friends at home and office. Staying in a bachelors room is altogether different experience. I never knew to cook, but still do it and some time even enjoy it. It is because of my good friends and room mates that i have learned so many things in life. Every moment with them is enjoyable. I want all of you to remember your friends and your most enjoyable moments. Just think of it and a smile will sneaks into your face. For me having lot of such moments will be the best way of enjoying life. What about you?
Jitin Vijayan
Friday, October 2, 2009
If you judge people, you have no time to love them: Mother Teresa
My dear friend Arun had this image of mother Teresa on his laptop which had the above quote from her. It struck a chord in my heart. How true, all the time we judge people on their actions, mannerism, dress, behavior ET AL. why do we never accept other people for what they are, with all their faults, their imperfections? Perhaps we are searching in them the attributes we lack in ourselves.
How joyful would it be to unconditionally love one and all, irrespective of whom or what they are! But we with our own selfishness, arrogance and deep rooted insecurities, are incapable of doing so, yours truly included. Our hearts are so dry that they are incapable of having love for anyone; excepting ourselves.
Humility and compassion are virtues people today would rather not have for it is considered as a sign of meekness. There is a mad race for acquiring wealth, status and fame at the cost of the above virtues. People will stop at nothing to achieve success in life, in the process dehumanizing themselves.
The day we learn to love all as ourselves will be the day we begin the journey towards realizing our true self. We may not succeed at the beginning but we may at least try. Finally I would like to end with another of mother Teresa’s quote ‘God doesn’t require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.’
How joyful would it be to unconditionally love one and all, irrespective of whom or what they are! But we with our own selfishness, arrogance and deep rooted insecurities, are incapable of doing so, yours truly included. Our hearts are so dry that they are incapable of having love for anyone; excepting ourselves.
Humility and compassion are virtues people today would rather not have for it is considered as a sign of meekness. There is a mad race for acquiring wealth, status and fame at the cost of the above virtues. People will stop at nothing to achieve success in life, in the process dehumanizing themselves.
The day we learn to love all as ourselves will be the day we begin the journey towards realizing our true self. We may not succeed at the beginning but we may at least try. Finally I would like to end with another of mother Teresa’s quote ‘God doesn’t require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.’
The Dark Nimbus....
I, congratulate Gopal for finally making this blog happen. I knew he was deliberating on it for a while and am quite enthralled to see it on the web. This blog would seed and precipitate the nimbuses one holds deep within. Let there be a heavy downpour, bring along thunderstorms, torrents to quench the scorch.
Effuse until there is a nip in the air. Feel featherweight to ride on butterflies wings. Slay the demons that have enslaved you. Stop your servitude to false and shallow beliefs. Unravel your true identity.
Express those first instincts. Those are your own, pure and genuine. Speak your mind and you have kindled a thought. Little far you go and you see it’s engulfed into a movement. Time is witness to encaged thoughts becoming new world orders.
A multitude of medium is available today on fingertips for the repressed, angst ridden individual. I always thought unless you are vocal about your strongest feelings you won’t be taken seriously. Never let anyone overpower you by his unilateral assertion. Debate vociferously and if a counter opinion has to accepted, let be it in protest, non alliance be known. Mute acceptance is questioning your own existence and conforming to personal agenda of the proponent would be a compromise.
A strong personality may lack solid physical attributes but the clarity of thoughts compliments his character. The resonance of his spoken word reverberates and connects instantly. Convince me or be ready to be convinced. A healthy dialogue should not only be encouraged but any attempt to subvert it with aggressive lungpower and meaningless histrionics should be paid in the same coin. These offensively loud and conspicuous tactics has always bitten the dust.
Often, these self proclaimed super intellectuals take people for granted who are reticent and meek in airing their opinion. Avenues and forums such as these should be utilised to vent out and stick it out to them in no uncertain terms.
Waiting with bated breath.......
Arun Ashan
Effuse until there is a nip in the air. Feel featherweight to ride on butterflies wings. Slay the demons that have enslaved you. Stop your servitude to false and shallow beliefs. Unravel your true identity.
Express those first instincts. Those are your own, pure and genuine. Speak your mind and you have kindled a thought. Little far you go and you see it’s engulfed into a movement. Time is witness to encaged thoughts becoming new world orders.
A multitude of medium is available today on fingertips for the repressed, angst ridden individual. I always thought unless you are vocal about your strongest feelings you won’t be taken seriously. Never let anyone overpower you by his unilateral assertion. Debate vociferously and if a counter opinion has to accepted, let be it in protest, non alliance be known. Mute acceptance is questioning your own existence and conforming to personal agenda of the proponent would be a compromise.
A strong personality may lack solid physical attributes but the clarity of thoughts compliments his character. The resonance of his spoken word reverberates and connects instantly. Convince me or be ready to be convinced. A healthy dialogue should not only be encouraged but any attempt to subvert it with aggressive lungpower and meaningless histrionics should be paid in the same coin. These offensively loud and conspicuous tactics has always bitten the dust.
Often, these self proclaimed super intellectuals take people for granted who are reticent and meek in airing their opinion. Avenues and forums such as these should be utilised to vent out and stick it out to them in no uncertain terms.
Waiting with bated breath.......
Arun Ashan
Understanding the Mahatma
The Mahatma is perhaps one of the few personalities whom the masses love and hate in the extreme, each according to his own temperament. He is also perhaps one the most misunderstood. I for one idolize him. He is a true Mahatma – I say ‘is’ because he is immortal.
It is easy to criticize him, difficult to follow. Why would anyone dislike the Mahatma? Some accuse him of being meek; others condemn his preaching of Ahimsa or non-violence as impractical. Many are the labels stuck on the Mahatma. But do the detractors of the Mahatma truly understand him? Only a mahatma can. He was not born a mahatma. It is the path he chose that made him one. This is amply evident in his autobiography ‘My experiments with truth’. What makes me sad is that people speak about him without actually trying to understand what he stood for, especially today’s generation. Unfortunately they believe aggression to be a virtue.
Ahimsa is not just refraining from physical violence, it means abstaining even from thoughts of violence. Bravery is not the mere display of physical strength. It is the strength of the soul, the strength of character that connotes true bravery. It is ignorance to believe that violence should be reciprocated with violence. It is easy commit acts of violence in the guise of bravery but it is very difficult to forgive someone who has wronged you. Fighting the enemies without is easy, killing a person even more so, all it needs is a moment of madness. Practicing restraint is very difficult. The true strength of character lies in conquering the enemy within. I have often heard people say that it is foolish to turn the other cheek when someone hits you. But then on the flip side when will it end? A blow for a blow, an eye for an eye it never stops. Someone hits you; you hit him back it goes on and on turning into a lifelong enmity, to the extent killing each other. Then the question arises should I silently suffer injustice at someone’s hand? There are several analogies in answer to this question. Do we bark back at a dog barking at us? Do we get angry at the utterings of a mentally retarded? Then what makes us angry at the tirades of fellow human beings. Is it not our own shortcomings that makes us react?
These are all the questions which need deep introspection for nobody can give you anything if you refuse to accept it. In reacting to the aggression of other people we are accepting their insinuations as true. Would we react otherwise? I very well understand that it is not easy to practice non-violence
I am not absolutely condemning the use of physical force. It is required in extreme situations, to maintain law and order and to protect the country from aggressors. However it is to be exercised with utmost caution and eschewed at all other times.
It is easy to criticize him, difficult to follow. Why would anyone dislike the Mahatma? Some accuse him of being meek; others condemn his preaching of Ahimsa or non-violence as impractical. Many are the labels stuck on the Mahatma. But do the detractors of the Mahatma truly understand him? Only a mahatma can. He was not born a mahatma. It is the path he chose that made him one. This is amply evident in his autobiography ‘My experiments with truth’. What makes me sad is that people speak about him without actually trying to understand what he stood for, especially today’s generation. Unfortunately they believe aggression to be a virtue.
Ahimsa is not just refraining from physical violence, it means abstaining even from thoughts of violence. Bravery is not the mere display of physical strength. It is the strength of the soul, the strength of character that connotes true bravery. It is ignorance to believe that violence should be reciprocated with violence. It is easy commit acts of violence in the guise of bravery but it is very difficult to forgive someone who has wronged you. Fighting the enemies without is easy, killing a person even more so, all it needs is a moment of madness. Practicing restraint is very difficult. The true strength of character lies in conquering the enemy within. I have often heard people say that it is foolish to turn the other cheek when someone hits you. But then on the flip side when will it end? A blow for a blow, an eye for an eye it never stops. Someone hits you; you hit him back it goes on and on turning into a lifelong enmity, to the extent killing each other. Then the question arises should I silently suffer injustice at someone’s hand? There are several analogies in answer to this question. Do we bark back at a dog barking at us? Do we get angry at the utterings of a mentally retarded? Then what makes us angry at the tirades of fellow human beings. Is it not our own shortcomings that makes us react?
These are all the questions which need deep introspection for nobody can give you anything if you refuse to accept it. In reacting to the aggression of other people we are accepting their insinuations as true. Would we react otherwise? I very well understand that it is not easy to practice non-violence
I am not absolutely condemning the use of physical force. It is required in extreme situations, to maintain law and order and to protect the country from aggressors. However it is to be exercised with utmost caution and eschewed at all other times.
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