Monday, October 23, 2006

God's Language!

Just remembered a paragraph that I read long back, about the great Indian language...

The "concept of gravity" existed before it's discovery, is existing after it's discovery and would continue to exist even when the humanity forgets about it!!!

Thus, one can explain the concept of eternity!!!

Similarly, the eternal greatness of the long forgotten language (Sanskrit) exists...

Just as an indication of this, I remember an example:

Consider the word NA"RA"YANA which indicates the name of lord...
Lord is characterized by the omni presence and universal existence...

In the above name of the lord, if we remove the letter "RA", it becomes NA-AYANA which means "non-existence" just like an antonym of the "Omni presence"

Similarly, consider the panchakshari mantra- NA"MA" SIVAAYA
In the above if we remove the "MA" then the panchakshari becomes- NA SIVAAYA, which means the state of "with out siva" ( 'na' sivaaya)...

Now this is the difference......(we get the opposites of the existing words or phrases) when a letter of sanskrit is removed from the name / phrase!!!!

Now just consider the most important letters in the above examples and join them....

What did you get???

"RA" "MA".............RAMA
Scriptures say that the name of the lord "RAMA" is powerful enough to end the cycle of birth and death forever!!!

If single letter of sanskrit has this much to say, then what about the infinite knowledge encrypted in vedic hymns???

Friday, September 08, 2006

The Centipede!

Yet another episode of ISKCON experience to me today...
An interesting happenstance this time...The same preacher, about whom I wrote in my previous blog, came for a spiritual discourse or satsang...

The discussion was about 18 principles which should be followed during delivering service to the lord...
These 18 principles (viz., honesty, tolerence, devotion, etc.,) were explained with the help of an instance where Chaitanya Maha Prabhu taught his desciples about sacrifice in service...(Jagannath Rath Yatra's origin instance)

I got an interesting and convincing answer for the doubt I raised to him:
A doubt cropped up in my mind, when he said that in service to the lord, we should not dwell upon mistakes (that are bound to occur), but forget the mistakes and should go forward without putting rocket logic about 'why this discrepency has occured?'...

I enquired him, why shouldn't one analyse the mistake and correct it next time, so that desired perfection in service could be achieved...
My question was theoritically flawless, but I'm convinced by his answer because, it contained the practicality aspect...
He told that we can analyse the mistakes to some extent, but so called thorough analysis is potent enough to disturb the ultimate goal of serving the lord...and narrated a small story of centipede and frog...

Paralysis by Analysis:
Once upon a time there was a frog and a centipede...
The frog hated the centipede and constantly tried to trip him up. The centipede, however, moved so fast because of his many legs that the frog could never catch him. One day when the frog saw the centipede walking down the street the frog called out, “Hey Mr. Centipede”. The centipede stopped. “Yes?” “I have been wondering for a long time when you walk, which foot do you put first? I am so impressed. With all those legs how do you know which foot to put first? When you are managing to do such a great thing, you should be defenitely having some formula for the movement of your legs...”

The centipede stopped, scratched his head and responded, ‘Oh gee Mr. Frog I never thought about it'.... And from that day the centipede started analysing movement of each leg in an attempt to figure out, which leg is moving first and what is the sequence!!!...and finally the centipede could never succeed to walk like before...

So, a balanced analysis can be made...but well within the limits...

||Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare ||

Reference:
http://www.isralight.org/assets/Text/RDA_shlach05.html


Saturday, August 26, 2006

The Protocol !!!

There are many slips between a cup and a lip...
I had one today...I was not offered the long awaited and Promised Pre Placement Offer (P3O) from maruti udyog...
a cause of transition from "amusement" to "bemusement"

However, it reminded me a long forgotten lesson (taught by my elder brother)...

The Response to Change
The change I meant here is the (unexpected) slip!!!
-The fastness in "response to such change" determines your future

My intution added some more words beyond this...
-Respond in a fast, efficient and effective manner!

Now that I should sit for the final placements (NITIE's formal battle field), my efficiency in "response to change" determines my future...
How to justify my intuitive frat (efficiency and effectiveness)?
I found these steps to answer this:

1. Explore (the options)
2. Prioritize
3. Act

...and then the statement is proved -

"You are the creator of your own destiny" (Vivekananda)

Now, I would like to point out the hidden "strategy" aspect.
The perceived "change" is after all an outcome of strategy...and this change can be:

1. Expected - This means that initial strategy was correct!
2. Unexpected - This means that somewhere initial strategy had a flaw!

A correct strategy gives an expected(sometimes desired) change.....and a normal response will suffice...
But if the strategy had a flaw...we face an unexpected change and in such a situation, above protocol should be followed... :)

Too heavy to be called a dose?

Monday, August 21, 2006

Mind manifestations

Today, I read an article which says about the mind and it's different states...
I'm very much convinced with the analysis and thus presenting it here...
It says that the mind manifests itself in five conditions:

1. Scattering
2. Darkening
3. Gathering
4. One pointed
5. Concentrated

Scatering form of mind is activity. It's tendency is to manifest in the form of pleasure or in the form of pain. It can be said that in this state of mind rajoguna which resembles passion is dominating among the three characteristics of the mind.

The darkening form is dullness which tends to injury. This state can be said as a tamsik state of mind. In this state one is in a terrible ignorance.

The gathering form is the when the mind struggles to center itself.

The one-pointed form is when the mind tries to concentrate and develops the art of focussing towards the goal.

The concentrated form is what brings the mind into the so called samadhi (as called in yoga)...
or we can understand this state in the situation when arjuna was asked to hit the eye of the bird by draunachaarya and this saadhak saw nothing else other than the bird's eye!!!

The terminology is meant for Yogic practitioners....but this applies to us as well!

Till the stage when we are in the first two states, we can never succeed.
Most of us are in the third state...where we always 'try to gather'....but in vain
Finally when we get into the fourth state, we learn the art of focussing and this always leads us into the shortest and glorious path to success.....

Thus the final state reaches... for which I've no words to write about!!!!

Friday, August 18, 2006

Inspiring...

The following was actually written for publishing in my new blog...
But somehow, creating the new blog failed and I copied the content here again...
When my ideas siphon out of me....I loose the control
Thanks to google for providing a container to my mind that always is on an urge to go hither and tither!

This flow on this page is triggered by a caption in gtalk -
"Defeat is a temporary situation, its giving up that makes it permenant"

As rightly said, defeat is like a cloud which is a temporary phase...
and every cloud has a silver lining....that is what is hope...

When one looses the hope and gives up...thats the end.
Loosing hope closes the options and puts us in a help less, panic situation
It is like a vicous circle that gives the vicious kicks all through the panic situation...and it succeeds to continue...

Swami Vivekananda rightly said the "Monkey" example:

Once he faced a situation where he had to pass through a bunch of monkeys on his way. His 'serene' mind was disturbed and lost the balance which made him stumble and he started moving in a rampant manner...The monkeys increased their pace of disturbing actions and it continued until a saviour came and energized the yogi with words that taught him not to swerve what come may...
He realized that their energy is in his weakness...

Same thing applies in real life situations also...
We can realize that even the great saint Vivekananda was like you and me when his mind lost the balance...

None is impeccant in the present life or in the previous lives...it is our resolve that makes the difference...

Thursday, August 17, 2006

The Patriotic Expenditure...

Here I got an e-mail....which says that buying poducts of non-Indian companies devalue the rupee!!!

I don't really know the authenticity/relevance of the information...but yes, it is for sure that Indian customers are encouraging the non-Indian brands more than the Indian brands (Ofcourse because of the quality aspect).
The author argues that the Indian rupee is devalued by an amount of Rs.5 as compared to the Canadian dollar, in just 5 months....and that this devaluation of the currency effects the price hike in the petroleum products in the country!!!!...
and that the rupee devaluation is caused because of the Indian economy which is slipping down...
One of the reasons for this 'slipping pride' of the Indian economy is that, more than Rs. 30,000 crores(per year) are being siphoned out of the country as people buy the products made by the non-Indian companies...

I'm really surprised about the above set of statements and really not in a state to comment on this issue!

Anyway, the mail had an impact on me....which made me buy a "Medimix" soap (today) and not "Lux" (which was my choice for more than 12 months)

Well.....If we are going to give preference to nationality and not the quality of the product....
then ...one statement justifies everything-

"It happens only in India".....Great India
"JaiBharat"

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

A success story!!!

I just read through an article that is published in today's Financial Express...
A proud story about an Indian woman....Indra Nooyi...
Here is a brief history about her...She was born in 1955 to a middle class family in Tamil Nadu. Having done her B.Sc in Chennai, she extended her student life into IIM, Kolkata for an MBA degree...

After her MBA, she worked with Johnson & Johnson and Mettur Beardsell for 2 years...
Next...Planning for higher studies, she went to Yale University...and slowly made progress in her career by working for companies like Boston Consulting Group, Motorola etc. and landed up into Pepsi Co., as Senior Vice-president for "corporate strategy and strategic marketing" in 1994. Ms. Nooyi joining Pepsi Co., is regarded as one of the best things that has happened to the company.

She was responsible for Pepsi Co's some of the biggest aquisitions in the past....like that of Tropicana (fruit juice major) and Quaker Oats Ltd. (America's largest food chain company)...

Finally ......a proud Indian, who is very religious.........who flaunts her Indianness wherever she goes, and a mother of two children...

Now in a situation where in India is grappling with controversy over pesticides in colas and it's impact on FDI (as hinted by the US), Ms. Nooyi has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the world's second largest beverage company!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is this a strategy or a merit perk!!!!

Friday, August 11, 2006

Hare Krishna!

This evening was a pleasent one with my visit to the satsang organized by the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness).
Here came a guruji for delivering a speech realted to spiritual life...
The speech was quite impressive and I observed a set of things in this charming (tejomaya) human being...
1. Clear thought. Filled with energy
2. Eyes that reflect the inner confidence and happiness
3. The mind in a state of freedom...and much more

I felt that I was taken on to a different plane while he was explaining the 'spiritual concepts'...
He made some statements that had an indelible impact on me. One of them was regarding the 'maya' which makes us believe that this material world is everything that we have and that it is real.
He put this point like this: There are two mistakes that we do which makes us believe that this world is real...
1. Thinking that 'I can do' and
2. Thinking that 'I can't do' (for whatever reason it may be!)

These two things he says are the two sides of a same coin (and this coin is called ego)
and that Lord Krishna was trying to say arjuna all through the Geetha that this coin itself is a fake one!!!!!
and that the doer is not you!!!

Another discussion (which I had with one of the followers) has uncovered some more information regarding the religion and the types of proofs one could give...
In any way to prove something, there can be three types of attempts:
1. Pratyaksha pramaan
2. Anumana pramaan
3. Shabda pramaan
In a small example, if you need to prove that water is there in the jug,
-then according to the first one, you can show the other that there is water
-according to the second one, you can make some sound from the jug and say that there is water in the jug....( it may or may not be water....because all liquids can make similar sound)
-according to the third pramaan, one just says that there is water in the jug and that should be believed...

So in this world the third one is most powerful and influential...

Fortunately or unfortunately the religion has also come from the shabd prmaan through ages and the decision is upto you whether to believe it or not...

I would like to make a statement here...."The almighty can't be compared to the water in a jug..."
and so the first option can be totally ruled out...
while the second can be considered (that too after a lot of saadhana) and the only option that we have is the last one and thus, first believe it...
and next start exploring the (seemingly) impossible one!!!

"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare"

Sunday, August 06, 2006

My futile attempts!!!

It was a boring day all through (2 days before...)
"An idle man's brain is a devil's workshop"...and my brain passed through the most familiar rotten ideas of the world....jumping here and there just like a monkey fueled with wine!
In the evening, I went on for a stroll till the outer gate of our campus... and an idea suddenly struck to me.......

I wondered why shouldn't I spend my evening in such a place that can help me do away with the stale!!!
The place that came to my mind immediately was the ISKON temple, which I never tried to go, but always wanted to...and immediately called my brother to get the how to and where to information...
Now having known the information, only going to the destination was pending.... I got the required bus ....from there I needed to travel in the mumbai local for reaching the destination.....I was so happy that though my mind thought of some stinking and 'tamsik' thing, it is not turning on in real life...
Instead, I found myself traveling on a more refined and proven right path....!!! finally I reached the location (bandra) as said by my bro...
I started inquiring the autowalas about the temple....and I discovered that the 'where to and how to' information was wrong!!!
I spent the time that evening in the bay at the bandstand beach...and slowly returned to the room....but one of my colleagues gave me a hope as soon I returned....
He said he will be going to the place I intended to go the day after tomorrow... (i.e., today)
and today...with a lot of hope I got ready and wanted to go there and went till the local train station and now we found that the trains are stopped in mumbai due to heavy raining for the last two days!!!

One thing is for sure....
"You can get in to classroom only when the teacher allows you to..."
Similar is the case with temple also...

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

This was an expected one!!!

Till date, never I learnt the importance of expressing myself through blogs...
When I was slowly discovering the same in my previous posts, blogging was stopped in my country!!!

Something of this sort was expected by me at the very begining (when I started blogging) ....

It was my experience that made me expect that...
When I start something which I neglected for many days...something abnormal happens for sure!!!
I'm a negligent guy....trying to improve towards perfection and sincerity....!
Keeping apart my attempts to improve.....let me tell you something abnormal that has occured in some other situation....

I was least bothered to attend to the classes (during my b.tech.), and I used to be regularly irregular to classes ;) and more so, though I used to attend some classes, I used to be late...
One day with a firm determination, I went 15 mins prior to the commencement of the class....
All my friends and classmates were surprised to see me at that early minute!!!
As something unnatural should occur, suddenly college was closed on the day next to my achievement day...
Can anybody guess the reason for the closure of the college on the 'day next' ?????.....there was a low pressure in the region and a heavy down-pour that night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The day when college reopened, my classmates requested me never to come on time again!!!
What to do....this society doesn't allow me to improve...!!! ;)




Frnds...I know that it was a shere coincidence.....but what can one say about some serial coincidences that follow the 'reforming me'?

Let's see if I can finally change myself !!!

"I'LL BE PERFECT AT THE END AND IT WON'T END TILL I BECOME PERFECT"

Monday, July 17, 2006

Where is the fault???

The secret of all the successful Govts of this world is to adopt a proactive and intelligent approach.
I would say Indian Govt. (irrespective of the ruling party) can be considered as laggard in this regard...
This can be proved by the series of failures on 9th, 10th and 11th of july....
May be this is not a comment on a single person or a single Govt. or a single party...
I stay in mumbai and before the serial bomb blasts, the city was in a rambunctious state because of the shivsena's 'riots'....
During 9th and 10th, failures hit the Defence and Space Departments of the country......
9th - Agni test firing failed
10th - GSLV launch failed
and on 11th mumbai was shook from top to bottom by the serial blasts...
Now....the western railways in which bomb blasts occured is equipped with security cameras....
There shouldn't be any doubt in saying that this is a reactive approach....
Does these Govt. bodies need a bomb blast (and more than 64 lives) to know that there is a need for security cameras...
Shouldn't we be ashamed to say that these anti-social elements are more proactive and motivated than our Govt. bodies?